Eric Bischoff has expressed his view that WWE’s treatment of Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill sends a subtle message to AEW stars who may be considering negotiations in the future. Bischoff discussed this topic on his 83 Weeks podcast.
Eric Bischoff suggested that WWE’s “red carpet treatment” of both Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill serves as a subtle message to individuals currently in AEW that joining WWE can elevate their careers to the next level.
“The subtle message, whether it’s intentional or not, is: ‘Going to WWE is a step up. Going to AEW is a step down.’ It just is what it is,” Bischoff said. “First of all, who does that message land on the most? Who is most affected by that message in AEW? Guys like MJF. Not everybody that’s in AEW has the potential of ever seeing me inside of a WWE arena unless they buy a ticket to go watch.”
After being called out for his harsh statement by Conrad Thompson, Bischoff named some AEW stars that he believes could be a benefit to WWE someday.
“Some. MJF being one of them. There are probably others. Sammy Guevara, perhaps. Ricky Starks, perhaps. There may be others, but of the 178 people on that roster, you’re talking about a handful of people that really had the potential of going there,” Eric said. “Many of them have already been there and spent decades of their career there, so it just is what it is. May hurt to hear it for some people, but nonetheless, it’s true. That’s the message that matters the most. So when a Ricky Starks, or an MJF, when their deals are coming up and they look at what happened to Cody, they look at what happened with Jade, assuming it goes well, I’m pretty sure it will, that’s when the message matters. The rest of it doesn’t. To so many of the talent [in AEW], it really won’t matter because they’re not going to be in that position. The people who are or will be, or who think they will be, are going to hear that message loud and clear.”
MJF has often talked about the bidding war of 2024 and the possibility that he may go to WWE, but right now as AEW World Champion, he’s probably the quarterback of AEW and is not afraid to call himself out on dropping the ball occasionally.
Eric Bischoff Says WWE’s Handling of Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill is a Message for People Like MJF
