Eric Bischoff Weighs In on WWE Scaling Back Live Event Schedule – During a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared his candid thoughts on WWE’s decision to scale back its live event schedule, arguing the move should have happened years earlier.
“It should have been done 10 years ago or more. No, maybe not 10, certainly five years ago,” Bischoff said, reflecting on WWE’s longstanding house show model. He acknowledged that Vince McMahon’s vision for bringing WWE stars to local markets played a key role in the company’s national growth. “One of the reasons WWE became WWE — and WCW became WCW to a lesser extent — was because professional wrestling was the only form of popular entertainment on weekly TV… where the stars of those shows would actually come to your local community.”
He emphasized the value of live experiences, comparing them to his own shift in perception after attending a Fleetwood Mac concert. “Experiencing something live, you get a different connection to it. It’s one of the reasons… professional wrestling has existed on television since the very beginning of television time. Because it has the unique ability to engage and connect with your audience in a way no other form of entertainment does.”
Bischoff also pointed out that economics have changed the game. “The cost of doing those shows now is getting really, really expensive,” he explained. “There’s not that much margin in it. And oh yeah, there’s a good amount of risk in it. Financially, it just doesn’t make any sense anymore.”
Reflecting on his time with WWE in 2019, Bischoff recalled a meeting that illustrated the growing problems. “It was ugly. Like, ‘What the hell are we doing this for?’ ugly. And no solution… That side of the business model has been dead for six to eight years now.”
However, he warned of a major downside to fewer live events—wrestlers losing vital in-ring experience. “The less you work, the more likely it is you’re going to get hurt. Working three, four, or five days a week keeps you in condition for professional wrestling as we know it.” He added that regular matches help athletes absorb impact better and reduce injury risk over time. “You get in shape for it… and the chances of getting hurt are much less when you’re frequently in the ring.”
Bischoff’s remarks reflect an evolving reality for WWE’s touring model, balancing economics with athlete development in a post-pandemic wrestling landscape.
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Eric Bischoff Weighs In on WWE Scaling Back Live Event Schedule
