Wrestling Rumblings #86 (Letter to Bischoff)

My name is Jose Marrero and I write a column, blog whatever you would like to call it for Wrestleview.com by the name of “Wrestling Rumblings.” I’ve been involved with this stuff for about 6 years now. Maybe that makes me one of your “internet marks” but I like to think that for the most part in the 6 years I have done this I have conducted myself with the utmost professionalism that this industry should require from anyone that has anything to do with or involving professional wrestling. Furthermore I have been a fan of the industry for well over 20 years now expanding my knowledge base to not just North America but Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan as well and going back to become as versed as I can in the “territory age” of professional wrestling. Needless to say I am a student of the game.

I have followed your exploits from day one when you were just an AWA announcer on ESPN and I give you all the credit in the world because who would have ever thought back then that you would become one of the most influential and powerful people in professional wrestling history but you did and that should be commended. As much as your critics would like to say that it doesn’t take a genius to spend someone else’s money I will still say that while during your time in WCW you had access to vast resources it still took a vision to make those resources work to your advantage, after all if it was just about money someone would have done what you did years earlier. Still I feel as do many others that somewhere in that time period you just lost your feel for the wrestling business and haven’t done much since to convince people that you truly understand what it takes to be successful in wrestling today.

I want to repeat that sentiment, I don’t think you understand what it takes to be successful in wrestling today. I have been somewhat a fan of your television projects as for some weird reason I like many am a fan of reality shows. I liked the Scott Baio shows, I even enjoyed Backyard Brawlers believe it or not and I really thought you came into your own with working on television projects and it is by far your calling in life in my opinion. Still though you came back to wrestling and what is the reason for that? Maybe it is because you are as big of a “mark” as you accuse others of being. A “mark” not just for wrestling but even for yourself a bit as we are all weakened by our egos at times and I believe that anyone in your position would have a huge ego. I think that ego has made it hard for you to accept certain things and as a result of that ego you have resorted to lashing out at other companies and using these statements in a somewhat attempt at smoke and mirrors making Eric Bischoff’s blogs about WWE and ROH more of a story than the shortcomings of TNA. I agree with you when you stated that your comments towards WWE’s numbers were factual and it was the IWC that interpreted it as criticism but you neglected to state what it was that prompted you to point this out in the first place. It was a veiled cheap shot and a way to grab headlines and poke fun at your competition. You don’t see Vince McMahon or any other WWE front office people factually point out things involving TNA. Do you know why? It is because number one doesn’t really care about number two. You’re commenting on WWE’s business affairs is the equivalent of spitting at someone on a windy day, you may try to hit them but more than likely that glob of spit is going to come back and stain you.

As I said it is cheap and while you are right “Controversy Equals Cash” the only cash you have generated for your controversy is for the very sheets and insider sites you have claimed to despise in the past. As I am sure they have generated extra site hits for your comments and maybe even received some extra subscribers also. So we have already established that you like to attempt to tweak number 1 but what about the promotion everyone would argue is number 3? What about Ring of Honor? I get it; you and Jim Cornette don’t like each other. I have even taken Jim Cornette to task about his ongoing and in my opinion immature statements towards Dixie Carter, yourself, Hulk Hogan, Vince Russo and TNA in past editions of the column but Mr. Bischoff as I am sure your mother has told you in the past I am going to tell you today that two wrongs don’t make a right and while you may have been somewhat amused at tweaking Jim Cornette and others what did those comments do for TNA? What has any of this done for TNA?

TNA, those are the only initials you should care about and yet I see more written by you concerning WWE, ROH and the IWC. What about TNA? You have talked about WWE’s numbers what about TNA’s numbers. WWE has to release their numbers because they are a publicly traded company and TNA doesn’t but before you go ahead and point out other companies’ numbers shouldn’t you be more focused on what your company’s numbers are? What are those numbers? We have heard many rumblings say how TNA has done recent PPV’s that have done less than 8,000 PPV buys is that true? If not what are the numbers? We have seen WWE’s numbers in regards to merchandise and live event sales what are TNA’s? I don’t expect you to give me those numbers, I expect you if you ever did respond to this to tell me that you don’t have the legal authority to release those numbers and hide behind what I would imagine to be a very accurate statement so let’s focus on the numbers that we do know, the numbers that at one point in your life very well were the most important numbers in your world and that’s television ratings. TNA’s ratings in the United States (and I don’t really care about your overseas ratings despite what your president says as you are a US company that runs the majority of your operation in the US) are less than a third of WWE’s. This despite your associate and friend Hulk Hogan initially claiming that TNA would double their ratings when your regime arrived in TNA and would be well into the 2.0 range. Write a blog as to why that is not occurring right now; what are your reasons for being stuck at square one?

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I know exactly what everyone is making in TNA because I don’t but how do you justify the reported decrease in PPV revenue and the falling ratings which during your regime hit all time lows at one point to the increased payroll which I would imagine has increased by a substantial sum since your regime took over. What do you have to say about that because the only things that I believe the fans want to hear about from you are TNA’s matters? Speaking of which what is it exactly that a TNA consultant does? What is your job Mr. Bischoff how do you help TNA? How does Hulk Hogan help TNA? What is it exactly that you two do? You obviously don’t increase ratings or draw a gate so how have either of you helped TNA? What exactly are your plans from here forward? Is there a plan or is this just a cash grab? I’ve read statements from you saying how you and Hulk plan to honor your two year commitment to TNA and while it is still the believed fact that you two have a contract for one year with a mutual option for a second year let’s just assume that you are telling the truth and do have a two year commitment with TNA shouldn’t your statement have read “Myself and Hulk are going to be with TNA for the long haul’?

What are your thoughts on Hulk Hogan in TNA? His statements initially that he intended to be the “Vince McMahon” of TNA do you think that he can? I don’t think Vince has ever missed a taping of his show for any reason and then did a convention as Hulk did when he claimed back surgery only to make it to a convention in Canada. I don’t think Vince has ever even taken a vacation as you yourself did with your family this past July when your company probably needed you the most. How do you justify those actions? What I really want to know is how TNA is better since you and Hulk arrived and where do you think TNA would be without you two and why? Because I am not convinced that TNA would be any worse without you two in the company and maybe, just maybe they would be better.

Sadly this letter is a one sided rant with the only side being presented mine but I would and I am sure my readers would enjoy hearing your side. I challenge you to an interview for this very website with no questions off limit. I challenge you to answer the hard questions. You can take reporters, bloggers and columnists to task all you want for statements they make on their forums but this reporter, this blogger, this columnist and most importantly this fan is more than willing to give you your say in a equal forum. No cheap shots, no theatrics just good talk and debate about the industry that we both enjoy. We as fans have questions Mr. Bischoff, we need answers, no more smoke and mirrors.

So go ahead and email me at wrestlingrumblings@hotmail.com and let’s set something up. Let’s do a real interview and not the cushy interviews you are used to with others. Let’s get the hard questions answered and let’s see where TNA is going because I like many other fans do not like where it’s been.