Pro wrestling legend Eric Bischoff getting 'one shot' with MLW, donating paycheck to Tunnel to Towers
"One of the things I told (MLW founder Court Bauer) right away was this isn't about the money," Bischoff said. "He started to negotiate my fee and I really wasn't interested in negotiating it, I just said whatever it is, I'm going to donate it to Tunnel to Towers.
"So, it doesn't matter, and I don't want to negotiate it. I just want whatever it is to be donated because I'm not doing this for the money. I'm doing it for the fun."
Bischoff will be calling the shots for the one night of pro wrestling at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens. He said he talked to Bauer for several years about doing a show with MLW, but the timing was just never right. Then, the stars aligned.
Paul Walter Hauser, an actor-turned-MLW wrestler, joined Bischoff on the wrestling mogul's YouTube show "Life Choices." As the two discussed the business, Hauser called Bauer live and the dominoes fell into place from there.
Talented pro wrestlers have moved through the company, including Alex Shelley, Austin Aries, Lexis King (then known as Brian Pillman Jr.), Francine, Gangrel, Jacob Fatu , Karrion Kross (then known as Killer Kross), Konnan, Matt Cardona, MJF, Tajiri and several others.
The roster now includes established talents like KENTA, Matt Riddle , Satoshi Kojima, Mistico, Minoru Suzuki, Bobby Fish and The Andersons, among others. Donovan Dijak also made his debut with the company over the summer after his contract with WWE was not renewed.
"They're obviously attracting some great talent. Court, as a former writer in WWE, understands the art of storytelling. I love the fact that they're the underdog, and they're kind of, of course, building this brand from the ground up.
"And, I love watching emerging companies – whether it's in the wrestling business or anything else. I'm just fascinated with the prospect of MLW growing and reaching the next level or whatever it may be for them."
Bischoff has been behind some of the most interesting creative angles in pro wrestling history, as he helped establish the New World Order faction in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which saw Hulk Hogan go from the good guy to a heel, joining the likes of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, collectively known as The Outsiders. The decision sparked the "Monday Night Wars" with WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) and put WCW on top for more than a year in the ratings battle.
In the end, WCW flamed out, but Bischoff's influence in the business was far from cooled. He joined WWE to become the on-air general manager of the RAW brand and was also an executive producer for Total Nonstop Action wrestling.
Bischoff told Fox News Digital he is already starting to enjoy getting back into the creative aspect of the wrestling business and is looking forward to creating a show.
It does not exactly mean he is looking for a return in the long run.
"I don't even think about that," he said. "One of the things I told Court is that for me to do something in wrestling now, it has to be fun. If it's not fun for me, if it's just a job, or if it's just a payday, I'm really not that interested. ... When it comes to putting my toe back in the water in wrestling, my first priority is that it has to be fun. If it's not fun, I'm not interested.
"So it all depends. I honestly, to be very transparent about it, I can't see it. I like my life just the way it is. I live in a beautiful part of the country out in the middle of nowhere where I can look out my back window and see Yellowstone National Park. ...
"So, for me to commit – just committing to professional wrestling is 24 hours, seven days a week. If you're not doing it, you're thinking about it. If you're not thinking about it, you're worrying about it. If you're not worrying about it, you're sleeping. It's hard for me to imagine. But again, it depends how much fun I have. If it's successful and everybody, not just me, but if the audience enjoys, if Court and his team – most importantly- enjoy the process, then, you know, anything's possible. But highly unlikely. Let's put it that way."
A few matches are already booked for One Shot. Here's the card so far, with more matches to be added over the next few weeks.
