Eric Bischoff Discusses the Challenges of WCW Nitro Competing Against WWE Raw

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently shared his insights and opinions on a range of topics during the latest episode of his popular podcast, 83 Weeks. One of the key points of discussion was the difficulties faced by WCW Monday Nitro in competing against WWE Raw, particularly when Nitro expanded to a three-hour format.

Bischoff acknowledged that it was an uphill battle for WCW Nitro to go head-to-head with WWE Raw during the Attitude Era. He highlighted the provocative nature of WWE’s programming during that time, which included explicit content and boundary-pushing storylines.

According to Bischoff, “It is just now especially difficult to compete against Monday Night Raw when Monday Night Raw was going so far, deep into that Attitude Era and doing the types of things that quite honestly they couldn’t get away with today, you just couldn’t, you wouldn’t even try because of the backlash. But when WWE embraced the Attitude Era in sexuality and all the over-the-top kind of nuance and not so nuanced stuff that they were doing, it was really hard to compete with, really hard to compete with.”

WCW Nitro faced numerous challenges in trying to match the edginess and controversial content of WWE Raw. Bischoff’s comments shed light on the difficulties faced by WCW in trying to carve out its own niche and attract viewers in a highly competitive landscape.

While Bischoff’s insights provide valuable context, it’s important to note that the wrestling industry has evolved significantly since the days of WCW Nitro and WWE Raw’s Attitude Era. Today, both WWE and other wrestling promotions have adopted a more family-friendly approach, focusing on athleticism and storytelling rather than explicit content.

For the full interview and more of Bischoff’s thoughts, be sure to check out the latest episode of the 83 Weeks Podcast.

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit 83 Weeks with an h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.

Sources: 83 Weeks, Wrestling Headlines