Eric Bischoff says it’s going to be a bit longer before he can see the live event scene go back to normal.
Bischoff recently spoke with the It’s Our House Podcast and was asked about how long it will take to get professional wrestling events back to ‘normal’ after the pandemic. Bischoff believes that while states like Florida are opening sooner and taking a “progressive” approach, but it’s going to take a few years before everyone is on the same page and you see a smaller amount of people being uncomfortable with attending shows.
“Here in the United States, every state has its own laws and recommendations and enforcement thereof. So for example Florida—it is pretty much wide open, and there are events going on in Florida. You’re going to see more and more of that because Florida is taking a very, I’ll call it ‘progressive approach’ to it because of the data over the last 12 months. Based on the strategy that Florida has implemented has been at least as good as some of the states that have taken the more draconian approach to it and locked everything down, shut down everything.”
“Now, that same contrast exists in almost all the states, some are, you know, like-minded, some are not. But I think it’s going to take two to three years before the live event discussion settles down to the point where only a small percentage of people feel uncomfortable. Yeah, I think it’s gonna take three years to get there”
Bischoff was also asked about who he believes will be the next star to transcend the wrestling business. Bischoff says there’s plenty of people he holds in high regard, but one name he would bet on for sure is Cody Rhodes.
“You guys put me on the spot here. I’m gonna give you an answer. But just know that there’s a lot of people that I hold in such high regard and have so much respect for and I think are so valuable as performers and human beings. I’m gonna offend those people, I apologize. But, if, if I was in Las Vegas and I had one $100 bill, and I was forced to place a bet on one person – I put it on Cody Rhodes.”
“I think when you talk about somebody who has the potential to transcend the business, that means to become a bigger star, or at least a star outside of the wrestling business as inside of the wrestling business. That’s how John Cena became a big star because everywhere you looked, including WWE, but outside of WWE, you would see John Cena. He became that. WWE was preaching outside of the choir. And they connected with people that they weren’t connected with just on the wrestling show by using John Cena because he had that potential and ability to transcend the business in that regard. I think Cody Rhodes has the same potential.”
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