"Shut up until you're actually competing" – Hall of Famer slams Tony Khan for challenging WWE
Tony Khan's statements regarding WWE have kicked off a storm in the wrestling community.
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff was the latest to react to the AEW boss' tweets regarding WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage going head-to-head for the first time last Friday.
Tony Khan took to Twitter after it was announced that WWE SmackDown on FS1 would have a thirty-minute overrun, clashing directly with AEW Rampage's first half-hour. Many believe the Jaguars owner should have held back on his comments about challenging WWE.
I saw you’re doing a half hour head-to-head with us. I can’t wait to finally beat your main show head-to-head. It’s been a long time coming. See you next Friday for #AEWRampage on @AEWonTNT!
On his podcast 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff concurred with those sentiments, saying that Tony Khan should focus on his product:
"If Tony were to call me and ask me for any advice, here's what it's gonna be: shut up and wrestle dude. Just put out the best product you can, and you have proven you can. Focus on that. And it's weird coming from me, the guy who challenged Vince McMahon, the guy who gave away all the finishes. But, here's the difference, I was actually competing with him, I was going head-to-head, real head-to-head. Like, my show started the same time his show started each and every week," said Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff added to the above comments and said:
"Shut up until you're actually competing, and you're competing favorably. And, by the way Tony, in 1996 I was kicking WWE's a** every single week in a real head to head competition, not a cosplay competition," Eric Bischoff added.
Eric Bischoff feels Tony Khan is inventing new problems with his comments on WWE
Shut up and wrestle.
I have a few things to get off my chest today on @83Weeks. Catch it now over at AdFreeShows.com https://t.co/8cBuUfvhCL
Tony Khan has often compared AEW and its roster to WCW in 1996 when the product exploded and became the most-watched in the world.
Eric Bischoff stated that AEW isn't competing with WWE and that his comments will be justified only if AEW and WWE are head-to-head in the same timeslot:
"And another thing Tony came out and says, 'we're at the 1996 stage of WCW and we're not gonna make the same mistakes.' Tony you're inventing some mistakes, brother. By coming out there and constantly comparing yourself and deriding your competition but not having the willingness to say 'okay let's go head-to-head, let's really compete, let's see who can get whose market share'. That's real competition. So, I'm a little disappointed with what I'm hearing from Tony, as well as some of the talent," Eric Bischoff said.
Bischoff was quite infamous for his habit of counter-programming WWE and leaking results of taped shows during the Monday Night Wars. He was also part of the team that moved TNA Impact to Monday night to take on WWE RAW.
As history knows it, the move failed miserably as Impact returned to its usual Thursday night slot. If anyone knows about taking on WWE and beating them and losing to them, it's Eric Bischoff.
Whether Tony Khan's comments prove to be misguided or a precursor to something big remains to be seen, but it's fair to say that the wrestling business hasn't been this intriguing in a long time.