"Don't just put on matches for the sake of matches" – WCW legend slams CM Punk and Eddie Kingston's segment on AEW Rampage
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff recently shared his thoughts on Eddie Kingston and CM Punk's backstage segment on last week's AEW Rampage.
After his loss to Bryan Danielson, a frustrated Mad King confronted CM Punk at the Friday night show. Though the segment was short, it set up a potential clash between the two at next month's AEW Full Gear.
Though many are delighted at the prospect of seeing Punk vs. Kingston for the first time, others have criticized it not for having any logical story. One among them is Bischoff. Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast 83 Weeks, Bischoff said AEW needs to cater to every fanbase.
He said that though hardcore fans may buy into a feud between Punk & Kingston, AEW should tell more stories to attract casual fans. The WWE Hall of Famer added that mainstream audiences are just as important as die-hard wrestling fans.
"If AEW doesn’t do a great job of telling that story to the uninformed as opposed to just assuming that those that know, know, probably will not live up to their potential. My advice is to tell stories. Don’t just put on matches for the sake of matches. Do not just entertain the hardcore community or the internet wrestling community. They’re an important part of the community, no doubt about it, but they’re not the only part. You have to tell stories that appeal to the masses if you want to be popular with the masses.” (WrestlingNews.co)
Eric Bischoff pointed out at AEW's low viewership after CM Punk's arrival
In the same episode, Eric Bischoff stated that CM Punk's arrival didn't lead to an upswing in AEW's ratings.
Also, Bischoff blasted Punk for saying his and Bryan Danielson's AEW signing was more significant than WCW signing Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
There is a storyline. Pay attention, each time he barely wins. The story is that CM Punk is older, he's gotta work harder.
Several big feuds are coming, but timing is key. Personally, I think we're building slowly to an AEW Title run. twitter.com/V1_OSW/status/…
Bischoff took a massive dig at Punk, saying despite being a bigger signing than Nash and Hall, AEW's ratings have only suffered since his arrival.
This isn't the first time that Eric Bischoff was critical of the former WWE Champion. Last week, Bischoff slammed Punk for ruining his return to wrestling.
For the uninitiated, since he arrived in AEW, CM Punk has only been involved in two short storylines – one with Darby Allin for his debut bout at All Out, and the other with Team Taz leading to his match with Powerhouse Hobbs on Rampage. Since then, Punk has fought the likes of Daniel Garcia and Matt Sydal but with no significant storyline in place.
Do you agree with Eric Bischoff's assessment of AEW building to a match between CM Punk and Eddie Kingston at Full Gear 2021? Sound off in the comments section below.