Eric Bischoff says 6-time WWE champion is the "biggest financial flop in wrestling history"
Eric Bischoff fired shots at a former WWE Champion, deeming him the "biggest financial flop" ever. The star in question is none than CM Punk, who is inching closer to his AEW comeback.
Eric Bischoff and CM Punk haven't been on the best terms for quite a while. The former RAW General Manager has launched verbal attacks on the former UFC fighter on several occasions.
Punk's momentum in the Jacksonville-based promotion took an ugly hit following his backstage brawl with The Elite in September 2022. After months of absence, it was recently announced that the Chicago native would mark his return at AEW Collision on June 17th.
Speaking on the Strictly Business podcast, Eric Bischoff stated that CM Punk failed to attract more viewers towards the upcoming 'AEW Collision' show and 'All In' event:
"Remember when I told you, and I think I told you on this show, if I was Tony Khan, I would not bring Punk to the UK. I would establish the fact that I could sell 70,000 tickets without him. They sold 65,000 tickets, and then they announced him, and how many additional tickets have they sold? 700? Like a percent, whatever it is, it's incremental at best and now they're having a hard time selling out these Collision shows with Punk as a centerpiece. Am I right or am I right?," said Bischoff. [H/T: WrestlingNews.Co]
The 68-year-old further backed his claim to predict Punk was the biggest financial flop in the business:
"When I came out and said that, I took so much heat for this. CM Punk is the most overrated, I didn't even say potential, I said he was gonna be the biggest financial flop in wrestling history and I think I'm being proven right every minute of the day," he added.
The announcement of CM Punk has reportedly not boosted ticket sales for AEW Collision outside of his hometown of Chicago. Currently, AEW has only sold 700 tickets for the June 29th taping in Hamilton, Ontario.
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Eric Bischoff believes CM Punk is headed for a dramatic failure
CM Punk stunned the world with his unforgettable return to professional wrestling in August 2021. Despite the 7-year absence from a squared circle, the Second City Saint impressed fans with his impactful promos and in-ring work.
However, the former WCW Executive Producer felt otherwise right from Punk's get-go moment in Tony Khan's company. Speaking on the same podcast, Bischoff claimed that he doesn't see star power in the former WWE Champion:
"This was a major show, a brand new show, announced on a major network with what everybody thought was this huge star, and I'm telling you, like I've told you from day one, this guy is not a star. Here's a really funny part of this that I'm thoroughly fricking enjoying is CM Punk has set himself up for just a dramatic failure," stated Bischoff. [H/T: WrestlingNews.Co]
OFFICIAL: CM Punk will make his highly anticipated return to the ring in a huge trios match for the debut episode oF AEW Collision. https://t.co/eWEXMrxypJ
With FTR in his corner, CM Punk will be locking horns with the Bullet Club Gold members and Samoa Joe on June 17th. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if the Best in the World responds to Eric Bischoff's remarks.