Legend felt "relieved" when Stephanie McMahon said WWE no longer needed him
WWE's decision to move in a different direction with its on-screen authority figures in 2005 was understandable, according to Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff performed as the RAW general manager for two-and-a-half years after joining WWE in July 2002. His villainous character was thrown into a garbage truck by Vince McMahon on the December 5, 2005, episode of the red brand after being fired by the then-WWE Chairman.
On his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff admitted that his persona had run its course. He also revealed that Stephanie McMahon, a creative team member at the time, called him to say he was no longer needed:
"I was relieved when Stephanie called me because, as a performer, you don't wanna go out [in front of fans] when you know your s**t's getting cold, and you feel it," Bischoff said. "You just sense it. I had been sensing it for months, probably six or seven months leading up to that point." [1:54:09 – 1:54:24]
Bischoff returned as SmackDown's Executive Director in 2019, but he left the behind-the-scenes role after just four months.
Why Eric Bischoff knew his WWE RAW GM role had to end
Bischoff's two-and-a-half-year stint as the RAW general manager was relatively long for an authority figure.
The former WCW executive realized it was time to leave his on-screen position when it became challenging to garner reactions from fans:
"I just saw it coming," Bischoff continued. "I didn't want it to end, I don't want to suggest that, because it was a good gig for me and it was fun and I enjoyed it, but I could also feel that I was losing the audience. They just didn't care about the character anymore. I knew from a creative point of view there was only so much they could do to change that." [2:00:39 – 2:01:01]
Bischoff has been involved in the wrestling business since 1986. The 67-year-old was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021.
What are your favorite Eric Bischoff moments in wrestling? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit 83 Weeks and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.