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Eric Bischoff in suitEric Bischoff claps back at claims made by comedian John Oliver about WWE. The former RAW GM also weighs in on Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake’s Hall of Fame induction, offering his take on whether it’s a ploy by WWE to get Hulk Hogan involved in the ceremony. Excerpts are below…

 

Eric’s hilarious take on Brutus being inducted into the HOF: I don’t think it’s [just to get Hulk Hogan involved]. [Hogan] would’ve gotten involved with the show, would’ve been asked regardless…It may have been a rib on Triple H. Triple H has got to put [Brutus] over now and stand next to him and take his Hall of Fame pictures. So maybe I would buy into that.

Regarding claims made by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight: The precedent for the industry that we call sports entertainment or professional wrestling, that business model has been around forever. If WWE, which is the largest producer of this type of content anywhere in the world, in the history of the world, if they were to change their business model to accommodate a traditional employer model, I’m not sure what would happen to that company. It’s a substantial change. I’m not saying they can’t do it. I’m not saying they won’t.

Eric Bischoff and Vince Mcmahon

Eric justifies the risk taken by those who work for WWE: I knew what I was getting into when I signed that agreement. I knew there was going to be no health insurance. I knew there was going to be no retirement. Nobody talked to me about a 401(k). I’m intelligent enough to read the agreement I signed…I know what to expect, in return for my services.

So it’s hard for me to relate to people that bitch and whine about it after the fact. If you don’t like that situation, you don’t like the fact that WWE is not offering you the things that maybe you could get at, I don’t know IBM or Apple or an airline, then go work there.

Eric Bischoff on tour

But if you’re like me or I’m sure many people who aspire for an opportunity for greatness, like musicians do, you know what? You gotta roll the dice. And if you choose to roll the dice going into that deal knowing what it is and what it isn’t, then don’t bitch and whine about it afterwards.

On whether John Oliver’s claims are valid: It is true. So much of it is true. I’m not denying it’s not. But that’s a choice they made. And you go into it knowing that. It’s hard for me to feel too much sympathy for people that make choices and take risks knowing what the odds are, and then whine about it after the fact.

Eric Bischoff and Vince Mcmahon

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