Eric Bischoff has revealed that one of the most memorable lines in New World Order history was completely genuine, explaining that Tony Schiavone had no idea what was about to happen at Bash at the Beach 1996.
The closing moments of the event saw Hulk Hogan shock the wrestling world by turning heel and aligning himself with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the nWo. As the show came to an end, Tony Schiavone signed off with the now-famous line:
“Hulk Hogan, you can go to hell. We’re out of here, straight to hell.”
Speaking on 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff explained that Schiavone’s emotion was real because he had intentionally kept him in the dark about Hogan’s heel turn.
“It’s because he didn’t know. He was pissed. He was pissed at me,” Bischoff said.
Eric Bischoff said eliciting that authentic reaction was exactly what he wanted, adding that creating genuine emotion is one of the most important parts of professional wrestling.
“That’s what a good director does, brings out emotion. That’s how you get people to feel,” Bischoff said.
Eric Bischoff Believes Storytelling Is More Important Than Ringcraft In Wrestling
The former WCW Executive Vice President went on to argue that making fans emotionally invest in a story is far more important than simply producing memorable in-ring moments.
“When you can make them feel, when you can make them angry, when you can make them feel full of joy, when you can make them feel satisfied, that’s when you own them,” he said.
