Eric Bischoff is a legendary figure in the world of professional wrestling. His return to WWE as the executive director of WWE SmackDown in 2019 generated a lot of buzz. Though this run was somewhat short-lived, the experience still allowed him to learn about the current version of the company.
In a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff looked back on the memorable debut of WWE SmackDown on FOX, and he explained why the duo of Corey Graves and Michael Cole was the right choice for the show.
“You know, Michael Cole, I don’t know, I can’t say enough about him,” said Bischoff. “You know, to survive 23 years in that chair with those headsets on, in that environment, he has to be one of the toughest, mentally and emotionally toughest people that any of us know.
“Corey [Graves], very cool cat. Very different, has his own way about him. He’s got a vibe and an approach to the business that I really love, and I think it makes him unique. But think about that. Think about how much wrestling, how many stories, think about what Corey Graves in particular had to do every week. Unless you’ve done that job, even if you’ve done that job, it’s hard to imagine.
“Corey’s an amazingly talented guy. Corey is, I think, an exceptional talent, and so is Michael Cole. They’re two different approaches, which…to me, that makes it work, when you have contrasting personalities.”
The full clip is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_A2gmXhBiY
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