On whether Hulk Hogan was better at negotiating his WCW contract because of everything he learned in the WWF about licensing:
EB: By virtue of Hulk’s relationship previously with WWE before he came to WCW Hulk probably knew more about the potential of licensing and merchandising than anybody in the company. Including me. I had never dealt with it. It was never anything I had the opportunity to learn about because we didn’t have any. When Hulk came to WCW clearly he saw the future. I didn’t even know there was a future. He saw what happened in WWE and knew that when he came to WCW he wanted to be in a position to take advantage of it if the same level of success were to follow him to WCW. In some ways he was ahead of the curve in terms of most people in WCW but I wouldn’t say he was ahead of the curve in terms of what was going on in the industry.
On The Big Show’s comment on Steve Austin’s most recent live podcast that WWE contacted him after his WCW World Heavyweight Championship win at Halloween Havoc 1995:
EB: I don’t think Paul Wight was ready to make a move to the WWE. When Paul started he was very young. He was very green. He was as big and powerful and athletic and gifted as he is and deep down inside when he looked in the mirror he saw a guy that was six foot tall, 180 lbs and kind of insecure. He was much like everybody else at that time. I think it wasn’t until later on he got more confidence and was more seasoned to the business and had more people that he talked to. I think Hulk Hogan was probably one of the reasons, and I’ve never talked to Paul about this, I am sure Hulk Hogan counseled Paul Wight to entertain a WWE offer. Hulk believed, when he first came to WCW, Hulk believed Paul Wight could be the next Andre the Giant. Not only in terms of the character because we all know what we did with him back then. He believed that Paul was such a unique character and unique talent that he had the ability to be one of the biggest names in the business. Hulk believed, even tho he was working with me and WCW was what it was, Hulk believed WWE was probably the place where Paul could reach that level of success. Paul wasn’t ready.
Subscribe to WrestleZone Radio for FREE on iTunes Transcribed quotes from Eric’s interview continue on the next page with his thoughts on WCW’s Monster Truck plans, what his strategy would have been if he had to fight Vince McMahon, Roman Reigns’ character and Triple H as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
