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Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com

Eric Bischoff Discusses Why TNA Is Not Trying To Recreate ECW, If He Feels The Angle Is Overshadowing TNA’s Current Crop Of Stars, The Recent Spike In Ratings For TNA iMPACT (And The Locker Room’s Reaction To It), His ECW One Night Stand Experience (And Whether Or Not He Was Truly Scared For His Life That Night), If Turning Heel Is Just Around The Corner For Him, How “The Whole F’N Show” Spike TV/TNA Special Could Mirror WCW’s Clash Of The Champions, The Beer Money/Motor City Machine Guns’ “Best Of Five” Series For The TNA World Tag Team Titles, & The Reasons Why He Believes That Vince McMahon Would Not Induct Him Into The WWE Hall Of Fame…Even If He Were Not Under TNA Contract

TNA’s Eric Bischoff was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/02/09) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem (presented by Good Health Natural Foods). You can feel The Mayhem live every Monday night (at 7PM ET/6PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com).

Eric joined The Big Mosh & “The Chairman of the Board” Todd Vincent for his return to “Your Home of Wrestling Radio” & for another installment of his exclusive monthly interactive segment on Monday Night Mayhem, “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces), which is now available in Windows Streaming Media or via Monday Night Mayhem’s official Podcast on iTunes:

The return of “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces) (MNM Streaming Audio): http://www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/080210.wax

The return of “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces) (MNM Podcast on iTunes): http://www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/aug10/080210.mp3

Questions were taken via Eric’s official Facebook page (located at www.Facebook.com/TheEricBischoff), along with The Mayhem Line (877.666.2110). Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

Why the recent “extreme” revival in TNA/this Sunday night’s HardCORE Justice Pay-Per-View “is not ECW” & why TNA is not trying to recreate it: “Let’s make a couple of things really clear. This is not ECW. ECW was around on TNN for 12 months…that’s it. I know it’s grown in mythology and in the minds of people, but it lasted on TNA for 12 or 13 months. It found a home because it found a niche. It was a very violent, gritty, & very cool in many respects, and I’m not cutting it down in any way because it was different. To Paul E’s credit, he found a way to make what he was doing and the limitations he had to work with, and he was able to make a product that was different, and fans liked it because it was different. TNA, or WWE, or anyone that has to make money with a brand isn’t going to be able to resort to the level of violence & the presentation that they got used back on TNN. It’s just not possible. I want to make clear that this is not ECW, and we are not trying to re-create ECW. People that are getting so hung up on this ECW comparison are getting lost in their own mythology.”
Why he is in favor of the ECW angle at this point & whether or not the current crop of TNA stars are being overshadowed as a result of it: “I don’t know if it’s taking any money out of Sting‘s pockets, or taking money out of Jay Lethal’s pockets, or anybody’s pockets. Jay Lethal is probably enjoying one of the better stages of his career as of late. I don’t think you’ll hear Jay Lethal complain about it. It’s a great story, it’s great for TNA, and the ratings are up, which is good for everybody. It’s good for business, and when business is good, everybody prospers.”

The morale of the TNA locker room & the reaction from Spike TV after the most recent iMPACT ratings were made public: “Other than Vince Russo, who I speak to daily, I haven’t really talked to anybody since the rating came out. I’m sure that everyone is excited. I’ve had several conversations with the folks at Spike TV, and I know everyone is excited. In terms of the talent, I really haven’t had a chance to talk to them.”

Why he believes that Vince McMahon would not put him into the WWE Hall of Fame, even if he was not under contract to TNA right now: “I don’t. I like Vince, and I respect Vince, but he’s his own unique animal, and there’s certain parts of history that neither he or some of the key people around him will ever forget, and I think that history, even if I wasn’t with TNA, would probably preclude me from being involved. I’m sure I’d get an invitation to come, but I don’t think Vince McMahon would ever, under any circumstances, give that spotlight away.”

More is contained in another installment of “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces), including Eric’s candid thoughts/comments on the idea of turning heel once again in TNA, how similar next Thursday night’s “Whole F’N Show” TNA/Spike TV special could mirror some of the ideas/concepts of WCW’s Clash of the Champions, the Beer Money/Motor City Machine Guns’ “Best of Five” Series for the TNA World Tag Team Titles, if he truly was scared for his life during the night of the first ECW One Night Stand in 2005, the comparisons between the UFC & professional wrestling, whether or not we have seen the last of managers in the business today, plus more of your calls & Facebook questions! Call your local cable or satellite provider and demand HardCORE Justice (airing this Sunday night on Pay-Per-View). “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces) returns Monday night, August 30th leading into TNA’s No Surrender PPV…exclusively on “Your Home of Wrestling Radio.” Check out Eric’s official website (located at www.EricBischoff.com), along with newly-launched website for Eric & his business partner, Jason Hervey (located at www.BHE.tv). Get the latest on the exciting new projects coming your way from Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment! Don’t forget to follow Eric on his official Twitter page (located at www.Twitter.com/EBischoff), and join the more than 17,000+ fans on EB’s official Facebook page (located at www.Facebook.com/TheEricBischoff).