Ric Flair & Eric Bischoff Are Out Of Touch About AEW
Old-timer veterans have been bashing AEW ever since it came into existence. The likes of Jim Cornette and Bully Ray are among the most vocal naysayers from over the years, along with Eric Bischoff – former friend of AEW who even appeared on screen in the promotion! On the back of a noteworthy and historic All In: London 2026 PPV, headlined by what many have called the greatest match in the history of AEW in Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay, the out of touch nature surrounding names such as Bischoff and even Ric Flair (who also appeared in AEW) has been well and truly exposed.
Eric Bischoff Compared Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay To The Nasty Boys
- The Nasty Boyz are not renowned for being a great team.
- Bischoff was not a fan of Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay.
- He compared their All In match to a hardcore Nasty Boyz bout.
Eric Bischoff has long been a critic of AEW, stemming back from a fallout with Tony Khan after previously having had a solid relationship. Of course, opinions are free and everyone is entitled to one, but some opinions stem from clear biases, illogical comparisons, and sometimes even plain nonsense. Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega at AEW All In was bloody, brutal, and hard-hitting, but far away from AEW’s most violent matches, being kept within the realms of classic singles match rules and regulation. For some reason, Bischoff didn’t see it that way. On his 83 Weeks podcast (h/t F4WOnline), Bischoff bafflingly compared this main event to… a Nasty Boys match.
“For me personally, subjectively, based on what I enjoy out of professional wrestling, it was like watching a Nasty Boys match. It was a hardcore, slow-paced match. And yes, it was bloody, and there were great spots, but that’s my overriding critique throughout most of the matches. It was like a hardcore, anything goes, no rules, bring a weapon. I didn’t see a kitchen sink in there, but for the most part, it was anything goes. You had a referee that might as well not even have been there. So there’s no structure. It’s just two guys getting into the ring and exchanging high spots until one of them starts bleeding.”
The only weapon used in this match was a table on the outside of the ring, whereas the rest of the match was purely wrestled inside the confines of a normal bout. Bischoff’s assessment makes it seem as though he hasn’t even watched the match at all, because his points are based upon complete fallacies. The match was full of psychology, emotion, selling, brawling, big moves, and more, but it was certainly not hardcore by any means.
Ric Flair Rejected Comparisons To His Classics Against Ricky Steamboat
- Fans online have compared Omega vs. Ospreay to Steamboat vs. Flair.
- Flair hit back at these comparisons on social media.
- Steamboat vs. Flair is one of the greatest series of matches ever.
Fans were raving about Omega vs. Ospreay coming out of All In: London 2026, comparing it to some of the greatest matches ever. Old timers not accepting the changing of the business, damning newer matches and stating that can’t be “all-time greats” just because they didn’t happen thirty years ago, is all a sign of bitterness and being out of touch. Ric Flair, while showing respect to the two in the ring, didn’t take kindly to comparisons to his classics with Ricky Steamboat, expressing his opinion on X.
“No One Has More Respect For @KennyOmegamanX And @WillOspreay Than Me! But To Compare Them To Steamboat And I Is Like Comparing The Mississippi River To The Pacific Ocean! When They Have A Great Match 300 Times A Year And 200 Hour Broadways, Get Back To Me! Until Then, There Is No Problem With Being Number Two. You Are Great Young Talent, But Let’s Get Serious Kids! You Should Only Hope That You Have People Talking About Your Matches 37 Years Later! WOOOOO!”
Ex-Wrestlers Are Out Of Touch About AEW
- AEW has a consistent and growing fanbase.
- Tony Khan’s promotion is full of life, experience, and potential.
- Ex-wrestlers are bitter about AEW’s existence.
When AEW, a promotion so clearly running a wave of momentum which has been ongoing for over a year now, showcasing increasing interest, buzz and viewerships, and giving fans their money’s worth regardless of whether the style is to everyone’s taste, is spotlighting a range of styles, top talents, and putting on bangers, it feels disingenuous to constantly throw hate. Sure, criticism of any product is necessary and welcomed, but putting out nonsensical Nasty Boyz comparisons and having veterans attempt to downplay legit positive fan reaction, is no good for the business as a whole.
Hatred towards AEW has been the trend for a while, but with the promotion impressing on many different metrics, the tide is certainly turning. Disliking AEW is reasonable, but the likes of Flair & Bischoff are clearly out of touch in their approach, reasoning, and criticism.
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