DeMarco: Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, or Jim Cornette?

Greg DeMarco evaluates a $10 million dollar question (literally) – who would you choose if you were starting a new wrestling company?

Social media has flipped the script on pro wrestling. The fans have more power than ever before—booking is done in real time, buzz is built or buried in seconds, and no one waits until Monday to cut a promo anymore.

Social media is also a place where ideas are shared and discussion takes place. The basis for this article was a question posted on social media, using this image:

It’s the Ten Million Dollar Question: If you are handed $10 million to start a wrestling company, and you have to pick one of the following as your partner, who do you pick? Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, or Jim Cornette.

Ten Million Dollars?

Ten million dollars sounds like a lot—until you start pricing out weekly production, talent contracts, live event logistics, licensing, digital, and TV. That money will go fast when you realize you’re competing with billion-dollar conglomerates that can lose money just to win the culture war. To truly break through in today’s wrestling economy, $10 million is your entry fee, not your war chest.

You do have options, such as Roku TV (similar to the NWA), YouTube, and more. This should ABSOLUTELY factor into your decision–distribution is key. And all three options do have some connection, and that needs to be considered.

You already know the options…

You’re reading this article, so you already know all about Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, and Jim Cornette.

Eric Bischoff broke all the rules—and made it work. He launched Monday Nitro, flipped the industry upside down with the nWo, and forced Vince McMahon to innovate. Bischoff turned WCW into a legit number one brand and changed the entire TV presentation of wrestling forever. Without him, do we have the Attitude Era? There’s no way to be certain.

Vince Russo brought the chaos—and a whole lot of ratings. He gave us Crash TV, blurred the lines between fiction and reality, and wasn’t afraid to throw the whole format into a blender. While the long-term storytelling often suffered, the shock factor he brought drove eyeballs and made every segment feel like “can’t miss” television. But you can argue that, without Eric Bischoff, there’s no Vince Russo.

Jim Cornette is wrestling tradition personified. He’s protected the business with his life, shaped generations of talent behind the scenes, and built up territories when no one else could. Cornette’s strength lies in his psychology, heat-building, and his unapologetic belief in what wrestling should be—even when the industry moves past it. Does that play if you’re starting a brand new company in 2025? In my opinion, the jury is still out.

But who do you choose?

To be fair, you can’t just pick someone and go. You need to pick someone who aligns with your vision.

• If you’re trying to focus on “old school” and nostalgia, Jim Cornette is your guy.
• If you plan to build on shock value, your product going viral, and outlandish reactions, you pick Vince Russo.
• If you think distribution is important, and need to get your product out there, you choose Eric Bischoff.

For me? I am a business guy. It’s called “the wrestling business,” and your $10 million investment needs to see a return.

I choose Eric Bischoff.

Many of you will scoff at this, thinking Jim Cornette was the right choice. He has a brilliant mind, and he has a following to help get you started. Hell, its enough for me to second-guess myself. Cornette is a close second. Vince Russo? Not a fan in this scenario.

But my perspective is different. I am a wresting promoter–I book and promote successful wrestling events. Our biggest weakness? Distribution. Among the three options, Eric Bischoff is far stronger.

How do you leverage Eric Bischoff?

Remember how the table was set – you’re given $10 million dollars to start a wrestling company. THAT is the hook. To me, that sounds like two things: a wrestling promotion AND a reality show. Even if the wrestling portion is on a streaming platform, or our own distribution like YouTube–the behind the scenes content is what Eric can start shopping. That can give us more resources in terms of budget and production. He also has the connection to Conrad Thompson, which helps with the online community.

If Bischoff gets us a distribution deal, even if it’s for the reality show portion, we have more budget for talent. Two people I can hire? Jim Cornette and Vince Russo. They are reality show GOLD.

Do I have to pay Eric Bischoff? Sure, but he’s not a “salary guy.” You want to motivate Eric Bischoff to perform, appeal to his competitive side. Give him a piece of the business–when the business grows, so does his piece. That’s one of the biggest advantages to having the former head of WCW.

Welcome to the team, Eric! Now let’s to get ourselves a deal!