An Objective Look at Garett Bischoff

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Garett Bischoff, in my opinion, has never been given a fair chance by wrestling fans. He was hated by association because he was involved with Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, and the rest of the band of merry men, but is that actually fair? In my estimation, the guy has a decent look, and from what little we've actually seen of him, he's not a terrible wrestler either. Unfortunately, so little is actually known about him, and any information we do have is extremely limited and subject to the "reality" of the pro wrestling industry. But he's only 27, and never wrestled for any promotion on record, so what do we really have to hate about him? Sure, his promo work is awkward, but he's a Bischoff; comfort and charisma will come with time and experience.

Many have complained about Garett being "forced down our throats" because his dad is in management, while other "more deserving" talents are being left in the dust. Is that statement fair either? He really hasn't been taking up a lot of ring or backstage time, and in fact he's been completely absent until his 20 second spot this week on Impact. Even when he does start to play a more permanent role, it's not likely he'll be using any more time than any other guy on the roster.

Honestly, I don't see him becoming a huge star. I'm not the president of the guy's fan club, and I really don't even like him all that much. But I still think he deserves a fair shot in wrestling. Let him actually wrestle a few matches, get involved in a couple of feuds, and then pass judgement on the kid. The business is hard enough to get by in, without the "10 percenters" burying him before he has a chance to start.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I have to disagree.

Bischoff has been shoved down our throats to some degree and has gotten a much harder & further push than a rookie as his level would normally get because of who his father is. I don't see such statements as being unfair because they're true. Garett Bischoff hasn't been wrestling long enough to finish a cup of coffee, nor has he paid any dues. One reason his career has gotten off to such a shakey start in the eyes of many is because they decided to play the nepotism card. The fact that he is Eric Bischoff's son is a major factor in any and all attention that he's gotten. I fail to see how that can be argued. In spite of that, he has been given a decent amount of time on a major wrestling television program over other wrestlers that are in the same age range, yet have far more experience and ability.

He's been put on television in a program involving his father and, because of that, TNA is expecting and wanting fans to rally behind him. Sorry, but it's just not working with me.

 

[ezuvgu]

The problem is that Garett debuted on the TNA roster. Because of who he is, he was always going to have a hard time winning over many of the fans. Sticking him in the main event of Impact and trying to push him immediately was a mistake. He's simply adequate in the ring when he needed to be a great wrestler to get over despite having the stigma of being Eric Bischoff's kid.

When most of the Knockouts division isn't appearing on Impact, a number of the new X Division wrestlers aren't being used, and "IWC" favorites such as Alex Shelley and the British Invasion aren't being used either, Eric Bischoff's kid is going to get a negative reaction from fans. Recently, TNA hasn't been using Ken Anderson, a former 2 time World Champion.

My reaction to Bischoff isn't as negative as my reaction to the Eric Young push has been. Eric Young irritated me enough when he was in a 1 minute skit every week. When he's getting what seems like a full segment every week, it is absolutely unbearable. Instead of EY or Robbie E or Garett Bischoff, I'd rather see the Knockouts or the man that should be the next breakout star of the X Division (Zema Ion). TNA really needs to get Xplosion on the air in the United States and turn it into a B-show like Heat and Velocity used to be for WWE. That way, the fans of whoever is not able to get on Impact at the moment can still watch their favorites every week.

 

[klunderbunker]

Ok, let's take out the idea that Garrett is a Bischoff. Fine. Let's say he really is a referee turned wrestler that was in Immortal's pocket and then turned on them.

All of that was still revealed in the span of about an hour and a half. It doesn't matter who his daddy is: that's poor storytelling and we're not going to get behind him based on that. He had made some questionable calls before, but nothing that is going to stand out. The major one was in the Morgan vs. Hardy match which was what, 8 months earlier? That's the crux of a heel turn? Then all of a sudden it's revealed at BFG, only for him to turn face at BFG later that night? That doesn't really work at all.

Then he gets involved in a feud with Gunner over Immortal wanting revenge I guess, and yes, he was shoved down our throats. At the end of the day, aside from being Bischoff's son, he's been a referee for about a year and that's it. That's what we know about him. His matches have consisted of armdrags and Gunner being cocky so that Garrett can steal a win. That gets old really fast, because the guy doesn't have anything notable as far as skills.

Compare him to another son of a boss that wrestles: Shane McMahon. Take away Shane's relation to Vince and just focus on what he's done in a ring. Shane has had some pretty solid outings, including a great match against Kurt Angle. He can go in the ring, whereas all we've seen from Garrett are about three matches, none of which have been anything that a Tough ENough rookie wouldn't be able to do. That's not something that belongs on Impact, so based on just his own skills and what we've seen from him, he has no business on Impact aside from what loins he came from.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

All of that was still revealed in the span of about an hour and a half. It doesn't matter who his daddy is: that's poor storytelling and we're not going to get behind him based on that. He had made some questionable calls before, but nothing that is going to stand out. The major one was in the Morgan vs. Hardy match which was what, 8 months earlier? That's the crux of a heel turn? Then all of a sudden it's revealed at BFG, only for him to turn face at BFG later that night? That doesn't really work at all.

I completely agree. They turned him last minute to try and add a little spice to the Hogan/Sting match at BFG. I don't think it really added, or took away from the match, because as you said there was nothing to actually buy into. For something they probably had planned months in advance, it really was a terribly booked angle.

Then he gets involved in a feud with Gunner over Immortal wanting revenge I guess, and yes, he was shoved down our throats.

Hopefully that didn't offend you too much, because I highly doubt that feud is over... Wouldn't surprise me if they used him to save RVD tomorrow night. You know, because a former ECW, WWE, and TNA World champion needs to be saved from a rookie, BY an ever more green rookie. Super awesome logic!

Here's what little defense I can come up with, in terms of the Gunner/Garett "feud". They clearly wanted to bring him in, and do something with his character to get him over. They could have just brought him up as a regular wrestler and not acknowledged his background at all. But the minute you hear Bischoff, aren't you going to wonder why his daddy isn't helping him along more anyways? So they used him in the big Sting/Hogan angle, but only for a split second at the end of the match. He wasn't the focus, he wasn't even that big of a deal. And in the following weeks he did appear in a main event, and yes he was shoved down our throats a bit. I will admit that... But I'm glad it was Gunner. I'm glad they at least had the foresight to put him up against the guy that was the least big of a deal. They could have said "go out and beat Bully Ray. It'll totally be believable" but they didn't. Gunner works... And let's face it, no matter what they did with him, people are going to complain that he doesn't belong. Maybe that's true...

At the end of the day, aside from being Bischoff's son, he's been a referee for about a year and that's it. That's what we know about him. His matches have consisted of armdrags and Gunner being cocky so that Garrett can steal a win. That gets old really fast, because the guy doesn't have anything notable as far as skills.

Yup, that's a good reason to hate a guy. It's also, if you choose to look at it this way, a reason to give him more time. Again, at least he's developing his skills against Gunner, not somebody who is actually important to the main event picture right now.

Compare him to another son of a boss that wrestles: Shane McMahon. Take away Shane's relation to Vince and just focus on what he's done in a ring. Shane has had some pretty solid outings, including a great match against Kurt Angle. He can go in the ring, whereas all we've seen from Garrett are about three matches, none of which have been anything that a Tough ENough rookie wouldn't be able to do.

We've also seen a lot MORE of Shane, over a longer period of time. He didn't come out of the McMahon womb being a perfect wrestling personality... Shane ALSO started as a referee, albeit many years before hand. But you know what the first thing Shane did when he got involved with wrestling full-time was? He joined the McMahon/Austin feud... That's not exactly what I would call paying his dues to the industry.

That's not something that belongs on Impact, so based on just his own skills and what we've seen from him, he has no business on Impact aside from what loins he came from.

We have seen much worse on televised professional wrestling shows. That's not to say because he isn't Hornswoggle he should be World champion, but I would rather see him get a fair shot from the mid-card than see somebody like Gunner who came in and was instantly put into the main event.

I will admit to a few things: the way he was booked coming in was ******ed. At the very beginning, after the Hogan/Sting match was over, Garett was in our face a bit too much. But they pulled back the reigns, toned it down, and it looks like he's about to start fresh from a much more reasonable position. Now, if that Sting/Garrett v Hogan/Bischoff Lockdown match ever happens, I will definitely side with you that he doesn't deserve his spot. At the very least though, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. It's not exactly his fault the booking in that company can be somewhat less than desirable.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

Quote:
Compare him to another son of a boss that wrestles: Shane McMahon. Take away Shane's relation to Vince and just focus on what he's done in a ring. Shane has had some pretty solid outings, including a great match against Kurt Angle. He can go in the ring, whereas all we've seen from Garrett are about three matches, none of which have been anything that a Tough ENough rookie wouldn't be able to do. That's not something that belongs on Impact, so based on just his own skills and what we've seen from him, he has no business on Impact aside from what loins he came from.

Sorry , I'm not buying the comparison to ShaneOmac. Mcmahon has the ability to give HolyShite moments at the drop of the hat. Personally, when I knew Shane was wrestling a singles match at a PPV I would order it just to see what he was going to do.

However, I would compare Garrett to a son of a legend....David Flair...Back in the beginning of the end of WCW David Flair was taking up at least one segment a show. He had absolutely no wrestling ability, stunk on the mic, absolutely did nothing for the show in general.

Back to the topic though. Yes I think that Garrett was initially shoved down our throats. I think that the writers have realized this and toned it down a bit. I feel that he has some potential, and I am interested to see where it goes from here.

If all fails though Ric can make a call to David and he can team with Garrett to form Impacts version of Legacy. Ok that was a joke, so don't start jumping on me for that

 

[SpecialFNK]

not only was he shoved down everyone's throat, but where did it go? he feuded with Gunner in matches, but it never really went where it should have. Garrett turned on his father at BFG and his feud should have been with his father. that was the connection. now Eric got involved some no doubt, but it ended before anything really between Garrett vs Eric. when it first started I figured it would have ended up being some type of match between father and son, with potentially other people involved, like Hulk Hogan. but no. instead Gunner gave Garrett a pile driver on the concrete and sent him to the hospital.
after the pile driver and a trip to the hospital, I thought that was what TNA was doing to get Garrett off of TV after realizing he wasn't working. guess not. most recent Impact, Garrett is back. not only back but Sting makes him an active wrestler? smh, no. that time off should have led to a lengthy time away from TV and saw him get more experience somewhere else like OVW.

 

[Xumer]

If Garett could wrestle, I wouldn't really care who his dad is. But since he can't, that only leaves one conclusion when he wrestles on a show about wrestling even though he can't wrestle. IMO, at his current skill level he shouldn't even be considered for dark matches.

 

[Krossbreed]

I would book Garrett with a big body wrestler slash tag team partner. Garretts character should be vein cocky and over confident with his catch phrase being ..."do you know who my father is..."

in there storyline they have sting pushing him and eric trying to bury him to keep him face... i dont think thats the way to go because if u goanna make him babyface he gotta be flashy like aj styles or have something going for him other than defying his father because of morals

off topic...i think tna has to stop flipping there guys from heel to face its really not good for the characters. the fans should be the ones who turns a heel face. guys like abyss, bully ray, rob terry should stay heel for years. Guys like aj styles, storm, chris sabin should stay face.

Then when there is a face to heel turn it makes sense like bobby roodes heel turn...very believable and it launched his career. hopefully they wont drop the ball with him.

 

[Xumer]

Then when there is a face to heel turn it makes sense like bobby roodes heel turn...very believable and it launched his career. hopefully they wont drop the ball with him.

In my opinion as soon as Kurt is back to TNA full time (aka when the olympics thing is done), Roode will eventually drop the title back to him and it's back to the midcard. TNA is absolutely determined to follow WCW's demise and nothing will stop them.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

He isn't terrible in ring but he isn't really good. My issue is that aside from the bad story telling he was involved in he looks out of place in the ring at times. I think part of it is his I'm just a normal guy outfit and part is his lack of skill against the more established guys.

He does deserve his fair chance but at this point he should be curtain jerking, not hanging around the upper midcard

 

[blkshp]

All I can say about Garrett Bischoff right now is all I've seen him do is arm drags and school boy pins...I was doing the Sharpshooter when I was 12, so I think I have a more varied offensive arsenal then he does right now. Fact is he should be in OVW for a solid year at least, but Eric won't have that it seems. So the only suggestion I would make is to have Garrett watch EVERY Cody Rhodes match/promo there is. Rhodes has progressed a lot since he started, even though he wasn't nearly as green as Bischoff is, but if I'm him, that's what I shoot for.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

He's a non-existant.

He was now disappeared off my screen and I don't care that he was around. I think people are always up in arms when the fruits of a higher-ups loins starts 'pretending' to be a wrestler. Some will quote Erik Watts dropkick from the future. I have never seen that on my TV. I'm happy.

So to be honest, I have no attachment or a fleeting sentiment about this guy, hence I see no point in adding to the poll. If he again appears and takes up more time and annoys or impresses me, I'll try and dig up this thread.

 

[ROFLCOPTERftw3]

It's too early to tell if has what it takes to ''make it''. I want to see him wrestle couple full matches and then juge him.

 

[Clem]

I'm not going to personally attack the guy, but so far I've been offended by the majority of his segments and matches.

He's shown no flair for the business, at all. He can perform an arm-drag and a hip-toss, but so can every other rookie on the independent circuit.

Not to mention his promos are beyond dire. Most of the time they'll just stand him next to a legend and let them do all the talking. Sometimes it's Sting, sometimes it's Ric Flair, sometimes it's Hulk Hogan. They're carrying this spoilt brat through segments and it's shameful.

On the last episode of Impact where he was getting dressed in his referee's outfit, I damn near jumped for joy! But then Sting had to go and call him a wrestler...*sigh*...

If Garrett really wanted into the wrestling business, they should've sent him down to OVW for a year to develop a persona. Then he could take a few independent bookings and build up a name for himself. Pay some dues for god's sake.

 

[Self High 5]

Ah! I knew there'd be an existing thread where I could vent on GB. Apologies for bumping...

The whole Garett scenario has NO place on Impact in 2012. It is the one blatant boil on the arse of the current product, and it's just absolutely effing awful. It's the worst kind of nepotism that should have died out with the territories, or at very least with David Flair.

A total rookie, with zero charisma, character or even sympathy, gets the penultimate match on a PPV card? What in the name of hell is that all about? I don't know if maybe they wanted to build him as a lovable underdog, but crowds have ranged from utter indifference (Impact Zone) to outright hostile (England taping) and not even Hogan can change that.

Maybe they think he has a bit of Shane O'Mac potential? The clear difference was that Shane had a natural swagger and charisma about him - oh, and not being forced down peoples' throats every week. And taking monster bumps and performing incredible spots. Shane could also play a great face and a great heel.

Garett has looked like a deer in the headlights during all his segments... ever. He cannot talk. Not one iota.

Send him to OVW for a year to develop some skills, pay his dues, and get a personality. Then he might make a decent jobber or at best, a lower mid-carder.

 

[shattered dreams]

I like that TNA has chosen to separate the legends from their main stories. You have to give them something to do but it just doesn't work when you mix with the main roster. In that sense I thought this story was alright. Furthermore, I don't think anybody in this story is doing a bad job. The problem is that you just can't take a Bischoff and sell him as a babyface to most people. The underdog story works and Garrett has done fine in the role but it just falls flat when it is painfully obvious he isn't an underdog and is only getting the chance because of his connections. If he didn't look just like his dad all the way down to the arrogant smirk it might have been possible but he does and it just isn't going to work. I guess the only positive thing I can say at this point is that it isn't Nick Hogan.

 

[Rayne]

You can't divorce Garrett Bischoff from the fact that he's a Bischoff, because that's how TNA/IW has chosen to promote him. He's not Garrett Bischoff; he's Eric Bischoff's son.

Garrett Bischoff has this going for him- he's willing to hit the weight room and pop enough pills to look like someone who could at least fit into a professional wrestling ring. That's about it. Would anyone give a shit about him if he was Jackson Andrews, a referee turned wrestler? The only reason Garrett Bischoff is getting the opportunity he is now is because his father is Eric Bischoff. On that note, I don't think that simply because he has a famous father, he's destined to become an actor in exactly his vein. One hundred years of Hollywood history suggests that it's possible, but very, very, very unlikely. (People thought Jim Belushi would eventually turn out like John. Wrong!)

The worst thing is that the story just isn't interesting. Professional wrestling seems to have forgotten the mantra of "why should I care?" Why do I care if Eric Bischoff hates his son? Where's the emotional payoff for the viewer? The story is the one thing in TNA/IW right now that's pure Eric Bischoff- self-promotion in the belief that he's the main figure people want to see. This was true in WCW circa 1996. It's not true in TNA/IW circa 2012.

Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan still draw, but it's not because they're intriguing characters that people want to see. They're museum pieces that people stop by and see like tourists; see the Empire State Building, eat at Katz's, watch Hulk Hogan flex for the camera, show your loved ones your pictures of your great trip. They aren't performers that build up other performers; Gunner's been attached to their tit for almost a year now (longer?), and he couldn't get attention for himself if he shot up a high school cafeteria.

What you have to take away from this is that the story of Garrett Bischoff is not about Garrett Bischoff. It's an Eric Bischoff story. Take Eric out of the picture, and Garrett's gone the same day.

Contrast this to Eugene (and dear God, that gimmick made me want to vomit.) The dynamic there wasn't "what does Eric do to his nephew this week", but was focused on the byplay between the two. Eugene wasn't explicitly a figure meant to get sympathy from the audience; he was comic relief that was placed in unfair situations. (Which may have something to do with the general antipathy towards Garrett- fans don't like to cheer for someone who they are so very obviously supposed to feel sympathetic for.) Plus, we can add in the fact that Nick Dinsmore wasn't actually Eric Bischoff's nephew. When you take a guy that doesn't perform all that well, and thrust him into a storyline with top-tier stars, those charges of nepotism are going to ring pretty strong when the guy is actually your son.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I don't care who his father is - he's awful. I love Eric Bischoff (not lately, but for most of his career). If his son were built, had talent, or had a shred of business being in there, I would happily embrace him.

He has nothing. He can't wrestle, green as shit after St. Patrick's Day. I guess he's decent on the mic, no worse than half the roster. Why should I buy into him? Because The Hulkster told me to? That's seriously the only reason we've been given to buy into him. Sorry Hulk, not going to happen.

I don't think all hope is lost. He has years upon years to improve... or as long as Hogan and EB are with TNA.

He's a waste of time, at this moment. The storyline reeks of Bischoff's desperation to get his kid over. I'm sorry, but it's awful, and I've really been into TNA lately, so no, this isn't baseless hating

 

[three count bout]

I initially felt some of the criticism leveled his way was unfair and perhaps premature. However after buying the against all odds ppv and being treated to 12:00 minutes of Garett Bischoff Vs Gunner as the Co main event I'm definitely questioning the method of booking Garett. First, I understand the EB, and Hulk connection which means it should be kinda high on the card but never should this match be the Semi-Main event. I'm not concerned that he's the bosses son, as much as I'm just bored with how overly bland his character is. Whats the end game? You figure there should be more deserving workers that deserve the small amount of TV time the company has to offer. I will continue to watch but I'm not exactly happy about the high profile segments that are being created.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's been about six weeks since I last commented on him and a few things have changed. I guess an update is in order.

So Garrett used to be able to beat Gunner but now he can't beat him. He also has Hulk Hogan for a trainer now and he's 0-1 under him after being undefeated without him. And that's about it. At the end of the day, it's still not an interesting story. Garrett has been wrestling since late October/early November and he's 3-1, all against Gunner. His dad doesn't want him to wrestle and he has a legend as a trainer. Now here's where things become problematic.

On paper, that's an ok story. There are good elements to it and you can accentuate the positives of it well enough to make a long running story if you want to. The problem with it though is very simple: it isn't playing out well on TV at all. Garrett Bischoff simply isn't interesting to watch. He's in this story because of his daddy and that's it. There's nothing that you see about Garrett that makes you want to watch. He comes off as a prop in a Hogan vs. Bischoff story. That's not something that I want to see, at least not in multiple segments second from the main event. You often hear the expression "so and so is being shoved down our throats." This is a great example of it. No one seems to be interested in Garrett other than his dad, but because his dad has a lot os power in TNA, Garrett is getting this spot. That's not Garrett's fault mind you and I'm not suggesting it is.

 

[Self High 5]

I finally got around to watching the Garett vs Gunner match from Against All Odds this morning, and holy hell, it was just as dire as reported. It took the NWO music, Hulkamania graphics, pyro and the physical presence of the most famous wrestler of all time, to squeeze any kind of pop out of that crowd. I'm sure they'll willfully mis-read that pop as being indicitave of Garett's popularity and continue to push this angle.

I just wonder, once the Garett vs Eric thing finally dies, where on earth do they expect to take him? Without Eric Bischoff, Garett has NOTHING. Maybe a heel turn into the obnoxious little snot - protected by his father's position - who people will pay to see get the piss beaten out of him on PPV once in a while? Garett vs Abyss in a Monsters Ball? I'd like to see that

Very limited use with a comedy gimmick? Tagging with Eric Young (though frankly he deserves better)?

I just hope when all is said and done, Gunner is rewarded for carrying this sorry affair. TV title maybe?