WCW Slamboree 1998 Bischoff vs Vince McMahon Invitation

[President Evil]

For those of you who've seen this pay per view or own the tape. Leading up to this event in May 1998 Eric Bischoff was inviting/challenging Vince McMahon to show up at this event. Bischoff went as far saying "Im gonna knock you out". The day of the pay per view arrives and they have a dressing room ready for Vince, and theres even a "Vinnie Mac Cam" outside waiting for Vince's arrival.

Ive always wondered if this was a true legit shoot challenge towards Vince, Or Bischoff just talking out of his ass. This was at the peak of the WCW vs WWF war. I dont think Vince would have just shown up just like that. What, help the other guy in his pay per view buyrate? But Ive always wondered, if Vince would have shown up perhaps he'd have like a dozen security guards around him.

Now Im not sure where I read this, but once I read somewhere where Vince said he acknowledged Eric Bischoff's invitation and he was very well aware of it, but then went on to say something along the lines of "there was a graduation I had to attend to" I think it was Steph's graduation.

What do you all think about this.

 

[ShawnBronald]

I've never seen that quote from Vince, but I'm sure if he said it, it was more of a joke. I think there's very little chance he would have shown up to a WCW event.

Also, I do remember Eric once saying in an interview that there was discussion and legitimate concern about what to do in the event Vince actually showed up. I guess there were some people in the back that felt he might really do it. I don't recall what their decision was, but I'm guessing ultimately they wouldn't have allowed him into the arena.

 

[dwduck004]

As much as i hate Bischoff, he did have a strek of absolute brilliance during this period. The nWo was arguably the most influential and controversial group in wrestling (ever?) and particularly this gimmick match. I watched it live but was old enough to know that Vince was never going to appear on camera. Might have been a good opener to the whole buyout of WCW, but I certainly wouldn't have changed much about the storyline of the 'invasion/alliance' period.

 

[relentless1]

From bischoffs mouth, he was hoping vince would show up, it was a legit offer, so much so that hogan told him that he souldnt because vince would probably show up and kick his ass, i do remeber reading that vince didnt show up because of stephanies grad or something along those lines

 

[I Am Myers]

This was held at The Worcester Centrum (DCU Center now) and I was at the event. I have never liked Bischoff but the whole idea was pretty smart (in my opinion) to get people to buy the event. I remember walking around earlier before the event and they were filming WCW's head of security Doug Dillenger showing a pic of Vince to people outside and asking if anybody had seen him. Personally I didn't think for a second that Vince would show up, I mean why would he? RAW was number 1 at that ( I believe ) and he had no reason to help EB.

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

I remember the promos leading up to it with Easy E showing off his skillz saying he was going to kick Vince's teeth out because this was around the time of the DX Army showing up at a WCW live event. Hogan even said "dude Vince is gonna show up and he will kick your ass" Easy E might not have been scared on camera but i think he was scared that Vince might show up. I really don't know what Vince was doing but it was said that he had better things to do.

 

[The Brain]

Bischoff knew there was no way McMahon was going to show up for a WCW ppv. He was hoping the fans would be gullible enough to think otherwise and buy the ppv in hopes of seeing McMahon. Bischoff figured he had nothing to lose. If the challenge caused more people to buy the ppv he obviously benefited. If fans were upset that McMahon didn’t show Bischoff could legitimately claim that he issued an honest challenge and McMahon was the one to blame for not answering it. What I find funny is how Bischoff claimed to have a better product yet he was counting on Vince McMahon to sell his ppv.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Bischoff knew there was no way McMahon was going to show up for a WCW ppv. He was hoping the fans would be gullible enough to think otherwise and buy the ppv in hopes of seeing McMahon. Bischoff figured he had nothing to lose. If the challenge caused more people to buy the ppv he obviously benefited. If fans were upset that McMahon didn’t show Bischoff could legitimately claim that he issued an honest challenge and McMahon was the one to blame for not answering it. What I find funny is how Bischoff claimed to have a better product yet he was counting on Vince McMahon to sell his ppv.

Yeah, I totally agree with you. Bischoff would not have expected Vince to show up. Why would Vince have ever appeared at the PPV? There was no need for him to do something like that and help out his competition's PPV buy rates, especially when he was already the number 1 promotion.

It was just Bisch talking out of his ass, trying to use shock tactics to get the advantage over the WWF, just like he did when he gave away Raw results right before they happened, he was willing to try anything to get an advantage.

I would LOVE to have seen McMahon show up though, just to see the reaction on the faces of the WCW Security guards and Eric would have had to have actually squared off with Vince. I know Bisch is quite into his karate, but Vince is a pretty tough guy. I would have certainly paid to see these 2 get it on properly, as losing would have been a serious issue for their company!

 

[harrythem]

I hate grand-standing in wrestling...It never seems to achieve anything (including the desired effect of making the party that doesn't arrive look weak)..

Goldberg issued Austin a challenge....people laughed it off for what it was.... JBL offered Goldberg a challenge....laughed off as well...

One that annoys me is when Ken Shamrock issued a challenge to Mike Tyson when Shamrock first joined WWE, then the challenge was completely ignored when Tyson turned up the following January (I know why, still annoyed me)...

Funniest version of the Bischoff challenge was over in Japan. The wrestlers name(s) escape me but, basically, they issued the challenge, the other guy actually turned up, then kicked shit out of them BADLY....

As for Vince Vs Bischoff...I find no substance in Bischoff saying Hogan said he'd have had his ass kicked by McMahon as this was said while Bischoff was employed by Vince McMahon on a Vince McMahon released DVD....Give me a fight between a guy who's as bad ass at Martial Arts as Bischoff and someone who's only claim to being tough is the stories he told playboy (used to beat up 3 Marines at a time for fun...yeah ok Vinnie) and I know who my money would be on....

Knowing how big Vinces ego is, if he really thought he could've kicked Bischoffs ass I bet he would've turned up.

 

[therockiswwf]

I don't think Bischoff ever expected for Vince to show up. I think he was just trying to get more people to buy the PPV (which actually Bischoff contradicted by saying if you don't expect Vince to show up, don't buy the PPV). Vince was never going to show up and everyone knew that. Vince may have kicked Bischoff's ass. Vince was jacked at the time and even though Bischoff is a blackbelt (or whatever he is), Vince just looks like a guy that can kick anyones ass whenever he wants.

 

[AttitudeAJM]

This was one of the first acts of desperation from Bischoff. It accomplished what he wanted in the sense that it did drive a few more buys. While hindsight is an amazing thing, wrestling was in a very chaotic period. We saw things that we never thought possible so there was a curiosity as to whether Vince would actually show up.

 

[Kitten Cutter]

As for Vince Vs Bischoff...I find no substance in Bischoff saying Hogan said he'd have had his ass kicked by McMahon as this was said while Bischoff was employed by Vince McMahon on a Vince McMahon released DVD....Give me a fight between a guy who's as bad ass at Martial Arts as Bischoff and someone who's only claim to being tough is the stories he told playboy (used to beat up 3 Marines at a time for fun...yeah ok Vinnie) and I know who my money would be on....

Knowing how big Vinces ego is, if he really thought he could've kicked Bischoffs ass I bet he would've turned up.

Yeah, cause Hogan has a problem going against Vince McMahon...

I wouldn't call Eric Bischoff a bad-ass in martial arts. Didn't Ernest Miller train him in tae-kwon-do? Not that I doubt Miller's teaching ability, but it's not like Bischoff was a black belt at 5 years old. Plus, I read he did some kickboxing in the 70's, but if he did, he didn't retain it well in WCW.

McMahon GREW UP in wrestling. Have you seen that old bastard? That guy is jacked the fuck up! He trained to be a wrestler in his 20's and his father put the kibosh on that early. McMahon still trained to be one, and began actually wrestling in some pretty hardcore match during the late 90's\early 2000's in his 50's. He's definitely a "one-of-the boys" kinda guy for a billionaire. Hell, the guy wrestled a decent match against Ric Flair like 3-4 years ago. Wrestlers still need to be tough to take a hit and withstand the bumps, and the majority of the grapples, with a little more intent, can be pretty painful and downright vicious. If we're talking 1998, even though Bischoff was younger, he might have gotten a few lucky shots in, but McMahon would easily have taken him down eventually and laid out Bischoff hands down.

Today, it'd be a cakewalk. I wouldn't even give Bischoff a lucky shot.

 

[Captain Mike]

Say what you will about Easy-E but this was a clever way to sell a PPV, pure a simple. the nWo were the biggest thing in WCW and Professional Wrestling at the time and the whole takeover element of the group meant that he could be so brazen as to make such a ridiculous challenge. When I saw it I knew Vinnie Mac wasn't going to show up, but that hype and anticipation of what if put arses in seats and got the buy rate bumped up which meant more money in the bank. A lot of people have tried to pull it off since (TNA: VKM issuing HBK/HHH a challenge for a match on TNA PPV) but they have all looked second rate. This was the best example of it working when you think about it long enough, it made Eric look like more of an ********, made WCW money and it further raised tension for the Monday Night Wars... in a nutshell it was a great little idea in a purely money making standpoint.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Vince was never going to show up to that event. The excuse he made might have been legit for all we know, but he was smart enough to not work the match or even make an appearance. Why walk into enemy territory while wearing a target screaming "here I am, come kill me"? That's more or less what showing up to that event would have been like for Vince. It would have been bad for business as well as his product. Never let your actions benefit the competition's product, ever. Vince did the right thing by not showing up because he might have been humiliated, plus his product would have been trashed by WCW and its fans.