On the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast Eric Bischoff commented on his work with TNA in 2010, and talks about Dixie Carter’s love of Jeff Hardy despite his issues with drugs during that time. Highlights are below.
Whether he enjoyed his TV run for TNA in 2010:
“No, I didn’t. I looked like s**t. I wasn’t in TV shape meaning I was carrying 15 or 20 extra pounds at that point. I didn’t put forth the effort. My performances were generally decent or pretty good, but my physical appearance, I look back and I’m embarrassed. I wished somebody would have pulled me aside and said get a haircut and lose 20 pounds, dress a little better and show up next week. Part of that was I really wasn’t into it. It wasn’t my goal to be on TV in TNA. I wasn’t excited about being on camera on TNA because to be honest with you, look what I did in WCW when we were hot. Look what I got to do in WWE while I was there. TNA was a notch or four down. I have already been to that mountain. I didn’t say that to myself when I got there. I didn’t say that to myself every time it was time to go out and do a scene, but deep down inside, that’s how I felt about it. I would have been very happy to not be on TV in TNA. That wasn’t my goal or my idea. But, in an environment where everybody wants to get the biggest bang for their dollar, it was like we have to get as much use out of me as they can. Part of it was me. I’m not going to put it all on somebody else. That would not be fair or honest. I would allow myself to get sucked in because it made sense on paper, but I wasn’t passionate about it.”
On Jeff Hardy’s substance abuse issues in TNA:
“Dixie loved Jeff Hardy. When I say loved I mean as a person. Dixie is a healer. Dixie is a fixer. Dixie likes to look for broken people and fix them. As Jeff was struggling, Dixie became almost like a mother to Jeff. That was my observation. I was not part of their personal conversations. Dixie didn’t talk a lot about Jeff to me or probably to anybody else. What a mistake, right? But the intention was there. Her intentions were honorable and good. I think because of the lack of wrestling experience or lack of experience in general on Dixie’s part, she knew she was taking a risk but I don’t think she realized how big a risk she was taking, not only for Jeff, but for the people Jeff was in the ring with.”
The full 83 Weeks podcast can be found here. (H/T and transcribed by Wrestling News)