Recently, Conrad Thompson stirred up controversy in the wrestling community for calling Roman Reigns “the most overrated main eventer in WWE history” on the 83 Weeks podcast he co-hosts with Eric Bischoff.
In the latest episode of the podcast released on Monday (August 17), Thompson and Bischoff revisited those comments without backing down on the criticism. In fact, Bischoff went further by claiming that Reigns has creative control over how he’s booked in WWE.
After expressing displeasure with “the
internet wrestling community thought police” being upset about their opinions, Bischoff began by stating, “I respect the hell out of Roman.”
The WWE Hall of Famer continued: “I look up to him in a lot of ways. As a human being, look what he’s overcome. Look at his priorities. I don’t know Roman. I’ve maybe said four words to Roman in my life, so I don’t know him. But I know of him, and I know what a priority his family is. I know what he’s gone through.”
Bischoff then said that after he saw “the controversy kind of bubbling up over the week, and it reminded me a lot of Hulk [Hogan]. I’m kind of taking a shot at my own take, so to speak, but it doesn’t change the way I feel.
“I’m bored with him. I don’t see anything new from him. I don’t see a character evolving. When you look at a character, any character that is playing a role over an extended period of time, or even if it’s in a 90-minute movie, part of what makes watching a story and a character really compelling and interesting is the evolution of that character.”
According to Bischoff, WWE has not allowed for “any evolution” to Reigns as a character.
The conversation continued with Thompson and Bischoff noting that Reigns has been a top guy for WWE during a very financially lucrative period, even though he’s wrestled a very-limited schedule as a part-time competitor.
“Being able to make more money than ever before for less dates, that’s not a bad thing,” Thompson said.
Bischoff soon added: “I used to be criticized often for allowing Hulk Hogan to have creative control. If any of you dirt-sheet morons out there think that Brock Lesnar did not have creative control…”
“That Roman doesn’t,” Conrad interjected.
“You are more clueless than even I can imagine,” Bischoff said. “And I don’t give any of you all credit for having much of a mind of your own. I don’t think you do.”
He finished his thought by saying, “But if you’re one of those who think that Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns don’t have creative control, you clearly, clearly are out of touch and know less about the business than even I thought you did.”
What do you think of Bischoff and Thompson’s evaluation of Reigns? And do you think he has creative control? Let us know in the comments.
