WWE HOFer Eric Bischoff Opens Up About Firing AEW's Dustin Rhodes From WCW

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff fired many wrestlers while running WCW during the 1990s, and would fire more now if he could. As such, it's easy to forget AEW's Dustin Rhodes was among those firing, with Rhodes and his then rival Blacktop Bully, aka Demolition Smash, being sent packing after their infamous "King of the Road" match at WCW Uncensored 1995.

In the latest episode of "83 Weeks" focusing on Rhodes, Bischoff attempted to justify his decision to fire both Rhodes and Bully. Dismissing the idea that their departures were related to other factors, Bischoff emphatically stated it was due to both Rhodes and Bully breaking the rules by running the razor and bleeding during the match.

"This incident had nothing to do with anything other than I...specifically said 'Don't bleed,'" Bischoff said. "'No blood.' Mike Graham's not here to defend himself, so I'm not going to go there. The ultimate responsibility comes down to the performers, at the end of the day, for me and my decision making process, when I look someone in the eye and say 'Don't do this,' please don't come to me and say 'Yeah, but he told me to.' Because that just doesn't fly with me. If I had not been explicit, if I had not taken the time to be clear, I would've accepted that. That wasn't the case. I looked them both in the eyes and said 'Do not bleed.' I don't care who the f**k comes out of nowhere and says 'Here's some blades, do it anyway.' Not an excuse."

Bischoff later noted he had intended to later bring Rhodes back after making an example out of him. Alas, he was unable to do so for another few years, as Rhodes signed with WWE shortly thereafter, beginning his run as Goldust.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription