Eric Bischoff has seen it all in the wrestling business, but one negotiation with Randy Savage during WCW’s red-hot era in the 1990s still stands out as one of the most surreal moments of his career.
It all went down before WCW’s Halloween Havoc pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. With the company booming and Savage’s contract nearing its end, the two were set to discuss terms. What started as a standard meeting quickly turned into something far from ordinary.
In an interview on Inside the Ropes, Bischoff shared the bizarre details of the encounter, revealing how the meeting took an unexpected turn when he arrived at Savage’s hotel room.
“So I get a text or phone call from Randy. He goes, ‘Hey brother, meet me in the room. I’m gonna talk about some stuff. See you at 8 in the morning, brother.’”
When Bischoff arrived, he was greeted by a sight he wasn’t expecting.
“I walk into Randy’s suite. He walks back into the bathroom… and I sit down on the couch. There’s this giant table filled with food and about 140 beers on ice.”
As Bischoff waited, Savage was busy preparing himself for the day, but not in the way you might expect.
“Randy’s talking to me while he’s in the bathroom — dying his beard, trimming it up, dying his hair, plucking his nose hair… whatever he was doing. So I crack a beer and wait.”
Then things took an even more bizarre turn when Bischoff was called over to join the negotiations.
“Then he goes, ‘Get on over here, brother!’ So I grab a beer, walk into the bathroom… and there’s Randy — stark ass naked. Shaved from chin to toe. Nothing. Nada.”
While Bischoff was taken aback, he tried to focus on the task at hand.
“Which was a little abrupt… kind of creepy… but, I mean, I’ve been in locker rooms. The shave thing was a little odd, but I thought, ‘What the hell? He’s a wrestler. That’s what they do.’”
The negotiations weren’t exactly easy with Randy in such an unusual state, but Bischoff remained professional, though he admitted it was tough to keep his focus.
“But it was hard to negotiate that way. I was trying to keep eye contact and stay focused on business… but yeah, it was tough.”
Things got even more awkward when room service arrived, adding another layer of absurdity to the already bizarre situation.
“Then there’s a knock on the door. He says, ‘Open the door, brother!’ So I open the door, and here’s room service bringing in more beer and food.”
Bischoff didn’t think twice and let the staff into the suite, unaware of the potential headlines that might follow.
“Without thinking, I just let the guy in… and here comes the dude from room service pushing the cart into the suite. I’m thinking, ‘Oh great, I can already read this headline: WCW executive caught in hotel suite with naked Randy Savage and 140 beers.’”
This encounter is just one example of the eccentric world that surrounds professional wrestling. With colorful characters like Randy Savage, it’s no wonder that the stories from behind the scenes are just as entertaining as the action in the ring. Bischoff’s experience is a reminder of the wild, unpredictable nature of the industry, where business deals can take place in the most unconventional ways.
So, what do you think of this wild story? Would you have been able to focus on business in that situation, or would you have been distracted too? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.