Thomas Simpson talks Eric Bischoff's criticism of Matt Hardy
What Matt Hardy wrote on 1/5.
Finally.. I'm back, HA! We had a blast at Shane's on New Year's Eve, we did it up right yo! The party ended around 7 a.m. and I ended up in bed around 8:30 a.m. I gotta do something about this lack of sleeping issue. The next day I was trying to catch up on real-life things and ended up going to bed in the wee hours of the night again.. And had to get up and catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale to go to work the next day, UGH! Everything turned out alright though, I even got to see my friend Eric Rob, the guy who is responsible for the actually Hardy Show website. After the show, I planned on getting a quick bite to eat, and then getting a decent night's sleep because I had to fly to New Orleans at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. Didn't happen, HAHA! I ended up going straight to the airport and sleeping on the plane, landing in New Orleans, and then driving 202 miles to Lake Charles, LA, where the show was that night. I immediately checked in to a beloved Hampton and got in a 3 hour power nap. And still walked out as the ECW Champ after a successful title defense. I'm a very lucky guy, a large percentage of people would probably sacrifice a limb to lead my life, LOL! But to be fair, I've busted my ass for years to have the opportunity to lead this crazy lifestyle. And although I sometimes bitch, but.. I love it!
I'm maxin' (yes, I said maxin') in the Hampton in Baton Rouge right now, enjoying a little down time. I just watched The Wrestler tonight. All I can say is WOW, it's an amazing piece of cinema that you will feel. Whether it's good or bad, you will feel it. I can think of several 80's performers that fit a similar mold. One thing I can say though, regardless of what anyone says, the business has evolved. The guys and gals are so much more intelligent and responsible in this day and age then they were in the 80's/early 90's. And that's a good thing. A very good thing.
What Eric Bischoff wrote on 1/8:
"Matt, you are a friggin goof. Let's set aside the fact that your brother is walking a 'three strikes and you're out" tight rope as a result of his drug abuse, and if internet "news" was accurate, suffered the loss of his home and property due to a fire because he was too irresponsible to insure it. Your recent recap of your "lifestyle" frames you as a candidate to the Jake Roberts Hall of Fame. Your suggestion that you and your generation are "smarter and more responsible" than previous generations of wrestlers makes me sick. You are a mid-card talent that should be grateful to even get a check every other week. Enjoy it while it lasts. And rather than looking down your nose at previous generations of professional wrestlers, donate a portion of your check to one of them and ask them to point out all the parallels between your current career path/lifestyle and theirs. It would be the smartest and most responsible thing you could do."
1. Matt's a goof? Who does Bischoff get a paycheck from? How many DVD's did Bischoff sell this year? What was the rating of that CMT TV show Bischoff was on? Who's the goof?
2. Jeff has admitted to his past problems with drugs, even though I have never seen him take any. He's discussed his "strikes" with the media. So what?
3. He lost his home in a fire no different from many home fires that occur daily throughout the world. Check out Matt's MySpace to see the beautiful new one that will soon be finished. The main thing he lost that could not be replaced was his dog, Jack. Leave him alone.
4. What is so bad about a New Year's party that lasts all night? I think we have all had them. Most of the people I know that work for WWE do not have standard work and sleep schedules. Because of showtimes and travel requirements, they basically work all night and sleep all day. It isn't much different than working a third-shift job. Even when someone on third isn't working, they tend to keep on the schedule because they are used to it. With Matt having worked for Vince for almost 11 years, it should be no surprise that he's a night owl. The same is true for EVERYONE who works on the road.
5. Jake Roberts Hall of Fame? Are you kidding? I had the unique experience of picking up Jake from the airport last year. After seeing him down a bottle of Grey Goose before the show, later that night, for the first time in my 40 years of living, I had to ask "Jake, if you are going to smoke crack in the car, please let down the window." I've never seen Matt use drugs. He's never failed a wellness test for drugs. To equate a New Year's party and going to bed late to Jake Roberts is truly goofy. At least Matt wasn't implicated in a strip club trial.
6. It is not debatable that today's WWE Superstars are far more intelligent and responsible in their lifestyles than their counterparts in the '80's and '90's. The Wellness Policy has made that a necessity, but I think this was true even before its implementation. Today's WWE generation are 35 and under. If you are over that, you are a part of the previous generation. I consider Edge to be the first hire of the current generation. The only person from the current generation of WWE hires to die was Russ Haas, and he had a preexisiting heart condition. Everyone else who has died is from the previous generation, and I expect the mortality rate from the current generation to be equal to that of the general population. WWE has offered rehab to all current and former employees. If you want help, they will give it to you. I know a number of guys who have been released for drugs and leave the stress and the travel behind and are able to kick their drug habits.
7. Matt doesn't look down his nose at the previous generation, but he can see reality. I wish Bischoff would go to an indy show with some of the more notorious former stars to see what they are like. Not everyone lives the life his boy Hulk Hogan and his clique.
Now for the rest of Bischoff's rantings, which are the epitome of hypocrisy!
Midcard talent grateful to get a check? Had it not been for the vertical integration of sports entertainment in 2001 that was precipitated by the excesses and mistakes of the Bischoff regime at WCW in 1999, Matt and Jeff both would have been World champions before 2008. The closing of WCW (and to a lesser extent ECW) and the absorption of additional talent into WWE led to some of the younger guys like the Hardys to be moved into the background in favor of the more "established" names, Although Jeff was not a WWE employee from 2003 - 2006 and Matt was off for a year in 2004 - 2005, they were still among the most popular wrestlers. They sold more merchandise than any other tag team in the HISTORY of the business. Who from WCW is still drawing money in 2009? WIth Ric Flair retired, the only people are Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio, both of whom Bischoff had no clue how to use properly and Mysterio was ALREADY an international star when he was hired. Who from the WCW Power Plant ever drew money? Bill Goldberg. Who from the WCW Power Plant is still drawing money today? No one! I think it is awesome that WWE's ratings and other business indicators have increased as they phase out more of the wrestlers from the previous generation. Why would Matt want to give his hard earned money to someone who had a chance to earn good money but didn't have the smarts (or the guidance) to save it? What does Matt need to know that he doesn't already? Matt lives a good life surrounded by loving friends. Eric Bischoff doesn't know a damn thing about Matt Hardy. Matt has received a paycheck from Vince for almost 11 years, which is (and I might be mistaken) longer than Bischoff earned a paycheck in wrestling in all of his jobs combined. I can damn well guarantee that by the time their respective careers are finished, Matt will have a real legacy of something more than spending money.
Speaking of smart and responsible things to do, let's talk about Eric Bischoff. One of my friends no longer in the business who had serious drug problems got hooked on them while hanging out with a group of wrestlers WHO WERE EMPLOYED BY WCW AND HIRED BY ERIC BISCHOFF. How many wrestlers have died that worked for WCW during the Bischoff regime? Why didn't Bischoff offer rehab services to his wrestlers? Why didn't WCW offer rehab services to the former Crockett wrestlers with problems? How many lives would have been saved if Bischoff had spent money on taking care of drug problems (and EVERYONE knew who had them) instead of Master P, the KISS Demon and Road Wild? How smart and responsible was Eric Bischoff by not trying to help the wrestlers while making money? He may have wanted to be as big as Vince McMahon, but Eric Bischoff will NEVER be as big a man as Vince.
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