In a recent edition of 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff gives his opinion on the infamous “Fingerpoke of Doom” angle that happened in late 1998 between Kevin Nash and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, and the creative issues with WCW heading into 1999.

Eric Bischoff on what he thought of the Fingerpoke of Doom and WCW’s creative issues in 1999: “It was what it was. Admittedly, the wheels started slowly falling off in creative as well as every other department in WCW, and I’ve talked about that and the reasons why. But by January of 1999, we just weren’t producing our best creative. There’s no question about it. We were reacting into of acting.”

On the company getting away from the vision that had made it successful: “The focus, the vision was no longer as clear as it had been in 1996, and even 1995 with the launch of Nitro. There was a vision for Nitro that made Nitro the success it was because it was so much different than what people were used to seeing. By 1999 though, that vision became real murky. As a result, when you don’t have a plan – it’s no different than when jump in your car and you just start driving and don’t know where you’re going or haven’t made up your mind where you want to go. You’re gonna waste a lot of time, you’re gonna burn a lot of gas, you’re gonna frustrate yourself. That’s kind of what creative was like at that time. For me to look back at it, overanalyze it, and try to justify it or explain it, I just don’t. It was what it was, and unless you were there and in the offices and were a part of what caused all of that, they’re just never going to get it. If you weren’t there in the trenches, you’ll just never understand.”