Pro wrestling legend Eric Bischoff feels ‘grateful’ to live in Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo. — Eric Bischoff has lived a thousand lifetimes. He knows what it means to struggle. He also knows what it means to succeed. He’s thrived, and he’s survived. Like another pro wrestling legend and close friend of Bischoff’s used to say, he’s “dined with kings and queens, and dined on pork ‘n beans.”

Eric Bischoff has done it all and, at the end of the day, there’s only one word that comes to his mind when reflecting on his life and career: Grateful.

He’s grateful for all of it. He’s grateful he was the one man who was able to challenge Vince McMahon, the former owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, formerly WWF, and actually win. He’s grateful he got to be a major component, both on and off screen, of the hottest period in this history of professional wrestling. He’s grateful he got to be the president of the second-largest pro wrestling organization in the history of the sport, World Championship Wrestling. He’s grateful to call Hulk Hogan one of his best friends.

But he’s also grateful for the not-so-great stuff. He’s grateful for the times he struggled — maybe he wasn’t exactly feeding his family pork ‘n beans, but it was close. He’s grateful for the multiple times he’s left the world of professional wrestling, sometimes by choice and sometimes not, only to be pulled right back in, like the Godfather of ‘graps. He’s thankful for the multiple times pro wrestling has broken his heart and healed it.

More than anything, though, Eric Bischoff is just grateful to be here; literally and figuratively.

Here, for Bischoff, is Cody, Wyoming. And if home is indeed where the heart is, then Bischoff found his heart in 1997. That’s when he and his wife, Loree, built a home in Cody, and, for the last 25 years, Cody is where his heart remained.

When Bischoff met Wyoming

Bischoff’s love for Wyoming started about 20 years prior, though.

Bischoff grew up in Detroit, Michigan — a far cry from the Rocky Mountains. He said that, as a kid, he lived a relatively comfortable life. His family wasn’t rich by any means, but they did OK.

“I left Detroit when I was about 14 years old,” Bischoff told Oil City News. “My dad got transferred and we moved to a nice little suburb of Pittsburgh called Penn Hills. My dad did well, and we were able to kind of move up the socioeconomic ladder. We lived in a nice, new neighborhood development. And there was a guy across the street from me; his name was Bob Raci. Bob was about 26 years old when I was 14. So we had about a 12-year age difference.”

Raci, Bischoff said, was like an older brother-type, and the two became friends. Bischoff was lucky to have him because one day his life changed and he needed all the friends he could get.

“My father was paralyzed,” he shared. “His hands and arms. My dad was very much an outdoorsman before he became paralyzed and when I was a kid, he’d take me hunting and fishing and all of those kinds of things. But of course, when he became paralyzed, that kind of put an end to all of that.”

It was a big life change for Bischoff and the rest of his family. But he had at least one other person he could lean on and learn from.

“So Bob Raci lived across the street from me and ended up kind of being — I don’t want to say a father figure, but kind of a giant big brother. And he was able to take me hunting and fishing and he was able to do a lot of things that my dad just wasn’t able to do.”

Bischoff said he and Raci stayed close, even when Bischoff’s family moved to Minneapolis. These were the days before texting and FaceTiming, so it was harder to communicate, but they both still put forth the effort. That’s how important the relationship was to Bischoff.

“Bob made a very big impression on me, as a young kid, in a lot of ways,” he said. “He got me interested in martial arts, hunting, fishing and all that stuff. Even after we moved to Minneapolis, we remained friends and stayed in contact. Bob was actually a very successful advertising executive. He worked for a company called Ruben H. Donnely, and they’re still around, believe it or not. But as time went on, I’d fly out from Minneapolis and I’d visit Bob and his wife, Diane. And we’d go deer hunting on his property.”

Raci owned a quarter horse farm in western Pennsylvania, and once or twice a year Bischoff would go there to spend time with Raci and his wife.

But one year, the setting for their annual hunting trip changed, and that move would end up changing Bischoff’s life in many ways.

“One year, I think it was 1976, Bob came to Cody, Wyoming, on an elk hunt with a bunch of his friends and his brother,” Bischoff remembered, “and when he got back from the hunt that fall, I’d flown out to hunt with him again. And all he talked about was Cody and Wyoming and the mountains. And he said, ‘Why don’t you meet me out in Cody next summer?'”

Bischoff thought about it for all of around 30 seconds.

“At the time, I was 22 years old,” he said. “I owned my own landscape construction company and was doing fairly well for that, especially being that young. So I had a couple bucks and I was able to take some time off because I had a good team and good people working for me, so I decided to drive out from Minneapolis. I was driving in, coming down from Billings, and I pulled into Cody just about a half-hour before sunrise. I was literally pulling into Cody as the sun was coming up, and I had my first look at the mountains, and I thought ‘Wow! This is amazing.'”

That was all it took. Those who have lived in Wyoming for any amount of time know exactly how Bischoff felt, taking in the magic in the Wyoming air that’s especially felt in those early morning hours, right as the sun starts to rise.

“I ended up going into — it’s a Chinese restaurant now, but back then it was called Maxwell’s, I think. But I had a cup of coffee there and I watched the town just come to life,” he reflected. “It was right before the Fourth of July, and there were so many people. And I just sat there, with a cup of coffee, by myself, and I said, ‘OK. Someday, I’m going to live here. This is where I have to live.'”

Bischoff said he continued to come out to Cody every year, every summer, and each time felt like the first time.

“My friend Bob passed away,” Bischoff shared. “He had cancer. But I still kept coming out and I was more determined than ever to move out here.”

Bischoff said Bob gave him a lot of things. He helped him find interest in martial arts, and Bischoff eventually became a black belt. He helped him learn to hunt better, to fish better, to be better. But one of the greatest gifts Bob gave him, Bischoff said, was an introduction to Wyoming. From those very early days, Bischoff fell in love with the place, but actually moving to “the middle of nowhere” is easier said than done.

“Moving to a place like Cody is — you either bring it with you or you’re prepared to live without it,” Bischoff laughed, “and I wasn’t prepared to live without it yet. So I would just come out for the summers, and I’d spend a week or 10 days here, and 10 days turned into two weeks. And that turned into three weeks. And eventually, I sold my company to my partner and I started spending more and more time out here.”

A busy man

When he wasn’t hunting, fishing or drinking coffee in Cody, Bischoff was a very busy man. He had grown up a fan of professional wrestling and had a knack for salesmanship. Eventually, the two things collided and Bischoff found himself in World Championship Wrestling, working as a commentator. Wrestling commentators, like in most sports, are the ones who describe the action and the stories taking place. They provide the soundtrack to the matches, and Bischoff was learning on the job.

He became pretty good at it. He could think on his feet. He had confidence — bordering on arrogance, some might say — and as countless writers and wrestlers would say later, he looked like a “Ken Doll.”

Eventually, Bischoff was promoted. First, he became the executive producer of World Championship Wrestling. That is, he would design the “flow” of the WCW television shows. He’d decide what segments went where, where the shows should actually be held and more.

Bischoff had always been in love with the production side of television, ever since he saw his first Western on television in the ’50s. The content of movies or television shows was interesting, sure, but it was how they came together that really intrigued Bischoff. That interest, and his own skill set, eventually led to Bischoff becoming the executive producer, and then the president, of World Championship Wrestling, which was owned by Ted Turner. The WCW shows would air on TNT and TBS, respectively, and from about 1996 to 2001, professional wrestling was as hot as it had ever been. It was even more popular than in the ’80s, when Hulk Hogan was promoting Hulkamania and the “Rock and Wrestling” partnership with MTV.

Hulk Hogan eventually left the WWF for WCW, and he and Bischoff became close friends, on screen and off. When Hulk Hogan, who had spent the last decade as the definitive good guy in professional wrestling, opted to become a bad guy, trading in his famed yellow and red gear for a simpler black-and-white motif, it was the biggest story in all of professional wrestling.

And it was Bischoff’s idea.

In summer 1996, two other former WWF wrestlers joined World Championship Wrestling — Kevin Nash, who competed in the WWF as Diesel, and Scott Hall, who competed as Razor Ramon. The two men debuted close together and audiences were led to believe that the ensuing story was an “invasion” from the WWF. So, who better to lead the group than the man who made the WWF what it was, Hulk Hogan?

At first, during a tag team match, it looked as though Hogan was going to save his fellow WCW wrestlers, Randy Savage and Sting. But just when the children in the audience were getting ready to tear their shirts and show off their muscles, Hogan did the unthinkable — he attacked Savage and aligned himself with the invaders, or Outsiders — Nash and Hall.

It was the beginning of what was, quite possibly, the biggest story that pro wrestling had ever seen. The nWo, as it came to be known, became a supergroup and it took World Championship Wrestling to heights that it had never seen before.

Just a few years prior, WCW was hemorrhaging money, losing millions upon millions. But from 1996 until 1999, WCW made those millions back and then some. It came close to putting Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation out of business. It became the talk of the town, and pro wrestling in general became the thing to watch on Monday nights.

And Bischoff was in the middle of the whole thing.

It was Bischoff’s idea to turn Hulk Hogan into a bad guy. It was also his idea to create the nWo — an invading, rival faction that would run roughshod over World Championship Wrestling.

T-shirts are still making millions of dollars every year.

Bischoff also had a hand in turning Sting — perennial audacious and gauche good guy, like the Hulk Hogan of WCW — into a silent, sulking stalker, based off the hit film “The Crow,” starring Brandon Lee. Bischoff helped with the rise of Goldberg, Diamond Dallas Page and younger, faster wrestlers dubbed Cruiserweights. WCW Nitro defeated the WWF’s flagship show, “Monday Night Raw,” for 83 weeks in a row. WCW was extremely successful, and Bischoff was on top of the world.

But what do you do when you need to hide from the rest of the world for a little while? You come to Wyoming.

Moving to Wyoming

“In 1998, my wife and I sat down and we looked at our finances and went, ‘Now we can do it,'” Bischoff said. “In the interim, right after I met her, I brought my wife out here, ’cause she had never been to Cody and she heard me talking about it all the time. So we’d come out every summer and when my kids were born, we’d bring them out here for the same reason. They’d play up and down the porch at the Irma Hotel. We’d take them to the Cody Night Rodeo. I wanted my kids to have the benefit of seeing and being a part of this place, even though we didn’t live here yet.”

“Yet” is the operative word. In 1998, when Bischoff had money in the bank, one of the first things he wanted to do was officially plant his flag in Wyoming.

“We built a house here in 1997,” he said. “We started it in 1997 and finished in ’98. And we had every intention of moving in full-time, eventually. At the time, I was the president of WCW, and Turner Broadcasting asked how practical it was to be doing that job while living in Wyoming, so we just used it as a summer home, to get out of the heat of the summer and come up here. And the kids would spend time here, and family and friends would come out and vacation with us. And we just fell in love with it. As time went on, I was ready to move here full-time.”

There was just one problem. When Bischoff said, “You either bring it with you or you prepare to live without it,” he meant it. His children, a boy and a girl, were not prepared to live without it.

“My kids looked around and asked where the mall was,” Bischoff laughed, “and I said, ‘Don’t worry! There’s a mall.’ And they asked me where. And I said Denver — it’s only eight hours away.”

Not wanting to disappoint his kids, Bischoff held off a little longer on making Cody their home. They kept it as a summer house, but absence made his heart grow even fonder for Cody. The Fourth of July became his favorite holiday. He’d have a big party/family reunion every year, and it would be something he would look forward to throughout the other 11 months.

“Fourth of July here is special,” Bischoff said. “It’s probably the thing that brought me out here every summer, when I was 23, all the way through my 20s and early 30s. I told my wife about it when I first met her. The Fourth of July in Cody — it’s an experience.”

Cody residents, and tourists, know how big of a deal the Fourth of July is. There are parades, rodeos every night, block parties and fireworks. It’s like going back to days gone by, like the Rascall Flatts song. Sitting on the porch drinking ice-cold Cherry Cokes, everybody calling each other by name, people acting as “neighbors,” no matter how far apart they live from each other. That’s Cody every day, but especially on the Fourth of July.

“I’ve been lucky enough to see the best of this country,” Bischoff said, “and in Cody, Wyoming, on the Fourth of July — that’s the best of it. From little kids running around during the parade to young adults and families, elderly people that come out, there’s a sense of patriotism and respect here. And you see it on full display, and it’s very powerful.

“To this day, I’ll come out for the Fourth of July. I’ll usually get here about three hours before the parade, to make sure I’ve got a good seat. I’ll bring a bunch of lawn chairs for all of my friends and family that are gonna meet me later, and I’ll come here by myself and just reflect. And then my family will come and we’ll sit on the side of the road and watch the parade. And I get tears in my eyes throughout the parade because you do see, I think, the best of what this country has to offer. And that’s why I love it here.”

It’s not just the Fourth, either. The community in Cody is strong in a way only small towns can be. People tip their hats. They literally help older ladies cross the street. Bikes are ridden, beers are shared, barbecues are had by all.

For Bischoff, Cody is a sanctuary. He’d scoff at the term, but it’s his safe place. It’s where he’s most comfortable. His house, in particular, sitting just on the edge of town, is his favorite place in the world. It’s where he conducts business. It’s where he hosts parties. It’s where he can wake up just before dawn, pour a cup of coffee and sit on his porch with his dog, watching the world come to life. It’s home, that’s all.

Cody, Wyoming, is home.

“I’ve lived in a lot of places,” Bischoff said. “I’ve lived in Detroit, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Atlanta, Scottsdale, Los Angeles, Connecticut. I’ve lived a lot of places; I have never experienced the same sense of community and respect that people have for each other here. Not that there’s not an idiot around every now and then, but they’re few and far between. And pretty much everyone knows who they are, so you just avoid ’em. But, for the most part, this is a very close-knit and respectful community.”

Rolling up his sleeves

Bischoff has lived a thousand lives. He’s been a landscaper. He’s been a model — that’s how he met his wife. He’s sold children’s toys. He’s been a commentator. He’s stood on top of the wrestling world with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, Vince McMahon, Sting, Goldberg and Brutus the Barber Beefcake. He just appeared on WWE television Dec. 3, lending his credibility to an upcoming match between NXT Champion Trick Williams and Ridge Holland. On Dec. 5, he’s producing an independent wrestling show for the very first time — MLW One Shot, happening in New York City.

Bischoff will never, truly, be out of the professional wrestling business. Every week, he chats with his friend and co-host Conrad Thompson on his highly successful and extremely popular podcast “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff.” Sometimes, he’ll reminisce about the past. Other times he’ll offer his advice and his criticism about the latest wrestling brand trying to challenge WWE, All Elite Wrestling. People love him or they hate him, but nobody can deny the impact that Bischoff has had on the world of professional wrestling.

Like his friend, Dusty Rhodes, Bischoff has dined with kings and queens. He’s broken bread with Muhammad Ali and Dennis Rodman. He’s stood face to face, toe to toe with 7-foot gladiators and he hasn’t backed down; he hasn’t flinched. He’s a bona fide WWE Hall of Famer, and he’s got the ring to prove it.

But when he’s in Cody — when he’s at home — he’s not Eric Bischoff, the former president of WCW. He’s not Eric Bischoff, the mastermind behind the New World Order. He’s not the general manager of the WWE “Raw” brand, or even the host of “83 Weeks.” In Cody, sitting on the porch of Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel & Restaurant, he’s none of those things.

“Hey, do you wanna get in a gunfight?” a mustached man in a cowboy hat asked Bischoff.

Bischoff smiled and said, “They’re putting up all these chairs out here because every night around 6 o’clock, they shut down both ends of the street and they put on a stage play. It’s called the Cody Gun Fighters, and they play out Western scenes. That’s why this guy is walking around like a Marshall villain.”

The Marshall villain in question asked Bischoff if he would help them bring out the stage settings. It was getting late, and the show was about to begin. Bischoff, without even thinking about it, leapt to his feet, rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

In Cody, Wyoming, Bischoff isn’t a legend of professional wrestling — he’s just a guy willing to lend a hand when you need it.

Bischoff has written two books; his most recent is titled “Grateful.” He can be heard every week on the “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” podcast, as well as on the “83 Weeks” YouTube channel.