Eric Bischoff Recalls Police Nearly Pulling Guns During Scott Hall And Kevin Nash’s Early nWo Run
Eric Bischoff recalled one of the wildest behind-the-scenes moments from the early days of the nWo, revealing that police officers nearly drew their weapons after mistaking the storyline invasion for a legitimate confrontation.
Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff reflected on the realism surrounding Scott Hall and Kevin Nash’s arrival in WCW, explaining just how convincing the angle became during its earliest weeks.
“One of my favorite stories from that period involved the police.
They had no idea what was going on.
Scott and Kevin are out there doing what Scott and Kevin do, and they’re carrying baseball bats.
The police see these guys with baseball bats walking toward the ring and they start reacting like they’re supposed to react.
They don’t know it’s a work.
They’re thinking, ‘We’ve got two guys with baseball bats heading into a crowded arena.’
Things got tense in a hurry.
If somebody hadn’t gotten to them quickly and explained what was going on, it could have turned into a real problem.”
Bischoff said moments like that demonstrated just how believable the nWo storyline had become during its infancy, with many people still unsure where reality ended and the television show began.
“People forget today because everybody knows what wrestling is.
Back then, there were still enough people who weren’t sure what they were looking at.
We wanted people asking questions.
We wanted people wondering whether this was real.
That’s what made it work.
We blurred that line as much as we possibly could.”
Looking back, Bischoff believes that realism became one of the defining elements of the nWo’s success.
“If people weren’t questioning it, it wouldn’t have had the same impact.
That’s what made those early weeks so much fun.
There was an energy around it because nobody quite knew where it was going next.”
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the 83 Weeks podcast with a h/t to WrestlingHeadlines.com for the transcription.
