Rob Van Dam has lauded the intelligence of fellow WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President Eric Bischoff, calling him one of the smartest people he knows.
Bischoff turned things around for WCW in the ’90s, beating WWE in the ratings for 83 straight weeks and cementing his reputation in the pro wrestling business. However, his blunt honesty has led many to dislike him, a sentiment echoed by a viewer on RVD’s YouTube live stream. RVD, however, disagreed with that opinion and pushed back.
“I think Eric is one of the smartest guys that I know. I respect him for his intelligence. I think he, you know, has a bit of an aura about himself that — I think I have it sometimes too. Not the same [way]. For him, it’s more about being smarter … what’s the word I’m looking for … I think that sometimes, like, if you think a lot about yourself and think you’re better than everybody else, anyway. Pompous [is the word I’m looking for] — I don’t think that he’s pompous, but I think that the way that I feel his energy, I think he holds that back. I don’t feel like he’s pompous, but from his perspective, he feels like he’s smarter than everyone else, and he has to keep it in to not come across as arrogant.”
RVD isn’t sure if what he thinks about Bischoff is true or just his mind playing tricks on him. But, he admitted, once again, that he likes the former WCW President and that he’s “always been cool.” He recalled an anecdote of meeting Bischoff in the men’s room, when Bischoff was just a ring announcer in WCW, and that the two discussed martial arts during that interaction.
