The Pancakes and Powerslams podcast recently interviewed Greg Gagne, who discussed how he reached to Hulk Hogan about him going to WCW, Eric Bischoff’s mistakes, and more. Below are some highlights.
Gagne on working with Jim Herd: “His big idea was he was going to get a hunchback midget dressed up in an old English outfit like a king, and nobody could pin him because he was a hunchback. My dad and I rolled our eyes and there wasn’t much more to talk to Jim about, cuz he was taking wrestling in a total different direction than the way my father thought it should be going and the way I did.”
Gagne on how Eric Bischoff became in charge of WCW: “We came back that Monday morning, we get there and all of a sudden Bill Watts shows up at the matches and said, ‘In the meantime, an Executive Producer job came up with the WCW. Tony Schiavone, David Crockett, Joe Pedicino, and Eric Bischoff are the four guys applying for it.’ And I said to Bill, ‘Maybe I should go down and apply for that!’ [Watts says], ‘Ah no, it’s not a big deal. It’s nothing.’ So now about a week later, we’re in South Carolina, Bill comes walking in and says, ‘Hey, guys, I’m all done, Eric Bischoff is the Executive Producer and he’s in charge.’”
On bringing in Hogan to WCW and getting snubbed by Bischoff: “[We’re in the car riding to Atlanta], and Bischoff says, ‘How do we turn this thing around?’ I said, ‘First of all, you guys are trying to do the same thing that McMahon is doing. You have to have a different approach to it. And the only way, if you want impact, is we gotta get Hogan in here.’ [Bischoff says], ‘Well, I don’t know Hogan.’ I said, ‘Well I’ll make the call and see if he is interested.’ So I made the call, Hulk was interested and he said, give me a couple of weeks and give me a call back… [Bischoff] said, ‘What about Hogan?’ I said, ‘Here’s the deal. Hogan will come in for a meeting, and we could probably get a deal done with him. But, to do this, here’s what I want. I want a piece of the merchandise he does and a piece of the pay per views he’s done because I didn’t get what I had coming in the other deal.’ [Bischoff says], ‘No problem.’ So the next the day he calls me and says ‘I talked to Bill Shaw and everything’s set.’ I told him to get me in writing what he was going to do for me. ‘Well, Bill’s going out of town.’ I said, ‘Well just get it in writing!’ So the week went by, nothing came, and the following Monday I walk in the office and there’s a big sign that says Welcome Home. They flew down to Florida and met Hulk down there and signed him.”
