Eric Bischoff Opens Up About Firing Barry Darsow Over WCW Blading Incident — and Who Was Really to Blame
Former WCW executive Eric Bischoff recently revisited one of the more controversial moments of his career — the 1995 firing of Barry Darsow and Dustin Rhodes — during his 83 Weeks podcast. The incident stemmed from a now-infamous “blading” moment that broke company rules, leading to both men being let go.
Barry Darsow Recalls the Firing Call
During the episode, Darsow, who wrestled as The Blacktop Bully, recalled how he found out about his firing directly from Bischoff himself.
“The next morning, the phone rings — it’s Eric,” Darsow shared. “He says, ‘Barry, I’ve got good news and bad news.’ So I ask for the good news, and he says, ‘You had one hell of a match last night.’ Then I ask for the bad news, and he goes, ‘You’re fired.’”
Darsow was shocked. The reason? He and Dustin Rhodes had bled during their match — something WCW executives had strictly forbidden at the time.
“I told Eric, ‘That’s what Mike Graham told us to do!’” Darsow explained. “All my life, I did what the boss asked. Eric asked me not to make a big deal about it and promised he’d bring me back later. And to his credit — he actually did.”
Bischoff Reflects on His Regrets
Bischoff admitted he had mixed feelings about how the whole thing went down.
“Looking back, I wish I’d handled it differently,” Bischoff said. “At that point, I was still learning on the job. Corporate had made it clear — absolutely no blood on TV. And honestly, I didn’t have the power to fight that rule.”
He went on to explain that Vince McMahon had made things even harder behind the scenes by complaining to Turner executives and even politicians whenever WCW used blood in matches.
“It became a corporate issue,” Bischoff added. “I didn’t have the option to argue or bend the rule. I had to enforce it.”
Who Was Really at Fault?
Bischoff also pointed out that agent Mike Graham was the one who instructed the wrestlers to blade in the first place — and he regrets not holding Graham equally accountable.
“Mike knew better,” Bischoff admitted. “Honestly, I should’ve fired him, too. It wasn’t fair that Barry and Dustin took all the heat for that. That was my mistake.”
In the end, Bischoff did rehire Darsow, just as he promised, proving that even in the often ruthless world of pro wrestling, loyalty and integrity can still shine through.
