Eric Bischoff Praises AEW Announcer, Critiques Company’s Commentary
Eric Bischoff, known for his candid opinions on wrestling, has expressed his admiration for AEW commentator Nigel McGuinness while also highlighting concerns about the overall commentary in the promotion. On a recent episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer emphasized McGuinness’ ability to enhance storytelling from the commentary booth.
“Nigel’s perspective as a wrestler allows him to creatively take us into the mind of the competitors, explaining what they might be thinking and feeling in the moment,” Bischoff said. “That adds a lot of color to the story. It’s not just a sketch anymore; we’re starting to see color and layers when you get that kind of perspective.”
While Bischoff appreciates McGuinness and his announcing partner Tony Schiavone—who previously worked with him in WCW—he believes AEW’s commentary as a whole falls short. He argues that the promotion lacks a strong play-by-play perspective, with its current setup featuring a three-man color commentary team.
“It’s just not as good,” Bischoff remarked. “We’re missing a whole layer of artful ways to describe and advance a story, and we’re missing out on that, especially in AEW, where storytelling is already a challenge.”
McGuinness recently returned to the ring, participating in a singles match against Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam during AEW All In 2024. Bischoff hopes this was a one-time event for the announcer, as he believes McGuinness is too valuable in his commentary role to be used in the ring. However, the future of McGuinness’ career remains uncertain.
