Garett Bischoff on Aces & Eights, Growing Up Around WCW and One Bad Cat

Fred: I’m joined by a very special guest, a member of Aces & Eights who’s had a wild roller coaster ride the last two years with TNA Impact Wrestling: TNA star Garett Bischoff. Garett, thanks so much for joining us. How are you doing?

Garett Bischoff: What’s up, guys? I’m doing good. How are you doing?

Fred: All right, minus having no voice, but don’t worry, that’s not Aces & Eights’ fault. I’m not blaming you guys, so please don’t attack me. Garett, I was at Bound for Glory 2011 when you made your debut as a main character in TNA. Before that, you were a referee, and it was revealed on that pay-per-view that you were Eric Bischoff’s son. A lot of people didn’t know that, and many thought you would screw over Sting and let Hulk Hogan and Immortal prevail. Instead, you went against your dad, and ever since you’ve been a main character on Impact Wrestling. You feuded with your dad leading up to Lockdown 2012, and then you joined the dark side and became a member of Aces & Eights. What’s this ride been like?

Garett Bischoff: It’s been a hell of one, that’s for sure. It’s had its ups and downs, and it’s definitely not anywhere close to being over. I started out as a referee as a way to get in and learn from a different point of view, and I enjoyed it and learned a lot in that role. Then, like you said, I had a little change of plans. I was no longer willing to go the route the old man wanted me to go, so I made a judgment call right there in the ring, and the rest is history. I spent the next year and a half to two years trying to do what I thought was right, doing it my way and letting everybody know I’m here to stay and not going anywhere, no matter what people think, like that I’m only there because I’m Eric’s son. I’m doing this because I love it, and it’s what I want to do. But I didn’t like the way that was going after a while. Then I was approached by the president, Bully Ray. We laid out a little game plan, and I liked what he was telling me.

Fred: Welcome to the dark side. Aces & Eights have been having some problems lately. You guys excommunicated Ken Anderson, who may or may not return, Bully Ray piledrove Wes Brisco, and you reluctantly had to take away his cut. Is the group just having a rough patch?

Garett Bischoff: Like I said on Twitter a couple of days ago, all families have their issues, and we’re having ours right now. I can’t talk too much about club business, because that’s exactly what it is, but I can say Aces & Eights aren’t going anywhere. We’re here to stay. We have our problems, and we don’t always agree, but we’ll work them out. Wes Brisco is my brother, and he always will be. We didn’t want to do that, but decisions have to be made, and it’s nothing personal. It’s just good business.

Fred: Before TNA, did you have any experience on the independent level?

Garett Bischoff: I did. I started out in California, with Black Pearl and Gangrel. Those are the guys who got me started, and I did some independent stuff with them out there. After training and working with them, I moved to Tampa, Florida, and started working with Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs at his school, and from there I started working indies around the Tampa area.

Fred: Your father’s history in wrestling is well documented. When he was president of WCW and you were a teenager, was there a desire to get in the ring, or did you think it might never happen until your dad hooked up with TNA?

Garett Bischoff: Not at all. I’ve wanted to do this since before my teenage years, since I was a kid. It’s always been a dream of mine, and I never stopped wanting it. Unfortunately, there were a lot of timing issues. During WCW, I wasn’t even 18 yet. I couldn’t have gotten in the ring if I wanted to. The timing wasn’t there, and the age wasn’t there. When I finally got the opportunity, I took it and ran with it.

Fred: So, contrary to popular belief, you’ve been a fan forever and busted your butt to get on TV.

Garett Bischoff: Absolutely. People are entitled to their opinions, but it’s been this way for as long as I can remember, all the way back to when my dad was in the AWA, for goodness’ sake. I can remember being 4 years old, running around the AWA offices, picking at everybody I could, watching everything I could in the control room and watching guys edit shows. There’s more to wrestling than just physically wrestling. I love every aspect of it, and I’ll continue to learn every angle I can.

Fred: You must have been like a kid in a candy store backstage during WCW, at the height of the Monday Night Wars, seeing the nWo, Goldberg and your dad in action.

Garett Bischoff: It was like getting to see a fantasy world that was larger than life. It was almost like it wasn’t real. I loved getting there and watching the guys put up the lights and set everything up. There’s so much that goes into something like this. I’m still a big kid at 30 years old, and I still get excited watching the way it all comes together, but as a kid, it was like seeing Superman in real life. It’s hard to explain, but it’s awesome.

Fred: When you became a full-timer in TNA, did you sense any hostility in the locker room?

Garett Bischoff: No. Everybody has been supportive since day one. There were probably some uncertainties and maybe some preconceived notions about what my attitude might be, but there was never any hostility, only support. A lot of these guys have been around a long time, and they know I’m there to learn. There’s no ego and no attitude. We’re family.

Fred: Have any veterans in particular taken you under their wing?

Garett Bischoff: I can’t say just one. Anytime I’ve needed anything, or haven’t asked but needed to be told, guys have had no problem pulling me aside and saying, “Try it like this.” I love Bully. He has such a great mind. My brother D-Von took me under his wing, and we tagged a few times and had a little thing going for a while. I love learning from guys who’ve made very successful careers in this business.

Fred: When you decided to pursue pro wrestling, did your family say, “Easy, Garett, you’ve got a great look. Why not acting or modeling?” Or were they supportive of you going into a business that’s entertainment but also pretty damn physical?

Garett Bischoff: A little bit of both. I’ve always had a very supportive family. They may have tried to talk me out of a lot of things, but they still supported me. It did take a long time to really get their backing on this, because there’s a lot that goes along with it, especially as the son of who I am. We knew there were going to be a lot of obstacles, and I knew it would be a bigger uphill climb for me than for a lot of people, because I’d have to overcome the Bischoff cloud, so to speak. But if it was easy, everybody would be doing it. I like a challenge.

Fred: You’re pursuing a new challenge right now with One Bad Cat Inc. Tell everybody about it.

Garett Bischoff: It all started about 10 years ago, when my tattoo artist and I came up with a new tattoo for the inside of my arm. The cat face you see in my logo is what we came up with. When we finished, he said, “Dude, that thing’s so sick, you should put it on a shirt.” I said, “Yeah, that’d be very cool,” and we went back to tattooing and drinking beers. It wasn’t until a few years later that I said, “I should put this on a shirt,” and it all started spooling up really fast. We came up with the name, got the trademark and started One Bad Cat last November, so it’s almost been a year. Right now, it’s just an apparel line, with women’s tanks, tees, baby clothes, men’s T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and hats, but I have other plans. We’re building a brand. I see a One Bad Cat tattoo shop and a One Bad Cat Ink Bar and Grill in my future. We’re going all the way with it.

Fred: So you have a bit of your dad’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Garett Bischoff: Absolutely, and I attribute that all to him and thank him for it. I grew up around it, listening to him, watching him and learning from him. I’ll never stop wrestling unless I’m forced to, but there’s so much more out there I can do and want to do. My wheels are always turning. It’s in my blood.

Fred: Is that something you stress to young wrestlers who may only be thinking about the short term, not what happens when they hang up the boots or, God forbid, have to retire early?

Garett Bischoff: Absolutely. The one thing that’s for sure about this business is that nothing’s for sure. It can be a 30-year run or a two-year run because of an accident or who knows what. What’s here today won’t necessarily be there tomorrow for anybody. I stress having a Plan B, Plan C and Plan D. It’s better to have the ball rolling now, so if something does happen or it doesn’t work out, you don’t have to sit back and say, “Now what am I going to do?” and go back to the drawing board at 30 years old.

Fred: Want to take some viewer questions? This one comes from Twitter: “What has been Garett’s favorite moment in TNA?”

Garett Bischoff: My most exciting moment in TNA so far would probably be coming over the top of that cage last year in Manchester and seeing the look on Kurt Angle’s face when I pulled that mask off. That was a pretty cool moment.

Fred: What was that like in the UK?

Garett Bischoff: Those fans are something else. It’s incredible over there. I love going, and I can’t wait to go again at the end of January.

Fred: Who’s your dream opponent, in TNA or all around?

Garett Bischoff: In TNA, I’d love to work with Bully Ray. If I could go back in time, I’d love to work with Curt Hennig. He was one of my all-time favorites. He was spectacular.

Fred: Another viewer has noticed your mic work has gotten a lot better since you joined Aces & Eights. What do you attribute that to?

Garett Bischoff: Time. The more repetitions you get, the better you get and the more confidence you get. That’s really all there is to it: repetition, repetition, repetition.

Fred: Was there anybody you emulated when you were starting out? I’m guessing Curt Hennig.

Garett Bischoff: Curt Hennig would be one of them. I always loved watching Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Steve Austin in his early years, even as Stunning Steve Austin. I loved the guys who had a different edge and a very different character but were great workers in the ring.

Fred: What’s been the toughest adjustment since becoming a full-time pro wrestler?

Garett Bischoff: Probably adjusting the family life. I have to leave my wife every week or every other week, sometimes for two or three weeks at a time. It’s easy for me to leave, no problem, but when you know your wife is at home missing you while you’re bouncing from hotel to hotel and city to city, that’s probably the biggest adjustment.

Fred: A couple of lighthearted backstage questions. Who’s the funniest guy backstage in TNA?

Garett Bischoff: Eric Young, by far. I can sit there and listen to him and watch him all day. He cracks me up.

Fred: You don’t have to answer this one, but what’s the best rib you’ve seen backstage in TNA?

Garett Bischoff: We’ll leave that one alone. There are some things I can’t let out.

Fred: Are you set to appear at Bound for Glory? You’ll obviously be there to support Bully Ray in spite of the family’s issues, but might you have a match?

Garett Bischoff: Honestly, I don’t know yet what we have up our sleeves, but I will be there, with bells on.

Fred: Somebody asks who your dream opponent is from this list: Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect or The Rock.

Garett Bischoff: That’s a tough one between Ricky and Mr. Perfect, but I’d still have to go with Mr. Perfect.

Fred: Is Wes Brisco going to be back so you guys can challenge for the TNA World Tag Team titles?

Garett Bischoff: Like I said, Brisco is my brother. I know he’s not gone. I don’t know what the title situation is, but I told him any day he’s ready and the situation calls for it, he and I will make an attempt to go after those titles.

Fred: You said you have an entrepreneurial mind like your father. Does that include TV production, like he does?

Garett Bischoff: I am very interested in that, honestly, though my sister has more of him in that than I do. Yes, I’m interested in the television industry itself, not just wrestling, like reality TV. I’ve worked on some shows in the past at the entry level, learning the ropes.

Fred: Your dad has a well-documented martial arts background. Are you an MMA fan, and do you see similarities between MMA and pro wrestling?

Garett Bischoff: I am an MMA fan. I wouldn’t call myself a diehard, but I enjoy watching it. I have a martial arts background myself, about 12 or 13 years of it growing up, and I got my black belt from Ernest Miller, the Cat, along with an awesome panel of other instructors. But you won’t catch me getting in the cage with any of those guys. They’re nuts.

Fred: Was it cool interacting with Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson backstage?

Garett Bischoff: Tito’s a great guy. Obviously we were on the other side of things, so we weren’t exactly hanging out and swapping stories, but they were very nice guys, and I look forward to seeing them again.

Fred: We’ll see them at the Bellator MMA pay-per-view on Nov. 2, and perhaps after that on Impact Wrestling. What’s next for Garett Bischoff?

Garett Bischoff: There’s a lot in the future for Garett Bischoff. Stay tuned and keep watching to find out, but I’ll say it again: I’m not going anywhere. You can find the apparel line at OneBadCat.com, and there’s a lot more to come.