Who is Eric Bischoff, Rishabh Pant's Surprising WWE Hall of Famer Fan: Everything You Need to Know

New Delhi: After being selected in Team India's squad for the upcoming Bangladesh Test series, Rishabh Pant is all set to make his return to International red-ball cricket. Pant, who has been sidelined for around 20 months due to injuries sustained in a car accident in 2022, will be back on the field when the series kicks off on 19th September 2024. The talented wicketkeeper-batsman, who was a standout performer for India in the T20 World Cup 2024 and recently made his ODI return against Sri Lanka, has been eagerly awaited by fans. In a recent revelation, it was disclosed that Pant is a fan of WWE Hall of Famer, Eric Bischoff, adding another layer to the dynamic cricketer's personality.

On Wednesday, September 9, Bischoff reacted to a comment by an X (formerly Twitter) user commenting on Pant’s comeback, saying, “Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination.”

Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination. Good luck @RishabhPant17 ! https://t.co/IW4GcYmCeu

— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) September 9, 2024

Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination. Good luck @RishabhPant17 ! https://t.co/IW4GcYmCeu

— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) September 9, 2024

Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination. Good luck @RishabhPant17 ! https://t.co/IW4GcYmCeu

— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) September 9, 2024

Eric Bischoff, a pioneer behind the scenes in sports entertainment, as well as an incredibly entertaining performer in front of the camera, thrived under the belief that controversy creates cash. That belief brought him success everywhere he went in the business, from WCW to WWE.

Bischoff broke into the sports entertainment industry in the late 1980s for fellow Hall of Famer Verne Gagne’s AWA. He started in sales but soon became an on-air talent, hosting the AWA’s shows on ESPN and interviewing the legendary territory’s stars. However, as the 1990s arrived, the AWA was on the brink of going out of business, so Bischoff made a move that would eventually change the industry.

He joined World Championship Wrestling in 1991, hosting shows and calling the action on WCW’s weekly television shows. But by the mid-1990s, Bischoff had risen the ranks and became executive producer of WCW. He helped bring Hulk Hogan to the company and launched WCW Monday Nitro, the competitor to WWE’s Monday Night Raw that kicked off the infamous Monday Night War that helped make sports entertainment a pop culture phenomenon.

Earlier. former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Rishabh Pant is on course to become an all-time great in Test cricket but at the same time, the southpaw needs to raise his game in the shorter formats.

“He will be an all-time great in Tests if he keeps performing like this. For me, he needs to get better in the shorter formats. With the talent he has, I’m sure with time, he will become one of the best.”

Indian selectors have opted to give Mohammed Shami more time to recover from an ankle surgery and have named uncapped left-arm pacers Yash Dayal and Akash Deep in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the two frontline pacers.

“I know Mohammed Shami is missing because of injury, but he will be back very soon since India is going to Australia. It’s still a very good attack,” Ganguly said.

“In India, you will see a lot more spin. In Chennai, you will see a lot more bounce. Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, and Kuldeep are the four best spinners in the world at the moment — it won’t be easy. When you play in India, spinners have a lot more say in the game. But India are a very good team,” he added.