In what is apparently the 3rd episode of season 3, (which may make it the first WWE Network show to be given a third go-around), we have perhaps the most anticipated edition of Table For 3 to ever be produced. Featuring Jim Cornette breaking bread with Eric Bischoff while Michael Hayes gets stuck in the middle, it has the potential to be legitimately enthralling. But can a 20-minute, highly polished WWE production really live up to that hype? Let’s find out!
Settling Old Grievances
We begin with Hayes making light of managing to get Corny and Easy E to sit down together while also hyping up how this is genuinely the first time the two have talked publicly. Considering their well-known friction in the past, that’s very easy to believe.
Jim immediately points out how he and Eric were always on opposite sides, explaining how he used to help plant derogatory signs in crowds at Nitro. He follows up by saying that he was conditioned to see Bischoff as the Devil himself. The former WCW boss looks visibly uncomfortable, by the way.
It’s at this point that Cornette tells his well-worn stories of Bischoff supposedly sabotaging an invasion angle between Smoky Mountain and WCW at SuperBrawl III and sometime later, firing Ole Andrson from the Power Plant for working with Jim. Eric calls the Louisville native’s stories BS, saying he didn’t even have the power to sabotage anything back at SuperBrawl III, and he suggests that Jim was just being told what he wanted to hear by stooges. Before things can get too heated though, they celebrate their mutual hatred of Vince Russo!
What Could Have Been
Abruptly changing the subject, Bischoff explains the basic idea of WCW’s Power Plant training facility and how he knew he couldn’t just rely upon pillaging WWF talent forever. Hayes asks if WCW could have had a relationship with Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Eric says it was possible, stating that the territory system was already a problem, even back then, and they needed new avenues for finding new talent like the Power Plant was designed to do.
Cornette claims that SMW could have been an intermediary step where talent with some experience could have gained some exposure from a smaller TV product, while also potentially working with some WCW veterans who needed to shake off ring rust from an injury or work on being repackaged.
The conversation switches to all three discussing how the business has changed. Eric starts by saying that no-one gets the time to develop their skills naturally due to the pressure of modern TV formats. Then, while everyone agrees that today features better athletes, they also believe that it’s become more about getting over by doing great moves rather than developing a character. Everything gets a bit more lighthearted again as Cornette jokes about being more hated than most wrestlers today, but then he and Eric joke about starting to like each other. Michael says another issue with modern talent is not wanting to be truly hated.
Booking Philosophies and Career Highlights
Micheal Hayes slips into interviewer mode, asking Bischoff what his proudest moment as a Booker was. Eric cites Nitro as a whole, transitioning into the same story we’ve heard before about him doing everything to be the opposite of the WWF and how he feels tHat it was the realism he brought to wrestling that really tipped things over the edge.
Jimmy actually takes a moment to compliment WCW before stating that he felt things went too far once the heels became cool (both in WCW and WWF) because it damaged the in-ring storytelling. Hayes says he initially felt the same way, though eventually realised that the times had just changed. They then all laugh about how the fans initially thought the NWO was a genuine invasion orchestrated by Vince. Oh, and they get in another Russo jab!
Michael asks Jim about his career highlights, and he, of course, brings up the greatness that was the Midnight Express in the 80’s, followed by how much fun he had doing commentary in the 90’s, specifically mentioning working alongside Jim Ross and then the Smackdown pilot with Micheal Cole in April 1999.
For his part, Hayes says that he’ll never forget being the agent for Micheals vs Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 because of how awesome the match ended up. He says that Vince originally hated the Heaven vs Hell theme, but before he knew it, their memorable light/dark entrances were happening. Eric asks if Micheal gets the same thrill from putting matches together, and he admits that he spent a long time trying to recreate his glory days, but once Vince forced him off of TV, he came to terms with his new role. Micheal says it’s a different kind of high now, and he’s learned to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
Finishing Up With Some Fantasy Booking
As things wind up, Micheal Hayes asks for one match for WrestleMania 34 out of the active roster. Cornette can’t resist asking if he vs Bischoff vs Russo is an option, which leads to some fun quips. Getting to the question, Jim puts forward Brock Lesnar vs Samoa Joe in a submission match. Bischoff says he can see Roman Reigns as a “rockstar heel” by the time 34 rolls around as he’s already flirting with the turn, so he suggests Reigns vs AJ Styles. Finally, Hayes talks about how Reigns gets the same female support/male hatred crowd divide that Cena got when he jumped to Raw. Hayes says he used to think Cena should be
Bischoff says he can see Roman Reigns as a “rockstar heel” by the time 34 rolls around as he’s already flirting with the turn, so he suggests Reigns vs AJ Styles.
Finally, Hayes talks about how Reigns gets the same female support/male hatred crowd divide that Cena got when he jumped to Raw in 2005. Hayes says he used to think Cena should be a heel because of that, but he ended up being on top longer than anyone else. As a result, he’d book Roman Reigns vs John Cena.
With that, Eric and Jim sign off with one more shot at Vince Russo and a reconciliatory handshake. Now, we just wait for Micheal Hayes’ nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Well, maybe if he got Cornette and Russo to sit in a room together without bloodshed occurring…