Eric Bischoff believes Sami Zayn’s latest Undisputed WWE Championship victory lacked the drama it needed, and says the finish reminded him of what Pat Patterson brought to WWE.

Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff reviewed a 54-second clip of Zayn’s win over CM Punk at the September 11 SmackDown in Mexico City. Conrad Thompson had sent him the footage before they recorded the podcast.

The closing sequence involved Candice LeRae distracting the referee and Johnny Gargano attempting to strike Punk with the championship. Punk stopped Gargano with a Go to Sleep before Zayn tried to use the belt himself.

Kevin Owens then appeared and swung the championship at Zayn, only to hit Punk when Zayn ducked. Zayn followed with a low blow to Owens and a Helluva Kick to secure the title.

For Bischoff, the sequence worked mechanically but lacked an emotional payoff.

“The finish was, okay, it was fundamentally sound, but it was really nothing special. There was no real emotional overflow in that finish as it was going down,” he said. “It was like we’re going to the finish, but there was no build. There was no drama associated with that finish. It was a very onesie, twosie, threesie. You do this, I do that, you do the boom, I get the bump, we’re done.”

Bischoff described the finish as formulaic, although he acknowledged that his production background shapes how he watches wrestling.

“I view it as a producer. I can’t help it,” Bischoff said. “My views on these things probably won’t align very comfortably with many people, because I’m looking at things differently than you are.”

Watching the clip also brought Patterson to mind, particularly his ability to put together memorable match endings.

“The first thing I thought of is, I bet you they’re missing Pat Patterson. I bet you they’re missing that one person that can really do it,” he said.

However, Bischoff made clear that he was not claiming to have that same expertise.

“I’m not a finish guy. I’ve never even been in a room with a really good finish guy, where they were talking about the minutiae of a really good finish,” he said. “I’ve never been exposed to that, so I don’t want to sound like I have. But I’ve been around enough of it to know what I was missing.”

When Thompson asked whether Michael Hayes now handles that responsibility, Bischoff suggested he probably fills at least part of the role. He also recognised the experience still available behind the scenes.

“Michael’s Michael. You can say whatever you want. He’s a brilliant head. You’ve got some really smart people around there, including Heyman, now Bruce,” he said. “There’s still some guys that have connective tissue to the wrestling psychology that has always made wrestling work.”

His concern extends beyond one championship match. Bischoff believes WWE’s push towards a broader audience could weaken its connection to the psychology that makes wrestling compelling.

“There’s a stronger pressure to move forward with not necessarily wrestling psychology things,” Bischoff said. “In the push to get more mainstream, we’re losing a little bit of connection to what makes wrestling special and unique from other forms of TV.”

Patterson, WWE’s first Intercontinental Champion and the creator of the Royal Rumble match, helped shape some of the company’s most memorable finishes during his decades with WWE before his death in 2020.

Bischoff also discussed frequent championship changes elsewhere on the episode, arguing that they can reduce a title’s value. He acknowledged making that mistake himself during his time running WCW.

Zayn’s victory marked the fifth Undisputed WWE Championship change of 2026. His next challenge is already taking shape, having promised Gargano the first title opportunity under an agreement made before the match.