Eric Bischoff believes MJF has a point about wrestling veterans protecting their own interests, but says his claim that 99 percent cannot be trusted goes too far.

Ahead of AEW All In, MJF told Bleacher Report that younger wrestlers should be careful about seeking advice from veterans backstage.

According to MJF, most established stars do not want younger talent becoming better than them on the microphone or inside the ring because it could eventually threaten their own position and earnings.

MJF estimated that 99 percent of veterans think that way, adding that the only person a wrestler can truly trust is themselves.

Speaking on 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff admitted there is some truth behind MJF's comments, although he believes the real number is considerably lower.

“I understand it. I think it’s probably true in some, maybe even most cases, but I don’t think it’s a general rule. I’ve seen and listened to veterans really try to help younger talent, especially younger talent that has potential. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it,” Bischoff said.

“So I don’t think what MJF is saying is totally wrong, but it’s not correct 100% of the time. And he said 99% of them. I think it’s fewer than that. I think there’s probably 50, 60% of the wrestlers that would rather not be bothered necessarily, or if you’re going to bother them, they probably don’t have your best interest in mind. They have theirs.”

Bischoff then pointed to Goldberg's explosive rise in WCW as an example of how backstage relationships can quickly become complicated.

“When Bill Goldberg came along, immediately talent started flocking to him, surrounding him, because they knew at some point, or hoped, they were going to end up working with Bill. So they wanted to establish their relationship with Bill,” Bischoff said.

“I’ve never talked to Bill about this, and he may disagree with me, just an observation from a distance, but I think in the very beginning it was very confusing for Bill because he was being pulled in a lot of different directions.”

Bischoff explained that veterans could genuinely offer useful advice while still considering how Goldberg's success might benefit them personally.

“I’m not even saying that he was being pulled in wrong directions, but you’ve got wrestler A, who’s a veteran, who’s making seven figures, is going to come in and he’s going to tell you what he thinks is best for your character. Now, maybe what he thinks is best for your character is also pretty good for him.”

Bischoff stopped short of suggesting every veteran deliberately manipulates younger wrestlers.

“So there is that. I don’t want to call it manipulation, but manipulation in some cases with some people. But I’ve also sat and listened to guys spend a lot of time trying to help younger wrestlers who have the potential. So I don’t think there’s a flat answer across the board on that,” Bischoff said.

Bischoff was running WCW during Goldberg's incredible rise in 1998, giving him a first-hand view of the backstage environment surrounding one of wrestling's fastest-rising stars.

MJF has experienced a very different generation of wrestling politics. Since joining AEW in 2019, he has become a former AEW World Champion and has regularly worked major programmes with established veterans.

His latest appearance at All In did not end with victory. MJF entered the Casino Gauntlet second, but Andrade El Idolo eventually won the match by pinning Nick Wayne to earn a future AEW World Championship opportunity.

Do you agree with MJF that wrestlers should be careful about taking advice from veterans, or is Bischoff's view closer to the truth? Let us know in the comments.