Dennis Rodman's Beef With Karl Malone Just For Wrestling Promotion, Says Ex-WCW President

One of the storylines that spiced up the heated rivalry between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals was the animosity between Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone. But in a rather anticlimactic twist, Rodman’s antics on the Mailman turned out to be just a staged act for promotion, according to former World Championship Wrestling president Eric Bischoff.

In a story published on TMZ Sports, Bischoff admitted that he “encouraged Rodman to mix it up with Malone -- but not in any way that would affect the outcome of the game.”

"Now, what I said to Dennis, not to Karl, was, 'Hey Dennis, if anything were to happen off-court while there's a timeout, while there's no gameplay if you guys happen to rough it up a little bit at the sidelines or look like you're going to and establish that intent so that the feud between Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone is real, on a kind of a 360-degree basis, not just what happens on our TV show, that wouldn't piss me off at all.' It was kind of subtle but clear." the 64-year-old said.

Knowing beforehand that a plan for the wrestling showdown between the two was already being plotted, Bischoff said he could not hide his amusement as he witnessed both players trade shenanigans inside the court.

"I chuckled like a little kid because it accomplished so much,” he said. "As a wrestling producer, to be able to create a moment ... that played out on a platform so huge as the NBA playoffs was really satisfying."

But even before Bischoff unveiled his apparent spoiler, there had already been speculation that the flaunted tension was anything but real. For one, Rodman made the headlines after he skipped practice during the said series to make a shocking appearance at the WCW Nitro. And shortly after the Bulls won their second three-peat at the expense of Malone and the Jazz, the two bruising basketball big men took their portrayed bad blood into the wrestling ring where they headlined a tag team match at the pay-per-view event Bash at the Beach in 1998 where The Worm and Hollywood Hulk Hogan defeated Malone and Diamond Dallas Page.