Ex-WCW president Eric Bischoff says he was devastated by the death of pro wrestler Silver King -- telling TMZ Sports the guy was a legit trailblazer who never got the credit he deserved.
Silver King wrestled under the WCW banner back in the late '90s -- and Bischoff says the guy was a KEY reason for the success of the "WCW Monday Nitro" brand.
"The luchadores, that whole crew that came out of Mexico and were such a vital, important part of 'Nitro' ... they never really got the credit," Bischoff says.