The Piledriver Report 10.28.09: Hulk Hogan – Crossing the Line

Man, was this past week awful from a sports standpoint. First, the University of Miami Hurricanes football team lost to Clemson on Saturday. Next, the New York Giants lost their second consecutive game. Finally, the Phillies AND Yankees made it to the World Series. For a Mets fan, that I am, this is the nightmare of all nightmares. This week, I hear the Brock Lesnar fight is postponed due to him catching a severe flu. That means waiting another month and a half before he fights. With all of this bad sports news going on, I am in a bit of a funk.

Bragging Rights was pretty good, and RAW wasn’t bad. However, nothing has stood out that makes me want to type away. Before I started this article, I decided to go online hoping for any small piece of news that would get my fingers to do the walking on my keyboard. Needless to say, the biggest story of the year broke out today.

T-N-HULK

Hulk Hogan has signed with TNA. Yes, you heard correctly. Hulk “Freaking” Hogan signed with TNA. I can honestly say that I never saw that one coming. Every so often, you heard rumors regarding Hulk Hogan heading to TNA. Usually, this would be followed by Hulk Hogan’s return to Titan Towers. This time, there were no rumors. There was a press conference that must felt was to hype up his latest autobiography. Instead, we got a press conference, in the backyard of Vince McMahon, to announce that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are now working for TNA.

The details of today’s events went down like this. Hulk Hogan was at Madison Square Garden to start off his book tour. Instead, it was announced that Hulk Hogan has signed with TNA and is bringing Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey with him. TNA put out a press release stating:

“Hulkamania” is back! The biggest name in professional wrestling history, Hulk Hogan, is joining Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA), the fastest rising wrestling organization in the world and home to one of cable television’s highest rated shows for young men, TNA iMPACT! The announcement was made today by TNA Wrestling in conjunction with Spike TV at a press conference held in New York City.

“Hulk Hogan is one of the world’s top pop culture icons and the biggest superstar in the history of professional wrestling. We are truly excited to welcome him into the TNA family,” said Dixie Carter, President of TNA Wrestling. “Our goal is to become the world’s biggest professional wrestling company. Hulk defines professional wrestling and we look forward to partnering with him in a variety of ways as we continue to grow TNA globally.”

“I’m thrilled to be jumping back into the world of professional wrestling,” said Hogan. “My fans have been asking me to return to the business for many years on a full time basis, but the timing or the opportunity has never been right until now. TNA Wrestling is a great company with an already excellent fan base, business and broadcast partner. I firmly believe now is the time for some change at TNA as they are positioned to jump to the next level in their development and I’m here to work with Dixie to help make that a reality.”

Through Hogan’s partnership with Bischoff Hervey Entertainment Television, the deal with TNA was negotiated by longtime Hogan colleague Eric Bischoff. Additionally, BHE TV has inked a first-look deal with TNA and will be working with the organization to develop new programming extensions of the TNA brand.

“Hulk Hogan adds yet another level of star power that positions TNA iMPACT as Spike TV’s version of ‘Must-See TV’ on Thursday nights,” said Kevin Kay, president of Spike.

Hogan most recently penned an autobiography with Mark Dagostino, “My Life Outside The Ring” with St. Martin’s Press.”

Following a pre-taped interview with Hulk Hogan, Bubba the Love Sponge mentioned Hogan and Eric will be booking TNA from this point forward, although sources in TNA have denied that. According to Pwinsider.com, Hogan and Bischoff coming into TNA does not mean that they will take the reigns of the company. Also, even with Hogan and Russo’s tense past, this does not mean that Russo will be pulled from power. Eric Bischoff will not be involved with the day-to-day creative direction of TNA. His partnership with TNA is via his Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment company. Bischoff played a major role in getting Hulk Hogan to sign with TNA, and will now be working on getting TNA new TV programming. TNA’s deal with SpikeTV allows them to shop new shows around to other networks if Spike passes on them, so Bischoff will be trying to get TNA new shows. TNA has had interest in the past in launching new shows for the Knockouts, the X-Division, and the online Spin Cycle show. Bischoff may appear on TNA programming in the future, but that isn’t a given. Among the deals is that Spike TV will get the first look at the Hogan/Flair proposed reality series. The Hulk Hogan-TNA press conference today featured Eric Bischoff introducing Hulk Hogan. Hogan talked about TNA and stated he was becoming a “partner” in the company and that he was feeling great and looking forward to being a part of the company.

The conference left the impression Hogan may be involved as a personality, but not wrestling for the group. TNA President Dixie Carter gave a short speech saying she was looking forward to working with Hogan and that while they have great ratings for a Thursday night, Hogan would be the “boost that TNA needed.” SpikeTV’s Kevin Kay was also in attendance and gave a brief statement about the network working with Hogan. According to Pwinsider.com, some sources have said that there have been at the very least, preliminary discussions between TNA and Ric Flair. This could be part of the deal that brought Hulk Hogan and Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment into the company. There has also been rumors that members from Hogan’s wrestling touring company will also be heading to TNA, although that has not been confirmed. Until today, the signing was kept a secret to even the inner-most members of the TNA circle.

HOW TO COMPETE WITH THE WWE

I have never thought of TNA as competition to the WWE. They just happened to be a small promotion with a national television deal. Sure, they employed some big names like Kurt Angle, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Sting, and the Dudley Boys. However, they would barely break a 1.0 rating, and their pay per view buy rates were far from spectacular. Even their attendance away from the Impact Zone for pay per views didn’t draw in the crowds. While the WWE was drawing 15,000+ for their pay per views, TNA could barely draw over 5,000 for many of their shows. Where is the competition?

That is all about to change. The name Hulk Hogan shouts out the term “professional wrestling” to many casual fans. Where Hulk Hogan goes, so goes professional wrestling. If TNA is now serious about competing with the WWE, signing Hulk Hogan can only be the first of many steps they need to take. The next step that TNA needs to take is that they need to create a huge marketing blitz centered around the Hulkster. They need to promote Hulk Hogan’s first appearance in periodicals like the USA Today. They need to advertise on shows like Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” They should even try to buy advertising on “Monday Night RAW,” “ECW,” and “Friday Night SmackDown!” Hogan should use his celebrity to get booked on any talk interview show that he can in order to build up the TNA name. Letting people know that Hulk Hogan is now in TNA is a crucial step to take. I’ve read too many articles where Christian mentioned, after his return to the WWE, that fans would ask him where he went, as if he was retired. TNA can not make that same mistake with Hulk Hogan. The fans, and non-wrestling fans, need to know that Hulk Hogan is now in TNA. They also need to be informed as to what TNA is. For all they know, TNA stands for “tits n’ ass.” Maybe, it would be wise for a name change for the promotion.

After a marketing blitz centered around Hulk Hogan, TNA needs to bring in more talent. Remember when Hulk Hogan entered World Championship Wrestling? It was a big deal. However, the Hulkster’s signing didn’t put WCW over the top. There was still plenty of work to do. WCW brought in F.O.H’s, Friends of Hogan’s, like Randy Savage, Brutus Beefcake, and Jim Duggan. This move helped make WCW more “major league,” as they were bringing in talent that the casual fan knew about.

TNA already has many wrestlers that the casual fan knows about, like Kurt Angle. The casual fan just doesn’t realize it. Once they see Hulk Hogan there, these fans will see that wrestlers like Scott Steiner, and the Dudleys, from the “Attitude Era” that they remember are in TNA. It’s the same concept that we saw in WCW during the “Monday Night Wars.” Many casual fans were initially attracted to WCW because they housed many of the wrestlers that the fans remembered from the glory days of the eighties.

It appears that TNA may be signing many of the wrestlers who are working on the “Hulkamania” tour. This is a good move, as once again, these are wrestlers that the non-traditional fan is familiar with. However, this isn’t enough. When WCW signed all of the former WWF stars from the eighties, it was a good step towards credibility. However, they still needed something to put them over the top. What they got was Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. It took WCW to sign two top current WWF stars to put WCW over the top. The reason way their signings pushed WCW ahead of the WWF was based on two reasons. The first was that Hulk Hogan was already in the company to give the promotion legitimacy was a major league organization. If Hogan wasn’t there, do you really think that the casual fan would have given a damn because Hall and Nash left the WWF for WCW? Of course not. Just look at Kurt Angle. While his exit from the WWE, and subsequent move to TNA was big news within the industry, nobody outside the wrestling world cared. Now, if Hulk Hogan had already been in TNA, and was given the press that WCW had around the time Hall and Nash came in, the Angle move would have appeared much bigger. Once Hogan plants his feet in TNA, the promotion needs to sign a major name from the WWE that is pretty close, if not currently in, to his prime. This move would really make TNA appear to be competition to the WWE in the eyes of the casual fans.

Perhaps TNA has something up their sleeve like this, as it is being reported that they have another major announcement coming up in the weeks ahead. Hopefully, that announcement isn’t Ric Flair. Signing Ric Flair would have been hue fifteen years ago. Not so much today. Sorry Ric, but you are way past your prime, and TNA needs someone who will be able to make a difference. They do not need another Mick Foley signing.

There is a final piece of the puzzle that TNA will need to be seen as serious competition to the WWE. They need a killer story line. It’s not a coincidence that WCW started sky rocketing ahead of the WWF in the ratings once they implemented the “New World Order” storyline. The n.W.o angle took WCW to a whole other level. With Hogan and his buddies from the eighties on board, WCW already had star power that casual fans were familiar with. Once Hall and Nash “invaded,” World Championship Wrestling had their WWF defectors that were in their prime. Once the “New World Order” storyline broke out, WCW had the angle they needed to get both fans and non-fans talking on Tuesday morning.

Professional wrestling is all about building stars. The more stars you create, the more asses you can put in the seats. However, all it takes is that one killer storyline to keep those asses there, and have more trying to get into the building. A federation can build stars. However, a hot angle can take these stars, and turn them into household superstars. TNA needs its killer storyline. WCW had it with the n.W.o. The WWF had it with the Austin/Mr. McMahon storyline. What storyline did TNA ever create that got the masses talking? They haven’t had that yet. Now that Hogan is on board, they better create one. Hogan doesn’t have a long shelf life as a performer. TNA needs to strike now, before it’s too late. Otherwise, this will be another, in a long line of wasted opportunities by TNA.

QUESTIONS?

With Hulk Hogan now in TNA, there are several questions that need to be answered. The first question has to be the state of Vince Russo. It’s common knowledge that Hulk Hogan doesn’t like Vince Russo. It is also apparent that Vince Russo doesn’t like Hulk Hogan. It’s like the theme song in the old TV sitcom “The Odd Couple.” “Can these two wrestling men share a squared circle without driving each other crazy?” One fan during the press conference asked Hogan whether working with Vince Russo would be an issue. Hogan responded that as long as Russo stayed in his place and didn’t cross him, there would be no issues. Hogan then said that if Russo did, Hogan would have to take care of it. This isn’t exactly a seal of approval by the “Hulkster” that Russo’s job is safe. Plus, Eric Bischoff will be working with TNA to develop new TV deals for the company. How long will it take for Hulk Hogan to grow tired of Vince Russo, and have Eric Bischoff inserted as the writer of TNA’s programming?

As much as a coup that the Hogan signing appears on the outside, the “Hulkster’s” acquisition isn’t the slam dunk that it was when WCW picked him up in 1994. When WCW signed Hogan, the “Hulkster” was approaching his 41st birthday. He was already on the “downside” of his athletic career. However, he still put in some very good years in WCW, especially when he turned heel. Today, Hogan is 56 years old. He has a bad hip, and knees, and God knows what other ailments wrong with his body. While Hogan is still a presence on camera, TNA is fooling themselves into thinking that they will be getting the same Hulk Hogan that WCW got. TNA probably isn’t even going to be getting the same “Hulkster” that the WWE got in the summer of 2006 when he came back to fight Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2006. TNA needs to be realistic. They must realize that they aren’t going to be getting the Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal, but the Phoenix Suns version.

What will Vince McMahon do? Whether or not Vince considers TNA competition, you know McMahon can’t be too happy about Hulk Hogan, the biggest name in professional wrestling history, signing with TNA. It will be interesting to see how he handles things. Will Vince just let this slide, or will Mr. McMahon go on the offensive? Hopefully, this will get Vince’s competitive juices flowing again. Maybe then, the WWE will bring back the awesome product that the fans were accompanied to week in and week out during the Attitude Era.” Another point of interest will be if Vince goes after the free agents of TNA. It’s pretty obvious that Booker T will be coming back to the “E” shortly. However, what about other wrestlers, who the WWE wasn’t interested in signing, like Kurt Angle? Would the WWE try to steal wrestlers from TNA’s roster once their contracts are expiring, just to get them away from TNA?

The final, and probably biggest question facing TNA is will they learn from WCW’s mistakes? By bringing in Hulk Hogan, TNA is running the risk of pushing Hulk Hogan as the main guy, and Hogan’s friends as the main event talent around him. Will the younger, TNA home grown talent be pushed down towards the bottom of the food chain? By ignoring wrestlers like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guererro, and Chris Benoit, World Championship Wrestling was ignoring its future. These men became fed up with the system, and went to the WWF were they, and Vince McMahon, reaped the rewards. TNA has a plethora of non-WWE talent, like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels. However, it seemed like they would always play second fiddle to the former WWE flavor of the week that Dixie Carter just brought into the company. Things only got worse with the creation with the Main Event Mafia. It seemed like the younger talent was getting buried in an n.W.o like manner. Now that the Main Event Mafia storyline is complete, it appears that TNA is back focusing on the homegrown talent, combined with former WWE stars like Kurt Angle. However, with Hulk Hogan coming aboard, TNA needs to be careful that they do not become a carbon copy of WCW. If they don’t heed this warning, and ignore their true talent, they risk them leaving for the WWE, where Vince will turn them into huge stars, and TNA will suffer the same fate as WCW.

I never thought I would see the day when Hulk Hogan would become a member of the TNA roster. I still can’t believe I am typing those words. Whether this is the shot that TNA was looking for in their quest to become a true national brand, or if this turns out to be the first nail in the promotion’s evitable coffin, only time will tell. Either way, it should be one hell of a ride.