Hulk Hogan Signs With TNA!!! - October 27, 2009

Big time news coming your way in this special edition of The Wrestling List. What a stunner of news today coming from the wrestling world. Hulk Hogan had a press conference take place today at Madison Square Garden. The press conference has been scheduled for a while and I figured was just going to be about the book. However, TNA officials were in attendance where it was announced that he has signed with TNA. Yes, you read that right. Hulk Hogan has signed with TNA!! He is apparently going to be partnering with the company so I’m not sure what that extends to. I also found it funny that this news was announced at MSG which is mostly home base for WWE. The news isn’t done though. Someone else is joining him in the venture. Eric Bischoff. Yes, you read that right too. Eric Bischoff is working with TNA on the business end of the company and the deal between Hogan and TNA was negotiated by Bischoff. Bischoff will partner with TNA through his production company with Jason Hervey. TNA recently signed a new deal with Spike TV and the deal included letting them expand their programming including to other outlets from what I understand. So, Bischoff being involved is going to help them with that. He is mostly going to be involved with that end of the company.

This is the official press release from TNA:
HULK HOGAN JOINS TNA WRESTLING
Legendary Wrestler and Pop Culture Icon Returns To The Ring With Fast-Rising Wrestling Organization
 
“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

What does this mean? Well, TNA just took a HUGE step into becoming competition. Hogan will bring publicity to the company and get their name out there. Will Hogan wrestle? It does sound like that he may wrestle every so often but he is going to appear on Impact obviously at times when he isn’t wrestling.

Now, when you see all the names that are now within the organization of TNA, you have to think that there is no way that this works. When I saw this, I had to think Vince Russo is going out of the door very soon. You have to remember that Russo does not have any kind of good relations with Hogan or Bischoff. Hogan and Russo’s relationship went really bad back when they worked together toward the end of WCW. You may remember the shoot incident that went down at WCW’s Bash At The Beach in 2000 where Russo and Hogan had a disagreement. Russo decided to do his best to ruin Hogan including him having Jarrett lay down in the middle of the ring. Hogan responded by getting on the mic saying to Russo in the back that this was the reason that the company was in such horrible shape. He did cuss on live PPV while describing this too. Then, Hogan left the building and never came back to WCW. Russo went to the ring later in the show and did a shoot promo on Hogan completely ripping on him. Hogan ended up filing a suit against Russo. Obviously, their relationship ended there. Bischoff worked with Russo for a few weeks on the relaunch of WCW which also took place in 2000 and in the time line before what happened with Hogan. Bischoff got fed up with Russo’s ideas just after a few weeks and left the company. He said that he just couldn’t work with him. Bischoff has been critical of Russo for years.

You just have to wonder on what Vince McMahon and WWE’s reaction is to this news? Keep in mind that WWE has a new Hulk Hogan DVD coming out next month.

Needless to say, this obviously is going to get a lot of attention on TNA. This is the most excited that I’ve been for the company since the first confrontation between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe. I was already set to start watching the show again just based on the fact that we were getting an Angle/Nigel McGuinness feud. This takes it to a whole different level. Hopefully, this is going to be a move that steps TNA up to the next level. Hogan’s name value and Bischoff’s experience should be a great combination. Hopefully, the company will go back to focusing on wrestling and start using that great amazing young talent that they have. Like I said in last night’s List, having AJ vs. Joe vs. Daniels as your next PPV main event at the same time that you’ve building an Angle/Nigel feud is a huge step in the right direction. Now, you add the news of today with Hogan and Bischoff and optimism is abound. I’ve also heard rumblings that another big name might be following over but we’ll have to see. TNA will have to find a way to mix that young talent with the established stars and grow. If they can get the right combination of creative minds with that talent, the sky is the limit for them. It’s just a matter of them doing it. Expect to see Hogan’s signing shown on Impact this week as it is already being promoted on TNA’s website. Hogan was on Larry King tonight and did mention his signing with TNA and has more talk show appearances scheduled for this week promoting his book. So, that will be even more promotion for the company. This is huge news everyone!! Huge news!! We’ll just have to see what TNA can do with this move. Dixie Carter is in a good position right now and we’ll have to see what she can do with this company from here.

Here is the link to check out the Impact promo featuring the Hogan announcement.