Meltzer on Hogan's departure from TNA

[cero2k]

After four years, it appears the contractual relationship between Hulk Hogan and TNA Wrestling is over.
But given the people involved, it also could be a swerve.
Hogan’s contract expired on 10/1, and on his last show, taped on 9/26 and airing on 10/3, they taped a segment that is supposed to be his farewell. On the surface, it’s crazy. The first part of the angle played on 9/26 where Dixie Carter basically blew off A.J. Styles, saying that she didn’t need him, but when Hogan came out, she was begging him to help her out. On the second show, Hogan quit, with Dixie Carter grabbing him by the ankles and begging him to stay. When questions were asked, and they were, about how absolutely stupid it was for the owner to act like she didn’t care about Styles, who headlines Bound for Glory, but did about Hogan, it was said that Hogan’s contract included creative control of everything he was involved with. This was the only exit he would do, where he left on his own, without endorsing anyone, putting anyone over, nor them even ridiculing or burying him on the way out.

It should be noted that Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s m.o. these days is to do sometimes do fake firings, and leavings (Matt Morgan), and they are more likely to do that now than ever before. It used to be that the goal was to make money. But now, when it seems like that’s impossible, the goal is to fool their critics so they can get satisfaction in the form of intellectual superiority. Those in the company were given the indication it was Hogan’s farewell, so if it is an angle, they are working most of the company. But the promotion has done angles with Abyss and Morgan, where they worked quitting and departures only to bring them back as surprises. In the case of Abyss, they had him run in for his return on Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, neither being aware it was happening and Hall very publicly complained about the lack of professionalism at the time. In the case of Devon, with whom the same thing happened, the belief is the contract expiring was real, and he was gone. It was during that period they reached a deal and came up with the storyline to bring him back. But unlike with Morgan, in that instance wasn’t designed at first to work the Internet.

Bischoff is still under contract with the company through early 2014. With so many cuts being made and wrestlers complaining about pay being behind, lots of questions are being asked. Making owner Dixie Carter into the lead heel is the classic pro wrestling con, the idea that if the owner is put on television and starts getting people to see them as a TV star, they aren’t going to pull the plug.

One would think that if it is a swerve, that Hogan would return at Bound for Glory. In a sense it would be cutting off the nose to spite the face, since Hogan would be the main attraction at the Bound for Glory Fan Fest the day before the show, and if it was a swerve, he couldn’t appear or it would compromise the angle, and would probably cost the company more money than the swerve could possibly make.

In four years, Hogan went through the gamut, starting as a babyface, going heel, and then, two years ago going back babyface and being the authority figure. Hogan figured to be the most valuable signing in company history. Originally, with he and Eric Bischoff in charge, there were changes made to bring in who they considered were better known names. In other words, people who had worked for WCW or WWE on a national basis, usually a decade or more earlier. With few exceptions, almost all flopped, with only Jeff Hardy and Ken Anderson really still around of the people they first brought in. TNA had turned a profit in 2009, although they were treading water at best. Their PPVs were not doing well, nor was live attendance. TV ratings were declining at the time, and even with Hogan, continued to do so. Hogan did a lot of media, and spread the TNA name sometimes (other times he never mentioned the product), but it never moved the needle. If anything, getting Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy, and trying Kevin Nash and Scott Hall all at the same time, was proof that no matter who the acquisition was and how famous they were, TNA was going to be roughly at the same level.

Most of the key ideas, such as going on Monday head-to-head with Raw from 9-11 p.m., instead of 8-10 p.m. (although that ended up such a misfire it wasn’t going to work either way), and pushing to get Impact out of the Impact Zone in Orlando came from Hogan and Bischoff. On paper, they were moves the company had to try, and I don’t blame them for either move. But neither worked out. Ultimately, the latter move cost the company heavily and put them in a precarious financial situation. They also pushed cutting back on the PPVs, and making them more special, but they haven’t felt more special.
Hogan is the company’s highest paid performer by a significant margin. But there is no indication he makes a difference in ratings, and he doesn’t make a difference in any other business metric.

But he does have value with the company in a few categories. In theory, he would have value when it comes to selling the shows overseas, but he really hasn’t. In theory he would have value when it comes to corporate sponsors, and they do have Five Hour Energy, but they aren’t exactly swimming in those either. They haven’t been able to get a new video game deal. And this year’s viewership numbers are down double digits from last year, and the lowest they have ever been since being put in prime time on Thursdays. The key is if the Carters are looking to sell, and there is every indication that they are not putting new money, or at least enough new money, into it to keep people paid on time, which has led to being a morale and confidence killer. Having Hogan under contract would be considered significant value if there is someone, outside of someone who is already there internally, looking at buying, or if there were any kind of licensing deals in negotiations.

Right now, the word is that the sides are still in negotiations and TNA does want him back, and it’s going to come down to both sides agreeing on a price. Because of the John Graziano family lawsuit, Hogan needs money and the feeling is that the only thing that would keep him from signing back with TNA is if they decided to walk away from the deal, or if WWE made him a better offer. With WrestleMania 30 being this year, and Hogan being 60, from a timing standpoint, this may be the right time from a nostalgia standpoint to bring him back for a farewell run.

[Big Red Machine]

Raise your hand if predicted exactly this happening four years ago

Oh. Would you look at that? Everyone other than TNA management has their hand up in the air.

[Bob-O]

Funny thing with this crossroads Hogan is at...

If he were to show up on Impact next week, I'd shake my head and change the channel.

If Real American were to hit the PA on Raw next week I'd mark the hell out.



That's the difference WWE makes.

[Big Red Machine]

Funny thing with this crossroads Hogan is at...

If he were to show up on Impact next week, I'd shake my head and change the channel.

If Real American were to hit the PA on Raw next week I'd mark the hell out.



That's the difference WWE makes.

It's not the difference that WWE makes. It's the difference that a change of scenery makes. If Hogan was on WWE TV every week for six months, you'd be six of him by then.

[Bob-O]

Funny thing with this crossroads Hogan is at...

If he were to show up on Impact next week, I'd shake my head and change the channel.

If Real American were to hit the PA on Raw next week I'd mark the hell out.



That's the difference WWE makes.

It's not the difference that WWE makes. It's the difference that a change of scenery makes. If Hogan was on WWE TV every week for six months, you'd be six of him by then.

I don't think so. He could show up literally anywhere else and I'd be incredibly annoyed immediately.