Report: Hulk Hogan's Contract Expiring October 1st

[It's Damn Real!]

...and it seems so many of you may be getting your wish, because the report is that he may be on his way out of the company when it's up:

http://www.tnainsider.com/view/tna-news/hulk-hogans-contact-expiring-very-soon-r397

TNA Star Hulk may be on his way out of company. Sources cited by prowrestling.net state that Hulk Hogan's contract expires on October 1 and that so far there is no indication that the two have come to any contractual agreement.

We've been talking about TNA getting a clean slate/fresh start — I can't imagine a cleaner or fresher one than with Hulk Hogan no longer associated with the company. Whether that's a good or a bad thing remains to be seen.

Thoughts?

 

[IT Factor]

I wanted to believe that Hogan & Bischoff had changed and were going to take TNA to that next level. But so far all they have done is spend money and take up payroll without doing any real improvement for the Impact brand. It has been almost 4 years and TNA is almost the same as it was rating wise as before they arrived. TNA needs that fresh start and letting those two go is the best thing for Impact Wrestling at this point in time.

 

[hatehabsforever]

As much as I feel that Hulk Hogan has contributed little to nothing to TNA and that in all likelihood, he is being paid an absurd amount of money (in relative terms) for what he has provided, I think this would be a significant blow to TNA, assuming of course there is a shred of validity to the reports.

Sometimes, perception is more significant than reality. And a prevalent perception these days is that TNA is in financial crisis and is in fact a sinking ship. That may or may not be true, but it is a sentiment that has been there for some time now. When you factor in the recent shedding of excess "talent", allegations of staff and talent not being paid in a timely manner, and suggestions that TNA is abandoning their road trips to retreat to the Impact Zone, or some other similar fixed location, the perception grows.

Now throw in the expiration of the contract of RVD, apparently a similar fate involving Ken Anderson and Mickie James, and contractual issues with the phenomenal AJ Styles (considered by many to be the face of TNA and the heart and soul of the company), and thoughts and fears run rampant that TNA is going downhill fast. So losing a guy of the magnitude and reputation and mainstream recognition of Hulk Hogan could really blow the perception of the decline of TNA through the roof. Not to mention the fact that if true, I doubt Hogan will go quietly. If he leaves and throws the company under the bus in the process, one cannot help but feel that the apocalyptic projections regarding TNA may have some merit after all.

And if on top of all of that they allow AJ Styles to head north, I think they're done. I'm frequently critical of TNA, but never apocalyptic. But if Hogan leaves at this time, that will be difficult to recover from. And impossible if Styles disappears too.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Are the nostalgia pops really worth it?

I think that's the big question that needs to be answered here. Considering the poor and ravaged shape his body is in, Hulk Hogan can't wrestle anything resembling a competitive match anymore. Sure, you could say the BFG match with Sting a few years ago was a nice little nostalgia kick, but how many times will TNA be able to reach into the nostalgia barrel before the act becomes tiresome?

Nostalgia is good in small doses every now and then, but TNA has a bad habit of beating the dead horse to the flesh and bone. Simply put, if all Hulk Hogan can offer is nostalgia, then I think it's time to cut ties with him.

At this stage in his life, having Hulk Hogan on your roster creates one hell of a conundrum. He can't wrestle or do anything too physical, but at the same time, he's a central and prominent figure in a lot of TNA's major storylines, taking much needed focus off of other younger talent. If Hogan could still go in the ring, or put on a competitive match, then I wouldn't have a problem with him in TNA, but he can't do that anymore. Immortal was a chore to sit through, and as shit as Aces & Eights is, Hogan hasn't done anything to help the angle in a positive way.

Fact of the matter is, Hulk Hogan hasn't delivered the earth shattering changes in TNA he promised. Fans aren't lining up around the block to try and get their hands on tickets to see Hulk, because the show might be sold out.

The popular opinion around here is, "Well, he's Hulk Fucking Hogan. Who cares if he can't wrestle! He's Hulk Hogan". I'm pretty sure any wrestling fan, who hasn't lived under a rock in the past twenty or thirty years knows, who Hulk Hogan is. We all know he's THEE legend, and his groundbreaking achievements in the business can't be questioned. Yeah, I'm sorry, but that's a bullshit excuse a lot of people keep clinging to as a means of justifying Hogan's spot in TNA. Bottom line, the Hogan experiment in TNA has been a failure. Maybe TNA and Hogan work out some kind of short term deal to extend his contract to work/appear at Bound For Glory, but that's it.

 

[mlp420]

As much as I feel that Hulk Hogan has contributed little to nothing to TNA and that in all likelihood, he is being paid an absurd amount of money (in relative terms) for what he has provided, I think this would be a significant blow to TNA, assuming of course there is a shred of validity to the reports.

Sometimes, perception is more significant than reality. And a prevalent perception these days is that TNA is in financial crisis and is in fact a sinking ship. That may or may not be true, but it is a sentiment that has been there for some time now. When you factor in the recent shedding of excess "talent", allegations of staff and talent not being paid in a timely manner, and suggestions that TNA is abandoning their road trips to retreat to the Impact Zone, or some other similar fixed location, the perception grows.

Now throw in the expiration of the contract of RVD, apparently a similar fate involving Ken Anderson and Mickie James, and contractual issues with the phenomenal AJ Styles (considered by many to be the face of TNA and the heart and soul of the company), and thoughts and fears run rampant that TNA is going downhill fast. So losing a guy of the magnitude and reputation and mainstream recognition of Hulk Hogan could really blow the perception of the decline of TNA through the roof. Not to mention the fact that if true, I doubt Hogan will go quietly. If he leaves and throws the company under the bus in the process, one cannot help but feel that the apocalyptic projections regarding TNA may have some merit after all.

And if on top of all of that they allow AJ Styles to head north, I think they're done. I'm frequently critical of TNA, but never apocalyptic. But if Hogan leaves at this time, that will be difficult to recover from. And impossible if Styles disappears too.

What you're missing here is that the majority of wrestling fans don't follow the IWC. So they aren't seeing any of these 'apocalyptic' stories. The ratings are the same even with all the releases aren't they? Hogan's actually been off TV quite a bit recently and the ratings are the same aren't they? He can say what he wants in a shoot, nobody will see it.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Huk Hogan and Eric Bischoff being held accountable for something?

I wont allow myself to be lulled into even dreaming of such things.

Its the absolute best for everyone involved. Hogan should be making spot appearances for WWE, and TNA should have more of their assets sunk into other things. Not to mention freshening things up a little.

Please let it expire. Please.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Nothing wrong with paying Hogan per appearance instead of having him under contract. Let the contract expire, get all the ducks in a row creatively and TV wise and go from there. TNA can be interesting again, but it'll take quite a bit of effort to do so.

Hogan would only hinder TNA at this point.

 

[WWWYKI]

I sure as hell hope TNA don't resign either of them.

its been said already but they are being paid far more than what they are worth!
I was getting tired of seeing Jeff Jarrett being focused on week in week out, but I think him coming back and having some on screen time as GM would be cool.
there are reports he was at the last tapings and has had more input backstage which I think can only be a good thing.

OR


The IWC dream replacement - Jim Ross.
good eye for talent and has great business mind... if only they through Hogan and Bischoffs money at Paul Heyman!!

 

[dtroppe]

Alright fellas, lets be realistic, generally speaking hulk hogan could still make a lot of money and be a decent draw as an attraction. Where money is wasted is paying him to promote, work regular creative, or to be a main stay on wrestling tv.

Hogan can't really work a match anymore, but a few appearances here and there at big events would garner interest. TNA is not the correct venue for hogan. He should be a limited wwe legend. He is one of the biggest names in the history of wrestling. Let him cut it up a bit the cena or hhh or the rock or hell let him and austin go back and forth on the mic. Much more interesting than as a main character on impact.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I have been a big Hogan supporter. I think despite whatever the ratings are that Hogan has been beneficial to TNA. he is and always will be thee biggest name in wrestling history. the crowds still go crazy for Hulk Hogan. people still come out to see Hulk hogan, and he gets some of the loudest pops just to walk out on stage.

but I kind of feel like maybe TNA should not resign Hogan, just to see what would happen. at that point who are the Hogan haters going to blame when TNA isn't doing as well? as long as Hogan is there he will get a big amount of blame for anything that is not going well, and also get no credit for anything that could be going right.

money wise TNA could use the money saved on Hogan to be better used elsewhere, so that would be a plus.

I don't think Hogan is the reason for things not going good in TNA.

 

[JamJam]

As much as it pains me to say this, this will be the right move for TNA. Hogan's been in TNA for what, 4 years? Or 5? And nothing has changed at all. Sure, he's a guy that can help put over a young guy, but who exactly has he put over? No one to my knowledge unless of course you cite TJ Perkins, Chris Sabin, and Austin Aries as one since they all have/will use option C. Other than that, he's contributed nothing.

Mitch said something that's so very true and that's that nostalgia pops are great in small doses. Just look at how WWE does it. Everyone loved it when the Rock came back but when he kept coming back, it wasn't as enjoyable as the first time he came and that's just the way things are.

TNA has much bigger problems though. But according to the rumors, it seems as though Hogan is getting a paid a whole lot of money. Money that could be used to sign a new tag team, a new knockout, or even a new midcard guy. So please TNA, let that contract expire. It'll do you well in the future. Hell, I know that it may be impossible, but get Jim Ross on board at TNA. The guy loves the business and won't cost as much as Hogan probably.

NO MORE HOGAN PLEASE.

 

[Slash-LN]

I agree they should let Hogan go.
He's not worth Hogan money anymore.
Plus he did that arm wrestling thing (and I think one other thing) where he didn't even mention TNA/Impact. So what's he doing for them publicity wise?
I don't think many people desire seeing a broken down man in the ring right now.
If the rumors are true that the stuff he and Eric pushed for (like the move to Monday) failed then what are they getting out of him?

 

[T2KFreeker]

To be fair, everything that has happened at TNA since Hulk and the Bisch got there isn't entirely their fault, just most of it. Hogan bringing in his friends did nothing but hurt the company, sorry guys, but Knobbs and Saggs did NOTHING for TNA other than make them look even more second class than people already think it is. Then there is also the crap with Bubba the Love Sponge which cost them Awesome Kong. Yeah, that really helped. But you also have to factor in that Bruce Pritchard didn't help things either. That dude right there caused some huge headaches for TNA. Since they came in the X-Division has went to Hell, same with the tag team Division and the Knockouts. I believe in coincidences, but too many is too much. Hell, they got rid of the Six Sided Ring, which really was not a problem. If anything, it helped TNA look different from other wrestling companies. Oh, and did we forget about the Abyss "My Precious" storyline which Hogan admitted to coming up with. Looks like Abyss is the damn Green Lantern now? Oh, and sorry, but having to deal with seeing his daughter on the television just to have her back out of a storyline because she got engaged doesn't help my opinion either.

In the end, I am sorry, but Hulk and Bischoff have hurt TNA more than they have helped them, true that. Hulk was the man back in the day. I grew up watching him, but man, this run in TNA has blown chunks. At least before they came into the picture, things generally made sense. Nowadays it's just horrible from a storyline point of view. Since Pritchard left, things have improved some, but could still be better. They need a short term contract with Hulk so he appears at Bound For Glory and then let him go. Sorry folks, but it's money that could be used elsewhere. Again, I was a huge Hogan fan back in the day, but his ideas have done nothing but hurt the product. Maybe have him come in once in a while for a special appearance or something, but other than that, guaranteed money contract just isn't going to work.

 

[Weems2k]

Wow. Some of you IWC knobs really need to got back to school, and relearn basic math. Hogan came in Jan of 2010. It's Sept 2013. Simple math states he's been with TNA a little more than 3 1/2 years now. Like it or not, I believe a lot more people know about TNA now than before he showed up.

And for those who say cut ties, and do another fresh start. Who else is really out there to bring that fresh start? Don't give the same lame answers like that Fat Bald Idiot known as Paul Heyman, or even Jim Ross. You want Russo back? I thought he was done, and burnt out doing creative. Give full control to Jarrett? Please enlighten me so called IWC geniuses to the cure that can save TNA.

 

[Pedigree1]

Hogans contract expires Oct 1st that is interesting. To say that Hogan and Bisch have contributed nothing,is an understatement unfortunately. I think TNA is beyond the point of saving even if hogan contract expires. That is a point im surprised no one brought up. TNA (rumors that there taking their product off the road is not good at all). I respect Hogan,love him but he and Eric have done nothing for the business.

I dont necessarily think Hogan is the main reason why things are not going so well in TNA. It is a lot of factors. Money wise saving would be a plus,but in the end is that really gonna help out TNA? TV Ratings,are not up,IMO there on a horrible TV station and the timeslot just isnt helping matters.

 

[lowandmighty]

I for one hope he leaves TNA not for TNA's benefit but for Hogan's. Hogan doesn't help TNA and TNA doesn't help him. For a few years now Hogan has been there on and off walking/hobbling to the ring and pretending to run things. let's face it anyone can play the "general manager" type of role but it doesn't matter who it is it's the actual wrestlers and whether the fans give a shit about them that counts and as far as most of the guys in TNA go the fans don't give a shit and no amount of Hulk Hogan or Eric Bischoff can change that.

I personally believe even if they had Vince McMahon in Hogan's role in TNA it still wouldn't work.

Hogan needs to go back to being an ornament they can dust off now and then in WWE and TNA need to go back to the wrestling style it had when they had amazing red as the x division champion years ago. When Hogan came it just disrupted all that. They tried to build TNA around Hogan and he just doesn't have the momentum of popularity he had back when he joined wcw to work.
Why doesn't he have that momentum anymore? simple; times have changed and he's old.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

I wouldn't mind seeing Hogan become a face on-screen official for WWE with the current storyline. The Faces need an authority figure on their side. So If Shane O'Mac isn't available who better than Hulk Hogan to get behind D Bryan and the good guys?

 

[Papa Pillman]

I think this fits perfectly with the other major rumor of the moment, the one that Impact could be coming off the road.

If they set-up shop in Vegas with a new Impact Zone of sorts, ideally in a casino theatre/arena(there are plenty that are set up to house boxing and MMA regularly for televised broadcasts and they're sure to find one that could easily be set up for a pro wrestling set), they wouldn't have to worry about using Hogan's presence to sell Impact tickets around the country. And the new "home" crowd would be built in with tourists just like it was in Orlando.

Combine the savings that result from coming off the road with the savings that will come from the expiring contracts of likely highly paid talents like Hogan, Mickie, Tara, seemingly Anderson, almost surely Bischoff, probably Sting by the end of the year, maybe others like Bully/Devon, or even Hardy, etc. And it would seem that TNA would be in a prime position to regain some stability, keep a lock on its longtime core talent, replace the "fat" with fresh faces to fill out the mid-card divisions(possibly raiding some of the west coast Indy talent due to their new Western locale), and truly make a run at the "fresh start" idea. Ultimately it could help the overall quality of the product.

 

[The Boss]

Well, I was looking forward to attending the 500th episode of Impact Wrestling on November 7. But if Hogan's not going to be there and I won't get to experience the crowd energy that only he can produce then I can't justify spending the money. I might ad well just watch it on TV for free.

 

[cult_of_icecream_bar]

Hogan needs to go away from all kind of wrestling.TNA shouldn't renew their contract with him.WWE should not give him a legends contract either.Hogan needs to hang up the boots for good.In no capacity he should be with wrestling.He didn't do TNA any favor in his run.Only gave 'em bad ideas and sucked the life outta the company.TNA need to be professional and let Hulk go on october 1st.Also fire bischoff with him as well.

 

[Dirk]

I like Hogan and I think he gave a rub to some of the guys in TNA. It doesn't make sense to me, however, that TNA's letting Morgan, RVD and possibly Anderson go, just so "Hollywood" can get a pay bump.

TNA's made it clear that they're trimming the fat and that's why Hogan should go. Personally, I can see Sting fulfilling the role Hogan has now, but actually work a match once in a blue moon too. Sting has been a mainstay in TNA and he's their biggest legend, so why not have him as GM?

 

[SinCityBlitz]

I can imagine the $$$ he makes and in no way shape or form is he worth it. TNA tried the Hogan and Bischoff way and the problem is that the REAL guy who made WCW what it was wasn't Bischoff it was Ted Turner. He wanted to compete with Vince and was desperate and gave Bischoff his shot. If TT gave Bischoff a budget most of the IWC would have no clue who EB is.

Wow. Some of you IWC knobs really need to got back to school, and relearn basic math. Hogan came in Jan of 2010. It's Sept 2013. Simple math states he's been with TNA a little more than 3 1/2 years now. Like it or not, I believe a lot more people know about TNA now than before he showed up.

And for those who say cut ties, and do another fresh start. Who else is really out there to bring that fresh start? Don't give the same lame answers like that Fat Bald Idiot known as Paul Heyman, or even Jim Ross. You want Russo back? I thought he was done, and burnt out doing creative. Give full control to Jarrett? Please enlighten me so called IWC geniuses to the cure that can save TNA.

Who cares if they know about TNA if they don't support it. I know about trashy reality TV but I sure in the hell don't want to watch it.TNA doesn't need to be saved they just need to make better decisions. LONG TERM DECISIONS.

 

[Rayne]

Wow. Some of you IWC knobs really need to got back to school, and relearn basic math. Hogan came in Jan of 2010. It's Sept 2013. Simple math states he's been with TNA a little more than 3 1/2 years now.

And we're going to start this off with a math attack. Because the people who were saying Hulk Hogan has been with TNA for four years need to have important facts which change the tenor of the discussion clarified. Those extra six months MEAN something. That's the difference between failure and success.

Like it or not, I believe a lot more people know about TNA now than before he showed up.

What you believe is your business, and it doesn't matter if I like what you believe or not. From numbers we can actually measure though, it seems that the same amount of people are watching TNA now as they were three and a half years ago.

I'll take the Nielsen's over what you believe. Who cares if more people have heard of TNA if they aren't watching it and sending money?

And for those who say cut ties, and do another fresh start. Who else is really out there to bring that fresh start? Don't give the same lame answers like that Fat Bald Idiot known as Paul Heyman, or even Jim Ross. You want Russo back? I thought he was done, and burnt out doing creative. Give full control to Jarrett?

You are the very first person in this thread to mention Vince Russo. Pretty sure the only one. Because what you're doing here is ranting and screaming wildly at anyone who dares to criticize anything TNA's done for the past three and a half years, instead of looking at the results TNA has to show for the past three and a half years. (They aren't cutting staff, reducing pay-per-views, and aborting a live taping model because the past three and a half years have gone as planned.)

So what you seem to be implying here is that it doesn't matter if Hulk Hogan is a large expense which isn't drawing new viewers to the program; you wouldn't like the results of four other guys you've heard of, so the only other choice is Hulk Hogan. If you mean something different, please enlighten us, because you seem to be pushing some glue-fume laden idea that if you haven't heard of someone, they can't exist.

BTW, when talking about a "fresh start", you mentioned four separate names that everyone is very familiar with. The newest arrival to professional wrestling out of the four of them was in the late '80s. I'll leave that obvious fruit hanging there for you.

Please enlighten me so called IWC geniuses to the cure that can save TNA.

So what are you suggesting- TNA tries the Hulk Hogan model for another three and a half years? Maybe he'll spike the needles starting in year five? It's all swell and nice to cry "IWC, IWC!" every time something happens in professional wrestling that you don't like, as if that were an answer to anything, but the IWC doesn't have a thing to do with Impact's dismal ratings.

Well, I was looking forward to attending the 500th episode of Impact Wrestling on November 7. But if Hogan's not going to be there and I won't get to experience the crowd energy that only he can produce then I can't justify spending the money. I might ad well just watch it on TV for free.

Just don't watch the ads though. That'll teach 'em!

 

[Zeven_Zion]

All things considered, what would people's reaction be when Hogan is out of there and absolutely nothing changes?

Years ago, Russo was the cornerstone of every TNA problem. He was his time's Hulk Hogan. People were even chanting "Fire Russo". Then Russo left and ... how did the product improve, exactly?

It really didn't. I don't think it got worse, or better. The only notable difference is that now TNA really pushes its own guys. Is that because of Russo though? Does Russo have so much pull?

Then Prichard was at fault. Some people wanted Russo back. Some wanted neither. He left. What changed, exactly? No-thing.

So what happens if Hogan leaves, Bischoff leaves, and nothing changes. TNA will have a bit more money to play with. And? Who's the next person we'll blame everything on? Dixie? Is it her turn to carry the burden of why TNA is not successful? I bet it is.

If TNA doesn't improve business wise (and it doesn't), it's not the fault of one single individual. It's multiple parts of the whole. Lots of things don't work. Writers, bookers, agents, marketing deprtments, PR departments, financial departments. One person can't take them to better heights, one person can rarely push them into stagnation. Even WCW didn't die off just because of Hogan or Russo. It took a bunch of greedy people, and TNA is a fraction of WCW's size or success.

That's why I doubt anything will change with Hogan gone. I don't expect it, neither should you. What will change is IWC's aim. Bring the next blame victim to the chopping block. Sooner or later they'll run out of people for the IWC to blame and then their heads will explode, because if they have no target for the bitching, what's the point of their existence?

What will be interesting is the way Hogan will react to it. I bet you he'll shit on them in order to make it seem like even the great Hogan couldn't fix TNA. And then he'll be suddenly liked by the IWC. Suddenly they'll agree.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

From a realistic perspective, I don't blame Hogan for ultimately getting as much as he could for as long as he could from TNA. Hogan has often been criticized for being selfish, which is understandable in many ways, but being a successful pro wrestler is sort of about being selfish. Get as much as you can, while you can because the boys in the back sure as shit ain't gonna pay your bills for you. I'm sure Jesse Sorensen, Zema Ion or any number of over the hill greats of the past still working because they blew through their money could testify to that.

However, let's face facts, Hulk Hogan's done very little for TNA in terms of growth. I've always been against him being such a focal point in TNA because he doesn't draw and he can no longer get in the ring to wrestle. Having big names attached to your company is a good thing only when those big names can draw as a means of earning that big paycheck. Whether you're a fan of Hogan as a wrestler, or a person for that matter, or not, if he drew for TNA then you couldn't make a genuinely sensible argument against why he should be there and why he's been such a focal point. But he doesn't draw, apart from showing up after being off television for a while resulting in a slight ratings pop for the week. If he was gone from TNA, it wouldn't affect the numbers. If every former WWE and/or WCW guy left the TNA roster then, overall, I doubt there'd be any significant impact since TNA is still very much drawing in the low 1s, which is where it's been since about 2007.

I could understand Dixie giving Hogan time to turn TNA around. A year to a year & a half would have been plenty of time for Dixie to see that he can't deliver the goods. But, as I said, Hogan's gotten as much as he can from Dixie. If Hogan winds up staying with TNA after signing a new deal, in which I'm sure he'd still make much more than most of the others even with a pay cut, then maybe Dixie Carter truly is the idiotic money mark that Madden claims she is.