How long will Hogan be with TNA?

[brighamosity]

TNA brought Hogan in with the intent that he would help turn TNA around. And I think most of us got excited at first, because we all hoped that it would. I'm no Hogan fan, but I was hoping that his star power would increase ratings, which would in turn cause more wrestlers to jump ship, which means more ratings, etc. But as we have all seen, that didn't happen.

So what now?

Will Hogan stick around for years and years? Will he quit? Will they release him?

I personally think he will quit by the end of the year. And he will have a ton of excuses about why TNA sucks. If they start losing money, (which I'm also predicting will happen before long), he will claim that it's because he left.

Where do you see this relationship heading?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Hogan is incapable of raising the profile of an entire company on his own. That's made no more evident than by the fact that it took over two years and one of the most unexpected heel turns in history with Hogan being the third man to raise WCW to the level it eventually rose to.

He's been with TNA for just over six months and IMO has raised the quality of the program quite a bit if you judge by star power alone – not necessarily by how well it's being booked. Ratings may not have raised just yet, but the potential is still there whether anyone wants to admit it or not. In fact, fixing the book would do wonders for the future of their program as far as I'm concerned, as would a second show – but that's for another thread.

I'd imagine he's with the company for the long haul, or in the event the company was sold or went under – neither of which I'm hoping happens anytime soon, or ever.

 

[Lyson Rayne]

It's hard to tell. I'm convinced he's only with TNA because Bishoff wanted another tv show.. But that's not the point of this post.

I agree with IDR that Hogan's brought in some names, which if booked properly, ironically TNA's primary problem, could really help the company grow. I don't see him being released. Dixie Carter seems to be too much of a Hogan mark. Quitting is a possilibility. Years and years? No way. Hogan will stay as long as he feels, but I don't see that lasting much longer than it takes him to find a better gig. Maybe it's the low opinion of the man talking, but believe it or not I was excited to see Hogan in TNA. If TNA grows exponentially, Hogan may stay for a long time, but treading water or a decline in ratings or income and I see Hogan and Bishoff leaving.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I'm like many people here that possibly thought the combination of Easy E and Hulk Hogan would help TNA achieve '97 WCW status and be a believable rival to the WWE. Hell with as much critical acception it recieved it was heading that way.

But it didn't. Cold hard fact is adding the Hulkster to the roster did just as much if not less than adding Kurt Angle. I said it. Angle, still in his prime and a believable combatant in TNA, is more of a draw in my opinion than the most prolific wrestler in history. That goes to show that Hogan is just a face for the company; he has done very few minor things that in the end isn't helping Carter's promotion. He helped enlist Flair (who I love dearly but let's face it he should have retired decades ago), Rob Van Dam (who I also respect and think this was a smart decision) and...maybe put a few asses in seats while pissing off the rest by removing the 6 sided ring.

Hulk Hogan is getting even more airtime, or so Dixie Carter wants. I don't see how that would help; Hogan hasn't been doing much accept a "ring storyline" and bumping Abyss last time I looked. Could be wrong. Anyways I think Hogan is going to be there for a year or two, give or take. Eventually the rest of TNA will realize he isn't drawing as many fans as they believe.

 

[CSB-WWE FAN]

The only way Hogan is leaving TNA is if they stop listening to him and he doesnt get his way. As long as they continue to give him that million dollar plus paycheck he will be there. It's all about Hogan, thats pretty much why Hogan would never have this much controll in WWE becuase Vince wouldnt let him have all that power. What I'm saying is as long as Hogan has the power and the money, he'll be in it for the long haul.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Like CultOfRaven, i though Bischoff and Hogan were gonna improve the show. I though they were gonna stand aside, add some star power to the show, draw more viewers, and keep everything else virtually the same. Boy was i wrong, they changed a lot of the things that drawed me in at first. They took away the 6 sided ring (not a big deal but still stupid) they took away TV time from the X division (BIG DEAL) and all in all made the show kinda silly. I still love the show but I dont think Hogan is with TNA for the long run and he will ditch it either when the ship is sinking(if it happens) or when they start to give him less TV time.

 

[MisterRob]

Potential does not equal results.

In a personal way I'm glad that I was right from the start about Hogan not being good at all for TNA, not being a draw, and doing nothing but dragging TNA down.. but at the same time I really do wish TNA could be a success and start heading in the right direction (in my opinion, anyway), with or without Hogan. People seem to forget that WCW tried the very same thing TNA did and it was a failure back then, too. When Hogan first came to WCW and brought with him Hulkamania he wasn't raising ratings and helping WCW to skyrocket upwards at all, the very same things that surround Hogan's lack of impact in TNA were the same in WCW. It wasn't until Eric Bischoff stumbled upon a great idea that would revolutionize the industy (nWo), changed the direction of the company to a more Attitude era style, and incorporated relevant stars like Nash and Hall that WCW climbed to the levels it did and not only competed but overtook the WWF for a while. Hogan turning heel was a part of that, but it certainly wasn't the sole reason for it and before then Hulkamania was not what it was once many years earlier.

The fact is is that Hogan now is anything but relevant, is far too old and out dated to be any sort of a draw, and the direction TNA is going just isn't working to draw in a larger audience and help TNA grow further. There's countless reasons for that, but one of those reasons definitely is Hogan and Bischoff. I think eventually, when things remain stagnate or even get worse, people are going to finally get the hint and turn the blame on Hogan and Bischoff. Spike, Dixie Carter, etc.. they can't remain blind forever if years pass and nothing changes, or if business starts dropping or money and confidence starts running out. That will be when Hogan leaves, but I think he'll remain for a while still until he's milked TNA as much as he can.

 

[wushady]

I think he'll be there as long as he can get paid. I've heard him on Bubba's show many times say he's nearly broke. If TNA becomes huge he'll be there for the long haul. Unless he gets a better offer doing something else. If it continues to lose money it may come to a point where Dixie can't afford him anymore.

I don't see him leaving anytime soon. He's only been there 5 months, and he really wants TNA to be the top wrestling company. If the ratings don't go up and their not making money in a year or two. I think he will look for other options to pursue.

 

[Dean Winchester]

TNA should be getting peopled like Paul Heyman to help out backstage not Hulk Hogan. Hogan only doing this for the money and Bishoff forf whatever reason. I do not know what TNA gonna do nows they seem to be in a shit hole at the moment. I think this could be there downfall.

 

[c.ochoa312]

Hulk Hogan should not be in TNA, alot of hype was given to Hogan that he was gonna make TNA the #1 promotion in the world however when he arrived and up to the present Hogan has done nothing to improve TNA ratings or quality of Impact. To prove this point, When TNA was on Thursday's without Hogan, TNA was pulling in 1.0 or better in the ratings. When Hogan arrived TNA cannot manage 1.0 anymore. Now Hogan is not at fault 100%, Bad Booking, Same old matches, Failure to continue storylines.....etc. I see Hogan leaving TNA by the end of the year since TNA cannot afford to continue to pay the high salaries of the seasoned wrestlers who should have retired years ago.

 

[snoopy]

Hogan is there to pull sponsors that's all he's not writing or hiring\firing.

 

[Blush]

As long as he can get a paycheque, IMO. When I first heard that Hogan and Bischoff were going to be involved in TNA, my hope for the company was at a standstill. I felt that they were going to bring in their friends, overshadow what drew me to TNA in the first place, and just milk the company for what it's worth. And franky, I wasn't far off from the truth.

I really don't understand the reasoning to believe why those two would help the business and not just themselves. And I do believe that they'll part ways with the company when they don't get what they want, or leave for a better deal elsewhere's. (Hogan did a little stint with TNA before, but it didn't evolve into anything, either)

 

[RVDisTNA]

No matter what your opinion is on the booking, Hogan has done alot of good for TNA.

RVD, Anderson, 4-sided ring, exposure, making my care about modern day wrestling again, etc

I mean the real problem with TNA is that they don't have Ted Turner's money, WCW's infrastructure, and that they rushed into another "Monday Night War" with WWE without really having much steam. And yes the booking has been sketchy now and then, I'm not a fan of Russo. But, overall the product to me is much more enjoyable that it was before Hogan. I mean 1 year ago we had the likes of Scott Steiner, Booker T, Mick Foley, Sting, Rhino, and Kurt Angle as the top stars. Now you got Anderson, Hardy, RVD, The Pope, etc to add to the likes of Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Abyss, etc. TNA's Roster is amazing. All the while building young guys like Lethal, Kaz, Wolfe, etc.

Not to mention an actual TAG TEAM DIVISION and champions that you believe in and actually believe that they are the "top guy". TNA has alot going for it thanks to Hogan.

 

[Reddannihilation]

I see Hogan staying for as long as he wants to. Same goes for just about anyone on the TNA roster. One thing I've noticed a lot of people either forget or ignore is that after the jan 4th impact when Hogan debuted part of the enthusiasm for a second MNW was lost because they spent the next month or so back on Thursdays running taped shows. If Hogan had come in and TNA had stayed on Mondays immediately after that I have the feeling the current situation may have been somewhat different.

 

[MisterRob]

RVD, Anderson, 4-sided ring, exposure, making my care about modern day wrestling again, etc

You’re assuming RVD and Anderson are in TNA strictly because of Hogan. It’s quite possible either of them, or both, were already on their way or would’ve already been coming to TNA whether Hogan was there or not.

Many people, former and current TNA fans, don’t like the change from 6-sided ring to 4-sided ring.

If nothing’s gained from the exposure then it’s really not a ‘good’ thing.

I mean the real problem with TNA is that they don't have Ted Turner's money, WCW's infrastructure, and that they rushed into another "Monday Night War" with WWE without really having much steam.

That’s not the real problem. The real problem right now IS the booking and is drawing the interest of a larger audience that currently isn’t watching TNA.

And yes the booking has been sketchy now and then, I'm not a fan of Russo. But, overall the product to me is much more enjoyable that it was before Hogan. I mean 1 year ago we had the likes of Scott Steiner, Booker T, Mick Foley, Sting, Rhino, and Kurt Angle as the top stars. Now you got Anderson, Hardy, RVD, The Pope, etc to add to the likes of Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Abyss, etc. TNA's Roster is amazing. All the while building young guys like Lethal, Kaz, Wolfe, etc.

Yes, eliminate Scott Steiner, Booker T, Mick Foley from the top stars of last year. Where did Rhino come from, though? But then when you add Hardy, RVD, the Pope to the top stars of present day TNA you also have to add Ric Flair and Hogan, because the main angles of the show revolve around both of them and they’re the two top stars being pushed without ever even being in matches. Sting is still a top star, so that hasn’t changed. TNA roster is great, but the picture at the top isn’t as night and day as you seem to be making it out as.

Not to mention an actual TAG TEAM DIVISION and champions that you believe in and actually believe that they are the "top guy". TNA has alot going for it thanks to Hogan.

That tag team division is a bit of a stretch. You have Beer Money whose been jobbing for months. You have the Motor City Machine Guns who’ve been nonexistent from television for weeks now and are used so sporadically it’s ridiculous. You have the Band, Ink Inc. and Team 3D. The last three mentioned don’t exactly make the division very promising when you have old talents in the Band who can’t wrestle (although the Band seem all but done now anyway), you have Ink Inc. who are entirely bland and unimpressive, and then you have Team 3D whose good days are long behind them. And then you have Matt Morgan by himself! I personally think the tag team division isn’t in very good shape at all in TNA and needs a lot of work to get back to levels it’s been at in the past when it was GOOD.

And what champions do they have that you can actually believe are the top guys? The tag team division doesn’t have champions, but the last ones were the Band. They’re credible top guys? Maybe a decade ago. The Knockouts division has the bland Madison Rayne as it’s champion. The Global champion has Rob Terry as it’s ‘top guy’. He can’t wrestle or do anything and is entirely not credible.

Or maybe you’re referring to RVD, who clearly you’re a huge fan of. What makes him believable as the top guy? Is it the fact he spent the last 3 years out of the wrestling business and absent from in ring competition? Is it TNA’s wonderful build up to him finally winning the championship he’d fought so hard for and overcome so much for? Nope, it was entirely random, actually. I personally don’t see what makes him believably the ‘top guy’ compared to others in TNA.

The only champion who that claim actually fits is Doug Williams.

If Hogan had come in and TNA had stayed on Mondays immediately after that I have the feeling the current situation may have been somewhat different.

And you’d be wrong.



I personally hope Hogan’s days are numbered and he’ll be gone sooner or later. I think TNA will be much better off without Hogan and Bischoff. Although, they’d need a whole new creative team, too.

 

[Reddannihilation]

And you’d be wrong.

Ah yes, this is coming from the person who thinks Matt Hardy should be TNA champion. I'll take your opinion for which you have nothing factual to base it on seriously.

You don't know it wouldn't have happened, just like I don't know if it would've it's purely speculation. But generally the fact that taped shows during impact's monday run got lower ratings than the live shows implies that taping is an issue with drawing ratings. So there's more evidence on my side than there is yours.

 

[MisterRob]

Ah yes, this is coming from the person who thinks Matt Hardy should be TNA champion. I'll take your opinion for which you have nothing factual to base it on seriously.

You don't know it wouldn't have happened, just like I don't know if it would've it's purely speculation. But generally the fact that taped shows during impact's monday run got lower ratings than the live shows implies that taping is an issue with drawing ratings. So there's more evidence on my side than there is yours.

I disagree. Why? Because of the fact that the very first Monday Night TNA Impact consistently dropped it's ratings every hour in the final two hours and ended up with a rating no larger then anything they've ever done on Thursday nights. When you take the ratings they got on that first night, for the two hours they were head to head with RAW (which they would've been every week following then) they didn't show any growth in audience/ratings but a consistent decrease. It showed, in and of itself, that Impact would've gone into the following week with no gained audience at all based on the audience they ended the 4th with. So no, your speculation is entirely pulling an illogical dream out of your ass.


Matt Hardy 4 TNA World Champion.

 

[Reddannihilation]

I disagree. Why? Because of the fact that the very first Monday Night TNA Impact consistently dropped it's ratings every hour in the final two hours and ended up with a rating no larger then anything they've ever done on Thursday nights. When you take the ratings they got on that first night, for the two hours they were head to head with RAW (which they would've been every week following then) they didn't show any growth in audience/ratings but a consistent decrease. It showed, in and of itself, that Impact would've gone into the following week with no gained audience at all based on the audience they ended the 4th with. So no, your speculation is entirely pulling an illogical dream out of your ass.

Let's break it down. That iMPACT gained an overrall rating of 1.5 that same night RAW gained a 3.5 Both shows involved the return to the wrestling of major stars to resolve old issues and create new ones. TNA brought in Hogan and Bischoff the two men who gave Vince a run for his money in the 90's. WWE brought in Bret Hart a man who had left on arguably the worst terms in documented history and built itself up on the confrontations between HBK and McMahon. However the week after RAW had no one, iMPACT's big draw was Hogan's arrival which showed in the quarter hour breakdown. RAW's was Hart's arrival. Both succeeded but after the nostalgia of Hogan many switched to RAW to catch Brett as well.

Put yourself in the next week live Monday iMPACT still has Hogan, RAW hasn't got anything. The Thursday iMPACT that aired the following week gained a 1.3 and ratings lowered each week due in no small part to iMPACT spoilers being released for that remaining month.

Now factual aspect part 2, during the Monday iMPACT runs live shows drew higher than taped shows. By that time momentum had died down due to the 2 month gap between the first live iMPACT and the second. The same thing happens with any tv series, when you interrupt a potential pattern you lose ratings, switching days and lowering the advertising affects it. iMPACT lost steam just like any other television production. It is not unreasonable to hypothesise that had TNA been pushed to mondays immediately after their first success and had Spike not chosen to lessen the amount of advertising provided for TNA that ratings would've been higher and possibly increased. Instead the network saw fit to put them back where they were and cease the heavy promotion they had done for the Jan 4th edition.

Those are all facts. Spike's expectation was that 2 months after their inital success that iMPACT would be immediately successful again should the enter the monday timeslot without the increased advertising. And this was the same method that screwed ECW's ratings back when they were broadcasting on TNN. TNA's situation isn't as bad as Spike's given slightly more attention to TNA but it's the same basic problem, they did a bad job promoting iMPACT, they did a bad job following through on the inital success and they did a bad job understanding wrestling.

To blame Hogan for all these failures when it's known that he was brought in for name value only and a minor role on the writing staff with Bischoff taking a slightly bigger role on the writing team is ridiculous. Hogan cannot control the network. TNA had all the cards in their hands but they didn't have network support. Therefore it is far from unreasonable to believe that TNA would be experiencing better results had they had continuous support from Spike TV instead of a brief period of strong advertisement and then a totaly dropout of support.

As of the latest iMPACT airing Hogan and Bischoff's product is doing well, Sting and Jarrett are continuing their storyline that is building to a company control angle. Flair's offical faction has just started up and we'll get to see a power faction made up of young stars. Douglas Williams has single-handedly revitalized the X-division under the pretense of killing it. The tag division has been re-emphasized and the world title scene has 4 credible competitors including the heel Abyss. If that's a poor wrestling product than I don't know what to call good and it definitely seems like the sort of booking I'd expect from Bischoff, so Hogan and Bischoff should stay for as long as they like.

 

[Rated Y2J]

Hogan is more than likely goin to stick with TNA for about 1 year or so.. It depends on how well they do in the upcoming knowing hogan..