Is There Any Benefit To Turning Hulk Hogan Heel?

[ABMorales787]

This seems to have been the norm for the past few months and pretty everybody's answer as to what to do with the fallen hero to give him a relevant position in TNA. But stop and think about it. Turning Hulk Hogan, a non-wrestling authority figure, heel. Are there any benefits from that? At all? It's very different from turning Eric Bischoff heel. It's because he has that experience and it fits him. But that is nowhere near the case for Hogan. I am fully aware that as a heel he can go. But that only works in the ring. The reason being because his cheating abuse of other wrestlers are what drew heat. Not him waving his power. Essentially, it gives Hogan a license to saturate the program with himself even more. This kind of authority figure has a tendency to get involved in the ring. Think of William Regal, Mick Foley, Mr. McMahon, Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff himself, have interjected themselves into TV feuds. We don't need that from Hogan. Especially when he can't wrestle. With Eric it's more controlled because he's been around the block. He knows what works and what doesn't. Hulk does not.

 

[Reddannihilation]

Yeah it would definitely suck a fair bit. Hogan as a heel wouldn't have the same impact it had in 96. But on top of that an authority figure/former full time wrestler, usually gets in the ring from time to time, Hogan can't so it kills a huge part of his potential as a heel authority figure. Not a fan of the idea at all.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

With Bischoff it works, because Bischoff has a historical penchant for playing the self-serving authoritative heel as he did in WCW and in WWE, but as Reds noted, I really don't like the idea of Hogan following suit at all, primarily because the correlation/comparison will point to the nWo to which he backed with being able to wrestle. Considering he can't do that anymore (or really shouldn't be doing so), the idea of flipping him to me is just short-sighted.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

I agree with Redd and IDR Hogan turning Heel definitely won't have the same impact as it did in 96 because he was an active wrestler who could actually put on a match. 14 years later a Heel Hogan does not make sense especially as an authority figure. Hogan could only work as a Heel if he was able to bet in the ring and in his condition he should not be getting in the ring. I much rather have Bischoff play the Heel boss because he has excelled at in the past. Hogan Heel Turn is not a good idea, Bischoff Hell Turn is a good idea.

 

[michael.foulds]

If I'm honest, the best idea would be to turn Bischoff and Jarrett heel and keep Hogan face. I don't see it happening but Bischoff can be the heel boss he is best at, we all know Jarrett is a lot better as a heel and he could actually wrestle unlike Hogan. Have Hogan team with a group like Pope, Sting and Nash or at least try and convince them he didn't have any part to play in Bischoff and Jarrett's plans, and he is slowly accepted by them.

 

[wushady]

In my opinion turning him wouldn't work now a days for many reasons already mentioned. Hogan as a heel worked in the NWO days. Because it was fresh and no one expected it to happen. If they turn him now especially along with Bischoff. It would give TNA more negative reactions than positive ones being criticized for ripping off the NWO.

Plus heel authority figures and managers more often than not have to take bumps. Hogan is in horrible condition right now. The guy is damn near crippled. I doubt he wont be seen in TNA for a while.

 

[DX rules]

Hogan turning heel would never work but if Bischeoff turned heel on Hogan I have to agree that could work. Cuz the average TNA fan would never think that it could happen. It won't help the company so I don't think it will happen but seriously no matter what WWE Hall Of Famers they get or Rejects they get its not gna help them because they don't know how to use the talent much like the last 2years of WCW. I hope they do so WWE can get out of there PG rating and realize they have competition

 

[dansaun77]

Turning Hogan heel would be dumb. Kevin Nash finishes with the company this weekend, so Sting is going to be left with nobody to cohabitate with. Hogan turning heel makes no sense, whereas turning Jarrett heel does

 

[Sparky]

No point. but They are going to do it any way. no sense complaining about it. I think they are just trying to make it more like the WCW days then anything else. Nobody would really benefit over it seeing it's hogan now. and if anybody was to beat him now (if hogan would allow it) it wouldn't be brag worthy.

I think it's more hogan wants to play the heel character then anything else. and what hogan wants hogan gets. Sadly, no matter what it will do to the company.

 

[rondiesel2005]

I rather see Vince Russo or Eric Bischoff turn heel, but then Vince Russo i don't know depending on the storyline flow. Hogan can not even play heel, they tried this before when NWO first appear in WWE and look what happen, they cheered him. But in this situation he is in TNA and it won't do any good. I hope they are not going to do something like that because the guy can't wrestle, he has a back pain that prevents him from going back in the ring. they might want to leave him alone and make Bischoff heel

 

[Derrtown]

No point. but They are going to do it any way. no sense complaining about it. I think they are just trying to make it more like the WCW days then anything else. Nobody would really benefit over it seeing it's hogan now. and if anybody was to beat him now (if hogan would allow it) it wouldn't be brag worthy.

I think it's more hogan wants to play the heel character then anything else. and what hogan wants hogan gets. Sadly, no matter what it will do to the company.

whats the name of your inside source at TNA?

Bischoff recently said Hogan doesn't want to be a heel at this point in his career because it wont have as big of an iMPACT as it did back in the day so dont assume they are going to do it anyway or that Hogan wants to play heel because Hogan gets what Hogan gets.

 

[LSN80]

To me, it would be one thing if he had been a so-so authority figure who slid into a management position and wrestled occasionally. Problem is, Hogan is probably the biggest star of our generation. He had/has a larger then life gimmick that eclipsed his wrestling ability, even in his prime.

They tried it with the NWO, and it worked for awhile, but it turned into a huge clustereff. Hogans became even bigger then that since, with his reality TV show, TV commercials, and his "managing partnership" in TNA.

It just would be impossible to turn Hogan heel. Hes too big of a figure, and has been around too long for it to work. Look at with Sting. They had him choke a woman, and the next week, the people still cheered him. I think it would be the same thing with Hogan. He's not as universally liked or respected as Sting by some, but to most, outside the IWC, hes still the "Real American, Eat Your Vitamins and Say your Prayers" icon. Because of that, I dont think he would be well received as a heel,. no matter how badly TNA needs a major shake up. Oh, and he can't take a bump anynore, let alone wrestle a match. This works for an Eric Bischoff, because he's never been a wrestler. He can have other people fight his battles and hide behind them. Much harder for Hogan to do so.

 

[AmericanDragonSW]

I'm in agreement that Hogan turning heel now just wouldn't work because it doesn't have the impact that it did when it first happened. While Bischoff as a heel could work, at the same time I find that to also be stale and predictable and would rather get something new out of this. I just have this strong feeling that this "They" revelation is just going to be disappointing.

 

[mrbooker]

After seeing that video of hulk now NO CHANCE seeing the icon that the majority of wrestling fans grew up loving to death and on to love him even more when he lead a revolution in the NWO be subjected to multiple injuries all sustained for his love for wrestling and giving his all for the fans.

No way should hogan be heel if anything bischoff needs to be behing this whole deception, and hogan needs to be in a GM kind of role if any

 

[harrythem]

Hogan's personality and ego are too large for TNA to have him as a heel. Flair clearly overshadows the members of Fortune when he's on screen with them (seems on purpose to me, but could be wrong) and having Hogan out there, not wrestling but being the top heel in the company (just based on his name sadly) wouldn't be a wise move.....Unless you found a big monster who was shit on the mike and needed someone to talk for him while Hogan stood there and did the talking

 

[amyshpyrate]

I don't think it's a good idea to turn hogan heel, but I can see why they would, with him and bischoff being "co management" so to speak it would be different to have one become bad and the other not. If they woulda done things differently storyline wise I could see it, but not the way the two seem to work together on air. um, that made more sense in my head than it did writing it on here

 

[SpecialFNK]

there were 2 big reason why Hogan as a heel worked so well back in nWo/WCW. Hogan was a main event wrestler and he had been a face for so long it was shocking to see him turn heel. the crowd that night was insane with all the garage that was thrown in the ring.
we have seen plenty of websites now almost expecting Hogan to turn heel, so it would not be a surprise.
I think having Hogan turn heel could be a mistake, especially since he has back issues. even if the back issues are work like some think, it just wouldn't be that surprising to see him heel, or that he could really have that much of an Impact.
Bischoff would make a better heel management than Hogan heel management.

 

[Dean Winchester]

I like it, hopefully get a good storyline and a guerrila warfare between two stables. Lik a DX liek stable to be the rebellious group to oppose Hogan and Bishoff.

 

[Optimist Prime]

I actually like Hogan turning heel because most heels don't really wrestle all that much. When he was a "face" you saw him trying to get pops lacing up his boots "one last time" here and there...facing off against Flair and such. Heels generally cheat and presumably do what they can NOT to wrestle. At least most of them anyway. Having Hogan as a "face" representing a group against Bischoff would be the same as the Hogan vs. Flair groups facing off just substituting Bischoff for Flair.

Hogan's 80's persona doesn't fit anywhere in wrestling today. In fact, most of the guys with similar gimmicks and sayings are heels today using those sayings to annoy the fans. Angle did it in WWE a while back, Jack Swagger does it now, Santino, etc. Then you add in the fact that Hogan splattered his personal life all over the place with quite a bit of drama...and his "good guy" 80's persona doesn't bode as well...at least when incorporating himself into a wrestling program in 2010 and beyond at the moment anyway. His legacy and special moments will always remain with us...but being a leader of a group of faces is just boring these days. They barely ever exist and if they do they aren't exactly that successful. That's why managers were usually with heels...because they helped them cheat causing distractions, using a cane of some sort, tripping the wrestler. It's somewhat similar to this. Having people in power as a face was usually used very seldomly with Jack Tunny or some interim GM making rules once in a blue moon. Usually the long term leaders of sorts are heels...because it's just more entertaining in general. And if they want Hogan out on camera...it's better for him to be a heel than a face I guess.

Especially since most people hate him and want him off camera already anyway.

 

[Reddannihilation]

Opinion changed, didn't see THEY coming at all, like it. First post, retracted.

 

[sweetcosmicpope]

I disagree with what most people are saying.

For all intents and purposes, Hogan is no longer a wrestler. He's merely a kayfabe authority figure. I think the results of BFG have set up multiple paths, storyline-wise, for the rest of the year into 2011.

Obviously, there's going to be a Jarret/Joe feud.
Probably, a Hardy/Anderson or possibly Angle feud.
And I think it's possible for the EV2 thing to keep going, but personally, I think it's run it's course and may be done.

Back to the particular topic at hand, however, and the likely bigger deal for the next few months, at least:

Sting leading the troops vs the new Bischoff heel regime. This not only opens the possible storyline of Bischoff taking the company from Dixie, and Sting battling it out to take back TNA, but by having two aligned heel leaders (Bischoff and Hogan), this leaves things open for Hogan to "see the error of his ways" and turn on Bischoff, setting up another interesting story there.

My only question is "how are they going to explain Hogan's turn?" Hogan doesn't really have a history in TNA, and his legacy of feuds is pretty much summed up in Sting. Surely he didn't turn heel just to piss Sting off.

EDIT: Also meant to mention that this is the perfect situation to get Dixie, as an on-air personality, out of the picture, and set up Bischoff as a "Mr. McMahon"-type character, which is good for setting up later feuds, as well.

 

[Optimist Prime]

My only question is "how are they going to explain Hogan's turn?" Hogan doesn't really have a history in TNA, and his legacy of feuds is pretty much summed up in Sting. Surely he didn't turn heel just to piss Sting off.

Hogan could use the same motive that he used last time. Fans don't really appreciate what he's been doing, etc. And they really haven't from what I've gathered...could be a perfect reason to be honest.

 

[Brian in Austin]

[QUOTE="iMPACT! Player" Riaku;2503399]This seems to have been the norm for the past few months and pretty everybody's answer as to what to do with the fallen hero to give him a relevant position in TNA. But stop and think about it. Turning Hulk Hogan, a non-wrestling authority figure, heel. Are there any benefits from that? At all? It's very different from turning Eric Bischoff heel. It's because he has that experience and it fits him. But that is nowhere near the case for Hogan. I am fully aware that as a heel he can go. But that only works in the ring. The reason being because his cheating abuse of other wrestlers are what drew heat. Not him waving his power. Essentially, it gives Hogan a license to saturate the program with himself even more. This kind of authority figure has a tendency to get involved in the ring. Think of William Regal, Mick Foley, Mr. McMahon, Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff himself, have interjected themselves into TV feuds. We don't need that from Hogan. Especially when he can't wrestle. With Eric it's more controlled because he's been around the block. He knows what works and what doesn't. Hulk does not.[/QUOTE]


Bingo! Hogan and Bischoff are joined at the hip. It's about cashing checks for them and about staying relevant.

 

[Genius_Deadman]

there's really no "shock factor" to turning Hogan heel now. the reason it was big in 96 was because it was unheard of. the American Hero that told kids to say their prayers, train, take their vitamins told them to stick it. so really nowadays, there's no benefit of turning Hogan. it didn't work in WWE in 2002 and it surely isn't going to work in TNA. Bischoff might give him some heat to work with, but Bischoff would've been better off taking full control of the angle. Bischoff would've garnered a LOT of heat if he would've turned on Hogan, then they could have written Hogan off. but this has no benefit whatsoever