Should Hogan and Bischoff Leave TNA?

[The Pizzaman]

see this is something i dont get and im sorry for singling you out but ive been a long time reader and just made the account...i see alot of people saying eric killed wcw...... thats not technically true....eric might have lead into a downslide but he didnt kill it..... AOL killed wcw, not bischoff...... if people remember wcw's last show wasnt supposed to be their last show....they hyped the show up for about 2 months before hand calling it their season finale, which they were supposed to come back in fall....only a couple weeks before they started changing season finale to final show....... aol wanted nothing to do with wrestling, it could of been wwe on tbs/tna they would of axed it....... bischoff was gonna find another network(fox was the leading name at the time) for wcw and start over....rvd and sabu were supposed to debut on their first show...vince jumped in and bought wcw before bischoff could and thats what lead us to today

Thing is, i understand where you are coming from but, Eric could not Keep WCW going as he was obcessed with beating WWE. NOthing has changed now. Jeff Jarrett formed TNA and signed with Fox Sport in 2002. up untill now, TNA has grown and grown without having to compete with WWE. It was working well. All Eric wants to do is to continue the WCW format on the back of TNA which is already established. Its the cuckoo effect. He is hellbent on it. Sure he is a good promoter but i dont agree with the way he is doing things. Trogan horse comes to mind. He makes people think that he can turn TNA around and become better when in reality, both him and Hogan are trying to line their own pockets and to completley take over a company that does not need them and im not the only one who can see it. Hogan was my hero years ago and i was also a fan of WCW too. I want to remember Hogan and Eric as they should be remembered. not as they are now

 

[JJYanks121]

100 percent right about the merger........ AOL wanted nothing to do with wrestling......TURNER still wanted wcw...aol didnt and wcw was gone..... as i said before originally before aol stepped in , there final show was only supposed to be a season finale which was even billed 2 months prior to the show on wcw..... 2-3 weeks away the season finale changed to the finale,.eric was gonna buy wcw and bring it to fox but vince jumped in and purchased before hand....... the only thing eric and russo did was drive the ratings down...but they didnt kill it.....if u wanna talk killing a company...thats haymen and ecw...which even then vinny mc had a hand in....when he bumped ecw from tnn he basically buried them right there...hayman had no money to run ecw without a network...

It's wonderful to say that AOL wanted nothing to do with wrestling, but don't you think if WCW was making a ton of money, they would have wanted everything to do with it? When you are talking about big corporations, they want the bottom line, they want to see dollar signs. By the time AOL came in (2000 I believe), WCW had years in 1999 and 2000 where they lost like 60 million year year. When a company buys another and sees a division losing 60 million dollars, of course they won't want to keep that part running and why should they? So the truth of the matter is, had WCW kept turning profits like from 1996-1998, they might have gotten approval to keep going. The problem was, since late 1997, they were putting on AWFUL shows and people were choosing to watch WWE instead. Combine that with a lot of bad business decisions on Bischoff's part like spending tons of money on music acts, celebrities, etc. and that combination led to losing a ton of money since the product was consistently terrible and thus, people stopped buying PPVs and stopped going to live shows. That is what made WCW so unwanted by AOL. To think AOL just didn't want WCW and to think WCW was some wonderful product at that point is ludicrous. You have to understand the events leading up to that merger to truly understand.

Case in point, you can look at mistakes that Bischoff and Hogan made and attribute them as part of the fall of WCW. The company's lack of creating new stars simply falls into that category of bad ideas, as well as overexposure of those like Hogan which might be attributed to "creative control" contracts, but also might have to do with the overexposure and rehashing of the one idea that worked for Bischoff, the NwO. Lack of quality new ideas and inability to properly book the NwO led fans to grow tired of it all and eventually turn on WCW. Please understand these facts before blaming some merger. The merger led the company to want to sell WCW because it was losing a ton of money. Bischoff did want to buy it and try and revive it himself, but it didnt' work out due to a timing issue (and the fact that WCW was losing its TV contract and no one else would put them on), the company, or whatever was left of it, was sold to Vince McMahon.

It is for a lot of those reasons that I would be fearful to place the company's fate in the hands of Hogoff. Especially when seeing some ideas already in place, you get the feeling of "not again". I sincerely hope that some positives come out of it, but i'm not looking blindly at it and thinking these two men are saviors. They did play a role in the decline of the WCW product and thus, I think you need to be cautious when considering what kind of impact (no pun intended) they will have over time with TNA.

 

[emerald phoenix]

Well actually the rating started to go down cause of the merger. The night that spelled the begining of the end for WCW was in 1998 when Goldberg was Defending the WCW title vs DDP and not even 2 minutes went in the match the merger pulled the plug and stoped the show early and WCW had to give millions of dollars back to the fans. Since then wcw had never recovered so it was not bischoff and russo in the begining it was the merger all along in the ratings aspect allong with the coperate/money aspect that killed wcw.

lol the 2 things that still stick out to me was during goldbergs what ...1 month(i dont even think it was that long) as heel he came out at the end of anitro cleaned house and right before goign off air they zoomed in and gave his eyes a red glowing effect..i laughed hysterically


and the other questioni had was.... during the goldberg/nash/steiner match goldberg came out late from what i remember and nash was gonna powerbomb him then goldberg pushed him away walked out,russo comes out and goldberg tells him to fuck himself.......was that real or a work

 

[Domamania]

Thing is, i understand where you are coming from but, Eric could not Keep WCW going as he was obcessed with beating WWE. NOthing has changed now. Jeff Jarrett formed TNA and signed with Fox Sport in 2002. up untill now, TNA has grown and grown without having to compete with WWE. It was working well. All Eric wants to do is to continue the WCW format on the back of TNA which is already established. Its the cuckoo effect. He is hellbent on it. Sure he is a good promoter but i dont agree with the way he is doing things. Trogan horse comes to mind. He makes people think that he can turn TNA around and become better when in reality, both him and Hogan are trying to line their own pockets and to completley take over a company that does not need them and im not the only one who can see it. Hogan was my hero years ago and i was also a fan of WCW too. I want to remember Hogan and Eric as they should be remembered. not as they are now

Well first of all all people that are in the work force in all forms of course line them selves with money. second I can all most bet you that every person in both tna and wwe are in it for the money I dont think ppl from both ends would do anything for free, especially beat their bodies up.

Lets just give Bichoff and Hogan a chance. Rome was built almost 3 thousand years and its still being built so just give them a chance. I mean you cant do miracles in a MONTH. Hell I dont even think Vince Mcmahon at his best day could start a company from allmost scratch like tna is now and in one month make it into a super power player. Just give them time.

YES but it was the merger that started to take the rating down by not even having alot of main events go un finished on ppv and some times weekly shows. WCW went good until 98 but after when Turner lost control of what he loved WCW the merger took it down.

 

[Maestro48239]

I personally think that Hogan and bischoff are doing just fine, like so many others have stated, look at the hype! go look on the WWE forum and see how dead it is there, if we are talking about TNA, it means we are interested!

one poster states that TNA is giving away too many matches on free TV, well....you cant make an omelet w/o breaking a few eggs. the TV ratings were in the dumpster, PPVs werent selling as well as they should have, and the house shows werent bringing in enough revenue.

2 more months and I think TNA is going to be a real contender for WWE. WWE is doing nothing to improve their product, the last few RAWs were terrible, and they seem to think that they are always going to be on top.

hopefully Hogan and Bischoff realize this and push harder to make a better product, which they are right now. so give it some time everyone!

 

[Domamania]

Thats what I tried to say. So just give Hogan and Bichoff a chance. If they dont do good in 1 year then critisize. And thats me who is a full blow Hulkamaniac Who has bought at least 50 thousand dollars worth of Hogan mercandise. Just give them a chance.

lol the 2 things that still stick out to me was during goldbergs what ...1 month(i dont even think it was that long) as heel he came out at the end of anitro cleaned house and right before goign off air they zoomed in and gave his eyes a red glowing effect..i laughed hysterically


and the other questioni had was.... during the goldberg/nash/steiner match goldberg came out late from what i remember and nash was gonna powerbomb him then goldberg pushed him away walked out,russo comes out and goldberg tells him to fuck himself.......was that real or a work

That I dont know, but the goldberg/ddp match happend like 2 years before. so the instance that you said WCW was allready in real deep Trouble.

 

[The Pizzaman]

Well first of all all people that are in the work force in all forms of course line them selves with money. second I can all most bet you that every person in both tna and wwe are in it for the money I dont think ppl from both ends would do anything for free, especially beat their bodies up.

Lets just give Bichoff and Hogan a chance. Rome was built almost 3 thousand years and its still being built so just give them a chance. I mean you cant do miracles in a MONTH. Hell I dont even think Vince Mcmahon at his best day could start a company from allmost scratch like tna is now and in one month make it into a super power player. Just give them time.

All superstars get paid well for performing and putting their bodies on the line. they want to give their families stability, just like every one who works does. thing is though, if the person or company they work for goes under, then what? No job, no income. Vince has enough money to start another company just like that for sure, but why? because whatever people say about the state of the WWE, they are still filling arenas, stadiums, selling millions and millions of pounds worth of merchandise. WWE wont go under because of this. WCW was only around 13 years and WWE has been going since 1979 under the WWF banner. I want TNA to survive by the way.

 

[wrestlebob80]

Personally, I think that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are doing a good job in TNA. That's not to say that some of their decisions have been unnecessary. The removal of the six sided ring wasn't really needed either way. In reality it doesn't matter what shape ring they use as long as what is happening between the ropes is of a high quality.

 

[hogan is the greatest]

Why should Hogan and Bischoff leave TNA when in reality, they have done everything absolutely right?

They have captured the attention of the wrestling world.

They have brought Impact to it's highest ratings ever.

They have successfully moved Impact to Monday nights to better position themselves to take fans away from the WWE product.

I have been more entertained by their shows as of late compared to at any other point overall in TNA history.

They eliminated the 6 sided ring so they will be taken seriously by casual wrestling fans.


TNA has done absolutely everything correct under Hogan and Bischoff. This has resulted in the most attention that TNA has ever received as a company. It makes not a shred of sense to get rid of them.

i agree with sidious 110 percent i could have not said it better myself. i mean why would you want hogan and bischoff to leave tna? because they have made tna better than it ever has been? which they have without a dout. so dont it sound stupid for someboby to leave a company that they have made bettet than it ever has? it sounds stupid to me i swear some people come up with the dummest ideas!!! leave tna alone they are doing greater than they ever had

 

[Greenlight13]

Yeah, they walked in and made it more successful instantly, it's totally a failure!

Highest rating in the company's history was their first night and they've maintained a 1.3 or so every week since. Sure that's only a third of WWE's top ratings but WWE have a head-start of decades and billions of dollars and a better TV deal. You try setting a wrestling company up and see where you get in 8 years. ROH started around the same time and as much as I love that company they aren't half as successful as TNA.

Hogan's arrival has taken them up another rung of the ladder and while I don't think they'll ever eclipse the WWE, I think they can still go a lot further and have a better chance of getting there now.

 

[AndyUK]

No way. For a start, they're doing a good job. They've done more things right then they have wrong so far and have managed to make a wrestling promotion exciting and unpredictable. For a start, give them time. They've been in charge for three weeks! It will take a while for them to truly shape the company into their own vision but I think they're on the right road.

 

[acstylez]

No. I think things don't make sence because they are just getting started. They have to make before we can see what they have to offer. We all think we know whats best for wrestling, then we get surprised and pleased by what we see. So right know you need to relax, sitback, and pray Hogan doesn't fuck-up.

 

[XgringolocoX]

I gotta go with no...for now. It's still WAY to early to tell. You gotta figure that ratings would bump up initially, and they have. 3 weeks isn't even enough time to say that Hogan and Bishoff are maintaining that bump in ratings. You need a few months at least. We're still in the wait-n-see phase. Though they could fire the Nasty Boys without any complaint from me.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

Let me just explain something. I am a wrestling fan. Im not a WWE mark. Im not siding with either orginisation. Neither company is 100% perfect.Yes i will say that WWE is bigger, has more talent and no one is going to get close to them. Hogan would not be the icon he is without WWE and Eric Bishoff will be remembered as the man who killed WCW. He then came into WWE and tried to muscle in on that as well. He is obcessed with beating WWE and in the process has already killed one company. Im not saying TNA is rubbish as its not. Im just telling it how I see it and thats that

Jim Herd, is that you, have you finally decided to give us your inside point of view about WCW? Or maybe it's "Cowboy" Bill Watts joining us on the WrestleZone forums, to give us his two cents about his time in Atlanta?

I mean after all it's gotta be one of these guys or someone else that was cruising along on the WCW ship while it was afloat? I mean how else would you know all there is to know about the who, what, where, when and why of World Championship Wrestling, unless you the poster in question were there? My money though would be on you being Jim Herd, since your WrestleZone name is “The Pizzaman” and, Jim Herd prior to WCW actually was a big wig at Pizza Hut.

But you know what I’m going to chalk that up to coincidence. Then I’ll jump on to a much simpler explanation behind this post, and explain the laughable intent of what the starter of this thread, The Pizzaman is trying to say. In fact, anyone with a true handle on objectivity should be able to understand what this individual is failing to really put out there, but I'll help everyone on here right now try to figure out what this guy is trying to get at.

So more or less, what we have here boys and girls that are reading this thread right now, is indeed another Monday Morning Quarterback/Armchair Expert who thinks they now all about what went on behind the scenes in WCW. By the way, I hope I didn’t lose you at the Herd and Watts reference, I pray that it wasn’t too esoteric for you. After all, you’re a WCW expert right? So I am sure you got it.

WCW before and after Hulk Hogan’s time in the organization always was a hotbed of speculation for backstage chaos. Once the Crockett Family sold their territory to Turner and Billionaire Ted then turned it into World Championship Wrestling, it went from being a family business to a corporate entity. You mix the combination of big time stars and corporate suits, egos are bound to clash. Trying to point the finger SOLELY at Hulk Hogan is a totally bogus and unsubstantiated idea, and it reeks totally of bias on your part.

And now you are trying to say that at a time when ratings are improving and the company has gotten approval from Spike to air on a permanent Monday night time slot starting in March, that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff should leave? Let’s put it this way, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have brought some positive things to the table thus far, if they hadn’t gone to TNA, the Monday night time slot would have remained wishful thinking. Now I notice that you are based in the UK, so I am not sure how this will affect you, but over here in the States, this is a HUGE move for TNA.

You can attribute much of TNA’s changing fortunes to Hulk Hogan’s star power, which despite what you and other internet smarks might think has been a pretty big part of wrestling for I don’t know, maybe like the past twenty plus years now. Unless of course, Hogan’s star power is just some big perpetual trick that we’ve all been falling for. Hell, that’s no more an outrageous thing to say than you claiming that Hulk Hogan was the only reason WCW is no more.

Bottom line is this dude, I never mind an opinion from someone as long as it’s constructive, I mean I believe in the freedom of expressing yourself, but to be quite honest, unless you know something about WCW’s inner workings, please refrain from passing off your personal biases and speculation as actual fact. Because in my mind, you can formulate a valid personal opinion without succumbing to heresay-ridden speculation.

Don’t take what I said too personally, but just keep in mind that if you want to try and start a true wrestling based discussion on this thread, it should have better merit than the tired old “Hulk Hogan killed WCW bit.”

But anyway Pizzaman, thanks for your post, because I needed a great laugh today!

 

[Kenny Powers]

So should Hogan leave TNA? It was doing fine without him and Bishoff and many feel that he will destroy an orginisation that was differant to WWE in many ways. The X division, The six sided ring, The enterance tunnels and the things that made it feel new and alive. now, its WCW in disguise, its trying to be WWE and its not working. What are your thoughts on this?

They have only been there a few weeks. They haven't done anything but made the product better. You want them to leave when they are making such progress? That's like asking Steve Austin to leave to ECW, when he first broke through and became popular in WWE. It's like saying well even though we have great exposure and are getting new fans and publicity, lets dump all that and have nothing but X division matches in a six sided ring that doesn't draw audiences. Yeah brilliant.

Without Hogan and Bischoff, TNA wouldn't of had a prayer to be on Monday nights. Some fans may want TNA to fade off into obscurity, but I don't. I want to see them succeed and be an actual wrestling organization instead of a sideshow. I don't want TNA to turn out to be XPW. Ratings have went up and TNA actually looks legitimate for once. There is still young talent and X division matches that go on in TNA. AJ Styles is the world champ again, and the rest of the champions are TNA originals. Besides Tara.

What's the problem? Are you fans really not going to tune in because of Hogan and a six sided ring? Watch the show for once, you might be surprised. If Hogan isn't successful in the long run, TNA isn't successful. If there is another way to make TNA a big company that could be a household name, I would love to hear it. TNA doing things like they were doing the past 7 and a half years didn't cut the mustard.

As Hogan said, what is the point in having 5 star matches when people don't know who you are and don't watch you? You have to have both. 5 star matches and exposure. Exposure more now then ever.

 

[VencomHardcore]

Yeah, they walked in and made it more successful instantly, it's totally a failure!

Highest rating in the company's history was their first night and they've maintained a 1.3 or so every week since. Sure that's only a third of WWE's top ratings but WWE have a head-start of decades and billions of dollars and a better TV deal. You try setting a wrestling company up and see where you get in 8 years. ROH started around the same time and as much as I love that company they aren't half as successful as TNA.

Hogan's arrival has taken them up another rung of the ladder and while I don't think they'll ever eclipse the WWE, I think they can still go a lot further and have a better chance of getting there now.

FYI - RING OF HONORS SELLS MORE HOUSE SHOW TICKETS THAN TNA

And ROH didn't have someone else's millions of dollars and a TV Contract when they started. So to compare the two is dumb !

Dragon Gate is a better comparison. They have just come to America and off the bat have a ppv deal, live event streaming and a great roster. Give them 8 years and we'll see.

But I get tired to people stating.Why don't you write a wrestling show "

Truth is that if they could WWE probably wouldn't hire them anyway...

 

[BJS518]

You know what I just realized?? Ive sat here and knocked (not on the forums) how TNA is operating under Hogan/Bishoff every since January 4th. Before their arrival, I maybe watched TNA once every two months, but now I find myself watching EVERY WEEK. And isnt that their whole purpose of being there? To bring in many new fans and put out a better product? Well, apparently theyve lured me in. I admit i cringed at the whole Montreal reinactment and certain other things, but overall, they have made me a much bigger TNA fan than I ever was. I think Hogan and Bishoff are just testing the waters to see what works, and of course things will be hit or miss at first, but one thing is certain: MORE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING. And thats the name of the game....

 

[ZeroVX]

Absolutely not. They've just arrived and hardly done anything.

OK, six-sided ring's gone. Who cares? The ring has no effect on the action inside of it. It's still the same guys doing the same wrestling you like.

X-Division isn't going anywhere. Relax. They just brought in Bryan Kendrick to feud with Amazing Red. What do you have to complain about?

The entrance tunnels? What's different? It's still the same design, and still the same themes playing, which I can barely discern one from the other for a lot of guys. Seriously, guys like Amazing Red, Matt Morgan, and Bobby Lashley just seem to have the same theme to me.

Honestly, what's the problem? They paired AJ Styles, who's still world champion, with Ric Flair. RIC FUCKING FLAIR.

If Ric Flair comes out and says that a guy is good, people listen. The only way he could get a bigger rub is if whatever holy deity you believed in came down and said "dude, this guy is awesome".

The problem is that a lot of fans have very little patience with this company. Just sit tight and WAIT. Something good may happen. You never know.

 

[Tha' Hi-Def Poet]

I've been a long time Wrestlezone reader, and have followed the forums a lot, but this is my first time posting. I hope I'm up to par.

But to answer your question...

I really don't think Hogan and Bischoff need to leave TNA, they just need a new game plan. What they are trying to do is revive the old WCW glory they had with less talent (no disrespect to anybody on the roster) and less of a budget.

When Hogan first came to WCW they were booking small venues with lots of no name talent, and they brought that company up to be a powerhouse that could battle WWE. The difference is now, is that TNA is almost a new brand of wrestling, not just a different company. The WWE has drifted so far away (PG ratings, merchandise plugging, repeated gimmicks and storylines, etc.) from what we as long time wrestling fans remember (specifically the Attitude era), that opened a huge window for a company like TNA to take in all the "old-school" wresting fans.

But with Hogan trying to "re-unite" the nWo and constantly addressing Vince McMahon while he plays them off like they aren't even a blip on his radar yet, is almost embarrasing. When he has legends on your roster like Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Sting, Hogan, Kevin Nash, etc. he should be worrying more about putting his own talent to use, instead of Vince's talent out of work. There are plenty of young talent Hogan should be able to push in TNA that could build that company into a powerhouse (AJ Styles, Mr. Anderson, Pope, etc.), but he is choosing to put all of the focus on himself and Bischoff running the show.

If Hogan would take the time to listen to what the fans wanted, instead of strictly being out to insult Vince, TNA would be a lot more successful that it has been in the short time he has been there. He never should have tried to take away the six-sided ring, as that is one of the biggest trademarks that gives TNA an edge over WWE. I mean, I'm not particularly a big fan of the six-sided ring, but it was nice to see a company willing to try to give it an edge by experimenting with something different.

They also need to put more focus on the actual wrestling. WWE has lost sight of that, and I know most people, including myself, miss that aspect of pro wrestling. I am tired of watching Raw every Monday and seeing John Cena do the same six moves over and over. But when Hogan and Bischoff had a chance to compete head to head, they're main event match was filled with AJ Styles and Kurt Angle repeatedly doing their finishers over and over. It was an entertaining match, but they really need to push the envelope to get ahead while WWE is still the powerhouse.

Do you remember back when Nitro was live every Monday? They almost always started off with a Cruiserweight match between Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko, and no two matches between them were ever the same. They were fast paced, high-flying, and very technical matches, that showcased a lot of talent between the two performers. TNA needs action like that, not a cage built like a dome with a hole in the top that nobody can climb up to. They need to keep it simple and exciting.

Since Hogan has been there, I haven't seen one quality match that has really put a stamp on this company taking steps forward. All that I have seen is a lot of confusion on the faces of the wrestlers because they really don't know what is going to happen next. TNA seems out of sync with itself. They need to take the time to build some young guys up, set storylines in motion that don't involve Hogan, and create exciting and original wrestling matches.

And one last thing I just want to add...why the hell am I hearing that TNA is trying to sign The Honky Tonk Man?! With all due respect, I know he was a legend, and had a great run in his day, but it is 2010. If Hogan wants people to respect his company and give wrestling fans a real choice of what to see, why does he want to subject us to watching The Honky Tonk Man? Or The Nasty Boys while I'm thinking about it? All that young talent, and these guys are primed to get a bigger push than most of them. What a waste.

But anyways, if they would revise their game plan I could really see TNA start to blossom. If not, they will stick around for another year or so, then fade away into what will become the BIGGEST embarrassment for Hulk Hogan ever. Hands down.

Peace.

 

[Shakin' Abe]

Lets give it a chance folks. Dixie won't let Hogan and Bishoff run her company into the ground. In a years time, if that long, Hogan will be gone and TNA will be running at a much better level with the WWE. It's all about having a choice of what to watch and with the addition of Hogan, it's fun again to watch two different company's. Forget the "Band" and all the old WCW tricks. That was just to get you to tune in. The new talent will keep you there!

 

[Upgrayedd]

So you want Hogan and Bischoff to leave and TNA to go back to barely getting a 1.0 in the ratings? You want to go back where no one was watching or ordering the PPVs?

Say what you will but the fact is that since Hogan and Bischoff signed with TNA they've brought in some of TNA's biggest names, the production has gotten a lot better, the 4 sided ring is WAY better than the 6 sided ring, IMO. The stories are interesting, the show has that "anything can happen" feel to it again.

So, no, I don't think Hogan and Bischoff should go at all. TNA was far from doing "fine" before they showed up. TNA is becoming big league now.

 

[Derekjt]

It's been one month and obviously Hogan/ Bischoff are doing something right. They've had the two biggest rated Impacts of all time in the span. Personally I can't wait to see what happens next after the past few shows. The "normal" people that maybe didn't watch TNA last month keep tuning in now and that's great.
It's way too early to tell, but I'm happy with what's going down in TNA.

 

[Guyzwitgunz]

No Hogan/Bischoff should not leave. And when you mean 'leave' I assume you mean Dixie getting rid of them which is highly doubtful even if they do ruin the product. I dont really like Bischoff nowadays as he's just Hogan's sidekick and does his talking compared to when he had total control of WCW. I just hope Hogan doesnt run TNA into the ground by rushing into things too quickly and thats hes actually thinking about his decisions and then hes not just going to kill the product and run from it. (he said he would leave 'if things didnt work out')

 

[Melina]

I seriously do not understand how you guys can say that TNA is a more wrestling based company than WWE. Have you guys watched the last few months worth of Impacts? I would imagine there is more wrestling in one episode of ECW or Superstars than there is on the average TNA Impact.

Personally I am not impressed with Easy E and Hogan so far. The ratings for Impact are going to start to drop. Once the fans tire of seeing Hogan on screen all the time, the window for them and TNA will close.

They have put less concentration on the X Division, which is a damn shame. They have so many talented competitors in that Division and are having to take a back seat to promo, after promo, after promo.

Am I saying they need to be gone...no not at all. But I thought they were coming here to make the product better? The first Impact with Hogan was special, but because the atmosphere had an awesome feel to it. Now the show is kind of lackluster and annoying. Hopefully they start doing what they said there were going to do....wrestling.

 

[The Pizzaman]

Jim Herd, is that you, have you finally decided to give us your inside point of view about WCW? Or maybe it's "Cowboy" Bill Watts joining us on the WrestleZone forums, to give us his two cents about his time in Atlanta?

I mean after all it's gotta be one of these guys or someone else that was cruising along on the WCW ship while it was afloat? I mean how else would you know all there is to know about the who, what, where, when and why of World Championship Wrestling, unless you the poster in question were there? My money though would be on you being Jim Herd, since your WrestleZone name is “The Pizzaman” and, Jim Herd prior to WCW actually was a big wig at Pizza Hut.

But you know what I’m going to chalk that up to coincidence. Then I’ll jump on to a much simpler explanation behind this post, and explain the laughable intent of what the starter of this thread, The Pizzaman is trying to say. In fact, anyone with a true handle on objectivity should be able to understand what this individual is failing to really put out there, but I'll help everyone on here right now try to figure out what this guy is trying to get at.

So more or less, what we have here boys and girls that are reading this thread right now, is indeed another Monday Morning Quarterback/Armchair Expert who thinks they now all about what went on behind the scenes in WCW. By the way, I hope I didn’t lose you at the Herd and Watts reference, I pray that it wasn’t too esoteric for you. After all, you’re a WCW expert right? So I am sure you got it.

WCW before and after Hulk Hogan’s time in the organization always was a hotbed of speculation for backstage chaos. Once the Crockett Family sold their territory to Turner and Billionaire Ted then turned it into World Championship Wrestling, it went from being a family business to a corporate entity. You mix the combination of big time stars and corporate suits, egos are bound to clash. Trying to point the finger SOLELY at Hulk Hogan is a totally bogus and unsubstantiated idea, and it reeks totally of bias on your part.

And now you are trying to say that at a time when ratings are improving and the company has gotten approval from Spike to air on a permanent Monday night time slot starting in March, that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff should leave? Let’s put it this way, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have brought some positive things to the table thus far, if they hadn’t gone to TNA, the Monday night time slot would have remained wishful thinking. Now I notice that you are based in the UK, so I am not sure how this will affect you, but over here in the States, this is a HUGE move for TNA.

You can attribute much of TNA’s changing fortunes to Hulk Hogan’s star power, which despite what you and other internet smarks might think has been a pretty big part of wrestling for I don’t know, maybe like the past twenty plus years now. Unless of course, Hogan’s star power is just some big perpetual trick that we’ve all been falling for. Hell, that’s no more an outrageous thing to say than you claiming that Hulk Hogan was the only reason WCW is no more.

Bottom line is this dude, I never mind an opinion from someone as long as it’s constructive, I mean I believe in the freedom of expressing yourself, but to be quite honest, unless you know something about WCW’s inner workings, please refrain from passing off your personal biases and speculation as actual fact. Because in my mind, you can formulate a valid personal opinion without succumbing to heresay-ridden speculation.

Don’t take what I said too personally, but just keep in mind that if you want to try and start a true wrestling based discussion on this thread, it should have better merit than the tired old “Hulk Hogan killed WCW bit.”

But anyway Pizzaman, thanks for your post, because I needed a great laugh today!

Well Im glad you had a laugh. every one is entitled to their opinion and you are entitled to yours.
Lets just get this straight,
I have never said that im a expert on the insides of WCW, TNA or WWE. I am just a wrestling fan of over 25+ years and will continue to be so. The thing is, this is a forum for wrestling fans to air their views and for others to either agree with or not. Do I have to know the complete inner workings of the federations to have to enjoy watching wrestling and qualify to air my views? Does that also mean that everyone who shares the same opinion that I do is Wrong too? Can we not just be fans and still be able to air our views on what we see and read about?
Hogan was a wrestling icon in the 80s and the 90s and he eclipsed most other superstars in any federation without a doubt. Hogan does have a lot to bring to the table however, he would never have had his star power without the WWF/WWE. Im going now because Im about to watch Smackdown and get all my imformation wrong because i dont know the names of everybody who is backstage and what they have had for dinner.