Should The WWE Just Sign Hulk Hogan To A Legends Contract?

[CM Steel]

Hulk Hogan's status with TNA/Impact wrestling is out to lunch right now in Orlando, Florida. So when Hulk Hogan's contract runs out with TNA/Impact wrestling, should WWE chairman Vince McMahon just sign Hulk Hogan to a WWE legends contract?

Sure Hulk and Vince have had alot of history together good & bad. But mostly good in making money sence. But bad in business sence. The last time that we saw Hogan in the WWE is on the RAW 15th year anniverary show a few years ago. Hogan plugged the new American Gladiators show which he was co-hosting with Laila Ali.

Hulk Hogan needs to make some good money in the worst way as we can see...So should the WWE just sign Hulk Hogan to a legends contract? But just keep Hogan away from the polictic's backstage.

 

[CleverName51]

In all logic, it's a good idea. Hogan doing promo work and getting paid means his name can still sell some nostalgic stuff. (DVD's, T-shirts)

But, here's the big but.

Would Hogan's ego allow him to not be in the spot light except to put over others?

I doubt it, Hogan hates jobbing to most people, he wouldn't job to Austin, he (I think) had issues jobbing to Brock Lesnar, there are a lot of problems here...

If Hogan was on a Legends Deal, he'd probably be doing promo work, but never on live shows (save a PPV appearance or two and some live Raws to plug merch/DVDs/do a segment)

If Hogan can swallow his pride and take a low key job like a Legends deal, it could be great for WWE and him, if not, it's just going to be a disaster

 

[conici]

It does sound good buisness wise I.e Merch

But is it in there best interest no with vince and hogans egos clashing it doesn't sound like it would end well

And then there is the roster Names like punk hell he can't even stand Rock let alone Hogan who is very much a spotlight ****e Punk wouldn't stand for that would he and the superstars who would go down the card I could not bare to see someone like cody losing there push to hogan

But if he was just on a deal to make casual appearances like foley then I'm fine with that any old school fan would love to see him and he is very capable of pulling in the money and promoting the company
If Hogan and Vince can get along and there Egos Don't clash it would be great

 

[dansaun77]

unfactual, Huolk Hogan was happy to puit Austin over at Wrestlemania 18, Austin point blank refused to work with Hogan. Another example of Austin not being a team player. Hogan was happy to put Lesnar over as well, hell he got written off tv to sell the annialation he recveived just before Summerslam 2002. Hogan vs Lesnar was the original plan for Survivor Serues, but Vince changed the plans qafter HBK's massive success in his return with HHH.
Hulk Hogan should be in WWE when he ends his on screen career. The thing is he has destroyed alot of his legacy in TNA, he has no business whatsoever anymore being an active wrestler. Hulk Hogan would be a perfect company spokeperson and even on screen general manager. And of course the obligatory Mania appearance.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Totally depends on Hogan's status with TNA, since he's been workin with them I'm not sure what exactly is going on with their relationship. That aside I think it would be a smart move for both parties, you've got Hogan on one side who just got royally fucked over by his wife in their divorce where she ran away with way more than she deserved. That man will be lookin to make money and if he has the choice to go to the WWE and all things worked out in negotiations I would say it's a great move for Hulk, I would bet he'd get good money doing so and it'd be fun to see him back so long as he doesn't compete at all or often. On the WWE's part it really can't hurt unless they try pushing him into matches which they would not do, but Hulk Hogan is and will always will be money, and they know that they could make a good chunk of money if he returned and boosted sales on everything from events to shirts, Hulkamania will forever rub wild so if the stars align and Hulkster makes his way back I'll be all for it.

 

[GameOver]

if he's on a legends contract that means pretty much merch., special appearances and signings not onscreen. Sure they'd have to put him onscreen atleast a couple of times but beyond that even Vince would have to know there's no rhyme or reason to have him onscreen or in a ring for more than a very brief run, he already looks like a washed up hasbeen which is not good for TV or for his health.

he was inducted into the HOF, thought that was an immediate legends contract, well it was for Flair, guess that wasn't the case with Hogan, only a few years later he went on his way and tried to get his own promotions going.

and ya gotta think at this point how much more merch would he sell, everyone who was a fan would already have his merchandise. Hogan character merchandise would have to be the biggest selling items of all time
Same could be said for Cena, which may be why he's not so much the face anymore the merchandise sales have started to dry up enough for others to get a chance.

as for returning to WWE, i really think there comes a point when he's burned his bridges, Hogan has returned 4 times already and each time he came in, got money, entertained then pissed off as soon as he wasn't given the number 1 money spot, he's even said that in interviews he didn't agree with Vince on not getting paid the most as he felt he's the only draw on the card when he's around, which obviously isn't the case and hasn't been for decades.

I'm all for him returning home, but leave him out of the storylines, the ring and onscreen for the most part.
Hulkamania needs to be remembered as it was not what Hogan has done the past half decade.

 

[poppycock]

Yes, I think the WWE should sign Hulk Hogan to a legends contract. Like sombody already mentioned the Hulkster should definitely end his career in the WWE where he belongs. Obviously as far as in ring matches go Hogan is done and should never have to actually wrestle a match again but seeing him in the WWE doing promos, on the mic or on commentary..yeah I would not mind that at all. Hogan has not tarnished his mistique in my eyes..I don't follow his personal life at all and I enjoy TNA (although see it's problems as in awful match endings) Hogan is still The Immortal Hulk Hogan who I fell for as a kid and up to the day I saw The Undertaker I was a Hulkamaniac. The WWE is where he belongs.

 

[SD619]

WWE should sign Hogan if his contract with TNA expires and he is willing. He is a legend and could still sell some merchandise. He should have his last hurrah in a WWE ring. Hopefully he would not be involved in any match and just in some in-ring segments. If used correctly, Hogan could help WWE's rating and sales.

 

[Azane]

Hogan asks for too much, it's obvious that TNA was willing to stretch FAR for the Hulkster. He is the biggest name ever in wrestling, but his merchandise sales have gotta be on the low side now, since he's been super irrelevant for a few years.

He's proven his draw isn't too great, TNA's ratings barely spiked from signing him, and nobody actually wants to see rent-a-center wrestle at his age. His publicity has been BAD, a line of back surgeries and divorce problems, it's funny, he was the poster child for PG 20 years ago.

If WWE and Terry could come to an agreement on a perma-contract, I'd jump for joy, I was a Hulkamaniac from the early 90's until around the Captain America time, where I knew he should of retired from actively wrasslin'. But Hogan has been a hard person to negotiate with, since the only person I know in Wrestling with a bigger ego than Vince Mcmahon is Hulk Hogan. He thinks he's worth much more than he is, if he would of signed a legends deal a decade ago, it would be worth so much more than it is now, and it's no secret Hogan is nearly bankrupt with his divorce problems.

Thinking what legends status means, it would be a lot like what you see Stone Cold or Sgt. Slaughter doing, showing up here and there to promote to bring a nostalgic moment, not walking into Wrestlemania and fingerpoking Cena for a world title reign. Although, with Hogan's ego, I wouldn't expect him to know the difference (2nd month in TNA he walked down the ramp and knocked out half the roster with punches, making them all look like crap.)

 

[lowandmighty]

A legends contract with WWE sounds all well and good but it wouldn't pay enough for what Hogan would want or would need. If I was Hogan I would hang around living off whatever he gets paid from tna and wait until his house in clearwater gets sold and put the couple of million he gets from that into one of those high interest savings accounts as well as about 1 million from his account he had left after he got dry butt raped from his exwife without even so much as the proverbial amyl nitrate and just lay low, move overseas or something and live the rest of his life in quiet retirement. The guy had a good run anything he can do in wrestling now can't live up to the Hulk Hogan name. His last match he had in WWE was good enough to retire on and he's appropriately faded away in TNA thats why I think the best thing for him is to just leave it be and call it a day on his career in the spotlight.
A normal man could happily live the rest of his life on what Hogan has and thats what he needs to become now.
But there's just one problem- his new wife! Poor Hogan. To quote someone who's name escapes me at this moment "Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy"

 

[One to Remember]

this is getting rediculous, know redirkuless! he needs to quit coming back all the time for "one more run", and you dumbasses need to quit feeding into it. these constant resurrections have to come to an end. Him coming back in 1996 to prominence was his last bit of legit steam. And I am soo tired of you all siting his supposed money issues and need to make more money to cover some legal or domestic catastrophy. He has money, he has savings, hes fine. Linda is not going to break him, he needs to quit trying to live beyond his means and with her gone that should be 75% easier.

SD, Poppycock he is a WWF star. He is not from the Attitude Era, the New Generation, the Federation Years, the PG era, hes from the Rock n Wrestling era!! iF THE FAN BASE TODAY DOES NOT REMEMBER THE ROCK WHO WAS HERE IN 2004, or guys from the '90s how are they going to comprehend someone from c. '84-'89?! You don't get it, the "WWE Universe" ages out, it sheds fans like a snake sheds skin, he would have no impact at all, he would cost VKM too much money, not sell enough merch, compete for authority, and infuriate anyone who joined the roster in the last 9 years!!! He has nothing left to give, hes destroying his own legacy and you boneheads are accesories.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I would answer this the same way as a similar question recently asked about Rob Van Dam: Yes, sign Hogan to a legends contract if you feel getting him away from TNA would damage the smaller company.

Of course, RVD can at least still perform in the ring.....not to the degree he did in the past, but he can still lace 'em up for a few more years. Hogan can't, and his value to WWE would be of a public relations nature. Still, he's a WWE legend and never should have left, imo.

We still don't really know how much having Hogan truly benefits TNA. Has his contract expired? If so, what is TNA doing about it? It seemed a few weeks ago he was going to leave the company; yet, he hasn't. I figured they would be thrilled to have him out of there, financially speaking.

These questions have to be answered before WWE can decide whether to offer Hogan a legends contract. Then again, even if they determine it's worth paying Hogan just to keep him away from TNA, how much do you give him? I doubt Kevin Nash is getting $2 million/year for functioning as a legend..... but is that what Hogan would demand? He wouldn't come cheap.

One more question: This post is based on the presumption that taking Hogan away from TNA would damage them. But could it be WWE's best course is to let TNA keep employing Hogan, paying him ridiculous amounts of money his presence can't justify.......until they tap out financially? (which wouldn't happen just because of Hogan, of course).

Let the financial wizards in WWE make the call.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

No one here knows anything about his situation with TNA or Hogan's finances. The report about his divorce "settlement" listed a finite amount of his assets, he probably still has more money than everyone in this thread plus your parents combined.

Of course WWE should sign him to a Legend's Contract or whatever type of contract that they can. He is the biggest name in wrestling history but only if the price is right. Is there anyone here who really understands what is in a Legend's Contract? I don't. Regardless, Hogan has a lot of value. Merchandise, promotion, speaking engagements, and as I've tried to sell people on before being the centerpiece of the this new WWE Network. I would love to just here him talk about old matches and backstage stories while watching footage of those events. He could introduce a Giant Gonzalez vs. The Goobledygooker match and it would get me excited and make me watch it.

 

[chicagomadepunk]

I do not think that WWE will sign him to a legend's contract. He will get booed by many fans cause he went to TNA and the younger fans who just started to watch wrestling would not know who he is.

 

[MikeyBobby]

No, no, no, no, no. Hell no. The audience they cater to now wasn't even born when Hogan was in his prime and they were sucking on binkies when the NWO was kicking. Hogan's WWE nostalgia act was 10 years ago. There would be nothing to gain at this point.

Signing Hogan would be as ridiculous as say, having Kevin Nash randomly interfear in the main event of the second biggest PPV of the year.

 

[Larry]

I think Hogan still has some kind of contract with Vince actually. If you recall back when Hogan Knows Best was still on, there was an episode where he goes to meet Vince and discuss a deal with him in which Vince asks him to sign a 20 year deal with plans to also have the rights to Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania after Terry Bollea is dead. If memory serves me correct he signed that deal and is still technically in business with the WWE in some capacity, probably equivalent to a legends deal of some kind. Obviously he isn't working actively with the WWE at the moment but he is still apart of that company in some capacity.

 

[Syborgg]

I don't think you guys are getting the perameters of some legends contracts. Shortly before Randy Savage passed, the WWE signed him to a legends contract so they could include him in their toy sales and videogames. So why not have THE BIGGEST name to ever lace them up in a WWE ring signed to a deal such as that?

A Legends' contract usually doesn't mean he has to wrestle or even make alot of appearances on T.V. Sure he could be a guest host of Raw or something like that, but that would be the extent of it. From what I've read, those contracts don't pay alot, but probably depend on the merchandise they sell pertaining to said legend. Basically, they are being paid to NOT show up on the competition's shows.

If the Hulkster is ready for full retirement and has zero interest in being on T.V. on a regular basis, then YES WWE should sign him to a Legends deal. If it weren't for Hogan, there wouldn't be a Rock, there wouldn't be a Cena, there might not even be a WWE. He made Vince alot of money and really laid the foundation for which the WWE is built on. Hell, without Hogan, Vince probably wouldn't have taken the chance on creating Wrestlemania. Just imagine a life without Wrestlemania.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Actually, reports came in awhile ago that Hogan had re-signed with the company for the next two years. The same is also true for Eric Bischofff. So any of this talk of a "legends contract" is totally hypothetical, and could at best happen in 2014.

Plus, I'd bet anything that Hogan makes more money working for TNA currently than he would on a legends contract. Most of the time WWE workers get paid salary, but a lot of their money is contracted and done by appearances at PPV's and such. It's why working WrestleMania is so important to a lot of guys...it pays for your whole year if you're nearer to the top!

I'm not sure the exact amount of money H2 makes in TNA right now, but we do know it's currently more than any of the other talents. No judgement meant, just the facts. Also keep perspective in mind: a "hurting" Hulk Hogan is still millions of dollars richer than me on my best day.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

On the surface, it might seem like a no brainer. When you look at things from an overall perspective, including what we know about Hogan, I think it becomes a little less cut and dry.

TNA wanted Hogan in the hopes that his name would get wrestling fans tuning in on Thursday nights in greater numbers than ever and it just didn't happen. TNA had a ratings pop for about 3 or 4 weeks and that's as far as it went. Hogan is no longer the massive draw he once was and, personally, I think he's been more of a hindurance than a help. He hasn't brought anything to the table except his name built upon past glories and makes more money than almost everyone on the roster. I created a thread talking about it in the TNA section a few months back and Hogan, I think, gets about $35,000 per tv appearance. I'm not sure how much he got per ppv appearance. At any rate, it just seems like a very large amount of money for someone that hasn't really been able to deliver the goods.

What's the point of all that? Well, the point is that I believe Hogan would want one sweetheart of a Legends Deal with WWE. He'd basically want the moon and the stars without really being able to offer anything else besides, maybe, an occassional pop in the ratings for a rare appearance on WWE television. That's even assuming that Hogan, with his enormous ego, would be willing to agree to such a deal because I think it'd be the same as him admitting that he's not the star of the show anymore. That's just not Hulk Hogan. It's just not who the guy is. Aside from him probably wanting an extremely large amount of money, quite possibly an unreasonable amount, I think Hogan would want more than just the standard operating procedure of a Legends Deal in which he just makes an occassional appearance on tv or a ppv or maybe hosting a house show. Agreeing to such a deal would be the same to Hogan as admitting, I think, that he's a has been and his ego is just too big for that.

I don't think he and Vince could reach a mutually satisfactory deal to be honest. This scenario reminds me of an episode of the Hogan Knows Best reality show in which almost this very scenario played out. Hogan met with Vince at WWE headquarters to discuss a potential return and Hulk Hogan merchendise. Ultimately, the deal did fall through. Hulk Hogan is the same guy that, by his own words, threw away a $250,000 check he was given for his match against, I think, either Shawn Michaels or Randy Orton years back because he thought it was insulting. His mind set may have changed now since his wife Linda divorced him and took him to the cleaners, but trying to get Hogan signed to a Legends Deal just seems like more trouble than its worth unless he's had a big change of heart.

 

[sTyLnK]

Hogan has built up such a horrible reputation over his wrestling career, stepping on everyone's toes to feed his ego. Would he help the WWE? Of course. Would everyone hate him and would there be a lot of heat backstage? Absolutely. It just wouldn't work out. Let him rot in TNA.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

Hogan has built up such a horrible reputation over his wrestling career, stepping on everyone's toes to feed his ego. Would he help the WWE? Of course. Would everyone hate him and would there be a lot of heat backstage? Absolutely. It just wouldn't work out. Let him rot in TNA.

That's completely irrelevant to whether or not Vince would want to sign him to a WWE legends deal if the opportunity was present. In fact basing what you "read and hear" about in regards to Hogan's backstage reputation I am sure has some merit, after all people with star power usually have egos but let's not put Hogan into an exclusive group here because he's far from the only one that you could put into that category guys like Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and even The Rock have commanded high prices in the past and with guys like Steve Austin it's also been reported on the net at several times in the past that because of ego clashing certain plans have not gone through (i.e. not wrestling Brock Lesnar, not working Taboo Tuesday 2005 and so on) so let's not base Hogan not getting a WWE legends contract on his ego alone because that's just oversimplifying things.

In fact for all we know that legends deal with WWE might already been signed and established, if memory serves me right he's in WWE All-Stars and even happens to be one of the superstars on the cover of the game. Two years ago he was also in the WWE Legends Of WrestleMania video game as well, and also one of the superstars on the cover of it I might add. It's also worth mentioning that he has made appearances in other WWE media over the years like the Mr. Perfect Retrospective from 2008 (which yes I know predates his TNA arrival but still he was in it) and the True Story Of WrestleMania Blu-Ray, which could also pre-date his TNA signing...however WWE these days ALWAYS timestamps archived footage. So it's possible that despite his status on the TNA roster there could still be some deal in place where he has a loose affiliation with WWE.

Now I am willing to admit that his footage from The True Story Of WrestleMania might have already been in the can BUT I'm willing to entertain the possibility that such is not necessarily the case. If he's being featured in video games as recent as this year then I don't see why there isn't a possibility that Hogan did not sit down with WWE to do the WrestleMania documentary. Again, no timestamp leads me to think of that being a possibility.

Therefore maybe the question should be is Hogan under a WWE Legends contract and not so much if he has signed one. However I'll also field that question because after all that's what this topic is about.

If Hogan doesn't actually have a WWE Legends deal then all the power to him to sign one if possible. If he's in the position to get one no harm, no foul...for people that feel threatened by such a prospect because they don't like Hogan, tough shit for them. Again, just because we read something on the internet does not make us an expert on anything regarding what business decisions WWE and Hulk Hogan should make between one another. Those that think that way obviously must be people that attribute everything wrong with pro wrestling to be in the hands of Hulk Hogan...that's all too laughable. There's money to still be made with Hulk Hogan and WWE wouldn't pass that up because they have shown in the past with efforts like WWE All Stars that they still hold Hogan in some regard, period.

So yes, no one here is disputing that Hulk Hogan has an ego but that just happens to be the case with a lot of people who rake in lots of dough particularly athletes and entertainers but obviously if Hogan's ego was that bad then projects like WWE All Stars, Legends Of WrestleMania and so on would have gone on without him, obviously the man must have some sense of negotiation or compromise or else we'd see very little of him in these said projects.

Jack-Hammer's points are valid and have merit even if I don't agree with everything he says (although I have to tell you Jack-Hammer I think Hogan Knows Best was playing up kayfabe more than anything with the way Hogan and Vince were "arguing" not to say that there weren't ever issues regarding pay with them two but again it's a reality show and it's one about a wrestler...I just can't help but wonder how much of that was actually legit.)

sTyLnK if you dislike or hate Hogan that's cool, it's not my job to convince you to be a mark for him like I am, again I admit I'm a Hogan fan, guilty as charged and what have you. Even if I wasn't a fan of Hulk Hogan, I would still have to acquiesce that him being signed to a WWE Legends deal would only benefit both parties. But by reading your post I can tell you are someone that puts anything about ego and negativity with wrestling on Hogan's shoulders when that in no way can be true. Again when you involve something that makes oodles and oodles of profit you're bound to get more than one ego...period.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

So yes, no one here is disputing that Hulk Hogan has an ego but that just happens to be the case with a lot of people who rake in lots of dough particularly athletes and entertainers but obviously if Hogan's ego was that bad then projects like WWE All Stars, Legends Of WrestleMania and so on would have gone on without him...

I wanted to make a quick follow up to this comment because I will have to say that I admittedly worded this all ******ed-like, lol. What I am trying to say is that obviously Hogan came to some agreement with them and egos were put aside to make his inclusion in both games possible especially when considering he was not an active WWE roster member when either of these games came out.

...obviously the man must have some sense of negotiation or compromise or else we'd see very little of him in these said projects.

And I stand by this final part of that statement in my last posting. Again this isn't to dismiss the notion of Hogan having an ego but obviously Hogan is someone who will still do business...period.

 

[JackHardy97]

Not at all. Hogans boring now. Hes got no wrestling ability anymore because of injuries and I dont think hes interesting either. Having him in the WWE would mean that he would want to be in the light and be popular again which is just going to be the worst thing happening.

 

[Dagger Dias]

No they shouldn't. Hogan is better off in TNA helping them out to become a bigger threat to WWE. What would signing him to a legends contract in WWE even accomplish? A few nostalgic appearances, random backstage segments, and he endorses someone who's push ultimately fails, then the contract ends? That's more or less what I'd see happening as a result. WWE doesn't need Hogan. They have plenty of legends they can bring out for the nostalgia appearances and who can work with tomorrow's stars to help them train or get over. Hogan is helping TNA and that is where he should remain for now in my opinion because there is nothing left he could do for WWE that would really benefit anyone involved.

 

[One to Remember]

More nonsense from senior ole..hogan is through, the well is dry. If your such a hogan mark get a job as his groundskeeper and work for free.. he can't do anymore good at this point and he's nearly sixty. Everytime he's aabout to rest in piece some nerd has to jump in with a defibulator. As far as compromisinng I concerned when ever Vince panicks he goes back to cena, rock, austin, and hogan. You can't have leverage on someone who doubles as ur safety net..