This type of stuff is great and all, if you of course feel like paying 20 of your hard earned dollars to RF Video, JUST so you can hear another veteran of the business spout off about behind the scenes happenings that might have really happened. Or then again, might have been embellished or hell even outright fabricated. After all, isn't this the wrestling business we're talking about? The whole artform and presentation of wrestling is based on bullshitting people. It's been that way for years upon years, and that's never going to change. I don't care how "realistic" and/or "reality based" the business presents itself as. I'm still not buying most of what I read, see and hear.
However, with that said though yes I think we can all wholeheartedly agree that TNA's not fast tracked to the heights of a true wrestling juggernaut. Myself amongst many other people fooled ourselves long enough to think that Hogan's debut in the Impact Zone was going to be just like his WCW arrival, well I have to admit I exaggerate on that. I had a feeling it was going to be an interesting showing to see Hogan's first night inside of a TNA ring. But the fact is this, WCW was a long established brand albeit under a different name when Hogan got there, sure they weren't setting the world on fire at this point in time. But they were on the road and touring on a regular basis unlike what TNA did by just staying relegated to Orlando and then leaving for the occasional PPV outside of the Impact Zone. However, WCW or Jim Crockett Promotions as it was known for many years did do a lot of touring. Plus JCP/WCW has a significantly more established history than TNA and a loyal audience that stayed put even when Ted Turner bought the promotion from the Crocketts. So for all the love that even I have for The Hulkster, he might have been the catalyst to a renewed interest in WCW but there was a HUGE foundation laid out for him prior to his arrival after jumping ship from the WWF. Of course, seven years later the organization was sold once more and this time absorbed into the WWF. Many people want to label Hogan as one of the biggest reasons, and while I'm inclined to admit that Hogan was of course a big power player in the company with an ego no doubt, he wasn't alone. He shared that same star power with guys like Flair, Savage, Sting, Nash and others over the years. Let's not forget that creative control clause Hogan had, if it was the be all end all of things, wouldn't he have just used it and kept the title for his whole stint in the company? Wouldn't we have seen the booking triumphs such as David Arquette and Vince Russo World Title reigns not even see the light of day? I would reckon so. The Death of WCW is something that never stops to get mentioned, and while I know a lot of Hogan's angles and storylines weren't always the best, if he never came to the company in the first place, it's very possible that the promotion might have died out in the 90s. Considering their struggles that continued when Turner bought it, and let's also not forget all those guaranteed contracts that several performers got, including ones that make you ask yourself the question "Why?". If what they say is true I could see how that would have led to the downfall of the company. Because I doubt it was the viewership, sure it was taking a big hit, but at the time WCW was being sold, it was still some of the most watched programming on the Turner stations. That's not to say I am right of course, but those are just my opinions. But since most people prefer to just read yellow journalism as the gospel, usually Hogan and Bischoff is the best answer to give.
Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that yes I am not thrilled with everything Hogan says, thinks or does at times. But I also stop to tell myself that Hogan's in a "bullshitter's business". And that these days with the internet most of the nonsense he says is to get a rise out of us. Basically you could consider Hogan and his rantings on the net nothing more than internet trolldom, and it works everytime because whenever he says something a thread just springs up on the internet about it. But hey, what can you do? While I respect most of the opinions even the ones I disagree with (as long as they are well structured), I refuse to just give in to buying the goods that places like Kayfabe Commentaries, High Spots and RF Video are selling. These shoot interviews are all redundant and bland (unless we are talking about the Iron Sheik and Billy Jack Haynes) and I just keep thinking that I'm hearing a broken record. But hey all the power to Stevie Richards for making a quick buck off of singing the same tune everyone else on the internet does when it comes to talking about Hogan and Bischoff.
We'll see how things work for TNA in a few short weeks when they start showing Impact on a regular basis elsewhere.
