Sixteen years ago the world’s most recognizable wrestler set off on a new quest – departing Vince McMahon’s WWF (now WWE) for Ted Turner’s upstart WCW promotion.
Hulk Hogan was 40 years old when he joined WCW in 1994. He was balding, wrinkling and had a pair of torn-up knees. He was also in the midst of a high-profile steroid scandal – which revealed exactly what was in the “vitamins” he took while he trained and said his prayers for all those years. Could this Hogan really expect to challenge McMahon’s supremacy?
Incredibly, Hogan’s star power, combined with executive producer Eric Bischoff’s ingenuity, transformed WCW into the world’s most popular wrestling organization. Turner’s company dominated the Monday night TV ratings for two years and nearly forced the WWF, now a billion-dollar entertainment empire, into bankruptcy.
So what now? For Hogan, 56 is the new 40. Along with his old pal Bischoff, the grappler has put pen to paper for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on Spike TV. Like WCW in the early ‘90s, TNA is a fledgling promotion with a loyal, but small, following. Can Hogan be the difference again?
The Hulkster is 56. He has even less hair and more wrinkles than he had in ‘94. He can barely walk, let alone perform convincingly in the ring. And, if you thought his past steroid scandal was big gossip, just pick up a tabloid and read about any one of his recent personal quandaries (like his hostile divorce, his battle with depression, his son’s jailing, his daughter’s deplorable voice, etc.). Yes, Hogan is an even bigger mess than he was in 1994. Yet, these issues simply don’t matter when it comes to his appeal. As all wrestling fans know, appearance, mobility and reality will never stop Hulkamania.
The greater challenge for Hogan this time around is his supporting cast – or lack thereof. TNA is run by Dixie Carter. She’s a sound business person, but she’s no Ted Turner. It was Billionaire Ted who shelled out millions to attract Hogan’s aging, but popular, cronies to WCW. Carter doesn’t have the means to pilfer established stars, like Shawn Michaels and Triple H, from the WWE roster.
TNA also lacks exposure. Carter’s promotion has a solid partnership with Spike TV, but their span comes nowhere near the Turner media empire that WCW engaged. It was a coveted Monday night timeslot on TNT (Turner Network Television) and supplementary programming on TBS (Turner Broadcasting System – notice a theme here?) that allowed WCW to capture so many WWF viewers in the mid ‘90s.
There’s also the thought that TNA and their young roster was better off without an ego-driven megastar leading the charge. Most wrestling pundits agree that Hogan and Bischoff contributed as much to WCW’s downfall as they did to its success. Hasty spending and bad booking by Bischoff, along with Hogan’s refusal to let anyone take his spot, cost WCW millions in the end. McMahon eventually bought his dwindling competitor. He’s been the unchallenged king of wrestling ever since.
Hogan and Bischoff pulled off an epic takeover once. Even if they figure out how to put their egos on the backburner (and that’s an “if” with 24-inch pythons), conquering McMahon again, this time with reduced funds and minimal exposure, is not going to happen. Unless, of course, like so many times in the past, wrestling fans fall victim to an unexplainable bout of red and yellow nostalgia.
It’s no secret that wrestling enthusiasts are suckers for the past. They love reliving the glory days from elapsed eras – no matter how bald, shrivelled or immobile the protagonists may be. Hulk Hogan is the biggest draw in wrestling’s history. When his “Real American” theme hits, a flood of spine-tingling memories brainwash the minds of wrestling fans everywhere.
TNA will never trump the WWE. But, with Hogan on board, the company has potential to make huge gains. If nothing else, the wrestling business will be a little more competitive, maybe like it was in its mid-‘90s heyday, with Hogan running wild (or hobbling wild) on Spike TV.
Don’t rule out that old coot – because for some unfathomable reason, Hulk still rules.
TNA Wrestling airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV
Thoughts? brichardson@tvguide.ca
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