Welcome to Headlines and Scrutiny. Be sure to send all feedback to trevor@thebalrogslair.com, where your thoughts are appreciated. There is a lot to get into this week, so let’s jump right in.
Hulk Hogan and NWA-TNA have reached the biggest deal of TNA’s history this week.
The deal, while not yet official, sets up not only a limited partnership between TNA and Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, the second highest-grossing and arguably most popular wrestler of all time. Not only is he a wrestler, but an inextricable pop culture “icon.” Hogan would take part in storylines and perhaps matches, leading up to a big match, on the largest TNA PPV ever.
The date: Sunday, November 30, 2003. The match: Hulk Hogan vs. Jeff Jarrett, a heel by the time. The idea: A three-hour supercard on PPV, from a different arena, likely with a special price tag affixed it, and a first. Not in wrestling, but in TNA. The idea would first have to be approved by at least iNDemand and DirecTV, but the date, 11/30, is two weeks after WWE’s dual-brand Survivor Series PPV, whereas to jibe with WWE’s schedule.
The last major PPV risk for ths company that even strives to come close to this was the month-long build to a Raven/Jeff Jarrett match on April 30. This is, obviously, a whole different animal.
Mr. Bollea, 50, and his assistant Jimmy Hart, 59, met on September 12th in Tampa, Fla. with part-owners Jerry and Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett, 36, also makes final booking decisions. The purpose of that meeting was to discuss both the feasibility of incorporating the Hogan character into TNA, either briefly, or over a longer period of time (including subsequent financial arrangements–always a big topic with regards to Hogan), as well as suggesting and outlining possible ways that such an arrangement could happen. In the three hour meeting, ideas were only preliminarily presented and discussed, as since this time strides were made forward and backwards in the negotiation process.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Henry Holmes, Bollea’s long-time attorney, agreed to the deal verbally, in a phone conversation with Jeff Jarrett Tuesday. The same report suggested that Jarrett was scrambling to get a signature on paper as of last night.
For Business’ Sake: TNA
This deal also comes at the same time that booker Vince Russo, an enemy of Bollea since an infamous double-cross at WCW Bash at the Beach in 2000, resulting in a lawsuit that Bollea lost only weeks ago, has been edged out of his power position. Mr. Russo, 41, lost steam in favor of his position, after the Jarrett formula that dominated for several weeks drew critical acclaim and resulted in slightly elevated buyrates, according to DirecTV estimates. Dutch Mantel, who has had recent success as IWA promoter, and was brought in without much fanfare, usurping much of Russo’s behind-the-camera production responsibilities, likely to the chagrin of Russo. Mr. Mantel is certainly more of an agent of the Jarrett philosophy and has the praise behind him that was likely to please Panda Energy management figurees and the Carter Family. And since it is their money, that’s important.
In making this deal, TNA is assuredly making a deep-cutting financial sacrifice that Panda will have to pay for. Panda, while a deeply-in-debt power company, is firmly committed, to the TNA project and Hogan in this atmosphere, is not a hard-sell to outside observers. Is it a financial sacrifice? Yes. Is it well worth it? If the money isn’t exorbitant and Hogan is used well, than without a doubt, yes.
The company is also thinking about who they originally described as not being competition, but realistically is their main competition, WWE. The big PPV move is certainly an acknowledgment in that change of the thought process internally at TNA.
TNA is also going to want to have additional leverage. After being in business for over a year, their original plan of simply promoting a weekly PPV and making money on being that type of alternative product, has changed due to the market not being receptive nor conducive to that type of product. Plain and simple: they need a TV deal. And as I’ve said in past editorials, there are two main ways that is going to happen. (1) With a new, fresh product, and the development of young talent to support it. (2) A recognizable face, someone already famous to help it. The wrestling names most suited for that role are Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and a question mark in Roddy Piper, whom they’ve already signed. The Rock is not an option. Hogan is an expensive wildcard, who used correctly, is gold.
Political Benefit: Hulk Hogan
There are also positives and negatives for Hulk Hogan, who is always choosing carefully how to play his cards. In his recent relationship with WWE and Vince McMahon he, twice, showed who was the master of that relationship, walking out of the company twice in the past two years when it didn’t fit his interests. He had that leverage in negotiations. Hogan = popular. WWE = desperate.
Naturally this upset Mr. McMahon, who doesn’t like the imposition created by walkouts. McMahon now says that he doesn’t want Hogan back due to this, but at the same time, any number of people say there won’t be WrestleMania XX without Hogan, and there will be a WrestleMania XX. McMahon himself has also been known to waffle on his opinions on these things, bring back Hogan several times, Sable, and Roddy Piper, even months after promotional campaigns against the company and McMahon.
Whether Hogan wants to return or not is tougher to ascertain. What is clear is that Hogan likes to maintain and obtain his money first and foremost and his ego. Lying is part of the fabric of his being–Christian or not. The effect of joining TNA or at least making such a scuffle could be positive or negative on WWE in terms of his chances of returning to work with them as well.
If Hogan joins TNA, there is one, last, huge legal-contractual issue. Creative control. How much? Of what nature? What freedoms does TNA have? Hogan? These are unanswered questions and certainly important wildcards.
The Match: Execution and Byproduct
The match itself is set to be against Jeff Jarrett. This decision will draw criticism. Jarrett, with a conflict of interest in being both wrestler and lead booker, has already been pushed to the sky as a face, only to be Milquetoast at the box office. Comparisons to Triple H were inevitable. The choice of Jeff Jarrett as Hogan’s opponent is not out of the ordinary, in fact when I heard the announcement, I expected Jarrett to be the guy. Is he the right choice? No clue. TNA only knows the way they plan to book Hogan. All I can say is that if their plan is to push Hogan ahead of others instead of using him to enhance and develop that talent, then they fall into the same boat as WWE, and they can’ t afford that.
WWE, already troubled by competitors as shown when Jerry Lawler worked with MLW, and lukewarm interest in contract negotiations in TNA, is going to have to be worried by a supercard. Since business is weak, even the subtle threat that TNA poses to their 300,000 avg. PPV buys and 4-6 million TV viewers is going to be substantial enough for WWE to have to acknowledge and deal with.
The result of this deal will depend unequivocally and entirely upon what TNA does with this opportunity. They could squander it, but what’s more intriguing than that slim chance that they don’t/
We will have more on this next week.
Show review: This was another off week for TNA. And three weeks in a row following that one-cent opportunity is not good. The first 15 minutes were plagued by technical problems, which happen, but still there really isn’t much leeway there, that needs to be fixed. WWE is a production powerhouse that deserves a tremendous amount of praise for their work, but nonetheless I came crashing down on them for three recent mistakes made on live RAW as well as the audio on the road at house shows, because those things, especially the mistake on RAW, just can’t go by like that. It’s worse when you’re paying. Taped shows are so much less than live ones but if TNA can do better taped shows than live ones (one cent, X Division tournament) than that’s may be legitimate option in my mind. Jerry Lynn continues to job, this time to X champ Michael Shane, which means he’s got to be going heel or something that I don’t understand is being booked here. Don Callis is now doing an unfunny angle taking the bent that wrestlers shouldn’t get medical insurance because they are independent contractors. Great business, making fun of WWE. Hopefully Callis’s delivery will save this. Piper’s interview was the same old crap from Piper that we’ve been hearing for years. Styles/Jarrett for the title is back in a few weeks. Nothing else, really. Next week, Michael Shane puts his title on the line against Chris Sabin‘s trophy; AMW against Kid Kash and Abyss with Terry Taylor as ref; and Chris Vaughn and D’lo Brown against the red-shirts.
News: Rash news. Borash is pleased with the addition of Dutch Mantel, touting his success in IWA. In IWA news, Mantel will be kept on with the company in a consultants role… Borash says there were a number of “various television executives” backstage. Talk about a broad statement… Jeff Jarrett and Borash had dinner with AAA promoter Antonio Peña on 10/1 following the TNA show. SAP audio play-by-play announcer Armando Quintero served as interpreter. They hope to form a relationship soon and Borash thinks they are off to a good start. Footage of Peña on TNA will supposedly be on the AAA Galavision show this week… TNA announced several TV deals this past week, but I feel the most important is the Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern time EDT spot, which airs nationally as part of a sports package available to DirecTV customers (Empire Sports Network).
That’s all folks. Shalom.
Matchmaker: Trevor Hunnicutt
trevor@thebalrogslair.com
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