Source: The Baltimore Sun
There’s no denying that TNA will be a different company now that it has signed Hulk Hogan and partnered with Eric Bischoff. Only time will tell, however, if TNA will be better off.
The shocking news that Hogan and Bischoff are going into business with TNA, which was announced today at a news conference in New York, raises questions about what their specific roles will be and what it all means for the creative direction of TNA moving forward.
Even though Hogan’s name doesn’t mean what it used to, just having him on the roster instantly raises TNA’s profile, and he’ll likely be able to open doors for the company that otherwise couldn’t be opened.
However, Hogan’s presence could alienate the segment of the TNA fan base that is seeking an edgy alternative to WWE. They’re not going to be too thrilled if TNA becomes a Hulkamania nostalgia show.
The best way to use Hogan from a creative standpoint would be as an on-air character who wrestles a few times a year in big angles. Hopefully, Hogan, who’s 56 and hobbled, doesn’t have his sights set on being world champion again.
TNA’s mission as of late has been to push younger talent such as A.J. Styles, Matt Morgan, Hernandez, Eric Young and others. The worst thing TNA could do as far as growing the company is abandon the youth movement. My fear is that – just as he did when he joined WCW 15 years ago – Hogan will get jobs for his cronies and we’ll have The Nasty Boys as TNA tag team champions and Brutus Beefcake as the TNA Legends champ.
It will be interesting to say the least to see how long Hogan and Bischoff can co-exist with TNA creative leader Vince Russo. Let’s just say that they’re not big fans of Vinny-Ru.
According to a report on pwinsider.com, Bischoff will not be involved in the day-to-day creative process. His focus will be on creating new television entities for TNA and securing deals for them. The report also said that he could end up having a role on TV at some point, which would be great because I always thought that he was a talented performer.
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