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The Trial Of Hulk Hogan (Podcast Question)


Liam O'Rourke

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On this week's podcast we're returning to our trial format to debate whether or not Hulk Hogan's actions, throughout the course of his career, have caused irrepairable harm to the professional wrestling business, and we're looking for your thoughts on the subject, considering the following elements:

*His appearance on Arsenio Hall and resulting scandals
*His run in World Championship Wrestling and role in bringing the company down
*His stint in TNA and role in possibly hamstringing another potential alternative

To be clear, we are not debating the obvious positive impacts Hogan has had, just whether or not any of the above did irrepairable damage to the business as a whole.

As always we'll read the best contributions on the air and credit you accordingly, so what do you think, and why?

 

EDIT - The Hogan Trial, with many of the comments below discussed as "witness statements", is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/u2z4xr/SCGRadio54-TheTrialOfHulkHogan.mp3
 

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For me, I dont think any of those things did irrepairable harm to the wrestling business, simply because the business is such a minefield of scum bags, rapists, murderers, paedophiles and racists anyway, that the business will only keep their secrets for so long. His appearance on Arsenio Hall and the steroid scandal no doubt did damage, but even if he'd told the truth and been a good boy, the dominos were going to fall around the WWF around that period anyway, what with the whole ring boys scandal and what have you, which wasnt directly connected to Hogan. And the WWF recovered and were became far bigger than they had been when Stone Cold Steve Austin exploded in 1998, so the damage only lasted for so long.

 

As for his run in WCW, its obvious he really put a spanner into their growth after a certain point. But even if he was the most selfless man on earth, WCW still had Bischoff in charge, who lost the plot. They still had Vince Russo as the head writer, who hadnt got a clue what he was doing. They still had Kevin Sullivans scribblings, who was out for himself. That promotion was such a mess that it went from a $55 million profit in 1998 to losing $15 million in 1999. Hogan didnt help matters, certainly, but he was just another name in the dozens of clowns in that circus.

 

And for TNA, the fact he was hired should tell you all you need to know about that company. He just jumped onto a cash cow. TNA was going to go how it was going to go with Dixie Carter in charge. Whether it was Hogan or Jeff Jarrett or Billy Corgan or Vince Russo or Eric Bischoff, her track record for hiring people who dont have the companies best interests at heart is legendary. TNA lost their chance to make a first impression years before Hogan arrived.

 

So for me, has he done damage to wrestling? I'd say yes. Has he done irrepairable damage to wrestling? I'd say no, because there are so many idiots in wrestling its hard to say any one person can do irrepairable damage.

 

Now has he done irrepairable damage to his own career over the years? I'd say unquestionably.

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Seems an odd question to me. Because if he'd done irrepairable harm to the business, surely there'd be no business now?

 

The answer in which case is clearly no. The industry is relatively healthy and WWE don't seem to have taken too much flak over his latest episode.

 

If Hogan had obstracised himself from the business in 1994 or 1995, then it would have hit seriously hard times but it's just too big a juggarnaut these days.

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That's not quite a logical thread there, Rick. However, if we modify that a little, the assumption would be that if he has done irreparable damage to the industry, then it would be in a much better position now had those bad things not happened?

 

So, long term, lacking these incidents, would wrestling be bigger today?

 

I highly doubt it. And that comes down to Ian's point - it's a business so precariously shielding its true nature from the general public at all times it's impossible to imagine that the facade wouldn't have come crashing down in other ways through other incidents.

 

The TNA point is the best chance of proving the case, and even in that case it's so easy to point to a litany of other terrible un-hulk-related decisions.

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To play devil's advocate on that though, wrestling today is the smallest its been in a long long time. Raw ratings are the lowest since 97, and that was with WCW whipping their arses with a switch. Buyrates declined for years, they now have the Network but take less money in. The WWE alone is healthier as a corporation, but interest and the overall health of wrestling in America is at very low levels.

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TNA are the ones at fault for signing Hogan. If you were north of 50 years years old and some pillock rings you up offering you thousands of dollars per time just to show up and do your tired old Schtick from decades earlier to the benefit of nobody, who has really done the damage?

Hogan simply saw an easy payday for himself and any body who says they wouldn't have done the same if they were in his position is bullshitting

 

As for WCW, again another example of allowing the lunatics to run the asylum. When they did over-rule him, it worked in their benefit. Hogan suggested to Bischoff that the money they would use to bring in Nash & Hall would have been better suited to bringing in Yokozuna so that Hogan could be the giant/monster slayer again.

Aside from that, you've got him playing his creative control which didn't help anybody other than himself. But that's not damage done by Hogan, but by the people who said "yeah sure, you can Finsl say on everything you do "

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I want to thank everybody for the contributions, the Trial of Hulk Hogan is now online to listen to at the following link:

 

http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/u2z4xr/SCGRadio54-TheTrialOfHulkHogan.mp3

 

With Hulk Hogan facing the charge of causing irreparable harm to the wrestling business, the prosecution and defence go to war (with Judge Old Man Jones presiding) talking Hogan's negative impact on the WWF with his Arsenio Hall appearance, his role in bringing down WCW from its apex, and impact on the course of TNA's life. We talk steroids, sex, politics, burials, money and incompetence, and take your witness statements to determine whether or not Hogan is guilty. The fifth of the SCG Trials and a really fun show, check it out!
 

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