Hulk Hogans career undeniably shaped the landscape of professional wrestling, but many people dont necessarily consider him to be the best booker in the business, especially when he was in TNA. In fact, Hogan has now revealed why he left TNA Wrestling during the early 2010s.
When Hulk Hogan joined TNA Wrestling in late 2009 alongside Eric Bischoff, there was a lot of excitement for what the new Hogan-Bischoff would bring to the table. When Hogan and Bischoff joined TNA, other big stars followed, like Jeff Hardy, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, The Nasty Boys, and even Bubba The Love Sponge. Despite bringing in these well-known names, TNA missed its chance to grow because it focused too much on older stars past their prime, instead of developing fresh talent.
TNA started strong by getting its highest-ever TV rating when it went head-to-head with WWEs Monday Night Raw on January 4, 2010. However, the company couldnt keep up that momentum, even after changing their unique six-sided ring to a traditional four-sided one. A few weeks later, TNA tried going head-to-head with WWE permanently, but the plan failed. The ratings dropped, and TNA soon moved back to Thursday nights. Hogan would ultimately leave TNA in 2013 and fans felt he helped ruin the company in a big way.
While speaking to the PBD podcast, Hulk Hogan talked about his reason for leaving TNA Wrestling. Hogan stated that the work itself wasnt boring, but the schedule was demanding. Dixie Carter aimed to compete with Vince McMahon, and Hogan advised her that to keep up, TNA would need to go live on Monday nights, tour on the road, and secure a steady flow of funds. Realistically, it would take around $50 to $70 million to match WWEs resources. Though it was exciting at first, the needed financial support didnt materialize, and he realized it was time to step away. When his contract expired, he chose not to renew.
Just a few days later, while at the Park Meridian Hotel in New York preparing for another business matter, Hogan received a call from Triple H. He shared that Vince McMahon heard about Hogans decision and wanted to talk. Triple H asked if Hogan might be interested in a return, possibly to wrestle The Rock. Hogan saw potential in the idea, and after discussions, they reached an agreement, leading to his WWE comeback.
For the record, Scott Steiner once told Dixie Carter that Hulk Hogan would run TNA out of business. Regardless, TNA Wrestling is now thriving thanks to its ongoing partnership with WWE and fans couldnt be happier about the companys growth after years of uncertainty.
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