2013 could indeed be the year of HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN. Seriously. Just look at the current angles going on in TNA. The promotion's #1 angle right now is Aces & Eights. After several months of building up to this year's Bound For Glory, the groups leader still has not been reveled, nor has the purpose of their existence been established as of this writing. Fans are constantly guessing as to who the leader will be and TNA keeps sending them swerves. The only consistent thus far has been Hogan. Although surgery kept him out of the BFG match clearly the angle is centered around him. According to rumors (and there is no way to confirm or deny this) the Aces and Eights angle is going to continue until Lockdown. This leaves the door open for multiple possibilities. So just for fun, let's take a look at a possible scenario.

    Starting with our first (and only) consistent - Hogan - it becomes clear that the leader has to be someone with a history with the Hulkster. Lots of guys fit that role. Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Scott Steiner, Eric Bischoff, Sting, Brooke Hogan (now that would be a swerve), Vince Russo are but a few of the possibilities. While all of them have different reasons for being the As&8s leader, for the purpose of this blog I'm going to assume that Scott Steiner (although I'm not saying that I think it's going to be him). His rants against Hogan, Bischoff and TNA over Twitter and the resulting lawsuit makes him a perfect heel with a vendetta against Hogan. Plus his reveal as the As&8s leader would be shocking to the fans.

    After making a a big splash returning as the As&8s leader Steiner would also make for a good opponent for TNA World champion Jeff Hardy. While I don't know how good the match would be, the story line with the returning Big Poppa Pump having the interference of his gang would make for tough competition for the champion. With all the damage As&8s have done to the TNA roster it's very likely that they would be just as effective in securing that TNA World title for their leader. Once the title has been won, the real plot come into effect. Steiner wants total legal control of TNA. To achieve this he challenges Hogan to a title vs control of TNA match. This match will take place at Lockdown where Hogan will use that infamous ball peen hammer (thrown into the ring by As&8s) to defeat Steiner to save TNA and win his first (and probably only) TNA World title - his first championship in over a decade. A great way to climax the As&8s angle.

    But that's not all... There is another angle involving Hogan that also needs to be settled. Matt Morgan. Since returning to TNA "the Blueprint" has been making Hogan's job a living hell. He humiliated Hogan at the grand opening of Hogan's Beach Shop and stole the cape Hogan wore when he faced Andre the Giant at Shea Stadium in 1980. Since then Morgan has spit on Hogan's authority at every opportunity even calling him "Terry" in a show of disrespect for the GM. Once Hogan has one the TNA World title Morgan is going to want a title shot. Hogan comes out on Impact Wrestling and talks about how it was never his intention to wrestle for the TNA World title and that "unforeseen circumstances" forced the issue. He talks about how this is no longer his time and is about to surrender the championship when Morgan comes out and talks about how Hogan would love to be able to just walk away and retire as champion.  But Morgan isn't going to allow it. He will make accusations on how Hogan supposedly forced him out of TNA, how Hogan is afraid of him and push every button he can until Hogan agrees to the match at the next PPV.

    In order to help build for the match, Hogan will wrestle a 6 man Tag Team match on Impact Wrestling with Morgan on the other team. Throughout this match Hogan and Morgan will be teased; the commentators will make a lot of references to all of the giants Hogan has faced throughout his career. Morgan - at 7 feet - is one giant Hogan has never faced. Plus Morgan is much is much younger than Hogan and feels that this is his time (something Hogan once said on Twitter), but they will spend VERY little time together in the ring. Old school booking that will help build interest for the match.

    At the PPV. Morgan will be accompanied by Joey Ryan. This will be to give someone for Hogan to beat up on and get the crowd to put (as Ryan has a lot of heat) while maintaining Morgan as the dominant man in the ring. Hogan will spend the majority of the match on the mat or trapped in the corner (to protect his back) as Morgan seems to have little trouble with the aging Hulkster, save for a few spots of offense as the Hulkster attempts to comeback. Toward the end Morgan goes to the top rope where he attempts to finish off the champion and claim the title. But the Hulkster moves out of the way. Morgan is hurting for the first time in the match. Now is Hogan's opportunity. He throws everything he has left at Morgan - even shouting "AXE BOMBAH!" before delivering the big clothesline. But Morgan won't go down. So Hogan gives the sign for the slam. The crowd goes nuts. The commentators are questioning is Hogan's back can handle it. After riling up the crowd Hogan delivers by slamming Morgan in the middle of the ring. Hogan then hits the ropes for the legdrop but Joey Ryan grabs Hogan's leg. Hogan reaches over the ropes, grabs Ryan and starts choking him before laying him out with a right cross. But then Morgan attacks Hogan from behind and delivers the choke slam (one of Hogan's few bumps of the match). It's all over. All because of the interference of Joey Ryan. 1-2-... KICKOUT!!!

    Just when it seemed that the match was over Hogan begins to Hulk Up. The crowd goes crazy. Morgan punches Hogan several times but Hogan just shakes it off and points his finger at Morgan as the crowd shouts, "YOU!". Hogan blocks the next punch, throws three of his own, and sends Morgan into the ropes for the big boot. But before Hogan can deliver the big boot, the younger and faster Morgan delivers the carbon footprint to Hogan and quickly covers him for the pin and the title. Morgan has done it! He not only has finally become the TNA World champion, but he defeated the greatest of all time (even if he is past his prime) to do it. Not only that but he became the first person to stop Hogan in the middle of a Hulk Up. A huge feather in the cap of Morgan who has proven that yes indeed, this is his time.

    Though this booking we achieve several things. We get a proper leader and climax to the As&8s angle. We find a proper way and reason for Hogan to get the TNA World title (and give one last reign for the Hulkamaniacs). We also have Hogan defeat an older wrestler to win the championship (so non of the younger wrestlers have to lose to the aging Hulkster - not that losing to Hogan is a bad thing mind you) while then dropping it to the younger generation. Hogan wins it in a cage match with the use of the ball peen hammer (which is relevant to the As&8s angle), but loses it cleanly to the younger and stronger Matt Morgan. We also get to play off of Hogan's years of battling giants and we get to see him slam one more giant before dropping the title. Even Scott Steiner only wins the title through interference of As&8s. The story is build up logically and the younger wrestlers never lose clean to the older guys. All sides win.

    Even the booking of Hogan's matches are to help protect his back. The cage match will allow for more of a brawl so that Hogan doesn't have to bump much and can just crumble to the mat after being thrown into the cage. The 6 Man Tag Team match will give the fans a change to see Hogan victorious as champion one time on TV, it teases the title match and Hogan doesn't have to do much and therefore can hide his limitations while still using that incredible charisma (which is STILL the best in the business) to energize the crowd. And finally the ending of the Hogan/Morgan match is designed to tease the legdrop (which Hogan can't do because of his back), and having Morgan through the Carbon Footprint at that time also prevents Hogan from failing to hit the 7 foot giant with the big boot. This way a great story is told, Hogan's strengths are still used while keeping his weaknesses hidden. I hate to say it but Hogan isn't as young as he used to be, but as I've just demonstrated, with the right booking and under the right circumstances a Hogan World title win can still be magic.

That's how I would book it.

TNTMF,

The Boss

    

Let me start off by saying that I have NOT watch this video nor do I have any plans to (Well, at least not until the entire 30+ minutes is released, to hell with a one minute clip). However, seeing as this thing has become huge (no pun intended) on the social media scene, I have read numerous reviews on said clip (and a few who claim to have seen the entire video). THAT is what I want to talk about. The social media's coverage of this thing and where it can go from here. We'll save the legal stuff - whether or not Hogan knew he was being filmed, who's responsible for it's release etc... for another time.

     First of all I can't blame the public for all of the attention this video has received, after all sex is what our community was built on - literally. So naturally there is a curiosity about it when it involves a larger than life celebrity. My first thought after hearing of this tape - especially after all the bad press Hogan got from his divorce, his son's accident and the resulting injury to his friend John Graziano - was, "Oh, the Hogan Haters are going to have a field day with this." and while there have been plenty of people who have called it "disgusting", "immoral", "clumsy" and "awkward" the majority of reviews on this video, to my surprise have been positive, some even praising the Hulkster's performance even calling it a "masterpiece". Now I'll leave that for the viewers to decide, but one comment that has been consistant (even in the poor reviews) is that apparently the Hulkster has a lot to brag about in terms of voluminosity. Vivid has reportedly offered Hogan an "open checkbook" for the rights to distribute the video claiming that Hogan is, "bigger than Andre the Giant in all the right places." That being said I have to quote my personal favorite review in this regard (let's see if I can type this without pissing my pants laughing) which was from Gawker - the site that leaked the video - claiming of Hogan's manhood, "...even withered from steroids and old age, still looks like a thermos you would find in a child's lunchbox." ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!  I'll never be able to look at my Hulkamania lunchbox the same again.

     Hogan has filed lawsuits and claims that he wants someone in jail for this. The woman in this now 6 year old video is believed to be the ex-wife of Bubba the Love Sponge who may be responsible for the video being leaked. "If that's true..." says Hogan "...then he was never my friend." But enough about the legal aspect. Again that is another topic for another blog. Meanwhile, seeing as how the response to this video has been shockingly positive, how can Hogan use this to his advantage? Perhaps in can be - tastefully - used in an angle on TNA.

    Now before all of you start screaming, "Are you out of your mind?!?!?!" remember I said to use it "tastefully" (and no, I'm not referring to the blowjob Hogan got on the video). Perhaps, Aces and Eights, once they have taken over TNA will now seek to humiliate the Hulkster by threatening to release the full video - or even claim to have the proverbial potential SECOND video that Hogan referred to on Howard Stern. Without ever showing the video they could just push the boundaries each week with the threat to do so as Hogan seems to have a nervous breakdown at the thought of the video's airing. Each week they could come up with new and creative ways (and places) for the video to start to air before Hogan and TNA manage to shut it down. But Aces and Eights keep saying, "sooner or later we're going to get this on the air" so as to get you to tune in each week.

     If they play this right TNA could get a lot of people tuning into Impact Wrestling for this. Not because they want to see the video (although I'm sure some perverts will) but more so to see  IF  TNA will actually show it. The trick will be to stretch the angle out and make it last a while, but also to not drag it on too long to where you lose your hook. Stay creative each week with when (and where) the video starts to air and how they manage to shut it down. There's some suspense for you. A story based in reality starring the most famous pro wrestler of all time in the biggest scandal of his life. Mix in a little sex, violence and suspense and you've got something that can be sold to the public.

TNTMF,

The Boss

     "Whah! Whah! Whah!" I hear it from the haters all the time. They bash Hulk Hogan for this, or for that without any rhyme or reason simply to bring attention to themselves or in a lame attempt to make someone else look good at Hollywood's expense.  Ain't happening. Hollywood Hulk Hogan (I'm so glad he went back to the Hollywood gimmick - my all time favorite version of Hogan) has accomplished so much and is on a level sooooooooooooo far ahead of anyone else that it is impossible to make him look bad. In fact, bashing him - or attempting to anyway - usually serves only to show the hater's lack of wrestling knowledge. A simple look at the facts usually squashes the hater's theory flatter than the Atomic Legdrop. Speaking of which, that's the subject on which I am discussing today. Hogan's legdrop has been bashed by hater's as an unrealistic finisher, but the truth of the matter is that it is the MOST realistic finisher in the history of the sport.

     For starters let's look at what a finishing move is. They are called "FINISHERS" for a reason. The term describes a particular move that the wrestler uses to FINISH OFF an opponent after a hard fought battle. The art is to weaken an opponent or a part of an opponent's body through the execution of strategic maneuvers during the match. Then when the opponent has become sufficiently weakened the wrestler executes a maneuver (the finisher) that he/she does particularly well that also focuses on the point of the body that has been weakened in order to get the maximum effect from said maneuver. In addition to making sense this also made for great story telling in the ring as you knew what maneuver wrestler A was going for and you watched as wrestler B was injured further and further making him (or her) especially susceptible to the finisher which built up the excitement to an extraordinary climax at the moment the finisher is executed.

    All the greats followed this formula. Ric Flair would work on his opponents knee throughout the match setting up for the Figure Four LegLock. Bruno Sammartino would work on the lower back to set up for the Bearhug. Harley Race would work on the head and neck to set up for the Piledriver. Big wrestlers like Andre the Giant would use their size and make you carry their weight to wear you out before delivering a splash of some kind. Hogan's attack was similar to this. The problem is that no one follows this formula anymore. Finishers have become these magic moves that can beat anyone at anytime regardless of the condition of the opponent. Many times now a days a match is won with ONLY the finisher, and the match itself no longer tells the story. Instead of working on a strategic part of the body or using moves to soften the opponent up for the finisher today's matches are little more than a collage of unrelated high spots that have nothing to do with setting up for the finisher and therefore don't tell that all important story to build the fans' interest. As a result a large number of fans don't even pay attention to the matches anymore. They pop for the entrance, and they pop for the finish but during the match they often can be seen texting. If the wrestlers would tell the story the fans would be interested.  

     This is why Hogan's finisher is one of if not the greatest of all time. His matches tell the story and it builds to a climax. If you watch his matches, the majority follow a set pattern. He begins each match using his (usual) size and strength advantage to wear out his opponent with a barrage of high impact maneuvers to put his opponents on the defense.  In addition he never gives his opponents a chance to rest. When an opponent is on the mat Hogan will pick them back up to their feet forcing them to continue to support their own weight and also continually fall and hit the mat over and over. This forces the opponent to dip into their reserves early and have to change their game plan to play comeback. When Hogan feels himself becoming winded he takes a step back and allows his opponent to take the offense usually by telegraphing a move (such as ducking too early for a backdrop) and giving the opponent an opening. Hogan's then spends the majority of time on the mat, conserving his strength and allows the opponent to use his remaining energy desperately trying to defeat the big man. Hogan allows himself to be caught in rest holds that he can withstand while dishing out just enough offense to keep the opponent running at full speed instead of regaining their own energy. "But how much can Hogan endure?" the fans wonder. "Will he be able to come back from this onslaught?" they ask as they watch in horror as Hogan takes a beating.

     When the opponent has run out of energy (usually signaled by an attempt at a finisher) Hogan reaches into his own reserves - HULKS UP if you will - and mounts a huge comeback. The powerful kick out and shaking of the head is an intimidation factor that tells the exhausted opponent how much energy Hogan has left. He throws a few right hands to put the tired opponent on the defense. He then shoots the opponent into the ropes and conects with the big boot which serves two purposes; 1) to stun the opponent and 2) to set him up for the finisher. Now if you are laying on the mat stunned and exhausted and a 300 pound man drops all of his weight across your chest, that's going to knock the wind out of you and as any athlete can tell you, when you get the wind knocked out of you, you become unable to move for several seconds. Well, three seconds is all Hogan needs. 1-2-3. DING! DING! DING! "Here is your winner, HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN!!!"

     Now THAT'S a story! Hogan's game plan is to keep his opponent running as hard as he can in order make that opponent use up as much energy as possible (while conserving his own) and keep them gasping for air so that Hogan can knock the wind out of them with one final blow. It makes sense, you can follow it, and fans - even to this day - get more excited for a Hulk Hogan match than for anyone else. As we saw on TNA's Bound For Glory PPV of 2011, even the World title match that had months of build up with a round robin tournament that saw a new star emerge was unable to follow the crowd energy of a Hulk Hogan match. Despite the fact that he not only lost, but didn't even do the legdrop, he still told a story, losing control of the company and turning face to rescue Sting from the attack after the match.

     Telling a story is vital, being able to read the crowd and know when they are into a match an knowing when to change pace is a must. Without it, the crowd won't care about your match. If they have to be signaled when to cheer through constant promos or they just wait for the finisher to signal them then you aren't doing your job as a wrestler. Hogan always tells a story and as a result is able to keep their attention and anticipation for every match. This is why Hogan - a man of 59 years - is still able to get the biggest pops over all of the younger talent.

      Before I go I just want to address a few of the typical complaints the haters use about Hogan's legdrop:

A legdrop can't knock anyone out:
Of course not. That's why it's called "finisher". Like I said above, it's a final blow given to an already beaten opponent. Hogan has never beaten anyone just with a legdrop. Even Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX had just wrestled for 20 minutes and even had salt thrown in his eyes before Hogan dropped the leg. Plus Hogan has never knocked anyone out with it. He knocks the wind out of them.  

Hogan's leg doesn't weigh 300 pounds:
True, while only Hogan's leg makes contact with the opponent as Hogan falls, all of his weight is behind the blow. Just like when a major league baseball player smacks a home run. Only the bat makes contact with the ball, but all of the player's weight is behind the blow.

A legdrop as a finisher is unrealistic:
     Did you not just read the article? It's not about the move but about the STORY. Building up the fans' interest and bringing it to an emotional climax. That's what Hogan's legdrop does. In any case it's sure a hell of a lot more realistic than hitting someone with just one "magic" move to win.

     No matter what the haters come up with, the facts and the cheers from the millions upon millions of HULKAMANIACS will forever prove that HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN - finisher and all - is indeed the greatest of all time.

TNTMF,

The Boss

     One of the most frequent topics brought up by Hogan Haters is Bret Hart's claim that Hogan refused to drop the title to him at Summer Slam 93. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that one. Haters cling to that as if it was a biblical stone tablet on which their way of life has been based for thousands of years. They use Hart's claims to make further accusations that Hogan used "politics" or "creative control" every time he wins. And whenever someone doesn't reach the level of stardom that HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN has attained (which is every single person who has ever been involved in pro wrestling) the Hater's point to Hart's accusation as "proof" that Hogan held people down. All this despite the fact that there is no real evidence that Hogan ever used such politics (on this occasion). In fact Bret Hart himself is the only person ever caught on video tape refusing to lose to someone (Shawn Michaels at the 1997 Survivor series).

     Yes, the very man who makes all the accusations is the sole individual who has been caught on video using such leverage to benefit himself. It is all clearly caught on tape on the Bret Hart biography "Wrestling With shadows". So how can his word - especially on this subject - be taken over anyone else's? But I'll take it a step further. Even without said video evidence, all of the other available evidence points to the facts that Vince McMahon had no faith in Hart and had no plans to promote a Hogan vs Hart match let alone having Bret go over.

     To start off let's simply look at Bret's time on top of the WWF. Hogan was gone, having left after WrestleMania VIII, The Ultimate Warrior (who had returned to that same day) was proving to be unprofessional, no showing matches and would soon leave himself. Ric Flair (the reigning champion) suffered an ear injury and had to quickly drop the belt so to take time off to heal. Enter Bret. Hart was given this opportunity based on his years with the company, his recent reign as Intercontinental champion and - most importantly - because the WWF didn't have any stars working for them at the time (other names such as Roddy Piper and Sid Justice/Vicious had also left by this time). So this was Hart's time to shine. Not only was he going to win the WWF World Heavyweight title, but he was going to beat one of the greatest and most legendary champions of all time to get it. Getting off to such a great start Hart vowed to be a fighting champion and someone to bring "respect" to the WWF title. And he did just that. Bret conducted himself as a proper champion. He fought hard in the ring beating the bad guys and tried to be a good roll model for the kids. The problem is... nobody cared.

     During the Hulk Hogan years the WWF saw unprecedented popularity. It expanded from a regional promotion to a national then world wide promotion that dominated the pro wrestling world. Before the explosion of HULKAMANIA the WWF title was no longer even recognized as a World title. But under Hogan would soon become THE biggest and most prestigious championship in the world. Hogan's popularity brought the WWF to network TV for the first time with Saturday Night's Main Event; a show that would regularly pull 10+ in the ratings. Hogan made pro wrestling (and the WWF in particular) so popular that 93,173 fans (a world indoor attendance record) packed the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to see the Hulkster take on Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. Less then one year later Hogan set yet another record by drawing a 15.2 (33 million viewers) rating for NBC on February 5, 1988. This is the highest rating ever for a professional wrestling event.

     Bret was never able to achieve any of this. During his time on top the WWF saw a dramatic drop in popularity. Not because of anything bad from Hart who continued to work as hard as he could, but he simply didn't have the charisma, the likability or the drawing power of Hulk Hogan and fans just didn't relate to Hart in the same way. So as WrestleMania IX approached Vince decided to go in a new direction. The 500+ lbs Samoan wrestler Yokozuna (billed as being from Japan) who was built up to be this unstoppable monster was being prepped to take the WWF World title from Hart and thus help to build new heroes as wrestlers would try to defeat him for it. But Vince had another problem. Tickets were not selling well for WrestleMania IX (more evidence that Bret was just not a draw) so Hulk Hogan (who was busy filming his new TV series "Thunder in Paradise") was asked to return for this event to help boost ticket sales.

     The original plan was to have Hogan team with Brutus Beefcake to win the tag team title from Money Inc and then go on a brief tour as champions before dropping the belts back to Money Inc. where he would then return in time for his TV show. According to Hogan, he came up with the idea of beating Yokozuna in an impromptu challenge at the end of the event and then drop the title back to Yokozuna at a later date in order to A) assure that WrestleMania ended on a high note and B) to help get the big Samoan over further as an unstoppable monster by having him win the title by defeating Hogan (which is certainly a lot more impressive than beating Hart who was still mainly looked at by many at the time as just half of a tag team). As it played out, Hart lost to Yokozuna after Yoko's manager Mr. Fuji threw salt into Hart's eyes. Hogan came down to protest and was challenged by Fuji to a match. with Hart's encouragement Hogan agreed but was immediately stopped by the new champion. As Fuji attempted to throw more salt, Hogan ducked causing Yokozuna to be hit with it. This allowed Hogan to get a quick victory and become the new champion. Despite what Hater's claim, this did not make anyone look bad. Hart was on the verge of winning and only lost because of outside interference. In turn Yokozuna, a man over 500 lbs wrestled for over 20 minutes to win the title showing incredible stamina for a big man. And Hogan's quick victory was the result of not only the salt but also the fact that Yoko had just wrestled. A series of circumstances that left the fans happy and wanting more.

     As promised Hogan dropped the title in the rematch at the very next PPV (King of the Ring). Not only was Hogan defeated for the title, but he had to be carried out and looked for all intensive purposes like a beaten man. To add further heat (no pun intended) a fireball was used on Hogan before Yoko defeated the Hulkster with his own finisher, the legdrop. Yokozuna (now billed as closer to 600lbs) now seemed unbeatable AND was hated more than ever.  Hart meanwhile was not cast to the side and in fact won the King of the Ring that night (although like everything else Bret whines about this saying that he had to "settle" for a King of the Ring victory - way to trash the sport you supposedly "respect").

     Hart points to this PPV as evidence that Hogan refused to drop the title to him at SummerSlam, but if you look closely at this PPV you can see the true evidence that Hart was never scheduled to face Hogan in the first place. After winning the King of the Ring, Hart was engaged in a lengthy feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler over who was the real "King" of the Ring and was not seen in the title picture for a full year. Hogan would not being seen on WWF TV again after this PPV (well, not for 9 years anyway) giving the impression that Yoko really took him out. In addition, during the Lex Luger/Tatanka match we see that Luger was being primed for a face turn which was the start of the push for the man who Vince was TRULY wanting to strap. Luger had battled the then undefeated Tatanka to a time limit draw showing that he was tougher than most. But then played to the crowd and asked for an additional 5 minutes which is an old school trick that crowds love and they cheered for it. Furthermore during the Hogan/Yokozuna match, more seeds were being planted for Luger's push as Hogan tried and failed several times to bodyslam Yokozuna. This was the first time Hogan failed to slam anyone. Leaving the fans to wonder, "If Hogan can't do it, who can?".

     July 4, 1993, Independence Day. On the aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid Yokozuna had issued a special challenge to any American who could bodyslam him (known as the "Stars and Stripes Challenge"). After many tried and failed Luger, dressed in the colors of the American flag made a dramatic entrance via helicopter and bodyslammed (some say it looked more like a hiptoss but what they hell) the nearly 600lbs champion to make his face turn complete and set himself up as the greatest challenger to the seemingly unbeatable champion. For weeks the WWF promoted Luger's "Lex Express" bus tour as they built Luger as the new American hero who would face Yoko at SummerSlam.
But the long term plan was to have Yokozuna reign until next WrestleMania where Luger would win the title. To accomplish this, a clause was put in the SummerSlam match that Luger would only get one shot at the champion. Luger would then win the match via count out and thus fail in his bid for the title.

     The plan was for Luger to lead the "New Generation" as they called the new stars they were trying to build, for the next six months hoping that fans would demand a rematch. Luger would then find a loophole in the clause, win the Royal Rumble in January thus being guaranteed a shot at the title at WrestleMania and having the big payoff at the WWF's biggest PPV of the year. The problem was... no body cared for Luger either. Despite his new "All American" image, Luger was still just Luger in the eyes of the fans. He still had all of the flaws that he always carried with him throughout his career. His appeal was limited and he was unable to keep the fans interest for more than a short period at a time. As a result the WWF began rethinking what direction they wanted to go with this. Clearly Lugar was not going to become the star they had hoped. So one day someone suggested that Bret feud with his brother Owen. Vince liked that idea. Brother against brother. That might work. They tried it out at that year's Survivor Series. While Luger lead his team to victory over Yokozuna's, Bret teamed with three of his brothers against Shawn Michaels (who replaced Jerry Lawler) and his masked knights. Owen was the only Hart eliminated and he began to scuffle with Bret. The crowd responded well to it and Vince decided that would make a great feud for the WWF title.

The problem was how to get the title on Bret. Vince still didn't see Bret capable of defeated the 600lbs monster of a champion that he had created in Yokozuna. The solution was to have Hart and Luger BOTH win the Royal Rumble (one of the lamest RR finishes of all time) and therefore Yokozuna would have to face them both. Vince found it more acceptable that Bret could defeat Yokozuna after Yoko had just faced and defeated Luger. After all when Hogan beat him at last year's WrestleMania it was right after Yoko had just wrestled (Hmmm). So Hart went on to win the title and feud with his brother Owen.

When one looks at all of the evidence and looks back on how the story line played out it becomes incredibly obvious to even the most naive of fans that there were no plans for Bret to face Hogan at SummerSlam. A) Hogan was filming a TV show and wasn't going to be around for SummerSlam. B) If the plan was to put the belt on Hart at SummerSlam he would have beaten Yoko there, but Hart wasn't even in the title picture for a full year. C) Vince clearly wanted the title to stay on Yoko to build his "New Generation" of stars from. D) From King of the Ring you can see the build up of Lex Luger to be not only the real challenger at SummerSlam but also to be the next big star. And E) Vince needed to shoehorn Hart back into the title picture because he didn't feel Bret was a big enough star to just come in and win the title.

All this in ADDITION to the video footage of Hart refusing to drop the title (even tough he was leaving the company - over money no less) shows that Bret Hart is a liar on top of being a whiner. Hart was mad because he never achieved the level of success and fame that Hulk Hogan has. Don't feel so bad Bret, NOBODY has been able to achieve that. And while we watch your WWE DVDs where you whine about how you were being ignored - even though you were World champion (explain that one to me) we see that you are not the image of "respect" that you claim but just an confident individual who, rather than be proud of his accomplishments, would rather whine about what he DIDN'T achieve. BOO f'n HOO.

TNTMF,

The Boss

UPDATE 8/21/12:
Less than a week after I posted this blog, new evidence appeared that supports this blog. Lex Luger appeared on the "Inside the Ropes" radio show and said the following regarding his WWE push; "Vince had a very special relationship with MSG, Vince thought everyone expected me to win the belt at SummerSlam but he said 'if we do decide to put the belt on you, lets do it at WrestleMania in Madison Square Garden instead, that's where I'd like to do it' I was never promised but that was the thinking."

So just as I said Bret WAS NOT the man Vince was looking to push at the time but Luger was. Further evidence that Bret Hart's whining is just that and is not based in truth what so ever.

TNTMF,

The Boss

_When I first decided to make this website it was not my intention to debut it on HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S Birthday, but that is exactly what happened. Call it coincidence, call it fate or call it the will of HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN (most likely theory) that I, The Boss of Pro Wrestling not only create the greatest and most complete HULK HOGAN match list available, but also complete said list on the Birthday of GOD himself; HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN! No coincidence there. HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN willed it!

Now as far as this website goes, I have a lot of plans. I not only wanted to make this match list available, but I also wanted to create a place where HULKAMANIACS can look up their favorite matches (or better yet, matches they had no idea even existed) and watch them. I therefore began adding links to the match list to any and all HOGAN matches available on line. This is and will forever be a work in progress as the matches (and quality of) available on line are constantly changing. In addition I plan to add more HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN statistics that HULKAMANIACS can continue to reference whenever they encounter a hater who tries to deny the  accomplishments of the greatest Professional Wrestler of all time: HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN! Now if you will excuse me, I must bow to his feet.

TNTMF,

The Boss