TNA Wrestling: Hulk Hogan Was Right with His Pre-Bound for Glory Comments

Hulk Hogan was very busy in the week leading up to TNA Wrestling's big pay-per-view Bound for Glory.  Hogan has been on a media blitz unlike any that has been done in the company's history, with appearances on ESPN, the Today Show and the Howard Stern Show.

However, not all the media promotion for the PPV has been productive.  Comments Hogan made while a guest on the Busted Open show on Sirius 94 XM 208 has gotten him in hot water with some TNA fans.

When asked about TNA star Bobby Roode—who is in the Bound for Glory main event against Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Title—Hogan made these comments:

"

“Nah, he’s not ready. He’s not the next guy. Ya’ know, they might think he is.
Dixie Carter might think he is. The whole world might think he is. He’s not the
next guy. If I had to bet money on anybody and really be serious about betting
money on anybody, I’d say Jeff Hardy is the next guy if he keeps his act
together. Um, that’s what you gotta to have, man.

"This is much more than being a wrestler, this is crossing barriers, medias, ya’ know media barriers, and, and entertainment barriers of all kind. Getting your character down verbally has 90 percent to do with getting over. I just have a very strong feeling Kurt Angle’s going to clean his clock performance wise, and carry the
match, and basically remains the champion. He’s training for the Olympics.
He’s had some up and down moments, and I think this is not gonna be a down
moment for Kurt Angle, so I’m betting that farm on him.”

"

Some TNA fans were heated that Hogan said this about Roode right before the biggest match of his career at the company's biggest PPV of the year.  Fans were also ticked that Hogan put his support behind Hardy, who embarrassed the company by being in no shape to perform at the Victory Road PPV earlier this year and has had repeated problems with substance abuse.

Hogan wasn't done as he also had comments about TNA superstar A.J. Styles

"

"It’s never too late. I mean, I just don’t know. I, when I first came in all
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed a couple of years ago, I had a ton of suggestions
which I was kind of pushing real hard, which I thought would take him to a
crazy, crazy level, and nobody responded. So, I don’t know at this point. I
have my ideas, but a lot of things that I believe in, and what I feel from the
crowd, and what I know. The little I know about this business. Sometimes, it’s
either taken and used, or used and it doesn’t work, or it’s not used at all. So,
it’s just...it’s my opinion. I don’t know at this point.”

"

Styles didn't take it well and responded on Twitter.

"

"Frustration setting in when your own guys bury the company that u have
worked so hard for........Brother!"

"

While there was some definite timing issues with what Hogan said, there was also something else in his words that was missed—that he made some valid points.

I'm a fan of Bobby Roode, and I think the build to his match at Bound for Glory has been as well done as anything TNA has done in awhile.  However, is he the guy that is going to be the face of a company when that company is looking to take the next step in mainstream popularity?

That is the point Hogan was trying to make.  TNA, more than almost anything, needs that guy who is going to be that mainstream draw that ESPN and Howard Stern will want to have on their show—so they don't have to depend solely on guys like Hogan for it.

This is still the company that has had big-name talent like Kevin Nash, Rob Van Dam and Ric Flair in the company, who have all mentioned that fans still come up to them and ask them what they are doing now that they aren't wrestling anymore—despite the fact they were wrestling for TNA.

It's debatable if Roode is the guy that will fix that for TNA.

When fans are criticizing Hogan's comments, there are some things they should consider.

1.  When you think about the guy who will take TNA to the next level of mainstream popularity, do you see that guy as Bobby Roode?

Keep in mind, becoming a mainstream star is not based on how good your in-ring skills are.  When Hogan mentions who "the guy" is, he's talking about guys that can be for the company what he was to the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s.

He's talking about guys that can be what "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Bill Goldberg and John Cena have been to the business.

While some of those guys were skilled in the ring, like Austin and the Rock, it was their character and personality that made them big stars.

Even the current favorite of the die-hard wrestling fan community—C.M. Punk—has gotten to where he has in WWE more for his personality and promos (he's had a great match at Money in the Bank and good ones at SummerSlam and Night of Champions marred by bad finishes).

Roode has proven to be a solid promo maker, but nowhere near the level of the other people mentioned here.

Then there is A.J. Styles.

Styles is another great wrestler in the ring but only a decent promo and character.  You can't really say Hogan was wrong about either talent in that aspect.

There is no question about what Styles has done for the company, but it is now about the next level.  Can Styles fill that role compared to other wrestlers who have in the past?

It is all about mainstream appeal.  There's a reason Ring of Honor has talent with WWE or TNA backgrounds as two of their three champions since their return to television.

2.  Is the uproar towards Hogan's comments about Roode or about TNA's booking in the Hogan era?

Hogan's comments about Roode and Styles have been heavily criticized by long-time TNA fans.  The question I have is if those criticisms are about the comments themselves or about the way TNA has been since Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have been there?

In that time, homegrown TNA talent like Styles, Roode, Samoa Joe and others have taken a backseat in the main event to talent brought in that established themselves in other companies like Angle, Sting, Hogan, Hardy, Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam.

This has been a sore issue for many TNA fans that would like to see the homegrown talent/young guys be the ones in the main event.  It's not a surprise the fans are so strongly behind Roode and Styles.

However, if TNA had been focusing more on the younger talent, would sentiment be as strong?  Would Roode be the homegrown talent fans picked to be that main guy?

Talent like Samoa Joe, James Storm (who Hogan put over as a guy who could be a big star), Matt Morgan and others are probably better bets if you want to choose a younger talent to get that big push.  It is Roode that is getting the big spot on Sunday and fans are feeling strongly about him as a result.

3.  Even with his questionable history, Jeff Hardy is a potential mainstream star.

Hogan's comments about going with Hardy as a guy who could be the big star in TNA also got a lot of heat.

There is no question that Hardy is his own worst enemy.  There is also no question about how big a star he can be.

At one time—during his last stint with WWE—Hardy eclipsed even Cena in merchandise sales.  He was also the top merchandise seller in TNA after returning to the company in 2010.

When it comes to mainstream success, Hardy has shown he can be that guy.

You can definitely dispute the bad timing of Hogan's comments (though—to be honest—anyone that heard Hogan's comments on the radio or read about them on the various wrestling media sites are highly unlikely to have had their opinion of Roode, Styles or Hardy swayed by him), it is unfair to say there was no validity in his points.