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411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Does Hulk Hogan Have a Place in Current Day WWE?

July 29, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Hulk Hogan - Dave Sullivan Image Credit: 2K Games

Welcome back to 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Ken Hill & Len Archibald.

  • Questions were sent out Tuesday.
  • Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem, pizza and hydroponics.

    1. How exited are you for the WWE’s Evolution PPV?

    Len Archibald: 10 out of 10 – Any manipulation from Stephanie believed by fans aside, I am truly excited to see the female talent in a setting where they are the main focus. Created from the foundation that was built by Triple H, Dusty Rhodes, Sara Amato, Sarah Stock, Norman Smiley and the rest of the trainers and coaches from the WWE Performance center, for the first time in history (HISTORY!) fans are in a place where the female talent in WWE will be viewed as…talent and not a “piss break match” (unless One plans to be on the toilet for 3 hours.) There have been pioneers (Moolah, Mildred Burke and Mae Young), trailblazers (Wendi Richter, Alundra Blayze, Chyna) and ceiling-breakers (Trish Stratus, Lita), but we have never been in a setting where the female talent have had such a spotlight thrust upon them. I was ecstatic over the success of the first Mae Young Classic, I am excited over the Mae Young Classic II and I am more than ready to see what the women can do with the shackles off. First off, I am 99% positive that Vince McMahon will be nowhere near this and the event will be produced by Triple H and his team, which guarantees the event will be treated with respect towards the female competitors and not as a sideshow. Trish Stratus and Lita making appearances bring the star power. Hosting the finals of the MYC gives the event a hook that stands apart from the main roster. Having ALL Women’s Titles defended gives the event prestige. We know WWE has the roster: Rousey, Charlotte, Askua, Banks, Bliss, Bayley, Lynch, Shirai, Sane, Baszler, Kai, Carmella, Cross, IIconics, The Riott Squad, Jax, etc…Toss them out there, let them tell their own stories and give them the chance to tear the house down as they are able to do. I haven’t been this excited for a WWE PPV in a long time.

    Ken Hill: 6 out of 10 – It’s the LEN-KENNECTION, BAYYYY-BEEEEEEEEEE! I had to subtract a point for having damn near every backstage segment and every other sentence on RAW and Smackdown this week pull a “Poochie” and bring up the all-woman’s PPV even if it had no remote relation to the people involved (Balor, Gable, Rollins, Styles, etc.). A particularly annoying aspect of WWE programming for the last few years is how WWE tends to stuff such “historic” notions down our throats like so much pie at a blue-ribbon carnival. Set the table with your announcement and let social media gravitate towards the tantalizing aroma of fresh-baked gender equality (half-baked if you remember AJ Lee was the one responsible for #GiveDivasAChance, not the fans, and that the “days of 30-second matches” supposedly ending on Monday clocked in just under a whopping 5 minutes). Aside from that, I’m looking forward to it; WWE’s got a decent-to-great range of female talent on all the rosters and it’s a fine way to make up for the public and financial snafu stemming from the womens’ exclusion at the GRR.

    2. Smackdown running a mini-tag team tournament is a good idea.

    Len Archibald: FACT – I love tournaments. That’s pretty much it. I love when tag team wrestling is showcased. I love the potential of the tag team scene on Smackdown. The New Day, SaNiTy, The Bar, The Bludgeon Brothers, The Usos, The Colons (THEY ARE STILL THERE), can all run wild when given the chance. So, honestly, I love the tag team tourney really for my own personal reasons and my own personal enjoyment. (Even though I wish they would give SaNiTy a better push.)

    Ken Hill: FACT – It is a rather simple, cliche story-builder for the Bludgeon Brothers’ next opponents at SummerSlam, but Smackdown’s got a solid lineup with three top-tier teams in New Day, Usos and The Bar, as well as SAnitY arriving on the scene, so when you have that level of talent to ride on into a big show, simple is most often best. Plus, 2B’s a pretty straightforward, uncomplicated team to book around to begin with, so I don’t see a problem quality or booking-wise with the mini-tourney. Personally, I’d like to see The Bar win. While it would be a heel-on-heel dichotomy, I’d just like to see four hard-hitting dudes smack, swing, uppercut, and kick the crap out of each other.

    3. WWE will introduce Women’s Tag Team Titles by The End of 2018.

    Len Archibald: FACT – WWE can’t announce an all-female pay per view without providing another major “first”. Stephanie McMahon has acknowledged that there are considerations for Women’s Tag Titles, complete with the “we listen to our fans” corporate-speak. Even though most of us know the irony of that statement, I think we are in the midst of a perfect storm where the demand is high enough and the change in gender equality culture warrants it. Also, from my response about the Evolution PPV, the women’s roster is HUGE and will only grow more after WWE signs more talent from the Mae Young Classic. If WWE has enough women on the roster to fill a whole pay per view, they don’t have much of an excuse to open up a tag division. I wouldn’t be surprised if an announcement is made introducing those titles at the pay per view and a tournament finale taking place at Survivor Series.

    Ken Hill: FACT – I don’t see why not. With the RAW, Smackdown, and NXT Women’s Titles all on the same card for the first time, along with the 2nd Annual Mae Young Classic finals, it sounds like WWE is going whole-hog with the “herstory”-making aspect of WWE Evolution. Crowning new Women’s Tag Team Champions would be the best next step. Having them defended on both brands is a smart move as well, as it covers up the somewhat shallow roster pool on either individual show (though that brings up the question of whether the RAW and SD Women’s Titles should be unified themselves into an undisputed Women’s Championship and be defended on both brands). Sasha-Bayley, The IIconics, Alexa-Mickie, Mandy-Sonya, Liv-Sarah…if anything, WWE already has a tailor-made tag division ready to launch, and WWE Evolution sounds like the perfect takeoff point.

    SWITCH!

    4. Hulk Hogan really has no place in current day WWE.

    Ken Hill: FACT – I say this with certainty, but also from an immediate standpoint. While I’m sure it would be tempting by WWE management to capitalize right away on the media attention behind Hogan’s HOF re-induction, it would only serve to drag up just as much negative press, which WWE is wont to avoid in their PC, family-friendly era. Look at the Paige situation; while sitting her out due to her injury was a timely coincidence for both Paige AND the company, it also helped to slowly but surely take attention off of her sex tape reveal and her tumultuous former relationship with Del Rio, who himself had gone on record railing against WWE many times. It was only until the hooplah from both situations died down enough that she could be brought back onto WWE programming without drawing the wrong kind of press. Hogan’s in a similar situation; his harsh words crossed a lot of past and present black superstars the wrong way. Titus, New Day and others have done the right thing in remaining indifferent and making a proper PC statement by respecting his accomplishments but keeping an emotional distance. If Hogan goes and accepts an immediate role on WWE television or any sort of WWE-related public outlet, however, it’ll look to be as little more than a cash grab capitalizing on his re-induction and both he and WWE management will be cast in a more harsh, unflattering light by those both in and out of the company. Let things cool down for the rest of the year, then re-introduce Hogan onto WWE programming, perhaps around “Road to WrestleMania” time in early 2019.

    Len Archibald: FACT – To be flat out honest, I really don’t want to be involved in a conversation about Hulk Hogan. Everyone has very strong opinions on this, and I don’t want to muddy the waters further with stating my own. My opinions belong to me and my friends and family are the only ones who need to know. I will do my best to view this from as much of an objective view as possible: Hogan is the biggest name in wrestling, but any television appearances will be met with venom from those who will never forgive him for his words. At the same time, those who have forgiven him would react in cheers and in our current, emotionally charged divisive climate, there is a very real risk of an ugly conflict. WWE does not want this. At the same time, all Hogan can do is make sporadic appearances in a charity setting (as expected), but those appearances will not be heavily advertised by WWE because even though they have reinstated him back into the WWE Hall of Fame, it is clear they are still keeping their distance from him when it comes to mainstream press. If circumstances arise that you can’t use your biggest name in history in a public setting, ESPECIALLY within the context of why he is unable to, it is difficult to find any gains to having him within the current day WWE. Depending on your point of view, it may or may not be right, but public opinion in our 24/7 news cycle is tantamount and when you are a publicly traded company with shareholders and sponsors – some who probably want nothing to do with Hogan – it is impossible for Hogan to have a distinct, gainful role in WWE.

    5. The crowd will again rebel on Reigns vs. Lesnar at Summerslam.

    Ken Hill: FACT – I’d be more surprised at this point if something DIDN’T go down; it seems highly unlikely this match will go anywhere on the card but last, so Vince and company are going to have to have a contingency other than calling a last-minute audible/sympathy plea by having Lesnar beat the blood and piss out of Reigns and go over him like at WM 34. It’s possible that Lashley could still find his way into the title match with a few weeks left, but they should definitely have the MITB holder, whether that be Braun or KO, on standby regardless, because if they think the Brooklyn crowd won’t crap on or walk out on their two “platinum prisses” (I’d call them “golden girls”, but that’d be an insult to Blanche and the others) before the match ends, then Vince’s memory is about as “consistent” as WWE television’s sense of continuity.

    Len Archibald: FACT – Oh my god. Oh my. Oh. Baby, no. Honey, no. This was a mistake. The build with Reigns losing matches and title opportunities pretty much at every turn to eek one out undeservedly when Lashley was the natural #1 contender, to Lesnar NEVER being around backfiring on the fans, I am expecting…people not being very nice. We just witnessed fans shitting on a very good Iron Man match where Rollins and Ziggler busted their ass. These same fans will sit at Summerslam for 6 hours, get restless, probably remember the awesome event NXT put on the night before and when it is time for Reigns and Lesnar to lock up, they will be brutal. Now, whether or not this is right is another topic altogether, but the relationship WWE and their fanbase has at this moment is very toxic. When outrage from how the creative of the company is run spills into actual good matches and affects the performers who do not deserve such vitriol, how do you think they will react to a match they don’t want, with talents they don’t like, for a title they don’t respect, at the end of an over bloated event that drains them. I am expecting Royal Rumble 2015 levels of venom.

    6. Steve Austin spoke about the concept of managers in wrestling and that they should still have a [bigger] presence. He is right.

    Ken Hill: FACT – I 100% agree with the Texas Rattlesnake. Managerial loudmouths like Bobby “The Brain” and Jimmy Hart were effective not only as bombastic, colorful on-screen personalities in their own right, but also as mouthpieces for those like Andre the Giant or the Nasty Boys who didn’t always have the verbal skills to match their charisma, size and/or in-ring talent. Zelina Vega herself has been a proven verbal and physical commodity in reaffirming and boosting Andrade Almas’ WWE career in the eyes of both fans and critics, Lana’s just as over as her husband (Happy Rusev Day!), and Paul Heyman has gone above and beyond in his promotional efforts to keep Brock Lesnar in the memory of fans despite his inordinate, less-than-part-time schedule as a champion.

    I’d love to see more managers on WWE programming. Hell, I said before he got released that Cass having a mouthpiece like Miz as a manager could’ve done wonders for his career and, as we found out after he was let go, that his overall demeanor and attitude could’ve had a big turnaround with a veteran such as Miz who’s navigated the trials and tribulations of being an up-and-coming performer on the WWE roster himself.

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    Len Archibald: FACT – The proof exists: Zelina Vega has done more for Andrade “Cien” Almas than any of his impressive ring work could have done. Paul Ellering provided the legitimacy for the Authors of Pain in NXT and they feel completely naked and exposed without him. We don’t need to talk about Heyman’s part in building Brock Lesnar’s mystique, or James Ellsworth giving Carmella the heat she needed to be one of the top heels on Smackdown. Managers work, simply because it adds another dimension to the wrestler and provides a mouthpiece for those who may not be ready to speak for themselves. The Grand Wizard, Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Slick, Col. Parker, Sensational Sherri, James Dillon, etc. all played a role in bolstering the talent they were with and gave that talent the extra boost they needed. Andre the Giant wouldn’t have been much of a believable heel against Hogan at WM III if he didn’t join forces with Heenan. The Bodydonnas wouldn’t have been taken seriously without Sunny. Shawn Michaels wouldn’t have been able to reach that next level without Sherri. It’s just the nature of professional wrestling. If you are floundering, let a manager guide you, give you that extra dimension and help you master the fundamentals of telling a story in the ring. Hell, Austin knows…he wouldn’t have become Stone Cold if he didn’t establish a relationship with Ted DiBiase to the point that kicking him to the curb would kick start his own stardom.