OK. So, let's leave that one really bad match Hulk Hogan had with Ric Flair in TNA and the convoluted Immortal stable storyline out of this conversation, and let's maybe just pause and focus on Hulk Hogan's role as the angry dad during the "Brooke Hogan is marrying Bully Ray" angle in TNA. *pausing* There's absolutely no way that even the most sympathetic Hulk Hogan fan had any desire to see Hogan, Brooke and Bubba Ray Dudley involved in an angle together, and it's one of those moments that just really makes you wonder if Hulk Hogan cares about anyone tuning into a show because they're his fan. Related to this point, Hulk Hogan is always best when booked in angles by Vince McMahon. Even in the case of the entire "Hulk Hogan becomes Mr. America" nonsense that was WWE 2003, it was arguably 1000x better than the illogical idea of Hulk bringing Brooke into TNA in the first place, and then Brooke falling in love with again, Buh-Buh Ray Dudley. Anytime Hogan's not been a) booked by Vince McMahon or b) in the New World Order, it's definitely involved angles (especially this one in TNA) where it feels like Hogan's largely there for the paycheck more than anything else. If being in wrestling more for the money than for the people is why you are in wrestling, then you're probably saying f*** you to the fans, too.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
