Hulk Hogan’s Impact on TNA Wrestling Identity

Jeff Jarrett reflected on Hulk Hogan’s run in TNA and said Hogan’s arrival changed the identity of the company.

Speaking on My World, Jarrett reacted to a clip from Dark Side of the Ring covering TNA’s decision to move away from the six-sided ring after Hogan came in.

My chuckle was, boy, Vice, Dark Side, they know how to create sound bites.

And kudos, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do.

Jarrett said the six-sided ring was not the only thing that defined TNA, but it was part of the company’s identity.

It was what the brand was about.

X Division, Knockouts, four distinct divisions, but the ring, when you tune into a wrestling program, it identified us.

Jarrett said the six-sided ring was part of TNA’s brand and DNA.

Was that a good or bad decision?

It could almost, you can say it’s a creative decision. It’s subjective, but on the other hand, it’s a part of the brand, a part of the DNA.

Jarrett said the ring also mattered from a business standpoint, including merchandise and toy visibility.

How hard is it to difficult when the toy buyer made the single decision to say, Toys R Us, you’re in. WWE doesn’t have that.

We’re going to sell. You’ve got shelf space.

Now, did I do it for toys? No.

But it was a brand identifier.

Jarrett said he knew Hogan removing the six-sided ring was a major change.

I knew when Hogan took it away that, look, if he would have been better creative and write better stories and this and this and this and maybe leaned into the X Division or leaned into this.

Jarrett then said Hogan and Eric Bischoff were not fans of several pieces of TNA’s identity.

But Hulk and Eric hated the six-sided ring, hated the X Division, went on record on that.

Jarrett said he was not trying to criticize the wrestlers brought in during that period, but said the direction represented a clear shift.

They brought in Nasty Boys, and look, I go back 40 years with the Nasty Boys.

I ain’t raining on them or Orlando or any of the other talent they brought in.

Jarrett said Hogan’s TNA run pushed away many of the elements associated with Jarrett’s version of the company.

They literally swept out anything that had to do with Jeff.

Jarrett said the responsibility ultimately rested with Dixie Carter.

I’ve said this, when you really drill it down to it, Hulk was making his boss happy.

It’s what Dixie, it ultimately rests all on her shoulders.

Jarrett also discussed his personal dynamic with Hogan, saying Hogan had respect for his father, Jerry Jarrett.

He always spoke very glowingly about my dad.

Jarrett said he still views Hogan as the biggest box-office attraction in wrestling history.

I still believe to this day he’s the single biggest box office attraction this business has ever produced.

That’s including all of them.

His runs are unbelievable.

Jarrett said Hogan had known him for years through his father and may have continued to view him that way.

As far as Hulk and that time of his life, yep, I was Jerry’s kid.

There’s no doubt about that.

Jarrett said he had dealt with that perception from several major names in the industry.

Whether it was Hulk or Eric or JR or Vince, Carlos Colon, I’m just trying to think of just about anybody I worked for, there came a time that, again, because you have to be around people and communicate with them.

Jarrett said some people eventually saw him as more than Jerry Jarrett’s son after watching him work behind the scenes.

They got to see kind of firsthand like, oh, Jerry ain’t going to treat Jeff like Nick treated George Gulas.

Jarrett recalled Jerry Lawler eventually recognizing that he had paid his dues.

There came a time where Lawler went, “Okay, this may be Jerry Jarrett’s son, but not just that. He’s paid his dues. He can stand on his own two.”

Jarrett said Hogan never really had that kind of perspective on him.

Hulk never really knew me, right?

As not just a human being, but in WCW as a talent.

Jarrett said the dynamic changed when Hogan came into TNA.

It’s completely different when, hey man, I’m working for this guy.

Jarrett said Hogan never processed the relationship that way.

Hulk Hogan in his mind never came to work for Jeff.

Jarrett said the reality was that Hogan was working for the company where Jarrett remained a major owner.

The reality was, until 2015, I was still the single biggest stockholder in the company.

So, yes, he worked for me and Bob Carter.

Jarrett said Hogan did not allow himself to see it that way.

I don’t think Hogan really ever would let his brain go there.

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit My World with Jeff Jarrett and Conrad Thompson, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.