Impact Wrestling, formerly TNA, has often been a victim of much ridicule, especially in the past decade. The company has certainly committed a fair share of travesties, many of which make absolutely no sense at all but at one point in time, the company was respected by pro-wrestling fans and praised for putting out entertainment content on a weekly basis.
The notion that TNA would offer stiff competition to WWE has always been a topic of amusement, and not much actual discussion. However, putting aside the competition aspect, at one point in time, TNA was seen as an alternative to WWE as the company was decently entertaining and in some regards, even better than WWE.
TNA certainly took pride in the X-Division and the Knockouts Division and there was no debating that TNA produced a much more impressive show in terms of actual wrestling and athletic prowess. The matches were longer and better and the company boasted a number of superb athletes, including AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
TNA was a distant number two in comparison to WWE but the company was sustainable whilst doing its own thing. The WWE was never going to view them as competition but a dedicated fan base used to flock towards the Impact-Zone every Thursday night and more often than not, fans got their money’s worth.
HulkaMania Arrives In TNA
However, in 2010, TNA moved from Thursday to Monday and was in direct competition with the flagship show of WWE, Monday Night RAW. The move to Monday night was orchestrated by none other than Hulk Hogan. Hogan was hailed as the biggest signing in the history of the company by the executives and many of them were convinced that with Hogan along, TNA would finally triumph over the WWE.
Moreover, Hogan brought along former WCW President, Eric Bischoff and the two were determined to “flip the company upside down"
There was one little problem. Hulk Hogan is certainly one of the biggest stars in the pro-wrestling industry and at one point, he transcended the business. However, that was the case back in the 80s and early 90s. Hulk Hogan’s star power had dwindled considerably by 2010 and his presence no longer guaranteed a sell-out crowd or a massive boost in ratings.
Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Hogan was convinced that with him leading the charge, TNA was ready to put WWE on notice and so, in March of 2010, TNA moved from Thursday to Monday on a permanent basis (they previously did one special Monday episode in January). History was repeating itself, with Hogan and Bischoff once again competing against Vince McMahon but as TNA would quickly come to know, the shift from Thursday to Monday was a disaster of crippling proportions.
The very first time that these companies went head-to-head was on the 1st of April, 2010 and RAW scored double the rating of TNA. This trend continued for the next few weeks and after two months of thrashing, TNA returned to its original timeslot on Thursday but the damage was done as the company had incurred massive losses and was starting to struggle financially.
What Went Wrong with Hogan in TNA?
Hulk Hogan had been coming off a disastrous run and a bad fallout with WWE, where the aging veteran had refused to put over full-time wrestlers, such as Shawn Michaels and a very young Randy Orton. Moreover, the defunct WCW also served as sufficient evidence to not sign Hogan and Bischoff. Dixie Carter, however, still signed Hogan to a massive contract and he was given far too much power.
The long matches of athletic spectacle were shortened and the bulk of the allotted time was devoted to senseless promos and vignettes, many of which were centered on Hogan. Much like WCW, the company concentrated solely on a single, grand story, such as Aces and 8s, and Bound for Glory series, while every other storyline was cast aside.
Hogan was also given considerable power in the running of the company, and this included creative power, as well as the power to hire people. He proceeded to fill the roster with his buddies, including the Nasty Boys and Bubba the Love Sponge, and his own daughter, Brooke. These wrestlers (Yes, Brooke was made the leader of the Knockouts division, in kayfabe, as well as real-life) had nothing to contribute to the product in 2010, much like Hogan himself.
TNA was degraded from a solid number two company in the wrestling world to the laughing stock of the industry. Even the more die-hard TNA fan gave up watching the product and the company suffered massive financial damage. Most importantly, TNA was badly beaten in the ratings war and forever stained with the taint of being an inferior product in comparison to WWE.
Hulk Hogan left TNA in 2013 and the company was in a more precarious position than ever before, mirroring the end of WCW as the roster was unhappy and finances were bleeding. The last time Hogan was seen on TV; Dixie Carter was clinging to his legs and begging him to stay. Of all the ridiculousness witnessed during Hogan’s stint in TNA, the last segment was the quintessential cherry on top of a mud sundae.