The Hulk Hogan era of TNA was a wild time for the company, with Impact Wrestling looking to take steps in creating real competition for WWE. Hogan received a massive role leading the promotion on-screen and behind the scenes by making big decisions. Unfortunately, the time is viewed as a failure since TNA failed to grow and took some steps back with the fan reaction.TNA witnessed a few ridiculous things happening that created criticism and hurt the overall momentum of the growing brand. Hogan wasn’t responsible for everything mentioned here, but he certainly did have a role in a few disappointments. Each of the following memories from Hogan’s TNA showed how absurd the television product became.
10 Abyss Getting Hulk Hogan's WWE HOF Ring
The instant observation of Hulk Hogan when taking over TNA was that Abyss would be the biggest face in the promotion. Hogan even compared Abyss to John Cena when doing interviews about his first few weeks in TNA.
The storyline to follow saw Abyss having confidence issues until Hogan gave the monster his WWE Hall of Fame ring. Abyss believed the ring was magical, giving him the confidence to win matches in an angle that ended up going nowhere.
9 Eric Bischoff Feuding With X-Division
The presence of Eric Bischoff in TNA saw him working with Hulk Hogan as the new names with influence on the creative side of the show. Bischoff’s eventual heel turn would see him having a few bad storylines, including feuding with the X-Division.
An embarrassing tag team match saw Bischoff and Matt Hardy defeat The Young Bucks when they were in TNA. Immortal wrestlers like Bully Ray and Abyss feuded with X-Division wrestlers to represent Bischoff for poor television.
8 Nasty Boys Trashing Team 3D's Locker Room
The history of Hulk Hogan getting his friends hired continued in TNA, contributing to a trend of what happens whenever The Hulkster gained power in wrestling promotions. Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags reunited as The Nasty Boys for the first time on national television in over a decade.
The over-the-hill team trashed Team 3D's locker room when they were in Japan for an NJPW show. Hogan believed that The Nasty Boys feuding with Team 3D would draw money, but it just created a negative backlash.
7 Hogan Pushing Ric Flair's Wheelchair
Ric Flair signing with TNA as one of the first moves made by Hulk Hogan placed him in many embarrassing moments. There was a stint where Flair was in a wheelchair for a couple of weeks to sell an attack.
TNA tried to go the comedic route of Flair getting trapped on the stage with Hogan behind him. The ridiculous visual of Hogan shoving Flair in a wheelchair down the ramp in horror summarized this chapter in their respective careers.
6 Bubba The Love Sponge Joining The Band
Another awful hire from TNA featured Hulk Hogan’s then-best friend Bubba the Love Sponge joining the company. The shock jock radio host got into a fight with Awesome Kong after controversial comments on social media and TNA decided to reward him.
Bubba was placed with the heel faction of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman in The Band trying to replicate the New World Order success. Fans were livid at Bubba getting television until TNA finally got rid of him.
5 Copying Montreal Screwjob
The start of Hulk Hogan’s TNA career came on the same night Bret Hart returned to WWE television for the first time since the Montreal Screwjob. TNA decided to make light of WWE running a Bret vs Vince McMahon feud by referencing the controversial moment from November 1997.
Earl Hebner was TNA’s top referee and once again asked for the bell to ring during an AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle match, despite Angle never tapping out. Angle spit on Hogan like Hart did to McMahon 13 years prior in an embarrassing TNA moment.
4 PPV Ending With Everyone Falling Through Ring
The face push of Abyss culminated at Destination X 2010 when challenging a heel AJ Styles for the TNA Championship. TNA wanted to protect Abyss while having Styles defend the title, so they booked a ludicrous closing angle.
Styles fell through the ring after Abyss hit a chokeslam, confusing all involved. Hulk Hogan tried to hand Abyss the TNA Championship belt, but other wrestlers interfered. Desmond Wolfe and Ric Flair each fell in the hole in the ring when trying to save Styles.
3 Rob Van Dam Getting Brutally Attacked In Debut
Hulk Hogan spent a lot of time recruiting Rob Van Dam to TNA when he was among the biggest names on the free-agent market. Fans believed that Van Dam would be a huge boost since his old style fit into what TNA represented more than WWE at the time.
The entire stint turned into a negative run, but the debut may have been the low point. RVD was introduced as Sting’s mystery opponent and defeated him within seconds with a surprise attack. However, his first night featured the follow-up of Sting brutally beating him with a baseball bat. Chris Jericho publicly criticized TNA for making a star look so weak in his first appearance.
2 Sting Holding Eric Bischoff Hostage With A Bird
The Joker phase of Sting in TNA saw him coming up with a new character meant to torment Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Sting even found a strange way to keep Bischoff hostage in an office when looking to prevent him from getting away.
A bird watched Bischoff with the implication that Bischoff would be attacked by the creature if trying to leave the room. Sting did have some fun moments with his Joker character, but this one jumped the shark to ridiculous.
1 Brooke & Bully Ray's Wedding
The idea of Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan having a wedding storyline in wrestling sounds like a fever dream today if you didn’t watch TNA at the time. Hulk Hogan was trying to over-push his daughter by placing her in a main event storyline with the main eventer.
There was even a ridiculous wedding segment that would get interrupted by Taz turning heel to join the Aces & Eights heel faction. Taz speaking up to pause the wedding ended with the masked wrestlers attacking everyone in the ring as Brooke ran off screaming.