411 Fact or Fiction 02.22.07: Hogan, Austin, Trump, More

1. Hulk Hogan will appear on TV at WrestleMania 23.

JP Prag: FICTION. I think this is one of those off years where Hogan and Vince will not be able to iron out their differences. Since Vince seems to have a backup plan for facing the Donald, he doesn’t really need Hogan. The whole idea of having Hogan around was just to relive WrestleMania III, but they can do that with archive footage anyway. What is Vince going to entice Hogan with? Hogan wants a big match with a bigger payday, and Vince has neither to offer. Hogan knows he is better served being on a PPV where he can take a spotlight and the biggest paycheck, so it looks like things will be on hold until SummerSlam.

Zac Calhoun: FICTION. I agree with the decision but not the reason. We know Vince will put Hogan on a WM regardless if he or Hogan really need it, so that’s not why Hogan’s not appearing. It all comes down to politics. If this fallout between Vince and Hogan is as bad as people say it is, I can’t imagine Hogan showing up at a PPV that’s just six weeks from now. I’ve heard talk about him going over to TNA, I’ve heard talk that Vince and Hogan are done with each other, and most of all I saw Vince crack a Hogan joke on Raw during the Trump promo. These two are currently soured on each other, and a WM appearance is not in the cards.

Score: 1 for 1

2. WWE should not bring Steve Austin back in a TV role at this point.

JP Prag: FACT. Steve Austin’s time is done. Period. He can’t wrestle anymore, and he’s already showed that he doesn’t work in an authority figure/manager role. He doesn’t want to go out on the road, and lives in California which makes travel to most of the WWE’s locations hard. Having Austin around would just accentuate the greater problem in the WWE today: they don’t know how to move forward. Sure, it would provide a momentary pop in merchandise (though I doubt much in ratings and attendance), but that would be it. All it would show is that the WWE has been incapable of creating or replacing Austin in these past few years and are not doing enough to make the shows better.

Zac Calhoun: FACT. How weird is it that we’re not having these same reactions to Hogan’s repeated comebacks? Austin might be a walking cripple, but Hogan is still no better of a wresler. Anyway, I agree wholeheartedly here; it’s nice to see Austin every now and then…kind of, but there’s still no justification for giving him an extended role. However I do like the proposed role for him at WM, as it will bring some damage control to a match that scares me.

Score: 2 for 2

3. WSX will not be back for a second season.

JP Prag: FACT. Although the taping is planned for a few short weeks from now, WSX is a rather expensive project. Now that the #1 supporter of the show within MTV has been fired, and MTV is directionally challenged, WSX is going to be lost in the shuffle. Though the matches and show may be entertaining to some, they have failed to bring in a unique audience, new viewers, or maintain existing ones, so what are they supposed to do? MTV is looking for a show with a quick pop, while WSX needs time to develop. Plus, Spike is another Viacom property, so it would not surprise me if someone higher up decided that they did not want WSX cannibalizing the TNA audience. No, there is little hope of the second season being seen, even if they do tape it. I could see that happening, the taping happening but just being lost in the editing room as the network forgets it and moves on.

Zac Calhoun: FICTION. Hey, I’m aware that MTV is trying to cater to the crowd with the short attention span, but that’s why WSX works in the spot it’s in. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it succeeds in the respect that you watch it just to see what’s going to happen. From everything I’ve read, the show does better than everything else in that Tuesday night timeslot did, even after a slight drop-off, so MTV really has no justification for giving it the axe. They have a tendency to even let the bad ideas ride out (hell, the Jackass spin-offs are in their fourth seasons), so I’d bet on at least ONE more season for WSX.

Score: 2 for 3

—SWITCH!!!—

SPOILER WARNING!!!

4. Vince McMahon, not Donald Trump, will have his head shaved at WrestleMania.

Zac Calhoun: FACT. Unless Trump’s just getting tired of having hair, I see no scenario in which his guy would win this match. First of all, let’s take a look at their chosen competitors; Vince has a monster feel at his side who has made a good run but is definitely on a downhill slope now that the Cena feud is over. Donald, if you guys have kept up with the spoilers, has Black Lesnar, who the company’s getting behind and wants to build a brand around. Add to that the fact that Vince has never experienced a WM win, and that’s that. Look for Vince to do what he does best at his biggest show: take an embarrassing ass beating. Whether it’s from Lashley, Stone Cold or even Trump himself, Vince will not go over at WrestleMania.

JP Prag: FACT. Wow, thanks for the spoiler Zac! Well, it’s not like I didn’t know that, but still. Anyway, it’s pretty simple: What does Donald Trump have to gain by getting his head shaved? Answer: NOTHING! There is nothing Vince could pay him and no amount of publicity he can’t generate on his own without the WWE that the Donald needs. Vince, on the other hand, figures he can make some money by embarrassing the character of Mr. McMahon. I’m sure there are T-shirts, catch phrases, and DVDs all lined up for this event. Even Eric Bischoff got his hair shaved off (twice to the same results – gray hair underneath his shinny black hair), so it’s not like this is a major setback for the head of a wrestling company.

Score: 3 for 4

END OF SPOILER WARNING!!!

5. TNA ratings have peaked and will only go down from this point on.

Zac Calhoun: FICTION. The people in TNA have got to be feeling just a little downhearted by now. They’ve brought in numerous major stars in hopes of boosting the ratings, and for the most part none of it has worked. I think it’s becoming clearer and clearer that one face isn’t going to be the thing that put asses in front of the TV. During the Monday Night wars, WCW started beating Vince not because they signed Hulk Hogan but because they ran a super-hot angle and got outside people interested. TNA’s got the talent to run a truly national promotion, but they need the big breaks like a two-hour timeslot and a chance to get creative. Since that timeslot is apparently forthcoming, I will definitely say that TNA’s ratings have yet to hit their peak.

JP Prag: FICTION. Exactly! A 1.2 as a peek? I truly doubt it. TNA has something going for it that WCW did not at the end, and that is corporate backing. Both Panda and Spike (Viacom) want TNA to grow and see it as a long term investment. Because of that, they expect to be operating in the red for quite some time while TNA finds its niche. Has TNA brought new viewers to wrestling? A few, not too many, maybe less than a million in the USA. But do they have the potential to do so? Yes, so long as they can find a true draw in a long term angle/character that makes people want to tune in and can spread the bigger message that they do indeed exist. My Dad is aware of them now, and even knows their name, so that is a good first step. It will take time, but TNA is slowly growing an audience and awareness. Just don’t jump the gun if one week they are a 0.8 for whatever reason. Knowing how ratings are calculated, there is a lot left to be desired to truly understand how many people view a product.

Score: 4 for 5

6. Scott Hall deserves to eventually be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Zac Calhoun: FACT. Take this with a grain of salt though. I’ve never been the biggest Scott Hall fan, mostly because of the bullshit he pulls but also because of that point around 1997 where he stopped being useful to the industry from a wrestling standpoint. Let’s face it, the guy had a few really strong years in Vince’s mid-card then went to WCW to be important for less than two years. I’ll admit he was a key part of the biggest angle in WCW’s history, but I don’t think his longevity on top stands up to PLENTY of other guys. So why am I saying “fact” you ask? Well, they let Pete Rose and the Fridge in…wouldn’t make sense to not let Razor in now.

JP Prag: FACT. Although I have a much rosier picture of Scott Hall. I put Scott Hall in the same category as Roddy Pipper: Main Eventers who never won the championship. Scott Hall was involved in one of the most important storylines in wrestling history with the nWo. There is no doubt how much his presence dictated the direction of the nWo, especially in those formative months. And now, WCW’s history is WWE’s history, and they should acknowledge it. That’s not to say he should be inducted this year, or even in the next ten years, but somewhere down the road he deserves to be recognized for the considerable contributions he made to the direction of wrestling today. I don’t care about what Hall may have done wrong in his personal life (see: In Defense Of… Scott Hall), all I care about is what he left in the ring and on TV. That’s all that should ever matter in a true Hall of Fame.

Score: 5 for 6