Matt Hardy Addresses Impact Arrival Of Hulk Hogan Had On TNA
January 4, 2010, was a landmark day in pro wrestling. For the first time in more than twelve years, Bret Hart returned to WWE to confront Shawn Michaels on "WWE Raw," while TNA Wrestling countered WWE with their first-ever live edition of "TNA Impact" that featured the company debut of Hulk Hogan. Hogan worked on-camera and behind-the-scenes for TNA for almost four years and although his name value was enough to legitimize TNA more than ever, he wound up harming more than helping.
TNA star Matt Hardy looked back on Hogan's time in TNA on "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" and the impact it had.
"There were definitely some of the things that happened that did set TNA back a bit. That going head-to-head, they weren't ready, that definitely wasn't the time, it was such a different dichotomy whenever '[WCW Monday] Nitro' was going head-to-head with 'Raw,'" Hardy stated.
Hogan coming to TNA was a package deal along with his old WCW boss, Eric Bischoff. Hogan was given immense creative control as well as the ability to hire individuals, using the power to hire old friends and family. Hogan also lobbied for the removal of the signature six-sided ring which was one of the most unique features of TNA. The focus on the X Division became lesser as well; the fast-paced, high-flying X Division style excited fans more than WWE's cruiserweight division that was disbanded in 2008 until 2016.
"I can respect the fact that they were trying to make moves, they were trying to grow the brand, they were trying different things, but I felt like you need to keep the essence of TNA alive and they tried to overly kind of 'WWE-lite' TNA that day,' Hardy continued. 'TNA had a vast amount of talent that were so good... it's really important to stress that X Division because that is something that made TNA standout from WWE and I think that's what really made it special, especially back in the late-2000s."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.