SpikeTV-TNA Countdown Clock, Hogan News & Notes, iMPACT!

Spike TV is currently running a countdown for tonight's iMPACT!. The clock reads, "Hulk Hogan Comes To TNA Live!".

Don West is already running a Hulk Hogan sale on ShopTNA.com.

While TNA is taping tomorrow night, this Thursday will be a replay of tonight's show. The show taped tomorrow will air on January 14th.

Thanks to reader Marty Hotts for sending this recap from the BJ Shea's Morning Experience along? Hogan starts off the 1/4/2010 interview with a Kayfabe Hulk Hogan interview. Hogan says he will be going up against the monster and it's going to be crazy tonight. He's trying to let everyone know that he's on Spike tonight. He wants to put it back on the map because nobody knows more about the business than him. When asked about McMahon, Hogan says he wins. He got people's attention, giving wrestling talent a chance – he wins again. He said don't miss the first couple of beats on Impact tonight because it's going to get "crazy right from the start". Talk shifts to Vince Russo and now how Hogan is Russo's boss. Hogan says Russo now works for him "isn't that something". Host asks if it was true that when Russo fired him, was Hogan making $1 million a month. Hogan says he had two years left on his contract and the first thing Russo did when he got into WCW was "get rid of Hogan" (referring to October 1999). Hogan said that didn't help him at home when he would tell his family that he got fired by a guy who didn't know his head from his "you know what". Host says "you can say ass here". Hogan says he had a chance of going back to the WWE and it was the same old thing. He didn't want to be part of the HHH/HBK political game, nepotism, and if he got cheered too loud he'd be in trouble. He said TNA was talking to him, there was talent there, it's on fire, and needed someone like him to tweak them in. He mentioned WCW and Ted Turner era. Hogan says the fans have a choice now. He says "Wait and see what I'm doing tonight. I guarantee that I can get you guys hooked". He says he'll show them how fun wrestling can be again. Host mentions that it's fun to see this good old competition and that people are saying WWE is getting stale and boring. Hogan says the fans don't have a choice and if you want to see Randy Orton face John Cena for 30 weeks, you don't have a choice. Hogan says that it's nice to have the keys to the car for a change. Host mentions Jeff Hardy rumoured to show up to watch the live episode. Hogan says he was in Australia and Hardy was there with Shannon Moore and Hogan said Moore tore the house down and that if he signed with TNA, he'd like to talk to Shannon Moore. Host mentions CM Punk's previous negative comments and played the clip prior to listening to Hogan's response. The clip shows CM Punk talking about "Tribute to the troops" will probably be a much better show than whatever TNA is working on. CM Punk says he has friends there and does watch the show in "perpetual fast forward". He hopes something comes of it but has zero faith in Hulk Hogan, who is 60 years old, dressing like 18 living on Jersey Shore. He said he formulated opinions even though he hasn't met him. CM said he's not in it for TNA, but in it for himself. He says he hopes Hogan proves him wrong. He says with competition, they step up and it makes the business healthier, but he doesn't have much hope. Hogan says CM attracts more of that negative stuff to his career. If you function on that level, you will attract that. Hogan said he was selling out Madison Square Garden when CM was pooping in his diapers. He's not there at TNA to wrestle, he's there to run the company, make it better, give the talent a choice. He says CM is getting a push from McMahon but probably getting paid crumbs. Hogan says he's there to prove that CM is wrong. Hogan re-iterates that you can't judge a book by its cover because the craziest weirdest looking people are some of the nicest and honest people in the world. He does not want to judge someone like that. He said he might even work with CM Punk in the future. Hogan says people that aren't with him, he'll win them over as friends. Host asks about the talent. Hogan says he's a huge fan of Matt Morgan, Awesome Kong, and Sting if he hangs around. Hogan says AJ Styles has proved he can go with anyone in the ring. He says when AJ goes to the airport, many know who he is but Hogan wants to give his character more life. He wants people to just make people go "Was that Ric Flair, HulK Hogan... no it's AJ STYLES!". Hogan talks about the knockouts, says he's yet to see Lacey have a match, and being worried about ODB drinking out of that flask. Host asks how the situation has been with his family since his book came out. Hogan says if you love someone it comes from your heart and spirit. He said he will always love Linda (his ex wife) even though she's in a whole another world. As much as he would like to stay friends with her, right now, it's not a possibility. He prays for Linda and hope she is happy. He says he is excited about going back to doing what he loves. He plugs TNA on Spike TV a bit. Host asked if Hogan wanted to bring the 4-sided ring. Hogan said he "had a problem with that ring and is going there to evaluate it again". He wants to get another good look at it without someone in his ear because some of the people around him were praising it and some were hating it. Hogan says he got in the ring and messed around in the ring a bit and that it looks like a playpen. He said it's like an MMA ring and that wrestlers don't do anything different in there than a 4-sided ring. The only problem is it's limited because the ropes are shorter, can't get much momentum, do not have much room to move around in. It's one of the things he's doing today: he's going to evaluate that ring and make the final decision whether he will burn it down or keep it. Hogan doesn't want to do what the competition is doing. He's trying to do a better product. He said you don't have a female writer tell every male writer how to wrestle. He said again if you can't talk and wrestle, you pack your bags and go to WWE because that's what they do there. Host and Hogan again plugs the show tonight. Hogan says tonight 8pm Spike TV; they're making history.