Detailed Recap of Hulk Hogan on TSN's Off The Record (Part 2)
Submitted by Paul Nemer on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:25 PM EST





Recap of Hulk Hogan on TSN's Off The Record (Part II)
Date: December 26, 2002
Host: Michael Landsberg
Written by: Paul Nemer of WrestleView.com

Landsberg says that whenever Vince McMahon is asked about his opinion of WCW, he says that WCW made it by stealing his stars. Hulk says that it's Vince McMahon's opinion. Hulk says that WCW was great for him and resurrected his career. Vince wasn't the only game in town, when they were beating him in the ratings. Then he said that WCW was his ATM machine.

Hogan says that Bischoff has good instincts. He was a victim of his own success. He listened to the wrong people and got off track.

Vince Russo not a big fan of his?

Hogan said not really. He said that Russo was a writer for the WWF, he became closer to Vince than just a writer. Russo then went to WCW and was part of the demise of WCW.

What caused the end of WCW? What went wrong?

The first thing that went wrong is that they were competing against the WWF. The WWF is the McMahon's lives, they are wrestling. As far as WCW goes, five minutes after five, he couldn't reach anyone in WCW. It was sort of like a schedule from 8 to 5. WWF is always open; wrestling is in the McMahon family's blood. When WCW was up and Vince was down, instead of WCW kicking him and keeping him down, they let him up, and this was their mistake.

What went wrong with Goldberg?

Hogan said that nothing went wrong with Goldberg. He is making a lot of money now in Japan. Goldberg started out in a wrestling school and was noticed fast. He didn't pay his dues like other wrestlers, but he made it. Landsberg asked Hogan if Vince could make Goldberg a star. Hogan said yes.

Would you do the move (in bringing Goldberg back) if you were Vince?

Hogan said yes.

Walk us through the evolution of the nWo.

Hogan said that Hall and Nash left the WWF and signed with WCW. Bischoff came up with the nWo idea and were looking for a third partner. At that time, Hogan was filming "Santa With Muscles." Hogan heard about it and wanted to be the third man. The only thing that hasn't been done in wrestling was turning Hulk Hogan heel. It shocked the wrestling world, and when Hogan teamed with Hall and Nash, he said that it was BIG!

Hogan talked about the WWF bringing back the nWo and what went wrong there. The problem was that Hogan was getting cheered, and Hall and Nash were getting cheered with him and Vince didn't want that. Another problem was Scott Hall, he had many problems. They talked for a minute about Scott Hall. Hogan said that his goal in wrestling was different than Hall's goal.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Where did Hulk Hogan come from and has anyone come close to what he has accomplished?

Hogan says that he doesn't know. Landsberg asks him if Superstar Billy Graham had an influence on him. Hogan said yes. When Hogan saw Graham wrestle, he said he wanted to be like him. Hogan never dreamed that it would be like this, as in Hulkmania being hotter and bigger than ever, even at the age of 49. Hogan said that it's been a blessing.

Landsberg points out that Hogan is married and has two kids, that's as a beautiful life, but how much of Terry Bollea is left? Terry Bollea was down while Hulk Hogan was on top. But now, at the age of 49, Terry Bollea is almost at the top with the Hulk Hogan character. He said that the Hulk Hogan character made him a better person.

Ultimate Warrior, is it true Hogan didn't want to put him over?

Hogan says that it's not that he didn't want to put him over, it's just that the timing was wrong. He told Vince McMahon that the Ultimate Warrior wasn't ready. Hogan didn't feel like Warrior was ready to take his spot. He brings up Roddy Piper as a example. He says that Piper was in the main event at WrestleMania I, but never main-evented a WM after that. Hogan said that he main-evented many WrestleManias.

Two names of the greatest ever, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, is it a tie?

Hogan says that it's not a tie. Hogan called himself the Babe Ruth of wrestling.

Difference between a great wrestler and entertainer?

Hogan said that Kurt Angle is a great wrestler who became a great entertainer. Ric Flair is not a great amateur wrestler, he's a great entertainer.

Landsberg asked him about Macho Man Randy Savage.

Hogan said that Randy Savage hates his guts. Randy had negative things going in his life (divorce). Hogan gives his side of the story about what happened. He said that his wife, Savage and Elizabeth were close at one point. Liz was invited to Hogan's house by his wife while Hogan was doing a movie. Liz came to spend time at Hogan's house because Hogan's wife invited her, and since then she left and divorced Savage.

In his WCW days, Hogan talked to Bischoff about bringing Savage to WCW and he did. Then something happened with Gorgeous Georges, and again Hulk Hogan turns into the bad guy in this. Hogan says that he loves Randy Savage and his kids like him too. At one point, after Savage and Hogan stopped talking, Hogan had to get presents and sign them under Savage's name to give it to his kids for Christmas, because his kids really liked Savage.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Hogan's thoughts on Bret Hart. He loves Bret and his family. He is saddened about what happened.

Hogan had a letter written by Bret's agent/manager regarding Hogan's book asking him why he trashed Bret in his book at a time like this. Hogan said he didn't really understand the letter. Hogan mentions that Bret trashed him a couple of years ago in his Calgary Sun column. Then Hogan talks a little about what happened in 1993 before he left. He said that Hart thinks Hogan didn't want to job to him, then Hogan and Hart went to Vince's office and Vince told Bret that Hogan will drop the belt to Yokozuna and not to him. (More on this story is available in Hogan's book).

Hogan talks about his real friends in the business.

The very few friends that he mentioned are Jimmy Hart, Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake), and Vince McMahon. Hogan said that if anybody dropped the ball in his relationship with Vince McMahon, it was him, and not Vince.

Landsberg points out that wrestling is so political, is that the reason why you can't keep friends?

Hogan says that it was like that for a long time and it still is.

Doesn't Hogan wish that if he was less political he might have more friends at the age of 49?

Hogan basically says no by saying that he wouldn't change a thing in his career.

What man has been able to survive with political stuff?

He said Triple H. Politically, HHH is doing a good job, Hogan said.

Who would do a bad job politically?

Hogan responds by saying "He didn't have the talent, but it's Warrior." he said that Warrior could have hung around longer.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Hogan tells us about his book.

Hogan says that everybody has got an opinion on wrestling. In this book, it's his view of wrestling, of what he's experienced, Riding the highs and surviving the lows. The book also goes back to when he was a fat kid.

What's the defining point of his book?

Hogan says "The one that recently happened." He'd been away from WWF for ten years. He was fired by WCW (the way he left WCW), he came to the WWF with a huge dark cloud over his head. People saying he's too old. So the defining moment was WrestleMania 18.

Landsberg said that his defining moment is Hogan calling him "brother!"

End of show.

WrestleView.com











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