TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU! Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.
TNA News
TNA News: Complete quotes from Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter at MSG press conference - Hogan dodges question on wrestling Kurt Angle Oct 28, 2009 - 1:47:57 PM
At yesterday's TNA and Spike TV press conference to announce Hulk Hogan's signing with TNA, Hogan talked in vague terms about what his role will be with the company. (Watch VIDEO of the press conference.)
The best example is that Hogan dodged a direct question on whether he will step into the ring against Kurt Angle and said TNA has "a lot of things going for them" without mentioning anything specific.
"Brother, I don't know what I'm going to be doing. I'm not planning anything right now. I'm just walking into this situation with Dixie Carter and Spike as my partners. My focus is to make this the #1 sports entertainment company in this business," Hogan said.
"There are so many things that they have going for them. There are so many positives that they have. I just think they needed a liiiitle momentum shift from Hulk Hogan to make a statement just like the last time I decided to switch gears. Dixie Carter has her act together. Couldn't have a better partner with Spike TV. I don't know what's going to happen."
At the beginning of the press conference, Hogan introduced TNA president Dixie Carter.
"It's so nice to be back in New York City - in the house that Hulk Hogan built," he said. "First thing I need to do before I let you know about climbing back into the ring in the United States is introduce you to my new business partner, Dixie Carter."
Dixie's remarks were as follows: "There is no single name that defines an industry more than Hulk Hogan. He is a pop icon. I can you tell today on behalf of everybody today in TNA Wrestling, we are so thrilled to have you join our company. Here we are today at Madison Square Garden announcing the biggest acquisition you could possibly have.
"In my opinion, I believe we have the best talent in the business - the best men and women who wrestle for TNA every week. To have this man join us will be an incredible thing for us."
Spike TV president Kevin Kay read some prepared comments, then Hogan returned to the podium to answer questions.
"I'm not exactly sure in what capacity I'm going to participate," he said. "We're going to ease into this thing and make sure everything we do is calculated."
Asked why he would join TNA, Hogan said, "I knew this is where I wanted to be. This is the company that is going to lead the way in the future. I guarantee that."
Hogan was asked if he was concerned whether his fans would follow him to TNA. "The last time I left, it was called WWF. I went down to WCW and everybody who was loyal came with me," he said. "The way I look at it now: every single person who was a Hulkamaniac in the past and present will be coming with me. I'm not really worried. I'm worried about getting back in the wrestling business to make a difference and help this company get to being #1."
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
INCREDIBLE BENEFITS! Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...
Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?
AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
