By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Hulk Hogan suggested current TNA World Hvt. champion A.J. Styles will soon be getting a new ring name or a modified name as TNA tries to push some of the original TNA wrestlers to the next level.

"What we need to do with these young guys is breathe life into the characters. I came at A.J. with this crazy idea of putting him with Flair and not just turning heel, but - I can't even tell you the name of the character - he's going through this transition right now," Hogan said on RVD's radio show last night.

Hogan said the new regime with Eric Bischoff has looked at the players who were in TNA prior to their arrival and decided some of the wrestlers and the six-sided ring could only get TNA so far without major changes.

"Abyss as he is right now only got him so far like the six-sided ring. They (TNA) were banging a less than 1.0 number for the last three or four years. Styles the way he is, Abyss the way he is, six-sided ring the way it was, it banged a certain number and that was it."

Caldwell's Analysis: This was one of the items that actually made some sense coming from Hogan. From 2007 - 2009, TNA was stuck at that same ratings level where it didn't matter what big name they brought into the company, they would be sucked into the TNA Black Hole and everyone would be on the same level without creating new interest in the company. If Hogan's new regime can actually get the audience to disassociate the current "original TNA wrestlers" from a really bad product in the past by putting a fresh coat of paint on some old houses, then there is hope for actually making new stars in TNA. As with pretty much everything in TNA right now, it's a waiting game to see how this plays out over the next weeks and months. Listen to Hogan on RVD's radio show in the player below.

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