By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Hulk Hogan talked a number of WWE-related subjects in his radio interview with Monday Night Mayhem yesterday. The following are highlights on Hogan talking Vince McMahon positive and negative, John Cena's jab at Hogan last week, TNA having Earl Hebner when WWE doesn't, and unions in pro wrestling.

-- Hogan tossed out a quick story that he heard through the grapevine that WWE VP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis contacted Earl Hebner's son (former Smackdown referee Brian Hebner) to referee a possible Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania when that was a potential idea several weeks ago.

Hogan reiterated his remark from the "TNA State of the Union" interview on Bubba the Love Sponge's show that he believes TNA has a competitive advantage because they have Earl Hebner and WWE doesn't, which is why they did the "Who Screwed Who?" storyline with Kurt Angle two weeks ago.

-- Hogan responded to John Cena's quote in a WWE chat last Monday about Hogan "wasting his time right now" in TNA.

"John's doing what he's gonna' do take care of his family and stay true to his paycheck," Hogan said. "We see John Cena all the time at the (Tampa Bay) Rays games. He's my boy, man. He's just doing what he has to do to cover his ass, brother. You never know, one day John Cena may be working for me. Vince McMahon could be working for me...who knows? You can never say never in this business."

-- Hogan also talked positively and negatively about Vince McMahon. He talked positively about McMahon "keeping the business alive" seemingly to cover his bases in case he needs a payday from McMahon down the line. He talked negatively about McMahon's WWE product to promote TNA having what he believes is a better wrestling product.

"We're making good TV; we're not doing anything vindictive and learning that we don't want to put out the same product Vince has. We want to put out a better product. We don't want to compete with him because we do not want to do what he's doing. 'Too late and turned me off.' We're doing our own thing and doing it better than anyone else," Hogan said. "We have no malice toward anyone. I'll thank him (McMahon) day and night for keeping the business alive and keeping guys to where they can feed their business, but this is good for the business to have choices. We're not out here to hurt anyone. We just want to rock the house."

-- Hogan again hyped TNA as the "place to be" for wrestlers, especially in WWE. He again claimed he has wrestlers calling him up feeling out the TNA scene and whether there's an opening. Hogan said he's looking for wrestlers who can help build TNA.

"Oh good God brother, telephone, telegraph, tell a wrestler! My phone's been ringing off the hook. I've got all kinds of people from the WWE calling me, wanting to hang out, wanting to talk, wanting to feel me out. This thing is really going down. I mean whether you like it or not, I'm not looking for the players like back in the day. When I was running, we had these crazy big contracts, these big money contracts, but times have changed," Hogan said. "At the end of the day, I'm looking for these guys who want to help me build a company. I'm looking for these guys that invest their hearts and their souls like Samoa Joe said, 'whatever it takes.' Like A.J. Styles said, 'whatever it takes, with no limitations.' Those are the type of guys I'm looking for to build this company and step in. Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, if (John) Cena wants to play that game down the road, he can get real. Once the tide rises, then all the boats float. I'm looking for guys who can get real with me and not a bunch of posers."

-- Hogan acted put off by a question about union protection in TNA, saying he's only been in TNA for a month and he needs to get "everyone up and running" before they cross that bridge. He played the self-deprecation card again that he's just trying to keep his job right now with the TV ratings up and down all the time.

"We're not any closer at all. I just want to keep my job. I've just been in business four weeks over here. I still can't figure out how to lace up the business shoes yet," Hogan said, sounding exasperated. "How am I going to start a union? How am I going to get health care? How am I going to get dental for the boys? I'm just trying to keep my job watching the ratings minute-by-minute. I'm hanging in there for dear life. Let me get down the road with this thing and get everybody up and running. Let's share the wealth. What would be better than having security for the guys and their kids and family? But, I need more than four weeks, brother."

Link: Download and listen to the complete interview on Monday Night Mayhem's radio page.

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