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By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

It's too early to know what, if any, plans TNA management has for Hulk Hogan, or what Hulk Hogan is interested in doing with TNA. I have a proposal for how he should be used.

What pro wrestling used to have and has lost in recent years is a sense that fairness and "law and order" was the standard, and that heels were heels because they broke from that standard. If heels cheat, but the G.M. or authority figure is a heel, then there's no sense that the heel cheated. The heel just did what the system allowed him to do. Thus there's no outrage, or if there is any outrage, there's no hope.

Hogan should be a new-era babyface authority figure. He should be the on-air leader of TNA, a role he was born to play after his days as a full time in-ring performer are over.

With "authority figure" Jim Cornette gone, with "founder" Jeff Jarrett gone, with "share holder" Mick Foley an active wrestler with a mish-mash heel-face blend of a character, TNA needs a central person to establish ground rules and enforce them.

This may sound pedestrian to fans who have watched wrestling only the last 15 years, but a lot of money has been drawn over the decades by fans paying to see a babyface get revenge on a cheating heel. However, why would fans cheer a babyface for following the rules if there are no rules?

Look to the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, or UFC. Fans want law and order. They want to know who the better team or competitor is because within a defined and enforced set of rules, the better team or competitor wins. That's why there was outrage over the judges' decision in Saturday's UFC main event. That's why Vikings fans are upset with a bogus tripping call that may have cost them a win over the Steelers on Sunday.

Without a known and established set of rules, there's really no way to judge anyone, and it reduces the purpose of having a wrestling match down to something that gets in the way of an angle or promo.

Hogan shouldn't "take the fun out of wrestling." This isn't a case of Bill Watts becoming both the behind-the-scenes and on-air authority figure for WCW and banning top rope moves. Hogan should walk into TNA and say things have gotten out of control and now is the time to establish some ground rules. He should declare that in TNA, his job is to make sure the better wrestlers win, not the wrestler who are best at cheating.

Of course, there will still be cheating. But when it happens, fans will know a price will be paid. Hogan will make sure of it. Heels can throw a fit when Hogan makes them pay a price by either having their win rescinded, having to wrestle someone they don't want to wrestle, or even being "fined and suspended," as Wally Karbo, the most effective babyface authority figure I ever saw, would say.

Hogan can have a sense of purpose for being on TV every week. He can be TNA's version of a "guest host," but he'll be on TV every week. He can interact with wrestlers on a weekly basis, announcing PPV title matches, announcing future TV matches, announcing suspensions and fines, announcing (hopefully rare and meaningful) stipulation matches to resolve a feud that just can't be settled in a standard match.

Then, when a heel goes too far, and when he makes it personal, Hogan can step back into the ring for a special tag match on pay-per-view. He can team with A.J. Styles or Matt Morgan against two top heels, such as Desmond Wolfe & Samoa Joe, giving a "rub" to everyone involved in the match. Styles or Morgan could work the bulk of the match, but Hogan would get a hot tag, hit a few spots that he can safely execute, and then tag Styles back in for the pinfall.

Hogan would need a nemesis. Kurt Angle was just turned back babyface. Hopefully that wasn't done so he can turn heel on Hogan, or if that's the plan, hopefully it's for at least nine months down the line. The last thing Angle needs is multiple rapid-fire turns to further diminish any credibility his character has.

Hogan's nemesis could be Kevin Nash, a former NWO cohort who believes he should be the person hired by TNA to run the show. Nash can meddle with Hogan's decision, conspire against him, and coach other heels, arguing that nobody knows how to beat Hogan's system better than he does.

TNA tapes TV in Florida, Hogan's home state. Hogan will be most effective if he's seen as a real part of TNA, not just someone overpaid cashing in on his rep and showing up "now and then" while getting some names wrong (like WWE Raw "guest hosts" often do). TNA will get the most out of Hogan if he is seen as synonymous with the company, not just someone half-heartedly showing up for a payday.

This might also be the time for TNA to pull the trigger on a name change. If they really want to make a statement about this being a new era, how about dropping the ever-embarrassing TNA name. The only thing worse than the initials and what they imply is what the initials stand for - Total Nonstop Action - which is one of the dumbest sounding names of any company in any field in the universe.

Why not cash in on the well-known Impact name and change the company to Impact Wrestling Federation. Get the word "Federation" back in the mix, which WWE lost in its battle with the World Wildlife Fund. Give TNA a name it can be proud of rather than one that defies explanation, limits its marketing potential (don't tell me sponsors don't shy away from associating with a company known by the acronym associated with the lewd "t-ts and a--" phrase), and embarrasses fans who want to like the product but are hesitant to wear the initials on their shirt in mixed company.

A lot of details are yet to surface. Is Eric Bischoff involved? Heck, is Shane McMahon involved? How long is Hogan signed for? Does he have an ownership stake in the company? Are Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara still booking and writing TV shows given the history between Russo and Hogan? Will Hogan actually have any power outside of how he's used on air?

This is the "bold" move that TNA needed to try to move to the next level. It comes a week after the leadership vacuum became more apparent than ever. Hogan is the type of wrestler who can tell a heel to do a job and they'll do it. Hogan knows how to play politics for his benefit, so he'll recognize it in others. But does he have his heart in helping TNA become a success or is he, like many veterans before him, just in it for a quick buck to elevate his value and pocketbook?

If Hogan can truly invest himself in helping TNA become a legitimate contender to WWE, he will enhance his legacy, create jobs for wrestlers for years to come, give wrestlers added negotiating leverage for better salaries and treatment, and put fans in a position to enjoy a true alternative to WWE on a major league level. If he's in it for himself at the expense of TNA, other wrestlers, and fans - and it shows - he will stain his legacy.

Being an engaged G.M. authority figure who occasionally wrestles, but appears weekly on TV and interacts with TNA's emerging new stars is a great way for Hogan to utilize the star power, charisma, and experience he has gained over the last 30 years in this industry. It could also be the best way to make Vince McMahon regret not doing more to make Hogan a part of the WWE team in recent years, which may be a primary motivation for Hogan at this stage of his life.

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