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In November 2002, PWTorch editor Wade Keller interviewed former WWE and WCW World Hvt. champion Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest names and stars in the pro wrestling industry.
In this "Torch Talk," the first interview Hogan ever did with an insider publication, and his longest interview of any kind ever, he discussed many of the highs and lows of his career. Hogan was promoting his first autobiography at the time. Over the course of the two hour interview, Keller attempted to avoid covering the same ground that he did in the book. This interview in many ways worked as a supplement to the book, as many questions asked were intended as a follow-up to what he wrote over the course of 300-plus pages.
Currently, Hulk Hogan has signed with TNA after being unable to agree with WWE CEO Vince McMahon on how to incorporate Hogan into WWE. McMahon reportedly wanted control over writing the end of Hogan's character. Hogan says he wants to write the ending himself. Ironically, Hogan talked about the same disagreements with McMahon in November 2002.
Wade Keller: Can you clear up your status with WWE? It's been widely reported that there was serious talk of you coming back for Survivor Series this past weekend. Why didn't that happen?
Hulk Hogan: Well, man, it's all of the above. I'll go through the whole thing with you. Originally, Vince and I talked a couple months ago about me coming back. I said that I was interested. Basically, I blew my back out a couple of weeks before I wrestled Brock (Lesnar), so I was kind of looking to do him a favor, but then I kind of took it to the other level and basically suggested to have Brock crucify me. So, you know, it was one way for me to get away and let my back get some rest, the knee surgery and all that stuff. My knee is the best part of my body now. It feels better than anything. My lower back gave me... It took a couple of months for me to get over my whole back being blown out. I got back in shape, so Vince and I started talking and he suggested a scenario where I would go to Survivor Series, wrestle Brock, and then basically go right to WrestleMania after that, just two matches. So we talked about the creative part of it and kind of disagreed on what Hulk Hogan's role... not really what his role should be in the company, because we both kind of were shooting for the Babe Ruth of the company, but we both kind of disagreed on how to get there.
I had delusions of grandeur, taking this high, high road with Hulk Hogan simply because whether I was winning or losing the fans cheered me. I thought that we should quit disappointing the fans and maybe Hulk Hogan should win a match once in a while. And Vince, you know, was thinking that if I ever won a match, people wouldn't believe it. I don't know what he was thinking because we all know it's an exhibition, but for some reason Vince thought it wasn't going to be believable if I really won a match, or he was thinking that I could make my big comeback by not ever winning a match or just doing jobs. I kind of disagreed because I thought that the people were expecting something, and when I'd make this big promise about coming back and fighting for my life, maybe there would be a chance in hell or some major fluke that I might actually win one. So when we started getting into the creative direction, we disagreed. I said, "Well, that doesn't work for me."
Keller: Where does it stand at this point?
Hogan: Then he called me back a few days later and said, "Well, I have this other direction and we'll do this. The Survivor Series thing, then instead of waiting until WrestleMania we'll turn the dial up and you'll work again at the Royal Rumble and that will lead us right into WrestleMania." So he had a Plan B, but once again I didn't really agree with the creative direction. I said, "Well, you know, I'm not really interested." It was all over and done with, but we talked again the next day and he kind of expressed to me how the business was doing its normal down cycle and that the business kind of needed me to come back and that it would be good for the WWE, and Vince kind of wanted me to come back. I basically told him: "You know, man, I've been thinking about it and let's go ahead and talk after the first of the year. Let me go ahead and keep thinking this thing over. Let me go ahead and hang out with my family, there's no rush to come back. Let me hang out with my family for Thanksgiving and Christmas and then at the first of the year, if you want to talk, we will." And that's kind of where I left it.
But in the meantime, Bill Goldberg was in Japan and my name started getting dropped in Japan a lot. And I've been training my ass off, man, to get back in shape, because if I did come back to the WWE I wanted to be in better shape this time than the last time and try not to be dragging the leg or be a step slow and try to really come back with some momentum just to prove the point that I could get over that hurdle. Not that you have to dropkick or be the greatest technical wrestler, but this business is all about who can draw the most money and put the asses in seats, and I wanted to prove that point again that this whole Hulkamania thing wasn't a fluke, that it really works if you take care of this business.
So during this time that I was going to wait until the first of the year to talk to Vince, the Japanese people starting calling me. The company that Goldberg is working for started calling me and we started negotiating. Bang, "We want you here right now on November 18." You know, they put this deadline, this drop dead date on me. I said, "Look, guys, I would love to come November 18, I would love to come after the first of the year, but right now, I told my wife and kids that I'm not going to do anything with Vince until the first of the year and that kind of blocked me in to staying home with my family. And so I'm going to hang out for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but if you want me in Japan, right at the first of the year I'm going to talk with Vince, and right at the first of the year I'll talk with you guys and then I'll make my decision as to whether I am going to go back with Vince and the WWE or whether I'm going to go back with Japan. So now, I haven't talked to Vince since then.
MORE TO COME WITH MORE SAMPLES FROM THE NOVEMBER 2002 TORCH TALK WITH WADE KELLER.
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