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A lot of the discussion over the last few weeks has been where Hulk Hogan will end up now that his TNA deal has expired. It's of course possible that he and TNA have signed and sealed a new contract and all of this is a waste of time, but all things considered, it's time for Hulk Hogan to sign a deal with WWE and go out the way he deserves - and the way that makes the most money for all involved, a final Wrestlemania appearance.
Let's face it, Hulk Hogan epitomizes what the general population thinks of when they think of WWE. Sure, he had a good run in WCW and he's had, well, a run in TNA, but to the average person, he's what WWE is, whether that is true of not.
Hogan in TNA was a rough fit and one that never did well in any regard. What he believed worked for pro wrestling worked for him, but the problem was that he wasn't that Hulk Hogan anymore (just look at the promos from TNA and then compare them to anything Hogan did in WCW or WWE) and his ideas did nothing to help TNA or any of their talent get over the hump. Time had changed, the landscape had changed and the Hulk Hogan formula just doesn't work in 2013.
But, Wrestlemania 30 is coming and that's going to be a massive celebration of decades of professional wrestling lore....and as the new WWE videogame has shown, you can't even talk Wrestlemania without talking Hulk Hogan. It's the one place the Hulk Hogan show would not only be loved, but relished and anticipated.
Wrestlemania has also become something of the nostalgia show, where part-timers return to reap that one last big match, whether it was Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania 25, The Rock over the last several years or the now annual Undertaker appearance defending the streak.
Hulk Hogan's ego and drawing power have been tarnished in recent years due to everything from his divorce to his sex tape to his son's criminal case to Hogan's own bad judgment, but the reality is that wrestling fans will be more than happy to forgive and forget if it will give them one last nostalgia high...Hulkamania running supreme at Wrestlemania is that high - and Hogan's best chance at making that one last massive score of a payday as well.
There are obviously a ton of possibilities. There's John Cena in a recreation of Hogan vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania 18, something that was originally planned for Mania 25 before Hogan's back issues took hold. There's CM Punk, who's the best bet at carrying Hogan to a true athletically sound bout. There's Triple H, who would be only too happy to whip out a Pedigree. You've got Undertaker and Kane. Hell, there's two guys running around calling themselves Real Americans. It only takes a Hulkster to run wild and show them what a Real American is, brother.
Sure, it won't be the classic Hulk Hogan matches (or not so classic matches, if you prefer) of the 1980s and 1990s, but it's not about that. It's about the ring music, the entrance, the pose-down and the pointing of the finger as everyone screams, "YOU!" It's about the Hulkster hulking up the way he did when everyone was a kid and making them remember that moment again, one last time.
Plus, Hogan put Wrestlemania on the map and him closing his run out at Wrestlemania 30 is a hell of a lot cooler than Hogan in some tag match on a TNA PPV, which is what Hogan has fronted to those in TNA he has left. No offense to TNA, but Hogan deserves better than a TNA PPV, whether his detractors like it or not. He deserves to be on the grandest stage of them all, blah blah blah - he built it.
Hogan should also come home to WWE because as that well known face of pro wrestling, he could also be the centerpiece promotionally for the potential WWE Network. Hogan shouldn't wrestle again after a final match, but he sure can still cut promos, do talk-show appearances, host segments and shows, pop up in cameos, DVD compilations, autograph signings, meet and greets with licensees, etc. He can be plugged into the WWE synergy in a way that other legends - even Bruno Sammartino, cannot, thanks to Hogan's huge media awareness.
Hogan could also provide WWE with some star power for special events without needing to take a big name off the road. He could handle a role that most in a similar position of overall stardom - Steve Austin, The Rock, etc. - could or would not handle due to their outside interests or provide big-time attention in comparison to others who might be more than happy to do so but don't bring the zing that Hogan would.
There is only one Hulk Hogan and he could invigorate the Network with not just some nostalgia, but some Hulkamania and do what he's always done - help wrestling transcend to the next level. Everyone knows Hogan. He's at Superman and Mickey Mouse levels of recognition worldwide.
It would also be a far more suited and dignified retirement for someone who's transcended the business. Whether you like, liked, or roll your eyes at Hulk Hogan, it's time for him to come home....and that means WWE. The puzzle piece fits and so does the timing.
Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com.
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