NEWS: How Hulk Hogan Reportedly Disrespected Sting, Kept Bret Hart Out Of IMPACT Wrestling, & More

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NEWS:

Vince Russo pulls no punches and continues that trend with his very latest podcast Truth With Consequences.

Russo details Hulk Hogan's rise to power in IMPACT Wrestling & the controversy that ensued.

On The Lengths Dixie Carter Went To Make Hogan Feel Comfortable In IMPACT:

When Hogan is hired, Dixie has a company wide meeting. She makes everybody that works for TNA, if you're a guy, you have to grow your best Fu Manchu and if you're a girl, you've got to put on a fake Fu Manchu. She had everybody in that office come to a meet after Hulk Hogan was announced with the Hulk Hogan bleached blonde Fu Manchu.

On What Vince McMahon Thought About Hogan:

Remember when I almost went back to the WWE in 2002? Hogan was working there in 2002. I had to address the Hogan situation with Vince McMahon and I said, 'Vince, listen. The last time Hulk Hogan and I were in the same place together things did not turn out well. I was sued. The whole nine yards. Vince, how are you going to handle this?' Vince McMahon looked at me and said, 'Vince, I don't give a shit about Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan is not drawing me a dime. I will take care of it.' That was it. That was all we spoke about it.

On How Dixie Carter Reacted To Hulk Hogan Coming To IMPACT:

You would have thought Jesus Christ himself just signed with TNA. Hogan's not at the meeting, only Bischoff. So, Bischoff the PR guy. Hogan's The Beatles. Hogan's Jesus. What am I thinking in my head? I'm thinking of what Vince McMahon said to me. I'm thinking, 'Guys in 2002, Vince McMahon said to me that Hulk Hogan was not drawing a dime.' I swear to God. They literally thought the acquisition of Hulk Hogan was going to catapult them over the WWE. Honestly and honest to God - legit shoot - in that room, on that day believed that.

On Hogan & Bischoff's First Big Mistake:

The first thing was we're gonna go head to head with RAW. This is why I've got an issue with Eric. This is the first obvious thing. TNA does not have the finances alone to go head to head with the WWE. They're gonna see RAW. They're gonna switch over and see this rinky dink show at Universal Studios. This isn't turning off RAW and going to [Ted] Turner's WCW. That's not what you're seeing bro. You're seeing WWE and then you're seeing TNA; but, they were convinced we were gonna beat RAW.

On Eric Bischoff Wanting To Fire Sting:

When Bischoff and Hogan came aboard, Steve was going through a very very tough divorce. The kids were involved and Sting called me and he goes, 'I'm having a huge issue with my wife. I can't come to TV.' When you know Sting, Sting is not like the rest. Sting is not going to miss TV unless there is an absolute problem that he can't come. I love Steve Borden with all my heart and soul. I'm not even thinking about TV at this point, 'Steve, whatever you want. You do whatever you gotta do. We'll figure it out.' Eric wanted to fire Sting because he called at the last minute, he could not come to TV. He wanted to fire Sting to the point where I knew there was an agenda there. Without missing a beat, the first place Eric Bischoff went to was, 'We gotta get rid of Sting.' Thank God, in this place Dixie felt as strongly about Steve Borden as I did.

On Hulk Hogan Disrespecting Sting & Kurt Angle:

There was one situation where I really got pissed off. They were going back and forth with me all week of what they wanted to do in the match and they're talking all week of what they wanted to do in the match; but, the pecking order was Kurt and Sting had to go over their match with Hogan. Kurt and Sting are at the building at 12 o' clock. They're in the green room. We probably got like a six o' clock start. Literally, Sting and Kurt Angle are waiting in here hours and hours and hours for this guy [Hulk Hogan] to show up. Finally, bro, he walks in about an hour before the show starts and it's me, it's Kurt, it's Sting, it's Hulk, it's Dixie. So now, bro, Sting and Kurt lay out their match in detail. They've been working on it for a week. Fricking Hogan doesn't like it. I literally said, 'F this,' and I walked out of that room because it was so fricking disrespectful to two of the greatest fricking guys and two of the greatest human being to ever set foot in the ring. I just wound up walking out and it was a big blow up that day.

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On How Hulk Hogan Kept Bret Hart Out Of IMPACT Wrestling:

Bret Hart was available and out there. He had not made amends with Vince McMahon yet. He had not appeared on WWE television yet. Jeremy Borash and Bret were very very very close. I was a huge fan of Bret Hart's. I had all the respect in the world for Bret. I love Bret to this day. I had the idea of let's see if Bret wants come in as the general manager. We're on board. Ed's on board. Everybody's on board. We pitch Eric. Eric is 100% over the moon into the idea, so now that Eric is into the idea, we pitched Dixie. Dixie loved big names working for her. She loved being Sting's boss. She loved being Kurt's boss. Now she could be Bret Hart's. She loved that. She loves stars. So now Jeremy hooks me up with Bret, a phone call with Bret. I talk to Bret for two hours and Bret's in. I call Dixie and say, 'Dixie, Bret's willing to do it,' and you know, Dixie's gonna give Bret whatever he wants. We're all gung ho. Now Dixie's gotta come to a monetary agreement with him, yada yada yada. Well, Hulk Hogan played his creative control card with Bret Hart. He did not want Bret Hart working at TNA. Supposedly, Bret Hart said some bad things about him on social media. Whatever the case may be; but, he made it clear he's not working with him.

On How Hogan Used Creative Control To Humiliate Dixie Carter On The Way Out:

I told them when they came to me with the creative control, 'Guys, give him as much money as he wants. I'm telling you this is a huge mistake.' So, bro, what did Hulk and Bischoff do on the way out? They made Dixie Carter look like the biggest possible idiot they possibly could. I was watching that on TV [Carter groveling at Hogan's feet, begging him to stay] and I couldn't help but say, 'Dixie, I hope that creative card is working for you because you look like a bumbling stumbling idiot.' Regardless of them breaking the bank and that helping put TNA in the position they were in, they were going to humiliate her going out the door and there wasn't a damn thing she would be able to do about it. 

(Transcription Credit: Michael McClead, Cheap Heat Wrestling)

Russo also talks Bruce Prichard's controversial entrance into IMPACT Wrestling, as well as how Eric Bischoff told Dixie Carter everything Russo ever said about her in confidence. Readers interested in listening to Truth With Consequences in its entirety may do so below:



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