ASK TITO: Hulk Hogan, Owen Hart, Charlotte Flair, Chris Jericho, WWE/TNA Deal, and More
The EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING is back, as I’ll be answering your current event questions based on what I’ve received via email (particularly my long-term readers), social media, and the Comments section below. Many, the Rumble to Wrestlemania season just creates great topic after great topic, which makes my life easier as a columnist. Gonna be honest, times were tough following Wrestlemania 40 when the WWE well was dry and I just didn’t feel like writing complaint columns about AEW.
One topic that I’d like to discuss is Hulk Hogan, brother. As you may recall, on the 1/6/25 edition of WWE RAW on Netflix, Hulk Hogan appeared and was met with major boos by the Los Angeles, CA crowd. Now, this has been a nationwide story because many are automatically assuming because the Hulkster openly supported President-elect and former President Donald Trump, that caused everyone to boo him.
However, since Hulk Hogan returned to the WWE since 2018, he’s been met with boos often… Remember, he was suspended by the WWE and cancelled (removed from all WWE content offerings) during 2015 following the release of the latter half of the sex tape with Bubba the Love Sponge’s wife that showed Hulk Hogan using the n-word slur multiple times and so casually when talking with his friend’s wife. Of course, the opportunistic “friends” video recorded the entire sexual affair and conversation afterward to then play victim afterward when the video was stolen.
Sure, with the event being in California which is a DEEP BLUE state, the boos were louder…
But again, Hogan was already getting booed… Repeatedly saying the n-word on camera will do that, but I’d argue that Hogan shows a PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR that has built him up to be disliked by so many wrestling fans and people in public at this point.
Let’s run through the history, shall we?
– Many wrestling disliked his non-stop push, particularly after 1990 in which he main evented Wrestlemanias 7, 8, and 9 with bad storylines and bad matches to end each of those shows. He was fighting the Iraqi War for 7, fought a bad match with Sid Justice at 8, and then snuck in and stole the WWE Title from Yokozuna for Wrestlemania 9 to finish the worst Wrestlemania ever that has never been debated.
– Hard to argue with Hogan’s 1994-1997 run… Good initially, got stale briefly, and then appeared as the 3rd man of the NWO. But at Starrcade 1997 when Hogan could have just put over Sting, he had to use his Creative Control to ruin it. Everything with Hogan following that show stinks as even though he put over Goldberg, Hogan regained the title by early 1999 in a humiliating fashion.
– Played politics in WWE. Ask Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton for SummerSlams 2005 and 2006. Hogan insisted on winning and wanted no rematches to put either guy over.
– When Hogan’s son was sent to jail following a car crash that left his passenger in a coma, Hulk Hogan was recorded saying that “God was responsible” for what happened to his friend “for his own behavior”. Just after that, Hogan and his son talk about a reality series to develop once Nick was released from jail.
– Pours lots of money into his daughter’s singing career only for it to merit 1 moderate hit, at best. Ironic thing is that working with the music industry, it placed his daughter with various black musicians and black producers which prompted his conversation on the infamous sex tape.
– Had marital issues, so Hogan agrees to work with his “friend” Bubba the Love Sponge to make love to his wife. Some “friend”, as the sexual encounter was recorded as was the conversation afterward. Sex tape gets released first, which humiliates Hogan (though he shouldn’t have participated, why would you do that to your friend’s wife?). Latter half with the conversation full of racial slurs gets released later and that causes WWE to suspend him.
– Lies repeatedly, whether it’s story telling about his own wrestling career, playing bass with Metallica, weird travel patterns to work multiple matches in a day, etc. There’s list of them out there.
– I’m not going to rip Hogan for supporting Donald Trump, nor will I rip him for his speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC). But then Hogan goes on various political shows and attends other rallies, and says stuff like inquiring if he should “body slam” Kamala Harris and later made a joke alluding to her being like the “Hawk Tuah” meme sensation Hailey Welch, likely alluding to Kamala’s past relationships.
You can put it all on Donald Trump, if you’d like, but many WWE fans have been booing him for years. We just don’t trust his character and judgment, regardless of his politics. The guy has made tons of money, blew most of it with bad choices, and grifts heavily off of his past work. Hard to hear anything truthful out of his mouth, as the carny wrestling character appears to have taken over his real-life self.
There’s just a pattern of behavior here… Ask yourself this… Would you bang your friend’s wife? And then after you complete such deed, would you say horrible things to her afterward? And how could you blame a person for being a passenger in a car accident and suggest it was God punishing him?
HOWEVER – Let’s admit this right now. Aside from assaulting Richard Belzer on a TV show, he hasn’t committed any crimes. Everything I’ve described above is just workplace politics or just bad personal behavior that harms HIM. He didn’t kill anyone, rob anyone, sexually assault anyone, or so any other bad deeds. Hogan is just a bit of a pathological liar who is terrible with money that makes bad personal choices in his life, likely from fame and money going to his head. BUT, he has given lots of money and lots of his personal time to charity.
So with that, I have no problems with Hulk Hogan doing business with the WWE if the WWE chooses to allow him to participate. They banned him for over 2 years because of the racial slurs and I believe that people can evolve from their mistakes. I’d keep Hogan at arm’s length, however, because there exists a lack of TRUST with this guy and a pattern of bad personal behavior.
With that in mind, consider that if WWE wants to keep using him, let him appear as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and let him cut heel promos on the booing fans. I know that Hogan wants to make it appear like he’s a good guy and it’s political for him being a Donald Trump surrogate… BUT in a wrestling context, if he wants to remain relevant and be of value to the WWE, don that black and white with the beard stubble, brother. Get out there and cut a 1996 Bash at the Beach-like promo on those booing fans and I guarantee you that it will be eaten up!
I highly doubt Hogan will go that route, as he wants to waive push the “Real American” stuff with his beer and being a Trump advocate, but returning to the NWO version will make him a big deal again in the WWE.
Freakin’ Undertaker had Donald Trump on his Podcast a few months ago… Why didn’t the Los Angeles, CA crowd boo him at 1/6/25 RAW? How about that? Because the man behind the Undertaker does NOT have the bad pattern of behavior that Hogan has and Undertaker is known for a being a trustworthy and honest broker.
That’s the difference, folks… Hogan has a pattern of bad behavior, hence the boos and he’d probably get booed in a Red State, too.
On to your questions, brother.
———————————————-
ASK TITO: Your Questions, My Answers
How can Martha Hart promote AEW who uses her husband’s death in a promo but not allow Owen to be in WWE’s Hall of Fame?
Because AEW’s decisions didn’t kill her husband.
WWE wanting Owen to arrive from the rafters and then wanting a quick release on the cord while using a cheap and unqualified vendor for that is what killed Owen. And Martha Hart was awarded a massive amount of money in a lawsuit settlement because of that.
Owen was killed during 1999, AEW began during 2019.
Sure, what was said in the promo was tasteless, but it’s just words. Actions happened to Owen Hart by requesting him to arrive from the rafters and a lack of quality control killed him. Hence why there never be an Owen Hart WWE Hall of Fame induction while Martha Hart exists on this planet.
Just the way it is… If WWE just had Owen wrestle instead of putting him in a dangerous position, he’d be in that Hall of Fame. WWE blew it and I don’t blame Martha one bit for the endless grudge against WWE.
*****
Thoughts on Corey Graves’s situation with WWE?
I can fully understand his anger and frustrations, as he was a focal point of WWE’s announcer teams and now other decisions have been made.
BUT, he went public with his grievances instead of holding closed door meetings with management. THAT is the issue.
You cannot do that, folks, especially on Social Media for the entire public to see. With TKO being a publicly traded company, that kind of messaging suggests some sort of business issue and begins to cause investors to ask questions about WWE’s internal operations. Bad employee sentiment is often a sign of internal chaos at a corporation.
He should have handled things internally instead of publicly. Because he went the public route, he’s not only placed his career in jeopardy but also his wife’s if she wants to return to wrestling.
We’ll see what happens… All I know is that AEW’s announcing staff isn’t getting any younger and maybe this was Corey’s way of potentially getting out of his WWE contract. If Corey does get let go by WWE, the “Corey Graves” name is owned by WWE and he’d have to be called something else.
*****
Any thoughts on Tammy Sytch trying to reduce her jail sentence and getting denied?
She killed someone while being impaired… What on earth is she suspecting?
Let me just state this, for the record. If you ever drive impaired, FINGER OF SHAME TO YOU. And I’m also pointing to you who drink 1-2 beers and think “I can drive”. No, alcohol has effects on your mind and judgment, even if minimally consumed. When you put other lives in danger by not being focused behind the wheel of a 2,000 pound vehicle, you’re an a**hole for doing that and there should be harsher punishments for anyone getting a DUI and more severe punishments for multiple ones.
For Tammy (aka Sunny from WWE), she had multiple DUI incidents and never learned. And then someone’s life was taken away because of her negligence.
Her attempt to reduce her sentence fits a “pattern of behavior” for her, too. Always looking for the easy way out and always looking to get away with something. This time, though, the law has had enough and won’t reduce her 17.5 year sentence which I’d argue went light on her. If you kill someone as a result of a crime that you’ve committed multiple times, they should throw away the key.
Sorry, girl… Big fan of yours for many years and defended you during other times when you had troubles. I’ve argued repeatedly that the 1990s WWE locker room ruined and abused you, while the WCW and the ECW locker rooms piled on. Any female working TODAY should be grateful for the environments that they are in, as you don’t have stars waiting in line to screw you every which way or loose and then encourage you to consume drugs with them. They ruined her… BUT, at some point as an adult, you have take responsibility for yourself. The situation where the 75 year old man died was about your 6th driving violation while under the influence, from my count (there could be more). Other females endured similar treatment from said locker rooms back then and they aren’t collecting 6 DUIs themselves, and some of them lost family or loved ones close to them, too.
*****
What are your thoughts on Charlotte Flair’s vignette last night on Smackdown?
It was fine… Goes to show you that WWE knows how to do debuts and returns, while AEW seems to not understand on how to build hype. Everything is a “big surprise” on their watch, which is an ongoing issue for them particularly when the audience doesn’t know the person within the surprise.
My question is how the Triple H-led WWE Creative Team will use her… Just remember, it was a few years ago where she was disgruntled and rumors was that she was trying to join her husband and Ric Flair in AEW. However, that AEW ship has been sinking ever since then and Andrade is back in the WWE. She’s 38 now and has recovered from a major injury.
Times are different in the WWE. Rhea Ripley is the top dog, while Bianca Belair is right there with her. But Charlotte dominated in the past and is a 14-time Women’s Champion within the last 10 years (ridiculous title inflation!). Whereas Vince McMahon had confidence in only here, Triple H has confidence in multiple wrestlers. Is she willing to play ball in the current environment and be willing to put over other wrestlers, or will she desire to be #1 again? She’s a very confident and competitive person, whom I’m guessing Tony Khan would pay a big money of money for if available. But again, Andrade, a reported complainer backstage, probably told her all about AEW.
*****
What could happen with the newly signed WWE and TNA deal?
Check that off my 2025 predictions list, point! I believe what happened is this… Both sides were waiting to see how popular NXT would be on the CW. Turns out, it can draw viewership and how now become the 3rd most viewed wrestling show, consistently, for the week only behind RAW and Smackdown while being ahead of AEW’s flagship Dynamite show.
With that in mind, I think that the crossovers will ramp up again and maybe we see a TNA invasion of the NXT show that would be allowed to play out on both shows.
I would expect lots of Joe Hendry, as his character and entrance are ready-built for television… But I’m curious about the female roster. Jordynne Grace’s contract expires this Sunday, as Tik Tok won’t be the only thing shutting down that day. But does this deal give TNA the confidence to sign her or does she join WWE/NXT to portray herself as being against TNA for signing someone like Tessa Blanchard?
I see nothing but positivity from this deal that can help both TNA and NXT brands grow and maybe with time, TNA can harass the RAW and Smackdown brands, too, if they are allowed to out-maneuver NXT.
If I were other promotions out there, I’d start talking to Triple H. With WWE being popular again, they’ll have more potential talent signings that need developmental and training beyond their facilities. Plus, they’ll need experience working for crowds. I see an ingenious idea of Triple H building a territory-like structure that he can use to let his talents obtain different flavors of working while also having the ability to sent talents elsewhere to get freshened up. The beauty of the older territory systems is that you would never wear out your welcome because you could just travel to another territory and start fresh. Then, his wagons could essentially surround AEW and see if they’d like to join the club, too.
*****
Does Chris Jericho deserve criticism for his recent work, particularly with Dax Harwood?
Before you start assigning blame, I’d like to see anyone criticizing Jericho to enter a ring and do professional wrestling better. Furthermore, if you’re 54 years old like he is, let’s see how you move around physically. Many people are off-base attacking Jericho for any perceived issues inside the ring and not blaming President/CEO Tony Khan and EVPs Young Bucks/Kenny Omega for possibly placing a talent in a tough spot to succeed. Bookers and creative should NEVER place their talents in positions that could expose them or shows any weaknesses.
That’s the beauty of professional wrestling… You can do this until the charade ends, as the finishes are scripted and the matches can be arranged to protect another wrestler. Take Bill Goldberg during 2016-2017… Creative agenting by Paul Heyman told a great story and arranged matches to make Goldberg look legitimate against Brock Lesnar. This literally saved Bill Goldberg’s career and has kept his appeal going 9 years later, might even wrestle Gunther at Wrestlemania (who knows?). Put Goldberg in a longer match, like his disaster against the Undertaker, and things will instantly fall apart and he’ll get exposed.
Let’s play into the online narrative that Chris Jericho is “struggling in the ring”… Well, whose fault is that? Is it Chris Jericho’s, as he has a few good matches lately, or is AEW’s creative for creating a scenario or finish to end that match with Dax?
Years ago, I wrote about the possibility of CM Punk returning and discussed that the beauty of pro wrestling is that it can keep older performers looking strong, unlike UFC or Boxing who have shelf lives for their fighters. Peak years for a pro wrestler go through the late 40s, usually. When an older CM Punk was rumored to come back, I discussed that he’ll do fine as his personality and microphone skills can extend his career behind what his body can physically withstand. I said something along the lines of value still being there even if you had deteriorating in-ring ability. Well, that angered Chris Jericho and he Tweeted directly at me about it, trying to quote Dave Meltzer’s star rating system for recent matches he had.
About 5-6 years later after Tweeting that, do you understand the point that I was getting at, Chris? Work with creative to accentuate your strengths and help hide or cover-up the weaknesses taken away from you due to Father Time. Told ya so, buddy, but I’m still a big fan and wish you the very best.
———————————————-
THE LAST WORD
Last week, I wrote a column titled ”Will WWE’s Rising Ticket Prices Have Harmful Effects on is Loyal Fanbase?”, as I pondered if wrestling fans will ever respond against WWE’s rising prices or be willing to keep paying that price.
Well, I hit a price wall myself… I wanted to go to the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, IN, as it’s a reasonable drive away for me and I’ve never seen a Royal Rumble. Plus, I have this theory that moving forward, ALL of the Royal Rumbles in the near future will be stuck in Saudi Arabia from 2026 and beyond instead of touring locations for the North American fans who built WWE. So, I really wanted to go…
I could easily get nosebleeds between $260 and $300 in the very upper deck, but I don’t feel like squinting for much of the day (eyesight is slipping with age), nor do I want to bright lights blinding me the entire freakin’ time from the ring. So I was primarily looking at the inner-bowl that is beyond the floor tickets. Everything was between $500 and $800 and I was looking for 2 tickets. I found decent tickets around $575 and just as I went to check-out, more pain came my way. Ticketmaster added more fees to the tune of almost $300, claiming it was “for the stadium or sports franchises that occupied the stadium and other rights fees”. And then there was taxes involved, another $100-150, and they also offered parking. Sum total was over $1,500 for two tickets, plus you have to consider parking, gas costs driving there, eating somewhere, and hotel rooms as I don’t want to drive all night after a long wrestling event. Easily becomes a $2,000 day.
Folks, not that I’m bragging, but I could easy pay for that and I figure most other fans too. If not, many can place that on a Credit Card and just pay down on that fun for the rest of the year. THAT’S NOT THE POINT.
The point is the audacity of WWE to ask for fans to pay at least $260 for the cheapest seat available, while asking for $500 to $800 for regular seats beyond the floor. From what I’m seeing at Wrestlemania 41 for both freakin’ nights, the WWE is asking much more of its fans for that day, too. Looking at tickets at RAW, Smackdown, and houseshows, I see the similar pattern as well.
I could have easily paid for this trip, BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO. In my head, I thought about other things that I could easily use $1500 to $2000. I could take my family to the Beach for much less than this and have a better time and make better memories for an entire week. That Nintendo Switch 2 looks pretty interesting… There are a few other local trips that I want to do with my family over a weekend or anytime I have vacation days to burn. Looking back on 2024 when I didn’t have a big wrestling event to fund, I had a lot of fun with my family and we went to a bunch of places and saw some cool things.
I know that if I went to the 2025 Royal Rumble, I’d probably enjoy it but in my head, I’d be thinking if the money spent was worth it. Then I realized that I can enjoy the entire HD presentation of the show for $14.99 on Peacock in the comfort of my own home.
In economics, there is a term called Opportunity Cost, which measures the value of the next best alternative. For me, I measured it against what I could better do with that money for 2025 rather than feed the greed monsters at WWE, Ticketmaster, and the city of Indianapolis who spent millions to lure WWE to their city. I’d probably be there if I just spent $1,000 on tickets… But adding an additional $400-$500 of total BS on top of your advertised prices is just wrong. Pure greed and it’s a WWE that thinks the good times will be here to last forever.
I’ve been to a few WWE events for the past few years, so I know what WWE was charging versus the greed game they are trying right now. I’m not going to play it and I can live without seeing a WWE event in-person.
Y’all almost had my money, but now I can just blow it on a bunch of different things that will make longer impactful memories or entertain me beyond 1 night. And I don’t get to fight other cars in the parking lot when the event ends, too, late at night.
Buyer beware for WWE events right now.
Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ