Wrestling Forum banner

Instances of Hogan abusing his creative control in WCW?

25K views 83 replies 32 participants last post by  Mifune Jackson 
#1 ·
Other than the obvious one (Starrcade 1997).

The WW3 ending at 1995 was a great example, Vince wouldn't have agreed to an ending like that, when Hogan was eliminated in the Rumble it was legit.
 
#13 · (Edited)
:lol

That's why he constantly got away with it in WCW, Bischoff had no control over him. He let Hogan do whatever he wanted because of his WWE success.

That's not abusing creative control.

IMO abusing creative control is what Bret Hart did at SS97 in Montreal.

Politicking with Management to get the outcome changed is just politics. I'm sure Hogan's played politics thousands of times. I really doubt he ever used creative control because he was always well liked by Management.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels used politics, Hogan in WCW had creative control, he got to choose his own angles and finishes to matches. Hogan ran that company more than Bischoff did, Bischoff was nothing but a puppet to Hogan.
 
#12 ·
That's not abusing creative control.

IMO abusing creative control is what Bret Hart did at SS97 in Montreal.

Politicking with Management to get the outcome changed is just politics. I'm sure Hogan's played politics thousands of times. I really doubt he ever used creative control because he was always well liked by Management.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Fighting his good ol' buddy - I mean, baggage handler - Ed Leslie in one of the main events of one of their PPVs. Has to rank up there because of the awfulness of Leslie in general.

Taking time off from WCW when their programming was up against NFL (or some other high ratings sport) so that when there was the short inevitable dip in ratings (which would've happened regardless), he would claim it was because he was off TV. Okay, not really to do with creative control but still a dunderhead move.

There's a shitload more - isn't there an article somewhere listing all his creative control moments?
 
#23 ·
Typical Hogan bs thread, no proof what so ever, only person who know this is being discredited and dismissed, typical IWC-Hate-(Insert wrestler)-thread

Similar threads of pure speculation and hearsay can be found about:

Goldberg
Cena
Warrior
Bret Hard
Kevin Nash and the list goes on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThunderAngel
#21 ·
Found this on another forum:

1994 - Hogan signs with WCW after being courted by Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff. Hogan insisted on "complete creative control" over the Hulk Hogan character and a certain percentage of EACH PPV TOTAL REVENUE.

1994 - A three match series is planned with Hogan/Flair. Hogan would win the first, Flair would regain it and Hogan would win the finale. All parties agree. Hogan wins the WCW World Title from Ric Flair in his first match back in a year.

When the time comes for Flair to regain the title, Hogan refuses, saying the fans "weren't ready for him to drop it".
Flair later admits in his book, that fans were already booing Hogan at shows, but that WCW was dubbing in a "cheering crowd soundtrack".
The subsequent PPVs featuring Flair/Hogan fail to sell.

1994 - Hogan negotiates for former WWE stars and Hogan allies Brutus Beefcake, Earthquake and Typhoon to join WCW.

Creative suggests Hogan face Sting in a face vs face "dream match" at Starrcade. Hogan decides it makes better sense for him to face Beefcake as the heel, "The Butcher". The PPV flops.

1995 - Hogan convinces Randy Savage to leave WWE and join WCW. Instead of starting a feud
between the two former WWE Champions, Hogan insists on teaming with Savage against Kevin Sullivan and his 3 Faces of Fear.

1995 - Hogan agrees to work with Vader, but the program soon falls apart when both accuse the other of "not selling for the other".

Fans are steadily losing interest in WCW. The company begins to falter seriously, as executives point at the Hogan contract and "creative control" agreement as being a main culprit. Hogan takes extended time off - but remains the highest paid man on the roster.

1996 - With WCW desperate to compete with WWE, WCW signs Hall and Nash and plot the NWO angle. Hogan is booked to turn heel and he agrees. The angle is a smash. Within weeks, Hogan wins the World Title from The Giant.

Instead of milking fresh matchups as a heel, Hogan decides that WCW should bring in Roddy Piper. Despite the possibility of a Starrcade matchup with Lex Luger or The Giant - Hogan faces Piper in a cage match in the main event. Hogan puts over Piper via the sleeperhold, in a NON-TITLE match.

1997 - Hogan feuds with Piper and Savage, while turning down suggestions he put over Luger or Diamind Dallas Page for the title. He appears weekly, but rarely wrestles on TV, while still remaining the highest paid star in WCW.

1997 - In his much hyped Starrcade match with Sting, it was decided that Hogan would beat Sting after an alleged "fast count" by referee Nick Patrick. WCW's newly contracted Bret Hart would accuse Patrick and have the match restarted with Sting winning by submission. Hogan reportedly paid off referee Patrick, to count normally and make it look like Hogan had pinned Sting cleanly. When this DID happen, the planned finish played out - but fans booed because it was clearly botched and made Sting look bad.

1998 - Hogan agreed to put over Goldberg cleanly on Nitro, but with the condition that Karl Malone & DDP get involved to prompt a Hogan/Dennis Rodman team to debut on PPV at Bash At The Beach. Hogan promoted the match on "The Tonight Show" and later teamed with Bischoff against DDP and Jay Leno HIMSELF!

The Hogan celebrity tag team matches stole all the attention while WCW Champion Goldberg was all but ignored.

1999 - After six months without the title, and still being the top guy, Hogan regained the title from Kevin Nash in the "Fingerpoke of Doom" incident. Openly flaunting his creative control clause. He would lose the title, but not cleanly to Ric Flair.
When the NWO angle began to lose serious steam, Hogan turned face again. Randy Savage had recently turned heel and regained the WCW Title.

Once again, this time, as a face, Hogan defeated Savage to regain the title. Despite having names like Hart, Luger and Sting to work with Savage - the title went back to Hogan. At his request.

2000 - Hogan begins feuding with WCW booker Vince Russo over how he's being used. Russo wanted to push younger stars and to appease Russo only, Hogan worked with young Billy Kidman.

When a WCW Title match with Jeff Jarrett was booked, Russo had Jarrett winning. Hogan refused, because his contract with WCW was almost up and he feared Russo wouldn't use him on future PPV events. Meaning Hogan would lose out on serious cash.

Russo pulled a swerve on Hogan by having Jarrett lay down for him intentionally. Hogan did so, winning the belt - then was immeditaely stripped of it.

Hogan was never seen in WCW again.
 
#26 · (Edited)
A few problems with your list:

1994 - Hogan signs with WCW after being courted by Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff. Hogan insisted on "complete creative control" over the Hulk Hogan character and a certain percentage of EACH PPV TOTAL REVENUE.
Hulk Hogan was drawing the PPVs, he deserved some revenue.


Instead of milking fresh matchups as a heel, Hogan decides that WCW should bring in Roddy Piper. Despite the possibility of a Starrcade matchup with Lex Luger or The Giant - Hogan faces Piper in a cage match in the main event. Hogan puts over Piper via the sleeperhold, in a NON-TITLE match.
Roddy Piper > Luger and Giant.

The Hogan celebrity tag team matches stole all the attention while WCW Champion Goldberg was all but ignored.
Of course they were ignored, Hollywood Hogan was a bigger draw than Goldberg at his peak add in Carl Malone, Rodman, and Jay Leno. don't see how that's Hogan's fault, he put over Goldberg cleanly and left the main event scene, yet he still outdrawed Goldberg.

Whatever you say, brother. You can believe the guy who has a real and vested interest in lying to make Hogan look good if you want to. But there's too much smoke there for there to be no fire.
Most of the anti-Hogan stuff is bs. for example The Fingerpoke of Doom, why would he want to make himself look bad?

if it was by creative control then he would've booked himself strong.

Austin, guy in your avatar, held more guys back than Hogan ever did.
 
#24 ·
Hulk Hogan jobbed more in WCW than he did post 2003-ish. It makes sense that Russo did try to get Hogan out. The first thing he did when rebooking WCW 2000 was jobbing out Hogan in the first show.

And BATB 2000 could've been the first time Hogan actually used his creative control clause. The other times he could've threatened. So semantics.
 
#32 ·
Vader told a story on how, to begin the feud with Hogan, he was to powerbomb Hogan and lay him out. Well, Hogan no sold it. The problem was, with no selling Vader's finisher before the first match, it kind of kills the build up to the big finish.

Another story he told was how Hogan decided to work Beefcake at Starrcade '94 instead of anybody else, due to being buddies.

He also talked about the idea of Flair being his manager and helping him beat Hogan for the title, setting up for the big return match. Hogan refused.

I also remember a story about Flair, after losing the retirement match, having a plan that saw him returning to align with Hogan and taking on The Dungeon Of Doom. Hogan shot it down.

In '94, when Flair was still champion & booker, he proposed an idea for a title feud with Austin. Not blaming Hogan for it not happening, instead, I think Bischoff shut it down.


On the flip side, Arn Anderson said Hogan had little pull in the locker room but lots in the office, which Are says is good, because that's what kept Hogan on top for so long and just the addition of him meant better business for WCW.

Sullivan, Hogan's biggest supporter on the booking team, said Hogan was difficult and often changed plans to his liking. But, he was protecting himself, as Flair was out to undermine him at all times, constantly suggesting Hogan should lose to random people. Hogan got pissed and changed finishes to his matches with Flair and Arn, to have them go over so Flair could quit complaining. Probably one of the few instances where Hogan used his pull with no benefit to himself.



I'll find more as the time goes.
 
#36 ·
Man, fuck Hogan
 
#38 · (Edited)
- Changing his mind about dropping the title back to Flair at Clash Of The Champions. (Flair's book)

- Not wanting to job to Vader hence the fuckery on their match finishes.

- Instead of dropping the title to Luger at Road Wild, Hogan agreed to drop it to him on Nitro 100 so he could win it back from Luger at Road Wild instead.

- Making Savage a one day champion two times.

- Refusing to work a feud with Bret Hart again. (Hart's book)

- Changing his mind about losing to Jarrett at Bash At The Beach. (Russo's shoot)
 
#47 · (Edited)
Hogan obviously played politics but in a lot of these cases you're talking about guys who are bitter because they didn't get their way. It's funny that everyone blames Hogan yet just sweep for ex. Vader's story under the rug like he didn't pull some strings to try to get his way booked.

Here's what it comes down to. Hogan has a creative control clause in his contract because he's the biggest superstar there. His ability to play politics are written in his contract. I'm not sure if you can call that politics. Contractually he was given the we'll do whatever you want clause because we understand just how much you mean to us. So essentially it's the guarantee that no wrestler will get one over on him. You're not going to look like superman while he looks like a pile of crap which is essentially what they want too.
 
#55 ·
So you're telling me that HHH beating orton at WM25 was not politics? HHH pinning booker T at wm19 was not politics when the :fact of the matter is that the rock did not put Booker T over in a singles match (he put over hurricane who later got stomped by Haitch) because he heard that HHH was not going to lay down for T at wm19.

The :fact of the matter is that HHH buried Jericho at WM18 ,who did not even get a title rematch at a ppv and was later pushed down to the lower mid card right after his undisputed reign. HHH's dog was more important that jericho in that feud leading up to mania. HHH pretty much headlined over the world champ in 04 (the man who's name shall not be spoken) for the entirety of his reign.

HHH made cena look like a bitch leading up to their match at WM22, he pointed out cena's flaws to fans day in and day out so that the he, the heel would get a better reaction which of course he did but he was meant to make the top face in cena look strong, he did the opposite.
I hate cena but come on, you still gata make the future look good and not bury them. Goldberg had massive momentum when he came back after pinning the biggest star in wrestling in the rock until HHH squashed that momentum.

Come on man, I like the :fact that we're both massive rock supporters and despise baldy 3:16 but still, I see bullshit here in you saying HHH was basically a saint, fuck that because he was and will forever be one of the biggest pieces of shit backstage.
 
#59 ·
So you're telling me that HHH beating orton at WM25 was not politics?
Randy Orton was a heel.

HHH pinning booker T at wm19 was not politics when the :fact of the matter is that the rock did not put Booker T over in a singles match (he put over hurricane who later got stomped by Haitch) because he heard that HHH was not going to lay down for T at wm19.
Rumor with no substance about The Rock, as far as not losing to Booker T, Booker lost his WCW steam, Booker T was at his height from 2000-2001 as WCW Champion against Scott Steiner.

The :fact of the matter is that HHH buried Jericho at WM18
Heel losing at Wrestlemania is a burial?

who did not even get a title rematch at a ppv and was later pushed down to the lower mid card right after his undisputed reign.
Triple H was not the writer.

HHH's dog was more important that jericho in that feud leading up to mania. HHH pretty much headlined over the world champ in 04 (the man who's name shall not be spoken) for the entirety of his reign.
1, Triple H was not the writer.

2, he put over Chris Benoit cleanly via tap out, Benoit who was not a draw.

HHH made cena look like a bitch leading up to their match at WM22, he pointed out cena's flaws to fans day in and day out so that the he, the heel would get a better reaction which of course he did but he was meant to make the top face in cena look strong, he did the opposite.
Yet he put over John Cena cleanly, when he had every political leverage, he could've convinced them to make Cena lose, "hey Vince, Cena's getting booed pretty bad out there, he shouldn't win"

Instead he doesn't.

I hate cena but come on, you still gata make the future look good and not bury them. Goldberg had massive momentum when he came back after pinning the biggest star in wrestling in the rock until HHH squashed that momentum.
Triple H cheated and used multiple guys, one on one Triple H put him over cleanly.


Batista wasn't a draw? :what
Batista? the guy who was doing the best numbers in the business since rock and austin left at that point? The guy who saw a ratings spike and ppv numbers spike in 05? Dude, stop now because Batista in 05 was the biggest star in professional wrestling at that point in time.
When Batista won the World Title on April 3, 2005 at Wrestlemania 21 he was not a draw, and certainly not the biggest star in Pro Wrestling :fact

Also, I agree with the rock being the top draw of the AE but to say that austin didn't draw is fucking bullshit. You're telling me the guy who draw 700k buys for SS98 was not a draw?
Rock, Triple H/DX, Undertaker, Kane and Mankind factor into SS 98, Austin alone failed at NWO 1998 and Over The Edge 1998. Austin was not a draw.
 
#68 ·
I hate this concept of "abusing creative control", kinda like when people bash HBK, Nash, Hogan, Triple H, Stone Cold, Cena and etc for abusing his creative control clause, yet we all know the ones to blame were Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff, at the end of the day they were the one who made the final booking decision, is just that they were NOT man enough to confront one of his employee which is pathetic by the way.
 
#84 ·
I think this is ultimately true, but a lot of blame lies with the talent, too. Hogan and HBK were so short-sighted with their control that it cost them business down the road. Screwing with the talent beneath you prevents them from making money with you later.

I think Hogan's perspective on being paranoid of Flair in '94/95 is valid to some extent, so I don't really blame him on that stuff, at least not entirely. Those two needed to learn to trust each other, and I think they eventually did towards the very end, but Hogan really pulled some weird shit with Goldberg and Vader that I've always questioned.

And then HBK during 96/97 just sounds like a terrible person to be around, even if you're Kevin Nash. Vince absolutely deserves blame for letting HBK do whatever he wants, but HBK just didn't handle his success very well.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top