On a recent edition of his “The ARN Show” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson discussed Hulk Hogan leaving WWE for WCW in 1994.
On whether WCW had the infrastructure to bring in Hulk Hogan from WWE: “You know, they were still — you got to look at WCW for what it was at that point in time. It was still a startup company. It wasn’t Jim Crockett Promotions, albeit there were leftover talent that were featured with Jim Crockett Promotions. But it was still a startup company. I was a little worried. You know, to bring a guy in like that, which — you know, a year or even a year earlier you would have said, ‘Well, that’ll never happen, Vince will never let him go, he’s there for life!’
“But then, when it happened, I remember having a thought, ‘Well, who do you have heated up that’s hot enough, that’s got enough heat that’s gonna be something that is must see?’ You know what I mean? You know, I ran down the the lineup in my head and just went — for a guy to come in like that, if he’s gonna wrestle right away you need to have a guy on the other side of the ball that has got a ton of heat and says ‘Oh, you want to come into my company? I’ll take care of these guys.’ You know what I mean? But done in a heel way, you know.”
On WCW using Hogan as a star: “I mean, you gotta — he’s got to be your focal point if you’re going to spend that kind of money, period.”
On the locker room reaction to WCW paying Hulk Hogan big money: “That’s a natural way for those guys to feel [unhappiness]. I mean, just the way you just laid it out: he’s gonna work less dates for more money. You know, he’s gonna have a relaxed schedule, he’s gonna be allowed to do anything outside that he wants, movies. So I’m sure Ted Turner is a brilliant man. I’m sure — you know, he didn’t build the empire that he built by being stupid. In the back of his mind, he’s thinking, ‘Okay, will Hogan do another Rocky III? Which propelled Hogan into superstardom. I mean, good God Almighty, who hasn’t seen that movie?”
On the internal concern of bringing in Hogan: “Here’s the one thing that you can think about. And it’s a good thing, and it’s a bad thing. When you find out a guy’s gonna come in and have the opportunity to make — you know, I’m sure he was like, PPVs was a percentage, right? It was no fixed income. The beauty of WCW, which I took a lot of pride in, [was] the fact that we had guaranteed money, and if you didn’t draw a lot of money, you still got your pay. But now you’re going to be wrestling Hulk Hogan. If you had been working for Vince, you would have — if you got to sell out Madison Square Garden, and you were wrestling Hulk Hogan, you would have got a huge payoff. Now you’re going to get what you always get, your weekly salary.
“And guys, they don’t think about, ‘Well, I got paid for a week that wasn’t very good, wasn’t very profitable and I still got my money, whatever that was.’ You know, that’s the way that I thought about it. But the guys that, you know, if there was a big house and it was sold out they would — if you came from the era of working for Vince and every other company out there. Turner was the first guy to give guaranteed money, you know? And it’s just the way, how do you approach it, how do you look at it? It was a point of contention with a lot of guys. And a lot of conversations I’m sure went down, because of it.”
In 1994, the wrestling world was shaken when Hulk Hogan made the surprising move from WWE to WCW. This move had a significant impact on both companies and the wrestling industry as a whole. WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson recently discussed this historic moment on his podcast, shedding light on various aspects of Hogan’s departure and its consequences.
At the time, WCW was still considered a startup company, although it had some remnants of Jim Crockett Promotions. Anderson expressed his initial concern about whether WCW had the infrastructure to bring in a big name like Hogan. He believed that for such a move to be successful, WCW needed to have a wrestler with enough heat and star power to challenge Hogan. This would create a must-see matchup and generate excitement among fans.
Anderson also emphasized that if WCW was going to invest a significant amount of money in Hogan, he had to be the focal point of the company. Hogan’s star power and popularity were undeniable, and WCW needed to capitalize on that investment by making him the center of attention.
However, not everyone in the locker room was thrilled about WCW paying Hogan a substantial amount of money. Anderson acknowledged that it was natural for other wrestlers to feel unhappy about Hogan’s special treatment. Hogan would work fewer dates for more money and have a relaxed schedule that allowed him to pursue other ventures like movies. Anderson speculated that WCW owner Ted Turner saw potential in Hogan’s crossover appeal, considering his success in movies like “Rocky III.”
One internal concern among the wrestlers was the impact Hogan’s arrival would have on their pay structure. WCW offered guaranteed money, ensuring wrestlers got paid even if they didn’t draw big crowds. However, with Hogan’s arrival, some wrestlers worried that they would no longer receive the significant payoffs associated with selling out arenas like Madison Square Garden. Instead, they would receive their regular weekly salary regardless of the event’s success.
Anderson highlighted that this difference in pay structure created a point of contention among the wrestlers. Some wrestlers were content with the guaranteed money, appreciating the security it provided. Others, especially those accustomed to the traditional pay-per-view model, felt frustrated by the potential loss of significant paydays.
Hogan’s move from WWE to WCW was a pivotal moment in wrestling history. It marked the beginning of the Monday Night Wars, a fierce competition between WWE and WCW for television ratings and fan loyalty. Hogan’s star power and the subsequent rise of WCW as a legitimate competitor to WWE forever changed the wrestling landscape.
As Anderson discussed on his podcast, Hogan’s arrival brought both excitement and concerns within WCW. While there were doubts about WCW’s ability to handle such a high-profile signing, there was also recognition of Hogan’s value as a top star. The impact of Hogan’s move can still be felt today, as it paved the way for future wrestling stars to make similar career-altering decisions.