Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News!
I’m Oli Davis.
Ever since his racist comments were leaked as part of the Gawker sex tape lawsuit in
2015, Hulk Hogan has mostly vanished from WWE.
His Hall of Fame profile has been removed from their website, you can’t find any Hulkster
merchandise on their shop, and his WWE contract was terminated.
Well, call of the search, guys.
I’ve found him.
In Holland.
The Real American’s latest appearance is in a commercial for Dutch insurance company
Centraal Beheer - I think I’m saying that right - where he stops a thief from stealing
a woman’s handbag.
He then delivers a series of very well-protected wrestling moves: a tombstone piledriver, a
leg drop, a flurry of fists and a splash off the top of a gate - none of them ever connecting
with the villain.
Way to expose the business, Hulk.
The concept is that the insurance company can provide actual protection from theft,
rather than the pretend version Hulkster offers.
It’s not gone unnoticed that WWE have been dropping in more and more Hulk Hogan references
on television over the last few months.
The belief is they’ve been sowing the seeds for The Hulkster’s return, a theory helped
no end by his daughter Brooke telling TMZ, “I’ll just say I know people have been
calling him for Wrestlemania.”
CageSideSeats’ rumor section, however, is now reporting that while Hogan returning to
WWE will eventually happen, it most likely won’t be anytime soon.
They’re also reporting that another widely speculated part of Wrestlemania 33 might be
off.
Remember, this is from their ‘rumor’ section, so take it with a pinch of salt.
Apparently backstage “whispers” are getting louder that the planned Big Show vs Shaquille
O’Neal match at Wrestlemania might not happen.
This is a special attraction bout that WWE have wanted for years, with teases going back
to July 2009 when Shaq was Raw’s guest host and the two got physical.
Many speculate this is why Big Show has gotten himself in such good condition heading into
Wrestlemania season.
Going by viewership figures for this week’s Raw, where they bounced back from their terrible
rating last week to an average of 3.216 million viewers, WWE might want to lock in that Big
Show vs Shaq match soon - as big, sweaty guys are a draw.
The Big Show vs Braun Strowman main event helped retain viewers throughout the episode.
How would you fantasy book the Big Show and Shaq’s feud?
Tell me with bearhugs, lots and lots of bearhugs, in the comments below.
Cheers Diamond Mitchell Janda, Courtney Chaos, who you can follow on Twitter @QueenHouseChaos,
and Ji.
TNA Impact Wrestling is about to enter anoter era of Jarrett.
The promotion’s original founder has been brought back in by its new owners as Impact’s
executive producer.
Jarrett, in turn, has brought in many of his team, with Dutch Mantell, Scott D’Amore
and now Kevin Sullivan.
No, not WCW booker Kevin Sullivan, but TNA’s former Vice President of Production.
And Wrestlezone are reporting that both ‘The Miracle’ Mike Bennett and his wife Maria
Kanellis will be resigning new year-long deals with the promotion.
Impact Wrestling have announced their next set of tapings for Thursday 2nd March to Sunday
5th.
With Jarrett’s new team now in place, this will be the first proper look at TNA’s post-Dixe
Carter direction.
TNA’s lead announcer Josh Mathews, however, was brought in by the previous head of creative
John Gaburick, and hasn’t done anything to endear himself to the new regime, claiming
he’s the world’s best play-by-play commentator, and publicly arguing with Jeremy Borash, Shark
Boy and others on Twitter.
Although Dave Meltzer has said this is a ‘work’ by Josh, having your lead announcer - the
person the viewers have to trust - act like a heel rarely works.
See Michael Cole’s run on Raw from 2010-2012.
Especially when you tell fans to “shoot” themselves on Twitter, as the Real Shoot Wrestling
podcast exposed.
Mathews’ original tweet has since been deleted, and Pro Wrestling Sheet are reporting that
Impact Wrestling officials were “very unhappy...and he got a stern warning for the future.”
Learn more about when Josh Mathews first jumped the shark or watch my review of this week’s
Big Show vs Braun Strowman main event on Raw by clicking the videos to the left, and subscribe.
I’ve been Oli Davis, and that was wrestling.