Would Hulk Hogan be "good for business" for the WWE?

With rumours going round that Hulk Hogan may return to the WWE, one has to wonder whether it is actually, as Vince McMahon would like to say, “Good for business”.

Before we jump to any conclusions, let’s take a brief look at what he has done at TNA after leaving the WWE following the takeover of WCW.

At TNA, Hulk Hogan was supposed to be leading the way in terms of creative storylines and creating characters that the fans would love to watch.

But contrary to that, all Hulk Hogan could manage was an imitation of all the iconic storylines that were played out successfully in the WWE and the WCW. Most notable of this was the way he screwed Kurt Angle out of his championship in the same way Vince McMahon did to Bret Hart at THAT Survivor Series.

It is fair to say that TNA has not clicked with the fans, even after the iconic Hulk Hogan joining hands with Dixie Carter to run the company. Granted, the crowd gave a tremendous reaction when he “Hulked up” to face Sting. But other than that, he did not do much in terms of beating the ratings or even getting anywhere close to WWE, who, by themselves, were running crappy storylines as well, which says a lot about what Hulk Hogan can bring to the table.

It is not as if Hulk Hogan had nobodies to work with. As already mentioned, Kurt Angle was at TNA as well as such fan favourites as Sting, Jeff Hardy, the Dudley Boys, etc. Surely, they were definitely marketable and could have been used to TNA’s advantage and undercut WWE’s viewership. WWE was stuck with John Cena as the champion, and perhaps the only legitimate foil they had was CM Punk. The rest of the roster was not up to the mark, and it was perhaps the best chance TNA had to beat WWE.

But it was not to be. And now, Hulk Hogan is out of a contract, and according to various reports, is in talks with TNA as to signing a new one and deciding on what his role would be.

Technically, Hogan is a free agent and there were calls that he should return to the WWE. But is there anything that the wrestling behemoth could gain upon the immortal Hulk’s return?

True, Hulk Hogan will forever be a fan favourite and his return will be a great boost to the fans that come to the show as well as those watching on TV. But without a proper character and storyline, he will soon become stale and won’t get the same appreciation from the fans. Ric Flair did return multiple, but every single time, there was a legitimate angle and a stable that he could be part of. Where would Hulk Hogan fit?

As the present storylines in the WWE are all with their own protagonists, perhaps the only plausible way that Hulk Hogan can return is as a manager/mentor to either John Cena or Daniel Bryan. Both are faces for the company, and Hulk Hogan was perhaps the most popular when he was the face for so long, before his heel turn at WCW. With him managing either of these two, it will make for interesting viewing as Hulkamania runs wild on the new Corporation.

He should not, under any circumstance, wrestle, as that would only undermine his value. Instead, his mic skills are what should be used, and used effectively to sell the story to the crowd.

But apart from this, there doesn’t seem to be any other legitimate way in which the Hulk can re-enter WWE. With Shawn Michaels returning, the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and Goldust taking an active part, Hulk Hogan’s return would also prove to be good.

But it has to be reiterated, if it isn’t with a good and lasting storyline, he will be wasted and a weight that will drag the show.