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Awesome Kong (AKA Kharma in WWE) recently gave her thoughts on Hulk Hogan's career as a performer for IMPACT Wrestling (FKA TNA).
Between 2007 and 2010, Kong was one of the biggest stars in IMPACT. As the show began to gain traction, legends like the Hulkster joined the fray, hoping to revitalize their careers.
After a brief stint in 2003, Hogan joined the company on a full-time basis in 2009. After some memorable storylines and feuds, he left four years later.
During a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Kong spoke about a conversation with the former president of IMPACT, Dixie Carter, regarding her trepidations surrounding Hulk's presence in the company.
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"Well I thought he was r*ping the company for whatever it was worth. That we were not going to see a return on our Hulk Hogan investment, but he was going to rob the piggy bank dry, and I’m like this is very clear and everyone can see it." Kong added. "So it was like, 'Dixie [Carter] can you not see what is going on? He is going to be popping bottles with Vince [McMahon] in 3 years and you will be broke, can you not see where this is going?'" (H/T EWrestling News)
The WWE Hall of Famer worked for IMPACT for a combined five years. While fans were happy to see him, there was no doubt that he was not the same as in his prime days.
Kurt Angle on Hulk Hogan's presence in TNA
Along with Awesome Kong, many other stars had issues surrounding the six-time WWE Champion's involvement in IMPACT.
Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, Angle himself spoke of how legends like Hulk seemingly stole the spotlight from many of the young stars at the time.
"Guys like us, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, but Hogan and Sting are two of the biggest names in the history of the business... They’re going to help promote the company. It doesn’t matter how old they get. People still want to see them... I wasn’t upset about that. I did understand, but we are the workhorses. We deserve more of the attention, but understandably, they got more of the attention." (H/T Wrestling News)
The mid-to-late 2000s saw IMPACT enjoy a successful run as its roster played host to a great blend of legends like Hulk Hogan and Sting, as well as prime performers like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles.
What are your thoughts on Hulk Hogan's time in IMPACT? Let us know in the comments section below.
