The short version: Eric Bischoff and Bubba The Love Sponge linked to a Twitter account that they said was Hulk Hogan's. Bubba tweeted at Hogan about a meeting they just had. A little while after that, Hogan said that he and Bischoff were leaving TNA and being replaced by a new regime. And then...this happened.
Update: Eric Bischoff just posted this:
The Hogan twitter site that I posted is a fake one. Hulk IS getting a Twitter page up, but the most recent post is a fake.
I will post the REAL page info as soon as we get it. Sorry for the confusion.
The Hulk Hogan twitter posts are fake. Hulk IS in the process of setting up a page, but has not as yet. The rumors... http://fb.me/DGGnaaVQ
The linked Facebook post by Bischoff says:
The Hulk Hogan twitter posts are fake. Hulk IS in the process of setting up a page, but has not as yet. The rumors of us leaving TNA are bogus.
The tweets about leaving TNA have now been deleted by "Hogan."
Bischoff and Bubba The Love Sponge, two of Hogan's best friends, both plugged an account that Bischoff is now saying wasn't really his.
For what it's worth, about two hours ago, Bubba also posted this:
With hogan in a meeting. Bubba
@realHulk_Hogan hey hootie these guys just met there match with my guys. Bubba.
Update Part Deux: Now "Hogan" posted this:
@EBischoff GOT WORKED BROTHERS! He publishes information before even verifying its accuracy. How can someone like this even try to run TNA?!
That piece of shit @BTLSRadio GOT WORKED TOO!
This one was for the INTERNET WRESTLING COMMUNITY! Beat us if you can, survive if we let you!
The moral of the story is that if you're a celebrity, you should make sure that you verify the legitimacy of your celebrity friends' Twitter accounts via email or phone. Like me, Dave Meltzer or Bryan Alvarez (there's no byline) at F4WOnline.com figured that Bubba and Bischoff had to be linking to a real account:
Hogan and Bischoff leave TNA
For those who predicted eight months in the polls regarding when Hulk Hogan arrived in TNA, you got it right.
On his 57th birthday, Hogan just announced on twitter, "I know you've heard the rumors brothers and they are true. Eric and I are leaving TNA on a mutual basis. I just got out of meetings now. It was really fun but time to move on. TNA has new leadership coming in. Make sure you Hulkamaniacs still support them. TNA needs the power of Hulkamania to live on brothers."
This message came 16 hours after several message he twittered yesterday pushing that he was staying. Last night he posted, "Yes, some of the EV 2.0 guys are sticking around, but so is Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and the rest of the TNA crew dudes." Later he wrote "Dixie and I both love what we do, we get along great dudes. All the power to TNA."
What an odd story this turned out to be, eh?
Update Tercera: Now fake Hogan is claiming to be a TNA employee (and screw it, I'm going to stop linking to individual posts at this point):
How I got this to work: Well, here's the truth and honestly the truth, I work for TNA and am a current employee.
TNA doesn't listen to any of us backstage. We're not allowed to step on anyones toes.
So I thought this would be the best way to express my true thoughts.
I hate Bischoff. I don't hate Hogan, but I don't see him helping TNA, he's just taking money. So let us do what we do best...
Hogan and Bischoff always play up how we're a happy family backstage. But that's far from it. We get paid shit.
Some of us were paid better in 2006, no lies.
And that's to provide true TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION WRESTLING. @TNADixie, this is a shoot brother. We want @EBischoff OUT!
Some of us got our eyes on a new wrestling company coming up in Florida and you know what, if it doesn't have @EBischoff's name, it's a draw
In response to this post by Dixie Carter...
Recent twitter of Hulk Hogan leaving TNA is bogus. To what extreme people will go.
He said:
@TNADixie Yes it's bogus, but @EBischoff himself is bogus. I work for you Dixie and respect you so much, but you've fallen off the wagon.
The F4WOnline story has been updated to reflect the latest. Should be interesting to see if we can get confirmation that the account holder is indeed a TNA employee.
Update Villano IV: He keeps going and going...
@TNADixie You need to wake up and realize who your true TNA troops are. I don't see Hogan or @EBischoff breaking a sweat.
@TNADixie I've bled for TNA, I've sacrificed for TNA, and I've put my family on the line for TNA... for what? To be pushed aside? It's BS
@TNADixie And you know it deep down. If things don't change, a couple of us are quitting.
@TNADixie I speak for a whole crop of men and women in the back. We're not happy.
Sorry guys, not revealing myself because at the end of the day, I need to put food on my family's table and getting fired won't help that.
But if I can use this big work as venue to provide TRUE honest opinions of the TNA biz today, then great, because we have no other way.
AJ spoke out for us a little while ago and got ridiculed. Had it been anyone else, they would either be suspended or fired.
So I took it upon myself to use the "biggest name" to get our voices heard. It may seem like a pussy move, but try being in our positions.
We got no choice but to use the Internet to our advantage here. And it's our hope that sites like [redacted site because it's infamous for infecting users' computers] will publish our message.
Because @TNADixie reads [redacted], but it's not like she listens to them very much.
We love you guys over at [redacted] though. Honest to God, if you guys were wrestling promoters, we'd be working for you
RT my stuff to @TNADixie and let her know we want CHANGE in TNA - from the men and women who work in TNA!
And we love Tommy Dreamer, but how does he come first before us? How do all these ECW guys, who had their chance in 1995, come before us?
No disrespect to the ECW guys either. Just saying.
Update V: The Original Miniseries:
@TNADixie got worked herself when she believed in @EBischoff and Hogan by firing Christopher Daniels and bringing in Venis Jordan,NastyBoys
And all the rest of the Hogan contingent. Where is Daniels now? Where is Samoa Joe? Where is Amazing Red? Where is Kendrick?
Where is Scotty Steiner, who could still WORK for his age. We loved Scotty. We don't need Hall or Waltman who use TNA in reminisce old times
Fuckin use Desmond Wolfe, use Homicide, use Hernandez, use Awesome Kong, us the people that brought you to the dance @TNADixie
And use me the way I've been suggesting. You always assure me that things will go in the right direction, but then forget about it @TNADixie
Then there's @EBischoff who runs his mouth saying he talks to talent when he's never spoken to me about the product once.
And I'm sorry, I love Vince Russo, but his time as a writer was long gone after he left the WWF. Demote him to ring crew staff, honestly.
That's it for now. Send the message to @TNADixie. Out to the beach now.
Update: The Curse of Michael Myers:
Fake Hogan keeps posting and Bubba has shown an amazing lack of self-awareness:
@realHulk_Hogan please everybody listen to @EBischoff this guy is not hulk. Eric and I would know
Original post about the the alleged Hogan and Bischoff departures after the jump.
Yup, they're gone. From Hogan on his new official Twitter account (confirmed to be a legit account by Eric Bischoff and Bubba The Love Sponge):
http://twitter.com/realHulk_Hogan/status/20904121065
I know you've heard the rumors brothers and they are true. Eric and I are leaving TNA on a mutual basis. I just got out of meetings now.
http://twitter.com/realHulk_Hogan/status/20904193655
It was really fun but time to move on.
http://twitter.com/realHulk_Hogan/status/20904228528
TNA has a new leadership coming in. Make sure you Hulkamaniacs still support them. TNA needs the power of Hulkamania to live on brothers.
http://twitter.com/realHulk_Hogan/status/20904313742
Thank you Dixie and Bob Carter for the wonderful and positive experiences in TNA. Nothing but the best to you guys.
http://twitter.com/realHulk_Hogan/status/20904412653
Brothers, this isn't the last of me though. You'll be able to see me at "Hulk Hogan & Friends" events on tour soon.
So does this mean Heyman's in or Dreamer somehow usurped them via Sunday's PPV? Are the HardCORE Justice buys trending noticeably higher than the recent debacles?
Stay tuned for more as this story develops...