Hogan-Hart promotion a go
By JON WALDMAN -- SLAM! Wrestling
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Hollywood Hogan and Mean Gene Okerlund in March 1999 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. -- Ken Kerr, Toronto Sun
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The on-again off-again wrestling promotion headed by Jimmy Hart and Hulk Hogan is on-again, and this time they're making it official.
The promotion, known as the Xtreme Wrestling
Federation, is set to begin television tapings in
November, with dates set for the 14th and 15th at
Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. A two-hour
pilot episode, as well as eight one-hour episodes will
be pulled together from the tapings.
According to Hogan, who appeared on Bubba The Love
Sponge's Tampa radio show today, the promotion will
have, "no prima donnas, no locker room politics."
Hogan, who is the majority owner of XWF, will be a
co-booker, along with Kevin Sullivan.
Hart, a former WWF and WCW manager, says the group has 40 wrestlers under contract. Among the wrestlers confirmed to be involved are Brian Knobbs, Jerry Sags, Ron and Don Harris, Curt Hennig, Disorderly Conduct, the Shane Twins, "Tough Enough" participant Josh, Marcus "Buff" Bagwell, Vampiro, Sting and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Lawler confirmed his participation on his website, www.kinglawler.com, saying, "I have signed to participate in a TV taping at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida."
Hart also mentioned that he is looking to sign Scott Hall.
Lawler feels that the new promotion will be good for the wrestling industry as a whole. "I think it would benefit everyone, including the WWF," he said. "It is healthy to have competition, and I think Vince McMahon would be the first to admit that.
"This has the potential of turning into something very big in the wrestling world."
When reached by SLAM! Wrestling, Hogan asked to talk about the new promotion at later date, as he was at the hospital with his father.
Hart spoke with SLAM! Wrestling in May, saying that plans for the new promotion would include shows in Canada, likely in conjuction with Jacques Rougeau Jr's Lutte International 2000 promotion. "If this thing at Universal kicks up, the thing that Hulk and I are doing, we're going to make sure that Canada's a very big part of this," he said.
