WHO IS THE THIRD MAN ANYWAY?
During the last week all indications were Hulk Hogan would turn out to be the third man on the “Outsider” team of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
That apparently in essence was “Plan B” after Bret Hart turned down WCW offers to come in.
Hall and Nash may not have been directly told about Hogan as the planned third man because at one point Bischoff was said to be just assuring them that even though they didn’t get Bret Hart, the third man would not in any way end up being a letdown without telling Hall and Nash specifically who it would be.
Bischoff and whoever is privy to the third man have done an excellent job, by design, keeping people guessing about the identity.
Hogan is featured in print advertising for the Bash at the Beach.
What’s strange is despite various insider hints that Hogan was at least at one point the third man, as late as last week they were looking for someone else.
That would indicate either Hogan has since backed out of the plan and decided not to turn heel or they are preparing a “Plan C” which would go into effect should Hogan change his mind at the last second.
The Luger turn seems to have been totally scratched as of a few weeks before the show because it would resemble too much the Steve McMichael turn on Kevin Greene.
If Hogan does turn (and don’t rule out a change in those plans or a turn by Randy Savage instead), the assumption is he will play a heel role, and depending on how he likes the role, will probably end up turning back babyface after Hall and Nash turn on him.
In a related note, WCW says the reason Hall and Nash haven’t been given names yet is because new names have been in the process of being cleared for trademark and until they clear, they don’t want to give them temporary names.
They say the intent wasn’t to deceive the public into thinking they were still Razor Ramon and Diesel.
If WCW doesn’t clear the new names for Hall and Nash by the Bash at the Beach, the plan is to call them by their real names.
