?Reported by Joe Corneli of WrestleView.com

On Monday, March 7, 2005 at 12:08 AM EST

What's up kids? This is Joe C. checking in with the latest installment of The Counterpoint. If you found the last column (dedicated to the lost art of tag team wrestling) to be too tame-well, this one will bring back the heat.

I've never been one to shy away from controversial topics and certainly and not afraid to ruffle a feather or two. So, the content of this edition will likely hit the collective nerves of those of you who have been brainwashed by the Connecticut Spin Company.

THE POINT

As if the topic hasn't been beat to death.have you heard that WrestleMania XXI is JUST AROUND THE CORNER??? Oh yes, the time of year that all fans wait for; the greatest storylines comes to fruition, the heated rivalries get their day in the sun, and the biggest names in Sports Entertainment headline the greatest billboard of all. Ah, WrestleMania.

This year is special too-two of the greatest stars in wrestling history are coming home.

Hulk Hogan has agreed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. As many have already pointed out, this is certainly long overdue. As is the argument with Major League Baseball and Pete Rose, there isn't really a H.O.F. without Hulk Hogan involved.

Hogan's status in the business has suffered a bit over the past few years. Keep in mind that some of our younger fans only know Hogan as the parody "Hollywood" character that's only real claim to fame was holding onto the WCW title via the help of the NWO. Hardly a legacy.

Still, some fans only know him from his last run in the WWE where his move-set was becoming oddly similar to the number of hairs left in his bleached-blond head. While he has a memorable run with the Rock, some may only recall his feud with Vince and their "memorable" street fight.

However, don't be fooled newbie's-the hype surrounding Hogan is legit. During the 1980s, as J.R. pointed out last week on RAW, Hogan pulled the biggest wagon in the sport. Literally, the product you see today would not have been possible without Hogan's draw and cross-promotional status. He was the God of Professional Wrestling.

Along with Hulk's return, we are also promised a Piper's Pit featuring none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. Like Hogan in the 1980s, Austin trail-blazed the attitude era of the mid to late 1990s when professional wresting experienced its largest boom to date.

Despite his in-ring abilities suffering due to neck injuries, Austin still held a prominent spot on the WWE roster until his (second) untimely exit from the company last year. Although he was relegated to Eric Bischoff's foil on RAW, the fans never popped louder than when the "glass shattered" foreshadowing Stone Cold's march to ringside.

Oh, it should be a great WrestleMania.the night of LEGENDS!

THE COUTERPOINT

Okay, the love-fest is over.the truth shall set us free.

All of the bullet paragraphs above are 100 percent correct. Hogan and Austin have arguably meant more to the profession that we all love than any other person in the past 30 years. Without them, more than the average number of "fans" would be watching "24" on Monday nights and placing bets as to which hopeful will be fired on Thursday's "Apprentice."

However I, for one, am not at all excited to see them return this year. Why, you ask.well, mostly because it is only out of self-promotion that we are graced with their presence. Austin and Hogan have many things in common-the biggest is that the "fans" only matter when there is money to be made.

Austin is currently pimping his new movie deal and surely wants to make a splash with the old fan-base to pump up revenue. I cannot blame him for that-but, why choose WrestleMania as the medium?

Hogan may/may not have something sinister up his cut sleeves-but, one can be certain that he is not selling tickets or PPV buys for Vince out of the goodness of his heart. Their feud was more than a storyline. Let's never forget that Hogan is the same man who did everything he could to help put WWF/E out of business with his million dollar jump to WCW when Vince was barely hanging on in the mid-1990s.

Do I be-grudge the two wresting icons the right to appear on the biggest show of the year? Of course not! But, don't treat me like a "john" either. Too many times these big names come back to hotshot a "one night stand" and lead fans to believe that their cheers and hard-earned money will draw their heroes back for another run. "Maybe if I cheer Hulk enough" or "if I give one big 'Stone Cold salute."

The WWE product, for all its faults, needs a strong showing at WM. They do not have time to cater to the needs of has-been, prim-donnas. As much as many of you hate them, at least icons like Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels still have their nose in the trenches. They still fight, bump and bleed for our admiration. They aren't "special appearances."

Don't get me wrong folks, Hogan and Austin are not the only culprits here.I haven't even begun to talk about the greatest offender of all, The Rock. That may be the topic for next week's diatribe. But, my position will never change: Leave WrestleMania to the WRESTLERS. Sell your image somewhere else!

Until next time. This is The Counterpoint.

Joe C.