WEBVTT

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It's the Lapsed Fan Wrestling Podcast with
Jack and carn S e O and JP

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Sorrow. He's a lapsed fan.
In all my years and wrestling, I

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never seen anything and it's the laps
fan name by the one in the ring.

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Forget about Slado. He the real
king of swing. When the bell

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goes in and the kick like me
throwing in the corner. But it's lash

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like stick. Even Jerry King can
take off the crowd nodded in his head

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like it. Steve low Brown,
would you get low down? Go even

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high up? Flipp you on your
head? But you know cool driver,

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you speak more and Dragon spits fire
give you more shock than when he treats

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higher drop a more truth than the
con of sniper unless you with a coconut.

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Roddy Piper, Jack and JP.
He like j Y d drop the

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cupcakes and gold The brain Bob means
the best podcast Frost start the close cloud

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if you all we've been as a
classic and pos We're back on our bullshit

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here at the Lapsed Fan Wrestling Podcast. Yes, yes, we are lapsed

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Funk in the rear view A ton
of stuff popping off Philly, April seventh,

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The announcement of Dark Side of the
Ring unheard in concert with your co

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chairman. It's getting real here in
twenty twenty four. It's getting real.

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It's getting dirty. And if we're
looking at a four at the end of

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a year, we've got to think
of a certain anniversary. And we've been

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wanting to bring this to you all
year long. Last we're there forty years

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after Hull Cogan won his first WWF
championship January twenty third, nineteen eighty four,

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Madison Square, Garden. Boss,
you put it on the table.

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You had the idea, tell me
why we're here. Well, you know,

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I was, you know, we
we were thrown around ideas. You

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know, we always like to come
to come back from a journey with something

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big, something meaningful, something they
know vany Yep, something that's gonna you

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know, something that's that that that's
that's been probably you know, longed for.

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But at the same time, you
know it's just not gonna fit just

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right. It's gonna hurt a little
harder than normal, right, And that's

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and that's what this was. I
was like, you know, we were

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we were thrown on ideas and and
I think I might have said I don't

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know. I think you wanted to
do You're talking about doing the Royal Rumble,

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the first Royal Rumble or the first
pay per view Royal Rumble, because

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we've never done we haven't done that
yet, yep. And then I feel

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like I'm thinking, by the way, like a total mark that we'd be

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done with lapsed funk in January.
Yeah, right, exactly exactly, And

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I think I kind of said,
well, you know, it is forty

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years of rest of Hulkomania. Oh
my god, is that to be to

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be more accurate, forty years of
Hulke Camenia in the w w F No,

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no, all around before we're gonna
hear him say a lot of Hulkamania

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is under a w A contract or
did he have? No? No,

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no, no, no no.
That's hulk Mania different, very different to

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hear a rod Tron Guard or a
Wally Caraboua put it, for example.

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So we're back, we're strong,
and we're excited to be back with you.

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It's it's a it's a massively historic
show. And as much as I've

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seen the horn Iron Cheek match,
I've never seen the whole card. Yeah,

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how did it make you feel?
I mean, it's it's it's weird.

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There's there's some there's stuff that I
am like, oh this is great,

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like it just it works, it
flows, it's it's fun to be

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in this part. And then and
then there are moments like that fucking Invaders

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versus Fuji and Chung Wi match where
it's like they just it's exhausting, it's

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it's weird. How there's a very
there's there's a almost a there's no it's

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like it's either gona it's either really
fun, it's good and it moves,

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or it's a slug. Yeah,
there's no in between, such as the

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rhythms of Madison Square Garden cards before
Wholemanium. Yeah, right, of course

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Aftercomy, Right, that was what
the the New York wrestling fans and these

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Coast wrestling fans Philly, Baltimore were
accustomed to. Oh god, that that

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that fucking match was just laborious.
Well they were working, so yeah,

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that's true, and it was labor
involved. I suppose, I guess.

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I guess back then it involved labor
from us as well. It did feature

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Bruce of Brodie's Murderer, So there's
that that's it. Did it? Did?

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I was a little excited about that. I did notice that myself.

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So a lot to chew on here
and a lot to talk about. It's

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the it's the dive you need in
the transition to the WWS cul comania.

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It's all those little in betweens that
get left out of the grand telling of

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obviously a story that's told all the
time. Yes, yes, it's it's

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you know I it's not a clean
cut tail. No, I don't think.

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I don't think we could expect it
to be with the Holster involved.

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Well, we'll get to you,
Terry. This one's going to be a

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real there's going to be a lot
of trigger warnings on this episode for laptop,

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just say that upfront. So yeah, really looking forward to sitting down

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and charting in a sort of careful
fashion. What all led to Hulk Hogan

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returning to the WWF in really the
last week of nineteen eighty three, technically

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shooting television for what would air on
the very first day of January nineteen eighty

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four. No shit, yep,
Hulk back in the ring against a Jabbronian

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named Bill Dixon at the Chase Hotel
in Saint Louis. Did did did that?

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Happen before he saved Backland. Yes, wow, it's about two weeks

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later when they taped Allentown, and
shortly after, you know, hul Comedia

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began, they shifted from Allentown to
Poughkeepsie, New York and Branford, Ontario,

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so they would abandon the agricultural hall
that was that you know signature WWF

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a syndicated television locale for all those
years. So it's one of those rare

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times where Hulk Cogan is in full
swing in front of the Allentown crowd and

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yeah, all that all that stuff
to dig into and to save her and

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to set down for history's sake here
as we're also going to talk about the

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incredibly short lived WWF title reign of
the Iron Chic, who of course serves

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as the transitional champion between Bob Backland
and Hull Cogan. We've talked about Chic

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beating Bob Eckland. I believe it
was December twenty seventh, nineteen eighty three

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in the Garden on the Colisseum collection
or one of the early tapes we covered.

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I think it was the History of
the Belt one or maybe it was.

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No, it was, it wasn't
it was you know, it was

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one of those weird the greatest matches
things. It was the greatest match.

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Yeah. It was like a renegade. It was like a shorter Colisseum video.

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Yeah. Yeah, it was w's
greatest matches. And they they showed

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that match, and we talked a
lot about, you know, kind of

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the emotional backdrop for Bob Backland,
who had been top in the WWF,

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on top, I should say since
nineteen seventy eight, to throwning Superstar Billy

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Graham. Is Vince Mcmahonsingior's next selection
to be sort of like that permanent fixture

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of babyface champion in the mold of
Pedro Morales and of course Brunos Sam Martino

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there in the garden. How did
we get you know, I know we've

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talked about a million times, but
I just you know, I can never

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understand how Bob Backland was a was
a worthy successor to guys like because you

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know you've got you spend the sixties
and and and the seventies with guys like

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Bruno San Martino or a Pedro Morales
or Superstar Graham who are all larger than

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life types. Well, I would
say, uh, Pedro wasn't really larger

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than Line. Yeah, Pedro,
but but you know what, Pedro's Pedro's

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you know, he's got a lot
more charisma than fucking yeah than mister Wonderbread.

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Yeah, it's fair. I think, you know, they thought the

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moment called for an all American wrestler
who would go in there and wrestle people,

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to beat them and maintain superiority.
They weren't looking to reinvent Brunos Amartino,

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there was no reason to do that. They they wanted somebody who could

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be an incredibly stark contrast to Billy
Graham. Don't forget he took it off

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the superstar. Yeah. Yeah,
And we've talked at length over the years

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on TLF about how, you know, Superstar Billy Graham did all the things

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you would do to justify having a
longer WWWF title reign than he did.

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But Vin Senior drew the line in
the sand and said, this is the

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night where the belt goes back to
our next babyface champion. That was the

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like when you look at when you
during this era, when you look at

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the names of people and you look
at you know, the quality of wrestler

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and and what you know, it's
like he just doesn't fit the mold.

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Oh no, he does not at
all. No. I mean you know,

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there isn't a mold. As much
as you would think. In Vin

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Senior's mind, there was the charism
of a Bruno Suo Martino that was its

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own entity. I mean, Bruno, you know, wasn't somebody that was

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created by Vin Senior. He certainly
didn't put a want ad out for someone

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to fill the role and choose over
Bruno. And that's all you're really talking

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about is Bruno. I mean,
you can talk about Pedro, but Pedro

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is sort of like a one eight
of Bruno. Just insert Puerto Rican fan

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base for Italian fan base and you
have pretty much the same mold, right.

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But you know, very very bland
on interviews, Bruno Bruno wasn't a

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great interview. We heard Terry Funk
and the Lapsed Funk talk about how Bruno

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is one of those guys that used
bashfulness and shyness like Jack Briscoe did as

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a very endearing babyfaced trait in the
seventies. Yeah, and he said,

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you know, don't sleep on how
important it is to get over as a

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babyface, to make it seem like
you'd rather not be talking about yourself it

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to certainly not be a boisterous,
colorful guy in the microphone. You know.

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I just think if we really steep
ourselves in what wrestling fans wanted out

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of the Babyface World Champion in the
seventies, we would probably say of Bob

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Backland. But it's the whole Cogan
era that's so and sort of putting Hogan

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in the same category as Bruno,
which probably isn't that appropriate when you think

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about the actual presentation. I mean, that would get that warped idea.

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I mean, I guess maybe,
but I mean, you know, I

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just think of the intensity of the
matches we've seen with Bruno and he's just

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yeah, you know, he's just
all go in his matches. And Bob

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Backland, you know, I've seen
a few of his matches from back then

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and again he's a fine technical wrestler. Oh yeah, But like I just

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I never it's such a fucking wild
ass thing anyone. I mean, and

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I know obviously he drew money.
He would have been championing for six years

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to draw money, but it's just
like I don't get it. I just

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don't get it. Yeah, it
seems like the fans back then were much

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more willing to sort of buy their
ticket to support the champion the promotion gave

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to them then sort of you know, fold their arms and wait for a

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champion that excited them. Yeah.
Yeah, I don't really think the Garden

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moved that much in terms of attendance
in that day. It was much more

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habitual going to the Garden for these
monthly Monday night cards. And let's accept

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right now that Hulkoke and Beats are
and chic on a Monday night in New

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York City. It's a Monday unbelievable. And that's how far back Monday tradition

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goes. It was a raw.
It was raw, it was raw,

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it was right. It's addition of
raw on the Garden. And we have

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a complete version of the show because
you know what Aaron Madison Square Garden Cable

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Network for those Oh I mean,
you fucking imagine being able to watch every

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live Garden show, oh Park down
on a given Monday of everyone. I

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mean, it's like watching raw.
It's what it is, except it's presented

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as sporting as it can be.
I mean, the opening montage. You

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have WWF clips back then mostly interspersed
with clips of the Knicks and the Rangers.

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The Rangers, yea, tennis all
things. The Madison Square Garden Cable

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Network, which is you know,
sort of the Regional Sports Network RSN as

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they would call it for New York
City back in the day and to this

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day as a matter of fact,
would present and wrestling, which is something

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that you know, they didn't put
the rodeo in. That would have been

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nice. Yeah, well, like
they got a three ring circus though,

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didn't they one ring circus, m
Now three ring circus would be we WCW

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ninety five. But I mean,
these matches are going on the gardens packed

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MSGS, the network in the in
the building, and they're like, well,

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let's just hire and as they did, let's just hire a company to

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set up cameras, to set up
all the equipment you need. It's not

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Vince's equipment yet. In fact,
at the end as well, get on

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the deep dive portion of this,
they actually name the company that's contracted out

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to produce these garden things as television
spectaculars. So I'm sure Vince had a

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you know, I'm sure that McMahon
has had a hand and how it was

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produced and the elements, the production
elements behind it. But it's not like

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WWF employees, you know, sitting
in the truck like it would become.

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He's got a lot of learning to
do under the learning tree of MSG.

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But also Dick Ebersol. When Saturday
Nights Made event launches in nineteen eighty five,

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this is pre of course, WrestleMania
one. This is pre they'd just

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taken over the USA network in the
summer of nineteen eighty three. We talked

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a lot at the very very end
of the summer more last week of August,

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first week of September time period.
We talked at length about that during

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our Black Saturday coverage a couple of
years ago. Because that's all moving pieces

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heading into July eighty four, when
he also takes over TBS for a short

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period of time, it's all starting
to happen. And when you talk about

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Hogan in particular, you just have
to really savor this opportunity. And I

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think you know, well, one
thing that we're probably well served to do

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is just start with Hulk Cogan's versions
of version of events, as told in

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his One of a Kind book,
So you mean the truth the truth?

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Do do you have it handy by
any chance, or I do I do

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have it handy. You could furnish
said copy and just orient us, you

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know, starting starting with chapter twenty
Wedlock. This is him And I'm sure

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we've read these passages before, probably
in the Life and Death of the a

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WA series, but I mean,
nowhere is it more appropriate. Of course,

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consider this kind of like the received
wisdom that we're then going to dive

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into proving or disproving as we go
more surgically through what happened to Hult Cogan

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In nineteen eighty three and four O
there do number twenty, Chapter twenty entitled

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Wedlock. I believe in Wedlock,
Yes, indeed Proba. On December eighteenth,

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nineteen eighty three, a short time
after Vince McMahon came to Minnesota to

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move me back to New York,
I married my fiance Linda in Los Angeles.

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I'd come back from yet another trip
to Japan with a regular entourage,

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including Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Nok and
a film crew from New Japan Pro Wrestling

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that was going to record the whole
thing. All my friends from the wrestling

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business were there. Audrey the Giant
Vince McMahon, who their friends said his

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fucking wedding, like, oh,
yeah, how are they but they're not.

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He's friends with Vince Yeah, I
mean he worked for his father and

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Vinnie Junior was around. That seems
weird. You know, all my all

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my friends from the wrestling business were
there, Andre the Giant, Vince McMahon,

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Adrinan Donis, ed Leslie who would
later wrestle as Bruce Beefcake. Maybe

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A. I mean as if either
name, you know, if you're A,

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if you're Granton. Obviously this is
this is aiming towards wrestling fans.

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But if if a, if,
a pedestrian, a civilian rather fucking picked

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this up and decided to read it, you know what, do you think

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00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:11.200
the chances are they're going to even
know ed Leslie or Brutus Beefcake zero?

220
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Yeah, right, Yeah, that
doesn't clarify it for many at all,

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maybe one hundred and fifty wrestlers altogether, except everybody except Verne Gagney, who

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I was getting ready to screw over. The wrestlers sat on one side of

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the aisle and Linda's family sat on
the other, wondering what the hell she

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was getting herself into I don't remember
how much about I don't remember much of

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00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:35.080
a ceremony. I was so nervous. It was like a lot of body

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experience. I barely knew what was
going on, but I remember the party

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00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:45.639
afterward. It was a damn circus. All the wrestlers raids hell and drank

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like vikings. We just went crazy. At one point, Linda cut the

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cake and smashed a piece in my
face. I overreacted and double smashed it

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in hearths. Obviously, I never
paid close attention at weddings. I don't

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even know the bride and groom were
supposed to sneak away before any of their

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guests, so instead I sat off
a bar drinking with Andre until they closed

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the place. Finally, Linda,
who still had cake on her face,

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why what she thinks you? Is
it bad luck to wash it off?

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I mean, I mean what she
keep it off for like an hour or

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two hours, She's like a cake
on her face, and asked me if

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I was ever gonna if I was
ever gonna leave. So I said good

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night to Andrea and staggered off with
Linda. I woke up the next morning

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about seven o'clock with my tuxedos still
on and a New York steak in my

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hand. Excuse me? Does he
mean a steak in the New York territory?

241
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He does not. I guess I
was eating it when I fell went

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to sleep with the benefit of a
knife and Ford, Brother, where did

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00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:00.320
we're talking? Where did this come
from? Dude? Yeah, makes up

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00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.840
with a steak in his hand.
He's not writing it off to a wild

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00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:07.000
night. He's he's thinking long and
hard about what that could mean. Who's

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00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:11.599
who's trying to tep me into submission? Brother? It's it's it's basically like

247
00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:15.960
finding the what is it the head
in the Godfather's bed? Yeah, right

248
00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:18.880
right? The horse has said Linda
was sleeping on the bed and I was

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lying on the couch, and judged
by the fact that I was still fully

250
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dressed, I guess that I hadn't
consummated the marriage. But tell you the

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00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.680
truth, I was too hungover to
remember to to really remember. Is before

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00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:36.319
he met h doctor Zahrian, who
took care of his u his family management

253
00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:40.799
problems. You know what I mean? Yeah, Eurethra a doctor the fucking

254
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.000
whatever they call those guys. You're
in all No, what's the word.

255
00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:48.640
Oh my god, what's the word
for doctors to specialize in and dix?

256
00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:57.279
Thank you? Yeah you were saying
it and then you oh you're I think

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00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:02.079
I did it? Did in my
head. You know, Linda's mother and

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father had showed a ton of money
for the wedding, including a generous amount

259
00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:14.920
for booze. What what's that?
I guess that that same provision was made

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00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:23.440
for WCW fans in ninety five fees
of v Hogan. Yes, they do.

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00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:27.000
They bring in like heel wrestlers as
well into this thing, so like,

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00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:32.480
you know, yeah, keep the
booze flowing faces faces and heels.

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00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:37.000
Oh shit, But I was leaving
the hotel. They told me the wrestlers

264
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are drunk so much, we're gone
above and beyond our quota. Well,

265
00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:48.359
how much above and beyond? I
asked the hotel people. Twelve thousand dollars

266
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worth? They told me, Thank
god, I had some cash money on

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me from Japan. Thank god I
had twelve thousand dollars on me from Japan.

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I got I got twelve grand right
here in my pocket. It didn't

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Yeah though, is that okay?
It's in yen though? Is that okay?

270
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.480
Well? I was gonna say yes, mister Bolea, but the way

271
00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:17.440
you said that, it sounds like
you're lying for some reason. What exactly

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00:19:17.640 --> 00:19:22.400
who I'm just I'm I'm just trying
to be, you know, on the

273
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level with you, brother. Clearly
I paid the tab, but man,

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the party was a wild one.
So Lynda and I left the hotel,

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but we didn't go on a honeymoon. We flew back to Minnesota and I

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went back to work. Next to
keep going to garden party. Yes,

277
00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:45.240
yeah, keep going till he wins
the strap. Okay, So I came

278
00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:51.599
back Chapter twenty one Garden Party.
So I came back to New York as

279
00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:53.720
a good guy, this time secure
in the knowledge that I was going to

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00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:57.680
wrestle for the championship in Nassa Square
Garden as soon as I had a couple

281
00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:03.200
of Allentown TV mat under my belt. At that time, the champion,

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00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.000
Bob Backland, had just lost his
title to a guy named the Iron Chic,

283
00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:10.000
so it looked like he would be
me and the Iron Chek wrestling in

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00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:15.400
the garden. Or so had been
led to believe the problem was Bob Backland,

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00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:19.000
who had held the heavyweight title for
a long time. He and I

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00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.400
had been friends when I first my
first run in New York. Dude,

287
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:30.079
brother, I mean, dude,
you know we're all you know what I

288
00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:33.920
would have done with for him?
Clearly, he clearly has his story straight.

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00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:37.119
As it regards Bob Backland, he's
ready to go. I would have

290
00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.880
gladly pumped blood into his body.
Brother. You know, that's how close

291
00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:48.880
Bob Backland and I were. Backland, we had gone to Japan together and

292
00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.039
trained together, and I thought I
had earned his respect. But when I

293
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:55.559
came back to New York, oh, kind of weird vines. Dude,

294
00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:59.640
it's always away with this guy.
It was a whole different deal with him.

295
00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:03.160
You know, this is to have
done the wrong thing first so he

296
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.319
can justify not wanting to see you
later. Exactly. This man Senior wanted

297
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.640
Backland to tag team with me,
but Backland balked and said he didn't want

298
00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:15.240
to do it, so he didn't
even want to stand next to me on

299
00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.759
a camera. I always said,
Bro, if you just lose to me,

300
00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:19.880
we could have waned millions of dollars. I'm just like, you know,

301
00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:22.680
dude, we just kind of an
even keel. Brother. I'm just

302
00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:25.720
kind of like, you know,
we talked Turkey. Well, first of

303
00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:27.160
all, you know will be an
even keel in a couple of weeks,

304
00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:33.519
because that's where we're moving. The
Saint Louis Tapings. Second of always said

305
00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:36.799
the same thing about Piper and Warrior. You know you should have just lost

306
00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:38.519
to me. I just I just
want you business, brother, And he

307
00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:47.200
also, uh is concerned. The
guy's name is back Lind. You don't

308
00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:52.559
turn your back on Backland, all
right, brother. To then, Vince

309
00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:56.079
wanted to shoot an angle where Bachlan
was going to wrestle the Iron Chic and

310
00:21:56.119 --> 00:22:00.480
Ben hurt, so he was going
to ask his friend O Hogan to wrestle

311
00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:04.079
in his place. Backlan didn't want
to do that either. It made me

312
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:07.799
make it really rough because I was
supposed to be getting this big push and

313
00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:11.480
it was important that Backland passed the
torch to me. Dude, It's right,

314
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:15.559
it was important. I mean,
brother, I came in for torch.

315
00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:22.960
Yeah, fuck the observer. Right, it's crazy, but I mean,

316
00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:29.559
you know, it's like, what
WHOA like? I'm just suddenly you

317
00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:32.839
know, I thought we were you
know, I just want to dial this

318
00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:37.039
thing in due I thought would tell
you the people that you're going to basically

319
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:40.799
put out of work or at least
see their salary cut by seventy percent because

320
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.640
they're petitioning the cars. They're not
going to be your friends. I just,

321
00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:48.640
you know, I'm just I'm just
trying to get like the total picture

322
00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:52.440
here, brother, I'm talking about
long term. I'm talking about you know,

323
00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.960
rematches, the whole thing. And
and I was told one thing and

324
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.640
now it's like I'm being shown another
and I don't I'm kind of feeling a

325
00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:08.519
little nervous right now, let's be
clear. I mean, but he didn't

326
00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:11.759
want any part of that because he
wanted to wrestle the Iron Chic himself and

327
00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:15.000
get his title back. Finally,
it all came to a head on TV

328
00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:18.920
in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a few
days before we were supposed to go to

329
00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:25.319
Madison Square Garden. Vis Man Senior, huh go ahead? This a Man

330
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:29.480
Senior called a meeting with me and
Bob Becklan and Vince Junior to clear the

331
00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:33.519
air. By that time, Backland
was a nervous wreck, a nervous wreck,

332
00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:37.720
dude. I was calm as a
cucumber, all right, all right,

333
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.599
cool as a cool as a kumbaya. Yeah, so calm that you

334
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:45.400
said it's so cool that you said
calm as a cucumber. Yeah, I

335
00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:56.880
got it and cool as a that
one was fine. Let's not for again.

336
00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.599
Hogan had wrestled Backland when Backland was
champion in nineteen eighties, several times

337
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:07.000
on the the w w w F
circuit, so there is reason for Holk

338
00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:10.720
to think that he'd had, you
know, positive dealings in the past.

339
00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:12.839
But Bob back when it's not like
he's a complete stranger, but still right,

340
00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:17.839
you know, he had red hair
and real white skin, and he

341
00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:21.519
was so upset that he was all
broken out in hives. I was like,

342
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:25.880
dude, brother, whoa I thought
I was the one that's supposed to

343
00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:30.079
break out. Brother. I'm I'm
you know, I'm I'm I'm not digging

344
00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:33.279
these hives. Brother, Like,
I don't know, like this this hive

345
00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:38.279
situation right now, it's really not
working for me. Brother, I don't

346
00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:45.559
I can't be close toone with hives
because they, you know, they kind

347
00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:52.000
of they affect hull comania. Brother, Right, I don't want to hive

348
00:24:52.079 --> 00:25:00.799
a mania affecting a hull comania.
You get it, brother? Yeah,

349
00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:06.200
wait for the killer bees to come
in the first thing he said, was

350
00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:12.400
I don't. I don't want anyone
who's not an athlete to have the championship

351
00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:17.960
belt. I haven't been this guy's
friend and training partner, and all of

352
00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:21.440
a sudden I wasn't fit to wear
his belt. I'll tell you, brother,

353
00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:25.519
it shocked me to hear Backland say
that. Okay, so maybe I

354
00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:29.400
didn't have an amateur wrestling background,
you know, maybe I hadn't won any

355
00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:33.720
AAU championships or coming home with a
gold medal from the Olympics. Yeah,

356
00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:38.720
neither, Bob, Backlin, Bob, I think, Yeah, but I

357
00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:42.799
wasn't exactly a guy off the street
either, you know. No more hide

358
00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:47.240
the ball, brother, Oh no, definitely not. That that air is

359
00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:51.319
over. Yeah. Besides, there
have been a lot of champions who weren't

360
00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:55.440
amateur athletes. You know, Superstar
Billy Graham wasn't an amateur athlete. Neither

361
00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:59.839
was Brunos Sam Martino. The whole
meeting, Backland was itching and scratching like

362
00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:03.160
a dog with a bad case of
fleas. I've never seen him so upset,

363
00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:07.279
and I've never been more nervous of
my entire life being around a guy

364
00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:12.480
like this, so fucking creepy.
Oh yeah, Can you imagine like,

365
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:17.200
oh my god, this before a
hunk has actually pulled it off, you

366
00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:19.680
know, right, you think Ogan
was nervous when he actually was on top.

367
00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:25.559
Can you imagine those like touch and
go, Oh, yeah, he's

368
00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:27.000
not sure he's going to secure the
bag yet. Is he going to be

369
00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:32.839
on top? Right? Well?
Brother, I'm not laying down. Uh

370
00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:41.799
uh, I gotta be on I
gotta be on top. Brother. I'm

371
00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.039
why'd you guys bring me in a
meeting? Dude? That's a good question.

372
00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:49.319
Why am I here? Brother?
Because right now I don't understand.

373
00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:57.119
I feel like something's going on right
now, dude. Yeah, I mean

374
00:26:57.160 --> 00:27:00.680
I know there's I know that I'm
not privy to every everything. I know.

375
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:03.759
I don't know the old man as
well as Bob does. And I

376
00:27:03.799 --> 00:27:06.880
know that you know he fired me
for doing Rocky and stuff. Dude,

377
00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:11.279
But uh, you know, I
just have n Vinnie. I just I

378
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:14.200
gotta I gotta ask your brother.
I mean, does your dad have it

379
00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:15.599
out for me? Dude? Like, is there a chance that he's gonna

380
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:18.119
pull one last power play? I
just want to say, dude, I've

381
00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:23.079
looked around the office, brother,
I didn't see anybody. Well, I

382
00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:26.480
had to look. I had to
scope out the office, brother, because

383
00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:30.119
I don't know about had to,
but continue, I have to, dude,

384
00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:33.559
because you never know who. You
know, people could be hiding around

385
00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:37.440
like bookshelves or whatever. You're trying
to get one up on hul Cogan.

386
00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:41.119
That's a good point. Yeah,
you're right, and I'm yo. But

387
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:44.440
brother, this whole thing's going down, Dude. I keep looking around.

388
00:27:44.519 --> 00:27:48.039
I don't see anybody, but I
feel like somebody's behind me. Brother,

389
00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:57.200
Right, what else does he have
to say? So, you know,

390
00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:00.119
vincingr looked at me over the tops
of glasses. Yeah, I did,

391
00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:07.000
And and Terry. Maybe Bob's got
a point. Maybe we should wait and

392
00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:10.720
see how everything works out. And
oh my god, think about putting the

393
00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:14.519
belt on us six months from now. Vince Senior getting cold feet? Yeah,

394
00:28:14.839 --> 00:28:18.440
he's been champions since nineteen seventy eight. Think about that, No doubt,

395
00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:22.279
easily you could convince him to just
extend it a little longer. Just

396
00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:25.599
what's what's you know, what's what's
six months in the grand scheme of things

397
00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:27.640
and just for contact And this wasn't
really understood at the time. It took

398
00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:32.480
years for to you know, come
out in terms of like nailed down specific

399
00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:34.839
dates. Vince Junior had closed on
the deal to acquire the company in eighty

400
00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:40.559
two. However, m hmm,
there was this arm's length deal where Vince

401
00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:44.880
didn't meet certain financial conditions, the
control of the company would revert back to

402
00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:51.079
Vince Senior and Gorilla Phil Zacho and
his whole cabal there. So it wasn't

403
00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:55.200
quite like Vince Junior was totally on
his own. And frankly, if Vince

404
00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:57.160
Senior hadn't passed away in May of
nineteen eighty four, just you know,

405
00:28:57.319 --> 00:29:02.160
four months after Hogan wins the Belt
and some Square Garden, it probably would

406
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.759
have been a delicate situation, oh
for help Commania to run that wild,

407
00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:11.160
because certainly you'd have Bobby Backland hitting
up Vince Senior, lobbying, pushing in

408
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:15.960
the other direction. You know,
that wasn't what I had signed on for.

409
00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:18.759
This was this wasn't what was I
was promised when I show cands with

410
00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.640
Vince Junior and agree to come back. So I'll say, you know,

411
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:25.359
guys, I burned one hell of
a bridge back in Minnesota, and I'm

412
00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:27.880
gonna run. I'm gonna run back
there quick as I can, as I

413
00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:32.400
can and try to rebuild it.
Thank you for everything. I started to

414
00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:36.359
walk out, but Vince Junior stopping. Look, I'm sure this all happened.

415
00:29:36.359 --> 00:29:38.640
By the way, my dad just
you know, he's a little worried

416
00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:48.640
and I have to talk to him. But we'll get this thing back on

417
00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:56.359
track. He definitely said that.
That doesn't helped putting words in Vince's mouth

418
00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:59.720
at all, not at all,
dude, We're gonna get this thing back

419
00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:04.160
on t brother condoled in. Dude, we gotta you know, I don't

420
00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:07.039
know what you gotta do, brother, if you got to talk turkey with

421
00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:10.319
your dad. Brother, but we
get to get this thing back trah.

422
00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:14.000
Say what you will about how we've
covered this many different ways before. We

423
00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:18.440
have never covered this era after TNH, not at all. And that's key.

424
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.519
Oh god. He talked to his
father and told him that he wanted

425
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:26.799
me to have the title shot in
the belt, not backland, and like

426
00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:34.039
that, Vince Senor gave in.
Oh, Vinny, and this guy he

427
00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:37.839
doesn't really you know, what do
you what do you see in this guy?

428
00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:42.359
Was he he's a big buffoon.
He's offered me a pocket translator five

429
00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:51.079
hundred dollars. Oh all right,
Dad. I mean, you know,

430
00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:53.640
he's he's very big, and he's
got you know, I think he's got

431
00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:57.000
this larger than life presence that could
really that could really make us make us

432
00:30:57.039 --> 00:31:00.200
a lot of money. And Dad, quite frankly, you don't have much

433
00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:03.000
of very very much longer to live. Quite frankly, you don't have much

434
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:07.720
longer to live. Do you want
to explore that any further? You want

435
00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:14.160
to leave that there? Vinnie,
how do you know that? How do

436
00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:18.519
I know that? That's a very
it's a very healthy question to ask.

437
00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:26.480
I'll tell you right now, Dad, it's definitely not because I've been slowly

438
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:29.480
poisoning your food. Oh thank God, Oh my god, You're gonna be

439
00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:32.880
a heart attack many Jesus Christ.
Well, that is I was looking into

440
00:31:32.920 --> 00:31:37.920
the eyes of a true derelic deviant
for a second there. I listen,

441
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:41.480
I do things the honest way.
I do things the right way. I

442
00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:48.119
do things the way the way business
should be handled in the realms of men.

443
00:31:48.359 --> 00:31:55.799
Can't argue with that in some perverse
ways. So Vince stepped in up

444
00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:59.920
to the plate and stuck by the
agreement we had back made back in Minnesota.

445
00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:02.440
And the next thing I knew hul
Coogan was gotting ready to wrestle the

446
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:07.799
Iron Cheek Madison Square Garden. It
was shortly after that, maybe the very

447
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:13.319
next Allentown TV, that I saw
something that made my heart stop. Someone

448
00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:17.599
did a roll up in the middle
of the ring. Brother, that's how,

449
00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:22.119
and nobody consulted with me. Dude, that's how his run when Vince

450
00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:24.880
got rid of him, then Senior
ended. He got rolled up by Tony

451
00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:30.000
Atlas in the Spectrum clip. That
clip has been sent to us probably two

452
00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:34.359
hundred times over the years. Oh, best exact roll up we always think

453
00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:39.440
of. And uh, if you
want to go to the restroom there,

454
00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:44.920
you had to walk up these steps
and when you've got near the top step,

455
00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:50.519
you had to reach out to open
a door. Oh wanted the door

456
00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:53.160
open. You could see if someone
was standing in the restroom already. We

457
00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:57.000
never knocked on the door. We
just we just walk in and out.

458
00:32:57.359 --> 00:33:00.599
Anyway, I walked up the steps
and opened the door and there was this

459
00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:09.799
guy standing there with his back to
me and between his legs such bullshit.

460
00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.480
I cannot believe he put this in
the book. And between his legs,

461
00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:19.640
dude, was this huge stream of
red piss that looked like pure blood.

462
00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:23.440
All of a sudden, I realized
it was Vince Senior. Rought away,

463
00:33:23.480 --> 00:33:27.240
I closed the door. It took
me a second or two to get over

464
00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:30.960
the shock. Then I got Pat
Patterson, who's Vince Junior's closest friend,

465
00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:34.519
and I told him what I've seen
in the restroom. You know, Pat

466
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:37.839
Patterson went and told Vince Junior.
I don't know what he felt inside.

467
00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:40.880
It had to tear him up that
his dad was dying. So Hogan broke

468
00:33:40.920 --> 00:33:45.119
the news to him. He just, I mean, he also jumped to

469
00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:49.079
a massive conclusion. I don't know
about me, but when that peeing blood

470
00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:52.880
is bad. But right, your
dad's dying, dude, I just saw

471
00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:58.119
some urine with blood, and I
saw bloody urine. Brother, Okay,

472
00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:04.319
I say let's leave that one there. I don't know about you, boss,

473
00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:07.559
but when I accidentally barging on someone
in the bathroom, I always look

474
00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:09.480
at their piss first instead of their
face. Oh absolutely, I do,

475
00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:13.599
absolutely, Well, you see sawthing
from behind them? Manyeah, Ok,

476
00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:16.440
he's not the urinal or I guess, I mean, I guess I guess

477
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:22.039
Vin was. I still don't understand
this. I don't I don't understand,

478
00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:23.840
he says. So he says,
he walks up, he opens the door,

479
00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:28.519
and there's a guy standing there with
his back to me, and there's

480
00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:31.320
this huge stream of piss red pitch. So what is he like fucking peeing

481
00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:36.000
on the floor, Well, that's
exactly. Is he like squatted over the

482
00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:39.639
toilet, standing on the toilet seat, or is he just like I mean,

483
00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:43.679
he's just standing in front of the
doorway and just like, you know,

484
00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:45.719
is it like a pool of bloody
piss? Is that what it is?

485
00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:52.079
Bloody urine blurring? I mean,
I would say we should spend a

486
00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:55.440
lot of time getting to the bottom
of this, but something tells me it

487
00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:59.599
wouldn't be worth it. Something tells
me that there's really no bottom to it

488
00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:01.199
at all, and it's a bottomless
pit of lies. I mean, that's

489
00:35:01.239 --> 00:35:06.360
like the hull cookin thing is.
For some reason, he's gotta be at

490
00:35:06.360 --> 00:35:10.039
the the center of like key moments
in history, you know, totally,

491
00:35:10.199 --> 00:35:14.239
totally, it's so weird, totally. Why do you want to insert yourself

492
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:16.920
into when and how Vince Junior found
out his father was sick? I mean,

493
00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:19.920
what is the point of that?
Like, why do you know what

494
00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:22.320
does that matter. You know,
why does he have to be there?

495
00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:25.159
Baul was there, dude, Like
what what what does it? Good?

496
00:35:25.239 --> 00:35:29.159
Does it do you? If you
were there? Usually I can kind of

497
00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:31.800
tell with him, like, Okay, this is him trying to like guard

498
00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:37.159
against somebody finding fault with what he
did, or maybe uh thinking that somebody

499
00:35:37.159 --> 00:35:39.360
else one upped him or you know, did a better crowd than him,

500
00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:43.280
you know, like his whole Buddhican
thing that he says, Yeah, right,

501
00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:46.480
but I don't know, man,
it's this one is like it's a

502
00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:53.400
whopper in half bis are. That
is really bizarre. So but because of

503
00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:58.559
who he was, he gets his
game face on him and stayed strong for

504
00:35:58.639 --> 00:36:00.920
all of us. Maybe he's maybe
he's trying to say, is that he

505
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:02.800
that that Vince was okay, that
his dad died. Maybe that's what he's

506
00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:06.280
trying to say here, That's one
way to read it. Meanwhile, the

507
00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:08.360
fans were getting pumped for me to
wrestle the Iron Chic. They had seen

508
00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:12.760
the same wrestlers over and over again
for a long time, but I was

509
00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:15.760
something different. Really, they didn't
know what to make of me. He

510
00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:19.440
were there like two years before this. I'd wrestled there before, But I

511
00:36:19.480 --> 00:36:22.800
had really made a name for myself
in the AWA. I was a heel

512
00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:24.920
back then. Now I was a
good guy. Was I going to stay

513
00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:30.400
for the long haul or go back
to Minnesota? Nobody knew, they knew

514
00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:32.679
the Iron chicic though. This guy
wasn't just a performer put on a robe

515
00:36:32.679 --> 00:36:36.880
and a turban and called himself a
chic. He actually was a chic.

516
00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:40.199
I didn't say that. Oh,
okay, I was gonna say he actually

517
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:46.159
wasn't. He was an accomplished amateur
wrestler who had represented Iran in international competition,

518
00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:52.079
and before that he was supposed to
have been a bodyguard for the Shaw

519
00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:55.239
of Iran. He actually was that. That's one of the lesser disputed parts

520
00:36:55.280 --> 00:37:00.199
of his story. There was a
story that Hey had holes in his head

521
00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:02.280
from some time a punishment they inflicted
on him. They had hit him with

522
00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:07.360
an ice pick or something that was
a kind of torture they supposedly used on

523
00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:12.519
the Shah's bodyguards when they weren't doing
their job. Their jobs properly brother the

524
00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:15.199
same thing as doing the job for
Hulk Hogan. You don't lay down and

525
00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:19.599
do your job and do the job. I'm gonna stab you in the head

526
00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:21.880
with an ice pick. I wonder
he loved the Patriots back in the day.

527
00:37:22.039 --> 00:37:25.920
Do your job, do your job. So it was so it was

528
00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:30.239
an experience to be in the ring
with this guy, and with the Iranian

529
00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:35.159
hostage crisis freshened people's minds. His
name and his background really stirred up the

530
00:37:35.159 --> 00:37:37.599
emotions of the fans. Of course, we didn't have pay per view in

531
00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:43.280
those days, but we had was
closed circuit TV. The garden was always

532
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:46.000
overflowing, so the company would open
up the Felt Forum, which was also

533
00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:49.719
in the garden, and we're on
a cable in there with a big screen

534
00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:52.840
about the Red hostage crisis thing just
quickly. Yeah. Everyone always brings that

535
00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:55.679
up a visa being the Iron Cheek, which is fair because he did definitely,

536
00:37:55.719 --> 00:37:59.800
you know, sing the Praises of
I had Tola Hominy and had a

537
00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:04.199
illustration draw according to any drawn by
Jerry Lawler of all people in Iron Cheek's

538
00:38:04.199 --> 00:38:07.480
flag. I don't know how really, yeah, how those two cross paths

539
00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:13.320
to you know, consummate that deal. But anyway, it was in seventy

540
00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:15.960
nine and it kind of lasted a
couple of years. It ended in an

541
00:38:15.239 --> 00:38:20.639
early early early nineteen eighty one.
He actually she came from Minneapolis to New

542
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:23.400
York the first time as the Great
Houssein Arab to capitalize in what Hogan and

543
00:38:23.400 --> 00:38:29.480
everybody always talks about the the Irangian
sentiment. But it was like it was

544
00:38:29.559 --> 00:38:31.840
kind of over by, right.
I mean, look the guy going in

545
00:38:31.840 --> 00:38:35.840
the ring and saying I spent in
America run number one, Yeah, I

546
00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:39.039
mean that's going to rile the passions. But it's like he came in,

547
00:38:39.159 --> 00:38:43.480
tried to take advantage of the Iran
heat and it didn't even work. He

548
00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:45.840
went back to I think he went
back to Minneapolis. He definitely didn't stay

549
00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:50.039
in New York for very long in
that first run, right, it wasn't

550
00:38:50.519 --> 00:38:52.440
it wasn't the Iron Cheek then either. He had a different name. But

551
00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:57.840
I don't know. I've always kind
of wondered why they act like the hostage

552
00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:00.599
crisis was going on when Hogan won
the belt, you know, I mean

553
00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:09.880
it's the same thing, like it's
it's no different than uh uh uh Sergeant

554
00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:17.280
Slaughter supporting Saddam Hussein at Wrestlmingia seven
and SummerSlam months after the fucking Iraq War

555
00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:20.880
was over right, the Gulf,
the Desert Storm, the cover, Yeah,

556
00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:24.199
desert storm. You know it's that
the same fucking thing. Like they

557
00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:28.760
well, what else we're we gonna
do? They moved to take advantage.

558
00:39:28.760 --> 00:39:30.320
By the time they get their ducks
in a row. Right, the situation

559
00:39:30.440 --> 00:39:35.800
has changed, the geopolitical situation.
I can't really do anything else with this

560
00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:37.320
guy. This guy is going to
be what he is. I mean,

561
00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:40.320
do you expect me to have that
much of an imagination? I just fucking

562
00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:45.800
made this guy. The way he
was to get there was exhausting. I

563
00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:50.360
don't want to go back and start
from scratch. Fuck that and fuck you

564
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:59.039
get what I want because deep down
you know that's what you want. Piece

565
00:39:59.039 --> 00:40:06.119
of shit, fucking chic, pissand
bitch. Oh. I see, he's

566
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:09.960
kind of a nasty mood these days. I wonder why. I definitely put

567
00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:14.400
the emphasis on nasty, that's for
sure. Uh. You know, there

568
00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:19.599
was a story he had the holes, so it was an experiencement of course.

569
00:40:20.079 --> 00:40:22.800
I said that right now. Later
on, when wrestling was really hot,

570
00:40:23.039 --> 00:40:27.199
Vince Junior would rent out the Joe
Louis Arena in Detroit and the LA

571
00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:31.920
Forum and simulcast to those places.
And then when cable came into its own,

572
00:40:32.199 --> 00:40:36.920
he would caught a deal with the
cable companies to offer wrestling events to

573
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:43.400
their subscribers on a pay as you
go basis, almost like you're paying perview.

574
00:40:44.199 --> 00:40:50.800
Oh my god. So Vince actually
pioneered the concept of pay perview.

575
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:55.079
It was his baby. He was
a genius behind the whole thing. But

576
00:40:55.199 --> 00:40:59.960
that came after January twenty third,
nineteen eighty four, in Madison Square Garden.

577
00:41:00.679 --> 00:41:01.960
I brought a few things to the
party too, you know. One

578
00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:05.719
of them was the idea of playing
my theme music as I entered the arena.

579
00:41:06.199 --> 00:41:07.880
When I suggested it to the Vince
McMahon junior, he and his father

580
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.320
were on the fence about it.
They weren't sure if it was going to

581
00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:14.760
work. But I knew it would
work. I'd played I of the Tiger

582
00:41:14.800 --> 00:41:17.280
back in Minnesota, and I knew
it would make the crowd go wild.

583
00:41:17.320 --> 00:41:21.000
So I said it. So I
said to myself, screw it. I'm

584
00:41:21.039 --> 00:41:24.000
gonna get this done, even if
it gets me fired again. Right And

585
00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:27.840
at five in the afternoon, a
few hours before we were supposed to go

586
00:41:27.920 --> 00:41:31.159
on, I slipped the music tech
guy five hundred bucks to play I of

587
00:41:31.159 --> 00:41:36.599
the Tiger. Then right before showtime, Junior decided to go along with me

588
00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:38.960
and play the entrance music. I
didn't have the balls to go ask for

589
00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:42.880
my five hundred dollars back, so
I lost it. But it didn't matter.

590
00:41:42.920 --> 00:41:46.039
The important thing is I had that
music playing when I walked down the

591
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:51.039
ramp, and it worked just like
I said it would. When the crowd

592
00:41:51.039 --> 00:41:54.000
heard that music, almost twenty thousand
people rose up like the Messiah had come

593
00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:58.079
back. It was like the roof
of the garden blew off. It was

594
00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:02.039
nuts. The whole took five minutes
and thirty seconds, and moost fans had

595
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:07.119
never seen anyone get out of the
Sheik's signature hold the camel clutch, but

596
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:10.480
I did. And then I backed
him into the turnbuckle. He tried another

597
00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:14.440
hold, I broke it. I
threw him in the ropes. When he

598
00:42:14.480 --> 00:42:15.360
came off them, I gave him
a boot to that. He didn't give

599
00:42:15.400 --> 00:42:20.880
him over to the face booting this
one does? He yeah, but he

600
00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:22.880
doesn't follow it up with the lake
drop. Yeah all right. Immediately he

601
00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:25.519
fell in the middle of the ring, I gave him a leg drop therefor

602
00:42:25.519 --> 00:42:30.320
he started counting and hal Kimania took
off like never before. After the match,

603
00:42:30.599 --> 00:42:34.559
the Sheik was a good sport even
though he put me over and maybe

604
00:42:34.599 --> 00:42:37.159
the world's champion that night, he
came backstage and gave me a big hug.

605
00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:42.639
Then in front of Vince McMahon Junior, he said that Verne Gagney,

606
00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:45.679
who I had just screwed over,
had called the Iron Sheath the night before

607
00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:51.079
the match and offered him one hundred
thousand dollars to break my leg in the

608
00:42:51.159 --> 00:42:54.199
ring. You know, Gagney knew
the Sheek because when the Sheet came over

609
00:42:54.239 --> 00:42:59.440
from Iran, he went to Minneapolis
to learn professional wrestling. So Vernal was

610
00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:01.599
the guy who who actually broke the
Sheek into the business. Now all the

611
00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:05.639
match was over, that she told
us what Verne Gagney had asked him to

612
00:43:05.639 --> 00:43:07.639
do, but he had decided not
to do it. He didn't want to

613
00:43:07.719 --> 00:43:10.920
hurt me. In the end,
it turned out to be a good business

614
00:43:10.960 --> 00:43:15.159
decision for him. The Sheik was
able to keep working as a wrestler and

615
00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:16.679
make a ton of money for the
next couple of years, wrestling me in

616
00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:24.480
return matches. Wonderful wonderful orientation,
if you will, courtesy of the Hulks

617
00:43:24.519 --> 00:43:28.079
during his first book. I have
one more question for you, boss,

618
00:43:28.280 --> 00:43:31.039
Yes, do you have a second
book? Do I have a second book?

619
00:43:31.079 --> 00:43:37.360
Do you mean the uh his sequel? Yes, yes, I do.

620
00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:45.719
Would you mind cracking that puppy open? Uh huh. There's a sub

621
00:43:45.800 --> 00:43:51.760
chapter at least entitled wedded blip.
Let's see if we can detect Eddie departures.

622
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:54.639
So he wrote that first thing before
he had divorced Linda, before Hogan

623
00:43:54.679 --> 00:43:59.400
knows best, right, before all
that, of course, before the tnh

624
00:43:59.480 --> 00:44:02.599
era smacked him in the face.
As we've so well documented here on TLF.

625
00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:07.119
This book, of course comes out
after the separation, and he's on

626
00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:09.159
the book tour doing the damage control
and telling the whole story of how it

627
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:14.559
fell apart with Linda and I just
just at least on the front end here

628
00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:17.960
I delight in noting the just the
different intonations and telling the story of his

629
00:44:19.000 --> 00:44:22.280
wedding and all of this and the
things he choose to emphasize this time.

630
00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:23.639
And let's see, let's take it
all the way through the garden to win.

631
00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:30.400
Here we go. Elena and I
had dated for about a year and

632
00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:32.239
a half for I finally asked her
to marry me. I havn't learned a

633
00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:36.960
few lessons from my failed engagement with
to Donna. I knew for sure that

634
00:44:37.000 --> 00:44:39.719
this was the real deal. I
never felt happier than when I was with

635
00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:44.639
Linda, and she seemed to spend
every moment with me smiling. I'd never

636
00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:47.760
seen a girl smile before. The
engagement was enough for her to make the

637
00:44:47.880 --> 00:44:52.920
leap, and she moved to Minnesota
with me into a brand new townhouse.

638
00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:58.679
I just bought the first piece of
property I'd own my whole life. My

639
00:44:58.760 --> 00:45:01.199
schedule didn't let up, of course, and that didn't leave much room,

640
00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:05.840
too much time for a wedding,
so we simply made the best of it.

641
00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:08.360
On December eighteenth, nineteen eighty three, I flew back from Japan for

642
00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:12.880
one day. We got married in
La and I went back to work the

643
00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:15.880
very next night. There was no
slowing down. Wedding was great, don't

644
00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:20.960
get me wrong. Party was awesome. The entire crew from Japan flew back

645
00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:23.320
with me, and all these wrestlers
were there and turned into an all night

646
00:45:23.400 --> 00:45:28.199
blowout. As the story goes,
the story goes, as you told the

647
00:45:28.239 --> 00:45:31.440
story. As the story goes,
I got so drunk that I woke up

648
00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:36.039
the next morning still in my tuxedo. So Linda and I never conseplated the

649
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:37.880
marriage until on our wedding night.
Why he'd repeat that again, I don't

650
00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:44.320
know what I but I don't know
about the steak, brother, Yeah,

651
00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:49.440
where's that detail? The best fucking
detail of the ahole goddamn story. It

652
00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:52.880
didn't matter. Of course, Linda
knew she had me for life, and

653
00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:55.360
I guess for her at the Valley
Girl, it was a big deal.

654
00:45:55.519 --> 00:46:00.719
He left these sentiments out, didn't
he. Yeah, catch a guy is

655
00:46:00.800 --> 00:46:05.000
famous and quickly becoming richest. Hulk
Hogan man. She'd caught herself a big

656
00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:08.239
fish. In retrospect, Linda and
her whole family probably thought they had caught

657
00:46:08.280 --> 00:46:15.679
themselves a sucker fish. That fucking
go forty years of hulkamanias right. My

658
00:46:15.800 --> 00:46:19.840
first clue was right there in front
of me that night. Apparently the wedding

659
00:46:19.840 --> 00:46:23.679
guests ran up a huge bar tab
like twelve or fourteen thousand dollars, maybe

660
00:46:23.719 --> 00:46:28.480
like maybe about twenty million dollars?
Is that adjusted for inflation? From the

661
00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:31.800
first story he said? He said
twelve the first time. Yeah, now

662
00:46:32.480 --> 00:46:37.000
over fourteen, brother, You know, as as the time goes on,

663
00:46:37.280 --> 00:46:42.880
my memory kind of clicks in a
little better. It's funny. So Linda's

664
00:46:42.920 --> 00:46:45.159
mom came up to me and asked
me to pay the bill, and I

665
00:46:45.280 --> 00:46:49.199
did. That's not what That's not
what happened. That's what he said before

666
00:46:49.239 --> 00:46:52.280
either. Oh he said, I
have cash all me from Japan. Right,

667
00:46:52.519 --> 00:46:55.199
the parents of the broad usually pay
for that kind of thing. Right.

668
00:46:55.239 --> 00:46:58.480
You can see writing at the first
time being like, uh oh,

669
00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:00.840
yeah, I don't want to throw
Linda's family in the bus. The second

670
00:47:00.840 --> 00:47:04.320
time, is that anything that's ever
happened? No, or I can throw

671
00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:06.880
Linda's family under the bus. And
here it is now. I have the

672
00:47:06.920 --> 00:47:08.239
money on me and I also having
such a good time, I just handed

673
00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:12.760
it over. That's something I would
wind up doing a lot over the course

674
00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:15.719
of my marriage. Yeah. For
the time being, though, Linda and

675
00:47:15.760 --> 00:47:21.119
I were off and running a blissful
husband and wife team out on the road

676
00:47:21.159 --> 00:47:23.840
and live in large. You know, we didn't have time for traditional honeymoon,

677
00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:28.239
but as we traveled around for my
matches, staying in different hotel rooms

678
00:47:28.440 --> 00:47:30.960
and partying every night those first few
years, for like a honeymoon that never

679
00:47:31.079 --> 00:47:39.440
ended. The man in Plaid if
Verne Gagney had a big, big plans

680
00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:45.159
for me. By the time I
got married, Nick Bockwinkle had emerged as

681
00:47:45.159 --> 00:47:49.960
the champion in Minnesota territory, and
they started booking me in a steel cage

682
00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:52.119
matches. You know what's fun?
Why does he feel the need to fucking

683
00:47:52.440 --> 00:47:58.360
retell the story anyway in the second
book, like he went over all this

684
00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:01.119
shit in his first book. I
think he told himself this book would appeal

685
00:48:01.159 --> 00:48:06.320
more to people who were drawn in
to the gossip coverage of his fans,

686
00:48:06.400 --> 00:48:08.280
right all right, as opposed to
wrestling fans, which isn't Honestly, that's

687
00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:12.960
not a bad calculation, but sure
it does give us this rich opportunity to

688
00:48:12.960 --> 00:48:16.199
see what he chooses to emphasize the
second time and not U. And they

689
00:48:16.199 --> 00:48:21.320
started booking me and steel cage matches
as a primary opponent in every big city

690
00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:24.239
from Salt Lake to Chicago. We
were also putting our forces together with all

691
00:48:24.320 --> 00:48:29.599
these big wrestlers to buy time on
Channel nine in New York. We knew

692
00:48:30.039 --> 00:48:32.519
we had the talent to go head
to head with WWE, and with TV

693
00:48:32.679 --> 00:48:37.039
time setting up setting us up,
there was no telling how quickly we could

694
00:48:37.079 --> 00:48:42.199
take over the New York territory.
Oddly enough, that's exactly when I got

695
00:48:42.199 --> 00:48:45.599
a surprise phone call from Vince mickmahon. Only this time the call came from

696
00:48:45.599 --> 00:48:51.440
a very different Vince mickmahon brother.
It was Vin smick Mannon Junior on the

697
00:48:51.440 --> 00:48:53.599
line. Dude. When I was
working for Vince Senior, his son,

698
00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:58.880
Vince Junior was acting primarily as a
commentator and ring announcer. You know,

699
00:48:58.920 --> 00:49:00.760
and Honor the giant came out of
the ring all bloody from taking a Hulk

700
00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:08.559
Hogan beating. That happened, That
actually happened. He beat here bloody Japan.

701
00:49:09.760 --> 00:49:15.559
No in New York. Because he's
talking about Vince was the guy on

702
00:49:15.639 --> 00:49:19.039
the suit with the microphone getting the
ringside interview. That's what he's saying.

703
00:49:19.320 --> 00:49:21.960
I don't remember. Maybe the Shay
Stadiu matched the risk color. I don't

704
00:49:21.960 --> 00:49:24.079
think so, though. Well I
don't know because Here won that match,

705
00:49:24.320 --> 00:49:30.559
right, But something sure changed because
now Vince Junior was a god with bigger

706
00:49:30.599 --> 00:49:36.360
ambitions than I ever encountered in this
business. Man. I know my dad

707
00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:43.639
fired you, but my dad's going
to retire. Retire, I say,

708
00:49:43.639 --> 00:49:49.199
expire, sorry, my dad's going
to expire. I'm sorry his his contract

709
00:49:49.239 --> 00:49:53.119
is going to expire and he's going
to retire and live under the wire.

710
00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:59.280
You can't just say in the close
circuit point, huh, the close circuit

711
00:49:59.280 --> 00:50:04.239
point that he does right, and
I'm gonna and I'm taking over the business.

712
00:50:04.679 --> 00:50:07.400
So we've been watching how great you're
doing in Minnesota, and we want

713
00:50:07.400 --> 00:50:12.360
to bring you in and make you
our champion. I was flattered, I

714
00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:15.519
guess, but i'd also been burned
by the McMahons before you look. I'm

715
00:50:15.639 --> 00:50:19.719
I'm more on three years here and
I'm doing really well. You know,

716
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:22.440
I only worked four days a week
and I just bought a townhouse. He

717
00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:25.639
kept interrupting. He didn't want to
hear my excuses. And what I'm what

718
00:50:25.679 --> 00:50:30.440
I'm saying is we want to give
you the biggest push of all. I'm

719
00:50:30.440 --> 00:50:37.119
going to take over this business.
I have plans to change the wrestling business

720
00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:44.239
and make you the biggest star in
the world. McMahon's only controlled wrestling in

721
00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:46.480
that in that New York, Connecticut
and Massachusetts quarter. Didn they also have

722
00:50:46.599 --> 00:50:52.400
d C, d C Philadelphia right
up to northern Virginia. They had they

723
00:50:52.400 --> 00:50:59.960
were running West Virginia, Maine,
New Hampshire, Pas quite a massive uh

724
00:51:00.039 --> 00:51:04.280
uh uh. You know it's a
good It's the most populous cities in the

725
00:51:04.360 --> 00:51:10.559
United States of America, right right, Yeah, But but he was talking

726
00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:15.719
about going everywhere worldwide. So Vince
recognized how popular I made this hul Cogan

727
00:51:15.800 --> 00:51:20.559
character, and he shared the same
vision I had that I could take this

728
00:51:20.679 --> 00:51:23.880
character anywhere. He insisted on meeting
me in person, and a few days

729
00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:29.039
later he flew into the Minneapolis Saint
Paul Airport. I'dland to go pick him

730
00:51:29.079 --> 00:51:31.360
up. You know, all I
can tell you is is you're gonna see

731
00:51:31.360 --> 00:51:36.840
a guy in a plaid tweed suit
with big shoulder pads. I told.

732
00:51:37.079 --> 00:51:38.719
I told her, I don't know
if he's ever word tweet. I don't

733
00:51:38.760 --> 00:51:43.159
know, I don't know. Yeah, he's a pretty geeky looking guy.

734
00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:45.960
Back then, he's he always was
a geeky looking guy, right, But

735
00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.519
now this isn't a WWE book and
they're on bad term, so he's got

736
00:51:49.519 --> 00:51:51.599
to throw that in there. I
mean, he's always a geeky looking like

737
00:51:51.599 --> 00:51:55.800
he never fucking you know. Maybe
the tuxedos worked all right, but that

738
00:51:55.960 --> 00:52:00.320
was about it. Everything else looked
weird. I'm I guess his his heel

739
00:52:00.400 --> 00:52:05.960
character stuff was okay too, but
yeah, sure enough. She picked him

740
00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:08.639
right out of the airport and Linda
brought Vince back to my townhouse and we

741
00:52:08.679 --> 00:52:13.800
sat around drinking wine and eating pizza. I must have loved that Minneapolis pizza.

742
00:52:13.880 --> 00:52:16.920
You imagine can and I can't imagine
how great Minneapolis style pizza is.

743
00:52:17.960 --> 00:52:21.639
Talking about his vision, I thought
they met at the airport, we'll get

744
00:52:21.639 --> 00:52:24.840
there, okay. The idea was
to take the WWE to venues all across

745
00:52:24.920 --> 00:52:29.960
the country and around the world,
with Hulk Hogan leaving the charge, and

746
00:52:29.960 --> 00:52:34.039
to go national with big TV events. I don't think we talked about that

747
00:52:34.039 --> 00:52:37.800
that first night. But Vince Junior
is a guy whose spearheaded the whole content

748
00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:40.559
of the pay per viewed TV.
He didn't beat that one. Yeah,

749
00:52:40.880 --> 00:52:44.840
it's true. But on the closed
circuit thing, there's evidence of close circuit

750
00:52:44.880 --> 00:52:47.320
wrestling as but far back as the
forties there's no Of course, you know,

751
00:52:47.519 --> 00:52:52.639
there was Twill and Manila was a
bigger closed circuit event than wwf ever

752
00:52:52.679 --> 00:52:54.639
went on to do. In fact, you know that that publicity we went

753
00:52:54.639 --> 00:52:59.480
through on this American work of that, that close circuit operation in Bob Aarram.

754
00:52:59.679 --> 00:53:02.159
That was one of Vince Junior's first
promotional endeavors around the Evil Knieval things

755
00:53:02.239 --> 00:53:07.039
right right, It was being the
local promoter for the closed circuit availability of

756
00:53:07.039 --> 00:53:12.760
Thrill in Manila. They totally I
mean, boxing was clearly doing it before

757
00:53:13.079 --> 00:53:15.599
Vince Senior was making it a habit
that felt form run over to the Shaye

758
00:53:15.599 --> 00:53:21.159
Stadium shows all that, and it
looks like there even may have been close

759
00:53:21.199 --> 00:53:24.239
circuit screenings in La in the seventies
during the Fred Blassie John Tolos Olympic.

760
00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:30.880
Yeah, no kidding, wow,
before cable was everywhere, he had the

761
00:53:30.920 --> 00:53:35.199
idea the simul cast Madison Square Garden
events on big screens and the stadiums and

762
00:53:35.239 --> 00:53:39.639
other markets instantly doubling, tripling,
quadrupling the audience for every big match.

763
00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:44.519
Yeah. Who they don't count that
as like part of the gross do they

764
00:53:44.519 --> 00:53:46.599
ever do that? Like talking about
how you know, they only talk about

765
00:53:46.599 --> 00:53:52.400
it like single arenas, But you
know, wouldn't if you got people,

766
00:53:52.719 --> 00:53:54.480
Yeah going to an arena, I
would count it too, like you know,

767
00:53:54.760 --> 00:53:59.320
had another like forty thousand people maybe, yeah, if you went to

768
00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:05.519
if you have five thousand people in
other in eight different venues around the country.

769
00:54:05.679 --> 00:54:07.440
Well, we talk about you know, you know, wrestling in the

770
00:54:07.480 --> 00:54:09.559
Garden battle for New York, the
J. Michle Kenyon book and Scott TiAl

771
00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:14.639
being like the Bible of MSG wrestling
records, and they always they always delineate

772
00:54:14.719 --> 00:54:17.840
like so that with you know,
five thousand overflow. It felt for him,

773
00:54:19.119 --> 00:54:21.360
right, So they always they always
tell you yeah, But they didn't

774
00:54:21.360 --> 00:54:28.360
always open felt for him because the
garden itself wasn't always full right right with

775
00:54:28.440 --> 00:54:31.320
all the fly by night promoters and
how and even the great promoters I'd worked

776
00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:37.599
within this business, I never encountered
a vision as big as Vince's and lined

777
00:54:37.679 --> 00:54:42.519
up with all I had in my
head about how big this thing, this

778
00:54:42.679 --> 00:54:49.079
thing, brother yo, and lining
up with all I had in my head

779
00:54:49.079 --> 00:54:52.519
about how big this thing could become? The monstrous vision I had when I

780
00:54:52.559 --> 00:54:57.760
first realized the wrestling was as much
a performance as it was a sporting event,

781
00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:01.199
when I knew that I could be
great in it, Vince's passion coming

782
00:55:01.320 --> 00:55:05.440
so fired up, there was no
way I could say no to the guy.

783
00:55:05.960 --> 00:55:07.480
Right around four o'clock in the morning, we shook hands. One of

784
00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:14.480
the fun it's a lot of pizza
and wine. I mean what he picked.

785
00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:16.599
So he picked him up when and
you're up till four in the morning,

786
00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:21.039
and then you shake hands. Two
days later, I locked the dorm

787
00:55:21.079 --> 00:55:27.280
of that townhouse and walked away from
Minnesota, knowing I'd never be back beating

788
00:55:28.199 --> 00:55:32.199
the chink. Linda and I settled
into apartment in West Haven, Connecticut,

789
00:55:32.280 --> 00:55:37.079
and I immediately started going back and
forth to wrestle again for the WWETV tabings

790
00:55:37.119 --> 00:55:42.639
in Allentown. There's just one problem. Vince Senior hadn't retired yet, which

791
00:55:42.679 --> 00:55:45.639
meant that he was still calling the
shots even as Vince Junior was starting to

792
00:55:45.639 --> 00:55:50.400
step in. As soon as I
arrived, I could tell Vince Senior was

793
00:55:50.440 --> 00:55:53.480
a little uncomfortable having me around,
partially because of the way things ended between

794
00:55:53.559 --> 00:55:59.239
us once I figured, and probably
because the other wrestlers were so pissed off

795
00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:02.840
about myself an arrival. Weren't they
used to people coming in and out of

796
00:56:02.840 --> 00:56:07.159
the territory? Yes, I would
think, so, so what who cares?

797
00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:12.360
What does his sudden arrival have to
do with anything? His sudden arrival

798
00:56:12.360 --> 00:56:15.400
on WWF on the return? Yeah? Why? Why would Why would that

799
00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:21.679
make Vince Senior a little uncomfortable.
I mean, the best way he's described

800
00:56:21.679 --> 00:56:23.239
it is that Vince Senior, if
he had his brothers, would not have

801
00:56:23.239 --> 00:56:28.639
brought Hulk back because he gave him
the ultimatum about doing Rocky three. But

802
00:56:28.840 --> 00:56:31.960
he doesn't say that. He says
the other well, he mentions that.

803
00:56:32.000 --> 00:56:36.079
He says because of the way things
that in between us, and probably because

804
00:56:36.119 --> 00:56:38.920
the other wrestlers were so pissed off
about my sudden arrival. Now, how

805
00:56:38.960 --> 00:56:42.039
do the other wrestlers being pissed off
about? I mean, first of all,

806
00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:45.960
why would they be pissed off?
And how would they're being pissed off

807
00:56:45.800 --> 00:56:51.519
make Vince feel anything for Hulk Hogan? That's the great nice business. I

808
00:56:51.679 --> 00:56:57.400
bet, like you know, your
snookers, your slaughters, yea thought that

809
00:56:58.199 --> 00:57:00.480
they were in line for a title
run, sure, and like Hogan coming

810
00:57:00.480 --> 00:57:06.000
in their only reason to bring him
in. But again, totally I get

811
00:57:06.079 --> 00:57:09.159
how that why they're feeling like that, But why are their feelings making Vince

812
00:57:09.239 --> 00:57:14.719
Senior feel uncomfortable around Hulk Hogan?
Well? Probably like it's that tribal as

813
00:57:14.800 --> 00:57:17.400
we talked about, because all the
pre existing Baby Face headliners before Hulk's arrival

814
00:57:17.679 --> 00:57:22.199
were very loyal to Vince Senior and
didn't take Vince Junior very seriously. And

815
00:57:22.239 --> 00:57:24.719
so we're probably chirping in Vince Senior's
here, what's Hulk doing here? What's

816
00:57:24.760 --> 00:57:29.239
the deal? Like? What the
fuck? Probably stressed him now that way,

817
00:57:29.480 --> 00:57:31.719
all right, And they knew this
Hulk Hogan thing was about to eclipse

818
00:57:31.760 --> 00:57:37.719
whatever fan base they had built for
themselves. Bob Backland, it was supposed

819
00:57:37.760 --> 00:57:40.360
to be my tag team partner,
wouldn't even get in the ring with me.

820
00:57:40.840 --> 00:57:47.239
It was all sort of that sort
of small time crap, a small

821
00:57:47.320 --> 00:57:52.079
time crap that Vince j and I
were ready to put behind them. Yeah.

822
00:57:52.159 --> 00:57:57.400
Yeah, those those lines resonated from
Vince's mouth to Hogan's years very well

823
00:57:57.400 --> 00:58:01.239
because it justified all manner of big
footing. Terry, I just want to

824
00:58:01.280 --> 00:58:07.480
say, i'm, I'm. My
main goal is to put that small time

825
00:58:07.559 --> 00:58:13.480
crap behind us. All right,
we're talking about big time crap. I

826
00:58:13.559 --> 00:58:17.559
want to take a big time crap
with hul Cocaine. I knew that was

827
00:58:17.559 --> 00:58:32.519
fucking coming. We're talking dukie,
lots of dukie, hard dukie, soft

828
00:58:32.639 --> 00:58:44.559
dukie, different shapes, different sizes, different consistencies. Dukie as far as

829
00:58:44.639 --> 00:58:50.719
reality can see. As far as
reality can see, That's what I said,

830
00:58:52.599 --> 00:58:59.440
not as far as our imaginations can
reality sees the Dukie. In fact,

831
00:58:59.480 --> 00:59:01.920
our plan for world domination was already
in motion. Just a few weeks

832
00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:07.519
after my return. We were gearing
up for this massive coup in Madison Square

833
00:59:07.519 --> 00:59:12.400
Garden. Not long before that,
the Iron Chic had won the championship from

834
00:59:12.400 --> 00:59:15.920
Bob. It was all part of
a storyline that would have Bob Backlan back

835
00:59:15.920 --> 00:59:19.519
in the Garden to win that belt
back from him on January twenty third,

836
00:59:19.599 --> 00:59:23.440
nineteen eighty four. That was Vince
Senior's plan. Vince Junior decided to put

837
00:59:23.480 --> 00:59:27.719
me in that ring against the Iron
Sheek instead, to give Hulk Hogan the

838
00:59:27.719 --> 00:59:31.039
World Championship belt and start building this
thing into something much bigger. This thing,

839
00:59:31.079 --> 00:59:34.159
well, build a s on,
build this thing to the next,

840
00:59:34.159 --> 00:59:36.800
take this thing on the next level. Brother, fascinating. I mean,

841
00:59:37.159 --> 00:59:39.880
look, if there's truth to that
that Vince Senior was pushing a Backland rematch,

842
00:59:39.920 --> 00:59:44.960
which you know, Backland was led
to believe, and Vince Junior pulled

843
00:59:44.960 --> 00:59:47.440
the powerplay, I'd love to hear
that that dialogue, man, because ah,

844
00:59:47.599 --> 00:59:50.599
it's my company, Dad. No
it's not yes, it is no,

845
00:59:50.679 --> 00:59:54.000
it's not Vinnie edan idea. It's
not your company. Yet. You

846
00:59:54.039 --> 00:59:59.360
know, you got to prove to
me that you can you can make that

847
00:59:59.440 --> 01:00:01.039
you can make their right decisions,
that you can take this and and and

848
01:00:02.199 --> 01:00:06.760
uh, you know, go to
that next level that I've said it before,

849
01:00:06.800 --> 01:00:07.679
I'll say it again. We both
know you don't have much longer to

850
01:00:07.719 --> 01:00:13.559
live. Why do you keep saying
that, Vinnie? I mean you said

851
01:00:13.559 --> 01:00:16.519
that a couple of times. I
don't understand. What what is it?

852
01:00:17.880 --> 01:00:22.079
Are you? Are you wanting me
to die? Vinnie? Is that what

853
01:00:22.159 --> 01:00:24.119
you're asking me? Is that what
you're telling me right now? What I'm

854
01:00:24.159 --> 01:00:28.360
not I'm not saying I want you
to die. I'm just saying that you

855
01:00:28.440 --> 01:00:32.239
will, like everybody else will,
we all will, We'll all die.

856
01:00:35.079 --> 01:00:39.679
I'm gonna die someday, maybe maybe
not, who knows, but you know

857
01:00:39.840 --> 01:00:45.800
the time, the time will come
when when you know you might take your

858
01:00:46.199 --> 01:00:52.239
your ultimate plunge. My, what
the fuck does that even mean? Ultimate

859
01:00:52.320 --> 01:01:01.159
plunge? Listen, there is no
way in hell, as long as blood

860
01:01:01.239 --> 01:01:10.679
runs through these veins, that Hulk
Hogan, that big fucking buffoon is going

861
01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:15.920
to be champion of my territory.
My territory, Dad, my territory.

862
01:01:16.960 --> 01:01:21.039
Okay, it's not your territory yet. Okay, well man, whatever you

863
01:01:21.079 --> 01:01:24.159
say, just keep looking like John
Voight and shut them fuck up. All

864
01:01:24.239 --> 01:01:30.880
right, we'll tell you what,
Dad, Why don't all right? You

865
01:01:30.960 --> 01:01:34.280
know what, I'll tell you what. We'll do it. We'll have Backland

866
01:01:35.280 --> 01:01:39.679
win back the championship. Ah No, that's the spirit of conciliation I was

867
01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:43.840
looking for. Now we can start
to build a relationship here around this thing.

868
01:01:44.159 --> 01:01:47.039
January twenty third, nineteen eighty four. All right, you know we'll

869
01:01:47.079 --> 01:01:50.880
have a thing. Trust me.
I will take care of it. You

870
01:01:51.079 --> 01:01:54.199
just take care of yourself. You
know what, Dad, I understand your

871
01:01:54.239 --> 01:02:00.760
vision. I see where you're going, and Backland's the key. Uh huh

872
01:02:00.440 --> 01:02:07.519
is it? Mm hmm. You
suddenly just turn your I mean you just

873
01:02:07.559 --> 01:02:10.119
turn your your your you change your
mind all of a sudden. Just not

874
01:02:10.119 --> 01:02:14.880
nothing like that. I mean,
just no problem insert jingling quarters sound.

875
01:02:15.039 --> 01:02:19.320
I know, I was all around
my office something. I was like,

876
01:02:22.719 --> 01:02:29.639
uh, I just you know,
I think I think I think you're wrong

877
01:02:30.519 --> 01:02:35.400
with this guy. I think you're
wrong that I agree, you know what.

878
01:02:35.519 --> 01:02:42.840
My My eyes were bigger than my
stomach. Yeah, I'm learning,

879
01:02:43.360 --> 01:02:47.880
learn from you, learn from the
best. I'll make this right, I

880
01:02:49.000 --> 01:03:00.000
promise. Patterson's what's up, boss? I want you to kill Bob Becklin

881
01:03:02.199 --> 01:03:07.559
and then I want you to kill
my dad hard. I guess one out

882
01:03:07.599 --> 01:03:13.599
of two way bad? Is that
all the Hulk has for a second tone?

883
01:03:14.440 --> 01:03:19.400
Oh no, I didn't think so. We're still laying the groundwork here,

884
01:03:19.440 --> 01:03:27.480
folks. Keep that in mind.
Yeah, vision, there are a

885
01:03:27.519 --> 01:03:30.679
lot of There are lots of rumors
about what happened that night. Here's what

886
01:03:30.760 --> 01:03:35.320
I know to be true. For
one, Verne Gagne, who is furious

887
01:03:35.440 --> 01:03:39.960
I left his Minnesota plans high and
dry, called the Iron Chic and offered

888
01:03:40.039 --> 01:03:44.000
him money to punish me in the
ring. Here's what I know. Keep

889
01:03:44.000 --> 01:03:45.920
that in mind. And gentlemen,
no, not only no, no,

890
01:03:46.159 --> 01:03:50.199
to be true, Hey, keep
that in mind. In one swift move,

891
01:03:50.280 --> 01:03:52.639
the Iron Cheek would have landed a
lucrative deal to go wrestle in Minnesota

892
01:03:52.880 --> 01:03:59.639
while simultaneously eliminating Vince's new star.
I almostly don't think that plan would have

893
01:03:59.719 --> 01:04:02.719
worked. Even the Sheik somehow managed
to give to give me hell, there

894
01:04:02.800 --> 01:04:05.880
was so much love for Hulk Hogan
among the fans that it would have created

895
01:04:05.880 --> 01:04:11.280
a massive wave of sympathy for me. I probably would have blown up even

896
01:04:11.320 --> 01:04:17.800
bigger, even faster, even stronger, and the Chik would have been so

897
01:04:17.960 --> 01:04:23.400
hated that he very well might have
faded into oblivion in the Midwest. Plus,

898
01:04:23.440 --> 01:04:25.679
I think the Irone, I think
the Sheik was smart enough to see

899
01:04:25.719 --> 01:04:29.039
the big picture, the bigger picture
of what Vince Junior was trying to set

900
01:04:29.119 --> 01:04:31.960
up, which would be worth a
hell of a lot more than what Gagney

901
01:04:32.039 --> 01:04:39.679
was offering if it all worked out. The obstacle was Vince Senior. A

902
01:04:39.679 --> 01:04:43.280
short time before the big match,
he took me aside and said, and

903
01:04:43.320 --> 01:04:47.920
I'd say, we may have to
put this off for a while. We

904
01:04:48.400 --> 01:04:53.800
may, we may change our plans. I couldn't believe it. I knew

905
01:04:53.800 --> 01:04:58.840
he was just caving into Bob Backland, who had been winning, whining,

906
01:04:58.880 --> 01:05:00.920
complaining ever since he heard that I
was going to win the belt. He

907
01:05:00.960 --> 01:05:04.920
didn't think it was right that anybody
who wasn't a quote real athlete would hold

908
01:05:04.920 --> 01:05:09.159
the belt. That was his excuse, that I hadn't been a real amateur

909
01:05:09.159 --> 01:05:13.320
wrestler like he had. He got
pretty he got awful petty about the whole

910
01:05:13.360 --> 01:05:15.719
thing. At one point, when
he didn't seem to be getting his way,

911
01:05:15.760 --> 01:05:21.920
he went to Vince Senior and said, by the way, hull Cogan

912
01:05:23.000 --> 01:05:27.719
smokes pot. Oh my god,
this is Backland saying this. Yes.

913
01:05:28.199 --> 01:05:32.400
Oh. That led to all these
questions in the locker room, all kind

914
01:05:32.440 --> 01:05:35.639
of problems for me. Hold on
a second, I got to jump to

915
01:05:35.719 --> 01:05:39.079
this. I didn't. I didn't
realize this was coming. Okay, So

916
01:05:39.239 --> 01:05:42.719
ww did a book WW fifty,
celebrating fifty years of sports entertainment. It's

917
01:05:42.760 --> 01:05:45.280
like a fucking coffee table book and
it looks back with pretty, you know,

918
01:05:45.599 --> 01:05:49.159
pretty wide open eyes as to the
little pieces along the way that built

919
01:05:49.159 --> 01:05:53.079
a WWF. And it has this
pull quote from Bob Backland in it.

920
01:05:53.480 --> 01:05:57.719
The whole book is shoot and this
is Backland's quote with his fucking mister Backland

921
01:05:57.760 --> 01:06:00.039
bow tie on in the photo.
And this is on the whole ca Mania

922
01:06:00.079 --> 01:06:05.119
page. I've always said that hul
Cogan was a quagmire and a sea of

923
01:06:05.199 --> 01:06:09.079
hypocrisy, Oh my god, and
I meant it. When he talks for

924
01:06:09.159 --> 01:06:11.559
two minutes on TV. He doesn't
walk the walk, and I know it,

925
01:06:11.719 --> 01:06:14.159
but he was very good at vibrating
the TV. He could make the

926
01:06:14.199 --> 01:06:16.239
TV shake. I couldn't. He
made them listen and he got them in

927
01:06:16.239 --> 01:06:19.719
the palm of his hands. But
he did he do it in the long

928
01:06:19.800 --> 01:06:23.920
run. Okay, he was saying
good things, but he wasn't applying it

929
01:06:23.920 --> 01:06:27.679
to himself. He was cheating,
he was lying, and he was swearing.

930
01:06:27.960 --> 01:06:30.920
And that's what I mean by him
being a quagmire in a sea of

931
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:33.039
hypocrisy. It was good enough for
your kids, but it wasn't good enough

932
01:06:33.039 --> 01:06:35.480
for him. He wasn't going to
live up to it. He took the

933
01:06:35.519 --> 01:06:39.880
easy road behind the scenes. Anybody
could do it. It's the easy road,

934
01:06:39.920 --> 01:06:43.360
it's the downhill road. Where is
his life now? Where is he

935
01:06:43.400 --> 01:06:46.079
at right now? Wow? He
made the wrong decision and he knows it,

936
01:06:46.119 --> 01:06:48.679
and he knows I was right.
He won't question that at all.

937
01:06:48.960 --> 01:06:59.559
I'm his role model Backland. He's
bought Backlan saying that he's Hulk Cogan's that's

938
01:06:59.599 --> 01:07:03.360
right, guys, out of his
fucking mind. I'll tell you, I

939
01:07:04.039 --> 01:07:09.360
miss I'm I would have voted for
him for president, easy, easily,

940
01:07:09.679 --> 01:07:17.840
all right, That's all would have
taken. Jesus uh So when Vincinia pulled

941
01:07:17.840 --> 01:07:21.320
me aside to say we might not
fall through the plan I'd been promised by

942
01:07:21.360 --> 01:07:26.119
Vince Junior. I basically told him, I said he could forget about having

943
01:07:26.199 --> 01:07:29.719
Hulk COVID and stick around. Look, Vince, if you're changing your plans,

944
01:07:29.800 --> 01:07:32.280
I just burned a huge bridge in
Minnesota. I'll go right back tonight

945
01:07:32.320 --> 01:07:34.719
and rebuild that bridge. I told
him, I don't know if you burn

946
01:07:34.760 --> 01:07:38.400
a bridge, can you rebuild it
that fast? Yeah? There was a

947
01:07:38.400 --> 01:07:41.320
didn't bridge fall down in Minnesota one
year that was so see, yeah,

948
01:07:41.440 --> 01:07:45.159
that's right. You know. Vince
Junior stepped into that point. He pulled

949
01:07:45.239 --> 01:07:47.480
us out aside for a long conversation. I don't know what he said,

950
01:07:47.760 --> 01:07:51.000
but he eventually came back to me
and said, we're going with things as

951
01:07:51.079 --> 01:07:57.960
planned. So on January twenty third, ninet eighty four, I climbed into

952
01:07:57.960 --> 01:08:00.679
the ring in Madison Square Garden,
turn on all the Hulk Hogan charm,

953
01:08:00.840 --> 01:08:03.440
and with the audience into a frenzy, is I won the belt from the

954
01:08:03.519 --> 01:08:09.239
Iron Chic, my very first championship
belt. Ern Gagney, the guys out

955
01:08:09.280 --> 01:08:12.800
in Florida and the wrestlers in Memphis
and Alabama might not have agreed with it

956
01:08:12.920 --> 01:08:15.479
at the moment. At that moment, I became the biggest and best in

957
01:08:15.479 --> 01:08:19.199
the world, and didn't matter what
any of the old school wrestling guys thought,

958
01:08:19.199 --> 01:08:24.560
because audiences were ready to embrace Hulk
Hogan like they'd never embraced any other

959
01:08:24.600 --> 01:08:29.479
wrestler in the history of this business. Right out with the old, in

960
01:08:29.520 --> 01:08:33.319
with the new, hul Comania had
officially exploded. Fucking hell, you're goddamn

961
01:08:33.399 --> 01:08:38.479
right, that's amazing. Lay that
fact pattern down, so we've heard this

962
01:08:38.600 --> 01:08:41.520
is what he knows to be true, right exactly, So we have to

963
01:08:41.520 --> 01:08:44.560
start with what hul Cogan knows to
be true before we could even begin trying

964
01:08:44.600 --> 01:08:47.439
to discern the truth of the birth
of the WWF. Hul Comania. But

965
01:08:47.840 --> 01:08:50.880
no matter which way you slice it
or whose version you take to the grave.

966
01:08:51.239 --> 01:08:56.279
January twenty third, nineteen eighty four
a seismic knight in pro wrestling history,

967
01:08:56.279 --> 01:08:58.880
and so we're going to attack it
as hard as we can on three

968
01:08:58.920 --> 01:09:01.399
fronts. First, of course,
what you're witnessing now are traditional part one,

969
01:09:01.720 --> 01:09:05.079
where we lay down the historical context
for all that's known and said and

970
01:09:05.119 --> 01:09:10.640
believed and not believed about this historic
night. We're also going to next week

971
01:09:10.680 --> 01:09:15.560
present to you a very special interview. We're excited about this boss, because

972
01:09:15.600 --> 01:09:19.439
we got an advanced peek at a
forthcoming book about this precise era in WWS,

973
01:09:19.479 --> 01:09:24.199
some wonderful leg work done. The
author's name is Brad Belucci, and

974
01:09:24.239 --> 01:09:29.439
he wrote a book about opening up
an old pack of nineteen eighties baseball cards.

975
01:09:29.920 --> 01:09:33.399
He called it the Wax Pack,
and tracking down what came of every

976
01:09:33.399 --> 01:09:38.039
baseball player that was in this random
pack. And it turned into a wonderful

977
01:09:38.119 --> 01:09:43.560
road journal, you know, as
he uses his guile and his passion for

978
01:09:43.600 --> 01:09:47.239
the road to find these folks and
get their stories into sort of soak in

979
01:09:47.279 --> 01:09:51.000
their atmosphere. And as a huge
wrestling fan and a particular Iron Chic fan,

980
01:09:51.039 --> 01:09:55.720
he applied the same ethic to the
forthcoming book The six Pack, which

981
01:09:55.800 --> 01:10:00.520
is a reference to the six wrestlers
who he was able to track down who

982
01:10:00.560 --> 01:10:04.399
were in the garden the night in
December nineteen eighty three that Iron Cheek dethroned

983
01:10:04.439 --> 01:10:10.279
Bob Beckland to become the WWF champion. Now, Brad went on to be

984
01:10:11.479 --> 01:10:15.439
the short lived biographer of the Iron
Chic, but as the she was encountering

985
01:10:15.439 --> 01:10:19.800
all kinds of different problems, most
of them drug fueled. In the oughts,

986
01:10:20.079 --> 01:10:24.159
it became very clear that having him
sit for the period of time it

987
01:10:24.199 --> 01:10:29.199
would take to execute a biography was
completely impossible. But he did get to

988
01:10:29.199 --> 01:10:31.359
know the Sheik very very well,
intimately in a way that few others did,

989
01:10:31.840 --> 01:10:35.319
and tells the story rather beautifully in
this forthcoming book. It's going to

990
01:10:35.319 --> 01:10:39.479
come out around the week of WrestleMania. I think April's second is the release

991
01:10:39.560 --> 01:10:42.520
date, so watch very closely for
it, because after this interview, we

992
01:10:42.600 --> 01:10:45.159
definitely have a friend in Brad Yes, indeed, and it was great to

993
01:10:45.199 --> 01:10:49.359
hear him take us into his reporting
journey trying to track down not only the

994
01:10:49.399 --> 01:10:56.680
Sheik again and in fact ending up
attending his funeral and rekindling his relationship with

995
01:10:56.720 --> 01:11:00.199
the family as Iron Cheek was in
declining health. Also Tito Santana, his

996
01:11:00.239 --> 01:11:05.760
adventures trying to find Sergeant Slaughter,
even going to Puerto Rico to track down

997
01:11:05.880 --> 01:11:12.640
wrestlers, All kinds of ground covered
the time he spent with so many folks.

998
01:11:12.920 --> 01:11:15.319
Is Bill Edy is another one who, of course was in the promotion

999
01:11:15.359 --> 01:11:18.399
at the time as the Mask superstarred
in fact, right, boss on this

1000
01:11:18.479 --> 01:11:21.439
car, isn't that he does?
Yes, he does. It's all.

1001
01:11:21.520 --> 01:11:26.840
It's all such a wonderful glimpse into
how the business worked back then and what

1002
01:11:26.920 --> 01:11:30.600
became of everybody that was in the
in the sauce when hul Comania came bursting

1003
01:11:30.600 --> 01:11:32.920
in the front door and switched up
the whole idea of what it meant to

1004
01:11:32.920 --> 01:11:36.000
work out of New York. So
we're very much excited to bring you that,

1005
01:11:36.079 --> 01:11:40.760
and he's going to shed a lot
of perspective on what the Iron Cheeks

1006
01:11:40.840 --> 01:11:45.279
kind of process was like, dealing
with being nothing more than a transitional champion

1007
01:11:45.039 --> 01:11:49.520
and having very little opportunity to ever
be anything more than that. You know,

1008
01:11:49.560 --> 01:11:53.640
as frustrated as Billy Graham was with
his like two years as champion,

1009
01:11:54.199 --> 01:11:57.840
can you imagine if you thought you
had that in you two year run atop

1010
01:11:57.840 --> 01:12:00.520
of the garden, all the money
that could mean, and Jesus Christ,

1011
01:12:00.680 --> 01:12:04.720
you thought you could dridge so many
people turning away challengers as a babyface champion

1012
01:12:04.720 --> 01:12:09.359
could defending And I never got that
opportunity. But it turned out to be

1013
01:12:09.399 --> 01:12:13.159
such a special night for cosro Visieri. The night he won the title,

1014
01:12:13.199 --> 01:12:15.520
his family was there a lot of
great color to come, so do keep

1015
01:12:15.560 --> 01:12:18.840
a blocked for that because we're gonna
have exclusive details in there, exclusive in

1016
01:12:18.920 --> 01:12:21.520
that he's talking about them for I
believe one of the first times in an

1017
01:12:21.560 --> 01:12:26.359
interview right even about the naming of
the first WrestleMania, which is a tasty

1018
01:12:26.439 --> 01:12:30.479
nugget tracking down people who worked with
Vince Junior, a very very beginning of

1019
01:12:30.520 --> 01:12:35.880
Titan Sports. So tasty, Boss, so tasty. So we're excited to

1020
01:12:35.880 --> 01:12:40.520
bring that little Elextra reportage to the
table courtesy of Brad Luccian. Look out

1021
01:12:40.520 --> 01:12:43.600
for that, and then we'll deliver
the Deep Dive on week three, our

1022
01:12:43.640 --> 01:12:46.680
traditional look top to bottom match by
match and really get back to that,

1023
01:12:47.399 --> 01:12:51.039
get back to our roots and soak
in the atmosphere. And this is what

1024
01:12:51.079 --> 01:12:55.079
an atmosphere to soak in. Boss. That pop when Hogan wins that belt,

1025
01:12:56.119 --> 01:13:00.439
undenied realty, I mean, you
know, it's the you know,

1026
01:13:00.960 --> 01:13:08.760
there have been many times we've watched
shows that have had the the the ww's

1027
01:13:08.760 --> 01:13:19.199
re editing of music, and it's
truly amazing to hear I have a tiger,

1028
01:13:19.359 --> 01:13:23.920
yes, and to hear the fans
react to that too. The fact

1029
01:13:23.920 --> 01:13:28.000
that that doesn't survive on the earliest
Hollcoke in WWF is a crime, yes,

1030
01:13:28.039 --> 01:13:30.000
because you realize one of the key
things for him to connect with the

1031
01:13:30.000 --> 01:13:33.000
American public, such as he did
across the airwaves on the MTV War to

1032
01:13:33.039 --> 01:13:35.800
Settle the Score, and the other
times that you know, he made an

1033
01:13:35.920 --> 01:13:41.840
entrance on national television NBC as well. It's like, this is just fucking

1034
01:13:42.199 --> 01:13:45.479
epic to the nth degree, and
it puts everyone in that Rocky three frame

1035
01:13:45.520 --> 01:13:47.640
of mind, which is really right. You've talked about this in a brilliant

1036
01:13:47.640 --> 01:13:50.520
episode of Under the Cinemat, which
also might I don't know, that might

1037
01:13:50.560 --> 01:13:55.600
be begging to shed its skin,
that might be begging to uh oh,

1038
01:13:55.600 --> 01:13:57.640
it's true, I might have let
that one out. Maybe I'll let that

1039
01:13:57.640 --> 01:14:00.560
one out push out over the open. This would be the time it was

1040
01:14:00.560 --> 01:14:04.720
Hogan showing up in Rocky three and
becoming this national international movie star due to

1041
01:14:04.760 --> 01:14:09.520
that role. Yep, that transformed
him from the heel cape wearing Freddy Blasting

1042
01:14:09.560 --> 01:14:12.560
managed to incredible Hulk Hogan too.
But you know, damn well, if

1043
01:14:12.560 --> 01:14:15.199
the w would not does not want
to acknowledge that it's that well, Vince

1044
01:14:15.239 --> 01:14:20.039
Senior certainly didn't because it was his
It was his faux pa to to basically

1045
01:14:20.079 --> 01:14:25.760
guilt Hogan into quitting New York to
take the movie opportunity. But Vince wants

1046
01:14:25.800 --> 01:14:30.399
to. Vince wants to make you
believe that he created Hulk Hogan in Hulkamania.

1047
01:14:30.880 --> 01:14:33.600
You know, I would imagine that's
because to me, it's like,

1048
01:14:33.640 --> 01:14:38.920
why not just fucking splurge and spend
the money to license the fucking song.

1049
01:14:39.640 --> 01:14:43.680
But they don't want they don't want
that connection. Well, I think Hogan

1050
01:14:44.119 --> 01:14:45.760
to hear Hogan tell it, and
I know that that's a fraught statement in

1051
01:14:45.800 --> 01:14:48.920
and of itself. He sort of
was the one insisting on playing the music

1052
01:14:48.920 --> 01:14:51.760
because he was already playing it in
the AWA and it was such a no

1053
01:14:51.520 --> 01:14:53.920
no, I know, no,
no, no, no, I know,

1054
01:14:53.960 --> 01:14:57.239
I'm talking about not licensing it now. Oh right, in the replays,

1055
01:14:57.279 --> 01:14:59.199
I'm saying, I'm saying, they
don't want to do that now.

1056
01:14:59.680 --> 01:15:01.399
They don't want to They don't want
to make that they don't want to make

1057
01:15:01.399 --> 01:15:05.520
that connection now. They want to
make it seem that they build Hulkogan.

1058
01:15:05.720 --> 01:15:10.600
Right, And he came out with
this prepackaged entrance music of They're doing Yeah,

1059
01:15:10.680 --> 01:15:14.399
right, Yeah, it's it's an
interesting thought. It's definitely not you

1060
01:15:14.439 --> 01:15:16.199
know, they don't even fucking care
about the archives anymore, let alone shelling

1061
01:15:16.199 --> 01:15:21.079
out money to make sure we get
the organic experience. But you know that,

1062
01:15:21.239 --> 01:15:25.119
I'm sure that's only gonna get better
as the horse pass. When the

1063
01:15:25.119 --> 01:15:28.479
Peacock contract is up, we don't
have access to any archives anymore, I

1064
01:15:28.560 --> 01:15:31.600
know, then you'll learn your lesson. Fortunately we do. You're not going

1065
01:15:31.640 --> 01:15:35.560
to catch us lacking after ten years, not at all going to build this

1066
01:15:35.640 --> 01:15:43.039
kind of fucking you know, force
of nature esque following to not be as

1067
01:15:43.079 --> 01:15:45.239
well resourced as hell wrestling podcast on
the planet. At the end of we

1068
01:15:45.319 --> 01:15:47.600
gotta we got our own you know
what, We got our own vault.

1069
01:15:48.479 --> 01:15:51.039
Yeah. When people want you to
succeed as much as you want to succeed,

1070
01:15:51.279 --> 01:15:57.560
then those kind of things, those
kinds of disconnects end up being taken

1071
01:15:57.600 --> 01:16:01.720
care of ye over time. So
we're feeling good about that. But it's

1072
01:16:01.560 --> 01:16:05.840
it's a great opportunity to really flex
all the muscles we have here at TLF

1073
01:16:05.880 --> 01:16:09.960
at a time that I'd like to
think Boss, maybe more people than ever

1074
01:16:09.960 --> 01:16:13.680
are listening in. We have to
consider the possibility that we're welcoming a whole

1075
01:16:13.760 --> 01:16:15.760
new wave of people that are checking
us out for the first time. That's

1076
01:16:15.880 --> 01:16:19.560
I think so because of the massive
announcement from our friends at Vice TV and

1077
01:16:19.640 --> 01:16:25.319
Dark Side of the Ring TLFX style, right, ten years going, that's

1078
01:16:25.399 --> 01:16:29.199
right, undeniable, you know,
Yeah, Oh my god, I mean,

1079
01:16:29.199 --> 01:16:33.000
it's it's it's actually, it's amazing
to me that it all kind of

1080
01:16:33.039 --> 01:16:41.039
happens at this point. You know, there's there's I remember hearing a manager

1081
01:16:41.399 --> 01:16:46.319
or or an agent or something like
that saying it takes I'm not trying to

1082
01:16:46.319 --> 01:16:50.800
say this like in the way that
it's suddenly you know, we're it's it's

1083
01:16:50.840 --> 01:16:55.720
a it's a megathing, but like
they say, it takes ten years to

1084
01:16:55.760 --> 01:16:59.720
be to make an overnight success.
Yeah, that's right, you know,

1085
01:17:00.119 --> 01:17:04.439
And I was like, how crazy
is it that that ten years in we

1086
01:17:04.479 --> 01:17:10.119
get this incredible opportunity. A lot
of doubters and detractors pretending they didn't see

1087
01:17:10.119 --> 01:17:14.359
the news that Dark Side of the
Ring has partnered with your co chairs.

1088
01:17:14.359 --> 01:17:16.359
You know, we've had Evan Husny
from the show on several times, yes,

1089
01:17:16.439 --> 01:17:21.079
talking about how our you know,
our catalog and our research lead has

1090
01:17:21.239 --> 01:17:25.960
helped a lot of their episodes,
and we've been happy to help them tell

1091
01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:30.479
stories on a few occasions. But
here is a really formal public facing alliance

1092
01:17:30.520 --> 01:17:35.239
where we're presenting dark side of the
Ring Unheard. Yes, and what's meant

1093
01:17:35.239 --> 01:17:40.479
by unheard is we are pouring through
all of the interviews that they have done,

1094
01:17:40.520 --> 01:17:43.399
hundreds of them, it seems,
or at least hundreds of hours worth

1095
01:17:43.399 --> 01:17:51.520
of interviews. Unreal, The the
the amount of content they have is just

1096
01:17:53.039 --> 01:17:57.119
it's just unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah, they've believed so many people. I

1097
01:17:57.119 --> 01:17:59.279
mean, you think of some of
those episodes. They got nine ten voices

1098
01:17:59.279 --> 01:18:01.079
in there, right, and they
you know, it's forty minute episode,

1099
01:18:01.159 --> 01:18:03.960
forty four minute episode. You're gonna
leave a lot on the cutting room floor,

1100
01:18:03.960 --> 01:18:05.840
a lot of gems. You have
no choice. You gotta tell a

1101
01:18:05.880 --> 01:18:09.760
story in a cohesive way. And
yep, a lot of the stuff is

1102
01:18:09.800 --> 01:18:13.000
you know, set up and you
know, talking to guys about where they

1103
01:18:13.079 --> 01:18:15.359
came from and how they came up
and the business and the lessons they learned

1104
01:18:15.399 --> 01:18:18.439
and the colorful stories of their career. That just ended the narrative of the

1105
01:18:18.439 --> 01:18:21.439
episode. And you got forty two
minutes to tell the story. That's exactly

1106
01:18:21.520 --> 01:18:26.199
right, you know. I mean, it's it's it's it's funny, you

1107
01:18:26.239 --> 01:18:28.159
know. I mean, I don't
know what the deal is, but I'm

1108
01:18:28.199 --> 01:18:30.840
I'm you know, some of those
stories, I'm like you, I could

1109
01:18:30.960 --> 01:18:33.880
see a whole season of some of
the stuff. Yeah, you know,

1110
01:18:33.960 --> 01:18:39.600
I mean, especially because we know
exactly how how crazy, how much detail

1111
01:18:39.680 --> 01:18:42.880
goes into you know, is actually
a part of some of these stories,

1112
01:18:42.960 --> 01:18:46.039
you know, from the van Erics
or the Steroid Trial or Benoir or whatever.

1113
01:18:46.079 --> 01:18:48.479
It's like, man, you could
you could really do a whole semi

1114
01:18:48.520 --> 01:18:53.640
grant, I don't know if if
many people would be as interested in the

1115
01:18:53.680 --> 01:18:57.680
whole season of that stuff as we
would be, but you know, nonetheless,

1116
01:18:57.840 --> 01:19:00.520
I I it's it's it's a hard
job what they do, having to

1117
01:19:01.199 --> 01:19:08.239
having to really narrow stuff down to
that, to that very very tight time

1118
01:19:08.319 --> 01:19:15.960
limit. And and I'm glad and
i am excited that we are there to

1119
01:19:15.079 --> 01:19:23.000
help shed some light on on these
you know, these these these moments from

1120
01:19:23.039 --> 01:19:25.720
the cutting room floor, to curate
them to be able to say, like,

1121
01:19:25.760 --> 01:19:28.439
you know, yes, we also
it's not like laps fan. We

1122
01:19:28.479 --> 01:19:30.760
can't do a six hour podcast because
that's what the moment calls for, you

1123
01:19:30.800 --> 01:19:33.359
know where to find that if that's
what you need. Yes, but even

1124
01:19:33.359 --> 01:19:35.960
we have to go through the exercise
of being like, okay, well,

1125
01:19:36.560 --> 01:19:41.600
knowing what we know about so many
of the storylines running through these transcripts and

1126
01:19:41.640 --> 01:19:45.479
these archives. Knowing what we know
about kind of the baseline understanding of your

1127
01:19:45.640 --> 01:19:49.960
run of the mill average wrestling fan. What's new here, what's really relevatory?

1128
01:19:50.159 --> 01:19:56.640
What says things in a perfectly encapsulated
way. What are some funny anecdotes

1129
01:19:56.680 --> 01:20:00.359
that you know they don't always say, but kind of just up organically in

1130
01:20:00.399 --> 01:20:03.039
the back and forth of the interview
for the episode. Those kinds of things

1131
01:20:03.039 --> 01:20:06.359
we try to do our best to
isolate and to bring to you, to

1132
01:20:06.439 --> 01:20:10.279
surface, to make sure, like
everything else we do here at TLF,

1133
01:20:10.359 --> 01:20:14.800
it lives on the on the shelf. Let the shelf life dynamic. Upon

1134
01:20:14.840 --> 01:20:17.079
our tenth year extend over to our
friends at Dark Side of the Ring the

1135
01:20:17.119 --> 01:20:20.560
time, I am fucking right.
The decision has been made, the reality

1136
01:20:21.239 --> 01:20:27.439
is now setting in and it's all
well deserved, and so we're very excited

1137
01:20:27.680 --> 01:20:29.600
to be able to bring you Dark
Side of the Ring unheard, which,

1138
01:20:29.920 --> 01:20:32.119
of course, like this show be
available on all your major podcast platforms when

1139
01:20:32.119 --> 01:20:35.720
it starts to publish in February.
The Dark Side of the Ring Season five

1140
01:20:35.720 --> 01:20:40.760
will premiere March fifth on Vice TV, and you can expect new episodes of

1141
01:20:40.800 --> 01:20:43.960
Dark Side of the Ring Unheard on
Wednesdays, the day after the Tuesday airing

1142
01:20:44.159 --> 01:20:47.520
of the latest television episode of the
new season. Ton of good subjects it's

1143
01:20:47.560 --> 01:20:51.119
out there publicly, the kind of
guys they're covering in the stories and the

1144
01:20:51.159 --> 01:20:56.199
lives and the times and the sagas
Black Saturday coming your way, something about

1145
01:20:56.199 --> 01:21:00.640
math. We indeed so very excited
to be able to make the endnouncement last

1146
01:21:00.640 --> 01:21:02.199
week that a dark set of the
Ring Unheard is going to be brought to

1147
01:21:02.239 --> 01:21:05.600
you in no small part by TLF. In fact, we're damn right sort

1148
01:21:05.600 --> 01:21:10.319
of driving the boat in terms of
like they're turning the materials over to us

1149
01:21:10.359 --> 01:21:13.880
and they'll be joining us on the
show to just chop it up and reflect

1150
01:21:13.920 --> 01:21:17.640
and it's it's such a blast,
so very grateful for that opportunity and it's

1151
01:21:17.680 --> 01:21:23.079
the way it should be. We've
got the mail bag cleaned wide out because

1152
01:21:23.159 --> 01:21:27.920
last time, before Reive it was
a full scale marathon Mailbag session. Laps

1153
01:21:27.960 --> 01:21:30.760
Funk put us in a position where
we really hadn't tapped the mail bag in

1154
01:21:30.319 --> 01:21:33.920
six months, so we're really excited. Maybe less than that, maybe four

1155
01:21:33.960 --> 01:21:40.159
months, But come with your missives
because it'll be soon time again, maybe

1156
01:21:40.159 --> 01:21:43.399
for spring mail bag show. The
lapsed fan atmail dot com is the email

1157
01:21:44.600 --> 01:21:47.880
and send us any reflections thoughts you
have. We've got shows upcoming. We've

1158
01:21:47.920 --> 01:21:50.199
got the Royal Rumble two thousand and
eight, which we know is coming.

1159
01:21:50.600 --> 01:21:55.439
Yes we do as as part of
our giving away a free Hopper pick for

1160
01:21:55.479 --> 01:21:58.880
a holiday gift to those who weren't
able to win the hopper last year but

1161
01:21:58.920 --> 01:22:01.319
bit aggressively twenty eight Royal Rumble to
pick there. So if you have anything

1162
01:22:01.359 --> 01:22:03.920
to say, any reflections, recollections, anything we ought to know about that

1163
01:22:03.960 --> 01:22:08.439
show, any personal experiences you have
about that night when John Cena came in

1164
01:22:08.520 --> 01:22:10.800
number thirty to win the Rumble,
we'd love to have them and incorporate them

1165
01:22:10.840 --> 01:22:15.560
into the episode. I have one. I have one, one small story.

1166
01:22:16.079 --> 01:22:19.079
I'm gonna sure the whole thing,
but I can tell you. I'll

1167
01:22:19.079 --> 01:22:21.520
talk about it when the time comes, but I can tell you this.

1168
01:22:23.439 --> 01:22:27.159
I was in Belgium when the Royal
rumble. Wow, it happened. Yes,

1169
01:22:28.960 --> 01:22:33.520
we are you able to see it? I watched. I didn't watch

1170
01:22:33.560 --> 01:22:41.479
it live, but I know that
I watched a replay. Got it or

1171
01:22:41.560 --> 01:22:44.319
something or it was. It was
one of the early uses of YouTube.

1172
01:22:44.359 --> 01:22:47.880
I know I saw something on my
laptop. Wow. Some more details on

1173
01:22:47.920 --> 01:22:50.920
that front, and hopefully the Solar
System can color it in a bit as

1174
01:22:50.920 --> 01:22:54.520
well, and anything anything that's on
your mind about the business. We love

1175
01:22:54.520 --> 01:22:57.720
these letters. You know the tone
you've heard the feedback shows over the years,

1176
01:22:57.720 --> 01:23:00.239
but I just felt obliged to remind
you as now in the very very

1177
01:23:00.319 --> 01:23:03.600
rare position of having an empty mail
bag, that we'd love to hear from

1178
01:23:03.600 --> 01:23:06.720
you. Among the things you can
send us are not only missives, but

1179
01:23:06.760 --> 01:23:11.880
also audio recollections, as you've been
seeing every Monday on the feed in the

1180
01:23:11.880 --> 01:23:15.319
spirit of TLFX, we've been presenting
messages recorded by different members of the Solar

1181
01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:18.560
System as to what tlf has meant
to them. Oh yeah, sort of

1182
01:23:18.600 --> 01:23:24.000
like clift notes on how you could
explain this show to your family when they

1183
01:23:24.039 --> 01:23:28.239
ask you what is that eight hour
podcast you listen to every week? And

1184
01:23:28.279 --> 01:23:32.840
hopefully across section from the constellation of
Solar System members explaining exactly why it is

1185
01:23:33.359 --> 01:23:38.399
that we have such a hold on
them will provide ample fodder for your explanatory

1186
01:23:38.399 --> 01:23:41.359
purposes, but for nothing else.
Just listen in to hear from your fellow

1187
01:23:41.359 --> 01:23:44.640
Solar System members. Put the words
to the thoughts and feelings you've had over

1188
01:23:44.680 --> 01:23:46.800
ten years of the show, and
please send in your own recollections. Just

1189
01:23:46.800 --> 01:23:49.520
record them on your phone, no
big heavy lift. Just send an audio

1190
01:23:49.560 --> 01:23:53.880
missive as long or short as you
want to the lapsed fan at gmail dot

1191
01:23:53.920 --> 01:23:57.359
com. We'll take them under consideration
and put the best ones up in the

1192
01:23:57.359 --> 01:24:00.720
spirit of TLFX recollections every week here
on the field for as long as we

1193
01:24:00.760 --> 01:24:04.880
feel like doing it. And further
to that point, something else. You

1194
01:24:04.920 --> 01:24:09.279
also need to get into our mailbox
pretty quickly here as we approach the end

1195
01:24:09.319 --> 01:24:12.359
of February. If you can believe
it, oh yeah, unbelievable. Here

1196
01:24:12.359 --> 01:24:16.680
in mid February, you need to
send us proof of purchase for your tickets.

1197
01:24:16.800 --> 01:24:21.720
April seventh, high noon. Punchline
Philly is the comedy Club Philadelphia,

1198
01:24:21.760 --> 01:24:27.039
Pennsylvania is the city WrestleMania forty weekend. Yes, indeed, oh, Chairman

1199
01:24:27.119 --> 01:24:30.960
take that fucking stage. Oh boy, once a year if that is an

1200
01:24:30.960 --> 01:24:35.520
opportunity like this, and the mic
is hot, and you know, the

1201
01:24:35.279 --> 01:24:40.479
the the Overton windows a little wider
in terms of where we can go in

1202
01:24:40.520 --> 01:24:44.199
our commentary and our humor and all
the other things that you expect from us,

1203
01:24:44.920 --> 01:24:47.760
don't expect. You know, you
still can't find a complete recording of

1204
01:24:47.800 --> 01:24:50.560
the of the show we did last
year in la for Ustle Media Weekends.

1205
01:24:50.600 --> 01:24:54.600
So that's right. Don't assume you're
gonna be able to catch this any other

1206
01:24:54.680 --> 01:24:57.479
way, but in person. Sunday, April seventh, News Time, It's

1207
01:24:57.479 --> 01:25:00.920
special. This is special. Yeah, it's gonna be one. Just seeing

1208
01:25:00.920 --> 01:25:03.039
all the people that have bought tickets
already, and just thinking of the short

1209
01:25:03.079 --> 01:25:05.439
list I would have in my head
of people in the Solar System that I

1210
01:25:05.439 --> 01:25:08.800
would just love to see comes to
something like this, it's like ven percent

1211
01:25:08.840 --> 01:25:11.640
of them already have bought tickets.
Yep, yep, which is really a

1212
01:25:11.680 --> 01:25:14.880
special feeling. People getting on planes, people flying from as far away as

1213
01:25:14.920 --> 01:25:17.479
Australia to be with us, people
who didn't have plans to go to WrestleMania

1214
01:25:17.520 --> 01:25:24.560
in Philadelphia. That's my favorite.
That is my favorite people who don't have

1215
01:25:24.680 --> 01:25:31.960
plans to go because they're actually laughing
right exactly, and were the voice.

1216
01:25:32.840 --> 01:25:35.720
We're their voice. But at the
same time, we can't be totally lapsed

1217
01:25:35.720 --> 01:25:39.399
and still stay as current as we
need to to get the show to you.

1218
01:25:40.079 --> 01:25:43.159
So it's wonderful to see people that
actually can live it in so many

1219
01:25:43.479 --> 01:25:46.079
more concrete ways come to see this
as well. So go over to Punchline

1220
01:25:46.119 --> 01:25:48.399
Philly. Just good, you know, going to Google, put Punchline Philly

1221
01:25:48.439 --> 01:25:51.439
in and you'll find their calendar section. When you see that, you'll be

1222
01:25:51.439 --> 01:25:55.880
able to search lapsed and just search
laps because it's still a bit down on

1223
01:25:55.920 --> 01:25:59.800
the calendar. It's not front page
yet, and find our biceps, Bozos

1224
01:25:59.840 --> 01:26:05.159
and bullshit brunch that's right of the
traditional wrestling new weekend brunch courtesy of the

1225
01:26:05.399 --> 01:26:10.960
fine I'm sure the fine kitchen staff
at Punchline Philly. I would expect nothing

1226
01:26:11.079 --> 01:26:14.560
less. Drinks will be flowing as
well. And the reason you need to

1227
01:26:14.560 --> 01:26:15.880
send those proof of purchase why do
you need to do this? Not only

1228
01:26:16.920 --> 01:26:20.720
because the time is nigh when we're
going to start emailing you folks and asking

1229
01:26:20.760 --> 01:26:24.039
for your phone numbers, so that
just like we did last year. We

1230
01:26:24.079 --> 01:26:27.640
can give you a phone call and
have you explain why you need to be

1231
01:26:28.359 --> 01:26:31.920
in Philadelphia April seventh for the Lapsed
Fan Live Bozo's Biceps and Bullshit Brunch and

1232
01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:34.600
put that audio out there for everybody
to hear so that they can get a

1233
01:26:34.640 --> 01:26:40.600
sense of just how fruitless it is
to pretend that this isn't a fucking massive

1234
01:26:40.640 --> 01:26:45.840
deal. But also yeah, because
an early bird purchase of your tickets enters

1235
01:26:45.880 --> 01:26:50.039
you into an exclusive raffle. Oh
no, as we disclosed on the last

1236
01:26:50.119 --> 01:26:53.680
leg of the Lapsed Funk Journey,
So proud to be able to bring this

1237
01:26:53.680 --> 01:26:58.119
to our listeners, and so many
great messages so far of people just jonesing

1238
01:26:58.279 --> 01:27:01.279
for the opportunity to win this thing. They are bringing to Philly an authentic

1239
01:27:01.359 --> 01:27:06.640
Terry Funk branding iron MMMM acquired in
the estate sale of Terry Funk upon his

1240
01:27:06.720 --> 01:27:12.680
unfortunate passing by TLF as part of
our effort to really bring a Lapsed Funk

1241
01:27:12.680 --> 01:27:15.880
home with a bang, we did
it. We're in possession of this branding

1242
01:27:15.880 --> 01:27:17.720
iron. Pretty sure it's the one
who used in ECW. I can find

1243
01:27:17.720 --> 01:27:21.239
promos he did with a branding iron
in his hand with the ECW backdrop that

1244
01:27:21.239 --> 01:27:25.560
looked like the one also looks like
the one he may have used in WCW

1245
01:27:25.640 --> 01:27:28.560
in two thousand and a, Major
League Wrestling and other indies throughout the two

1246
01:27:28.600 --> 01:27:31.960
thousands. We're going to do a
raffle and if you buy the preferred seating

1247
01:27:32.000 --> 01:27:35.399
at at Punchline, Philly. Not
many left, but this this sort of

1248
01:27:35.439 --> 01:27:39.239
like the first two rows guaranteed right
up on top of your coach chairman,

1249
01:27:39.760 --> 01:27:42.600
the kind of experience you in your
in your mind, you would expect to

1250
01:27:42.640 --> 01:27:45.079
have coming to a show like this. But this is a pretty big venue,

1251
01:27:45.199 --> 01:27:47.479
just spatially, so it's not going
to be as a sure thing that

1252
01:27:47.520 --> 01:27:50.439
you just show up and you're going
to be able to have great sidelines.

1253
01:27:51.119 --> 01:27:55.199
So if you go for the preferred
ticket, that will entitle you if you

1254
01:27:55.239 --> 01:27:58.199
only if you sent this proof of
purchase to the Lapsed fan at gmail dot

1255
01:27:58.199 --> 01:28:00.560
com, that will entitle you to
two raffle tickets for each preferred ticket you

1256
01:28:00.600 --> 01:28:04.920
buy and every general admission ticket you
buy. If again, you send that

1257
01:28:04.960 --> 01:28:09.199
proof of purchase to the lapsed Fan
at gmail dot com, will entitle you

1258
01:28:09.239 --> 01:28:13.159
to one raffle ticket. We'll get
on stage, we'll we'll get all organized

1259
01:28:13.600 --> 01:28:16.960
and we'll present the branding iron to
the winner in the city where he tried

1260
01:28:16.960 --> 01:28:23.319
to burn down the ECW Arena.
Essentially Terry Funk did because he's a sane

1261
01:28:23.359 --> 01:28:28.319
individual, so so excited. This
is like TLFX has a way of just

1262
01:28:28.439 --> 01:28:31.640
becoming a thing without us even Oh, things just start happening, things start

1263
01:28:31.680 --> 01:28:36.640
popping. The energy is so tremendous. It's absolutely tremendous. It's so incredibly

1264
01:28:36.720 --> 01:28:40.439
exciting. And we haven't even hit
you with the full roster that our pal

1265
01:28:40.520 --> 01:28:43.680
Ray Goots is working on in terms
of our friends from the stand up comedy

1266
01:28:43.720 --> 01:28:46.119
world. We're going to make it
to Punchline Philly, to chop up WrestleMania

1267
01:28:46.199 --> 01:28:48.520
Night one, which would have been
in the books at that point, and

1268
01:28:48.560 --> 01:28:51.720
look ahead to WrestleMania Night too.
It's not like there's going to be a

1269
01:28:51.800 --> 01:28:55.600
lack of things to talk about,
boss, No, not at all.

1270
01:28:55.600 --> 01:29:01.279
I imagine. I imagine there's going
to be. Ah, you know,

1271
01:29:01.439 --> 01:29:05.439
I'm sure something interesting will happen at
Night one, or maybe not, maybe

1272
01:29:05.439 --> 01:29:12.960
it'll just be a complete shit show. Uh you know, I'm I still

1273
01:29:13.039 --> 01:29:17.680
think that uh you know, Rock
may fucking leave WrestleMania with the world title.

1274
01:29:19.239 --> 01:29:24.079
Did you say Brock a Rock a
rock Man Brock too for that matter,

1275
01:29:24.119 --> 01:29:27.479
maybe they both will. I think
Brock may may beat Seth Rock.

1276
01:29:27.560 --> 01:29:30.359
I you know, I know that
they've cut out he cut him out,

1277
01:29:30.359 --> 01:29:35.119
But you know what, it's still
a long way to WrestleMania, and there's

1278
01:29:35.119 --> 01:29:40.840
plenty of time for shit to just
kind of smooth over it. And I

1279
01:29:41.000 --> 01:29:46.079
don't night Lincoln financial Field. The
last thing you see when they put the

1280
01:29:46.079 --> 01:29:50.119
logo up in the corner is Rock
on the middle rope hoisting the title above

1281
01:29:50.119 --> 01:29:54.479
his head. Yes, I can, I can imagine that. I don't

1282
01:29:54.520 --> 01:30:00.640
and you imagine that. I'm I'm
listen. I'm I'm not convinced that any

1283
01:30:00.760 --> 01:30:06.199
stories will be finished. Okay,
you can talk about it. Look,

1284
01:30:08.560 --> 01:30:11.560
I don't know if they changed their
plans and did all the weird shit that

1285
01:30:11.760 --> 01:30:19.359
happened, but I'm I am not
convinced that director Board Director is Dwayne the

1286
01:30:19.439 --> 01:30:25.319
Rock. Johnson is not above putting
himself over in the main event of Wrestlmania

1287
01:30:25.359 --> 01:30:29.279
forty board director, and he's a
bo r ed director as well as he

1288
01:30:29.960 --> 01:30:31.800
needs to inject some electricity in his
life, and what better way than to

1289
01:30:31.880 --> 01:30:34.600
lean in. Of course, of
course, listen, he had a rough

1290
01:30:34.680 --> 01:30:40.760
year, man, you know,
fucking sag strike going on, and he's

1291
01:30:40.800 --> 01:30:43.439
shelling out money to people I don't
know who. I didn't get any of

1292
01:30:43.439 --> 01:30:50.640
that money, but you know,
merging. Yeah, just all these mergers,

1293
01:30:51.439 --> 01:30:57.439
merging the rock and so much balance
sheet activity, so much leverage.

1294
01:30:57.439 --> 01:31:00.079
I just you know, he's you
know what, I love you. I

1295
01:31:00.079 --> 01:31:08.600
tell you what I absolutely find to
be the most hysterical and just like such

1296
01:31:08.760 --> 01:31:13.079
bullshit thing. Now is that all
of a sudden, now that he's a

1297
01:31:13.199 --> 01:31:18.560
member of the board of directors of
TKO, all of a sudden, at

1298
01:31:18.640 --> 01:31:25.720
least I've never seen it before,
All of a sudden, he's sporting spectacles.

1299
01:31:26.159 --> 01:31:31.640
All of a sudden, he's got
these fucking glasses where I just can

1300
01:31:31.760 --> 01:31:38.960
see him in his fucking you know
office, his home office. You know,

1301
01:31:39.079 --> 01:31:44.000
I imagine a like a like a
pictorial and like Time magazine, and

1302
01:31:44.039 --> 01:31:46.399
you see him, you know,
behind his desk, and he's like,

1303
01:31:46.479 --> 01:31:53.359
you know, looking down at papers
and like balance sheets and PNL sheets and

1304
01:31:53.800 --> 01:31:58.319
all this gar all this accounting garbage, you know, with his special Yeah,

1305
01:31:58.479 --> 01:32:01.680
exactly exactly. Pl She's he's got
you know, he's wearing a button

1306
01:32:01.720 --> 01:32:05.479
down shirt but his sleeves are rolled
up and you know, no tie.

1307
01:32:05.560 --> 01:32:12.560
You know, just complete asshole.
It's a good time to be a fan,

1308
01:32:12.640 --> 01:32:15.399
man, he's leaning into it.
He's a heel again. I listen.

1309
01:32:15.439 --> 01:32:19.680
I fucking love it. I love
that fair game. I'm I'm a

1310
01:32:19.720 --> 01:32:24.000
fan of heel Rock. So but
you know, here and here's the thing,

1311
01:32:24.920 --> 01:32:28.600
how long how long do you think
it'll take for heel rock to be

1312
01:32:28.720 --> 01:32:33.199
so fucking over again like he like
he was in two thousand and two?

1313
01:32:33.399 --> 01:32:39.000
We go through the same cycles,
don't we. Where Like fans want cool

1314
01:32:39.039 --> 01:32:42.520
heels as their baby faces, they
don't want anything else. I mean Cody

1315
01:32:42.600 --> 01:32:45.479
is like exceptional in that. Yeah, he hasn't had to play any games,

1316
01:32:45.520 --> 01:32:49.319
and the people still go pretty nuts
for him. Yes, but that's

1317
01:32:49.359 --> 01:32:54.119
hard to maintain overtime. You got
to be really sharp and really smart about

1318
01:32:54.119 --> 01:32:58.800
what you do and don't say on
that stick to not provoke a backlash.

1319
01:32:58.800 --> 01:33:01.399
He got it eventually in a w
I think the key is keeping Brandy off

1320
01:33:01.399 --> 01:33:04.880
his off his arm on television.
As lovely as she is, you know,

1321
01:33:04.920 --> 01:33:09.079
I mean, there's no way you
can't trust You've got a hot wife,

1322
01:33:09.159 --> 01:33:13.399
all right, nobody needs the fucking
you know, unless you're gonna be

1323
01:33:13.439 --> 01:33:15.000
a heel, you don't need the
hot wife. You remember when Becky and

1324
01:33:15.039 --> 01:33:18.199
Seth were on the screen together.
Death, Yes, death, of course,

1325
01:33:18.520 --> 01:33:21.079
it's the same kind of thing.
Nobody cares. Again, We've said

1326
01:33:21.079 --> 01:33:25.399
it, I've said it before,
I'll say it again. Wrestlers should never

1327
01:33:25.520 --> 01:33:30.960
wrestlers on TV. Yes, should
never have or at least never talk about

1328
01:33:31.119 --> 01:33:33.960
others. Ever. Yeah, never, ever. I don't want to believe

1329
01:33:33.960 --> 01:33:39.359
that they need to be a sexual
animals. Well, yeah, it just

1330
01:33:39.439 --> 01:33:43.079
it. It makes you think of
a side of them that's not box office,

1331
01:33:43.600 --> 01:33:46.000
right. It makes them all of
a sudden just seem like, you

1332
01:33:46.039 --> 01:33:48.199
know, guys you see at the
gym on a Tuesday, which they are.

1333
01:33:48.359 --> 01:33:51.840
But do we really have to rub
it in our faces? They ever

1334
01:33:51.880 --> 01:33:56.399
mentioned that Hulk Coben is married once? No, you know what I mean?

1335
01:33:57.399 --> 01:34:00.840
Never, and and and it was
absolutely death when they did it with

1336
01:34:00.920 --> 01:34:03.479
son Cold Steve Austin, Oh yeah
it was. It was awful when he

1337
01:34:03.479 --> 01:34:09.600
started bringing Debora to the fucking the
shows. It was awful, so bad,

1338
01:34:10.279 --> 01:34:13.359
yep, Yeah, they flirted with
having that part of the wrestlminga seventeen

1339
01:34:13.399 --> 01:34:16.279
story and they dropped that cold because
it was fucking death to have Debora involved,

1340
01:34:16.520 --> 01:34:20.720
maybe going on Mean Rock or something. Occasionally it's like, it's okay,

1341
01:34:20.800 --> 01:34:26.479
if if, if it fits a
storyline in some fashion, but you

1342
01:34:26.520 --> 01:34:29.560
know, it's a very rare occurrence. Like I didn't mind. I know

1343
01:34:29.640 --> 01:34:31.680
I'm probably one of the rare people, but I didn't mind. You know,

1344
01:34:31.840 --> 01:34:36.880
the the Sarah involvement with DDP and
shit, Oh really yeah, I

1345
01:34:36.880 --> 01:34:41.039
didn't mind that. That was fine
with me for some reason. Interesting,

1346
01:34:41.079 --> 01:34:44.159
well, you did have a guy
who had gotten as much mileage out of

1347
01:34:44.159 --> 01:34:47.039
his previous incarnation as he possibly could
have. Sure, so it's not like

1348
01:34:47.119 --> 01:34:53.319
you're, you know, robbing someone
of upside at that point and take her.

1349
01:34:53.439 --> 01:34:55.920
But you know, even that was
kind of that. That wasn't very

1350
01:34:55.920 --> 01:34:59.680
flattering for Undertaker. That knocked him
down a peg to be out there.

1351
01:35:00.079 --> 01:35:02.159
You know, of course, Savage
Elizabeth like it's different if it's a heel,

1352
01:35:02.319 --> 01:35:06.800
you know, likes miss with course
like of course absolutely invented missus whole

1353
01:35:06.800 --> 01:35:11.720
fucking upside a heel, A heel. All that is money. It's money,

1354
01:35:11.720 --> 01:35:15.760
all day, no matter, absolutely
right, So all that and more

1355
01:35:16.239 --> 01:35:19.840
happening here at TLFHQ. Looking forward
to breaking all that down as it unfolds,

1356
01:35:20.399 --> 01:35:23.680
and of course a place to be
for all of our exclusive audio is

1357
01:35:23.720 --> 01:35:27.680
Patreon dot com slash the Lapsed Fan. That's where we drop our monthly live

1358
01:35:27.720 --> 01:35:30.800
calls of wwep l e's the Elimination
Chamber for a quick note is going to

1359
01:35:30.800 --> 01:35:33.560
be delivered, but it's going to
be delivered out of a delay. It

1360
01:35:33.600 --> 01:35:36.680
takes place on a vacation week here
in the States right or at least our

1361
01:35:36.760 --> 01:35:40.000
part of the country, so we're
gonna be a little bit behind. Plus

1362
01:35:40.000 --> 01:35:43.439
it's kind it's gonna be on like
five in the morning or something stupid.

1363
01:35:43.439 --> 01:35:45.920
I remember those FC cards in Australia. It's like, I mean, they

1364
01:35:45.960 --> 01:35:49.680
can align it such that it's five
in the morning in Australia and it's it's

1365
01:35:49.720 --> 01:35:54.239
primetime here, so I'm not really
worried about that. But it's just wacky.

1366
01:35:54.279 --> 01:35:58.560
It's like, it's just not it
doesn't have the characteristics of a show

1367
01:35:58.560 --> 01:36:00.359
that you absolutely have to watch,
and it happens. It's like the Crown

1368
01:36:00.399 --> 01:36:03.640
Jewel shows, which we you know, it's fine to do one delay,

1369
01:36:03.920 --> 01:36:08.359
and I'm sure by the time it's
over, only the chamber matches and Rhea's

1370
01:36:08.399 --> 01:36:10.960
match, which I think will be
a chamber match. It being in Australia

1371
01:36:10.960 --> 01:36:14.239
would have mattered, So we're gonna
hit that. But again, just another

1372
01:36:14.399 --> 01:36:15.520
proof point. I'm sure they're gonna
fill that place. And it's a great

1373
01:36:15.560 --> 01:36:17.800
chance to go to Perth and it's, you know, a great chance to

1374
01:36:17.880 --> 01:36:20.920
bring a PLA to a new market. So I can't argue with the business

1375
01:36:21.079 --> 01:36:26.319
psychology of it. Once again,
elimination Chamber just fucks up the Mania vibe.

1376
01:36:26.359 --> 01:36:29.840
You know. It's just like everyone
has to be promoting them. You

1377
01:36:29.920 --> 01:36:33.199
have Becky Lynch and Ria Ripley face
to face on stage at the Vegas Press

1378
01:36:33.199 --> 01:36:36.439
conference promoting their match at Mania,
and it's like Ria Ripley's got to get

1379
01:36:36.439 --> 01:36:42.319
through somebody elimination chamber, and we're
just pretending that's not a thing. It's

1380
01:36:42.399 --> 01:36:47.279
I mean, listen, it's it's
it's a fine thing to happen if you're

1381
01:36:47.920 --> 01:36:53.600
if you're not fully set up on
your other matches, yeah, which they

1382
01:36:53.640 --> 01:36:58.079
always are, and I feel like
they forced themselves to delay. But but

1383
01:36:58.399 --> 01:37:02.720
it's like you don't don't don't have
a thing that might that could have essentially

1384
01:37:02.800 --> 01:37:09.439
affect that match, Like you know, you could have other matches that don't

1385
01:37:09.479 --> 01:37:15.199
involve you know, uh uh uh
Rhea Ripley defending her championship. You know,

1386
01:37:15.680 --> 01:37:20.039
like you I don't know, like
that should they shouldn't be. I

1387
01:37:20.079 --> 01:37:24.000
mean, I agree, I agree
with you one hundred and ten percent,

1388
01:37:25.239 --> 01:37:27.960
But if you are going to do
it, I think there are ways to

1389
01:37:28.000 --> 01:37:34.199
set up other WrestleMania matches that aren't
like I mean, like you know,

1390
01:37:34.920 --> 01:37:39.399
they're going to set up a challenger
right exactly. And to me, that's

1391
01:37:39.439 --> 01:37:43.680
fine. To me, that's fine. I don't it is fine. But

1392
01:37:44.600 --> 01:37:47.720
the fact that we can't have a
build for that match from Rumble season on,

1393
01:37:47.880 --> 01:37:51.720
that we have to wait, it's
so agree. It's like it's just

1394
01:37:51.720 --> 01:37:56.199
not befitting WrestleMania. They don't need
to do a show in February. It's

1395
01:37:56.199 --> 01:37:59.840
it's always a negative. It's always
I mean, it's the show is always

1396
01:37:59.880 --> 01:38:01.800
so great too, that's always like
last year the same. He's ain't incredible,

1397
01:38:01.880 --> 01:38:05.680
But it's like because they had Montreal, they had to do Sammy and

1398
01:38:05.720 --> 01:38:09.119
he's never gonna come back from that. He's never going to recover from that.

1399
01:38:09.680 --> 01:38:12.359
And I'm not sure they would have. It was a great night for

1400
01:38:12.399 --> 01:38:15.479
him and I'm glad they did it, especially if you accept the fact that

1401
01:38:15.520 --> 01:38:18.520
he's never going to win the belt. You know, And there have been

1402
01:38:18.600 --> 01:38:21.520
great February pay per views that the
Austin Triple A three Stage, the Hell

1403
01:38:21.560 --> 01:38:25.520
Show is a fucking incredible show,
Saint Downstaate, Same Down Times, a

1404
01:38:25.600 --> 01:38:28.760
Master's incredible show. There's been great. I'm not saying the shows themselves aren't

1405
01:38:29.000 --> 01:38:31.359
really great. And again, you
know what, like I'll tell you what.

1406
01:38:32.000 --> 01:38:38.640
The the first No Way Out also
very good in that it did help

1407
01:38:38.800 --> 01:38:43.800
build yeah, you know, to
it because it was it was the guys

1408
01:38:43.840 --> 01:38:45.720
who were all you know, that
main event. It was the guys who

1409
01:38:45.760 --> 01:38:49.439
were facing each other in that in
that massive tag match, and that worked,

1410
01:38:50.239 --> 01:38:54.399
it worked, I agree, But
if it hadn't happened, you know,

1411
01:38:54.640 --> 01:38:57.279
there were so many things that they
forced to happen because they have this

1412
01:38:57.399 --> 01:39:00.960
fucking show that they have to accommodate, and that don't like the how forced

1413
01:39:00.960 --> 01:39:02.600
it feels, I think is what
I'm trying to say. I just I

1414
01:39:02.600 --> 01:39:05.600
can't imagine how much cool a wrestlemanie
would feel if we hadn't seen a pay

1415
01:39:05.600 --> 01:39:11.039
per view since Rumble anyway. Yeah, that's that's that's a that's a lost

1416
01:39:11.079 --> 01:39:15.000
cause by now I'm pissing into the
wind on that one. Remember remember when

1417
01:39:15.319 --> 01:39:18.079
when when Kurt Angle beat Triple H
for the title shot and they actually changed

1418
01:39:18.079 --> 01:39:23.000
the graphic. Yes, I remember
that. It took the nuts and then

1419
01:39:23.000 --> 01:39:25.520
he fucking took it back the way. We all do better. Yeah,

1420
01:39:25.520 --> 01:39:28.560
we all knew better. I know, I know that that trick doesn't work

1421
01:39:28.560 --> 01:39:30.199
anymore. They actually changed the graphic. That that's not in their back of

1422
01:39:30.279 --> 01:39:33.680
tricks anymore. Yeah. But all
this is to say, Patreon dot com

1423
01:39:33.680 --> 01:39:36.800
slash lapsed fan for our live calls
of w w P l e s and

1424
01:39:36.840 --> 01:39:41.560
of course ad free versions of this
podcast. You also go dive today early.

1425
01:39:42.439 --> 01:39:44.960
Yes, indeed, so it's all
It's all worth it. Under the

1426
01:39:45.000 --> 01:39:48.640
cinemat for oh yeah EP and above
Tier Boss. We mentioned the Rocky three

1427
01:39:48.720 --> 01:39:54.840
episode we did a long time ago. We're on episode one hundred now we

1428
01:39:54.880 --> 01:39:58.479
are, indeed, well eight hundred
eight just happened. We did. Uh,

1429
01:39:59.000 --> 01:40:02.840
we did all the marbles, all
the marbles, the last one we

1430
01:40:02.880 --> 01:40:08.319
did, and uh, it was
it was crazy something. You know what

1431
01:40:08.359 --> 01:40:15.439
we said it's some probably the best
entering action ever seen in a cinematic venture,

1432
01:40:16.199 --> 01:40:20.800
absolutely easily and beyond the mat as
part of Lapsed Funk. It's yes,

1433
01:40:20.840 --> 01:40:25.920
it's always a nice roadhouse. I
mean, yes, roadhouse. Ye,

1434
01:40:26.520 --> 01:40:29.119
all that stuff it was. It's
so much fun to be able to

1435
01:40:29.159 --> 01:40:34.800
tie in another aspect, to to
certain to certain elements, you know.

1436
01:40:35.199 --> 01:40:41.239
Uh and uh yeah we got I'll
tell you what. I'm just going to

1437
01:40:41.319 --> 01:40:43.720
say this, all right, I
want to say this. We there's one

1438
01:40:44.560 --> 01:40:56.479
there's one more movie and then we
are going on a very very epic cinemat

1439
01:40:56.560 --> 01:41:01.079
journey. And that's all I'm going
to say. Fair, absolutely fair,

1440
01:41:02.159 --> 01:41:05.840
So looking forward to that and so
much more on Patreon Wrestle Mamia rocking as

1441
01:41:05.840 --> 01:41:09.680
strong as ever. Oh yes for
that tip top mote tier. We know

1442
01:41:09.720 --> 01:41:12.760
it's rich for a lot of people's
blood. We know it sends people into

1443
01:41:12.760 --> 01:41:15.800
a psychological tizzy that they can't afford
it. It's fine, we understand,

1444
01:41:16.479 --> 01:41:19.520
but you have to understand for us. If there's as many people willing to

1445
01:41:19.640 --> 01:41:25.239
do it, why are we not
offering it? Right? This is the

1446
01:41:25.359 --> 01:41:29.520
United States of America, folks.
That's right and right, and we're proud

1447
01:41:29.560 --> 01:41:32.560
to be able to deserve a voice
too, deserve a voice. Just we're

1448
01:41:32.560 --> 01:41:36.039
proud to be able to set aside
a space for people that are so true

1449
01:41:36.079 --> 01:41:41.079
to the cause that, like,
you know, if the if the nuclear

1450
01:41:41.119 --> 01:41:45.239
holocaust is upon us, we know
who are Rider dies are? You know,

1451
01:41:45.600 --> 01:41:46.439
it's nice to be able to know
that. As much as we love

1452
01:41:46.479 --> 01:41:49.800
every patron, there's a lot of
coming and going that goes on, and

1453
01:41:50.560 --> 01:41:57.159
the mode is fucking it's it's the
it's the podcast listener you wish you had

1454
01:41:57.199 --> 01:42:01.119
times sixty oh one hundred. Absolutely
for so fucking close these guys and gal

1455
01:42:01.279 --> 01:42:04.560
so can't wait to offer some unique
exclusive benefits to them as well. A

1456
01:42:04.600 --> 01:42:09.399
lot of things turning in our head
on that FRONTS twenty four unfolds here,

1457
01:42:09.520 --> 01:42:14.680
So all good, all tremendous,
and of course we also encourage you not

1458
01:42:14.720 --> 01:42:17.600
only to support our Patreon, but
that of our friends at LAPS Archive Transcription

1459
01:42:17.680 --> 01:42:21.960
Service, Patreon dot com, slash
lats lats. This is for super fans

1460
01:42:21.960 --> 01:42:27.479
who want access to a complete digest
of transcripts of the show to be able

1461
01:42:27.479 --> 01:42:30.359
to find your favorite moments, and
we're going to be delivering a lot of

1462
01:42:30.439 --> 01:42:34.960
TLFX content courtesy of that project in
the weeks to come as well here in

1463
01:42:35.000 --> 01:42:40.439
twenty twenty four. So it's all
beautiful ecosystem. And before we get back

1464
01:42:40.439 --> 01:42:44.560
to the Hulkster, we do want
to thank our longtime sponsor still staying strong

1465
01:42:44.600 --> 01:42:48.840
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1466
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1467
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big office and have them call it Titan

1472
01:43:13.159 --> 01:43:16.960
Towers. I look forward to the
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01:43:17.119 --> 01:43:19.640
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01:43:19.720 --> 01:43:25.199
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and at checkout you're gonna get ten
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01:44:26.359 --> 01:44:29.279
a shout out from your co chairman
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and you won't be disappointed. You're
not gonna be disappointed here either,

1493
01:44:42.920 --> 01:44:45.520
boss, because we're going back to
eighty one. Yes, wow. Because

1494
01:44:45.520 --> 01:44:47.760
if we're going to talk about what
it meant that Hull coke and return to

1495
01:44:47.760 --> 01:44:50.800
the WWF in eighty forty three,
we got to talk about what it meant

1496
01:44:50.840 --> 01:44:54.760
that he left. We got to
talk about the fact that he's tussling with

1497
01:44:54.800 --> 01:44:58.359
Andrea the Giant in March of nineteen
eighty one at the Spectrum for the WWF.

1498
01:44:58.760 --> 01:45:00.920
Brother it's going all around the horn
with Andrea the Giant. As a

1499
01:45:00.960 --> 01:45:04.279
matter of course, he also challenged
Pedro Morales for the Intercontinental title. I

1500
01:45:04.279 --> 01:45:08.239
invite you to consider Hogan going for
the IC strap in nineteen eighty one.

1501
01:45:08.359 --> 01:45:13.840
Oh wow, right, Andre and
Hogan going all over the place in that

1502
01:45:13.960 --> 01:45:17.039
year, and has mentioned he also
wrestled Bob Backland for the title. On

1503
01:45:17.079 --> 01:45:20.640
the circuit. He wrestled Tony Atlas
a couple of times to end the run.

1504
01:45:21.000 --> 01:45:25.479
This was in April of nineteen eighty
one, Landover, Maryland. According

1505
01:45:25.479 --> 01:45:30.640
to wrestling data, Tony Atlas defeat
Hulkogen in fifteen minutes and thirty seconds and

1506
01:45:30.680 --> 01:45:33.800
that was the last WWF match of
the run for Terry Bolea April eighteenth,

1507
01:45:33.880 --> 01:45:38.720
nineteen eighty one. Wow. And
from there he shoots over to New Japan.

1508
01:45:38.760 --> 01:45:42.439
As we talked about in the Lapsed
Funk, New Japan had the alliance

1509
01:45:42.479 --> 01:45:45.279
with the WWF, whereas all Japan
had alliances with you know, Vern's Office

1510
01:45:45.840 --> 01:45:51.359
and Texas of course, Amilla and
the NWA writ large, but a Hulcogan

1511
01:45:51.359 --> 01:45:56.920
and a huge beneficiary of the WWF
two New Japan connection ichibanas Hogan's on.

1512
01:45:57.159 --> 01:46:00.000
We all remember paying off the Pacific, a huge name in that country,

1513
01:46:00.279 --> 01:46:02.840
that market, and it's where he
befriended and earned the trust and respect of

1514
01:46:03.439 --> 01:46:08.000
big time money opponents like Stan Hansen
Backland as well. He wrestled with and

1515
01:46:08.039 --> 01:46:12.000
against Backland in New Japan and Tony
Renok. Of course, a huge breakthrough

1516
01:46:12.000 --> 01:46:15.960
for him was winning the inaugural high
WGP tournament against Ok. And eighty three.

1517
01:46:15.600 --> 01:46:17.800
What a fucking year this guy had
in eighty three when you look back

1518
01:46:17.840 --> 01:46:21.039
at it, fucking I know seriously, attepted to say eighty four eighty four

1519
01:46:21.079 --> 01:46:25.600
because he won the WWF belt and
that's fair, but eighty three, man,

1520
01:46:25.640 --> 01:46:29.840
he is all over the place Awa
New Japan ultimately, because here's the

1521
01:46:29.920 --> 01:46:33.399
thing, Like you got to think
about it like this, winning the title

1522
01:46:33.560 --> 01:46:39.840
in January eighty four, that's that's
the that's reaching the mountaintop, that's the

1523
01:46:39.840 --> 01:46:44.199
peak. The climb is way more
exciting than the peak. Yeah, in

1524
01:46:44.239 --> 01:46:46.159
a lot of ways. I mean, you're you're gonna find so many more

1525
01:46:46.199 --> 01:46:50.199
people who enjoyed Court Run, you
know, and became fans of the run

1526
01:46:50.239 --> 01:46:55.079
when Hogan was going hard defending the
title for the WWF. But no,

1527
01:46:55.079 --> 01:46:58.039
no doubt about it. I mean
in terms of like that, but like

1528
01:46:58.520 --> 01:47:02.920
in terms of like the the storytelling, in terms of any any journey,

1529
01:47:02.960 --> 01:47:06.920
it's it's it's it's never about the
destination. It's about what goes on to

1530
01:47:06.960 --> 01:47:12.119
get there, and then after that
it's all gravy and you're just you know,

1531
01:47:12.159 --> 01:47:14.479
reaping the rewards of that. Yeah. When I see Hull Cogain,

1532
01:47:14.560 --> 01:47:16.199
this goes back years now, probably
before we even started doing the podcast.

1533
01:47:16.239 --> 01:47:18.600
When I see Helk Coaguin in his
prime, all I can think about is

1534
01:47:18.640 --> 01:47:23.560
what about before he was this guy? Yes, I'm like totally interested in

1535
01:47:23.600 --> 01:47:26.640
that, and so it's great that
we're doing this. Dusty Rhodes. He

1536
01:47:26.680 --> 01:47:29.880
also dealt with and worked with in
New Japan at this era. So after

1537
01:47:29.920 --> 01:47:32.199
that last run, and I'm not
sure in eighty one it was necessarily known

1538
01:47:32.199 --> 01:47:35.119
it would be his last run.
We've told the story on the Rocky the

1539
01:47:35.119 --> 01:47:39.880
three under the cinemat for instance of
how right, I mean you did the

1540
01:47:39.920 --> 01:47:43.800
research that there's basically a disagreement with
him and Vince Senior, or the overwhelming

1541
01:47:43.880 --> 01:47:45.720
we could just you know, take
off months to shoot the movie and the

1542
01:47:45.760 --> 01:47:49.239
movie shot in eighty one. Correct, let me think, yeah, I

1543
01:47:49.239 --> 01:47:55.680
believe so long, but I have
actually actually can we just talked. We

1544
01:47:55.800 --> 01:47:59.039
just talked about this too. I
remember, well we revisited it as well

1545
01:47:59.039 --> 01:48:02.159
as part of the Last Funk right, because you know, not only does

1546
01:48:02.199 --> 01:48:05.439
hul Cogan in his first book credit
Terry Funk for keeping him on the rails

1547
01:48:05.439 --> 01:48:10.079
as far as pursuing a professional wrestling
career when he was encountering himself doubt gives

1548
01:48:10.159 --> 01:48:14.239
Terry Funk huge credit for that,
but also Terry Funk was the one who,

1549
01:48:14.319 --> 01:48:15.840
if you believe a certain version of
how Hogan came to be cast in

1550
01:48:15.920 --> 01:48:24.039
Rocky three, was the conduity they
Yeah, so the principal photography began in

1551
01:48:24.079 --> 01:48:27.039
May of eighty one, May of
eighty one, and just as he could

1552
01:48:27.159 --> 01:48:30.479
just speak to how impactful his appearances
in that film, I mean not even

1553
01:48:30.520 --> 01:48:34.039
asking you historically, I mean just
just taking it in. It's it's like,

1554
01:48:34.119 --> 01:48:36.079
wow, I can see why this
was such a big deal for this

1555
01:48:36.119 --> 01:48:39.920
guy. Yeah, I mean,
you know, first of all, you

1556
01:48:40.000 --> 01:48:45.000
get to take in consideration that here
you get Sylvester Stallone who by this point

1557
01:48:45.039 --> 01:48:51.119
has established himself over five years to
be a massive movie star, you know,

1558
01:48:51.319 --> 01:49:00.199
a huge movie star and to and
it's really amazing to me. The

1559
01:49:00.600 --> 01:49:04.800
the what really makes you you think
of Hulk Cogan as being this larger than

1560
01:49:04.800 --> 01:49:12.720
life individual. There are two things
that come to mind. Number One,

1561
01:49:13.840 --> 01:49:19.960
when he gets in the ring and
stands next to so Leicster's alone. Now,

1562
01:49:20.039 --> 01:49:24.359
now we know Sylvester s alone is
not a tall guy, right,

1563
01:49:24.520 --> 01:49:29.800
right, He's pretty average high,
But on screen everyone looks so massive,

1564
01:49:30.119 --> 01:49:33.439
and you know, because of his
of his incredible physique at the time,

1565
01:49:34.119 --> 01:49:43.800
he looks just unreal. But when
Hogan's there and he towers over him,

1566
01:49:44.840 --> 01:49:51.880
I mean it is, it's it's
almost frightening how huge he is compared to

1567
01:49:53.159 --> 01:50:00.279
Sylvester Stallone, because it's just the
it's it's unreal. And so you looking

1568
01:50:00.359 --> 01:50:05.760
at this giant and you can't help
but and you know he does he does

1569
01:50:05.800 --> 01:50:11.880
a good job. Hogan. Hogan
does a good job in the uh in

1570
01:50:11.960 --> 01:50:17.640
the in the movie. But god
damn. And there was you remember,

1571
01:50:17.680 --> 01:50:24.600
there was an incredible behind the scenes
footage of of them, you know that

1572
01:50:24.840 --> 01:50:33.279
where you see you see uh,
Hogan and Stallone kind of going through their

1573
01:50:33.640 --> 01:50:36.960
their stuff, kind of going through
their motions at the spot, going work

1574
01:50:36.960 --> 01:50:40.439
in the spots and whatever. You
know, it's it's unbelieva. It's all

1575
01:50:40.439 --> 01:50:45.479
on YouTube. You can take a
look at it. And then uh.

1576
01:50:45.439 --> 01:50:49.640
The other the other thing that I
think about is when Hogan was promoting the

1577
01:50:49.680 --> 01:50:59.439
movie and he goes on Carson and
he is just again like you're looking at

1578
01:50:59.439 --> 01:51:04.079
this this tall freak. If not
just whyall for that? He's tall?

1579
01:51:05.039 --> 01:51:09.560
You know, you think about it, the guy's but he's six six eight.

1580
01:51:10.279 --> 01:51:14.560
He's way taller than someone with his
musculator has any business of course,

1581
01:51:15.520 --> 01:51:24.680
and you can you can see why
he became such a sensation because he's probably

1582
01:51:26.920 --> 01:51:31.600
the maybe one of the biggest people
you kind of saw in these very very

1583
01:51:31.760 --> 01:51:36.520
popular public forums. That's true.
Sitting in the barn whatever you call that

1584
01:51:36.600 --> 01:51:40.359
chair right next to Jimmy Johnny Carson. Yeah, like I can't think,

1585
01:51:40.359 --> 01:51:44.880
I don't know, I don't know
how many people saw you know, how

1586
01:51:44.880 --> 01:51:47.840
many people of that size were on
Carson before that. But when you see

1587
01:51:47.880 --> 01:51:55.119
Hogan sit in that chair next to
the desk, it's it's it's it's an

1588
01:51:55.159 --> 01:51:58.960
awesome sight. Wrestling fans know hul
Cogan is huge, but as the baby

1589
01:51:59.000 --> 01:52:00.319
face, he was always in serch
of an opponent that was even bigger.

1590
01:52:00.840 --> 01:52:03.560
Be it John Stubb, be it
under the giant be it right? Uh,

1591
01:52:03.760 --> 01:52:06.359
you know so many others Crusher Blackwell
in the a w A, even

1592
01:52:06.359 --> 01:52:10.159
if they're wider, if not taller, King Kong Bundy. You know,

1593
01:52:10.199 --> 01:52:12.640
that was the order of the day, Like who can we find that actually

1594
01:52:13.119 --> 01:52:16.239
Hogan incredibly sell for and have to
make a comeback on. So our sense

1595
01:52:16.279 --> 01:52:19.840
of how big Hulk Hogan is his
wrestling fans just kind of warped based on

1596
01:52:19.880 --> 01:52:23.439
who he shared the ring with.
Yes, it's a little more pronounce in

1597
01:52:23.439 --> 01:52:26.199
the a w A when he's up
against the likes of Nick Bockwinkle and Ken

1598
01:52:26.239 --> 01:52:30.079
Petera and David Schelts. These aren't
small men, but these aren't men known

1599
01:52:30.119 --> 01:52:33.600
primarily for their overwhelming size. And
to see Hulk Coogan against Leicester Stallone,

1600
01:52:33.640 --> 01:52:36.239
somebody that you know, the way
he was portrayed in the first two Rockies

1601
01:52:36.319 --> 01:52:40.920
was like this world beater, tough
guy, like he was never small in

1602
01:52:40.960 --> 01:52:43.600
the first movies. You know,
he was never That wasn't the right,

1603
01:52:43.800 --> 01:52:45.880
That wasn't the pre eminent characteristic of
Rocky in the first two movies, that

1604
01:52:45.920 --> 01:52:49.039
he's smaller than his opponents. It
didn't even really cross your mind, right,

1605
01:52:50.159 --> 01:52:54.760
And so you can see that's about
you know, he's got a similar

1606
01:52:55.000 --> 01:53:02.920
you know, Carl Weather's Rest in
Peace. He uh uh. He was

1607
01:53:02.920 --> 01:53:06.439
certainly bulkier. He certainly had a
more smaller than they are. But it's

1608
01:53:06.439 --> 01:53:10.520
not but but he's like, it's
not like this, It's not like this

1609
01:53:10.720 --> 01:53:15.520
someone towering over him like he's another
species. Yeah, it's it's really it's

1610
01:53:15.680 --> 01:53:20.079
it's almost frightening, ya know,
how small he is. So Verne's like,

1611
01:53:20.079 --> 01:53:23.239
fine, do the movie come through. We'd love to have you and

1612
01:53:23.399 --> 01:53:26.520
make a bunch of money. I
don't say they you know, I got

1613
01:53:26.520 --> 01:53:33.079
the I'm going to talk to Sly
and we're gonna see about that. If

1614
01:53:33.159 --> 01:53:36.359
vern Ganga ever referred to as the
Vester Stallone as Sly, then I'm just

1615
01:53:36.760 --> 01:53:40.000
I'm gonna mail it in. At
this point, well, we gotta,

1616
01:53:40.119 --> 01:53:43.600
you know, sl Stallone, we
gotta talk about him. And you know,

1617
01:53:43.640 --> 01:53:45.720
I don't mind uh telling you.
You know, yeah, that's where

1618
01:53:45.720 --> 01:54:00.960
Gane got it from. You know, they're the uh you know, the

1619
01:54:00.640 --> 01:54:04.479
reason that he's hiring you is because
you're you know, because of the the

1620
01:54:04.600 --> 01:54:09.000
what you've done here in the ab
A. So I'm gonna have to take

1621
01:54:09.079 --> 01:54:14.800
cut of your of your paycheck and
you know, and and as well as

1622
01:54:15.119 --> 01:54:18.600
any sort of residuals, royalties whatever
comes out of that. Uh. You

1623
01:54:19.439 --> 01:54:21.840
know, I saw the movie and
what a terrific job you did. I

1624
01:54:21.880 --> 01:54:25.600
really need to give you kudos,
your credit to the business, and we're

1625
01:54:25.640 --> 01:54:31.920
really glad to see all the success
you're having now in terms of dividends,

1626
01:54:33.279 --> 01:54:40.680
in terms of what I'm entitled to
in terms of founders. Now, I

1627
01:54:40.720 --> 01:54:43.840
want to give you all the kudos
you know, and all the u I

1628
01:54:43.840 --> 01:54:45.279
want to give you all the credit
in the world for an incredible performance and

1629
01:54:45.319 --> 01:54:49.239
really bring into light. You know
our business and uh and and what we're

1630
01:54:49.239 --> 01:54:55.319
doing for the sport. Now,
what you're going to give me is a

1631
01:54:55.359 --> 01:55:00.520
cut of your earnings, because that
is you know, that's how you got

1632
01:55:00.520 --> 01:55:05.680
this job to begin with, because
of me, because of Vern Gagny.

1633
01:55:05.720 --> 01:55:10.840
Now what you're going to give me
a toba a cut of your earnings is

1634
01:55:10.840 --> 01:55:15.520
how he puts it, so you
know, just there's no room for misinterpretation

1635
01:55:15.560 --> 01:55:17.720
there. You got to hand it
to the man plane spoken to questionner.

1636
01:55:17.960 --> 01:55:20.720
In fact, let me tell you, I think the best way to go

1637
01:55:20.760 --> 01:55:25.079
about this and to kind of handle
this in the most professional manner is to

1638
01:55:25.159 --> 01:55:30.399
actually have your payment come to me
and then I will give you your cut.

1639
01:55:30.520 --> 01:55:34.239
That's fine, Yeah, I trust
the guy to to provision it appropriately.

1640
01:55:34.319 --> 01:55:36.840
From there, I will give you
your cut of what you earned,

1641
01:55:40.479 --> 01:55:45.720
and I will keep my cut of
what I've earned. Oh shit, Oh

1642
01:55:45.800 --> 01:55:53.560
no, we didn't even plug pro
Wrestling teas Pro Wrestling Teas dot Com slash

1643
01:55:53.720 --> 01:55:57.520
laps fan Philly shirts up for you
when you join us. And how about

1644
01:55:58.000 --> 01:56:03.359
I'm here to collect what I've earned. I've arned I read. How did

1645
01:56:03.359 --> 01:56:15.039
we not stumble on that one?
Oh fuck? Vern takes such a large

1646
01:56:15.039 --> 01:56:17.199
percentage. Oh that's where the whole
Vern thing started. Life and Death of

1647
01:56:17.239 --> 01:56:21.880
a w A imagining the discussion between
him and Hulk about putting the A w

1648
01:56:21.960 --> 01:56:27.359
A strap on Hulk and uh Vern
feeling kind of, uh, you know,

1649
01:56:27.520 --> 01:56:29.920
jilted out of not having a piece
of all the money Hulk Hogan was

1650
01:56:29.920 --> 01:56:31.399
making in Japan and all. But
what the title on you? We got

1651
01:56:31.479 --> 01:56:34.640
to talk about that. That's what
Hogan story is. Oh yeah, Vern

1652
01:56:34.760 --> 01:56:36.680
said, if you put the title
on you, but you gotta get a

1653
01:56:36.680 --> 01:56:41.000
piece of the Japanese earnings. That's
what it is. I mean, I

1654
01:56:41.079 --> 01:56:44.520
want to see what the uh,
you know, what are you? What

1655
01:56:44.600 --> 01:56:47.760
are we? What are we doing? We're talking in ninety ten? You

1656
01:56:47.840 --> 01:56:55.279
know, consideration so unbelievable that Hogan. When you see that that result Tony

1657
01:56:55.279 --> 01:56:58.079
outlass of a Hulkogan, you just
think it's nothing, but it's it's it's

1658
01:56:58.119 --> 01:57:00.600
back to back losses to Tony Atlas. I'm kind of confused because it says

1659
01:57:01.039 --> 01:57:04.960
and wrestling data that both matches against
Tony Atlas were April eighteenth, nineteen eighty

1660
01:57:04.960 --> 01:57:08.239
one. I don't know how he
would have made it, why there'd be

1661
01:57:08.279 --> 01:57:11.119
a double shot. Maybe there was, maybe there was, but whatever the

1662
01:57:11.159 --> 01:57:15.960
case may be, he's being jobbed
out on the way out to somebody,

1663
01:57:15.960 --> 01:57:16.920
you know, to Tony Atlas,
who you know, was a big star

1664
01:57:17.000 --> 01:57:21.680
for them, but was not of
the caliber he'd been wrestling prior, right,

1665
01:57:23.039 --> 01:57:25.800
And it was basically you know the
fuck you that he's talked about like

1666
01:57:26.600 --> 01:57:29.239
he didn't. Vince, Vince Senior
did not want him to do the movie.

1667
01:57:29.279 --> 01:57:30.479
I don't know why exactly, probably
because you don't want to give him

1668
01:57:30.479 --> 01:57:33.319
the time off, but he didn't
want him to do the movie. So

1669
01:57:33.359 --> 01:57:36.319
he gave his notice and went and
did the movie. And it was the

1670
01:57:36.359 --> 01:57:40.800
smartest thing he could have done.
And you think about Vince's Vince Humor's playbook.

1671
01:57:41.039 --> 01:57:44.199
All right, Hogan, the playbook
is there. Hogan leveraged his Rocky

1672
01:57:44.239 --> 01:57:46.399
theme to be the top babyface draw
on the AWA and help them do record

1673
01:57:46.399 --> 01:57:49.239
business for a year. So I'll
bring him in and wait a minute,

1674
01:57:49.439 --> 01:57:53.039
who is the other guy in Rocky
three? Oh yeah, mister t Let's

1675
01:57:53.039 --> 01:57:56.640
bring him into What the fuck if
it worked for Hogan? This guy the

1676
01:57:56.680 --> 01:58:00.520
tea Man. Let's bring in the
tea man the team to have the tea

1677
01:58:00.520 --> 01:58:01.319
Man in all Covi. And it
depends what you mean by tea. I

1678
01:58:01.359 --> 01:58:10.439
suppose it's testosterone. I mean no, it's gentlemen. How about the the

1679
01:58:10.560 --> 01:58:19.560
oh, the the tea bag?
Yeah, how about it? A big

1680
01:58:19.600 --> 01:58:29.920
fan of tea bags carry them in
your blazer pocket like Dennis Kussinich. Well,

1681
01:58:29.960 --> 01:58:35.239
I'm I'm a big fan of tea
bagging. So Hogan goes to Japan,

1682
01:58:36.079 --> 01:58:40.159
and you know, as we've talked
about Laps, Funk and elsewhere,

1683
01:58:40.920 --> 01:58:44.199
you can't beat the Japanese paydays in
the seventies and eighties. It's just like

1684
01:58:44.199 --> 01:58:47.680
a whole different trail, so wild. That's why so many guys once they

1685
01:58:47.720 --> 01:58:50.520
made it in Japan, just only
to Japan, like Hanson and Brody and

1686
01:58:50.520 --> 01:58:56.000
Abbey and stuff is like chic.
You couldn't you couldn't beat like the amount

1687
01:58:56.000 --> 01:58:58.319
of money you've made for the amount
of time you put in two week tour

1688
01:58:58.399 --> 01:59:00.079
and you have a month off or
two months off, or sometimes you went

1689
01:59:00.720 --> 01:59:05.479
just twice a year for tours.
So both Vern and Vince Junior were sort

1690
01:59:05.479 --> 01:59:10.960
of hard pressed to deprive Hull Cogan
that freedom to go collect those pay days

1691
01:59:10.960 --> 01:59:13.159
because he's one of the top guys
in the whole business in Japan. So

1692
01:59:13.199 --> 01:59:17.399
he's making huge money and so you
get him going straight to Japan. Well,

1693
01:59:17.399 --> 01:59:21.840
actually he makes a he goes to
Japan. Then he makes a quick

1694
01:59:21.880 --> 01:59:28.479
stop in eighty one down in Florida
Champs to Wrestling from Florida where he wrestles

1695
01:59:28.560 --> 01:59:33.520
Jerry Lawler in Saint Petersburg and there's
a match between Hogan and Lawler. Is

1696
01:59:33.560 --> 01:59:39.239
that the one that's on the on
that that video cassette of the matches?

1697
01:59:39.560 --> 01:59:41.720
You know, Hull Cogan doesn't want
you to see. I think that's it.

1698
01:59:41.920 --> 01:59:46.760
Yes, I think that's the one
because there was this this brief stopover

1699
01:59:46.960 --> 01:59:50.479
and the match also comes up if
you remember our Black Saturday series of shows

1700
01:59:50.479 --> 01:59:56.199
a couple of years ago, right
where Olie starts going into a fucking tizzy

1701
01:59:56.239 --> 01:59:59.800
because Vince is starting to close in
on him, and he starts showing w

1702
02:00:00.199 --> 02:00:02.960
wrestlers getting beat on Georgia Champs at
wrestling from other territories. He had a

1703
02:00:03.000 --> 02:00:06.279
good working relationship with Jerry Lawler in
Memphis at the time and Jerry Jarrett,

1704
02:00:06.640 --> 02:00:11.000
so he's able to get their tapes
and he's showing Lawler beating Hogan on his

1705
02:00:11.039 --> 02:00:14.199
television show Wow, and I think
that this is the match that allowed him

1706
02:00:14.199 --> 02:00:18.439
to do that. But as far
as you know, WWF to New Japan,

1707
02:00:18.880 --> 02:00:23.800
to the short Florida run that it
starts with Vern, Hulk Hogan comes

1708
02:00:23.800 --> 02:00:28.359
to Vern Ganya's Awa for the first
time in the summer of nineteen eighty one.

1709
02:00:29.039 --> 02:00:32.600
August eighth, I think is listed
as at least the television debut of

1710
02:00:32.680 --> 02:00:36.039
Hogan. And for a very brief
period of time, I don't know why,

1711
02:00:36.840 --> 02:00:41.880
I don't know who has this answer, but for a brief period of

1712
02:00:41.920 --> 02:00:44.880
time, they brought him in as
a heel. They were basically replicating the

1713
02:00:44.880 --> 02:00:48.800
Purple Cape Hulk Hogan from WWF with
Blassi instead of except instead of Freddy Blassie,

1714
02:00:48.800 --> 02:00:53.039
it was Johnny Valliant who was on
the stick for him Wow. And

1715
02:00:53.079 --> 02:00:56.000
after only a couple of weeks they're
already shooting an angle where Hulk Cogan is

1716
02:00:56.039 --> 02:01:00.239
saving babyfaces from the assaults of the
likes of Jerry Blackwell to become, you

1717
02:01:00.239 --> 02:01:02.880
know, the top baby face in
the territory. Vern was always said to

1718
02:01:02.920 --> 02:01:06.199
have seen babyface in Hogan. It's
just, you know, the way the

1719
02:01:06.239 --> 02:01:12.880
magnetism he evokes from the crowd.
But that wasn't before they did shoot this

1720
02:01:13.079 --> 02:01:17.359
Awa debut where hold Hogan is standing
there saying absolutely nothing. Marle Johnny Valiant

1721
02:01:17.359 --> 02:01:20.840
does the talking. You're talking about
a man six four eight. You're talking

1722
02:01:20.880 --> 02:01:25.159
about a man and body where you're
talking about three hundred and forty pounds of

1723
02:01:25.279 --> 02:01:30.199
twisted steel and sex appeal. You're
talking about Hulk Hogan, the heart throb.

1724
02:01:30.640 --> 02:01:33.279
He's a heart throw up blazers,
gentlemen, Let's just face it.

1725
02:01:33.560 --> 02:01:38.079
You're talking about some of his poetry
in motion. You're talking about him man.

1726
02:01:38.119 --> 02:01:41.079
He can't wait for the miocracy.
But looking every day you're talking about

1727
02:01:41.079 --> 02:01:45.479
a guy, that man. It
makes you want to say, ooh golly,

1728
02:01:45.520 --> 02:01:50.680
miss Molly, ooh body look at
him? Look at him? Could

1729
02:01:50.680 --> 02:01:54.840
I just borrow his microphone? Once
said, Look at loose laticamus dor size?

1730
02:01:55.039 --> 02:01:58.960
Look at those laticimus dor size,
Look at those mill tarts. Look

1731
02:01:59.000 --> 02:02:01.439
at the bicep, look at the
trisap. If I could please bother you

1732
02:02:01.479 --> 02:02:05.359
for one second, just to turn
around one second, introduce yourself to people

1733
02:02:05.640 --> 02:02:09.920
physically, take a jump. Look
at that man. Look at that man

1734
02:02:09.960 --> 02:02:13.920
with the biceps. Look at the
biceps. Look at that peck of tarls

1735
02:02:14.079 --> 02:02:17.119
sixty two inches last jump. He's
got about a twenty four inch bicep sixty

1736
02:02:17.159 --> 02:02:21.359
two, his chest sixty four to
eight, three hundred and forty pounds.

1737
02:02:21.520 --> 02:02:26.880
You're talking about intense. He's intense. He's a feet um, he's a

1738
02:02:26.880 --> 02:02:33.520
hard drob, He's unbelievable. He's
haul Cogan. Wow, so he's so

1739
02:02:33.600 --> 02:02:36.319
annoyed right now. He still got
enough hair in his head to part it

1740
02:02:36.439 --> 02:02:41.439
at this point. But oh yeah, the weird fucking very uncomfortable with Hogan

1741
02:02:41.479 --> 02:02:45.239
with parted hair, the the that
kind of weird combover thing that No,

1742
02:02:45.439 --> 02:02:51.279
it's not okay now now the royd
j'sd very quickly and he's having a hard

1743
02:02:51.279 --> 02:02:58.439
time with that. So you have
Jimmy Valliant just unbelievable he ends up in

1744
02:02:58.479 --> 02:03:00.319
this position. But that that'll tell
you they didn't have any faith in Hogan.

1745
02:03:00.399 --> 02:03:04.560
Is a promo and Greg Ganya for
one, is not shy about saying

1746
02:03:04.600 --> 02:03:10.600
that Vern basically brought the Hulk Hogan. We know out of Hulk Hogan in

1747
02:03:10.720 --> 02:03:13.600
terms of like, sure, here's
how you need to be whacky in over

1748
02:03:13.640 --> 02:03:15.800
the top on the stick and is
as whack as some of the inn ring

1749
02:03:15.880 --> 02:03:19.640
was in Awa. They didn't have
the best inn ring necessarily all the time.

1750
02:03:20.079 --> 02:03:24.560
Short of Nick Bockwinkle and some others. The promos are really good,

1751
02:03:24.760 --> 02:03:27.720
you know, with Gene Oakland holding
the stick, Bobby Heenan around, bak

1752
02:03:27.720 --> 02:03:30.840
Winkle's a wonderful promo. You know
you're going to get good stuff. Crusher,

1753
02:03:30.920 --> 02:03:33.600
you know, as fucking crazy as
he was and hard to understand,

1754
02:03:33.680 --> 02:03:38.239
he was a great promo in his
own way. Dick the Bruiser Dusty came

1755
02:03:38.279 --> 02:03:41.560
through with Dick Murdoch. Of course, these guys are Jessu Mentoro. They're

1756
02:03:41.600 --> 02:03:44.600
laying down kind of the blueprint of
how to talk boastfully, how to talk

1757
02:03:44.920 --> 02:03:47.760
in a very over the top way
in pro wrestling and get over even as

1758
02:03:47.800 --> 02:03:53.640
a babyface sometimes and Hogan is coached
on how to you know, basically start

1759
02:03:53.640 --> 02:03:57.039
doing the Billy Graham rap a little
bit. You know a lot of daddies,

1760
02:03:57.600 --> 02:04:00.479
you know, things like that,
right, and in the beginning,

1761
02:04:00.920 --> 02:04:03.640
so little faith in his ability to
carry a tune on the microphone. They

1762
02:04:03.640 --> 02:04:06.239
got Jimmy Valliant saying all the things
he said. He did say twenty four

1763
02:04:06.239 --> 02:04:11.039
inch pythons, So we do have
twenty four inch pythons references as far back

1764
02:04:11.039 --> 02:04:14.800
as nineteen eighty one. I'm not
sure if it stretches beyond before that probably

1765
02:04:14.800 --> 02:04:18.119
does, even if the pythons weren't
twenty four inches quite yet, Yeah right,

1766
02:04:18.720 --> 02:04:23.359
maybe he got twenty inch pythons.
Maybe eighteen inch pythons, that's worth

1767
02:04:23.479 --> 02:04:28.600
noting. So he works against the
likes of Crusher, Jerry Blackwell, Vern

1768
02:04:28.640 --> 02:04:32.079
Gan vern Ganya, Greg Ganya,
Jim Brunzell our contemporaries. And again,

1769
02:04:32.119 --> 02:04:38.439
this is that promo you just heard
aired according to a watermark I saw on

1770
02:04:38.479 --> 02:04:41.640
a tape August of eighty one,
But in July of eighty one, he'd

1771
02:04:41.640 --> 02:04:45.800
already turned face in terms of live
event angles that hadn't aired yet on television.

1772
02:04:46.359 --> 02:04:51.399
This is his face turn in the
AWA where he was teamed with Brad

1773
02:04:51.479 --> 02:04:58.279
Ringins against he. Subsequent to this, he's teamed with Brad Rangons against Jerry

1774
02:04:58.319 --> 02:05:02.520
Blackwell and Ray Stevens. The deal
being that Brad Ringgins, who of course

1775
02:05:02.600 --> 02:05:08.039
is like this perennial, you know, kind of pathetic opening card, babyface

1776
02:05:08.119 --> 02:05:13.239
guy. Pathetic is correct, but
a guy the fans really you know kind

1777
02:05:13.239 --> 02:05:15.720
of love and respect is the mainstay
in the in the territory, and the

1778
02:05:15.760 --> 02:05:20.159
guy that always kept it clean.
He's getting beat down after a match.

1779
02:05:20.479 --> 02:05:25.640
And Hogan, who had never helped
a baby face in the AWA before,

1780
02:05:25.680 --> 02:05:29.760
and that Jimmy Valliant promo tells you
to believe was not interested in helping any

1781
02:05:29.840 --> 02:05:38.239
babyfaces, suddenly makes the save for
the imperialed Brad Ringins. Get him out

1782
02:05:38.239 --> 02:05:44.960
of there, Bobby Doc Mallock when
they're gonna throw him outside the ring.

1783
02:05:45.359 --> 02:05:59.039
Blackwall there's the area, throws them
all off. Blackball gone on balling,

1784
02:05:59.119 --> 02:06:06.199
got him. I don't any trying
to hold it comes to incredible hot com

1785
02:06:06.399 --> 02:06:21.000
here's the pop yep. I can
go after the waking up. It picks

1786
02:06:21.079 --> 02:06:31.880
up peck hard everybody shooting old and
picks him up again. He's been to

1787
02:06:31.960 --> 02:06:40.680
do yet. Mols not looking a
holder back him, hold can wash the

1788
02:06:40.800 --> 02:07:00.800
whole Black back him anything, Watch
me and it's its god. Back Wall

1789
02:07:00.880 --> 02:07:04.399
will come here. I want him. Incredible Holk goes over to take a

1790
02:07:04.439 --> 02:07:14.520
look at Brad Ragons. I'll tell
you you saw all happen. It all

1791
02:07:14.560 --> 02:07:18.600
happened so quick. Hard to stay
on top of it. Incredible Hulk Hogan

1792
02:07:18.800 --> 02:07:24.560
looking after Brad Reagan's referee out of
Rosshia Gettigaus, what's back about him?

1793
02:07:24.760 --> 02:07:34.600
Joe Fiorino the other referee in there. Doctor Wall, the commissioned doctor,

1794
02:07:34.720 --> 02:07:44.399
comes out the ring side to make
sure he's gonna want to check on Brad,

1795
02:07:45.239 --> 02:07:50.720
to make sure that he doesn't have
some uh injury. Doctor's right there

1796
02:07:50.800 --> 02:07:55.079
with him. You're going to take
a walk back with him and examined him

1797
02:07:55.119 --> 02:08:01.119
in the dressing room. Look at
that hulk Hogan sixteen eighty above everybody in

1798
02:08:01.199 --> 02:08:05.920
the audience as he goes after Brad. Rogan's time to say what but he

1799
02:08:05.000 --> 02:08:15.319
could know they're on All Star Rust
leg the the the opening bit there,

1800
02:08:15.359 --> 02:08:18.399
I don't know what tron Guard was
saying, but it sounded like the most

1801
02:08:18.520 --> 02:08:22.720
unbelievable amount of gibberishue that I've ever
heard of my life. I'm not sure

1802
02:08:22.760 --> 02:08:26.279
that was tron Guard. Roger Kenna'm
not sure. Okay, that sounds like

1803
02:08:26.359 --> 02:08:28.520
tron guarded man, that's a little
bit like him. Yeah, it could

1804
02:08:28.520 --> 02:08:33.640
have been. AWA announcers were always
notoriously bad. But there's Hogan right slamming

1805
02:08:33.720 --> 02:08:37.279
fat guys. It started in maybe
one, it started before that, But

1806
02:08:37.039 --> 02:08:41.399
that's huge that he comes to the
rescue and you hear the announcer point out

1807
02:08:41.439 --> 02:08:45.399
that he towers over everybody, unique
for a baby face in that way,

1808
02:08:46.439 --> 02:08:50.680
and they're they're pointing out all the
characteristics that would send hule Comania on a

1809
02:08:50.760 --> 02:08:54.199
rocket ship at WWF. You know, he sure they're calling out the characteristics

1810
02:08:54.239 --> 02:08:58.760
of the man already that that that
would prove to be his calling card.

1811
02:08:58.880 --> 02:09:01.279
So that was a big night for
Hulk Cogan because he's starting to show that

1812
02:09:01.359 --> 02:09:05.239
baby face upside, which really in
the United States he'd never had a chance

1813
02:09:05.319 --> 02:09:09.279
to really flex anywhere. So that
is that is significant in terms of showing

1814
02:09:09.760 --> 02:09:13.239
promoters. And I'm sure Vince is
watching, you know, the wheels are

1815
02:09:13.279 --> 02:09:16.600
turning in his head, of course, and what it could mean. So

1816
02:09:16.640 --> 02:09:20.399
we teamed with Brad Ringins against Blackwell
and Stevens Rangon's let's say pathetic. He

1817
02:09:20.479 --> 02:09:22.239
evoked pathos from the audience. Okay, let's put it that way. It's

1818
02:09:22.279 --> 02:09:26.359
such a he's such a dufus.
What I want to train so many in

1819
02:09:26.399 --> 02:09:28.479
the business, including brock Lesner as
a matter of fact, a lot of

1820
02:09:28.520 --> 02:09:33.119
Minnesota boys, uh learnt. He's
such an oaf. He's such an oath

1821
02:09:33.560 --> 02:09:39.000
you know, He's like, I
don't know the reason I think of him,

1822
02:09:39.079 --> 02:09:43.760
and I immediately picture Roger Clinton,
Right, Yeah, I don't know

1823
02:09:43.800 --> 02:09:48.520
what that's about. I don't know. So that's short lived summer run in

1824
02:09:48.560 --> 02:09:50.920
the Aba to get started in those
little angles going on. Then he goes

1825
02:09:50.920 --> 02:09:54.239
back to New Japan in August eighty
one. October he's back in Aba working

1826
02:09:54.279 --> 02:09:58.439
with Jesse Ventura, and this is
where the Hulk Coke and Jesse Venturi saga

1827
02:09:58.560 --> 02:10:01.680
starts. They start up working together
in Aba and making a lot of money

1828
02:10:01.720 --> 02:10:03.439
together. He would also go round
the circuit to Hulk Cogan and do body

1829
02:10:03.479 --> 02:10:07.640
slam challenges against Jerry Blackwell. November. He goes back to Japan in eighty

1830
02:10:07.680 --> 02:10:13.199
one and works with Andre. December
eighty one, he's back the Awa circuit.

1831
02:10:13.199 --> 02:10:18.359
I invite you to consider fucking boss
Aba Christmas night shows with Hulk Cogan

1832
02:10:18.399 --> 02:10:20.159
on the card. Ah, well, we've seen one. We sure have

1833
02:10:20.279 --> 02:10:24.039
Christmas in the territories we once called
it, So that happens. He goes

1834
02:10:24.079 --> 02:10:28.239
in eighty two when he starts working
with like a Bobby Duncan Bobby Heenan's family,

1835
02:10:28.319 --> 02:10:31.279
but of Court Heenan's there, someone
Vince poached along with Hogan at the

1836
02:10:31.319 --> 02:10:35.039
same time, Ken Peterra's also in
the same boat. And just to get

1837
02:10:35.079 --> 02:10:37.600
a flavor of this time period in
the ABA, we've covered it before,

1838
02:10:37.880 --> 02:10:41.479
it's appropriate. In this episode we
covered again, and we're gonna do it

1839
02:10:41.560 --> 02:10:45.640
uniquely because what happens is as the
AWA goes and loses all of its talent

1840
02:10:45.720 --> 02:10:48.159
and loses its television and no one
gives a fuck, they start coming out

1841
02:10:48.199 --> 02:10:52.479
with home videos in like nineteen ninety
and what they do is, because they

1842
02:10:52.520 --> 02:10:58.159
don't have anybody everyone cares about on
roster anymore, they start releasing the best

1843
02:10:58.239 --> 02:11:01.640
of wrestlers that you know of from
AH and they release a hul cogin tape.

1844
02:11:03.319 --> 02:11:07.920
What do they call it? Hulk
Hogan's Highlights. Okay, oh my

1845
02:11:07.079 --> 02:11:11.279
god, it's so depressing. So
this is like the best of Hogan before

1846
02:11:11.680 --> 02:11:16.279
Vince poached him, right according to
what they would select to represent that.

1847
02:11:16.920 --> 02:11:20.039
And you can hear the promos that
he cut to kind of develop the Hulk

1848
02:11:20.039 --> 02:11:24.560
Cogan character before it came to WWF
television. You can hear him talk about

1849
02:11:24.600 --> 02:11:28.399
Hulkamania before he was ever on New
York television, saying those words you of

1850
02:11:28.479 --> 02:11:33.000
course hear Gene Oakerland doing his thing
to accentuate this new babyface Hulk Cogan.

1851
02:11:33.039 --> 02:11:37.159
That would be the exact dynamic that
Vince McMahon would import by bringing in Gene

1852
02:11:37.159 --> 02:11:39.800
Oakland and having him hold the stick
at so many borant moments for Hul Cogan,

1853
02:11:39.880 --> 02:11:43.800
not the least of which is being
in the locker room at Madison Square

1854
02:11:43.800 --> 02:11:46.319
Garden right interviewing Hulk of course,
right after he wins the strap for the

1855
02:11:46.359 --> 02:11:50.760
first time. And you won't believe, just in a bit of serendipity,

1856
02:11:52.399 --> 02:12:01.520
who's actually hosting the AWAVHS release wrapping
up all of this. Listen in the

1857
02:12:01.640 --> 02:12:07.199
American Wrestling Association, These then the
early years about American legend, Oh Hogan.

1858
02:12:11.840 --> 02:12:13.560
Bring it on, Bring it on
down to the Ulster, because I'm

1859
02:12:13.600 --> 02:12:18.520
ready if I declare war. As
presidents of the Hawk Commedia Society, I

1860
02:12:18.760 --> 02:12:24.359
declare war. I'm Bobby heat and
Nick fuck Wickle can pete his whole family

1861
02:12:24.439 --> 02:12:28.199
a big bad Bobby Duncan. And
you know something mean, Gene love war

1862
02:12:28.279 --> 02:12:31.000
and professional wrestling. All is fair. And if I have to take these

1863
02:12:31.079 --> 02:12:35.399
twenty fours pythons and choke every bit
of breath out of their bodies. I'm

1864
02:12:35.399 --> 02:12:39.840
gonna do it. Then I want
them by my silent. I want them

1865
02:12:39.880 --> 02:12:46.279
by myself. The American Wrestling Association
presents the early years of the legend Hank

1866
02:12:46.399 --> 02:12:50.800
Hogan. Hello, everybody, I'm
her Eric. Over the years, the

1867
02:12:50.840 --> 02:12:54.479
American Wrestling Association is developed and trained
some of the greatest stars in the sport

1868
02:12:54.560 --> 02:12:58.199
of professional wrestlers. Certainly, Hulk
Hogan is one of those stars, and

1869
02:12:58.279 --> 02:13:03.319
he was with the a W nineteen
eighty one through nineteen eighty three. And

1870
02:13:03.439 --> 02:13:05.600
in this debut tape, we're gonna
have a chance to look back at what

1871
02:13:05.840 --> 02:13:09.800
was Hulk Hogan's very first world title
match. But before we do that,

1872
02:13:11.000 --> 02:13:13.479
let's take a look at an issue
that came to a head on November seventh,

1873
02:13:13.640 --> 02:13:18.800
nineteen eighty two, when Hulk Hogan
teamed up with this man. I

1874
02:13:18.079 --> 02:13:22.399
declare war and I'm gonna bring in
the heavy artillery. Daddy, I'm bringing

1875
02:13:22.479 --> 02:13:30.119
in the heavy artillery. Oh,
it's not sound like a w segment.

1876
02:13:30.239 --> 02:13:43.079
That Giant's more all right, giant
man, Yes, sir, Giant,

1877
02:13:43.520 --> 02:13:48.199
You're gonna make him a giant andre, Yes, sir. Now. That

1878
02:13:48.359 --> 02:13:52.640
interview was from October of nineteen eighty
two, and their comments were directed at

1879
02:13:52.920 --> 02:13:56.359
the biggest villains in the sport in
the early eighties. Let's drop in on

1880
02:13:56.439 --> 02:13:58.800
the Bobby Heenan family, all right, Johnama, there are some other things.

1881
02:13:58.800 --> 02:14:03.920
Wait, gotta talk about Bobby Heenan, your man Potera, Nick Bodwinkle,

1882
02:14:03.960 --> 02:14:09.079
Big Bad Bobby dot Com openly earlier
on this television program following the Mattress

1883
02:14:09.079 --> 02:14:15.880
Tonight, hul Cogan has challenged the
entire Bobby Heenan family because he's a loser,

1884
02:14:16.199 --> 02:14:18.920
that's why. Because he got beat
from pulling the post and he got

1885
02:14:18.039 --> 02:14:24.560
humiliated embarrassed by the heener One after
he had won, before he won the

1886
02:14:24.600 --> 02:14:26.239
so called Battle Royal. No,
the man was beaten, and that's what

1887
02:14:26.319 --> 02:14:30.319
it is. He's whipper him.
He's embarrassed, humiliated, tell him and

1888
02:14:30.319 --> 02:14:33.119
I'm gonna take accept the last,
but I don't beat him in the middle

1889
02:14:33.119 --> 02:14:37.960
of the ring. Left him like
a bleating pig after wants us again.

1890
02:14:37.279 --> 02:14:43.600
He's a very sick man. After
the bell had sounded and haul Cogan had

1891
02:14:43.680 --> 02:14:46.079
been declared the winner of the Battle
Royal Bobby, he does an imbecile like

1892
02:14:46.159 --> 02:14:50.880
that expects he was in that ring
he pulled every dirty tactic in that battle

1893
02:14:50.960 --> 02:14:54.239
Royal. He did things I can't
even mention, and then he expected us

1894
02:14:54.319 --> 02:14:56.600
to handle him with kid gloves.
He got exactly what he deserves. As

1895
02:14:56.640 --> 02:15:01.279
far as him challenging the Bobby Heenan
family, the man better go get some

1896
02:15:01.399 --> 02:15:03.960
psychiatric care. Wait a bit,
a gentleman, I should point out he

1897
02:15:05.000 --> 02:15:09.239
has openly challenged all four of you. Wally Carbo came out and said,

1898
02:15:09.319 --> 02:15:11.680
yes, he'd be more than happy
to not, but he needs a park,

1899
02:15:11.960 --> 02:15:16.640
a better pack. I'll lunch and
bring an army baby. The stage

1900
02:15:16.720 --> 02:15:18.720
is set. The place is of
Saint Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul,

1901
02:15:18.800 --> 02:15:24.159
Minnesota. The data is November seventh, nineteen eighty two. Now let's join

1902
02:15:24.239 --> 02:15:28.720
twenty thousand fans at ringside the Matches
in Progress Company. Yeah, so a

1903
02:15:28.800 --> 02:15:33.880
lot there, boss, there's a
lot going on there. Oh my god,

1904
02:15:33.079 --> 02:15:37.760
so holy shit. Does you have
Bischoff kind of genuflecting towards Hulkgan for

1905
02:15:37.800 --> 02:15:41.840
the first time on tape? Yeah, yeah, which is an odd you

1906
02:15:41.920 --> 02:15:46.119
know, collision of worlds there considering
what would happen. But you have you

1907
02:15:46.199 --> 02:15:52.199
know, Hogan making alliance with Andre
the Giant. Yeah, exactly what was

1908
02:15:52.279 --> 02:15:58.000
the precursor to the Wrestlminga three match
than befriending each other first. And who's

1909
02:15:58.079 --> 02:16:01.520
there to poor Champagne on Hulk Cogan's
after he wins the title in MSG.

1910
02:16:01.119 --> 02:16:05.119
That's right Andre himself, That's right. I gotta think Vince Junior is watching

1911
02:16:05.159 --> 02:16:11.479
this television and gears Attorney don't.
I don't have gears. I'm simply create

1912
02:16:11.560 --> 02:16:18.479
ideas and I capitalize on them.
And I you know, I'm a I'm

1913
02:16:18.640 --> 02:16:26.960
I create moments for individuals. It's
hard to argue. I suppose is the

1914
02:16:26.000 --> 02:16:28.680
best I can say about that,
But yeah, it's all building. We

1915
02:16:30.000 --> 02:16:33.719
talked a lot about this during our
Awa Journey Super Sundays where it all started.

1916
02:16:33.280 --> 02:16:37.600
Yeah, Hulk Hogan's missed opportunity after
missed opportunity to take the a WA

1917
02:16:37.680 --> 02:16:41.840
world title of Nick Bockwinkle. It's
what the Minneapolis Saint Paul fans wanted,

1918
02:16:43.520 --> 02:16:48.000
It's what the Twin Cities demanded,
and it's what Vern just kept dangling in

1919
02:16:48.120 --> 02:16:50.680
front of them. And there's all
kinds of behind the scenes, as we've

1920
02:16:50.680 --> 02:16:56.559
alluded to, it didn't happen.
I believe, I believe it's would be

1921
02:16:56.680 --> 02:17:03.000
said best by the High Reverend prefer
Us or John Coffee, big mistake.

1922
02:17:03.079 --> 02:17:09.120
I think it's absolutely correct, and
so it is Hogan Backwinkle. This is

1923
02:17:09.159 --> 02:17:13.239
the match they put on the Greatest
Hits video that they were released in nineteen

1924
02:17:13.319 --> 02:17:16.399
ninety to tell the story. And
again just so remarkably similar to the Hulk

1925
02:17:16.399 --> 02:17:20.360
Cogan we would know in the New
York market when he came back. This

1926
02:17:20.559 --> 02:17:26.040
is some sound that kind of encapsulates
the story they were trying to get across

1927
02:17:26.079 --> 02:17:28.719
on the Nick Buckwinkle series. On
that ABA tape. However, every man

1928
02:17:28.799 --> 02:17:31.760
that stepped into the ring with Halc
Hogan, whether it be a partner or

1929
02:17:31.799 --> 02:17:35.280
an adversary, benefited by being in
the ring with a man who even in

1930
02:17:35.360 --> 02:17:39.840
nineteen was a superstar. Now earlier, we told you we were going to

1931
02:17:39.920 --> 02:17:43.959
bring you Hulk Hogan's very first World
Championship match. Right now, let's get

1932
02:17:43.959 --> 02:17:50.840
a mirror. The step forward in
his professional wrestling career hasn't taken enough meetings

1933
02:17:50.920 --> 02:17:56.760
out in LA not at all.
Listen, it's exact same promos. Hungry

1934
02:17:56.159 --> 02:18:03.920
looking to my mclauck winkele, I
am a People's Champion. Whoa wha whoa

1935
02:18:03.920 --> 02:18:07.600
whoa whoa whoa whoa, whoa,
whoa whoa whoa Sooner or later problem La

1936
02:18:09.280 --> 02:18:16.600
Mania is rather wilder than ever.
A match that changed the face of professional

1937
02:18:16.639 --> 02:18:22.200
wrestling forever. In the early eighties, the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion was a

1938
02:18:22.239 --> 02:18:26.360
wrestling machine. The last of a
dynasty comes from Shade. This match marks

1939
02:18:26.399 --> 02:18:31.639
the beginning of the end of a
millennium in wrestling. Since the beginning of

1940
02:18:31.760 --> 02:18:35.719
time, the classic struggle of man
against man was determined by a mixture of

1941
02:18:35.799 --> 02:18:39.879
strength, cunning, and technique.
Haul Cogan was a bodybuilder turned wrestler,

1942
02:18:41.200 --> 02:18:45.399
then in time made up for his
lack of technique enormous strang and a desire

1943
02:18:45.479 --> 02:18:50.719
fed by professional might as well.
Might'll call him nineteen eighty two. His

1944
02:18:50.000 --> 02:18:56.040
style, Ryan Perl, is about
to be changed forever. Let's join Lee

1945
02:18:56.159 --> 02:18:58.719
Marshall for the call of the action, the little body of the Brain Heat

1946
02:18:58.760 --> 02:19:03.239
and here Chap and Nick Backwinkle in
there with a man who could be his

1947
02:19:03.440 --> 02:19:07.520
biggest challenge? Could they a man
from benef Beach, California, Hold Hogan

1948
02:19:07.600 --> 02:19:11.000
into a top ky lot and off
they go. It's the match that ends

1949
02:19:11.040 --> 02:19:13.600
with help getting his hand raised like
he won the belt, and then it

1950
02:19:13.799 --> 02:19:16.959
was in a referee interference because he
had he grabbed a gimmick that heen and

1951
02:19:18.000 --> 02:19:20.559
threw in the ring, clocked Bockwinkle
in the head with it, put it

1952
02:19:20.639 --> 02:19:24.520
in his waistband, and then they
pointed out the bulge in his waistband,

1953
02:19:24.600 --> 02:19:28.479
and the refroverse the decision. What
kind of a glimpse at how crazy those

1954
02:19:28.520 --> 02:19:31.799
fucking fans, Oh yeah, would
have gone if he won the strap,

1955
02:19:31.879 --> 02:19:37.079
And they went insane that night in
nineteen eighty two. But again, definitely

1956
02:19:37.159 --> 02:19:41.159
the sour grapes of Hogan not being
of the school of verne Gania becoming world

1957
02:19:41.239 --> 02:19:43.559
champion caliber even in his own organization. It's like, Vern, you're the

1958
02:19:43.639 --> 02:19:46.360
one, like, you're the one
that put him in that position. You're

1959
02:19:46.399 --> 02:19:50.680
the one that failed to uphold whatever
you're trying to have Bischoff kind of throw

1960
02:19:50.760 --> 02:19:56.639
shade on right there or whatever.
That's what they do. So he's beating

1961
02:19:56.680 --> 02:20:00.440
everybody and he's becoming the superman.
And he always said, Hogan that you

1962
02:20:00.520 --> 02:20:03.399
know this idea that Hull Cogan runs
over everybody to stay over. They're just

1963
02:20:03.479 --> 02:20:05.120
like the Road Warriors playbook and the
Road Warriors. Of course, after a

1964
02:20:05.159 --> 02:20:09.719
brief stint in Georgia really were established
in the A w A. That was

1965
02:20:09.799 --> 02:20:11.799
where Vern allowed them to just run
people over, to get as over as

1966
02:20:13.000 --> 02:20:16.200
any tag team has ever been in
the business. Same formula. For Hogan,

1967
02:20:16.360 --> 02:20:18.760
Vern knows, you know, when
you put a guy in this position,

1968
02:20:18.799 --> 02:20:20.879
he's got to almost never lose.
It's no different than what the Crusher

1969
02:20:20.920 --> 02:20:24.319
did all those years. You know, Crusher's not using you fucking kidding,

1970
02:20:24.360 --> 02:20:26.399
of course. And so I mean
all the look, all the greats don't

1971
02:20:26.440 --> 02:20:30.120
lose, of course, I mean, that's that's the idea is that,

1972
02:20:30.319 --> 02:20:35.440
you know, I mean in that
time especially, it's like the reason one's

1973
02:20:35.479 --> 02:20:37.760
not losing they come to see you
is because you don't lose, right.

1974
02:20:39.399 --> 02:20:41.479
And so here's Hogan in a wonderful
interview that we're going to servet quite a

1975
02:20:41.479 --> 02:20:45.680
bit here in this episode that he
did with Chris Jericho's podcast years ago,

1976
02:20:46.040 --> 02:20:50.239
that that that heady podcasts. I
heard this, I heard this a long

1977
02:20:50.360 --> 02:20:52.120
time again. That's a good one. Those early days where every all the

1978
02:20:52.120 --> 02:20:56.319
big guys were getting podcasts and signing
deals and they had, you know,

1979
02:20:56.639 --> 02:21:00.680
because of their stature in the business, they had access to sit down everybody.

1980
02:21:01.079 --> 02:21:03.200
So for like three years, Hogan
a part of me. Jericho,

1981
02:21:03.520 --> 02:21:07.319
Steve Austin, handful of others were
just like interviewing anyone who's ever mattered,

1982
02:21:07.360 --> 02:21:11.840
who's still alive in great depth.
And here's a Jericho sitting with Hogan uh

1983
02:21:13.000 --> 02:21:18.399
talking about the mentality that Hogan says
Verned Ganya instilled in him around doing jobs

1984
02:21:18.440 --> 02:21:22.799
and doing business. And I was
real good at even if I beat somebody,

1985
02:21:22.079 --> 02:21:26.239
I figured out how to make them
better after doing the job. Never

1986
02:21:26.319 --> 02:21:28.559
before they rushed me something course again
and again and again. And you know,

1987
02:21:30.680 --> 02:21:33.040
even like with vern I used to
get a ton of heat because I

1988
02:21:33.040 --> 02:21:35.440
said, vern let me put this
guy over and can drop my way.

1989
02:21:35.440 --> 02:21:37.479
Oh you don't have to do that. You can draw money with him anyway.

1990
02:21:37.159 --> 02:21:39.040
And I said, I'm going so
much heat from the guys. But

1991
02:21:39.520 --> 02:21:43.000
that's the way Verne was, That's
the way events was. You know,

1992
02:21:43.079 --> 02:21:46.639
it was like for the first three
four years, you know, you gotta

1993
02:21:46.639 --> 02:21:48.799
stay strong, done it a lost
basically, I ain't no, And he

1994
02:21:50.040 --> 02:21:52.399
just is getting to the point where, man if I could just have somebody

1995
02:21:52.440 --> 02:21:54.120
put their foot on the rope,
even if I can't do it. Cleveton

1996
02:21:54.159 --> 02:21:58.360
in the middle just put their foot
on the rope. If the place would

1997
02:21:58.399 --> 02:22:00.760
sell out the next time, Oh, it's gonna sell anyway. Evince was

1998
02:22:00.840 --> 02:22:05.159
right, and he really was.
See he would. He didn't want to

1999
02:22:05.239 --> 02:22:07.319
go over. It was Vincent Siske
telling me to go over to you.

2000
02:22:07.840 --> 02:22:13.280
What a U souls to do?
Well? Yeah, Vince was right.

2001
02:22:13.479 --> 02:22:20.159
Like people at Hulkamania era, it
wasn't hardly ever about Hulk Hogan getting revenge

2002
02:22:20.200 --> 02:22:22.520
that you bought a ticket. It
was to see the Hull Cogan show,

2003
02:22:24.360 --> 02:22:26.719
right, just to see him come
and dispatch another foe, which was not

2004
02:22:26.799 --> 02:22:31.559
a unique Hogan psychology. That was
the psychology of Bruno all the way through,

2005
02:22:33.399 --> 02:22:35.120
of course, defeat the Heldajore.
So it was it was a typical

2006
02:22:35.159 --> 02:22:39.479
playbook. But for Hogan, apparently
it was something that he was running into

2007
02:22:39.559 --> 02:22:41.600
resistance from the guys in the locker
room that as much as he big league

2008
02:22:41.600 --> 02:22:45.479
them, always always thought their approval. I think for nothing else than the

2009
02:22:45.520 --> 02:22:48.520
old edict of keep your enemies closer, right, of course, But that's

2010
02:22:48.600 --> 02:22:52.760
just a insight as to Hogan working
with Vern back in the day. So

2011
02:22:52.159 --> 02:22:56.280
the match we just heard clips of
was February twenty seventh, nineteen eighty two

2012
02:22:56.479 --> 02:23:00.639
at the International Ampatheater in Chicago,
Hogan versus Bockwinkle. It wasn't quite the

2013
02:23:00.639 --> 02:23:03.879
same in the AWA. From there, we reached out to a good friend

2014
02:23:03.879 --> 02:23:05.399
of ours out in the Solar System, John, who's been a long time

2015
02:23:05.479 --> 02:23:09.479
Twin Cities wrestling fan and it's always
offering up AWA insight if we ever need

2016
02:23:09.520 --> 02:23:13.639
it. And you better believe the
lapsed bat signal went up for this episode

2017
02:23:13.680 --> 02:23:18.399
in that van. So an attempt
here then to fill in a little bit

2018
02:23:18.799 --> 02:23:20.799
Boss of what it was like to
take all this in as a fan and

2019
02:23:20.959 --> 02:23:26.120
to interpret, as a huge fan
of Hulk Hogan and the AWA, what

2020
02:23:26.239 --> 02:23:28.680
it meant for him to suddenly,
you know, come come in, become

2021
02:23:28.760 --> 02:23:33.200
this baby face that everybody was absolutely
in love with, and then just watch

2022
02:23:33.280 --> 02:23:39.719
him sort of disappear, blind to
all of the politics and machinations going on

2023
02:23:39.840 --> 02:23:43.399
behind the scenes in the business.
So I wish you could share John sentiments

2024
02:23:43.440 --> 02:23:56.360
with the Solar System. All right, did long winded answer to your short

2025
02:23:56.760 --> 02:24:01.479
question? Sorry about this in advance. Also, my apologies if you've seen

2026
02:24:01.520 --> 02:24:03.680
the footage or know the story.
I had to reach back in the memory

2027
02:24:03.719 --> 02:24:07.159
banks for this question. At the
time of Super Sunday nineteen eighty three.

2028
02:24:07.200 --> 02:24:11.440
I was seven years old, but
I actually have a pretty good recollection of

2029
02:24:11.479 --> 02:24:15.719
what happened in my mind. Because
the first shock was not Hogan leaving for

2030
02:24:15.879 --> 02:24:20.360
Vince. My seven year old mind
thought we lost Hulk Hogan before that.

2031
02:24:20.559 --> 02:24:24.079
Wow, this would have been the
end of Spring of nineteen eighty three.

2032
02:24:24.799 --> 02:24:26.959
I don't remember if he said it
after Super Sunday or after a house show

2033
02:24:28.079 --> 02:24:33.559
run, but Hogan said he would
never wrestle for the AWA. Yes again,

2034
02:24:33.840 --> 02:24:37.799
yes, I can't find video or
audio, but let's assume it was

2035
02:24:37.879 --> 02:24:43.879
after he got fucked over by rulings
from Stanley Blackburn. Knowing what I know

2036
02:24:45.079 --> 02:24:48.639
now, Vern gave his wrestlers the
summer off, and I'll assume that Hogan

2037
02:24:48.719 --> 02:24:52.399
went to Japan. The Crusher used
to pull this same stunt every year,

2038
02:24:52.479 --> 02:24:54.760
but I didn't know that then.
So Hulk is gone, and I guess

2039
02:24:54.799 --> 02:24:58.639
I thought it was for good,
and I was fucking pissed. I bought

2040
02:24:58.639 --> 02:25:03.239
app mag after after Mag, and
I don't recall anything being in there.

2041
02:25:03.799 --> 02:25:07.000
I could only get Inside Wrestling and
Wrestling Superstars, and neither had a lot

2042
02:25:07.040 --> 02:25:11.079
of coverage of the ABA. I
remember like It was yesterday when we were

2043
02:25:11.120 --> 02:25:15.479
greeted with Gene in the ring and
he was flanked by a wrestler that I

2044
02:25:15.559 --> 02:25:18.559
didn't know. It was time for
a special presentation. Out of nowhere came

2045
02:25:20.040 --> 02:25:26.280
Hok Hogan. He he was to
accept a special gift from this wrestler,

2046
02:25:26.680 --> 02:25:30.840
mister Saiito, and I didn't know
why. Hogan made it very clear when

2047
02:25:30.840 --> 02:25:33.120
he spoke with Gene that he was
still not going to wrestle for the ABA,

2048
02:25:33.559 --> 02:25:37.760
but he would take this gift.
Saito ends up smashing Hogan with the

2049
02:25:37.799 --> 02:25:43.280
trophy, and now Hogan has no
chance but to wrestle for the ABA again.

2050
02:25:43.440 --> 02:25:50.799
My ass, my ass was ecstatic. Yes, Hogan was back.

2051
02:25:52.079 --> 02:25:56.680
Yes. While this was going on, David Schultz also came to the territory

2052
02:25:56.159 --> 02:26:01.479
saying he was going to whip Hogan. He is too faces friends Shelton Hogan.

2053
02:26:01.559 --> 02:26:07.559
Behind the scenes, Hogan faced Saiito
in a match and was kicking his

2054
02:26:07.680 --> 02:26:09.319
ass all over the place, when
out of know where, Schultz came in

2055
02:26:09.520 --> 02:26:16.479
and the two of them gained up
on Hogan. So now is Hogan versus

2056
02:26:16.520 --> 02:26:20.719
Saiito and Schultz in a handicap match. At the end of September, dare

2057
02:26:20.760 --> 02:26:26.399
I say this may very well be
the last time Hogan was on a TV

2058
02:26:26.520 --> 02:26:31.559
broadcast for the AWA. So now
it's October and no Hogan. November and

2059
02:26:31.680 --> 02:26:37.479
December go by and still no Hulk. Then I get an Aptor Magan notice

2060
02:26:37.559 --> 02:26:43.920
in their top ten rankings that Iron
Cheek is now the WWE Champ Wow for

2061
02:26:45.000 --> 02:26:48.760
the last two years six years.
Actually it was Bob Becklan in that spot.

2062
02:26:48.840 --> 02:26:50.680
We do not have access to w
programming at this time, so I

2063
02:26:50.760 --> 02:26:54.479
really don't understand what just happened.
The next month, who shows up as

2064
02:26:54.680 --> 02:27:03.959
w W champ brother knew why he
wasn't around anymore. By now, I'm

2065
02:27:03.000 --> 02:27:07.200
eight years old, and I don't
understand. I didn't read the paper and

2066
02:27:07.280 --> 02:27:13.600
didn't watch news unless my parents had
it on. I do know this KMSPTV

2067
02:27:13.920 --> 02:27:18.719
was where we watched all of our
AWA. It was an independent station back

2068
02:27:18.799 --> 02:27:24.079
then and not a network affiliate.
It was the station where I would wake

2069
02:27:24.159 --> 02:27:28.200
up and watch Gilligan's Island and reruns
of What's Happening in the Monsters. I

2070
02:27:28.239 --> 02:27:31.319
would come home from school and watch
Little House in the Prairie in a full

2071
02:27:31.360 --> 02:27:35.040
hour of Family ties. They didn't
air a news broadcast at ten. I

2072
02:27:35.159 --> 02:27:41.520
also know that the three the big
three networks in town WCCO, CBS,

2073
02:27:41.200 --> 02:27:48.760
w KTCN, NBC, and KSTPABC
were all in ratings wars all the time,

2074
02:27:48.840 --> 02:27:52.600
and news was very serious in our
area. There would have been zero

2075
02:27:52.760 --> 02:28:00.120
chance that our hero newsman Dave Moore
would have ever allowed combat tumbling to be

2076
02:28:00.200 --> 02:28:03.159
spoken on his air waves, right
me, and I'll be willing to bet

2077
02:28:03.239 --> 02:28:09.719
most ABA fans we just thought Hogan
went away again for a while because of

2078
02:28:09.719 --> 02:28:15.280
an injury from the dastardly duel of
Saito and Scheltz. Yes, Verne tried

2079
02:28:15.360 --> 02:28:18.319
throwing us a curveball by bringing the
Road Warriors in. All of a sudden,

2080
02:28:18.360 --> 02:28:26.200
this fucking hack named ken Resnik showed
up instead of mean Gene. Thank

2081
02:28:26.319 --> 02:28:30.559
god we still have the silky smooth
tones of rod tron Guard, even though

2082
02:28:30.559 --> 02:28:39.479
he would probably test positive at any
given moment from Paotian elephant Trailize, that's

2083
02:28:39.520 --> 02:28:48.799
awesome. I'm rod tron Guard,
and I just emerged from an elephant sinus.

2084
02:28:50.680 --> 02:28:58.079
All right, So so a Saturday, by the way, imagine trot

2085
02:28:58.159 --> 02:29:03.920
Guard emerged from an elephant venist.
Not so much birth, just sort of

2086
02:29:05.559 --> 02:29:11.280
negotiating his way out. Here we
go. This is a very long answer

2087
02:29:11.360 --> 02:29:15.440
to your question. To my knowledge, there was very little, if any

2088
02:29:15.479 --> 02:29:18.799
coverage of Hulk leaving because anyone who
did follow wrestling would never write about it.

2089
02:29:20.120 --> 02:29:24.200
Those who didn't know anything about wrestling
would never say anything about it.

2090
02:29:26.040 --> 02:29:30.520
Me, even though this stupid ass
lied to my grandpa in the airport and

2091
02:29:30.559 --> 02:29:33.000
that airport in Tampa, well,
I liked the guy. I was mad,

2092
02:29:33.799 --> 02:29:37.600
My friends who watched were mad.
My Auntie Joe couldn't believe it.

2093
02:29:39.120 --> 02:29:41.040
I had to give them all the
bad news because I was the only one

2094
02:29:41.079 --> 02:29:48.760
who read the magazines. The number
one answer from those I told, what's

2095
02:29:48.920 --> 02:29:52.920
WWE? Right? Oh, you're
gonna find out really soon? What's that

2096
02:29:54.120 --> 02:29:56.600
all about? We were all about
to find out in a year or so,

2097
02:29:56.840 --> 02:30:01.799
that's right. I can't tell you
that when Hull came back to town

2098
02:30:01.959 --> 02:30:05.239
for a Vince show and a team
with oakerland An, a tag team match

2099
02:30:07.200 --> 02:30:13.399
that was covered on the ten PM
news. Yes, I remember where I

2100
02:30:13.639 --> 02:30:16.760
was, but I can't tell you
the date. I was in my dad's

2101
02:30:16.760 --> 02:30:20.440
Saint Paul apartment, laying on the
carpet, and they showed I think Hogan

2102
02:30:22.399 --> 02:30:28.520
body slamming gene on someone for the
pin. Fucking keep up the great fucking

2103
02:30:28.719 --> 02:30:33.040
work. Wow, fellas well.
It's no small part thanks to members of

2104
02:30:33.079 --> 02:30:35.920
the Solar system like that who can
put us right there. Oh yeah,

2105
02:30:37.559 --> 02:30:41.719
what it was like to be that
childhood fan and that sense of wonderment at

2106
02:30:41.719 --> 02:30:46.399
a time of such seismic change in
the business. Just I can't imagine realizing

2107
02:30:46.760 --> 02:30:50.319
that. Oh actually, I'm a
witness to history here, you know,

2108
02:30:50.959 --> 02:30:54.479
yep, that actually would completely transform
the business. What I just thought was

2109
02:30:54.520 --> 02:31:00.600
this weird aberration one week in my
weekly wrestling watching and he Mentionedavid Schultz there,

2110
02:31:00.600 --> 02:31:01.840
which is an appropriate time to pull
out Dave Schultz book, which of

2111
02:31:01.879 --> 02:31:09.200
course is called Don't Call Me Fake
right Normal? And they became great friends,

2112
02:31:09.239 --> 02:31:13.239
as chronicled in here, Hogan and
Schultz on this circuit lived together for

2113
02:31:13.239 --> 02:31:16.000
a little while. You know,
there were the old story Schultz came out

2114
02:31:16.040 --> 02:31:18.639
swinging during the steroids scandal about how
he injected Hogan. That was always fun.

2115
02:31:20.559 --> 02:31:22.760
But just in terms of Schultz,
I mean he would he would book

2116
02:31:22.799 --> 02:31:26.280
in the cover of night, just
like Hulk did for Vince and he and

2117
02:31:26.600 --> 02:31:31.520
that first taping that Hulk works for
Vince Junior at the chase in Saint Louis.

2118
02:31:31.760 --> 02:31:35.360
Schultz is also on the card,
so he pulls the caboose along with

2119
02:31:35.479 --> 02:31:39.479
him. But to get the uh
the first hand account of the time period

2120
02:31:39.559 --> 02:31:43.319
that John is writing about here,
we turned to Dave Schultz book. Hogan

2121
02:31:43.440 --> 02:31:46.040
was the top baby face when I
arrived in the AWA. He had already

2122
02:31:46.040 --> 02:31:48.920
become a national star thanks to his
appearance as thunder Lips and Rocky Three.

2123
02:31:50.280 --> 02:31:52.280
He was off on hiatus when I
first appeared on TV. Well announcer means

2124
02:31:52.280 --> 02:31:56.479
g oakerland Hawk to bring back the
Hulk T shirts. On TV, I

2125
02:31:56.639 --> 02:32:00.840
established myself as the new baddest man
in town, calling out Hogan every opportunity.

2126
02:32:01.200 --> 02:32:03.639
Jane was a good guy to work
with and one of the easiest Gene

2127
02:32:03.680 --> 02:32:05.319
never said no to anyone. He
took direction with a yes, sir,

2128
02:32:07.120 --> 02:32:09.600
as long as he can get back
to the bar in time. Yeah,

2129
02:32:09.639 --> 02:32:11.079
exactly, and he did as he
was. Asked if Ferne had a suggestion,

2130
02:32:11.200 --> 02:32:13.920
he said, yes, sir.
If Hogan gave him a direction,

2131
02:32:13.000 --> 02:32:16.600
he said, okay, Hulk sounds
good. When Vince gave him orders,

2132
02:32:16.639 --> 02:32:20.559
Jean said yes, sir, Mister
McMahon, I like it. Jeane did

2133
02:32:20.600 --> 02:32:24.719
his best to establish me as the
red so basically he was a bitch.

2134
02:32:24.879 --> 02:32:28.239
Yeah, oh yeah, well the
best kind of bitch, someone who's like

2135
02:32:28.479 --> 02:32:31.840
a bitch because the alternative is to
not have a job. So he's just

2136
02:32:31.959 --> 02:32:35.159
like, you know, cruising,
just whatever, you know, because he

2137
02:32:35.200 --> 02:32:39.719
doesn't care about this fucking shit.
He doesn't care. He's so good at

2138
02:32:39.760 --> 02:32:41.799
it. He could just do it
and get back to the airport bar where

2139
02:32:41.799 --> 02:32:43.959
he wants a lot and worried about
it. Is kind of my long green

2140
02:32:45.000 --> 02:32:48.520
exactly right, and my coffers.
Jeane did his best to establish me as

2141
02:32:48.559 --> 02:32:50.879
the redneck David Schultz in my early
ABA promos, but I was done changing

2142
02:32:52.000 --> 02:32:54.600
ring names. It's Doctor D,
Baby, I would remind me and Gene

2143
02:32:54.600 --> 02:32:56.799
every time he went on TV.
Eventually, the name took and Doctor D

2144
02:32:56.920 --> 02:33:00.639
finally got his hands on the Hulk. When he made his return, Hogan

2145
02:33:00.680 --> 02:33:03.959
had his hands full with both me
and Japanese star mister Saido, who ambushed

2146
02:33:03.959 --> 02:33:07.479
the champion after Hogan had been presented
with a special trophy and a ceremony aired

2147
02:33:07.520 --> 02:33:09.559
on TV. When Hogan met Sayoto
one on one, I raced and interfere.

2148
02:33:09.760 --> 02:33:13.680
Hogan won on disqualification, but it
was a hollow victory, as sayto

2149
02:33:13.719 --> 02:33:16.600
and I left him bleeding on the
mat. Holk took us both in a

2150
02:33:16.639 --> 02:33:20.440
handicap match that ended in a disqualification, and when Hogan and I met one

2151
02:33:20.520 --> 02:33:22.680
on one, we were both a
bloody mess as we headed to the showers.

2152
02:33:22.959 --> 02:33:26.799
People who watched us in ABA and
WWF woul probably be surprised to know

2153
02:33:26.879 --> 02:33:28.600
that Hogan and I were very good
friends for about five or six years.

2154
02:33:28.600 --> 02:33:31.799
The two of us were inseparable.
Not only were we working main events together,

2155
02:33:31.840 --> 02:33:35.799
we traveled together, ate together,
and worked out together. Hogan night

2156
02:33:35.920 --> 02:33:39.079
I shoved needles in his ass,
right. I think he gets to that

2157
02:33:39.159 --> 02:33:41.239
here, maybe does. Hogan and
I helped each other out in a number

2158
02:33:41.239 --> 02:33:43.600
of ways. Hogan was living in
his van, sleeping in the back when

2159
02:33:43.600 --> 02:33:46.200
I met him. Peggy and I
gave him a place to crash anytime he

2160
02:33:46.280 --> 02:33:48.639
needed, and turn Hogan was the
one who taught me how to work out.

2161
02:33:48.840 --> 02:33:52.680
I was still a fairly small guy
before we met, but helped changed

2162
02:33:52.719 --> 02:33:54.959
all that. Yes, indeed,
I'm sure he did. I was at

2163
02:33:56.000 --> 02:33:58.479
the top of the card in the
ABA, working with Hulk Hogan every night.

2164
02:33:58.719 --> 02:34:01.120
He was the top aby face and
now the top heel. We had

2165
02:34:01.159 --> 02:34:03.200
the eyes and ears of the ABA
fan base, but we they weren't the

2166
02:34:03.280 --> 02:34:07.079
only ones with eyes on us.
It was no secret what was going on

2167
02:34:07.159 --> 02:34:09.440
in New York. Vince McMahon,
senior, owner of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation,

2168
02:34:09.520 --> 02:34:13.719
had always respected the authority and sovereignty
of the NBA, even if he

2169
02:34:13.760 --> 02:34:16.159
didn't follow their every edict. Now, with his son, Vince McMahon Junior

2170
02:34:16.159 --> 02:34:20.239
at the Helm, everything had changed. Junior secured a national TV slot on

2171
02:34:20.360 --> 02:34:22.680
Cable. He was starting to book
shows and other territories not belonging to him.

2172
02:34:24.000 --> 02:34:26.040
Even more serious, he was poaching
talent from all the territories and everyone

2173
02:34:26.079 --> 02:34:30.600
figured it was a matter of time
before he'd reached Minnesota. He was on

2174
02:34:30.680 --> 02:34:35.600
a course to destroy the territory's,
nationalize professional wrestling and turn the WWF into

2175
02:34:35.639 --> 02:34:39.360
a worldwide phenomenon. And he did
this. Boss. We in the Colosseum

2176
02:34:39.399 --> 02:34:43.200
collection, we went through the Hulk
Hogan and means Gin Oakland tag match.

2177
02:34:43.440 --> 02:34:46.360
Yep, we did at the Auditorium. Unbelievable. Yeah, that's just the

2178
02:34:46.399 --> 02:34:50.479
thing. Vince takes your talent,
takes your TV and then shows up in

2179
02:34:50.559 --> 02:34:54.879
your city with the same talent.
It's like the ABA. I'm I'm just

2180
02:34:54.959 --> 02:34:58.360
talking about competition, right, It's
honest competition. Not trying to put anybody

2181
02:34:58.399 --> 02:35:01.559
at a business. I'm I'm just
trying want to see. What I'm trying

2182
02:35:01.559 --> 02:35:05.719
to do is make them think outside
the box, force them to evolve.

2183
02:35:05.760 --> 02:35:09.959
Right, What's what's wrong with having
a Walgreens and a CVS across from each

2184
02:35:09.959 --> 02:35:13.680
other in every street corner in America? Nothing? I agree? One night

2185
02:35:13.719 --> 02:35:18.120
before a show, sheltz right,
hold the side, I could tell what

2186
02:35:18.479 --> 02:35:22.280
Donuts? What's that? Adonis?
What what I said? Starbucks and Dunkin

2187
02:35:22.319 --> 02:35:26.360
Donuts? Sure? Absolutely, you
see i'one complaining about that state of affairs,

2188
02:35:26.440 --> 02:35:30.159
do you? Because both companies were
able to figure out a way to

2189
02:35:30.200 --> 02:35:33.479
carbon Niche to survive just because the
people that he took all the talent and

2190
02:35:33.559 --> 02:35:37.000
tell and bought the TV time out
from underneath and ran their buildings and convinced

2191
02:35:37.000 --> 02:35:41.120
their building owners to go with him
and not them and not air their shows

2192
02:35:41.120 --> 02:35:43.079
and all that. You know,
it's not his fault. I mean,

2193
02:35:43.319 --> 02:35:46.360
I mean, let me ask you
this. Have you ever considered the fact

2194
02:35:46.399 --> 02:35:50.639
of loyalty? Right? You know, I mean, obviously. Maybe maybe

2195
02:35:50.680 --> 02:35:54.520
the problem is is that you weren't
keeping these guys loyal to you. That's

2196
02:35:54.600 --> 02:36:01.079
right, that can't be my cross
to bear. Before show Sheltz rights,

2197
02:36:01.120 --> 02:36:03.360
Hogan pulled me aside I could tell
whatever he had to say. It was

2198
02:36:03.399 --> 02:36:05.040
big. I'm leaving in a few
months for New York, he said,

2199
02:36:05.520 --> 02:36:07.799
telling me that Vince had offered him
a ton of money to jump ship.

2200
02:36:09.000 --> 02:36:13.639
I was excited for my friend,
I'm jumping ship brother, but Hogan was

2201
02:36:13.639 --> 02:36:16.200
hopeful he wouldn't be going alone,
at least not for long. Let's keep

2202
02:36:16.239 --> 02:36:18.680
this feud red hot right up until
the end, he said. If we

2203
02:36:18.760 --> 02:36:20.760
do, it's a sure thing Vince
will grab you as well. Hogan and

2204
02:36:20.799 --> 02:36:24.879
I uped our game every night,
ending our run in Minnesota together with a

2205
02:36:24.920 --> 02:36:26.319
bang. Our final battle in the
A to B took place Minneapolis, sell

2206
02:36:26.360 --> 02:36:31.399
out crowd twenty two thousand, five
hundred Wow Wow. Like all promotions in

2207
02:36:31.399 --> 02:36:33.600
those days, the Heels were in
one locker room and the babyfaces were in

2208
02:36:33.719 --> 02:36:37.319
the other. Verne came out and
gave me the finish a double juice no

2209
02:36:37.440 --> 02:36:39.360
contest, meaning we would both get
bloodied up and then without a winner.

2210
02:36:39.520 --> 02:36:41.879
He then went over to the baby
face locker room to tell Hogan. I

2211
02:36:41.920 --> 02:36:45.840
sent word to Hogan that I would
gimmick my jacket so he could easily rip

2212
02:36:45.879 --> 02:36:48.159
it off. I wanted Hogan to
jump me before the bell and ripped the

2213
02:36:48.200 --> 02:36:50.319
jacket off me. The ref took
the message to Hogan and brought one back

2214
02:36:50.360 --> 02:36:54.040
for me. Hogan wanted me to
climb the second rope and the ring announcer

2215
02:36:54.040 --> 02:36:56.079
introduced me. Then Hogan would attack
me on the ropes and suplex me into

2216
02:36:56.159 --> 02:36:58.719
the ring. That was all the
planning we did before the match. We

2217
02:36:58.799 --> 02:37:01.719
called the rest of the match in
the ring, and that night we tore

2218
02:37:01.760 --> 02:37:03.639
the house down as instructed. We
went for about ten minutes and ended the

2219
02:37:03.680 --> 02:37:07.319
bloody brawl in a no contest.
Mister Sayto raced down at the end interfere

2220
02:37:07.360 --> 02:37:09.840
and helped me double team Hogan,
who was bleeding like a stuck pig.

2221
02:37:11.280 --> 02:37:13.639
I got a little out of hand
with my blade, cutting myself during the

2222
02:37:13.719 --> 02:37:16.239
match, but the end result was
a battle the ADBA fans would never forget.

2223
02:37:16.239 --> 02:37:20.440
It was the perfect setup for a
rematch, one that would net Vern

2224
02:37:20.479 --> 02:37:24.840
Ganya a huge payday. Unfortunately,
for Vern, that rematch would not happen

2225
02:37:24.399 --> 02:37:28.600
and the AWA. Hogan gave me
plenty of notice when his last match with

2226
02:37:28.639 --> 02:37:31.760
the ABA would be, but he
didn't tell Vern. It was Vince Junior's

2227
02:37:31.799 --> 02:37:35.520
idea, not Hogan's to quit without
even giving two weeks notice. And with

2228
02:37:35.639 --> 02:37:39.200
the kind of money Vince was paying, he had no trouble getting guys like

2229
02:37:39.280 --> 02:37:41.639
Hogan to do his bidding. After
Hogan worked his last TV taping, I

2230
02:37:41.680 --> 02:37:43.600
went out and cut a promo on
him. The following week, I told

2231
02:37:43.639 --> 02:37:48.280
everyone that Hogan was a coward.
He stayed home because he was afraid to

2232
02:37:48.360 --> 02:37:50.000
face a real man like me.
Then I really went for the throat.

2233
02:37:50.360 --> 02:37:52.399
I want you to show up here
next week, Hogan, I said,

2234
02:37:52.440 --> 02:37:54.440
I want you to prove you're not
a coward. In fact, you know

2235
02:37:54.520 --> 02:37:58.680
what, if you show up next
week, I'll leave. I'll pack my

2236
02:37:58.719 --> 02:38:01.760
boots and my trunks in my back
and I'll leave town. Doctor d will

2237
02:38:01.840 --> 02:38:05.079
leave, and you'll never see me
again. Verne was beside himself with me,

2238
02:38:05.159 --> 02:38:07.680
What are you doing, David?
He said, you can't go out

2239
02:38:07.680 --> 02:38:09.920
and say things like that. Hogan
will be back next week. Then what

2240
02:38:09.000 --> 02:38:13.719
am I gonna do? I felt
bad? Poor Vern had no idea he

2241
02:38:13.760 --> 02:38:16.719
found out a few days later Hogan
didn't show up, and I didn't have

2242
02:38:16.799 --> 02:38:20.319
to back up my vow to leave
town. We'll see about the whole Hogan

2243
02:38:20.399 --> 02:38:24.639
never told vern thing as we go. We'll see about that. It wasn't

2244
02:38:24.639 --> 02:38:28.440
too you think Hogan was willing to
admit in nineteen eighty four that he left

2245
02:38:28.479 --> 02:38:33.000
Verne high and driving no notice.
It wasn't too long after Hogan left for

2246
02:38:33.000 --> 02:38:37.760
the WWF that Vince Man called me. Hogan had just won the w fIF

2247
02:38:37.799 --> 02:38:39.879
title when I got the call.
Vince's longtime former champion, Bob Backlan had

2248
02:38:39.920 --> 02:38:43.120
been booked to face the Iron Cheek, but back then was forced to step

2249
02:38:43.159 --> 02:38:46.920
aside, giving Hogan the opportunity of
a lifetime. Holkamania was born that night,

2250
02:38:48.200 --> 02:38:52.479
and Vince needed a top heel to
help it grow, and thus the

2251
02:38:52.680 --> 02:39:00.440
uh that's the negotiations begin. But
time doctor d David Schultz and Vince McMahon,

2252
02:39:00.479 --> 02:39:01.639
and he puts some great pictures in
his book of him with Hogan.

2253
02:39:03.079 --> 02:39:05.920
A sweatered hult Cogan, you know
you gotta wear a sweater for ten months

2254
02:39:05.959 --> 02:39:11.479
out of the year in Minnesota,
hanging out with the fam, hanging out

2255
02:39:11.520 --> 02:39:16.399
on holidays, truly tremendous, very
funny, and just for a glimpse of

2256
02:39:16.440 --> 02:39:22.200
what Vince was offering. He asked
what I was making, and I told

2257
02:39:22.280 --> 02:39:26.479
him sixteen thousand a month. Schultz
said, you'll probably make two hundred thousand

2258
02:39:26.520 --> 02:39:30.879
a year here. You will make
two hundred thousand dollars a year here,

2259
02:39:31.000 --> 02:39:33.639
Vince said, plus a bonus of
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. So

2260
02:39:33.840 --> 02:39:37.079
that's the kind of money Vince was
thrown around, the kind of promises he

2261
02:39:37.200 --> 02:39:39.879
was thrown around to poach talent from
all the key areas across the country.

2262
02:39:39.920 --> 02:39:46.399
He Awa was just one, as
we've established in episodes like a Black Saturday

2263
02:39:46.440 --> 02:39:48.879
in the World Class Journey. Ah. Yes, so he's back, is

2264
02:39:48.959 --> 02:39:52.760
Hogan? Here we are in eighty
two March eighty two to New Japan,

2265
02:39:52.920 --> 02:39:56.520
back to a wa and March where
a team with Tito Santana who was coming

2266
02:39:56.520 --> 02:40:00.600
through Aba briefly before going back to
the WWF General Ad on the first time

2267
02:40:00.639 --> 02:40:03.200
Hogan cross paths with him as being
Russell Lowen was an ABA here at this

2268
02:40:03.239 --> 02:40:07.799
point in time eighty two several matches
against Nick Bockwinkle. He went back to

2269
02:40:07.920 --> 02:40:09.079
New Japan in May of eighty two, came back to the a Toba that

2270
02:40:09.159 --> 02:40:11.479
month. He then went back to
Japan in the summer to do the New

2271
02:40:11.559 --> 02:40:16.719
Japan Summer Fight Series as they called
it, including a match against Andre the

2272
02:40:16.799 --> 02:40:18.879
Giant one on one which ended in
a double count out. September, he's

2273
02:40:18.879 --> 02:40:22.920
back to the AWA and Japan,
and it's also a point in time where

2274
02:40:22.959 --> 02:40:28.440
he's going to start experimenting in Saint
Louis. And the reason that that starts

2275
02:40:28.479 --> 02:40:31.079
with drugs, well, well,
I'm sure with drugs, yes, but

2276
02:40:31.159 --> 02:40:35.680
that's not what I meant. And
the reason this is now suddenly possible is

2277
02:40:35.799 --> 02:40:39.959
on January first, nineteen eighty two, New Year's Day, Sam Mutchnick,

2278
02:40:39.200 --> 02:40:46.079
the long time legendary promoter and president
of the NWA, retires, and when

2279
02:40:46.120 --> 02:40:50.680
he retires, Saint Louis is open, wide open to the hyenas, and

2280
02:40:50.840 --> 02:40:54.959
not only does Bob Geigel and Pat
O'Connor. Bob guys were running the Central

2281
02:40:56.000 --> 02:41:00.879
State's territory Kansas City and that area
close in and Pat O'Connor, who is

2282
02:41:00.879 --> 02:41:03.159
his booker and as well as a
booker for Sam much Nick. At a

2283
02:41:03.200 --> 02:41:05.920
time, including when Terry Funk came
through in the seventies and Harley Race get

2284
02:41:05.959 --> 02:41:11.840
involved in taking over Saint Louis,
so does verne Gania m and so now

2285
02:41:11.879 --> 02:41:15.600
with Vern being in in Saint Louis, so to speak, suddenly Saint Louis

2286
02:41:15.680 --> 02:41:18.879
is a place he can start sending
his troop as well. And so this

2287
02:41:18.959 --> 02:41:22.680
is how the Saint Louis wrestling fans
become acquainted with Hulk Hogan way before he

2288
02:41:22.799 --> 02:41:26.040
comes in to work the WWF taping
in Saint Louis to launch the Red and

2289
02:41:26.120 --> 02:41:31.079
Yellow Hulk Cogan WWF run. So
he starts working with Andrea and Awa nine

2290
02:41:31.120 --> 02:41:35.680
eighty two planning the seeds. You
know, Greg Ganya has a story about

2291
02:41:35.719 --> 02:41:39.360
how they had the whole idea for
the Hogan Andre match before Vince ever executed

2292
02:41:39.360 --> 02:41:43.319
it, and that's right, and
there's some credibility there. He said there

2293
02:41:43.360 --> 02:41:45.840
was a bat of royal one time
and they backed into each other, and

2294
02:41:46.000 --> 02:41:48.000
just the reaction from the crowd made
it abundantly clear that Hogan versus Andre was

2295
02:41:48.040 --> 02:41:52.120
something that they would go absolutely nuts
to see happen. Really, Yeah,

2296
02:41:52.239 --> 02:41:54.680
where he goes too far as he
starts to say like we had a deal

2297
02:41:54.760 --> 02:41:58.879
with ABC or whatever. He says
he has this whole thing about how they

2298
02:41:58.879 --> 02:42:01.799
were going to basically do what Hogan
Andre did an NBC. That's always That's

2299
02:42:01.840 --> 02:42:05.920
great Guanas thing is he sees something
that succeeded. He always did it first,

2300
02:42:07.079 --> 02:42:09.959
right. He post dates things he
was involved in as if it was

2301
02:42:09.600 --> 02:42:13.920
the natural first instance of that idea, Like he LIKEZWO hit it. He

2302
02:42:15.000 --> 02:42:16.879
was like, yeah, we were
gonna do the nWo when a w A

2303
02:42:16.000 --> 02:42:18.440
was going to invade w CW when
I was there in nineteen ninety one.

2304
02:42:18.520 --> 02:42:24.840
Fat fucking chance that come off anyway. Oh yeah, we're gonna be fine.

2305
02:42:24.920 --> 02:42:26.959
You know, why had the idea. I'm just sitting here looking like

2306
02:42:28.000 --> 02:42:31.879
Jim Belushi. I think I had
the idea. I had any idea before.

2307
02:42:31.879 --> 02:42:35.520
Anyway, I had a da before
my dad did. Huh. He

2308
02:42:35.639 --> 02:42:37.040
calls his dad Vern on every reference. Yeah, of course he does.

2309
02:42:37.079 --> 02:42:41.719
Of course he does. He has
you know, damn Well, listen,

2310
02:42:41.799 --> 02:42:46.200
you can't call me dad. Who
whoaa, Greg whoa whoa? He has

2311
02:42:46.559 --> 02:42:52.239
whoa? Hey, Hey, hey
let's tell you what, tell you what.

2312
02:42:52.360 --> 02:42:54.399
Let's dial this thing back in a
little bit. Oh we got that

2313
02:42:54.479 --> 02:43:00.079
from Vern too. Huh. Promo
class well, yet Dalas thing in for

2314
02:43:00.159 --> 02:43:01.319
a moment here, you know,
let's get this thing back on track.

2315
02:43:01.440 --> 02:43:07.559
Huh, hot kid, you don't
call me dad, all right? And

2316
02:43:07.600 --> 02:43:11.079
you know that listen, you haven't
earned the right to call me dad.

2317
02:43:11.680 --> 02:43:20.399
Oh you call me mister that's tough, or mister Gagney ever changes the look

2318
02:43:20.440 --> 02:43:24.559
on his face, always a smile. Nope, that's right, all right,

2319
02:43:24.280 --> 02:43:28.680
Maybe someday you'll learn that. Right, it's a privilege. Actually,

2320
02:43:30.040 --> 02:43:33.079
but uh, you don't have a
father right now, you have a boss.

2321
02:43:35.520 --> 02:43:39.639
And where Greg goes too far?
As it was WGN in Chicago,

2322
02:43:39.719 --> 02:43:43.200
he says, was gonna like televise
it and do basically the precursor to Saturday

2323
02:43:43.319 --> 02:43:48.079
Night's Made Event. Okay, so
yeah, but Hogan his crossing paths with

2324
02:43:48.159 --> 02:43:50.639
Andre and the wa ring you heard
from that clip we played from the ABA

2325
02:43:50.799 --> 02:43:54.520
VHS released that they were sharing promo
time backstage, kind of like a carbon

2326
02:43:54.600 --> 02:43:58.360
copy of what we see after he
wins the belt in WWF totally. They

2327
02:43:58.399 --> 02:44:01.719
go to Denver, where Hogan and
Andre as a tag team in November fifth

2328
02:44:01.760 --> 02:44:05.639
of nineteen eighty two defeat Nick Bockwinkle
Ken, Peterra, Bobby Duncom and Bobby

2329
02:44:05.680 --> 02:44:11.079
Heenan in a four on two handicap
match, So a lot of cross currents

2330
02:44:11.079 --> 02:44:13.280
there with what was to come in
WWF November of eighty two, back to

2331
02:44:13.319 --> 02:44:16.680
New Japan. That's wild. I
always thought that that shit is so fucking

2332
02:44:16.719 --> 02:44:20.760
wild to me. It is.
They have all this too WWF ohones at

2333
02:44:20.760 --> 02:44:24.559
all, and they've released it in
spurts, but the fact that it's all

2334
02:44:24.760 --> 02:44:28.440
not available in chronological order is an
unforgivable sin as far as I'm concerned.

2335
02:44:28.479 --> 02:44:33.399
Why why are you fucking Mark?
I know, I know, old stuff

2336
02:44:33.399 --> 02:44:39.079
doesn't make any money. Great.
Meanwhile, look at us YEP. November

2337
02:44:39.120 --> 02:44:41.639
eighty two, New Japan. Hogan
goes back their teams with Antonio and Oki

2338
02:44:41.680 --> 02:44:46.280
in a set up for what would
be the ANOK Hogan showdown in the first

2339
02:44:46.319 --> 02:44:50.319
IWGP tournament in eighty three. EACHU
bond is very much Hogan Son. Back

2340
02:44:50.360 --> 02:44:54.159
to Awa for Christmas, Denver Hogan
versus Ken peterra on December seventeenth. December

2341
02:44:54.280 --> 02:44:58.239
eighteenth at the International Ampatheater in Chicago, Hogan and dickt a bruiser. There's

2342
02:44:58.239 --> 02:45:03.879
a powerhouse tag wow against Ken Teron
Bobby dunclem Christmas Night, Saint Paul Hogan

2343
02:45:03.959 --> 02:45:09.159
versus Jesse Ventura. Thank you put
me there God, you know, and

2344
02:45:09.280 --> 02:45:11.760
here we are. We thought we
never really had that match. I know.

2345
02:45:11.639 --> 02:45:16.479
It's because of all the interpersonal issues
that emerged from having the matches in

2346
02:45:16.520 --> 02:45:18.959
the a WA that they can never
get it done in WWF. It's where

2347
02:45:18.959 --> 02:45:22.760
they learned to despise each other in
some ways. And the night after Christmas,

2348
02:45:22.000 --> 02:45:24.680
Boxing Day, if you will,
in Milwaukee, Hogan rematches Jesse Ventura

2349
02:45:24.680 --> 02:45:31.000
another double count out finish. You
gotta imagine everyone wanted a Hogan to go

2350
02:45:31.079 --> 02:45:33.680
over, including Hulk himself, and
Jesse put up a fit about it.

2351
02:45:33.799 --> 02:45:37.239
You gotta imagine that's what happened.
Don't think it's time for him to go

2352
02:45:37.319 --> 02:45:41.360
over just to the body of Ventura. I mean, I may be governor

2353
02:45:41.440 --> 02:45:50.000
someday. Wow, playing that card. So as the calendar turns, it's

2354
02:45:50.040 --> 02:45:52.719
the Fateful year of nineteen and to
eighty three for Hulk Cogan and it starts

2355
02:45:52.719 --> 02:45:56.319
on New Year's sting in San Francisco
for the AWA. Don't forget Verne had

2356
02:45:56.360 --> 02:46:03.079
already made inroads into a San Francisco
expansion years before this, So the idea

2357
02:46:03.159 --> 02:46:05.159
that he was gonna you know,
piss and moan about Vince doing it to

2358
02:46:05.239 --> 02:46:09.120
him is kind of rich. But
in Verne's case, he closed in after

2359
02:46:09.239 --> 02:46:11.559
Roy Schier threw in the towel and
wasn't interested in promoting San Francisco anymore.

2360
02:46:13.079 --> 02:46:16.719
So that was kind of That's how
those old end Toba promoters justified expanding territorially,

2361
02:46:16.760 --> 02:46:20.440
as they'd wait for the incumbent to
die or move on. Of course,

2362
02:46:20.520 --> 02:46:22.200
whereas Vince is like, I'm not
gonna wait for you to die.

2363
02:46:22.399 --> 02:46:26.680
I'll just fucking kill you where you
stand. I don't believe in waiting for

2364
02:46:26.799 --> 02:46:31.360
what I want. Both violate the
supposed taboo about territorial expansion, right just

2365
02:46:31.719 --> 02:46:35.479
we're just talking about a manner of
degree or timing. Even So, a

2366
02:46:35.559 --> 02:46:37.959
San Francisco then goes up to Winnipeg, which of course was a mainstay for

2367
02:46:39.000 --> 02:46:41.040
ABA as well. A lot of
kids who grew up in Winnipeg, Chris

2368
02:46:41.159 --> 02:46:45.360
Jericho among them, remember the Awa
most fondly, and the aforementioned interview Jericho

2369
02:46:45.440 --> 02:46:48.520
did with hul Cogan. He actually
gives him a bit of a recollection about

2370
02:46:48.559 --> 02:46:52.040
how growing up in Winnipeg he was
watching ABA every week and was hooked on

2371
02:46:52.079 --> 02:46:54.639
Bockwinkle and Hogan and the rest,
and all of a sudden one week,

2372
02:46:54.719 --> 02:46:58.120
the channel he always watched AWA on
was WWF and that's what is happening here,

2373
02:46:58.520 --> 02:47:01.319
And that was case in so many
major cities across North America. Has

2374
02:47:01.360 --> 02:47:05.520
Vince did his thing, So Winnipego
was Hogan and Ken. Peterra goes to

2375
02:47:05.600 --> 02:47:09.639
Rockford, Illinois to work. Peterira
back in the States January eighth, Green

2376
02:47:09.760 --> 02:47:13.719
Bay, Vegas opponents like Ventura and
Peteria, Salt Lake City, Denver,

2377
02:47:13.440 --> 02:47:18.920
Chicago, Saint Paul, Milwaukee,
Oshkosh and that's through the end of January.

2378
02:47:18.959 --> 02:47:22.000
Then he bounces back to Japan for
what they were calling their New Year

2379
02:47:22.040 --> 02:47:28.479
Golden Series and one match he teamed
with Antonioki and Tatsumi Fujinami to take on

2380
02:47:28.920 --> 02:47:33.840
Chi Choshu Saido and Blackjack Mulligan.
So just a small match, Yeah,

2381
02:47:33.879 --> 02:47:37.479
he's he's he's rubbing shoulders with the
absolute biggest giants of Japanese pro wrestling at

2382
02:47:37.520 --> 02:47:41.680
the time. He teamed with Antoniok
and Saiito and Killer Khan on January thirty

2383
02:47:41.680 --> 02:47:46.440
first, nineteen eighty three and Tokyo
and this is where the Saint Louis stuff

2384
02:47:46.520 --> 02:47:52.159
starts. Happening as late as it's
October. Is it October or is it

2385
02:47:52.239 --> 02:47:54.639
August? I think yeah, it's
October of nineteen eighty two. He's at

2386
02:47:54.680 --> 02:47:58.440
the Czecherdome in Saint Louis is Hulk
Coogan. This is pre WWF wrestling Greg

2387
02:47:58.559 --> 02:48:03.840
Valentine in a two on one handicap
match. Someone else teaming with Greg.

2388
02:48:03.879 --> 02:48:05.719
I think it was Tito Santana.
I'm not this is te O. That

2389
02:48:05.799 --> 02:48:09.399
must not be Tito. I don't
think that's a typo. I'm not sure

2390
02:48:09.399 --> 02:48:13.120
who it was anyway. Hull Cogan
is wrestling in Saint Louis and becoming familiarized

2391
02:48:13.159 --> 02:48:18.879
with the Saint Louis public before Vince
makes his move, building his TV tapings

2392
02:48:18.920 --> 02:48:22.200
out of Saint Louis in the very
very beginning. He then comes back in

2393
02:48:22.239 --> 02:48:24.399
October twenty second does hul Cogan the
key auditorium in Saint Louis, of course

2394
02:48:24.440 --> 02:48:30.159
the signature wrestling for a signature building
venue for Sam Muchnick's wrestling Hogan. They're

2395
02:48:30.159 --> 02:48:31.959
teaming with Dick the Bruiser again,
who is also a massive star in Saint

2396
02:48:33.040 --> 02:48:35.239
Louis, to defeat Greg Valentine and
Dewey Roberts in the future missing link,

2397
02:48:37.719 --> 02:48:41.040
so oh wow, oh yeah,
So Saint Louis is in the mix.

2398
02:48:41.440 --> 02:48:46.639
He continues in Japan in several spurts
throughout eighty three as as we've talked about,

2399
02:48:46.680 --> 02:48:50.280
teaming mostly with Antonio Aoki in the
first half of it. And then

2400
02:48:52.799 --> 02:48:54.559
let's see, we're going through February, we're going through March. All the

2401
02:48:54.639 --> 02:48:58.360
Awa cities and towns we've mentioned,
We've gone through the circuit a few times,

2402
02:48:58.399 --> 02:49:01.200
so he circles back to all the
towns we've already said. There's this

2403
02:49:01.280 --> 02:49:05.600
weird thing with Montreal where I'm not
sure what office was aligned with who,

2404
02:49:05.719 --> 02:49:09.760
but I say that a lot of
weird things with I know where he goes

2405
02:49:09.760 --> 02:49:11.319
out there and the shows aren't listed
as ABA shows. But he's wrestling like

2406
02:49:11.399 --> 02:49:15.959
Andre the Giant in the middle of
being a w a wrestler and saying like

2407
02:49:16.000 --> 02:49:18.040
Saint Louis. But I'm not sure
what promoter had the end. There may

2408
02:49:18.079 --> 02:49:22.200
have been a Grand Prix wrestling,
I'm not sure. But so he wrestles

2409
02:49:22.000 --> 02:49:26.479
Andre the Giant in April of eighty
three in Montreal. He comes back and

2410
02:49:26.520 --> 02:49:30.280
wrestles Jerry Blackwell in the A W
A. He teams with Matt Doctors Sean.

2411
02:49:31.280 --> 02:49:35.440
He teams also with great This is
huge. April sixteenth, ninet eighty

2412
02:49:35.479 --> 02:49:39.159
three, UIC Pavilion, Chicago,
Hulk Hogan, greg Gania and Jim's second

2413
02:49:39.200 --> 02:49:43.200
birthday. What's that my second birthday? Oh? Is it really? Yeah?

2414
02:49:45.399 --> 02:49:48.399
April sixteenth, right, Boss was
two when this went down. You

2415
02:49:48.440 --> 02:49:52.760
said April sixteenth, right, that's
correct, that's right. Hogan, greg

2416
02:49:52.840 --> 02:49:56.639
Gania and Jim Brenzel over Ken,
peterra, Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan.

2417
02:49:58.680 --> 02:50:03.360
And you know what's wild about this
man? What they played it on All

2418
02:50:03.399 --> 02:50:09.040
American Wrestling? Do you remember one
of the most electric things of our Black

2419
02:50:09.079 --> 02:50:13.840
Saturday coverage playing clips of that first
year of All American? Yes? Or

2420
02:50:15.000 --> 02:50:18.760
Vince is pitching it to Flare Wrestling
in the Mid Atlantic area, yes,

2421
02:50:18.399 --> 02:50:22.879
Or he's pitching to Hult Cogan wrestling
in the AWA with Greg Gania. Where

2422
02:50:22.879 --> 02:50:26.799
he's pitching to Mid South with wrestlers
like I think Ted Dibiassi wrestling down there.

2423
02:50:28.680 --> 02:50:31.680
This is a Vince Florida with Black
bart wrestling down there. Yes,

2424
02:50:33.120 --> 02:50:41.520
absolutely, Dallas with Kevin von Eric. I mean this idea that Vince was

2425
02:50:41.680 --> 02:50:46.840
like that his first option was to
just rampage and pillage this to me,

2426
02:50:48.120 --> 02:50:50.360
and we talked about it on Black
Saturday. Says that his first mode of

2427
02:50:50.440 --> 02:50:56.760
operation was to convince everybody that basically
supplying him with their top talent would make

2428
02:50:56.799 --> 02:51:01.000
them national stars. He just took
over USA cable from Southwestchampionship Wrestling in August

2429
02:51:01.040 --> 02:51:03.200
of eighty three, so now he's
got a national cable platform on par with

2430
02:51:03.319 --> 02:51:07.559
TBS in some ways not as big, but the distribution is there. And

2431
02:51:07.680 --> 02:51:13.280
it's like he starts shouting out all
these other promotions that he's supposedly trying to

2432
02:51:13.360 --> 02:51:18.399
kill, and he is the one
he doesn't is Georgia because he was He

2433
02:51:18.600 --> 02:51:22.319
was at loggerheads with only from the
very beginning, and USA is competing with

2434
02:51:22.360 --> 02:51:26.159
TBS, so you know, he's
not interested in shouting out Georgia Championship Wrestling

2435
02:51:26.159 --> 02:51:28.680
on his air waves at all,
of course, but it's just amazing to

2436
02:51:28.760 --> 02:51:31.879
hear him say, we now go
to the American Wrestling Association where Greg Gania

2437
02:51:31.879 --> 02:51:35.879
and Hull Cogan are teaming up to
face blah blah blah. That was the

2438
02:51:35.920 --> 02:51:39.959
wildest fucking thing. And what's so
key is I believe in the third ever

2439
02:51:39.000 --> 02:51:45.079
All American Wrestling. He plays a
match between Hull Cogan Andre the Giant from

2440
02:51:45.120 --> 02:51:50.200
the WWWF days where Andre's the baby
face and Hogan is the heel, and

2441
02:51:50.280 --> 02:51:52.559
he plays in an An American Wrestling. This is before is spot Backlan's still

2442
02:51:52.600 --> 02:51:58.319
champion. This is before anyone had
had a notion that Hogan was going to

2443
02:51:58.399 --> 02:52:01.479
jump from the AWA. Though you
look back at the chronology of how guys

2444
02:52:01.520 --> 02:52:05.920
tell the story of when Hogan,
who's actually reached out to Probably the same

2445
02:52:05.000 --> 02:52:11.000
fucking week that Vince went into studio
to lay down the the alternate commentary track

2446
02:52:11.079 --> 02:52:13.479
for this match for All American Wrestling, that he knew that he had made

2447
02:52:13.520 --> 02:52:18.840
a successful overture to hul Cogan.
Here is and we played it before,

2448
02:52:18.840 --> 02:52:22.280
We're going to play it again.
Vince McMahon making sure to protect Hulk Hogan

2449
02:52:22.319 --> 02:52:28.920
in the commentary of a match against
Andre the Giant where he comes up short.

2450
02:52:28.319 --> 02:52:33.680
But if you're Vince McMahon planning on
bringing in hul Cogan and building your

2451
02:52:33.719 --> 02:52:39.680
whole operation around him being the world
beating babyface, these are probably the kind

2452
02:52:39.680 --> 02:52:43.840
of things you'd say, and replaying
this match against Andre on All American wrestling.

2453
02:52:43.840 --> 02:52:48.520
Oh Man, this has been a
really hard hop on his leg.

2454
02:52:48.600 --> 02:52:52.760
I kicked it at jest Paul Hoggan, Hawk stupid harp Coggan going put the

2455
02:52:54.200 --> 02:53:01.319
map, but clim do pray the
Giant. Unbelievable Hogun. I slammed Andre

2456
02:53:01.559 --> 02:53:07.239
the Giant in an unprecedented event.
Look at Hogan three hundred and twenty pounds

2457
02:53:07.319 --> 02:53:09.879
of all muscles, looking up at
the muscle, Andrey goes back to work.

2458
02:53:09.959 --> 02:53:15.200
Wow, Andre back to it.
It goes for another slam, but

2459
02:53:15.360 --> 02:53:18.159
no hand right shipped his way a
quick count by rough blank a little man,

2460
02:53:18.280 --> 02:53:22.799
so I really quit down by rough
rank ailla mon soon. Andre the

2461
02:53:22.959 --> 02:53:30.040
Giant here before capacity crowd in Madison
Square. Garden apparently has an undefeated streak

2462
02:53:30.200 --> 02:53:33.000
in Pact. My hand raised in
a tuck in a victory, and Hawk

2463
02:53:33.040 --> 02:53:37.719
Cogan has nothing to be a shamed
of. Indeed, Hawk Cogan could very

2464
02:53:37.760 --> 02:53:39.719
well have perhaps defeated, oh my
god, the Giant, and he said

2465
02:53:41.040 --> 02:53:46.840
now to Wow. Well minutes twenty
five second, Joe Winner Ondry had Giant

2466
02:53:48.840 --> 02:53:52.559
and again, ladies and gentlemen,
I had not been for the questionable count,

2467
02:53:54.159 --> 02:53:58.639
very quick count of the then guest
referee Guerrilla monsoon. Perhaps you could

2468
02:53:58.639 --> 02:54:03.159
see as both individuals were beginning to
tire. Perhaps hope Cogan would have brought

2469
02:54:03.239 --> 02:54:07.559
the undefeated streak of Andre the Giant
to an abrupt halt. And to this

2470
02:54:07.799 --> 02:54:13.479
date, certainly Cogan looms on the
horizon, is perhaps a tough contender.

2471
02:54:13.559 --> 02:54:16.920
Indeed, in the future for Andre
the Giant, we'll be back with more

2472
02:54:16.959 --> 02:54:22.399
of Andrea's encounters. So much going
on there that, I mean, that's

2473
02:54:22.520 --> 02:54:24.559
that's unbelieved. What do you hear
their boss let him know. I mean,

2474
02:54:24.879 --> 02:54:31.479
I hear like, I mean,
first of all, you got he's

2475
02:54:31.559 --> 02:54:39.959
doing commentary for Hogan Andre. He's
talking about undefeated streaks, Hogan almost getting

2476
02:54:41.479 --> 02:54:48.000
the victory and potentially you know,
and and would happen years later. Like

2477
02:54:48.079 --> 02:54:50.559
there's just a lot of almost foresight, as he said, going out of

2478
02:54:50.600 --> 02:54:56.200
his way to make excuses for why
Holpe came up short. Yes, but

2479
02:54:56.360 --> 02:54:58.360
he didn't do for any other matches
he voiced over in American Wrestling. No,

2480
02:55:00.000 --> 02:55:01.239
and again it's part of a tribute
show to Andre. The first episodes

2481
02:55:01.239 --> 02:55:05.520
of All American were like personality profiles
of a Jimmy Snooka, a Bob Eckland,

2482
02:55:05.559 --> 02:55:09.200
and Andre the Giant where it was
like an hour of all their best

2483
02:55:09.280 --> 02:55:13.719
matches, like mostly archival and here
e Vince just has to get into the

2484
02:55:13.760 --> 02:55:16.479
booth when they play the Hogan match
on the Andre Special and laid down that

2485
02:55:16.600 --> 02:55:20.200
track. I just endlessly fascinated in
terms of what that tells us about the

2486
02:55:20.280 --> 02:55:24.360
timeline. How soon in nineteen eighty
three did Vince know we had Hulkchin.

2487
02:55:24.399 --> 02:55:31.879
This would indicate as early as September, So that's fucking wild. Meanwhile,

2488
02:55:31.959 --> 02:55:37.000
earlier in eighty three, Hogan's working
racing against Jerry Blackwell and Ventura and Rockford

2489
02:55:37.159 --> 02:55:41.280
and Mad Dog Vshan teaming with him
against Ventura and Ken Peterna Cage and Milwaukee.

2490
02:55:41.840 --> 02:55:43.319
That's kind of the beat as far
as what he's got going on in

2491
02:55:43.319 --> 02:55:48.639
the opponents that he's working against.
He goes back to Japan in May of

2492
02:55:48.799 --> 02:55:52.479
nineteen eighty three and works with Studd
and Andre and Anoki and Choshu and Killer

2493
02:55:52.559 --> 02:55:56.360
Khan and Saijisaka Gucci and just a
Murderer's Row. Really, and this is

2494
02:55:56.399 --> 02:56:03.600
the IWGP tournament taking he's wrestling,
you know, he faces a Russia Kumura.

2495
02:56:05.559 --> 02:56:07.920
He teams with el Kanneck the Mexican
wrestling legend. I mean, wow,

2496
02:56:09.440 --> 02:56:13.159
he wrestles Otto Vance. I invite
you to consider that Hogan versus Vance.

2497
02:56:13.600 --> 02:56:16.680
Jesus, It's just amazing some of
these matches. How about Antoniook at

2498
02:56:16.719 --> 02:56:20.680
Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant and
El Kanek on May fourteenth, nineteen eighty

2499
02:56:20.719 --> 02:56:26.920
three in Numazushizuoka. I mean,
that's like for the biggest wrestlers to ever

2500
02:56:26.120 --> 02:56:31.600
live right there, Just no one
knows it. It's going down on stateside.

2501
02:56:31.719 --> 02:56:35.680
Andre Hogan wrestle again May fifteenth,
nineteen eighty three in Tokyo. He's

2502
02:56:35.680 --> 02:56:39.040
wrestling Killer Connell over the circuit,
somebody he would get some good matches out

2503
02:56:39.040 --> 02:56:43.200
of when he was WF champion.
Just all of these connections being made and

2504
02:56:43.280 --> 02:56:46.959
all of these rings being shared in
Japan for Hogan. He leaves in May

2505
02:56:46.280 --> 02:56:50.639
of nineteen eighty three after beating Killer
Khan Are actually wrestling him to a double

2506
02:56:50.719 --> 02:56:54.360
count out. And then he works
with Big John Studd against Antoniook at a

2507
02:56:54.399 --> 02:56:58.879
Kira Mayda, and then he wrestles
Anok in the finals of the IWGP torn

2508
02:57:00.000 --> 02:57:03.239
And this took place June second,
nineteen eighty three. I thought it was

2509
02:57:03.280 --> 02:57:05.719
August for some reason, I was
mistaken. June second, nineteenty three,

2510
02:57:05.920 --> 02:57:09.479
Hulk Hogan defeats Antonio Minoki in the
finals of the IWGP tournament to become what

2511
02:57:09.600 --> 02:57:15.360
we may consider Boss, the first
ever IWGP heavyweight champion. It was Hulk

2512
02:57:15.520 --> 02:57:20.040
Hope. It's so bizarre, except
that reality it's amazing. One day we'll

2513
02:57:20.079 --> 02:57:22.479
do it. Then this is where
it comes back and works. Saint Louis.

2514
02:57:22.479 --> 02:57:26.040
He does July fifteenth, ninety three
at the Kiel, defeating a wrestled

2515
02:57:26.040 --> 02:57:31.959
by the name of Korsia Korchenko.
He then wrestles July fifteenth of nineteen eighty

2516
02:57:31.000 --> 02:57:35.000
three against Crusher Jerry Blackwell at the
Kuil Auditorium. He does a quick shot

2517
02:57:35.040 --> 02:57:39.879
in Mexico which blew my mind that
Hulko and wrestling Mexico in eighty three team

2518
02:57:39.040 --> 02:57:41.559
the Granda Martin. I do how
many? How many iranas did he do?

2519
02:57:41.840 --> 02:57:46.719
I know and that that the record
does not indicate. And it comes

2520
02:57:46.760 --> 02:57:50.120
back to Saint Louis August fifth.
It's him Ron Ritchie Dick the Bruiser against

2521
02:57:50.159 --> 02:57:54.879
Crusher Blackwell, black Jack Mulligan and
Baron von Rashki and a six man and

2522
02:57:54.920 --> 02:57:58.239
now he's back in the WA orbit
working in Salt Lake City against Massa Saido

2523
02:57:58.360 --> 02:58:01.600
and Ken Petera. Must Sato again
several times against Saido. This is the

2524
02:58:01.639 --> 02:58:05.319
time period that David Chulz referred to
in his book The Comeback Right. So

2525
02:58:05.360 --> 02:58:07.319
that's where Hogan was. He went
to Saint Louis for a little bit,

2526
02:58:07.319 --> 02:58:11.079
and he went to Japan. So
that's what John was wondering there on his

2527
02:58:11.200 --> 02:58:16.360
living room floor. He worked the
key to August twenty six, eighty three

2528
02:58:16.360 --> 02:58:20.040
against Crusher. Blackwell won that by
count out, went to Chicago and wrestled

2529
02:58:20.040 --> 02:58:24.040
Saiedo for the AWA. August twenty
seventh, fought Sato again in Saint Paul,

2530
02:58:24.120 --> 02:58:28.760
He did Vegas, Denver, San
Frian, Milwaukee, Montreal, Saint

2531
02:58:28.840 --> 02:58:33.239
Louis again. That was September sixteenth, eighty three against Blackwell Chicago, where

2532
02:58:33.280 --> 02:58:37.680
he's defeating David Scheltzon Sayito in a
two on one handicap. They bring it

2533
02:58:37.799 --> 02:58:41.239
back September eighteenth, where Siito and
Cheltz beat Hogan and Jim Burunzell in a

2534
02:58:41.280 --> 02:58:46.079
tag team match d No contest there. So that's kind of the pairings for

2535
02:58:46.159 --> 02:58:50.799
the tags that goes through September Hogan
in September twenty fifth, eighty three in

2536
02:58:50.840 --> 02:58:54.600
Saint Paul, Minnesota, defeats Sayuto
and Schultz Vita's qualification in a two on

2537
02:58:54.680 --> 02:59:01.120
one handicap. They bring the match
to Vegas. He works Rosemont and this

2538
02:59:01.280 --> 02:59:05.120
is a key match here right here, October fourth, nineteen and eighty three,

2539
02:59:05.840 --> 02:59:09.079
Yes, roseman Horise in Rose much
Gaga, Illinois. Hulk Hogan,

2540
02:59:09.120 --> 02:59:13.840
Greg Ganyon, Jim Brenzel, Russell, Jerry Blackwell, Ken peterra and chik

2541
02:59:13.879 --> 02:59:18.360
ad Non ol kc the Future General
Adnan there and a six man tag.

2542
02:59:18.920 --> 02:59:24.479
And in the Chris Jericho podcast,
Hogan actually talks about how this this was

2543
02:59:24.559 --> 02:59:30.040
the show where WWF photographer Steve Taylor, who shot stills for them for years

2544
02:59:30.639 --> 02:59:33.120
and did the magazine coverage and who
Hogan got to know and his first run

2545
02:59:33.200 --> 02:59:37.520
through New York, suddenly shows up
at the Roseman Horiz in this Awa show

2546
02:59:37.559 --> 02:59:41.479
with press credentials to photograph the event. And he's got a business card that

2547
02:59:41.520 --> 02:59:46.000
he's going to slip to Hulk Hogan
and he's got a message for Hulk Cogan.

2548
02:59:46.559 --> 02:59:48.319
Someone wants to get in touch with
him. Here in October of nineteen

2549
02:59:48.360 --> 02:59:52.840
eighty three, ye, how how
did you get hooked up with Vancent?

2550
02:59:54.000 --> 02:59:56.680
Was it? Did you know?
Like it was? Was? The takeover

2551
02:59:56.879 --> 03:00:03.840
was coming that quick? Wow for
the buyout, I guess because I've been

2552
03:00:03.959 --> 03:00:09.559
living in an apartment where the Mall
of America is. There used to be

2553
03:00:09.600 --> 03:00:15.159
an apartment there called the Versailla Apartments
where all the stewardess has lived, and

2554
03:00:15.280 --> 03:00:16.600
I was living there. I was
single, of course, of course,

2555
03:00:16.840 --> 03:00:22.159
yeah, and I just met this
girl in California who at the time was

2556
03:00:22.200 --> 03:00:24.479
his dating having to be my first
wife, Linda, and you know,

2557
03:00:24.719 --> 03:00:26.840
it was starting to get serious,
but I still was, you know,

2558
03:00:28.319 --> 03:00:35.200
party, and I decided to buy
this townhouse in Bloomington. Were you making

2559
03:00:35.239 --> 03:00:37.360
pretty good money? And yeah,
I was doing good. Yeah, I

2560
03:00:37.440 --> 03:00:39.600
was doing good. And plus I
was one Japan, so I was doing

2561
03:00:39.600 --> 03:00:43.399
good. So back in the day, it was good. And so you

2562
03:00:43.479 --> 03:00:46.239
know, all of a sudden,
I decided to buy this townhouse in Bloomington,

2563
03:00:46.280 --> 03:00:50.520
and I bought it from Kathy Gania
because she was a real estate agent.

2564
03:00:50.399 --> 03:00:54.399
And I mean the data closing,
she came dressed to the nines.

2565
03:00:54.479 --> 03:00:58.879
I mean, this whole thing was
like I'm gonna explode it anyway, I

2566
03:01:00.040 --> 03:01:05.000
brought Linda from He just didn't go
down well. But in that long story

2567
03:01:05.040 --> 03:01:07.680
short, we had been in the
house about a month month and a half

2568
03:01:09.040 --> 03:01:13.319
when I was at the Rosemont Horizon
and I was in a six man tag

2569
03:01:13.639 --> 03:01:20.760
and dustin rose my hero was sold
out, which it was, Yeah,

2570
03:01:20.440 --> 03:01:26.280
it was sold out, crazy and
that aw a thing was to a fever

2571
03:01:26.479 --> 03:01:28.719
pitch in Minnesota and shot it was
very popular. We were rolling, actually

2572
03:01:28.719 --> 03:01:31.959
we were getting ready to come into
New York. Just wanted to buy TV,

2573
03:01:33.120 --> 03:01:37.079
I mean Vernon wanted to buy or
he did buy TV time on Channel

2574
03:01:37.200 --> 03:01:39.280
nine and a bunch of other things. That whole crew we had, we

2575
03:01:39.319 --> 03:01:45.239
were going to come that way.
And so out of nowhere, I'm at

2576
03:01:45.239 --> 03:01:48.559
the Rosemont Horizon. I'm a six
man tag as chic and non okay.

2577
03:01:48.680 --> 03:01:54.479
See was she Jerry Blackwell and she
Ken Petera against me, Greg and Jim

2578
03:01:54.719 --> 03:01:58.559
And right from went to the ring. The curtain opened upstairs, you remember

2579
03:01:58.600 --> 03:02:01.120
the rosemanos curtains. The curtain up
and he can I get a picture on

2580
03:02:01.159 --> 03:02:05.280
it? Steve Tanner, what are
you doing here? And the white headband

2581
03:02:05.319 --> 03:02:09.079
that said Holster, I'm doing this
number. It was on the cover of

2582
03:02:09.120 --> 03:02:11.840
the first WF magazine. That picture
was taken while I was still on the

2583
03:02:11.879 --> 03:02:16.440
aw Steve worked for the w as
a photographer. Yes, many things,

2584
03:02:16.520 --> 03:02:20.879
but yeah, yeah, So Steve
took a picture and he gets here then

2585
03:02:20.959 --> 03:02:22.879
swants to call him. I said, Steve, Vince told me I'd never

2586
03:02:22.920 --> 03:02:26.840
work again. He goes, no, I'm not senior, junior. So

2587
03:02:26.000 --> 03:02:30.879
he gave me the card right trying
to decide what to do with the card,

2588
03:02:30.959 --> 03:02:35.040
what to do with the card,
And that sunday I get back.

2589
03:02:35.920 --> 03:02:37.799
There's a story song tell me to
shut up, and it was great kidding.

2590
03:02:37.959 --> 03:02:41.639
So the Sunday I get back to
Minnesota and I'm sitting out at Vern's

2591
03:02:41.680 --> 03:02:48.799
pool with me and Vern and Greg
and backluncle in, Oh can you this

2592
03:02:48.920 --> 03:02:50.760
day and this day? You know
you're gonna be an entreprenter? No,

2593
03:02:50.799 --> 03:02:54.479
I said, I'm doing there.
So they booked me all the main events

2594
03:02:54.520 --> 03:02:58.520
all day around the territory with Backlunkle
in the cage right for the belt again.

2595
03:03:00.000 --> 03:03:01.760
Of a sudden, right at the
booking meeting, Oh my god,

2596
03:03:01.799 --> 03:03:03.639
we gotta go. We gotta have
a meeting. You know where are you

2597
03:03:03.680 --> 03:03:11.079
guys going? So jump up and
take off in the middle of this meeting

2598
03:03:11.120 --> 03:03:13.280
and Balkmom goes, well, I'm
going home. I'm sitting there and there's

2599
03:03:13.319 --> 03:03:16.440
Kathy Garney there. I'm like,
uh, I'm going too. What I

2600
03:03:16.600 --> 03:03:20.959
did was, instead of going home, I followed Vernon Gregg to the airport.

2601
03:03:20.959 --> 03:03:24.600
And when I went to the airport, I was because the Minnesota airport

2602
03:03:24.680 --> 03:03:28.639
was a lot smaller back here.
Get in the car and drive. Yeah,

2603
03:03:28.879 --> 03:03:31.559
a movie, we have to go
through a red light together. No,

2604
03:03:31.680 --> 03:03:33.719
I didn't do that. I'll stay
behind it. They were, they

2605
03:03:33.719 --> 03:03:35.000
don't even watch it. And I
follow in the airport and all of a

2606
03:03:35.000 --> 03:03:41.959
sudden, the whole Northwest Terminal was
you know small back in the day,

2607
03:03:41.520 --> 03:03:46.280
was airport like this now And all
of a sudden, you know, walking

2608
03:03:46.280 --> 03:03:50.280
along and I looked, I kept
going and there's Brn and Greg and Thence.

2609
03:03:52.159 --> 03:03:56.440
Wow. So I got the hell
out of there, zipped back to

2610
03:03:56.559 --> 03:04:00.479
my house and uh, all of
a sudden, I told Linda, who

2611
03:04:00.680 --> 03:04:03.399
just you know, came for California. So I'm gonna call Dents because I

2612
03:04:03.559 --> 03:04:05.120
just caught him and Burn and Greg
talk on a little more. Wow.

2613
03:04:05.639 --> 03:04:09.959
So I called because we're getting ready
going to New York and all that other

2614
03:04:09.040 --> 03:04:13.600
East Coast right, and Verne was
talking, I'm gonna turn the whole thing.

2615
03:04:13.719 --> 03:04:16.760
Man. We were we were common
We had a crew man, and

2616
03:04:16.959 --> 03:04:20.000
so I called Dents and he goes, you know, I'm getting ready to

2617
03:04:20.000 --> 03:04:24.159
take the company over from my dad. I don't get this vision, you

2618
03:04:24.239 --> 03:04:26.360
know, this is what I want
to do. I'm like, oh boy,

2619
03:04:28.040 --> 03:04:31.799
yeah, you know, I'm gonna
call all the shots and you're gonna

2620
03:04:31.879 --> 03:04:35.440
cross all the barriers. You're gonna
go into Kansas City and Harley Race and

2621
03:04:35.479 --> 03:04:39.000
you're gonna go to the wats Territory. I'm like, somebody's gonna get killed

2622
03:04:39.040 --> 03:04:43.399
here and it's probably gonna be me. But I'm the guy. I'll do

2623
03:04:43.479 --> 03:04:46.719
it, you know. And then
just goes, well, you know you

2624
03:04:46.760 --> 03:04:50.719
should come to New York and said, no, you come here. No,

2625
03:04:52.440 --> 03:04:54.520
so Vince flew in. I wouldn't
go to the airport to pick him

2626
03:04:54.600 --> 03:04:56.920
up because I don't want to be
seen with him, right, because you

2627
03:04:56.959 --> 03:05:00.600
know, I had to hell of
the job. And so I said Linter.

2628
03:05:00.639 --> 03:05:01.000
She goes, how am I gonna
know? He looks like I said,

2629
03:05:01.000 --> 03:05:03.879
he's gonna be this guy with his
big shoulder pads. I'm probably a

2630
03:05:03.959 --> 03:05:09.120
pink or blue or weird green suit, you know. Yeah, and so

2631
03:05:09.319 --> 03:05:13.079
I you know, so she spotted
me to have cell phones back in the

2632
03:05:13.159 --> 03:05:16.000
day, back then. So here
they come back to the house, right,

2633
03:05:16.120 --> 03:05:18.520
Oh we didn't. It was great
to see. So we started talking

2634
03:05:18.559 --> 03:05:22.280
about I don't know, seven,
eight, nine o'clock at night. Finally

2635
03:05:22.319 --> 03:05:24.600
about four or five in the morning
we shook hands. A week later,

2636
03:05:26.200 --> 03:05:30.520
I locked up that brand new townhouse. I bought Split did something you never

2637
03:05:30.600 --> 03:05:35.879
should do in wrestling in the dead
of no notice. Not yeah, figured,

2638
03:05:37.360 --> 03:05:41.399
yeah, thank you, but no
notice. Total cardinal sin. Should

2639
03:05:41.399 --> 03:05:45.639
have put Backwinkle over everywhere on the
way out, And I did the most

2640
03:05:45.760 --> 03:05:48.760
unethical thing you get ever doing the
wrestling. Does I just split just walked

2641
03:05:48.760 --> 03:05:52.079
out. Yeah, yeah, that's
when Verne tried to get the sheet to

2642
03:05:52.120 --> 03:05:58.319
break my leg in the garden.
You got all that followed him to the

2643
03:05:58.399 --> 03:06:05.360
airport and happened to see them meeting, right, which means I heard later

2644
03:06:05.639 --> 03:06:09.600
that Vince was trying to buy out. And so I need to concoct a

2645
03:06:09.680 --> 03:06:13.200
story where I'm somehow a character in
that piece of the drama. Well,

2646
03:06:13.280 --> 03:06:16.360
I was there, dude the whole
time. Brother, It's like, you

2647
03:06:16.399 --> 03:06:18.920
know, I was. I was
at the airport and I was like,

2648
03:06:18.040 --> 03:06:22.479
hey, you know, something's I
said, you know, something's kind of

2649
03:06:22.520 --> 03:06:26.159
Fishy's like, something's amiss. They
got to go to a meeting. Dude,

2650
03:06:26.239 --> 03:06:30.000
Like what am I a meeting?
So I so I got him in

2651
03:06:30.159 --> 03:06:31.879
my car. Brother, I had
you know, I put on a black

2652
03:06:31.959 --> 03:06:39.840
fedora boor my sunglasses very incognito,
very incognito, or a black leather jacket,

2653
03:06:39.879 --> 03:06:45.879
brother, like Marty McFly in Back
of the Future, too, very

2654
03:06:45.959 --> 03:06:50.200
incognito. So I go there,
brother, and I and I and I

2655
03:06:50.319 --> 03:06:54.159
saw, you know, this is
the thing, brother, what I saw

2656
03:06:54.319 --> 03:07:00.719
happened was on you know, it's
unprecedent. I saw vernet the check from

2657
03:07:00.799 --> 03:07:03.000
Vincent Man. He passed it across
the table. Dude passed it across the

2658
03:07:03.079 --> 03:07:07.040
table. He takes it and he
put in his jacket and he actually so

2659
03:07:07.399 --> 03:07:11.200
you know, here we are we're
talking about you know, people talk about

2660
03:07:11.239 --> 03:07:16.559
how how how Vincent Man killed the
Awa. No, brother, I witnessed

2661
03:07:16.559 --> 03:07:22.639
it with my own eyes, my
hulk eyes. Brother, right, it

2662
03:07:22.799 --> 03:07:26.040
was an agreement. Due they were
in cahoots together. Brother. Wow.

2663
03:07:28.959 --> 03:07:33.479
I was there and I had a
walkie talking. I was like telling Linda

2664
03:07:33.680 --> 03:07:37.959
I was like, brother, right
he hit a walkie talkie? Was he

2665
03:07:39.079 --> 03:07:48.360
five years old? I was like, brother, it's going down. I

2666
03:07:48.440 --> 03:07:50.920
thought I was going up, Darry. That was my hope with the wedding

2667
03:07:50.959 --> 03:07:56.879
coming up and everything. But he
fucking I can't. I can't with this

2668
03:07:58.000 --> 03:08:01.280
guy. It's like, there's always
so much like cloak and dagger. Brother,

2669
03:08:01.639 --> 03:08:03.520
And I'll tell you what, dude. The thing about it that was

2670
03:08:03.600 --> 03:08:07.360
even more confusing, brother, and
it kind of really made me realize kind

2671
03:08:07.360 --> 03:08:11.280
of how high this thing was going, dude, and how we're kind of

2672
03:08:11.559 --> 03:08:18.120
where everything was coming from. I
saw Vinz mick Man give Verne Gagney and

2673
03:08:18.319 --> 03:08:22.079
Greg Gagney nuclear codes. How do
you know there were nuclear codes? Terry?

2674
03:08:22.120 --> 03:08:28.840
What do you know about those?
Brother? He's his brother tremendous.

2675
03:08:30.120 --> 03:08:33.479
That's when he chooses to say,
Brother, I don't blame the man.

2676
03:08:35.719 --> 03:08:37.879
So what was the appeal? I
mean, you know, he lays it

2677
03:08:37.959 --> 03:08:41.879
out there, but what was it
that Vince was saying to get the Helcaminierra

2678
03:08:41.000 --> 03:08:46.600
started, leading to a January twenty
third, nineteen eighty four. I felt

2679
03:08:46.639 --> 03:08:48.040
whether it would work or not,
I want to go back to New York.

2680
03:08:48.079 --> 03:08:52.600
If you're a wrestler. Of course, the biggest you can get is

2681
03:08:52.639 --> 03:08:54.799
to wrestle in the garden, you
know what I mean, I know the

2682
03:08:54.879 --> 03:08:58.399
Garden. Yeah, And so when
I went in the Garden, even as

2683
03:08:58.440 --> 03:09:03.319
a heel, I get that that
vibe, you know, and the Philadelphia

2684
03:09:03.399 --> 03:09:07.840
Spectrum and all those that Northeast was
Man, that's that's wrestling up there.

2685
03:09:07.920 --> 03:09:11.120
That's where the electricity is legendary.
Yeah, so I wanted to go back

2686
03:09:11.120 --> 03:09:13.159
there. And then the fact that
I figured this baby face gimmick out,

2687
03:09:13.239 --> 03:09:18.360
and when I saw how I worked
in the AWA, there's something about being

2688
03:09:18.440 --> 03:09:22.319
in the garden and being in those
bigger cities that even if you don't have

2689
03:09:22.399 --> 03:09:24.440
that greater match, people still think
it's great. I knew if I went

2690
03:09:24.559 --> 03:09:30.639
back with this whole Mania gimmick,
and what I saw was going on politically

2691
03:09:30.719 --> 03:09:35.840
with America against Iran and that whole
heated up thing and the Sheik being the

2692
03:09:35.879 --> 03:09:39.879
real deal, you know from my
ran the real shop, Iran's real bodyguard,

2693
03:09:39.239 --> 03:09:43.200
right, and and you know,
he had the perfect gimmick. I

2694
03:09:43.280 --> 03:09:46.959
knew it was a perfect storm,
and I was just betting on it was

2695
03:09:48.000 --> 03:09:50.559
going to blow the roof off the
place. And you know, thank god.

2696
03:09:50.600 --> 03:09:52.760
We had a short match, you
know, and it went good and

2697
03:09:54.040 --> 03:09:58.280
it just worked, man, you
know. And so that's that's why there's

2698
03:09:58.280 --> 03:10:03.280
a shift. Brother. What Yeah, I'll say he picked up the Minnesota

2699
03:10:03.319 --> 03:10:07.280
ay Sin rough when he was out
there. But there's a little shifting story.

2700
03:10:07.520 --> 03:10:11.600
First time it was Sheikh was almost
the bodyguard for the Shaw, and

2701
03:10:11.680 --> 03:10:16.639
now he absolutely was the bodyguard for
the Shaw. Why these weird qualifications from

2702
03:10:16.680 --> 03:10:20.799
Hulk? I never understand things he
chooses to be, you know, I

2703
03:10:20.600 --> 03:10:24.920
qualified about I know. So from
here on out, we're working with a

2704
03:10:24.959 --> 03:10:28.319
double agent Hulk. We're working with
the Hulk that clearly knows that Vince is

2705
03:10:28.360 --> 03:10:33.479
interested, and it's still working for
the AWA. He wrestles in a Battle

2706
03:10:33.520 --> 03:10:37.120
Royal at the Rosemunt Horizon. After
that fateful night that he just talked about

2707
03:10:37.200 --> 03:10:39.520
on October fourth, went to Saint
Louis at the Keel and actually, ladies

2708
03:10:39.520 --> 03:10:45.079
and gentlemen, I invite you to
consider this mm hmm. October eighth,

2709
03:10:45.159 --> 03:10:48.079
nineteen eighty three, Keil Auditorium,
Saint Louis. Hul Cogan, that is

2710
03:10:48.159 --> 03:10:54.520
the aw A Hulk Cogan we've been
talking so much about here wrestles Hartley Race

2711
03:10:54.760 --> 03:11:00.840
for the NWA World title. What
the fuss Benson time thinking about that?

2712
03:11:01.399 --> 03:11:09.799
I three months a well four months
before he beat Chic in the garden,

2713
03:11:11.159 --> 03:11:18.879
He's wrestling Harley for the nw A
strap. That's fucking wild. How what

2714
03:11:20.079 --> 03:11:24.360
was the what was the what was
the result? It says Race beats Hogan

2715
03:11:24.440 --> 03:11:28.079
by DQ. Wow, must he
used a chair or something. No footage

2716
03:11:28.079 --> 03:11:35.680
of the match exists that I've been
able to find. Unbelievable. So so

2717
03:11:35.079 --> 03:11:41.319
I didn't even know he ever had
a shot at the NBA time. I

2718
03:11:41.399 --> 03:11:43.399
know, I think this is the
only time he ever did. He's talked

2719
03:11:43.399 --> 03:11:46.680
about never having one, I think
before And do you remember something from the

2720
03:11:46.680 --> 03:11:52.799
Star Kid memorial tour about Star k
eighty three. Yes, there's a poster

2721
03:11:52.959 --> 03:11:58.639
that exists of what to Hogan's on
it. Yes, Hogan was going to

2722
03:11:58.680 --> 03:12:03.959
be on the first Star Kaid is
Well, you know part of the oh,

2723
03:12:05.680 --> 03:12:07.520
part of that, you know,
new pipeline from Saint Louis, Harley's

2724
03:12:07.559 --> 03:12:11.479
in. You know now that uh
Verne is in in Saint Louis and sending

2725
03:12:11.479 --> 03:12:16.399
his talent there. Suddenly you know
they can congeal with the guys that Saint

2726
03:12:16.440 --> 03:12:20.399
Louis was sending to Crockett like Harley, and all of a sudden, the

2727
03:12:20.440 --> 03:12:24.440
door's open for hul Cogan to go
to Crockett. Hul Cogan on the first

2728
03:12:24.440 --> 03:12:28.239
Starcade. Hul Cogan wrestling Harley Race
in October of eighty three. Ladies and

2729
03:12:28.280 --> 03:12:35.799
gentlemen, Mmmm. This is the
same time period where Vince sees Harley in

2730
03:12:35.840 --> 03:12:41.920
the bathroom and asks him to walk
out on Starkate and come here and watch

2731
03:12:41.959 --> 03:12:48.959
your battle battle colostly. Yes,
we've got a colossal tussle over here,

2732
03:12:48.000 --> 03:12:54.760
pal, how can you resist?
It works? David Schultz in October he

2733
03:12:54.879 --> 03:12:56.760
does a quick john to Florida,
then he comes back. He works Kansas

2734
03:12:56.799 --> 03:13:00.680
City against Harley again. He actually
wrestles Harley twice. He's in October eighty

2735
03:13:00.719 --> 03:13:05.959
three. He goes back to Aba. In October fifteenth, Wressel Saiedo wrestles

2736
03:13:07.479 --> 03:13:11.719
tag team matches with Brunzell. He
wrestles David Schultz and some one on ones,

2737
03:13:11.799 --> 03:13:16.239
including Winnipeg, involved in a battle
royal in Winnipeg again. Back to

2738
03:13:16.280 --> 03:13:18.680
Saint Louis, he wrestles a Crusher
Blackwell in a cage. On October twenty

2739
03:13:18.719 --> 03:13:22.079
first of eighty three, he does
San Francisco at the Cow Palace for a

2740
03:13:22.360 --> 03:13:28.120
w A. He does back to
Saint Paul in Salt Lake City and Milwaukee.

2741
03:13:30.399 --> 03:13:33.360
So this is him just like like
I said, double Agent. You

2742
03:13:33.440 --> 03:13:37.040
know, he's going events, but
he's playing out the string. Here we

2743
03:13:37.200 --> 03:13:41.479
go over to November. He's teaming
with Ganya and Brunzell against Blackwell, petera,

2744
03:13:41.520 --> 03:13:46.040
nel kc in a rematch. He's
in Rockford against David Schultz. He's

2745
03:13:46.120 --> 03:13:52.959
in Winnipeg teaming with Andre greg and
Jim Brunzell to face Schultz, Massa Saido,

2746
03:13:54.079 --> 03:13:58.239
Jerry Blackwell, and Ken peterra and
an eight man tag Denver, Green

2747
03:13:58.319 --> 03:14:01.840
Bay, Salt Lake and he's teaming. On November thirteenth, eighty three,

2748
03:14:01.879 --> 03:14:07.159
he teams with Andrew the Giant in
the Awa to beat Masasaito, David Shelton,

2749
03:14:07.239 --> 03:14:09.360
Jerry Blackwell at three on two.
Then it goes back to New Japan

2750
03:14:09.399 --> 03:14:13.520
in November and works a lot of
the guys we've already been talking about.

2751
03:14:13.680 --> 03:14:18.959
Stays there through about to the end
of November of nineteen and eighty three that

2752
03:14:18.079 --> 03:14:22.760
usually go through into December, so
he basically spends that final winter in Japan.

2753
03:14:24.040 --> 03:14:26.479
And this brings us back full circle
to what we talked about at the

2754
03:14:26.520 --> 03:14:30.520
top of the show, which was
his December nineteen eighty three marriage to Linda

2755
03:14:31.879 --> 03:14:33.280
Right, and the talk right was
that he'd just come from a tour of

2756
03:14:33.360 --> 03:14:39.079
Japan. This was that tour.
He wrestled on the final night of the

2757
03:14:39.120 --> 03:14:41.600
tour December tenth, nineteen eighty three, according to Wrestling Data, teaming with

2758
03:14:41.639 --> 03:14:46.479
Antonio and Oki and Tatsuma Fujinami to
take on Andre the Giant, Bobby Duncan

2759
03:14:46.120 --> 03:14:52.760
and Kurt Hennig Ladies and Gentlemen Hogan
Hennick Wow eighty three in Japan that early.

2760
03:14:52.840 --> 03:14:56.799
I can't handle that. I know, it's fucking ridiculous. So if

2761
03:14:56.799 --> 03:15:00.799
we're going to revisit the wedding here
quickly, we're going to shed one perspective

2762
03:15:00.840 --> 03:15:03.920
that we haven't shared yet. Uh
oh. And that was uh oh,

2763
03:15:05.120 --> 03:15:09.639
that of I don't know Linda Hogan, brother right. We got to get

2764
03:15:09.639 --> 03:15:13.879
the full picture here, brother,
she writes. A few months before Terry

2765
03:15:13.879 --> 03:15:16.760
and I got married, Vince McMahon
Junior and Terry reunited by phone again.

2766
03:15:18.040 --> 03:15:20.399
Vince Junior called with an offer we
couldn't refuse. Now it's a call no

2767
03:15:20.520 --> 03:15:24.280
it's not a Steve Taylor thing,
and Vince called him not he called Vince.

2768
03:15:26.479 --> 03:15:28.799
He flew out to a condo,
Minnesota to talk about a new business

2769
03:15:28.799 --> 03:15:31.040
opportunity with this company, the World
Wrestling Federation. Terry was really putting his

2770
03:15:31.200 --> 03:15:33.840
name on the map in Minnesota as
a wrestler to be reckoned with. Then,

2771
03:15:33.920 --> 03:15:37.840
with the further exposure from appearing in
the Rocky three movie, Terry Starr

2772
03:15:37.959 --> 03:15:39.639
was definitely on the rise. There
was no doubt that Vince had a keen

2773
03:15:39.680 --> 03:15:43.319
sense of business and noticed the attention
on the Hulk. He was always ten

2774
03:15:43.360 --> 03:15:46.120
steps ahead of the other promoters and
a genius when he came to marketing and

2775
03:15:46.159 --> 03:15:48.200
television. Vince and his wife Linda
would eventually take this business from small.

2776
03:15:50.200 --> 03:15:52.719
God, I'm not going to read
it. Read it dingy dimly lit.

2777
03:15:52.879 --> 03:15:56.799
No name arenas with fifty to one
hundred people in the audience. Yeah,

2778
03:15:56.840 --> 03:16:01.159
fifty to one hundred if you don't
count twenty two thousand, uh like we

2779
03:16:01.280 --> 03:16:09.120
just referenced for matri Dave Schultz.
But if you don't count all the buildings

2780
03:16:09.159 --> 03:16:13.079
that drew ten thousand and above throughout
the seventies and eighties, then yes,

2781
03:16:13.319 --> 03:16:18.719
he'd be right, No, neighbor, don't. I don't to a billion

2782
03:16:18.719 --> 03:16:22.760
dollar multimedia worldwide company. Vince knew
that Terry was his golden boy, and

2783
03:16:22.840 --> 03:16:26.200
Terry soon became his golden goose by
becoming the front man for the WWF.

2784
03:16:26.360 --> 03:16:28.120
When Vince first came to Minnesota to
meet with Terry, Terry asked me to

2785
03:16:28.159 --> 03:16:31.559
pick Vince up at the airport while
he showered after a wrestling match. Man.

2786
03:16:31.559 --> 03:16:37.200
He wouldn't do that today. Vince
was tall power alone. Brother,

2787
03:16:37.280 --> 03:16:41.079
I don't down't shower with the god. I didn't mean his shower part.

2788
03:16:41.159 --> 03:16:45.639
I meant to have his wife pick
up Vince at the airport. Part.

2789
03:16:46.239 --> 03:16:52.000
Whoa? I mean, why don't
you guys take a direct root home?

2790
03:16:52.040 --> 03:16:58.000
Brother? I mean I got the
herero I noticed you kind of took the

2791
03:16:58.079 --> 03:17:01.000
long way. I thought that was
interesting, brother. No, I just

2792
03:17:01.159 --> 03:17:05.520
was wondering what's going on? I
mean, I just want to you know,

2793
03:17:05.719 --> 03:17:09.639
you give him blows. I mean, I've made it clear already here.

2794
03:17:09.799 --> 03:17:11.520
You know, just because someone else
goes to the airport doesn't mean I'm

2795
03:17:11.520 --> 03:17:15.399
not going to the airport too.
I mean, I'll tell you you know,

2796
03:17:15.479 --> 03:17:18.280
I was behind it the whole time, bro. Reason dude, you

2797
03:17:18.360 --> 03:17:22.399
know, you know, for some
reason, you know, you had you

2798
03:17:22.479 --> 03:17:26.000
know, Vince was driving, the
kids are brother, and all of a

2799
03:17:26.000 --> 03:17:30.120
sudden, I see your head going
up and down on his crotch. What's

2800
03:17:30.239 --> 03:17:39.000
up? That's gonna be legendary.
That was a It's like surveillance footage,

2801
03:17:39.040 --> 03:17:41.120
like from a drone. Right,
It's like you hear the the monologue in

2802
03:17:41.159 --> 03:17:46.879
the house, Linda, can you
go pick up a Vince at the airport?

2803
03:17:46.959 --> 03:17:48.000
Yeah, yeah, he's waiting for
me. I do his phone call,

2804
03:17:48.520 --> 03:17:50.840
but I you know, I don't
want to be out there, don't

2805
03:17:50.840 --> 03:17:52.879
want anyone to see him with me
anyway. All right, Thank thanks Linda,

2806
03:17:54.040 --> 03:17:56.760
see honey. So she leaves and
we get the shot above the garage.

2807
03:17:56.840 --> 03:17:58.799
You see to pull out? You
know you hear like that? Yes,

2808
03:18:00.079 --> 03:18:03.559
yes, in Minnesota, snow and
ice like against the tires. Yeah.

2809
03:18:03.799 --> 03:18:09.120
And then she pulls out and then
wait twenty seconds and then Hogan's car

2810
03:18:09.239 --> 03:18:16.600
pulls out and follows her. He
sends her to the airport just to go

2811
03:18:18.079 --> 03:18:24.000
find her. He's can just imagine, all right, So I thinking think

2812
03:18:24.040 --> 03:18:26.879
of like the shot of it all, you know, like you see you

2813
03:18:26.959 --> 03:18:31.040
see you see like the two cars
you know, like he's like two cars

2814
03:18:31.120 --> 03:18:33.360
back keeping a good eye me.
Like you cut to a shot of him

2815
03:18:33.520 --> 03:18:39.159
from you know, the point is
like from the like the windshield okay,

2816
03:18:39.639 --> 03:18:43.239
and like but the way it's lit. You know, you can only see

2817
03:18:43.239 --> 03:18:46.879
you see his outline, like because
you see car lights in the back.

2818
03:18:46.959 --> 03:18:48.559
You know, so he's got a
silhouette. But his eyes are lit.

2819
03:18:48.760 --> 03:18:52.639
Oh my god, you know his
eyes are lit and like your lights kind

2820
03:18:52.680 --> 03:19:01.120
of going past him and stuff and
wow. Terry asked me to pick Vince

2821
03:19:01.200 --> 03:19:03.680
up at the airport while he showered
after a match. Vince was tall with

2822
03:19:03.719 --> 03:19:07.799
a commanding presence, just like his
wrestlers. He's also charismatic with a great

2823
03:19:07.799 --> 03:19:11.200
announcer's voice. Vince recognized me instantly. He introduced himself and give me a

2824
03:19:11.239 --> 03:19:13.600
big hug. On the way back
to the condo, we made conversation.

2825
03:19:13.799 --> 03:19:16.600
Fuck you said, great announcers?
What the fuck's she talking about? Is

2826
03:19:16.680 --> 03:19:20.559
great announcer's voice? It's great announcer's
voice. Well, he was a television

2827
03:19:20.600 --> 03:19:24.680
announcer for ten years. It's not
very good though, He's I don't really

2828
03:19:24.840 --> 03:19:26.639
like it, but I guess she
did. On the way back to the

2829
03:19:26.680 --> 03:19:30.399
condo, we made conversation, which
mainly consisted of talking about the old days

2830
03:19:30.440 --> 03:19:31.760
working with Terry. When we got
to our place, Vince and Terry got

2831
03:19:31.799 --> 03:19:37.040
along great. They sat in the
living room together for hours. Hard you

2832
03:19:37.120 --> 03:19:41.840
know, I'm I'm married to a
Linda. Maybe we can swap Linda's because

2833
03:19:41.840 --> 03:19:48.280
I'll tell you what. You got
those tits from the laft covered out of

2834
03:19:48.319 --> 03:19:52.719
the living room while I worked,
and I want them. I want to

2835
03:19:52.799 --> 03:20:01.360
eat this before texting from the laughs, A got the living room? Oh,

2836
03:20:01.760 --> 03:20:03.200
I worked in the kitchen. It
was Can you imagine Vince pretending it'll

2837
03:20:03.239 --> 03:20:07.879
be like one of the guys in
the living room. Let me a beiritory.

2838
03:20:07.559 --> 03:20:13.959
Let mean, let me get you
know how to celebratory beer? How

2839
03:20:13.079 --> 03:20:18.440
you you know? We'll have a
bruce? Yeah? What do you like

2840
03:20:18.479 --> 03:20:20.840
around here? Yeah? I'll take
whatever you're drinking, Lindon, Let me

2841
03:20:20.840 --> 03:20:30.959
ask you a question. Do you
like dookie? Mm hmm. Are you

2842
03:20:31.079 --> 03:20:45.360
a fan of fecal matter? I
am. I'm a big fan of fecal

2843
03:20:45.440 --> 03:20:52.440
matter. I like it to put
it everywhere. I like to put it.

2844
03:20:54.760 --> 03:21:01.520
I knew I shouldn't have picked up
this book from the laughs coming out

2845
03:21:01.520 --> 03:21:03.680
of living room while I work in
the kitchen. It was clear they acted

2846
03:21:03.760 --> 03:21:07.159
like no time had passed, and
they definitely seemed excited by the new plans.

2847
03:21:07.200 --> 03:21:09.680
They eventually invited me in a living
room to speak with me about their

2848
03:21:09.719 --> 03:21:11.440
business ideas. They also wanted to
see if I was up for us doing

2849
03:21:11.520 --> 03:21:15.360
what Vincent needed us to do.
It was clear that there was only going

2850
03:21:15.399 --> 03:21:16.440
to be a lot of traveling and
matches in different cities, but there were

2851
03:21:16.479 --> 03:21:20.639
going to be many photo shoots,
interviews, live television, and marketing meetings

2852
03:21:20.959 --> 03:21:22.520
in order to put wrestling on the
map. It seemed like it was going

2853
03:21:22.559 --> 03:21:26.120
to be a constant flow of work
with no time off. I thought it

2854
03:21:26.200 --> 03:21:28.639
was very impressive, and I also
love this fucking belief that that you know,

2855
03:21:30.280 --> 03:21:31.799
they're going to put wrestling on the
map. Yeah, well, what

2856
03:21:31.879 --> 03:21:35.479
are you talking about. All they
mean is sell toys. That's all they

2857
03:21:35.559 --> 03:21:41.360
mean, right, Yeah, from
ancillary licensing, that's it, and buying

2858
03:21:41.399 --> 03:21:45.319
other people's TV. I mean,
it were It was a brilliant plan and

2859
03:21:45.360 --> 03:21:48.280
it worked beautifully, but that's all
it was, right, I mean,

2860
03:21:48.360 --> 03:21:52.479
it's it's yeah, right, you
need to sell toys, so you need

2861
03:21:52.520 --> 03:21:56.760
to make characters that sell toys,
so you fucking make everyone up a cartoon

2862
03:21:56.879 --> 03:22:00.159
character. I get it. It's
just licensing. It's you know, it's

2863
03:22:00.200 --> 03:22:03.600
not something anybody else was capable of, right, right, because they all

2864
03:22:03.639 --> 03:22:05.079
thought they had a sport going.
You know, that was the difference,

2865
03:22:05.799 --> 03:22:11.159
right, It seemed okay. I
thought it was very impressive that Terry considered

2866
03:22:11.159 --> 03:22:13.799
my opinion on such an important decision. He really didn't, Linda, I'd

2867
03:22:13.799 --> 03:22:16.280
hate to tell you, even though
we were not married quite yet, I've

2868
03:22:16.280 --> 03:22:18.920
always had an adventures streak in me, and surely it sounded like an adventure

2869
03:22:18.959 --> 03:22:20.600
to work with Vince in the WWF. After Terry drove Vince back to the

2870
03:22:20.639 --> 03:22:22.559
airport and came home, he looked
me in the eye and said, Linda,

2871
03:22:22.600 --> 03:22:24.520
do you realize how big this is
going to be? Are you ready

2872
03:22:24.559 --> 03:22:28.639
to make a run through New York? She would love that shit. Oh

2873
03:22:28.719 --> 03:22:31.120
my god. I'd been with Terry
in and out of our different wrestling events

2874
03:22:31.159 --> 03:22:33.399
for the whole year before we got
married, so I was very familiar with

2875
03:22:33.399 --> 03:22:37.200
wrestling in the business. I didn't
feel strange. It didn't feel strange or

2876
03:22:37.760 --> 03:22:39.360
like a stranger to it. I
was actually excited about going to New York

2877
03:22:39.360 --> 03:22:41.520
because I had heard all about it, but had never been there. For

2878
03:22:41.600 --> 03:22:43.520
me to think that I would be
living near New York City was like a

2879
03:22:43.600 --> 03:22:46.920
crazy dream. I wasn't lonely moving
to New York City because I had lived

2880
03:22:46.920 --> 03:22:50.000
alone in my own apartment for quite
some time and was used to it.

2881
03:22:50.120 --> 03:22:52.680
It wasn't scary saying goodbye to my
family either, because Terry and I had

2882
03:22:52.799 --> 03:22:54.479
traveled all the time. We were
always back and forth. The weirdest part

2883
03:22:54.520 --> 03:22:56.639
for me was not having to get
up every morning to go to a job.

2884
03:22:56.879 --> 03:23:00.079
From the time I was fifteen years
old, I always worked. It

2885
03:23:00.159 --> 03:23:01.719
was strange being taken care of and
just hanging out, but I knew Terry

2886
03:23:01.760 --> 03:23:03.680
wanted to build a life with me, and I only wanted to keep him

2887
03:23:03.680 --> 03:23:07.360
in his business, as he was
now the sole bread winner. At that

2888
03:23:07.440 --> 03:23:09.399
point. When we were presented with
the opportunity to leave Minnesota, I knew

2889
03:23:09.440 --> 03:23:13.799
how smart Terry was and how he
was a figurehead in his field. He

2890
03:23:13.879 --> 03:23:16.159
earned the most money out of all
the wrestlers. And when he said it

2891
03:23:16.200 --> 03:23:18.920
we would make one more run through
New York, I knew it would probably

2892
03:23:18.000 --> 03:23:20.360
be more of the same, just
more intense. So the idea of long

2893
03:23:20.399 --> 03:23:24.040
hours and hard work didn't even roughle
me. I was in now that we

2894
03:23:24.120 --> 03:23:26.399
were going to be married. We
felt that if this was an opportunity to

2895
03:23:26.479 --> 03:23:28.040
make more money in a better life
for ourselves, than we should do it.

2896
03:23:28.360 --> 03:23:31.639
I could also see inside of Terry
that he really wanted to make a

2897
03:23:31.680 --> 03:23:33.239
go of this. He just wasn't
sure if I was ready for what was

2898
03:23:33.280 --> 03:23:37.040
to come. But I'm pretty tough
and can see myself through just about any

2899
03:23:37.040 --> 03:23:39.760
situation that's put in front of me. I was clearly a good support mechanism

2900
03:23:39.840 --> 03:23:41.200
for Terry, and I really looked
forward to all the new stuff we were

2901
03:23:41.200 --> 03:23:43.879
going to experience together in New York. Let's do it, Let's go for

2902
03:23:43.959 --> 03:23:46.000
it. I responded, well,
it's going to be a lot of work.

2903
03:23:46.040 --> 03:23:48.399
How many times we're going to say
this over and over again? I

2904
03:23:48.520 --> 03:23:52.879
get that. That was the conversation
Linda and christ Yeah, understand, brother,

2905
03:23:52.360 --> 03:23:54.040
He's got to be a lot of
work. Lends, I want you

2906
03:23:54.079 --> 03:23:56.760
to say no. That's what I'm
trying to get out here. You know

2907
03:23:56.920 --> 03:24:00.239
it's not going to be fun.
I was hoping to use the is the

2908
03:24:00.239 --> 03:24:03.040
reason to break up with you?
And you're keep saying yes, And it's

2909
03:24:03.040 --> 03:24:05.559
really fucking me up, dude,
like I'm what I'm trying to say is

2910
03:24:05.920 --> 03:24:09.959
go back to la I go back
to California. No, we can do

2911
03:24:11.079 --> 03:24:13.600
this. We can do this.
Let's go for it. Brother. I

2912
03:24:13.639 --> 03:24:18.159
don't want to do it, Dude. I'm tired. Brother. Wow,

2913
03:24:18.520 --> 03:24:24.040
I want to fuck other people.
Wo Ulka mania. Dude, it's not

2914
03:24:24.639 --> 03:24:28.520
Linda Madium. I'm gonna let you
know, Linda if we take this ride

2915
03:24:28.559 --> 03:24:30.959
together. No promises that I'm not
going to show up in a sex tape.

2916
03:24:31.040 --> 03:24:33.879
Dude. Listen, brother, I'm
telling you right now, Dude,

2917
03:24:33.920 --> 03:24:37.159
Linda, I am going to have
sex with other women. I will breathlessly

2918
03:24:37.399 --> 03:24:41.959
pound another man's way right I was. I was promised brother, so much

2919
03:24:43.000 --> 03:24:46.879
by vinsick Man that you don't know
about, and I'm going to do it.

2920
03:24:46.319 --> 03:24:54.000
Oh as long as I live on
gun Club Road. I never imagine

2921
03:24:54.040 --> 03:24:58.440
she writes just how much work these
guns? Brother, this is gun Road

2922
03:24:58.520 --> 03:25:03.360
right here, Dude, I never
imagine just how much work actually lay ahead.

2923
03:25:03.879 --> 03:25:05.680
Soon after our wedding, we moved
his new husband and wife to Stanford,

2924
03:25:05.680 --> 03:25:09.840
Connecticut, which wasn't still as the
headquarters of Vince's business organization, now

2925
03:25:09.879 --> 03:25:13.000
the WAE. When we arrived,
we first stayed with our good friends Peggy

2926
03:25:13.040 --> 03:25:16.319
and David Schultz. David aka Doctor
d was a wrestler who previously worked in

2927
03:25:16.360 --> 03:25:18.399
Tennessee. While Terry was busy meet
taking meetings and doing photo shoots at the

2928
03:25:18.440 --> 03:25:22.600
WAF studios in Stanford, I busied
myself with a local real estate agent looking

2929
03:25:22.600 --> 03:25:24.360
for a new apartment. It was
a bit difficult to find something. Everything

2930
03:25:24.399 --> 03:25:26.799
on the East Coast was so old, crowded, or in the middle of

2931
03:25:26.879 --> 03:25:30.760
nowhere. In the meantime, Terry
and I also stated at Howard Johnson's motor

2932
03:25:30.840 --> 03:25:33.840
lodge on the side of the highway
in Stamford for six weeks until we moved

2933
03:25:33.879 --> 03:25:35.799
in. Terry had been close friends
and shouted at Brutust the Barbara Beefcake,

2934
03:25:37.000 --> 03:25:39.879
so he brought him into the WAF
as well. Brutus ended up coming to

2935
03:25:39.000 --> 03:25:46.319
Connecticut and staying with us in our
hotel room. To his company and the

2936
03:25:46.680 --> 03:25:48.520
crowd due I'm not singing, brother, maybe we can kind of get this

2937
03:25:48.600 --> 03:25:54.200
thing going on, dude, you
know, we get Lindau lives with us

2938
03:25:54.280 --> 03:25:58.639
too. He's here, right,
he's a home brother, And so here's

2939
03:25:58.639 --> 03:26:01.280
the thing that I really want,
Brude out to be here because he's gonna

2940
03:26:01.280 --> 03:26:05.520
watch after you when I go out
and don't come home for a while.

2941
03:26:05.319 --> 03:26:09.399
Right, I need someone to carry
my gizz in. I'll tell you,

2942
03:26:09.479 --> 03:26:11.600
dude, I would I want I
need someone to carry my gizz inmix.

2943
03:26:11.680 --> 03:26:16.120
Brother, So you know were we
on this page, he says to Linda.

2944
03:26:16.280 --> 03:26:24.280
I'll tell you, dude, two's
company and three's a crowd. So

2945
03:26:24.319 --> 03:26:26.239
I made sure the barber got cut
out of our room pretty quickly. I

2946
03:26:26.360 --> 03:26:31.120
wasn't trying to come between them,
but in a boom, I needed my

2947
03:26:31.440 --> 03:26:35.360
privacy with my husband. I had
to put up with a lot the laundry,

2948
03:26:35.440 --> 03:26:37.200
suitcases, bill's traveling, not really
having my own life for friends,

2949
03:26:37.239 --> 03:26:39.360
but it was okay. I liked
me on the road and hanging with other

2950
03:26:39.440 --> 03:26:41.680
gals who were sort of in the
same position. It was a time of

2951
03:26:41.799 --> 03:26:45.520
change and growth. Everyone in the
BIS understood that, and we were all

2952
03:26:45.559 --> 03:26:46.959
trying to make it work. At
the time, it was just our lifestyle

2953
03:26:48.000 --> 03:26:50.360
and I accepted it. Short his
wrestling buddies were always around. What they

2954
03:26:50.360 --> 03:26:54.639
haven't made those yet, brother,
But but I liked the little privacy for

2955
03:26:54.760 --> 03:26:58.159
Terry and me. Every once in
a while, the fuck I enjoyed being

2956
03:26:58.200 --> 03:27:01.639
a support mechanism for him. We
were building his career together on the road.

2957
03:27:01.680 --> 03:27:03.920
It wasn't what a wrestling wife was
supposed to do, it was what

2958
03:27:05.040 --> 03:27:07.239
I wanted to do. I just
like being his lady. Terry got a

2959
03:27:07.280 --> 03:27:11.040
few rare days off and we eventually
found a place we could call home together.

2960
03:27:11.079 --> 03:27:13.840
It was a three story townhouse at
one on one Seaside Avenue in Stamford.

2961
03:27:15.079 --> 03:27:16.360
It was brand new, but the
other houses in the street rolled and

2962
03:27:16.399 --> 03:27:18.559
looked like something out of all in
the family. Along with the cold winter

2963
03:27:18.639 --> 03:27:22.040
weather, it was a very different
lifestyle from what I was used to in

2964
03:27:22.120 --> 03:27:24.159
Los Angeles, that's for sure.
When we moved into the new townhouse on

2965
03:27:24.159 --> 03:27:30.120
Connecticut, I in Connecticut. Sorry, I fixed it up cute and sure

2966
03:27:30.159 --> 03:27:33.159
you did. I wanted to make
a nice home life for us. I

2967
03:27:33.200 --> 03:27:35.600
did it inexpensively and chose to hunt
at antique shops for most of the furniture.

2968
03:27:35.600 --> 03:27:39.360
I having made a mount curtains with
iron on tape as I can't sew

2969
03:27:39.399 --> 03:27:41.440
a stitch. I enjoyed fixing up
the house and finding new stuff in a

2970
03:27:41.479 --> 03:27:46.559
strange town. I tried to host
nice parties and was always miscongeniality to Terry's

2971
03:27:46.559 --> 03:27:48.680
wrestling buddies who would come to town
and usually stay with us instead of in

2972
03:27:48.799 --> 03:27:52.440
some crappy hotel. For the most
part, I loved fulfilling my wife my

2973
03:27:52.600 --> 03:27:56.159
role as wife to Hulk Higan,
and when we lived in Connecticut, I

2974
03:27:56.159 --> 03:27:58.159
would happily cook for the guys and
make any visitors we had welcome. Of

2975
03:27:58.200 --> 03:28:01.440
course, there were some minor bumps
along the way as I settled in a

2976
03:28:01.520 --> 03:28:05.000
newlywed life. The following story tells
about one such bump. It was really

2977
03:28:05.040 --> 03:28:07.319
hard to find good food on the
road, so when the wrestlers came back

2978
03:28:07.360 --> 03:28:09.280
home, they appreciated a fresh,
healthy meal. Remember, these guys have

2979
03:28:09.360 --> 03:28:11.959
to keep a lot of weight on
lots of protein foods to build muscle,

2980
03:28:13.000 --> 03:28:16.280
like chicken and steak, fresh vegetables
and salad. Lennon McMahon had told me

2981
03:28:16.280 --> 03:28:18.360
about a great seafood restaurant in Greenwitch, so I drove there and picked up

2982
03:28:18.399 --> 03:28:22.120
some fresh raw shrimp. The guy
who worked there packed them in ice for

2983
03:28:22.239 --> 03:28:24.639
me and put them in the back
of my car. I went shopping forgot

2984
03:28:24.680 --> 03:28:26.000
about the shrimp, and by the
time I got home the ice had melted.

2985
03:28:26.360 --> 03:28:30.360
I don't know. You needed to
keep shrimp super iced down or it

2986
03:28:30.440 --> 03:28:33.000
could go bad. So I cooked
all of the shrimp along with some New

2987
03:28:33.079 --> 03:28:35.760
York steaks. Terry and Brutus ate
the hell out of it. They literally

2988
03:28:35.799 --> 03:28:39.120
were licking their fingers. It was
so good. That night, they had

2989
03:28:39.200 --> 03:28:41.520
arrested each other somewhere up in near
Boston, which is driving distance from where

2990
03:28:41.520 --> 03:28:43.479
we lived. By the time they
drove to the arena and hit the dressing

2991
03:28:43.520 --> 03:28:46.719
room, they had started showing symptoms
of food poisoning. That night, Terry

2992
03:28:46.719 --> 03:28:50.680
and Brutis were locked up in the
ring worried about shitting themselves in front of

2993
03:28:50.760 --> 03:28:56.959
thousands of wrestling fans. This was
an elimination match. Literally, we were

2994
03:28:58.000 --> 03:29:01.760
one of the few wrestling couples who
actually lived. I sent you, uh

2995
03:29:01.239 --> 03:29:05.799
no, I sent you the house. You found the house? Yeah,

2996
03:29:07.000 --> 03:29:13.719
or the lot? That's this is
where it was. Yeh again coming out

2997
03:29:13.760 --> 03:29:18.079
in the morning, grabbing the paper, bathrobe. Yep, hy Terry,

2998
03:29:18.440 --> 03:29:24.079
Hey, what's up you got Mike? How's are going? Brother? You

2999
03:29:24.159 --> 03:29:28.239
got any chuck full of nuts?
Brother? I'm out? Wait? Did

3000
03:29:28.280 --> 03:29:35.879
you wait? What what are you? It's like six in the morning.

3001
03:29:37.440 --> 03:29:48.200
He's starting with this bullshit already.
You can see his braatht Yeah. I

3002
03:29:48.280 --> 03:29:50.120
want to tell you something to do. So I'm went up since three in

3003
03:29:50.159 --> 03:29:52.920
the morning. H Yeah, all
right, I'm telling you I saw this

3004
03:29:54.079 --> 03:29:58.000
car go up and down the road. Brother. What's it is? Dude?

3005
03:30:01.600 --> 03:30:05.319
Uh? I'm sorry, Terry,
diz what do you? Uh?

3006
03:30:07.399 --> 03:30:13.360
Yeah, brother, what's the diz? Ah, Terry, I don't,

3007
03:30:13.360 --> 03:30:16.399
I don't, I don't. I'm
sorry. I don't know what it is

3008
03:30:16.559 --> 03:30:20.840
is. Brother. I want to
know you saw this car going up and

3009
03:30:20.879 --> 03:30:24.000
down, do you, dude?
No? No, no, Terry,

3010
03:30:24.000 --> 03:30:26.600
I was asleep at three in the
morning. You know, I get up

3011
03:30:26.200 --> 03:30:33.239
around nowadays to go to go to
work. But so you didn't see the

3012
03:30:33.319 --> 03:30:35.879
car. No, no, no, no, I'm sorry I didn't see

3013
03:30:35.879 --> 03:30:45.120
it. Were you in the car, brother, Terry? I was asleep.

3014
03:30:45.159 --> 03:30:46.600
I told you that. Well,
brother, that's what you're saying,

3015
03:30:46.680 --> 03:30:54.120
dude. But I think you were
in the car. I brother, that's

3016
03:30:54.159 --> 03:31:01.360
what you're saying, dude, right
to his face. I can, I

3017
03:31:01.440 --> 03:31:03.079
can, if you want, I
can go into my house and bring my

3018
03:31:03.159 --> 03:31:07.959
wife out. Brother. So first
you're driving up and down the street.

3019
03:31:09.959 --> 03:31:16.120
Yeah, I do live here at
three in the morning, dude, Terry,

3020
03:31:16.120 --> 03:31:18.760
I was a sleep. Brother.
You just said you were in the

3021
03:31:18.879 --> 03:31:22.559
car driving up and down the street
three in the morning. I didn't.

3022
03:31:22.799 --> 03:31:26.760
I didn't. Which one is fucking
nervous, dude. So were you driving

3023
03:31:26.840 --> 03:31:30.000
up and down the street or were
you not driving up in down the street?

3024
03:31:31.040 --> 03:31:33.360
Because I'm getting nervous right now,
brother, because what I'm concerned about

3025
03:31:33.600 --> 03:31:41.159
is the safety of my wife and
my family. Dude, Terry, I

3026
03:31:41.280 --> 03:31:48.280
wasn't. I wasn't. You weren't
what Terry? I I wasn't. I

3027
03:31:50.120 --> 03:31:54.440
wasn't. Brother, answer the question, dude, were you driving? Brother?

3028
03:31:54.719 --> 03:31:58.840
Were you not driving? It so
difficult, dude, why are you

3029
03:32:01.319 --> 03:32:03.399
Why you keep going back and forth? Brother, I'm not going back.

3030
03:32:03.440 --> 03:32:13.760
And it's it's it's early, you
know everyone just brother, Yeah, I

3031
03:32:13.959 --> 03:32:16.079
was early in the morning, dude. He was three a m. Brother,

3032
03:32:16.520 --> 03:32:20.239
Terry. Right now it's six in
the morning. I'm trying to go

3033
03:32:20.360 --> 03:32:26.360
to work. The Terry, Okay, I want you to remember something.

3034
03:32:26.040 --> 03:32:31.319
He comes out of the front door
onto the porch, stretches in his bathrobe,

3035
03:32:31.399 --> 03:32:35.680
seize his brother. He looks over
to whoever the first guy was.

3036
03:32:35.799 --> 03:32:41.319
Tim. He's up, brother,
You gotta chalk full of nuts. Dude,

3037
03:32:41.319 --> 03:32:43.280
all right, it's cool. And
he looks over to Mike. Hey,

3038
03:32:43.319 --> 03:32:46.280
Mike, what's up? Brother?
And then he goes, wait did

3039
03:32:46.360 --> 03:32:54.959
you It's like, oh shit,
here we go. I mean to look

3040
03:32:54.040 --> 03:33:01.040
at his face immediately changes. Just
want you know, because here's the thing,

3041
03:33:01.120 --> 03:33:05.319
dude, I consider myself to be
the kind of unappointed you know,

3042
03:33:05.959 --> 03:33:11.239
you know, an unofficial like neighborhood
watch. Brother. So my eyes and

3043
03:33:11.319 --> 03:33:16.879
my ears are always open, you
know, dude. So I just want

3044
03:33:16.920 --> 03:33:20.719
to know, you know, you
know this isn't you know what I'm doing

3045
03:33:20.799 --> 03:33:26.200
right now? Isn't a work?
Brother? Isn't it a work? What?

3046
03:33:26.760 --> 03:33:31.440
Brother? I'm not shooting on you? Dude? Wait? Are you

3047
03:33:31.520 --> 03:33:35.280
holding a gun? Is that?
What do you mean? Brother? I'm

3048
03:33:35.319 --> 03:33:39.319
not shooting dude. God, that's
horrifying. Why would you shoot? Who

3049
03:33:39.360 --> 03:33:48.159
would you shoot? WHOA? What's
it to you? Mike? What do

3050
03:33:48.200 --> 03:33:52.079
you mean? Are you shooting?
Dude? Are you shooting on me?

3051
03:33:52.200 --> 03:33:56.719
Brother? Answer the question? H
Terry, I don't, I don't.

3052
03:33:58.239 --> 03:34:01.200
I gotta go to work. Brother. You're working me now, dude?

3053
03:34:01.319 --> 03:34:03.920
What's it gonna be? Why is
it? Dude? Are you working?

3054
03:34:03.159 --> 03:34:07.799
Are you shooting? Brother? Here? I thought we had a good rapport

3055
03:34:07.879 --> 03:34:09.920
man, and all of a sudden, you're coming at me, saying you're

3056
03:34:11.000 --> 03:34:16.799
driving around the neighborhood at three am, spying on people. And not just

3057
03:34:16.920 --> 03:34:22.959
the accusation, not just the accusation
that he's spying on people. He prefaces

3058
03:34:22.000 --> 03:34:30.319
it by saying, you're coming at
me. What do you mean he's coming

3059
03:34:30.440 --> 03:34:33.639
at me? He didn't say a
word about it. You mean he's coming

3060
03:34:33.719 --> 03:34:39.360
at you? You did just slip
that in there. You've already admitted,

3061
03:34:39.440 --> 03:34:45.639
dude to driving around town at three
am, Brother, scaring people, threatening

3062
03:34:45.840 --> 03:34:52.239
people. Hogan on the front stoop, bathrobe, slippers, coffee. Everyone

3063
03:34:52.280 --> 03:35:01.079
else has a real job. Hogan
isn't booked that day, And and he

3064
03:35:01.200 --> 03:35:03.120
stands there watching them go to their
cars in the morning, one at a

3065
03:35:03.239 --> 03:35:07.559
time. Barry, what's up,
brother? Where are you going? Dude?

3066
03:35:07.760 --> 03:35:11.399
Oh? Going to work? Huh? Interesting? Where do you work

3067
03:35:11.440 --> 03:35:18.520
again, dude? He's like constant
intel gathering, constant like Barry notices every

3068
03:35:18.600 --> 03:35:22.559
day he comes and comes out of
his house to go to work. For

3069
03:35:22.680 --> 03:35:26.559
some reason, him or Linda Hogan
or Linda have an excuse to come outside.

3070
03:35:28.559 --> 03:35:31.559
I listen, I gotta get you
know, I'm going to titan brother,

3071
03:35:31.159 --> 03:35:35.840
so I need you to be outside
asking everybody where they're going when they

3072
03:35:35.879 --> 03:35:37.639
get in their own cars. Look, I need you to gather intel.

3073
03:35:37.639 --> 03:35:41.719
I need you to do recon.
Brother. All Right, we're talking about

3074
03:35:41.719 --> 03:35:46.920
we get to figure out exactly what's
going on in this town. Who do

3075
03:35:46.040 --> 03:35:52.840
we trust, who's safe? Brother, exactly who's in on it? It

3076
03:35:54.639 --> 03:35:58.000
is before ring cameras. Can you
imagine walk out your front door where you're

3077
03:35:58.040 --> 03:36:01.399
going, brother, from the him
you don't know, you don't know,

3078
03:36:07.280 --> 03:36:11.639
Terry at home, Terry in the
neighborhood. Essentially, it's right exactly.

3079
03:36:11.840 --> 03:36:16.040
I imagine like during during summer,
you'd have like a like a beach chair

3080
03:36:16.079 --> 03:36:22.280
out on the lawn on days off, and he's fucking, you know,

3081
03:36:22.440 --> 03:36:28.680
like a six pack, but he's
watching everyone. He's really just gathering gathering

3082
03:36:28.799 --> 03:36:37.319
intel. He's like a witness relocation
guy. Terry. Aren't you just aren't

3083
03:36:37.319 --> 03:36:41.799
you a wrestler? Well, what's
it to you, dude? What does

3084
03:36:41.840 --> 03:36:46.280
it matter? What I am?
What are you right? Answer that question?

3085
03:36:48.200 --> 03:36:52.680
Take that? Terry. I gotta
go. I gotta go. Yeah,

3086
03:36:52.719 --> 03:36:56.280
I'm sure you do. Brother.
I'm gonna tell you something, Mike,

3087
03:36:56.559 --> 03:37:01.520
I'm not a fan of what just
happened. Brother. What happened here,

3088
03:37:01.680 --> 03:37:05.559
dude, is you have put my
family's life in jeopardy. Brother,

3089
03:37:07.319 --> 03:37:11.159
I gotta tell you something, Mike. I'm not a fan of what just

3090
03:37:11.239 --> 03:37:18.319
happened right here. Brother, Nothing
happened. Nothing happened is just he is

3091
03:37:18.399 --> 03:37:22.239
sending this guy to work and shitting
a brick about what he did wrong.

3092
03:37:22.399 --> 03:37:24.680
I'm gonna tell you something, Mike, this did really good. Boss.

3093
03:37:24.760 --> 03:37:28.120
You deserve a lot of credit for
this. The way the way you phrased

3094
03:37:28.159 --> 03:37:31.840
it. Let me tell you something, Mike. I didn't appreciate what just

3095
03:37:31.920 --> 03:37:37.719
happened right here right now, brother, Like what like I'm not gonna do

3096
03:37:37.840 --> 03:37:41.600
think about it now right that's like
the tone of his voice, Like I

3097
03:37:41.719 --> 03:37:45.879
but I want you to know that
I noticed what you were trying to get

3098
03:37:45.879 --> 03:37:52.440
away with. What a neighbor you
know, I'm picturing of the neighbor too,

3099
03:37:52.520 --> 03:37:58.440
to be like a shorter version of
like Steven Merchant, Yeah, if

3100
03:37:58.520 --> 03:38:03.799
not Natal Merchant. And he's just
like you know that face that like puppied

3101
03:38:03.840 --> 03:38:09.040
out whoa like like you could give
me a whole new suite of things to

3102
03:38:09.120 --> 03:38:11.280
worry about, brother, I didn't
even thought about that, dude. Now,

3103
03:38:11.319 --> 03:38:15.760
you're making me all crazy. Now, shit's getting real. Brother.

3104
03:38:15.840 --> 03:38:18.159
I just want you to know,
Mike, I don't appreciate what just happened

3105
03:38:18.239 --> 03:38:22.399
right here. Not cool. Not
cool, dude. We were one of

3106
03:38:22.440 --> 03:38:26.159
the few wrestling couples who actually lived
in Connecticut near the office. Terry's position

3107
03:38:26.239 --> 03:38:31.079
within the WWF was demanding. Fans
would have him constantly doing television interviews and

3108
03:38:31.120 --> 03:38:33.760
photo shoots in between his matches,
so living close made sense in the wrestling

3109
03:38:33.799 --> 03:38:39.040
business. You never sold your home
so and moved to the new territory that

3110
03:38:39.079 --> 03:38:41.239
would But you always sold a house. Yeah, you sold out a house.

3111
03:38:41.319 --> 03:38:46.760
Big difference. Ye You ever sell
a house, Terry's in the mart

3112
03:38:46.799 --> 03:38:48.040
in the real estate market in Tampa. You ever sell a house, Terry,

3113
03:38:48.159 --> 03:38:52.440
Well, oh yeah, well I
just sold one last night. Dude.

3114
03:38:52.319 --> 03:38:54.639
In the wrestling business, you never
sold your home and moved to the

3115
03:38:54.680 --> 03:38:58.239
new territory. That would kind of
make you look desperate and show the promoter

3116
03:38:58.319 --> 03:39:00.719
that he didn't have to work as
hard to make you happy to there you

3117
03:39:00.840 --> 03:39:03.319
live there. But with a contract
in place, we felt like we could

3118
03:39:03.319 --> 03:39:05.000
settle in Connecticut and really give it
a go with the WWF. Vince was

3119
03:39:05.000 --> 03:39:09.959
planning a big match for January twenty
third, nineteen eighty four, between Hulk

3120
03:39:09.959 --> 03:39:13.840
Coag and Iron Cheek for the Heavyweight
Championship belt in Madison Square Garden in New

3121
03:39:13.959 --> 03:39:16.479
York City. We all know how
We all know now how the wrestling business

3122
03:39:16.520 --> 03:39:20.639
operates, but back then it was
extremely covert. I didn't know what was

3123
03:39:20.719 --> 03:39:22.760
going to happen that night, and
it was never explained to me. There

3124
03:39:22.840 --> 03:39:26.000
was incredible hype leading up to the
match. Terry was on a whirlwind publicity

3125
03:39:26.040 --> 03:39:30.600
tour weeks in advance. Vince and
his wife Linda were very thankful that Terry

3126
03:39:30.639 --> 03:39:33.879
and I put ourselves on the line
and didn't take a honeymoon after our wedding.

3127
03:39:33.000 --> 03:39:35.360
We got right down to work without
missing a beat. And when I

3128
03:39:35.399 --> 03:39:39.399
say we didn't miss a beat,
I mean it. Terry was completely dedicated

3129
03:39:39.479 --> 03:39:41.440
and totally focused, and I stayed
by his side. We traveled so much

3130
03:39:41.479 --> 03:39:45.360
together that I didn't care that we
missed having a honeymoon. We worked out

3131
03:39:45.440 --> 03:39:48.120
drove eight and spent every night together
in hotels. It was our way of

3132
03:39:48.159 --> 03:39:50.639
life and we did it together.
The only thing different was that I never

3133
03:39:50.680 --> 03:39:54.120
climbed into the ring that night.
Missus McMahon let me sit in the owner's

3134
03:39:54.159 --> 03:39:56.920
box with her and not with the
rest of the fans like I usually did.

3135
03:39:56.159 --> 03:40:00.719
It was clearly a big step up
when Hope beat the irone che history

3136
03:40:00.920 --> 03:40:05.159
was made. The crowd cheered for
fifteen minutes straight. Terry had a lot

3137
03:40:05.200 --> 03:40:07.360
of devoted fans and believers. I
will never forget that night. I was

3138
03:40:07.479 --> 03:40:11.000
very proud of him. Back then, Terry and I were very much a

3139
03:40:11.000 --> 03:40:13.360
couple. We were lovers and best
friends. We had a great relationship and

3140
03:40:13.479 --> 03:40:16.520
rarely fought. He was always excited
to see me sitting out in the audience

3141
03:40:16.520 --> 03:40:20.559
watching him do his thing. As
he got more famous, I was still

3142
03:40:20.600 --> 03:40:22.440
sitting on the sidelines, watching it
all and rooting him on. And we

3143
03:40:22.559 --> 03:40:26.840
continued to do everything together. Terry
and I shared it all and did a

3144
03:40:26.879 --> 03:40:30.479
lot of laughing in the old days, living life together one day at a

3145
03:40:30.559 --> 03:40:37.280
time. Quite a time for Linda, I'll say, and Terry. But

3146
03:40:37.399 --> 03:40:41.959
before they hit the garden January twenty
third, to pass the torch to the

3147
03:40:41.040 --> 03:40:46.479
Hulkster, there would be some business
to do in Saint Louis. This is

3148
03:40:46.600 --> 03:40:50.479
kind of a forgotten part of Vince's
takeover strategy because it was abandoned relatively quickly

3149
03:40:50.520 --> 03:40:52.840
in nineteen eighty four, after just
about eight months. I think it was

3150
03:40:54.399 --> 03:40:58.239
but the Chase Hotel, the Choruson
Room in particular, at the Chase jem

3151
03:40:58.799 --> 03:41:01.319
was where Saint Louis wrestling fans and
for generations were accustomed to watching wrestling at

3152
03:41:01.319 --> 03:41:05.840
the Chase. That was your institutional
Saturday morning or whenever it aired television show

3153
03:41:07.600 --> 03:41:11.120
and it would be on KPLR Channel
eleven I think in Saint Louis, and

3154
03:41:11.239 --> 03:41:15.360
that was one of the first mainstay
television stations that Vince swooped in and offered

3155
03:41:15.399 --> 03:41:18.840
more money than the Saint Louis Wrestling
office was offering, which was kind of

3156
03:41:18.879 --> 03:41:22.120
in shambles when Sam much Nick retired
in nineteen eighty one. Anyway, and

3157
03:41:22.200 --> 03:41:24.600
kind of up for Grams. Frankly, it was a little less controversial.

3158
03:41:24.639 --> 03:41:28.879
I think that he made the Saint
Louis move because of that, Okay,

3159
03:41:28.079 --> 03:41:31.799
But he took wrestling at the Chase, that's the thing, and he kept

3160
03:41:31.879 --> 03:41:33.840
calling it wrestling at the Chase.
It's like he bought Wrestling at the Chase

3161
03:41:33.879 --> 03:41:37.440
his time slot and then called it
World Wrestling Federation Action New on Wow.

3162
03:41:37.719 --> 03:41:41.280
He called it wrestling at the Chase
and just put his wrestlers in there and

3163
03:41:41.319 --> 03:41:43.799
in the montage and the opening all
that, and it was him and his

3164
03:41:43.920 --> 03:41:48.879
new hire, Gene Okerland, hosting
the show. And the Chase Hotel was

3165
03:41:48.159 --> 03:41:52.399
you go back enough decades, this
was the venue where they'd have wrestling,

3166
03:41:52.399 --> 03:41:54.520
where you'd have to sit, you
know, informal wear. Everyone was in

3167
03:41:54.600 --> 03:41:58.000
shirts and ties, and they would
have like dinner service at the tables during

3168
03:41:58.040 --> 03:42:01.680
the matches, and it was like
an elegant thing. It was goddamn hilarious.

3169
03:42:01.719 --> 03:42:05.479
Only in Saint Louis could wrestling be
looked at this way in America at

3170
03:42:05.559 --> 03:42:09.959
least, And so Vince was moving
in on this, you know, mainstay

3171
03:42:11.360 --> 03:42:16.040
symbol of the business that he was
trying to disrupt, and it was.

3172
03:42:16.159 --> 03:42:18.040
It was quite a coupe. And
the first set of tapings he did was

3173
03:42:18.079 --> 03:42:22.719
December twenty seventh, nineteen eighty three. This was to start airing on New

3174
03:42:22.799 --> 03:42:24.920
Year's Day of nineteen eighty four.
So, like Linda said, they really

3175
03:42:26.000 --> 03:42:28.280
hit the ground running and gave up
honey moons and Christmas and all that to

3176
03:42:28.600 --> 03:42:33.680
get this going. And on the
show, a jobber named Bill Dixon is

3177
03:42:33.719 --> 03:42:37.200
in the ring, and all of
a sudden his opponent is announced and it's

3178
03:42:37.239 --> 03:42:45.079
a new world Miss Master's scheduled for
one fall with a ten minute time limit.

3179
03:42:46.680 --> 03:42:52.120
The here do things from Stubnville,
Ohio, weighing in at two hundred

3180
03:42:52.159 --> 03:43:22.399
and fifty pounds, sierr Wait three
hundred firm call, terrible hold? Where

3181
03:43:22.440 --> 03:43:35.079
how are you, Bicky? I'm
all right, oh Hogan, now Lockey,

3182
03:43:35.159 --> 03:43:41.760
let's get that power from Menda.
Of course the music there, instac

3183
03:43:41.840 --> 03:43:46.920
ban from Rocky three and I snder
left the incredible Holk survivor. I am

3184
03:43:48.000 --> 03:43:52.360
the Tigers tide headlocks right down by
Dixon. Thus far, no match far?

3185
03:43:54.040 --> 03:43:56.319
Oh Cogan is Hogan? Very you
fixed him up and planted to the

3186
03:43:56.360 --> 03:44:03.760
cabin? Holy you countering a test? Get to two in bring your journey

3187
03:44:09.639 --> 03:44:35.399
tilifere pat. Wow, really impressive. Wait a minute and two seconds.

3188
03:44:35.920 --> 03:44:41.079
The incredible hold and this is the
guy they just saw Russell Harley a few

3189
03:44:41.120 --> 03:44:46.440
months earlier in the same city.
Incredible cooked thing. Hello, So the

3190
03:44:46.639 --> 03:44:50.559
capacity crowd on hand? Worry,
I've so very many friends. Let's take

3191
03:44:50.600 --> 03:44:52.760
a look gena what we call just
moments ago. Sorry, my ladies and

3192
03:44:52.879 --> 03:44:56.920
gentlemen, my guests, at this
time, I'm gonna bring a man out

3193
03:44:56.959 --> 03:45:00.559
of Fenice Beach, California. The
big band you have peta an accent,

3194
03:45:01.600 --> 03:45:09.280
something else. They and incredible Hull
Cogan p M my work to the eighteen

3195
03:45:09.399 --> 03:45:13.639
man Battle Royal thirty thousand dollars that
caught of my letter welcome back home.

3196
03:45:13.799 --> 03:45:16.760
You know some mean jeans. Every
time I come to Saint Louis, I

3197
03:45:16.879 --> 03:45:20.399
get welcomed like a baby new arm. And you know something, I came

3198
03:45:20.479 --> 03:45:24.600
into Saint Louis sometimes for a couple
of days ear to train. I mean,

3199
03:45:24.719 --> 03:45:26.959
dude, I've had a psych on
mean gene that even you wouldn't believe.

3200
03:45:28.239 --> 03:45:31.159
But beyond that, now that I've
got my first victory right here in

3201
03:45:31.280 --> 03:45:35.719
the w WS, I got my
sight set on the eighteen man battle row.

3202
03:45:35.920 --> 03:45:37.120
I want to I'm so psyched up. If I was in the ring

3203
03:45:37.200 --> 03:45:41.000
right now, I just might what's
that whole right over my head? Us?

3204
03:45:41.040 --> 03:45:45.360
The whole race? Hi dubbed everybody
out because me, Jean, I

3205
03:45:45.479 --> 03:45:48.840
got one thing on my mind,
my parent. I want up that battle

3206
03:45:48.920 --> 03:45:52.000
roy mean gene. I want to
be the winner, and then I that

3207
03:45:52.239 --> 03:45:56.280
world title shot. If at w
WSW something I've trained for all my life.

3208
03:45:56.399 --> 03:46:00.399
Wow, the cards sweater of the
Battle Royal thirty thousand. Another is

3209
03:46:00.440 --> 03:46:03.719
Paul looks to say that will open. You're doing right, Meg, and

3210
03:46:03.879 --> 03:46:07.079
that puts me right at the top
of the I am the number one contender

3211
03:46:07.120 --> 03:46:11.879
of it all around the world and
now the w W the cream of the

3212
03:46:11.959 --> 03:46:16.680
cross, the best talent. I
want to the World Heavyweight title. Meg.

3213
03:46:20.600 --> 03:46:24.799
We are off to the races.
Yeah, I'll say so. Allow

3214
03:46:24.959 --> 03:46:26.920
a little uh, you know,
crowd very interesting, like you know,

3215
03:46:28.079 --> 03:46:31.559
not a I heard some booze in
there. It's you. Yeah, I

3216
03:46:31.639 --> 03:46:35.319
heard some jeering. You know.
It's a small it's a relatively small crowd.

3217
03:46:35.319 --> 03:46:37.360
It's poorly lit right see a lot. It's a cool look as you

3218
03:46:37.360 --> 03:46:41.799
can see, like light decorative lighting
on the roof and stuff. It's a

3219
03:46:41.879 --> 03:46:46.719
cool vibe all together. They get
the WWF banner and the Victory magazine banner

3220
03:46:46.760 --> 03:46:50.399
hanging on the hard camera far side. But yeah, for the most part,

3221
03:46:50.440 --> 03:46:54.360
it's not really like a packed out
taping to get a great crowd reaction.

3222
03:46:54.559 --> 03:46:58.639
So a boo here and a boo
there might really stand out. But

3223
03:46:58.200 --> 03:47:03.319
there he is calling for the title
right away Day one promo and also talking

3224
03:47:03.360 --> 03:47:05.200
about a battle Royal with that it's
a reference to is. In addition to

3225
03:47:05.239 --> 03:47:09.879
getting the TV slot in Saint Louis, Vince would start running house shows in

3226
03:47:09.920 --> 03:47:13.239
Saint Louis right away and the key
venues, and so of course this television

3227
03:47:13.280 --> 03:47:18.120
being viewed almost exclusively in Saint Louis
or being catered towards Saint Louis, they

3228
03:47:18.159 --> 03:47:22.079
start advertising their next dates in Saint
Louis. And what's wild is during the

3229
03:47:22.079 --> 03:47:26.399
commercial breaks you also see the NWA
Saint Louis office like the same exact typeface

3230
03:47:28.040 --> 03:47:33.280
and the same exact like kind of
style spot pushing their shows. So you're

3231
03:47:33.319 --> 03:47:35.959
watching wrestling at the Chase with Vince
Wild, Yeah, and you're getting advertisements

3232
03:47:37.000 --> 03:47:39.760
for the WWF show in the same
look and feel as you're getting advertisements for

3233
03:47:39.840 --> 03:47:46.479
the NBA Saint Louis office. How
did that work? Well? You know,

3234
03:47:46.920 --> 03:47:52.680
KP largest because they went with Vince
didn't mean they abandoned or foreclosed on

3235
03:47:52.920 --> 03:47:56.879
taking advertising from the other group.
Now they're still like this idea still in

3236
03:47:56.959 --> 03:48:03.840
eighty three that Vince was are looking
to work together with people. He was

3237
03:48:03.879 --> 03:48:07.399
almost like the the guy who comes
into money and everyone is kind of pretending

3238
03:48:09.200 --> 03:48:11.040
to be his friend, but when
push comes to show, they won't sign

3239
03:48:11.079 --> 03:48:15.319
on the dotted line to be his
partners because they would much rather because behind

3240
03:48:15.360 --> 03:48:18.280
his back, they're not taking him
that as seriously as they they tell they

3241
03:48:18.360 --> 03:48:22.200
tell him they are, And so
yeah, that was that was a big

3242
03:48:22.280 --> 03:48:24.559
Vince thing. You watch his documentary
and stuff that Wde came out with.

3243
03:48:24.639 --> 03:48:28.280
It's like when Vern spurned his offer
to buy Aba, that's when it was

3244
03:48:28.360 --> 03:48:30.600
war. And it was kind of
the same thing with Georgia. You know,

3245
03:48:30.639 --> 03:48:33.600
if a Vince buys Georgia, although
he kind of hated early before that,

3246
03:48:33.719 --> 03:48:37.639
in particular because he was moving in
on Ohio. We talked about that

3247
03:48:37.680 --> 03:48:41.159
on Black Saturday. But he won't. He would have he would have been

3248
03:48:41.159 --> 03:48:43.440
more than happy to keep working with
Oli, I think, and he tried

3249
03:48:43.479 --> 03:48:46.399
to and then only told him and
Linda to go fuck themselves at the TBS.

3250
03:48:48.399 --> 03:48:52.319
So yeah, I think Vince probably
someone in his mind thought that I

3251
03:48:52.399 --> 03:48:54.559
can be you know, I'll be
like a British style imperialist, you know,

3252
03:48:54.719 --> 03:48:58.399
like I'll take over your country,
but it'll be for It'll be for

3253
03:48:58.559 --> 03:49:05.079
your own because because I'm bringing a
higher level of sophistication than you roube and

3254
03:49:05.520 --> 03:49:09.959
makes totals hand exactly. Yeah,
it's at New York. Money only talked

3255
03:49:09.959 --> 03:49:11.920
about it, and Black Saturday is
very clear. Like the people he was

3256
03:49:11.959 --> 03:49:16.319
dealing with, the TV stations and
the arenas, they were just smitten by

3257
03:49:16.360 --> 03:49:18.280
the fact that Vince was from New
York and that was something he just couldn't

3258
03:49:18.280 --> 03:49:22.399
overcome in terms of making the big
two bit TV station owners feel like big

3259
03:49:22.479 --> 03:49:26.360
deals and these too big. Remember
when you come from New York, you

3260
03:49:26.440 --> 03:49:28.920
come from the real rank. You
could very easily convince people that you've got,

3261
03:49:30.760 --> 03:49:33.239
you know, one hundred million dollars
in the bank back in New York

3262
03:49:33.319 --> 03:49:35.440
and this is like nothing to write
this check when really vinces fucking Robin Peter

3263
03:49:35.559 --> 03:49:39.280
to pay Paul still at this point
in time. But New York people are

3264
03:49:39.319 --> 03:49:43.159
really good at pretending that they're not
up against it, you know. So

3265
03:49:43.520 --> 03:49:46.840
it's it's tremendous. It's tremendous time
in the business, fascinating time. And

3266
03:49:46.959 --> 03:49:50.799
so in addition to Hulk Coogan's debut
match coming back here in the promo we

3267
03:49:50.920 --> 03:49:54.159
just heard, they also do a
ringside interview during this episode of Wrestling at

3268
03:49:54.159 --> 03:49:58.840
the Chase with the general manager of
kpl R Channel eleven. Wow, welcoming

3269
03:50:00.440 --> 03:50:05.559
his new conquerors. There is exciting
at Saint Louis. This week's special guest

3270
03:50:05.680 --> 03:50:11.840
a new era of professional wrestling.
Vice President, General manager of KDLR.

3271
03:50:11.200 --> 03:50:15.840
Good friend of ours, Very Baker. Very great to be a part of

3272
03:50:16.079 --> 03:50:18.479
the gentle eleventh family. Well,
it's great b to be here and on

3273
03:50:18.600 --> 03:50:24.239
behalf of kpl R TV from Titan
Sports and Eugene here to wrestling in Saint

3274
03:50:24.319 --> 03:50:28.600
Louis. And I want you to
know kpl r's commitment to bringing with Titan

3275
03:50:28.639 --> 03:50:33.520
Sports, the world best wrestlers to
Saint Louis over the next few years.

3276
03:50:33.719 --> 03:50:37.680
And we welcome you in this new
association. Well, very, the very

3277
03:50:37.799 --> 03:50:41.760
festive luck to you and your fine
staff, looking forward to a very long

3278
03:50:41.840 --> 03:50:45.360
relationship. It's a new era.
It's professional wrestling for the great band.

3279
03:50:45.440 --> 03:50:48.479
Jersay, look Suris and thanks very
much for con live man the kissing the

3280
03:50:48.520 --> 03:50:52.239
mail. That guy must have gone
after this, Oh man, what a

3281
03:50:52.360 --> 03:50:58.079
time in America were like the owner
of a fucking CBS affiliate in like a

3282
03:50:58.360 --> 03:51:01.760
top, in like a thirty market
could feel like a king, you know.

3283
03:51:01.879 --> 03:51:07.360
He of course you could put himself
on television and he could insert himself

3284
03:51:07.440 --> 03:51:11.040
into the body of the highly strated
show they did. And yep, I

3285
03:51:11.079 --> 03:51:16.719
meant about no, because you know, the problem, the the the main

3286
03:51:16.840 --> 03:51:26.520
difference is is that we're all just
we're all like m like we we we

3287
03:51:26.760 --> 03:51:30.719
used to be isolated into our own
little bubble, right, Yeah, you

3288
03:51:30.799 --> 03:51:33.760
know, whether it be our town, the county, the state, whatever,

3289
03:51:35.319 --> 03:51:43.600
there was like a tight little bubble. And so you could you could

3290
03:51:43.680 --> 03:51:46.040
be the king of that bubble or
king or queen of that bubble. Yep.

3291
03:51:48.360 --> 03:51:50.440
And you know, be the head
of a of a local channel,

3292
03:51:50.879 --> 03:51:58.799
an affiliate station and and be you
know, you know, someone of note,

3293
03:51:58.000 --> 03:52:01.799
but be the gatekeeper, you know, because this is the same channel

3294
03:52:01.840 --> 03:52:05.879
on the dial you'd watch the major
network shows just during a time of day

3295
03:52:05.920 --> 03:52:09.479
where it was up for grabs for
local programming. But now it's like,

3296
03:52:09.639 --> 03:52:13.319
you know, the world's a different
place. And and and there's just not

3297
03:52:13.479 --> 03:52:20.920
that it's affiliate's really not. But
the short of local news they don't produce

3298
03:52:20.920 --> 03:52:24.719
anything, right, they don't produce
anything. And also they there's just not

3299
03:52:26.159 --> 03:52:31.440
when when when you when when people
are talking about the heads of of of

3300
03:52:33.440 --> 03:52:37.719
the you know, the networks and
movie studios and stuff like the head of

3301
03:52:37.799 --> 03:52:41.239
a fucking who gives a shit about
the head of a local affiliate channel,

3302
03:52:41.319 --> 03:52:46.440
Yeah, who gives a ship?
Yeah, they don't really, they don't

3303
03:52:46.440 --> 03:52:50.280
really dangle and exposure anymore that you
can make any money with because nobody's watching

3304
03:52:50.280 --> 03:52:54.440
their channel at the times that they
can sell. It's like even I don't

3305
03:52:54.440 --> 03:52:56.399
know, I don't know, I
don't know what daytime TV is like these

3306
03:52:56.479 --> 03:53:01.799
days. There's a whole ecosystem Like
growing up, you know, when I

3307
03:53:01.959 --> 03:53:03.000
was, you know, in the
summertime, and I wouldn't go to school,

3308
03:53:03.280 --> 03:53:07.520
like I'd be home with my grandmother
and she'd be watching these shows and

3309
03:53:07.680 --> 03:53:09.840
like Donna Hue and shit and yeah, like a ton of money be me

3310
03:53:09.920 --> 03:53:13.479
in those ads, you know,
all days people watch I'm sure people still

3311
03:53:13.479 --> 03:53:16.520
do watch that shit like in the
daytime, but I don't know. I

3312
03:53:16.559 --> 03:53:20.040
think a lot of people just put
on like Fox News and CNN. Honestly

3313
03:53:20.120 --> 03:53:22.079
they don't. Yeah, well,
you know, my dad loves there's What

3314
03:53:22.200 --> 03:53:28.280
the fuck is the stupid ass game
show prices right now? Is it?

3315
03:53:28.639 --> 03:53:33.280
Uh? Is it twenty five words
or less? I don't know that one.

3316
03:53:33.079 --> 03:53:35.760
Yeah, it's it's some weird ass. It's a day time things.

3317
03:53:37.440 --> 03:53:41.079
Yeah, oh yeah, he doesn't
miss it. Amazing. It's like,

3318
03:53:41.239 --> 03:53:45.159
yeah, he's definitely becoming an old
man. Can't miss his fucking shows.

3319
03:53:45.319 --> 03:53:48.000
Wild. It's wild that these tapes
are out there now and on YouTube and

3320
03:53:48.040 --> 03:53:50.239
stuff. Yeah, that only people
in one market could have seen when they

3321
03:53:50.319 --> 03:53:54.040
happened. Now, to be clear, Vince would put this wrestling at the

3322
03:53:54.079 --> 03:53:58.399
Chase show out as sort of like
his c syndicated show. So in markets

3323
03:53:58.399 --> 03:54:00.959
where he had like three TV slots
you have seen this. So it wasn't

3324
03:54:01.040 --> 03:54:05.360
exclusively contained to Saint Louis, but
that was the whole point of it,

3325
03:54:05.600 --> 03:54:09.479
was to take Saint Louis and run
it over. And he had all star

3326
03:54:09.479 --> 03:54:13.959
wrestling and a championship wrestling which became
challenging superstars I believe what were the names

3327
03:54:13.520 --> 03:54:16.680
as well, building that syndication network
up and then you know, once a

3328
03:54:16.719 --> 03:54:20.479
month to beon MSG, once a
month to be on Prison Cable, and

3329
03:54:20.600 --> 03:54:24.360
Philly for those Spectrum shows. Once
every two months or so would be on

3330
03:54:24.440 --> 03:54:26.120
Nessen for the Boston Garden shows.
I mean, we've talked about how fun

3331
03:54:26.200 --> 03:54:31.959
amazing that must have been. I
watch that stuff. But we mentioned how

3332
03:54:31.000 --> 03:54:35.120
you know, it wasn't like Saint
Louis television was closed to everybody but Vince

3333
03:54:35.159 --> 03:54:41.159
McMahon. There was another station in
town that Bob Geigels group shifted to at

3334
03:54:41.200 --> 03:54:43.879
this point in time. And during
one of the episodes right around the time

3335
03:54:43.920 --> 03:54:48.399
period of this debut of Vince McMahon's
version of wrestling at the chase, they

3336
03:54:48.479 --> 03:54:50.840
go to Bob Geigel, the NBA
president as well during the Black Saturday stuff.

3337
03:54:50.879 --> 03:54:54.200
He was on Georgia Championship all the
time, speaking on behalf of the

3338
03:54:54.319 --> 03:54:58.559
nWay. He has this to say, kind of parroting what we just heard

3339
03:55:00.440 --> 03:55:03.600
the KPLR director say to gene Oakerland. Indeed, we have a man who

3340
03:55:03.680 --> 03:55:09.760
oversees such controversy, the president of
the NWA and local wrestling promoter, Bob

3341
03:55:09.799 --> 03:55:13.680
Geigel. I know, Bob,
you're really pleased about the situation in Saint

3342
03:55:13.680 --> 03:55:16.520
Louis. All the great wrestling fans
able to watch a wrestling excitement on Katy

3343
03:55:16.600 --> 03:55:20.399
and now the Big Three. Oh, that's right, it's fantastic. There's

3344
03:55:20.399 --> 03:55:24.200
a great group of people there.
President Bill Vines is a real high class

3345
03:55:24.280 --> 03:55:28.920
guy. They have three hours of
wrestling a week. They have Wrestling Tender

3346
03:55:28.920 --> 03:55:31.719
eleven on Sunday morning and then Saturday
night they have two hours of wrestling starting

3347
03:55:31.760 --> 03:55:37.239
at ten o'clock to midnight. It's
really fabulous, another great station. We're

3348
03:55:37.319 --> 03:55:39.360
really happy to be on an outstanding
group of people. All right, Bob

3349
03:55:39.399 --> 03:55:43.000
Geigel, who is really excited to
be on? Katy and l the Big

3350
03:55:43.040 --> 03:55:46.959
Three? Oh in Saint Louis,
the Big Three, Oh boss, you

3351
03:55:46.000 --> 03:55:50.799
know it? Well, that's right, Oh my god, so so pathetic.

3352
03:55:50.840 --> 03:55:54.040
They have no idea what's coming now. They're like just about there on

3353
03:55:54.159 --> 03:56:01.559
the verge of getting annihilate JOYD completely
destroyed. We know that Sam much Knick's

3354
03:56:01.600 --> 03:56:03.399
right hand man and running Saint Louis
for all those years the Saint Louis Wrestling

3355
03:56:03.440 --> 03:56:07.200
Club as it was called at the
corporate level was Larry Matisick. He was

3356
03:56:07.239 --> 03:56:09.079
their television announcer as well. Yes, talked about in a lot over the

3357
03:56:09.159 --> 03:56:13.600
years, including alimitable tragedy because the
Von Eric's coming through making their star that

3358
03:56:13.680 --> 03:56:18.520
short time period when Fritz was NWA
president in the mid to late seventies was

3359
03:56:18.760 --> 03:56:22.000
important as well, So we heard
from him. You know when Dan Vaughan

3360
03:56:22.239 --> 03:56:24.879
Eric him and Fritz beat Harley on
that show and to get them over in

3361
03:56:24.879 --> 03:56:28.799
Saint Louis. That's Larry Mattison on
the call, and Larry kind of was

3362
03:56:28.840 --> 03:56:33.000
a man without a country when Sam
retired and Geigel Race and O'Connor get together

3363
03:56:33.760 --> 03:56:37.120
to buy Saint Louis and Verne comes
in, so Mattison kind of tries to

3364
03:56:37.239 --> 03:56:45.120
keep Muchnick's ethic alive and starts his
own organization with Breuger Brodie and Saint Louis.

3365
03:56:45.159 --> 03:56:48.120
It doesn't go very far for very
long, and then pretty soon another

3366
03:56:48.239 --> 03:56:52.799
key part of the Vince McMahon playbook
becomes apparent as he hires away Larry mattisix.

3367
03:56:52.879 --> 03:56:56.200
So Vince comes in any Bayser Television, he hires one or two key

3368
03:56:56.280 --> 03:57:01.760
people to the operation who have all
the relationships with the arenas in the city,

3369
03:57:01.840 --> 03:57:03.440
with the television station managers in the
city, and really with the fans

3370
03:57:03.479 --> 03:57:09.280
in the city and puts them under
tight and employee m So that's key to

3371
03:57:09.520 --> 03:57:13.680
being able to make the moves that
that he did in Saint Louis. It

3372
03:57:13.719 --> 03:57:18.440
didn't last terribly long in terms of
Mattasik being unofficial WWF payroll, but it

3373
03:57:18.920 --> 03:57:20.959
happened at an important time, I
think when Vince was still flirting with the

3374
03:57:22.040 --> 03:57:26.360
idea that he would stitch together consortium
instead of just like WWF everywhere all the

3375
03:57:26.440 --> 03:57:31.280
time, that he was interested in
keeping alive some of their traditions of each

3376
03:57:31.360 --> 03:57:35.879
local market, but just making it
WWF under the surface without totally wiping even

3377
03:57:35.920 --> 03:57:39.479
the surface appearance, like you know, like I said, changing the name

3378
03:57:39.520 --> 03:57:41.479
of wrestling at the chase. He
didn't do that. And there was one

3379
03:57:41.520 --> 03:57:46.879
other key hire in this regard.
That would be someone that Hulk Cogan took

3380
03:57:46.920 --> 03:57:54.399
quite seriously and who was very was
It was a very quick shortcut route for

3381
03:57:54.479 --> 03:57:58.920
Vince McMahon to get influence in key
territories, markets and buildings. And we're

3382
03:57:58.959 --> 03:58:01.239
going to go back to the Hulk, get an interview with Chris Jericho to

3383
03:58:01.280 --> 03:58:05.520
find out exactly who that was here
in eighty three. Yeah, the Jedi

3384
03:58:05.680 --> 03:58:07.559
and Barnett was there too. Now, what's the Barnet story. Oh the

3385
03:58:07.639 --> 03:58:11.959
Barnet store bringing up now, Okay, rolled over the place, but I

3386
03:58:11.000 --> 03:58:16.479
got it, I'm under control,
that's okay. The Barnett's story was he

3387
03:58:16.639 --> 03:58:18.319
was always in the office and whenever
you see me instead of calling me.

3388
03:58:18.920 --> 03:58:24.639
Oh my god, Sterling, they're
just amazing. I can't believe you're still

3389
03:58:24.879 --> 03:58:26.120
all your hair, I said,
Jim. That's because you're not tall enough

3390
03:58:26.120 --> 03:58:30.319
to set the top of my head. Oh my god, sterling. So

3391
03:58:30.760 --> 03:58:35.239
the events will be an alice e. Vince follow me down the hole and

3392
03:58:35.399 --> 03:58:39.559
hid outside Barnett's door, you know, so come I hey, jim Z,

3393
03:58:39.719 --> 03:58:41.959
what's up? Brother? Oh my
god, flipping the time, just

3394
03:58:43.000 --> 03:58:45.559
another day that I was said,
Jim, you know what this fucking Vince.

3395
03:58:46.760 --> 03:58:50.399
I'm so tired of Vince's crap.
If we could just get rid of

3396
03:58:50.399 --> 03:58:54.760
events, you and I could rule
the world, Jim with this whole mania

3397
03:58:54.879 --> 03:58:58.840
thing, and you're genius and front. Oh my god, that man's signs.

3398
03:59:00.520 --> 03:59:05.399
I'm paying my ass. And then
Vins would come around the corner an

3399
03:59:05.440 --> 03:59:11.440
ass. Yeah, yeah, there's
one as I'll never trust you again.

3400
03:59:11.520 --> 03:59:15.639
I do it. A week later
he'd fall forward together and I have vents

3401
03:59:15.680 --> 03:59:18.840
hide outside the door. But Barnett
was so much funderscrewed me and Thence she

3402
03:59:18.879 --> 03:59:20.959
used to dial laughing, you know, and we just screwed him all the

3403
03:59:22.040 --> 03:59:28.600
time. Plus one plus one hundred
for that imitation. Oh my god,

3404
03:59:28.760 --> 03:59:37.360
sterling, you're so amazing. Oh
my sterling, Oh my god, you

3405
03:59:37.559 --> 03:59:43.000
are so amazing. It's not even
like I'll tell you, hm, I'll

3406
03:59:43.040 --> 03:59:48.479
tell you right now that Ben sick
Man is a piece of shit. He's

3407
03:59:48.520 --> 03:59:54.159
a motherfucker all right now we're talking
about you know, Hull Cammania, how

3408
03:59:54.200 --> 04:00:00.600
about that? How about hul Kamania
and Barnett a mania? Right has a

3409
04:00:00.639 --> 04:00:03.680
certain ring to it. Not sure
it's a good one, but it has

3410
04:00:03.719 --> 04:00:09.520
a ring to it. And I
just love his nickname is jim Zy,

3411
04:00:09.600 --> 04:00:15.239
Yes, jim Oh my god,
yoh, jim Z. Jim is brother,

3412
04:00:16.120 --> 04:00:22.559
jim Zy. What are you thinking? Brothers got pot roast on?

3413
04:00:22.719 --> 04:00:26.680
Brother? I can get there like
a foward's fine, you know, I

3414
04:00:26.719 --> 04:00:31.760
can get what's going on jim Z
brother walking around the office. I know,

3415
04:00:31.239 --> 04:00:37.000
I know. He just fucking hold
his head in on jim Barnett's office,

3416
04:00:37.040 --> 04:00:41.280
like, what is going on?
What's up? Jimmy Bizzle? Brother?

3417
04:00:41.959 --> 04:00:43.959
It just wants to talk to his
champion. The other day, That's

3418
04:00:43.959 --> 04:00:48.520
what they used to say, what
Jimmy, What the fuck is Jimmy bizle?

3419
04:00:50.440 --> 04:00:54.680
You brother? You're Jimmy bizzl dude, Jimsy bizz. Before we played

3420
04:00:56.440 --> 04:01:00.639
all American clip. I had to
do it again. You know what else?

3421
04:01:00.680 --> 04:01:01.760
If we're going into nineteen eighty four, you know what else I have

3422
04:01:01.879 --> 04:01:07.399
to do again? Right, of
course, again from an announcers standpoint,

3423
04:01:07.159 --> 04:01:11.319
I must say from a fan standpoint, because I consider myself one of the

3424
04:01:11.360 --> 04:01:13.760
greatest wrestling fans. Ever, as
far as interests in the professional wrestling is

3425
04:01:13.840 --> 04:01:20.799
concerned, I see nineteen eighty four
as being perhaps the most turbulent year in

3426
04:01:20.920 --> 04:01:24.399
professional wrestling. I think that with
the recent happenings that we have seen as

3427
04:01:24.479 --> 04:01:30.399
of late, it would point toward
a direction of a lot of turbulence,

3428
04:01:30.479 --> 04:01:35.479
a lot of unusual things happening in
professional wrestling, and if it probably opened

3429
04:01:35.520 --> 04:01:41.440
the gates for a virtual flood of
wrestling talent into the World Wrestling Federation,

3430
04:01:41.600 --> 04:01:45.520
the likes of which we have never
seen before. I think that many and

3431
04:01:45.920 --> 04:01:50.920
many things would point to an indication
that, indeed, the possibility of the

3432
04:01:52.239 --> 04:01:58.280
turbulence that I mentioned would certainly be
forthcoming. Excuse me, one is so

3433
04:01:58.479 --> 04:02:03.040
fucked. I don't know what he
said, but everyone is so fucked everyone.

3434
04:02:03.280 --> 04:02:05.399
That's the kind of like he starts
using when he's really going to come

3435
04:02:05.399 --> 04:02:07.600
after that? Yeah, Well,
I mean, you know, we're talking

3436
04:02:07.639 --> 04:02:15.159
about the a very turbulent infrastructure in
regards to the presentation and the delivery and

3437
04:02:15.319 --> 04:02:20.360
the the inception of professional wrestling and
and the the quality of entertainment that we're

3438
04:02:20.399 --> 04:02:24.840
trying to provide. And I believe
that that we are at a turning point

3439
04:02:24.959 --> 04:02:33.079
of the in regards to the the
evolving nature of the professional work. Yeah,

3440
04:02:33.239 --> 04:02:35.440
right, I mean that's what this
is about in a lot of ways.

3441
04:02:35.479 --> 04:02:39.600
It's the story of the evolution of
the professional world. The party,

3442
04:02:39.799 --> 04:02:45.280
the evolving nature, the evolving nature
of the professional world, and you know,

3443
04:02:45.479 --> 04:02:52.719
corporate structures and infrastructures and and you
know, it's ever changing, it's

3444
04:02:52.799 --> 04:02:58.879
always moving. We're always you know, creating, uh, you know,

3445
04:02:58.920 --> 04:03:07.239
we're always trying to up the and
for different demographics of viewership. And it's

3446
04:03:07.239 --> 04:03:16.200
an ongoing mission to compete. Yeah, it's really well put. I'm glad.

3447
04:03:16.319 --> 04:03:20.440
I'm so glad you did that.
You asked before about Hogan saving Backland,

3448
04:03:20.520 --> 04:03:24.600
right, Yes, yes, so
what we just heard, you know,

3449
04:03:24.680 --> 04:03:26.319
him wrestling Bill Dixon and getting the
Duke on Wrestling of the Chase and

3450
04:03:26.360 --> 04:03:31.040
doing that promo with Gene that came
before that was taped on December seventh,

3451
04:03:31.479 --> 04:03:33.840
Yeah, December twenty seventh of nineteen
eighty three, and aired on January first

3452
04:03:33.879 --> 04:03:39.440
of nineteen eighty four. January third
of nineteen eighty four. They're back in

3453
04:03:39.520 --> 04:03:43.600
Allentown at the ag Hal and you
better believe that Bob Backland is in the

3454
04:03:43.719 --> 04:03:48.600
ring still WWF champion, well now, coming off losing the WAF Championship to

3455
04:03:48.600 --> 04:03:54.079
the Iron Cheek just days prior,
and he's under siege. The wild Samoans

3456
04:03:54.120 --> 04:04:01.159
are attacking him. Oh yes.
The story was that Backland will was expecting

3457
04:04:01.159 --> 04:04:05.680
a mystery partner to join him,
uh to fight this omens, but back

3458
04:04:05.719 --> 04:04:09.000
Then was all by his lonesome for
some period of time. When this happens,

3459
04:04:11.239 --> 04:04:16.879
back Then out of the ring,
apron, you can't blame hi me

3460
04:04:16.000 --> 04:04:22.040
bapened Backan does not want to continue
to match under these circumstances, and you

3461
04:04:22.079 --> 04:04:28.680
can't blame it. Oh back the
winter, what's back I'm doing noll No,

3462
04:04:28.799 --> 04:04:33.399
I'm at a total loss. While
back Then the returning to one of

3463
04:04:33.440 --> 04:04:39.239
the locker rooms, and just exactly
if he's walking out of I would highlight

3464
04:04:39.360 --> 04:04:46.840
doubt. You've gotta be tend you
have gotta be kidd me be incredible covid.

3465
04:04:50.799 --> 04:04:56.479
Look at god got three hundred pounds
because oh I'm uscling that right now?

3466
04:04:56.719 --> 04:05:01.440
All that he said, tell him, I'm at the star father,

3467
04:05:01.719 --> 04:05:07.200
say fantastic professional of us, sir, And look at this pole. It's

3468
04:05:07.680 --> 04:05:11.920
there, God, absolute b sir. Three hundred pounds in there. And

3469
04:05:13.120 --> 04:05:18.399
Bob Beckland, Oh my goodness,
what a choice, What a choice indeed

3470
04:05:18.479 --> 04:05:22.200
for someone to suck it in his
corner. Come on, fine, every

3471
04:05:22.360 --> 04:05:28.440
last, all right, we're gonna
go Bob now quick live. He's they're

3472
04:05:28.559 --> 04:05:35.879
counting, Hogan, Hogan. Hold
god, let's go now that Geno curling

3473
04:05:35.959 --> 04:05:37.440
and the hunk and Bob Beckwan all
right, I thank you. Listen,

3474
04:05:37.479 --> 04:05:41.120
you don't have to introduce this,
not anybody. Everybody knows the honk.

3475
04:05:41.920 --> 04:05:48.360
Everybody knows the Holt. He changed
his ways. He's a grat man,

3476
04:05:48.159 --> 04:05:52.040
he's Tommy. He's not gonna have
blast around. I'm gonna get my hand

3477
04:05:52.079 --> 04:05:54.719
and give him gun. Laugh.
And I thought little I would like to

3478
04:05:54.760 --> 04:06:00.399
thank mister Bob Backlan and up for
bringing the homester back with it. Said,

3479
04:06:00.639 --> 04:06:03.600
this is a different hault Coke and
halk Mania already wanted run a wild

3480
04:06:03.959 --> 04:06:09.559
just chuck it out. Man just
turns me off. Running back. It

3481
04:06:09.719 --> 04:06:13.680
just turns me on. And I'm
going through the top of the lighters and

3482
04:06:13.840 --> 04:06:16.799
everyone of you were bringing the holster
back here, Daddy cool comedians running a

3483
04:06:16.799 --> 04:06:20.719
while, all right, something bad. I've got to speaks California, the

3484
04:06:20.799 --> 04:06:26.319
incredible Hult Cogain. That's a hot
comeback. I realize most people in that

3485
04:06:26.399 --> 04:06:28.719
building didn't know Hogan was back yet. Wow. I mean they wouldn't have

3486
04:06:28.719 --> 04:06:31.479
seen wrestling at the chase on the
first and this is the third. So

3487
04:06:31.799 --> 04:06:35.479
Hulk Hogan is suddenly showing back up. And uh, you know they've had

3488
04:06:35.520 --> 04:06:39.600
reason through the all American teases and
stuff to think about Hulk Cogan and consider

3489
04:06:39.680 --> 04:06:43.280
him a new and certainly this the
buzz would have spread through the magazines that

3490
04:06:43.479 --> 04:06:46.680
Hulk Cogan and Hlkamania was running rough
shot as a baby face over in the

3491
04:06:46.719 --> 04:06:50.920
AWA. But this is their first
chance in the place they always tape television

3492
04:06:52.200 --> 04:06:56.520
with doctors a Horry and at ringside
to witness this new code of pain Hulk

3493
04:06:56.520 --> 04:06:58.840
Cogan. And the goal is clear
here, right, we got to get

3494
04:06:58.879 --> 04:07:01.920
Bob back when the top baby face
to endorse Hogan. Yes, they're doing

3495
04:07:01.959 --> 04:07:05.600
this forever. That's how the Rock
Roman things started at that rumble. When

3496
04:07:05.639 --> 04:07:11.040
he came out, Yep raised his
hand. So yeah, they went out

3497
04:07:11.040 --> 04:07:13.120
of the way to have Backland put
words in his mouth about how you know,

3498
04:07:13.200 --> 04:07:16.280
Hulks changed his ways because they're worried
that people are going to remember the

3499
04:07:16.360 --> 04:07:18.399
last time they saw Hulk in WWF
he he was a heel. And so

3500
04:07:18.479 --> 04:07:24.360
they're hit hammering, hammering that home
as soon as he walks through the curtain.

3501
04:07:24.799 --> 04:07:26.959
And it's very clear, uh that
they're doing this because they are going

3502
04:07:28.040 --> 04:07:31.760
to accelerate Hulk Hogan's anointing his WWF
champion. This isn't going to be a

3503
04:07:31.799 --> 04:07:33.959
slow burn where he, you know, wins over the trust of the fans,

3504
04:07:35.040 --> 04:07:37.760
or wins over the trust of a
Bob Backland and beats up a bunch

3505
04:07:37.799 --> 04:07:41.920
of heels the mission to go fucking
get it out, get it fast,

3506
04:07:41.120 --> 04:07:46.360
get it fast. So week two, after what we just heard, he

3507
04:07:46.639 --> 04:07:50.280
teams up with Bob Backland is Hulk
Cogan in a tag team match to face

3508
04:07:50.319 --> 04:07:54.239
Mister Fuji and Tiger Chung Lee.
And here's the next chapter of this saga.

3509
04:07:56.399 --> 04:08:01.360
He tag team stream Commer World Champion
Pop Backland and of course the big

3510
04:08:01.440 --> 04:08:05.719
Bath from California, the incredible Hulk
Hogan. How does the field houk for

3511
04:08:05.920 --> 04:08:09.719
you to team up with this brother? You know something? First off,

3512
04:08:09.840 --> 04:08:13.680
Meanjean, the reception I got is
the first time back in the ww I

3513
04:08:13.799 --> 04:08:16.040
felt like a baby new arms.
I mean, I had goose bumps running

3514
04:08:16.079 --> 04:08:20.079
up and down my body. In
whole comedy is already running wild. But

3515
04:08:20.200 --> 04:08:24.000
more than that, I've been trained
and made personal friends with Bob Dochlan,

3516
04:08:24.159 --> 04:08:26.120
the greatest champion of all times.
And let me tell you something, the

3517
04:08:26.239 --> 04:08:31.719
electricity this man puts off just totally
pites me out and win as a team

3518
04:08:31.040 --> 04:08:35.719
or as individuals are ready for any
challenge. Hond in the corner of my

3519
04:08:37.280 --> 04:08:43.799
lane from Venice Beach, California,
Queen three, one hundred and two long,

3520
04:08:45.399 --> 04:08:50.319
taking a return to this arena after
a long I think. Here is

3521
04:08:52.000 --> 04:09:05.959
the incredible Paul Hunger partner from Princeton, Minnesota, waiting two hundred and thirty

3522
04:09:07.360 --> 04:09:16.399
three pounds. Here is the former
World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion Bob Backland.

3523
04:09:20.639 --> 04:09:26.639
All right, match a jam pack
capacity crowd back team dream somewhat with Bob

3524
04:09:26.719 --> 04:09:31.760
Backland and Hope Hogan teaming up Geene
Oakland. This is going to be a

3525
04:09:31.799 --> 04:09:37.239
great one. Play on the big
Holkster. He some of those balls.

3526
04:09:37.760 --> 04:09:41.520
Look at this, look at that? Look at first now, Oh,

3527
04:09:43.479 --> 04:09:48.760
I can just sense it. Pok
the fast this week terribly side. It's

3528
04:09:50.319 --> 04:09:56.079
they see something special here. The
tie of a man, come boy swift

3529
04:09:56.159 --> 04:10:03.559
from the ride. Is he ever
thrown to the corner? Logan sets him

3530
04:10:03.639 --> 04:10:11.399
up? Hold a right, oh
Sam, kind of a clothesline that level

3531
04:10:11.559 --> 04:10:13.840
lay thick, come of the body, slam, hold on the laugh gang?

3532
04:10:15.000 --> 04:10:20.719
Oh what fucking one? Good three
a time? What about that?

3533
04:10:22.520 --> 04:10:26.959
Oh? Absolutely sensation. And I
said, and look at these fans.

3534
04:10:28.319 --> 04:10:33.719
Are they turned on with this team
or what? Vince McMahan, Yes,

3535
04:10:33.840 --> 04:10:37.440
indeed, without a doubt they are
really turned on. We will go now

3536
04:10:37.559 --> 04:10:41.040
and get the official time. Are
that really turned on? Going on at

3537
04:10:41.079 --> 04:10:48.319
the time? Oh my god,
fucking man, that's hot. That's a

3538
04:10:48.360 --> 04:10:52.840
good start to things. Then total
endorsement, And I just love how intentional

3539
04:10:52.879 --> 04:10:56.680
they were about like he's back.
You know, I always wondered when I

3540
04:10:56.799 --> 04:11:00.159
was a kid, before I had
access to this stuff, like did you

3541
04:11:00.239 --> 04:11:03.879
just show up one week and just
start kicking ass? Or were the announcers

3542
04:11:03.040 --> 04:11:07.639
like saying this is day one.
Like I always wondered, like, did

3543
04:11:07.680 --> 04:11:11.879
it only become clear after a little
bit of time coming back that they were

3544
04:11:11.920 --> 04:11:13.120
going to put the strap on him? Was there a period of where they

3545
04:11:13.200 --> 04:11:16.959
were testing it out, you know, being like see how he reacts,

3546
04:11:16.000 --> 04:11:18.360
and then it's like, oh,
we got to go with this guy.

3547
04:11:18.479 --> 04:11:22.959
Now. From day one, they
knew the messaging to send, they knew

3548
04:11:22.959 --> 04:11:24.319
how to frame him, how to
position him visa b backland. It was

3549
04:11:24.879 --> 04:11:31.079
pretty incredible for the time. It
was just perfect execution all around. And

3550
04:11:31.440 --> 04:11:33.920
as we were learning, you know
from books and like Linda's book, like

3551
04:11:33.440 --> 04:11:37.239
there was a ton of like behind
the scenes promises that had to be made

3552
04:11:37.239 --> 04:11:41.479
about commitment to the deal to pull
this off. Like Man's really wanted a

3553
04:11:41.520 --> 04:11:46.879
guy who was full time under his
wing, basically his best friend, if

3554
04:11:46.920 --> 04:11:48.920
he was going to go this hard
with a guy and making this much the

3555
04:11:48.959 --> 04:11:52.600
centerpiece of the of the whole operation. So it was really a big centralized

3556
04:11:52.680 --> 04:11:56.440
risk, a key man risk,
really you know, really focused thing here,

3557
04:11:56.879 --> 04:12:01.479
Like if Hogan left after a year
came agin, oh, like he

3558
04:12:01.559 --> 04:12:07.600
just goes to Crocket because he's pissed
off, Like it's a fucking disaster,

3559
04:12:07.040 --> 04:12:11.319
you know. So it's it's remarkable
that it worked out and had the legs

3560
04:12:11.360 --> 04:12:16.040
that it did. As for Backland, he's left holding the pag and he

3561
04:12:16.159 --> 04:12:20.159
thinks he's a headliner. You know
what, Hogan says, The electricity coming

3562
04:12:20.200 --> 04:12:22.840
off this man's body. The bet
the greatest of FF champ of all time.

3563
04:12:22.600 --> 04:12:26.200
No one makes a sound in Alan
Town, and he's talking about himself,

3564
04:12:26.399 --> 04:12:30.360
right, No one made a sound
towards Bob Backland. But we talked

3565
04:12:30.360 --> 04:12:33.200
about this a lot when we covered
Backland losing the title Iron Cheek on that

3566
04:12:33.239 --> 04:12:37.879
aforementioned Coliseum video collection show. And
just to quickly revisit what he says in

3567
04:12:37.920 --> 04:12:41.120
his book about this time period,
because he pretty much lays it all down

3568
04:12:41.159 --> 04:12:45.559
in the book, and I'm not
so sure, not so sure he's really

3569
04:12:45.600 --> 04:12:50.879
with it cognitively these days to have
many more interviews where he's gonna explain the

3570
04:12:50.959 --> 04:12:54.639
whole chronology and thought process he went
through. But he says Vince Senior approached

3571
04:12:54.680 --> 04:12:58.520
him at the December sixth, nineteen
eighty three Allan Town tapings for the first

3572
04:12:58.559 --> 04:13:03.000
time about switching over the championship,
and you know, Backlan accepted it.

3573
04:13:03.079 --> 04:13:05.399
He'd never been asked, and all
those years he reigned to lose it.

3574
04:13:05.520 --> 04:13:07.879
So it's not like, you know, it's not like out here we go

3575
04:13:07.959 --> 04:13:11.079
again. It's just okay, I
knew this day would come, and this

3576
04:13:11.239 --> 04:13:15.760
is the day. It wasn't sure
when he showed up to wrestle Iron Chica

3577
04:13:15.840 --> 04:13:16.840
No. December twenty seventh, ninete
eighty three that this would be the night,

3578
04:13:16.920 --> 04:13:20.399
but he said that night as he
would want to do. Vin Senior

3579
04:13:20.479 --> 04:13:24.799
called both he and Chek together in
the bathroom where he always liked to give

3580
04:13:24.799 --> 04:13:30.639
wrestlers the finish, and back then
had suggested the ending that went down where

3581
04:13:30.680 --> 04:13:33.920
Arnold Skouland Backlan's manager throws in the
towel while the Bob Backlan is trapped in

3582
04:13:35.000 --> 04:13:39.239
the Kempbel clutch. Instead of giving
up, the manager gives up for him,

3583
04:13:39.639 --> 04:13:41.799
thus allowing him to save perhaps a
bit of face and transitioning over the

3584
04:13:41.920 --> 04:13:46.719
championship. People in the audience,
including Mick Foley on that night Wow completely

3585
04:13:46.760 --> 04:13:50.360
stunned the turn of events. As
Backlin said his book, for years,

3586
04:13:50.399 --> 04:13:54.159
you have the lead role, basking
in the cheers of the crowd, living

3587
04:13:54.200 --> 04:13:56.000
in the spotlight, and of course
enjoying the financial rewards that come with it.

3588
04:13:56.440 --> 04:13:58.479
Then, all of a sudden,
and largely without warning, the play

3589
04:13:58.559 --> 04:14:03.159
closes, the lights go out,
and the dream is over. Instead of

3590
04:14:03.200 --> 04:14:05.440
being an instantly recognizable face all around
the country and in many parts of the

3591
04:14:05.479 --> 04:14:09.440
world, you start to fade back
into animinity. Instead of receiving a bag

3592
04:14:09.520 --> 04:14:15.040
full of fan mail every three weeks, the volume dwindles until eventually the people

3593
04:14:15.120 --> 04:14:18.799
stop writing. Mmm. He remembers
referee Dick Kroll, who was assigned to

3594
04:14:18.840 --> 04:14:22.760
his match with Chic, looking down, seeing the finish, seeing the towel

3595
04:14:22.799 --> 04:14:26.440
and calling for the bell, looking
incredulously at Scoland because they didn't even let

3596
04:14:26.479 --> 04:14:30.040
the referee in on the fact that
the match was going to end with the

3597
04:14:30.079 --> 04:14:33.680
towel throw. Wow, So this
is like the first call for the bell,

3598
04:14:33.840 --> 04:14:35.200
ringing the damn bell kind of deal
and ane, Yeah, totally.

3599
04:14:37.879 --> 04:14:39.920
Before I could draw breath, Arnold
skulln was on me and the ring Backlan

3600
04:14:39.959 --> 04:14:43.680
writes, massaging my neck and whispering
in my ear, Well done, Bobby,

3601
04:14:43.760 --> 04:14:46.200
it's okay, you did good.
The next day, December twenty seventh,

3602
04:14:46.200 --> 04:14:50.120
eighty three, Vince Junior Backlan writes, held a television taping at the

3603
04:14:50.159 --> 04:14:52.479
Chase Hotel in Saint Louis, and
that's exactly the show we were just talking

3604
04:14:52.520 --> 04:14:58.200
about, where Hogan makes his very
first appearance upon re signing Backlan Vince Junior

3605
04:14:58.239 --> 04:15:01.399
saw the potential of Hogan's marketability and
jumped all over it. I had known

3606
04:15:01.440 --> 04:15:05.360
Hogan from his prior stint in the
Territory. He was young in the business

3607
04:15:05.440 --> 04:15:07.120
and very green back then, but
Hogan and I had some pretty good matches

3608
04:15:07.159 --> 04:15:09.719
in nineteen eighty. I didn't really
like what Hogan was doing and what he

3609
04:15:09.799 --> 04:15:13.799
was about behind the scenes, but
the McMahons had been very good to me,

3610
04:15:13.920 --> 04:15:16.200
and I owed them some loyalty in
return. The point of the whole

3611
04:15:16.239 --> 04:15:18.280
thing was to pair us up and
have it be more or less a passing

3612
04:15:18.319 --> 04:15:20.959
of the torch for me to him
and for me to let my fans know

3613
04:15:22.000 --> 04:15:24.200
it was okay to cheer for Hogan
and to trust him and to believe in

3614
04:15:24.280 --> 04:15:26.840
him. After that, it had
all been laid down a tape about two

3615
04:15:26.840 --> 04:15:31.840
weeks before the Garden Card saw.
He talks in the interim there about how

3616
04:15:31.879 --> 04:15:35.520
he still had this belief that he
was going to rematch Chic. On January

3617
04:15:35.520 --> 04:15:39.399
twenty third eighty four in the Garden. And it's remarkable how long. I

3618
04:15:39.440 --> 04:15:43.200
mean, they never really even say
on television. They never even say on

3619
04:15:43.319 --> 04:15:48.159
television before the Garden show that Backland's
out. So people show up at the

3620
04:15:48.200 --> 04:15:52.159
Garden that day expecting it to be
Backland cheek again, can't lose sight of

3621
04:15:52.239 --> 04:16:00.639
that. They wait, so it's
advertised as that, and nobody fucking well.

3622
04:16:00.760 --> 04:16:03.639
I mean, you know, a
card subject to change, that's right,

3623
04:16:03.799 --> 04:16:07.200
Yeah, No one's going to complain
of what they get in exchange is

3624
04:16:07.239 --> 04:16:08.840
ten times better. I think it. It had come out in like the

3625
04:16:08.920 --> 04:16:12.399
media and New York and stuff,
like in the papers. I take a

3626
04:16:12.440 --> 04:16:15.799
quick gander. Actually, that's an
interesting point that I had a card card

3627
04:16:15.879 --> 04:16:19.600
subject to change. Oh yeah,
there's the deal. And you know I

3628
04:16:19.680 --> 04:16:29.120
don't. I don't. I don't
answer to you. I answer to you

3629
04:16:29.200 --> 04:16:36.200
know, the the higher calling of
the professional wrestling wisdom, higher calling,

3630
04:16:36.639 --> 04:16:38.959
higher power, if you will,
even I would agree, I would agree

3631
04:16:38.959 --> 04:16:45.280
with about the higher power. There's
a higher reality, a higher sense of

3632
04:16:45.440 --> 04:16:59.479
duty, right, higher sense of
dukie say that's a higher reality. Yeah,

3633
04:16:59.479 --> 04:17:03.639
I don't see the papers they got
that. Maybe it was in the

3634
04:17:03.000 --> 04:17:07.479
program this is what Jerry twentieth right, Jerry twenty third, Yes, all

3635
04:17:07.559 --> 04:17:11.239
right, I got it. New
York Daily News, Jerry twentieth eighty four.

3636
04:17:11.399 --> 04:17:15.120
So this is three days before the
Iron Chic makes the first defense of

3637
04:17:15.200 --> 04:17:18.399
his World Wrestling Federation heavyweight title in
the Garden Monday Night against the Incredible Hulk.

3638
04:17:18.479 --> 04:17:23.000
Hogan Wow replaces Bob Backland. This
is a small item deep in the

3639
04:17:23.040 --> 04:17:26.600
sports section. It's very It's like
underneath all the box scores. You can

3640
04:17:26.680 --> 04:17:30.360
tell they rushed it into the paper. Hogan replaces Bob Backland, who lost

3641
04:17:30.399 --> 04:17:33.440
the title to The Sheik in December. The first baut will go on at

3642
04:17:33.479 --> 04:17:37.159
eight pm. Backland hasn't fully recovered
from the injured right shoulder he received and

3643
04:17:37.200 --> 04:17:41.399
the losing the title. Losing the
title against The Chic and companion features the

3644
04:17:41.879 --> 04:17:47.040
Magnificent Morocco defends the Intercontinental title against
Tito Santana and the rest of the card.

3645
04:17:47.479 --> 04:17:51.680
So there it is. That's got
to be the first instance of it,

3646
04:17:51.840 --> 04:17:55.959
and it's here in the Jersey Journal
on January twentieth, So they got

3647
04:17:56.040 --> 04:17:59.440
word out and they got into the
papers three days ahead of time. There

3648
04:17:59.520 --> 04:18:03.959
you go that it was going to
be Hogan and wow, it's pretty wild.

3649
04:18:04.079 --> 04:18:07.200
So back Then says, after that
had been laid down a tape,

3650
04:18:07.200 --> 04:18:10.280
about two weeks before the Garden card, Vince Junior approached me and informed me

3651
04:18:10.319 --> 04:18:12.200
that, notwithstanding the fact that the
Jenerally twenty third, nineteen eighty four card

3652
04:18:12.319 --> 04:18:15.879
at Madison Square Garden had been announced
as a Chic Backlan rematch for the WWAF

3653
04:18:15.959 --> 04:18:18.920
title, that they decided to put
Hogan into the main event is my replacement.

3654
04:18:19.159 --> 04:18:22.799
At that point, I knew for
certain that Hogan was going to be

3655
04:18:22.079 --> 04:18:26.079
their next guy. What's interesting is
that after he'd learned that, Chic and

3656
04:18:26.360 --> 04:18:30.799
Backlan continued to work the circuit and
wrestle against each other and rematches around the

3657
04:18:30.840 --> 04:18:37.079
horn. Really yeah, so it
wasn't It wasn't totally apparent to fans that

3658
04:18:37.239 --> 04:18:41.280
watched that went to shows between Chic
winning the Belt and Hogan went in the

3659
04:18:41.319 --> 04:18:44.600
Belt that Backlan was out of the
picture. But yeah, here at,

3660
04:18:44.600 --> 04:18:48.959
he says. The official announcement was
that I was too injured to wrestle at

3661
04:18:48.959 --> 04:18:51.799
the Jeneral twenty third, ninete eighty
four Garden show, and then the promo

3662
04:18:51.920 --> 04:18:55.200
interviews for the card, Hogan was
named as my replacement. See, I

3663
04:18:55.239 --> 04:19:00.200
don't think that's accurate. I didn't
see a single promo that indicated that he

3664
04:19:00.280 --> 04:19:03.920
had replaced, that he was going
to a place Backlan. Now did they

3665
04:19:03.000 --> 04:19:06.879
cut something and insert it into just
something that played in the New York market.

3666
04:19:06.920 --> 04:19:10.799
I suppose that's possible, but I
don't think so. And I think

3667
04:19:10.840 --> 04:19:14.639
that clipping proves it in a way. Yeah, right, Why would you

3668
04:19:14.680 --> 04:19:15.879
do that if the TV made it
abundantly clear that it was going to be

3669
04:19:15.959 --> 04:19:18.520
Hogan. Before I learned that I
had been taken out of the match,

3670
04:19:18.639 --> 04:19:22.840
I had promised tickets. Backland writes
some friends who had helped me organize the

3671
04:19:22.879 --> 04:19:26.360
Bob Backland Kids wrestling tournaments out of
Long Island. So I went to the

3672
04:19:26.399 --> 04:19:27.879
garden to make sure that they got
their tickets and could get into the matches.

3673
04:19:29.040 --> 04:19:30.479
Because I was injured, I was
not scheduled to wrestle on the card.

3674
04:19:30.520 --> 04:19:33.479
So once I knew that my friends
and the kids had gotten into the

3675
04:19:33.520 --> 04:19:37.559
building, I didn't hang around for
very long. I didn't stay at the

3676
04:19:37.559 --> 04:19:40.479
garden enough to find out what happened. My friends told me later that Hogan

3677
04:19:40.520 --> 04:19:42.280
squashed the Sheik in five minutes and
that the crowd was into it big time.

3678
04:19:42.840 --> 04:19:45.600
Immediately after winning the title, Hogan
left with the belt on a two

3679
04:19:45.639 --> 04:19:51.319
week tour for New Japan, and
I finished up my remaining which roughly coincided

3680
04:19:51.399 --> 04:19:53.360
with the time that Hogan was in
Japan. Once Hogan returned from Japan with

3681
04:19:53.440 --> 04:19:57.760
the belt, however, Vince Junior
put me in Mothballs Wow. So we

3682
04:19:57.799 --> 04:20:00.639
went away for a couple months.
He returned on the March sixth night Needy

3683
04:20:00.680 --> 04:20:03.799
four Allentown television tapings, and according
to back then, it's at those tapings

3684
04:20:03.840 --> 04:20:07.879
and Vince Junior approaches and we've talked
about this before and asks him if he'd

3685
04:20:07.920 --> 04:20:10.920
be willing to participate in an angle
where I became jealous of the fact that

3686
04:20:10.959 --> 04:20:14.600
the fans had adopted Hogan as their
new hero and forgotten about me, turn

3687
04:20:14.719 --> 04:20:19.040
heel and work against Hogan, he
said, Vince Junior offering him a very

3688
04:20:19.079 --> 04:20:22.760
lucrative contract for a lot of money
to become a heel and chase Hogan.

3689
04:20:22.840 --> 04:20:23.920
He still has the contract, he
wrote in his book. As a matter

3690
04:20:25.000 --> 04:20:30.280
of fact, but what do you
say, Bob money not much of a

3691
04:20:30.319 --> 04:20:33.319
stretch, Pal, I mean,
between me and you're right, You're you're

3692
04:20:33.479 --> 04:20:37.879
you're a monkey's ass, and I've
seen like a prick. I believe that

3693
04:20:37.239 --> 04:20:41.920
it's an opportunity for you to act
like a monkey's ass and make some fucking

3694
04:20:41.959 --> 04:20:47.120
money doing it. Why don't you
stop being a bitch? Sign the contract?

3695
04:20:47.120 --> 04:20:49.959
Why don't you be a fucking man
a TV Sign the contact, turn

3696
04:20:52.280 --> 04:20:55.879
and turn heel, He writes,
I don't think there were more than a

3697
04:20:55.879 --> 04:20:59.360
handful of times in the six months
that I continued to wrestle in the WWF

3698
04:20:59.399 --> 04:21:03.639
were Hogan and I appeared in the
same building. They kept them far apart

3699
04:21:03.680 --> 04:21:07.520
from each other and the fans eyes
and minds, according to Bob Backland,

3700
04:21:07.520 --> 04:21:10.799
and you know, according to the
record, the you know where they wrestled

3701
04:21:10.920 --> 04:21:15.319
was clear. Back then went against
mass Superstar on the circuit after Hogan won

3702
04:21:15.360 --> 04:21:19.399
the title, because Hogan had the
new Japan tour to go on right away,

3703
04:21:19.520 --> 04:21:22.639
he won the belt and bounced.
Yes, that's so crazy. Is

3704
04:21:22.680 --> 04:21:30.600
the pre arranged you know, the
pre arranged dates so remarkable. This position

3705
04:21:30.639 --> 04:21:33.920
Bob Backlan found himself in really really
wild and he did turn down the heel

3706
04:21:33.959 --> 04:21:37.159
turn. And that's pretty much how
it ends. It kind of kind of

3707
04:21:37.239 --> 04:21:41.719
ignominiously for a Bob Becklam that reigned
for so long and drew somebody sellouts,

3708
04:21:41.079 --> 04:21:45.239
wrestled so many great opponents that that's
how it ended. But it's time to

3709
04:21:45.280 --> 04:21:48.879
do business. And Hul Cogan let
you know where the company was headed when

3710
04:21:48.920 --> 04:21:52.360
he sat down for the Victory Corner
interview segment that they used to do and

3711
04:21:53.239 --> 04:21:57.000
you know and oh sure cooperation with
their magazine. Robb de Board was the

3712
04:21:57.079 --> 04:22:00.479
name of the announced guy, the
interviewer. And here is a Hogan on

3713
04:22:00.600 --> 04:22:04.040
his first Victory Corner, just a
couple of weeks after coming back to the

3714
04:22:04.200 --> 04:22:14.239
WWF. Thank you very much and
welcome to Victory Corner. This week's special

3715
04:22:14.319 --> 04:22:18.879
guest in his first appearance on Victory
Corner is the incredible Hulk Hogan, a

3716
04:22:18.959 --> 04:22:25.319
man who's virtually exploded onto the World
Wrestling Federation scene. Hulk, our viewers,

3717
04:22:25.600 --> 04:22:27.159
our readers want to hear from you. You know something. I'm having

3718
04:22:27.200 --> 04:22:30.959
a hard time to stay in the
share for one reason. I am so

3719
04:22:30.079 --> 04:22:33.120
psyched about being back to the WWF. The last time I was here,

3720
04:22:33.360 --> 04:22:37.520
I was misguided by a man named
Freddy Bassi. But I've traveled all around

3721
04:22:37.559 --> 04:22:40.920
the world since then, chasing the
big One down the world's heavyweight title.

3722
04:22:41.159 --> 04:22:45.360
Everybody around here knows the reputation of
the Holster. I've traveled far and wide,

3723
04:22:45.440 --> 04:22:48.239
internationally known. And the thing is, I have rubbed a lot of

3724
04:22:48.280 --> 04:22:51.440
world champions faces in the mass,
but the one, the one that I

3725
04:22:51.520 --> 04:22:55.200
want more than ever, is a
WWF title. That's why I have trained

3726
04:22:55.239 --> 04:22:57.000
so hard, training, save la
prayers and eight my vitamins every day.

3727
04:22:57.319 --> 04:23:00.719
And the thing is, greatness comes
of those who wait. I've waited a

3728
04:23:00.840 --> 04:23:04.639
long time, and the WWF is
ready for the Holster. Hull Comania is

3729
04:23:04.680 --> 04:23:07.639
running wild, little dude. And
the thing is, I'm so excited,

3730
04:23:07.799 --> 04:23:11.799
so anxious that I'm back. I
can't wait for my title shot when I

3731
04:23:11.879 --> 04:23:14.879
work my way to the top of
the ladder and have that champ to climb

3732
04:23:14.920 --> 04:23:18.600
in the ring with a WWF champion, the only true champion in the world

3733
04:23:18.639 --> 04:23:22.479
today, Holp There's been some changes
in the wrestling scene. How are you

3734
04:23:22.520 --> 04:23:26.520
gonna deal with that? A lot
of changes personal changes. For myself,

3735
04:23:26.760 --> 04:23:30.520
I turned myself from a center into
the saint. I wanted to be part

3736
04:23:30.559 --> 04:23:33.760
of a family, and that family
is the people that stand behind the Holster.

3737
04:23:33.000 --> 04:23:36.319
You see, there's an energy running
wild now, little dude, it's

3738
04:23:36.360 --> 04:23:38.639
called hulk Comania. It's something that
spurs me on. I've got those people

3739
04:23:38.719 --> 04:23:41.399
behind me all the way, and
I can't wait for hulch Commedia to run

3740
04:23:41.440 --> 04:23:45.760
wild in the WWF. Thank you
very much, Holk. Now back to

3741
04:23:45.879 --> 04:23:52.600
Ringside, a terrific interviewer. That
guy was huh, yeah, he's a

3742
04:23:52.719 --> 04:23:57.319
legend. He fucking The electricity is
just pulse pulsating. Let me tell you,

3743
04:23:57.440 --> 04:24:06.200
I can feel the electricity pump and
through but he's um, it's doing

3744
04:24:06.319 --> 04:24:12.840
something. And confirm, ladies and
gentlemen, we can't confirm electricity. Can

3745
04:24:12.920 --> 04:24:18.360
confirm electricity. Well, that's good. We can't confirm, ladies and gentlemen,

3746
04:24:18.399 --> 04:24:25.040
electricity is real. I was wondering. I was worried actually that we

3747
04:24:25.120 --> 04:24:30.360
weren't going to get that confirmation.
But we got it. So the match

3748
04:24:30.440 --> 04:24:34.479
happens. We know the date,
Anyry twenty third, nineteen eighty four.

3749
04:24:34.559 --> 04:24:40.280
Hogan wins the championship. And you've
heard Hogan's perspective already on it from his

3750
04:24:40.399 --> 04:24:44.440
books and as far as I can
tell, they first played the match outside

3751
04:24:44.479 --> 04:24:47.520
unless you watched the live Madison Square
Garden Network show that day in New York

3752
04:24:48.040 --> 04:24:49.760
on the January twenty eighth, nineteen
eighty four edition of All Star Wrestling.

3753
04:24:51.399 --> 04:24:55.760
They play the match in its entirety
and then they insert Vincent Jane like they're

3754
04:24:55.799 --> 04:24:59.559
in studio almost but they're pretending to
be in the arena with a yellow banner

3755
04:24:59.639 --> 04:25:03.959
behind them with headsets on. Yes, you know, breaking down the incredible

3756
04:25:03.959 --> 04:25:11.159
outcome we just saw, right,
And the show also features Hogan's first promo

3757
04:25:11.239 --> 04:25:15.120
I think for an MSG title defense
ever. Wow, because now that he's

3758
04:25:15.200 --> 04:25:18.440
the champion, someone else had debuted
on that card for the WWF by the

3759
04:25:18.520 --> 04:25:22.440
name of Paul Orndorff. Well,
he had been in WWF in eighty three

3760
04:25:22.479 --> 04:25:26.399
for a little while, but I
think this was his Madison Square Garden debut,

3761
04:25:26.399 --> 04:25:30.040
and they were, you know,
purposely trying to position Orn. Dwarf

3762
04:25:30.159 --> 04:25:33.159
is especially strong on this card to
make you think of him as someone that

3763
04:25:33.200 --> 04:25:36.319
could make a run for Hogan when
he wins the belt later on the show.

3764
04:25:37.120 --> 04:25:38.639
It's quite something to see Paul or
Dwarf, Piper, all these Wrestling

3765
04:25:38.639 --> 04:25:42.120
Ania one guys on Boss on this
on this show. Oh, it's wild.

3766
04:25:42.440 --> 04:25:47.079
It's so wild. Everyone's here,
and the Hulkster now with the strap

3767
04:25:47.159 --> 04:25:49.760
around his waist and the rockets trapped
to him, and the WWF has this

3768
04:25:49.920 --> 04:25:59.120
to say towards mister Wonderful all right, Indeed, the incredible New World Wrestling

3769
04:25:59.200 --> 04:26:03.799
Fighteraction Wait Champion red Ring side Fritch
McMahan along with gene Oakerland. That was

3770
04:26:03.879 --> 04:26:07.440
a magic moment, was it not, gen Well, I need advice,

3771
04:26:07.600 --> 04:26:11.399
Vince mcmatt. As you know,
the comment made history of the making.

3772
04:26:11.040 --> 04:26:17.200
I believe Guerrilla Mond Soon said it
earlier and Madison Square Garden once again the

3773
04:26:17.319 --> 04:26:21.360
site to date. January the twenty
third, nineteen eighty four had a brand

3774
04:26:21.399 --> 04:26:26.120
new World's Heavyweight title holder in the
incredible Hulk Cogan. And what a champion,

3775
04:26:26.200 --> 04:26:30.239
what a popular champion he is,
chin, I believe that's another statement.

3776
04:26:30.399 --> 04:26:34.280
It is going to be railing and
rocking. Two world title bouts have

3777
04:26:34.360 --> 04:26:40.719
been signed already Inner Continental Toddle Defense. It's a rematch the Magnificent Morocco to

3778
04:26:40.760 --> 04:26:48.360
be challenged by Mexican Star Team.
So that's uh, I guess that's not

3779
04:26:48.440 --> 04:26:55.520
the Hogan promo. So that what
that is is the week after the title

3780
04:26:55.559 --> 04:26:59.319
win, that's how they talked about. So that's the sound of them talking

3781
04:26:59.399 --> 04:27:04.600
in studio and let's get Let's get
to the email I just sent you.

3782
04:27:04.760 --> 04:27:08.920
This is a couple of things.
This is very important because the first one

3783
04:27:10.000 --> 04:27:12.079
is the Observer. If you open
that piece up, this is the Observer

3784
04:27:12.239 --> 04:27:17.440
from March of nineteen eighty four,
back in the day when Dave only published

3785
04:27:17.479 --> 04:27:21.159
monthly. Oh fuck me. And
one of the cool things he used to

3786
04:27:21.280 --> 04:27:26.959
do was republish articles that it appeared
in papers around the country that were about

3787
04:27:26.000 --> 04:27:37.440
pro wrestling. It basically reproduced them. And my god, did he find

3788
04:27:37.639 --> 04:27:41.239
a piece of history that he put
into this thing. If we go down

3789
04:27:41.440 --> 04:27:49.159
to page ten, Okay, page
ten, we talked about how intentional Hogan

3790
04:27:49.280 --> 04:27:53.760
is whenever talking about jumping from Verne
to Vince that he gave no notice.

3791
04:27:55.200 --> 04:27:56.959
You heard him say to christ Jericho, I did the wrong thing. I

3792
04:27:57.079 --> 04:28:00.360
violated the ethic. I didn't do
the honors. Left in the middle of

3793
04:28:00.399 --> 04:28:03.680
the night, so to speak.
But here a columnist out of the Twin

3794
04:28:03.719 --> 04:28:10.600
Cities by the name of John Sherman, who wrote for a news outlet out

3795
04:28:10.639 --> 04:28:19.159
of out of Minnesota called I had
it here somewhere. It's not a news

3796
04:28:19.200 --> 04:28:22.840
outlet I've ever heard of, but
maybe it was a thing, and he

3797
04:28:23.000 --> 04:28:30.879
goes out there on whose suggestion,
I don't know, and and he interviews

3798
04:28:30.920 --> 04:28:37.079
hul Coogan in the locker room after
he beats Iron Chic and it's damaged what

3799
04:28:37.520 --> 04:28:41.959
control this was pointed out? I
have to give credit to Between the Sheets

3800
04:28:42.079 --> 04:28:45.040
they did with Dave Dixon, span
and Chris Ellner. They did a terrific

3801
04:28:45.079 --> 04:28:48.559
show on their Patreon about the national
expansion in early days, going through all

3802
04:28:48.600 --> 04:28:52.719
the newsletters, and they pointed this
out first time I had heard about it.

3803
04:28:53.520 --> 04:28:56.319
John Sherman is sent from the Twin
Cities to ask cul Cogan questions.

3804
04:28:56.319 --> 04:29:00.959
Who knows who sent him? Because
it's damage control. It's him giving hul

3805
04:29:00.000 --> 04:29:03.559
Cogan an opportunity to explain to the
fans of the Twin Cities, which,

3806
04:29:03.600 --> 04:29:07.200
by the way, Vince McMahon is
preparing to bring Hogan Enjine oaklandto in short

3807
04:29:07.319 --> 04:29:10.559
order, along with Dave schultzon others
that he poked poached. I should say,

3808
04:29:11.559 --> 04:29:15.760
maybe he poked him too, but
he's gonna bring them in and he's

3809
04:29:15.799 --> 04:29:18.319
got to keep up relations. There
are a lot of fans, according to

3810
04:29:18.399 --> 04:29:22.360
Laura, that Vern allowed to think
Hulk Cogan was going to show up in

3811
04:29:22.479 --> 04:29:26.280
eighty three because he was so pissed
that Hogan left. Sure, Sure he

3812
04:29:26.760 --> 04:29:29.159
left a sour taste in the mouth
of all those fans when Hulk Cogan didn't

3813
04:29:29.159 --> 04:29:30.360
show up even though he knew he
wasn't going to be there, which of

3814
04:29:30.399 --> 04:29:33.360
course is bullshit on Vern's part.
But it's getting petty as petty can be.

3815
04:29:33.639 --> 04:29:37.840
So the CounterPunch is here, and
it really throws a monkey wrench into

3816
04:29:37.879 --> 04:29:41.600
the idea Boss that Vince never gave
Vern any notice. He certainly wants the

3817
04:29:41.639 --> 04:29:45.600
fans of the Twin Cities reading this
column by John Sherman to know that he

3818
04:29:45.760 --> 04:29:49.040
certainly did tell Vern he was going
to leave. It starts there Monday Night

3819
04:29:49.360 --> 04:29:56.879
Shit, New York's fabled Monday Night. At New York's fabled Madison Square Garden,

3820
04:29:57.719 --> 04:30:03.200
twenty thousand fans roared their approval as
incredible Hulk Hogan dismantled the Iron Sheet

3821
04:30:03.280 --> 04:30:11.360
to win the Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment Championship
belt. Reporters under the new champions dressing

3822
04:30:11.399 --> 04:30:15.879
room expecting to find Hogan in the
mood for backslapping. Instead, he seemed

3823
04:30:15.879 --> 04:30:22.840
to withdraw. He had something else
on his mind. This is Christmas night.

3824
04:30:22.879 --> 04:30:29.280
I've been going through hell Hulk confided
to people today after he had dispatched

3825
04:30:29.600 --> 04:30:34.559
other reporters and ever present hangers on, Wally Carbo and Verne Gott. Gagny

3826
04:30:37.040 --> 04:30:41.799
new four weeks ahead of time that
I had terminated my services in the American

3827
04:30:41.799 --> 04:30:48.399
Wrestling Association. Yet they continue to
advertise that I would be there on Christmas

3828
04:30:48.479 --> 04:30:56.440
Night. Hogan produced a copy of
a male gram. When's it dated sent

3829
04:30:56.760 --> 04:31:02.040
November twenty seconds. Okay, so
that's so much for not telling anybody.

3830
04:31:02.799 --> 04:31:07.760
Yeah, the document said Hogan had
signed a long term contract with the WWE

3831
04:31:08.440 --> 04:31:12.600
and Madison Square Garden. He's in
a contract with Madison Square gard Maybe I

3832
04:31:12.600 --> 04:31:18.360
don't know, maybe they were involved
like promotional. You could be in the

3833
04:31:18.440 --> 04:31:22.520
ABA. The Hulk did not have
a long term contract. He negotiated every

3834
04:31:22.559 --> 04:31:26.879
match with Carbo and Gagney. Know
before Thanksgiving, I told Carbo I might

3835
04:31:26.959 --> 04:31:32.280
be available on Christmas Night, said
the hawks term. But as of November

3836
04:31:32.319 --> 04:31:36.239
twenty two, I quit the AWA. Carbo knew that, yet, he

3837
04:31:36.399 --> 04:31:40.280
said I would be there as a
partner to Brick Martel, Greg Gagney and

3838
04:31:40.479 --> 04:31:44.000
Jim Brunzel for an eight man tag
match. I want to set the record

3839
04:31:44.040 --> 04:31:47.959
straight. Tell it like it is
because of what these people did to me.

3840
04:31:48.760 --> 04:31:52.040
They used my name to fill the
civic center. It was Christmas night,

3841
04:31:52.159 --> 04:31:56.879
man, and they took people away
from their families since I wasn't there.

3842
04:31:56.280 --> 04:31:59.760
Some people think it's my fault.
You know, how can it be

3843
04:31:59.799 --> 04:32:03.799
my fault When Carbo and Gagney knew
a month in advance, I had no

3844
04:32:03.920 --> 04:32:07.840
intention of being there. Everywhere I
go people stop me and ask me what

3845
04:32:08.079 --> 04:32:14.079
happened. Now I'm ready to tell
a whole story, Hogan said. It

3846
04:32:14.200 --> 04:32:17.559
is trouble with the A w A. He started when when his attempts to

3847
04:32:17.600 --> 04:32:22.680
win me a w A World championship
from Dick nick Backwinkle were thwarted. I

3848
04:32:22.840 --> 04:32:26.040
beat the man three times, but
every time Stanley Blackburn, your president of

3849
04:32:26.120 --> 04:32:30.120
ABA, and the promoters, found
a way to strip me of the belt.

3850
04:32:30.760 --> 04:32:33.280
I knew I was in trouble the
third time I wrestled the man in

3851
04:32:33.360 --> 04:32:37.719
Saint Paul. Just before the match, Bockwinkle turned Stanley Blackburn, who was

3852
04:32:37.760 --> 04:32:42.120
seated a ringside, and winked,
oh my god, Terry. By the

3853
04:32:42.120 --> 04:32:48.159
way, these sound like comments that
mister Sherman didn't gather himself, but were

3854
04:32:48.840 --> 04:32:53.120
provided to him. I can provide
you with a number of comments, quote

3855
04:32:53.159 --> 04:33:00.360
John comments and quotes. Yeah,
you're seeking You're seeking arofessional promotional comment.

3856
04:33:00.600 --> 04:33:11.240
Right? Is it correct for your
for your your your your your news enterprise?

3857
04:33:12.040 --> 04:33:15.240
Is that We're well? I can
tell you right now I have some

3858
04:33:15.360 --> 04:33:22.159
written comments down from Hulk Hogan.
I beat the man three times, but

3859
04:33:22.439 --> 04:33:27.200
every time Stanley Blackburn's he's the president
of the AWA, and the promoters found

3860
04:33:27.200 --> 04:33:32.080
a way to strip me of the
belt. I know. That's like when

3861
04:33:32.080 --> 04:33:36.360
Trump would call promoters as John newspaper
reporters. Is John Miller pretend to be

3862
04:33:36.439 --> 04:33:40.720
his own spokesman? Yeah, amazing. I knew I was in trouble the

3863
04:33:40.759 --> 04:33:44.400
third time I wrestled a man in
Saint Paul. Just before the match,

3864
04:33:44.720 --> 04:33:49.759
Bockwinkle turned to Stanley Blackburn, who
was seated at ringside, and winked,

3865
04:33:52.919 --> 04:33:56.040
do you need help? Right of
that? Down? You're right exactly when

3866
04:33:56.040 --> 04:33:59.840
you misslow down. You needed to
say it again. I want to make

3867
04:33:59.840 --> 04:34:02.840
sure you got the whole thing.
Oh my god, it continues in the

3868
04:34:03.000 --> 04:34:08.360
next paragraph. There it does,
used, used and used, Hogan said.

3869
04:34:08.400 --> 04:34:15.200
Promoters in Chicago, San Francisco joined
Twin Cities promoters in using his name

3870
04:34:15.319 --> 04:34:19.680
to draw fans when all parties knew
in fact, Hogan would not be on

3871
04:34:19.759 --> 04:34:26.279
the cards at the Civic Center Christmas
Night. The promoter should have announced at

3872
04:34:26.279 --> 04:34:29.959
the beginning of the card that I
wouldn't be there. Instead, they made

3873
04:34:30.000 --> 04:34:34.680
the fans sit through the pre lim
bouts unsuspecting what was to come. They

3874
04:34:34.759 --> 04:34:38.799
waste the people's time and how promoter
is capitalized there. Yes, it makes

3875
04:34:38.840 --> 04:34:44.400
me think he just like literally typed, like pulled, like copy and pasted

3876
04:34:44.479 --> 04:34:48.200
where the equivalent would have been.
Yeah. Hogan said his decision to leave

3877
04:34:48.240 --> 04:34:52.159
the ABA reflected a desire to face
tougher opponents. Already, the WWE gave

3878
04:34:52.240 --> 04:34:56.520
him a title match, which he
won. He has also been promised matches

3879
04:34:56.560 --> 04:35:00.880
with Andrea the Giant and Doctor David
show Boltz. I gave Schultz a beating

3880
04:35:00.959 --> 04:35:04.720
in Saint Paul and put twenty eight
stitches in his head. Now he's running

3881
04:35:04.799 --> 04:35:08.479
his mouth in New York saying he
can beat me. I will say this,

3882
04:35:08.919 --> 04:35:15.439
He's a tough man. Biggest bombshell. The biggest bombshell of the Hogan

3883
04:35:15.479 --> 04:35:21.200
interview Kane at the end when he
declared he will bring his ww title to

3884
04:35:21.439 --> 04:35:25.759
the Twin Cities. As he's seeking
revenge on Carbo and Gagney, is he

3885
04:35:26.200 --> 04:35:30.799
seeking the destruction of the AWA.
The reason I'm calling back, brother,

3886
04:35:32.200 --> 04:35:34.520
is that I love the people the
Twin Cities. If these people are like

3887
04:35:34.639 --> 04:35:37.680
family to me, I want to
be a fighting champion in wrestle all over

3888
04:35:37.720 --> 04:35:41.880
the world. The Madison Square Garden
operation can put me in a major arena

3889
04:35:42.080 --> 04:35:49.360
every night, one world champion.
Now that Hogan and Backwinkle have both world

3890
04:35:51.040 --> 04:35:56.240
hold World championships, Hogan would not
be opposed to a winner take all showdown

3891
04:35:56.479 --> 04:36:00.599
with the belts on the line,
Let's see the true world Who's the true

3892
04:36:00.639 --> 04:36:03.959
world champion? People in the ABA
are tired of having a champion who has

3893
04:36:04.000 --> 04:36:10.360
behind a manager. I've beaten Bockwinkle, Greg Gagney's beating him, Brad Reigins,

3894
04:36:10.639 --> 04:36:12.840
Rick Martel, yet he's still considered
the champion. Well, what kind

3895
04:36:12.840 --> 04:36:18.840
of champion is that? He continued, I swear on this twenty four inch

3896
04:36:18.919 --> 04:36:23.319
python. You know I'm coming back
to the Twin Cities. This business has

3897
04:36:23.360 --> 04:36:26.840
been good to me, and I've
had to bust my butt to succeed.

3898
04:36:27.520 --> 04:36:32.159
What I cherish most is my love
affair with the great fans in the Twin

3899
04:36:32.279 --> 04:36:38.759
Cities. This is my home.
Amazing, amazing, that's wild. They're

3900
04:36:38.799 --> 04:36:47.840
taking time after this huge seismic victory
an MSG to counteract like the small time

3901
04:36:48.639 --> 04:36:51.799
shots being taken in the Minneapolis Saint
Paul market. It just tells you how

3902
04:36:51.840 --> 04:36:55.799
much Vince had eyes on using the
goodwill of the wrestlers he signed to just

3903
04:36:56.040 --> 04:37:00.040
trojan horses way into markets because he
needed the fans of Minneapolis Saint Paul to

3904
04:37:00.119 --> 04:37:03.919
not think that Hull Coogan left him
high and dry by no showing on Christmas

3905
04:37:03.000 --> 04:37:08.360
night unbelievable. And to have this, this evidence that he's producing of a

3906
04:37:08.439 --> 04:37:14.240
November notification of Wally Carbo that he
quit, I mean, I love it,

3907
04:37:14.919 --> 04:37:17.240
and then to turn around and say
he never told anybody. It's it's

3908
04:37:17.360 --> 04:37:22.560
so confusing. Perhaps it was a
deal where yeah, he presented them paperwork

3909
04:37:22.599 --> 04:37:26.639
saying he quit, and then subsequent
to that said something that led them to

3910
04:37:26.720 --> 04:37:30.279
believe he took it back, you
know, and gave them reason to think

3911
04:37:30.319 --> 04:37:33.560
that they could still rightfully promote him. I'm sure they would do it just

3912
04:37:33.599 --> 04:37:37.200
to fuck with him anyway, but
I just don't know this. Sitting there

3913
04:37:37.720 --> 04:37:41.959
and then Hogan going in his own
books and saying he never told anybody.

3914
04:37:41.959 --> 04:37:42.880
I don't know how that serves Hogan. It makes him look so bad.

3915
04:37:44.599 --> 04:37:48.840
This version makes him look good,
But the one he tells and is retailled,

3916
04:37:48.720 --> 04:37:52.720
right is it's kind of weird why
he wants himself to look bad.

3917
04:37:52.759 --> 04:37:56.040
I think he just leans into whatever
version of the story is catchiest and has

3918
04:37:56.080 --> 04:38:00.439
the most intrigue. You know.
But this is kind of like prosaic pointing

3919
04:38:00.520 --> 04:38:03.599
fingers, you know, the way
most people are. That's what I see

3920
04:38:03.599 --> 04:38:06.720
here in Helkogan. And again I
don't know as I read it. I'm

3921
04:38:06.759 --> 04:38:10.400
kind of specious and I'm doubly specisus
because Dave and his editor's note section on

3922
04:38:10.479 --> 04:38:15.360
the same issue as The Observer makes
makes some kind of comment about Sherman,

3923
04:38:15.400 --> 04:38:17.759
the author. He said, I
should also mention that columnist John Sherman has

3924
04:38:17.759 --> 04:38:19.799
as much credibility to me as Bill
Apter to take what he writes with several

3925
04:38:19.840 --> 04:38:23.880
grains of salt. Nevertheless, the
November twenty second date of Hogan's signing with

3926
04:38:23.959 --> 04:38:26.520
McMahon could be accurate, as that
was when they were both in Japan.

3927
04:38:26.680 --> 04:38:32.599
Interesting. Interesting did Hogan sign in
the dotted line in Japan. Another interesting

3928
04:38:32.639 --> 04:38:34.439
comment was that Hogan was promised matches
with, among others, Andre the Giant.

3929
04:38:34.479 --> 04:38:38.880
Perhaps will be speculated upon last month
about Andre turning heel may may just

3930
04:38:38.959 --> 04:38:44.560
take place. Perhaps Sherman just has
a vivid imagination establishing a Hogan Andre feud

3931
04:38:44.560 --> 04:38:47.479
with Andrea's heel could be the key
to McMahon's plans for the note summer because

3932
04:38:47.520 --> 04:38:49.880
that match properly developed, Gould draw
anywhere. Yeah, there was a lot

3933
04:38:49.880 --> 04:38:52.240
of talk in the sheet at the
time that Hogan Andre was going to be

3934
04:38:52.279 --> 04:38:56.319
the Shay Stadium big time show for
the summer of eighty four, the big

3935
04:38:56.360 --> 04:39:02.439
outdoor show that four. Wow.
Do you hear Vince's commentary on that,

3936
04:39:02.599 --> 04:39:06.639
uh you know September eighty three All
American Wrestling Hogan. Yeah, you start

3937
04:39:06.680 --> 04:39:10.040
to think, yeah, and then
it as Greg Gan just talked about it

3938
04:39:10.159 --> 04:39:11.360
was planned in the a w A
to do that match, and we saw

3939
04:39:11.680 --> 04:39:15.560
them Sheriff screen together, we see
Hogan and on, oh yeah, we're

3940
04:39:15.560 --> 04:39:17.319
gonna do it first. We were
going to do it first, you know,

3941
04:39:17.479 --> 04:39:19.759
yeah, you know, And actually
at that time I was thinking about

3942
04:39:19.799 --> 04:39:26.000
having a uh uh you know,
a faction come in and take take cryd

3943
04:39:26.040 --> 04:39:30.439
to take over, you know I
as well as Uh, you don't have

3944
04:39:30.560 --> 04:39:32.919
a you know, Hogan and it's
part of a tag team that was going

3945
04:39:33.000 --> 04:39:34.840
to explode, like all these things
I had him going on, We're going

3946
04:39:34.880 --> 04:39:40.240
to go We didn't think of first. You know, we actually had planned

3947
04:39:40.400 --> 04:39:44.840
a Royal rumble, you know,
years before Pat Patterson ever suggested it.

3948
04:39:45.479 --> 04:39:47.759
You know, actually I think it
was I who suggested it to Paula.

3949
04:39:48.599 --> 04:39:52.759
Well, the business is done,
uh, and Hogan is now going to

3950
04:39:52.759 --> 04:39:56.479
be written up in WWF magazine for
the first time as world champion. We've

3951
04:39:56.479 --> 04:40:00.159
spent a lot of time looking at
those early w WF magazines as part the

3952
04:40:00.200 --> 04:40:03.720
Colisseum collection. Yes, yes,
indeediting ho Jimmy Snook appeared in the first

3953
04:40:03.759 --> 04:40:06.319
cover of what it was called Victory. Sergeant Slaughter still is a heel,

3954
04:40:06.599 --> 04:40:08.639
although clearly with designs and making the
baby face appearing on the second one.

3955
04:40:10.119 --> 04:40:11.240
It wasn't until what issue three,
what do you have their boss? You

3956
04:40:11.319 --> 04:40:18.639
have it for us? I do
have it. It's the says the April

3957
04:40:18.720 --> 04:40:22.959
May nine four, Yes, the
issue three, And is he on the

3958
04:40:22.000 --> 04:40:26.200
cover? He's on the cover with
the with the green belt unbelievable. Can

3959
04:40:26.240 --> 04:40:30.439
you please share the solar system?
How The in house publicity arm of the

3960
04:40:30.599 --> 04:40:34.279
WWF, Titan Sports ind aded to
frame this historic occasion for its readership.

3961
04:40:36.119 --> 04:40:48.159
Hulkamania Wrestling's new era arrives. We
want the Hulk, We want the Hulk,

3962
04:40:48.200 --> 04:40:55.000
We want the Hulk. The chant
rose to an ear splitting crescendo as

3963
04:40:55.040 --> 04:41:00.919
the fans awaited the charismatic Hulk Hogan's
appears in the ring for the World Wrestling

3964
04:41:00.959 --> 04:41:07.680
Federation title confrontation with the obnoxious Iron
Chink on Monday night, January twenty third,

3965
04:41:07.759 --> 04:41:14.319
ninet eighty four in Madison Square Garden, and the fans weren't disappointed.

3966
04:41:17.119 --> 04:41:25.959
The golden haired, bronzed skin California
God charged into Okay, charged into the

3967
04:41:26.000 --> 04:41:30.439
electrified atmosphere of the garden, and
in less than fifteen minutes, Yes,

3968
04:41:30.599 --> 04:41:33.959
less than fifteen minutes. Hey,
you know, it's not a lie.

3969
04:41:34.919 --> 04:41:37.479
It's not a lie. It was
less than fifteen minutes. Yeah, I'm

3970
04:41:37.479 --> 04:41:41.840
not saying it's a lie. It's
just curious. It's Yes, in less

3971
04:41:41.840 --> 04:41:47.279
than fifteen minutes, laid claim to
the most coveted title in professional wrestling.

3972
04:41:47.840 --> 04:41:52.680
The World Wrestling Entertainment Heavyweight Championship.
To the Sheikh's credit, it was not

3973
04:41:52.799 --> 04:41:56.959
a pushover match, but the incredible
Hulkgan would not be daunted either by the

3974
04:41:57.159 --> 04:42:04.439
Boston Crab or the quote Boston crab
or the devastating quote camel clutch. As

3975
04:42:04.479 --> 04:42:12.479
the fans chanted shouted, hulk Amania, hulk Amania. That's not an easy

3976
04:42:12.599 --> 04:42:17.520
chance, not at all, not
surely, Ulka mania, Holka mania.

3977
04:42:17.799 --> 04:42:22.319
Yeah no, no one did that, no chance. The adrenaline burst through

3978
04:42:22.360 --> 04:42:26.200
the Hulkster's body and he could not
be denied the brass ring, not this

3979
04:42:26.400 --> 04:42:30.799
time. The Iron Sheek lay motionless
on the mat as the tuxedo clad ring

3980
04:42:30.840 --> 04:42:37.599
announcer proclaimed the Hulk as the new
champion. The capacity crowd in the main

3981
04:42:37.720 --> 04:42:42.119
arena and the approximately five thousand others
who witnessed the match via close circuit television

3982
04:42:42.119 --> 04:42:47.840
and the adjacent felt for him,
leaped to their feet, cheering, whistling,

3983
04:42:47.959 --> 04:42:53.319
and screaming. Hogan was euphoric.
He nearly wrapped the prize belt around

3984
04:42:53.400 --> 04:42:59.720
his waist and neatly, he neatly
wrapped the prize belt around his waist and

3985
04:43:00.119 --> 04:43:03.599
knowledge the acclaim of the audience from
each side of the ring. At one

3986
04:43:03.680 --> 04:43:08.000
point, he reached into the crowd
for a handmade sign which read Plcomania.

3987
04:43:08.200 --> 04:43:12.720
Quickly on the tenants point, I'm
glad you said that. So the Kenyan

3988
04:43:14.119 --> 04:43:17.439
teal book has the attendance is twenty
six thousand, two hundred and ninety two,

3989
04:43:17.799 --> 04:43:21.119
including several thousand it Felt Forum.
So the Felt Forum numbers aren't broken

3990
04:43:21.119 --> 04:43:25.680
out in this instance, but that
includes those the month before the night when

3991
04:43:26.240 --> 04:43:30.080
sheic beat Backland they did twenty four
thousand, five ninety two, which includes

3992
04:43:30.080 --> 04:43:33.560
several it felt for him, So
two thousand more tickets for Hogan doing it

3993
04:43:33.680 --> 04:43:37.119
the month before that November eighty three, Backland versus Mass Superstar, no attendants

3994
04:43:37.159 --> 04:43:41.360
listed there. Sometimes the attendants is
missing. It's missing through a lot of

3995
04:43:42.759 --> 04:43:45.840
eighty three. That's weird. So
July eighty three, for instance, is

3996
04:43:45.880 --> 04:43:51.360
twenty seven thousand, So okay,
that's that's a little better for Steele and

3997
04:43:51.439 --> 04:43:56.400
Backland February when he comes back twenty
six thousand, twenty six thousand in March,

3998
04:43:56.560 --> 04:44:00.959
and this is Backland still Backland Greg
Valentine after hoping goes. Then it

3999
04:44:02.000 --> 04:44:06.400
drops to twenty two in April for
Backland versus Valentine. So hovering around there,

4000
04:44:06.479 --> 04:44:11.680
so it stood out twenty six thousands
high, so people were gassed for

4001
04:44:11.759 --> 04:44:15.200
it, but again not much time
for people to buy tickets to see Hogan

4002
04:44:15.279 --> 04:44:23.400
do it right right, it's wild. He held that the sign cuts his

4003
04:44:23.479 --> 04:44:27.759
hand to his ear, and the
crowd responded with the resounding cheer that reverberated

4004
04:44:27.880 --> 04:44:33.520
throughout the arena. As the paramedics
worked to carry the Sheik from the ring

4005
04:44:33.639 --> 04:44:37.840
on a stretcher, he suddenly revived, jumped up, and started swinging madly.

4006
04:44:38.080 --> 04:44:44.040
Apparently still dazed, but with the
fire of his native spirit, Hogan

4007
04:44:44.119 --> 04:44:48.720
grabbed the Sheek once again and decisively
evicted him from the ring, But the

4008
04:44:48.840 --> 04:44:52.599
look in the Sheikh's eyes as he
was assisted to the dressing room left no

4009
04:44:52.759 --> 04:45:03.799
doubt that he would return. Under
the banner of the Ayatola cope coom coomenikomenes

4010
04:45:04.759 --> 04:45:11.840
komenie for Alla and Iran. That's
what it says for Allah and Iran.

4011
04:45:11.840 --> 04:45:17.520
Again, the fans went wild with
enthusiasm. The Hulkster's final gesture before leaving

4012
04:45:17.560 --> 04:45:22.479
the ring was a non military two
fingered salute to the American flag, which

4013
04:45:22.560 --> 04:45:29.799
was hanging over the immense arena,
the kind of salute without much ceremony which

4014
04:45:29.919 --> 04:45:37.639
denoted true devotion and admiration. The
dressing room scene was no less enthusiastic than

4015
04:45:37.680 --> 04:45:41.279
the main arena. It was a
true celebration, complete with bottles of champagne,

4016
04:45:41.680 --> 04:45:45.919
and even Hulk's mom and dad,
who had traveled all the way from

4017
04:45:45.959 --> 04:45:49.240
their Florida home, were present for
the championship. Bout, one of the

4018
04:45:49.319 --> 04:45:55.080
Hulkster's best friends, no stranger himself
in the squared circle, Andre the Giant,

4019
04:45:55.159 --> 04:46:02.400
proceeded to dous Hogan with an entire
bottle of California's finest Bubbly. Yes,

4020
04:46:02.479 --> 04:46:07.599
it was a complete victory for the
Six's eighth Warrior, but his championship

4021
04:46:07.040 --> 04:46:11.759
is not accepted with complacency. Take
your chances, you pessimists, against the

4022
04:46:11.840 --> 04:46:18.599
incredible Hulk Cogan, who enters rings
throughout the world with the words quote American

4023
04:46:18.720 --> 04:46:23.759
Maid emblazoned on his shirts. Take
your chance against America's finest tuned wrestling machine

4024
04:46:25.200 --> 04:46:30.439
to appear on the scene in many
years. Many may you possess incredible durability

4025
04:46:30.560 --> 04:46:36.959
against the heaviest champion in more than
twenty years of world wrestling entertainment history.

4026
04:46:37.639 --> 04:46:42.319
Hul Cogan doesn't compare to Stanstaisiac,
the previous heavyweight champion at three hundred pounds

4027
04:46:42.400 --> 04:46:49.799
from Buzzard's Creek, Oregon, instead
the Venice Beach, California product. Again,

4028
04:46:49.959 --> 04:46:56.639
the Venice Cheach, California product.
Well, He's orange has already surpassed.

4029
04:46:57.080 --> 04:47:03.240
Quote the man's nine days as WW
champion and the stigma of short title

4030
04:47:03.279 --> 04:47:08.080
reigns associated with heavier W champions had
a nobeculn shell the W title back in

4031
04:47:08.159 --> 04:47:15.799
then, and unless the Supreme God, and unless the Supreme God descends upon

4032
04:47:15.840 --> 04:47:22.040
the worldless entertainment to rest away the
coveted title, then expect Hogan to enjoy

4033
04:47:22.240 --> 04:47:26.599
a long, prosperous title. Raise
away the booking Huh I say? I'll

4034
04:47:26.639 --> 04:47:32.159
say, gees Louise, if you
dare, Ask the Chic about Hogan's domination.

4035
04:47:32.799 --> 04:47:37.479
Ask the Iranian strong Man about Hogan's
in propensity to demolish opponents who venture

4036
04:47:37.520 --> 04:47:45.200
to take away his title. Ask
the suplex Master about the difficulties of applying

4037
04:47:45.240 --> 04:47:52.240
such a maneuver to the supreme athlete
in wrestling history. Ask the Iron Cheek

4038
04:47:52.360 --> 04:47:56.959
how it felt to feel the thrill
of victory and experience the agony of defeat

4039
04:47:57.080 --> 04:48:04.040
after only twenty eight days. Question
Hogan's authority if you dare, but don't

4040
04:48:04.040 --> 04:48:12.159
expect positive replies from those who daringly
confronted the Hulkster. Their selfish replies are

4041
04:48:12.319 --> 04:48:18.279
unprintable in most cases. Truly,
this is the era of Hulk Hogan,

4042
04:48:18.400 --> 04:48:22.119
the same person who returned to the
world Rosy Entertainment to seek championship status and

4043
04:48:22.159 --> 04:48:30.159
whose determination climactically reached fruition after a
short time. The Hulkster allied himself with

4044
04:48:30.560 --> 04:48:36.439
Bob Macklin immediately after returning from a
three year hiatus hiatus h that's one way

4045
04:48:36.439 --> 04:48:45.000
to put its fucking crazy umm and
he was Backlan's hand picked recommendation to replace

4046
04:48:45.080 --> 04:48:49.319
the former champion in the New York
title about after the latter was ruled incapable

4047
04:48:49.400 --> 04:48:57.520
of returning to action due to a
severe neck injury. Uh. Clearly,

4048
04:48:57.639 --> 04:49:03.639
Hulk Hogan needed no introduction. The
on hand capacity crowd recognized the Hulkster and

4049
04:49:03.880 --> 04:49:11.360
rose to a standing ovation upon his
entrance. This excitement continued into Madison Square

4050
04:49:11.400 --> 04:49:15.439
Garden and has continued wherever Hogan has
appeared in w W bouts throughout the world.

4051
04:49:17.840 --> 04:49:22.040
Asked the Japanese wrestling public about hul
Cogan. He's become a household word

4052
04:49:22.560 --> 04:49:26.880
and fan favorite. Seek a few
words describe the incredible Hul Cogan from a

4053
04:49:26.959 --> 04:49:36.040
Midwest wrestling officionado. Who's this Midwest
wrestling officionado? Can you imagine? You

4054
04:49:36.119 --> 04:49:40.279
know? He's the toughest wrestler in
history and he's simply exciting? Comes the

4055
04:49:40.360 --> 04:49:42.720
reply, Oh, John Sherman.
Yeah, well, by the way,

4056
04:49:42.840 --> 04:49:48.159
I think is still a sports editor
in Eden. Wow, where is it?

4057
04:49:48.319 --> 04:49:52.959
Fucking Dinah? And I emailed Hidium
respond I said, yeah, what

4058
04:49:52.000 --> 04:49:56.080
about this? Howary we remember this
article? So well? Maybe it doesn't

4059
04:49:56.080 --> 04:49:59.799
have a flattering story to tell about
how he didn't fucking go to the garden,

4060
04:50:00.040 --> 04:50:02.439
didn't nothing. I didn't actually write
it. I didn't write it at

4061
04:50:02.439 --> 04:50:06.400
all. I wasn't there. Someone
someone wrote it for me and turned it

4062
04:50:06.439 --> 04:50:11.799
in under my name. Teenagers think
he's awesome. Men like his no nonsense,

4063
04:50:11.880 --> 04:50:18.799
take charge ring action, and the
lady's reactions are wow, so weird.

4064
04:50:19.400 --> 04:50:23.400
So oh yeah. After the championship
match in Madison Square, Garden,

4065
04:50:23.439 --> 04:50:30.799
Hulk granted w W Official magazine this
exclusive interview. Hulk, in your opinion,

4066
04:50:30.040 --> 04:50:34.680
what has catapult you? Catapulted you
to immedia success in w W e

4067
04:50:37.200 --> 04:50:41.159
H. That's a complex question and
it needs a thorough answer. You know,

4068
04:50:41.279 --> 04:50:45.840
first, I have really worked during
my three year absence from the w

4069
04:50:45.000 --> 04:50:49.200
B to profect my wrestling skills.
I'll try to take command the minute I

4070
04:50:49.360 --> 04:50:53.560
enter the ring, and I've been
very successful with quick combinations of leg drops,

4071
04:50:55.279 --> 04:51:03.639
elbow smashes, and body slams.
That sounds like something he's the L

4072
04:51:03.720 --> 04:51:07.560
E. S. B method.
Brother. I've been told that my speed,

4073
04:51:08.040 --> 04:51:11.880
because of my size, is very
deceptive in the ring. I actually

4074
04:51:11.959 --> 04:51:17.080
believe that I overwhelmed some my opponents, but taking all out in consideration,

4075
04:51:17.240 --> 04:51:21.680
I'm grateful to Bob Bckland and my
close association with him for my chance at

4076
04:51:21.720 --> 04:51:25.520
the title. You know, Bob
was very supportive during my return, and

4077
04:51:26.119 --> 04:51:30.799
I appreciate his belief in me as
a worker, as a worthy Oh,

4078
04:51:33.479 --> 04:51:37.279
he does believe in you as a
worker, that's for sure, as a

4079
04:51:37.319 --> 04:51:42.759
worthy competitor against that despicable iron chic. Do you expect additional challenges from the

4080
04:51:42.799 --> 04:51:48.200
Sheikh? Yes, he's a great
competitor and I would and I know he

4081
04:51:48.240 --> 04:51:51.080
would try to avoid some of the
mistakes he made against me. But I

4082
04:51:51.200 --> 04:51:59.000
welcome his challenge and all challengers.
Where did the phrase Hulkmania originate? I

4083
04:51:59.080 --> 04:52:03.080
inventeded it after a successful match one
night, a journalist asked me how I

4084
04:52:03.119 --> 04:52:06.840
would describe the enthusiasm of the fans. For me, Whulkalmnia came to mind,

4085
04:52:06.880 --> 04:52:08.840
and it's stuck. I wear it
out my T shirts. I encourage

4086
04:52:08.840 --> 04:52:12.639
and I encourage the fans to shout
it when I wrestle. It really pumps

4087
04:52:12.720 --> 04:52:19.040
me up and I feel almost indestructible. Is there also significance to the American

4088
04:52:19.200 --> 04:52:23.279
made slogan on your T shirts?
You bet there is a most important significant

4089
04:52:23.400 --> 04:52:29.599
significance. I' American born, American
educated, American trained, and I want

4090
04:52:29.639 --> 04:52:32.880
to be an American success. America
is the best, and I want to

4091
04:52:32.919 --> 04:52:37.119
be the best. Is the WW
Championship the greatest achievement so far in your

4092
04:52:37.159 --> 04:52:42.279
career? Absolutely? But I would
let myself, I let myself with my

4093
04:52:42.360 --> 04:52:47.159
fans down if I didn't strive to
be better with each match. I study

4094
04:52:47.200 --> 04:52:51.599
each opponent, I train rigorously every
day, and I concentrate at being the

4095
04:52:51.720 --> 04:52:56.720
best I can be. It's the
American dream. If you want to go

4096
04:52:56.880 --> 04:53:00.240
for it, and I'm going and
I'm going for it. After the interview,

4097
04:53:00.319 --> 04:53:03.840
Hulk and a few close friends left
Madison Square Garden. It was quiet,

4098
04:53:03.919 --> 04:53:07.040
and only the changeover crew was still
in the vast arena, which only

4099
04:53:07.479 --> 04:53:11.200
an hour before had been filled with
the deafening roar of an approving crowd.

4100
04:53:11.799 --> 04:53:17.759
It was the quiet that announces the
dawning of a new era, symbolic perhaps

4101
04:53:17.840 --> 04:53:25.439
that Hulkamania is a force destined to
spread. As Hulk said, He's going

4102
04:53:25.520 --> 04:53:30.240
for it absolutely the case, Yes, indeed, and so with the table

4103
04:53:30.279 --> 04:53:36.119
set thusly, we do invite you
to enjoy our interview with Brad Blucchin,

4104
04:53:36.159 --> 04:53:40.720
who's written the book The six Pack, to talk about so many wrestlers who

4105
04:53:40.799 --> 04:53:44.759
were in the mix in this transitional
period from Backland to Chic to Hogan,

4106
04:53:45.520 --> 04:53:48.080
including recollections on the Iron Cheek doing
the honors, and we're also going to

4107
04:53:48.080 --> 04:53:52.639
bring you as part of the Deep
Dive. Are part three of all of

4108
04:53:52.720 --> 04:53:57.080
this coverage, a look at the
Iron Cheek's perspective after hearing from Brad,

4109
04:53:57.159 --> 04:54:02.680
will dig in to some of the
things Sheikh said in his time about losing

4110
04:54:02.720 --> 04:54:07.959
the championship so swiftly, about the
apocryphal tale of him being offered at one

4111
04:54:07.040 --> 04:54:11.240
hundred thousand dollars to break Hulkogan's leg
and where that comes from, where that

4112
04:54:11.319 --> 04:54:15.319
stems from, who has supported that
story and who hasn't supported that story over

4113
04:54:15.400 --> 04:54:22.639
the years, and more color from
that night in Madison Square Garden and how

4114
04:54:22.720 --> 04:54:29.319
the WWF, much like that magazine
article portends, turned this night January twenty

4115
04:54:29.400 --> 04:54:36.319
third, nineteen eighty four into a
springboard for a million different pieces of lore.

4116
04:54:36.479 --> 04:54:41.840
It seems like WWF becomes Rock and
Wrestling to the max with hult Comania

4117
04:54:41.919 --> 04:54:45.360
as the rocket fuel. So we
do thank you for joining us for part

4118
04:54:45.439 --> 04:54:48.880
one of our coverage here and keep
it locked to that TLF feed as we

4119
04:54:49.000 --> 04:54:52.959
ring in forty years of Hulk Coogan's
first WWF Temp title win. As is

4120
04:54:53.040 --> 04:55:00.360
only appropriate and as only we can
agree with the announcement. As a t

4121
04:55:00.520 --> 04:55:03.479
J DeSantis production, its content is
intended for private use only.