Speaker 1: So extremely pleased now to be joined by Gino Brito,
Speaker 1: also known as Lewis Sir Dan as a former WWWF
Speaker 1: Tag Team champion and a legend of the Montreal wrestling world,
Speaker 1: and he's here to talk to us about Virosok promotions
Speaker 1: and the time in nineteen eighty when Hulk Hogan, who
Speaker 1: was just beginning to break through as an attraction not
Speaker 1: only here in the United States but globally Japan as
Speaker 1: well as come to find out, Canada, and he faced
Speaker 1: Andre the Giant in Montreal that summer of nineteen eighty.
Speaker 1: Gino was the promoter at the time, along with Frank
Speaker 1: Vola and others. We want to really thank you Gino
Speaker 1: so much for joining us.
Speaker 2: You're welcome.
Speaker 1: Yes, this is great to get some history here, because
Speaker 1: until we really started carefully researching Hulk Hogan's history, I
Speaker 1: don't think a lot of people appreciated that he went
Speaker 1: to Montreal after the Shay Stadium match with Andre and
Speaker 1: you guys were a pretty big house at the Paul
Speaker 1: Suave Arena, could you.
Speaker 2: I have a matter of facts, Yes, it was at
Speaker 2: the Pulowe Arena, huh. And the place was really jammed.
Speaker 2: I even had one of the firemen that told me says,
Speaker 2: you know, we had some standing room there, and he said,
Speaker 2: you know, be careful because people were I mean hal Cogan,
Speaker 2: he just made such a hit and especially against the Giant,
Speaker 2: so we knew it was the biggest house ever drawn
Speaker 2: at the Paulsolvat Arena for wrestling.
Speaker 1: Is that right? That is fantastic? What was the house?
Speaker 1: Do you remember the gate?
Speaker 2: The gate? If I remember at those prices we had,
Speaker 2: I don't exactly remember it right now, but I know
Speaker 2: it was over which in those days was over fifty grand.
Speaker 1: Oh wow, that's very helpful. So tell me about Lerosock Promotions.
Speaker 1: That's you Frank and Andre.
Speaker 2: Right. Yes, At first my dad had started it and
Speaker 2: when he passed away, I took over the promotion and
Speaker 2: I went to see mister McMahon, not the son, the father,
Speaker 2: and I needed some help a little bit because I
Speaker 2: was kind of okay. I was wrestling, but I was
Speaker 2: green and promoting and I never had and he suggested
Speaker 2: to me that they can Frank Valua, which was from
Speaker 2: Montreal originally, and he he was pretty well at the
Speaker 2: end of his career and with Andre the Giant, and
Speaker 2: they came in as my partners at first. That's how
Speaker 2: you get the name barasag Vala Russiminov for the giant's name,
Speaker 2: and Akassela my name at the end there, which made
Speaker 2: Vara sact. That's what we call it death.
Speaker 1: That's great. So tell me about Andre and his interest
Speaker 1: in being involved, you know, having a piece of a
Speaker 1: territory in Montreal back then, not just wrestling.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, him, he didn't you know, like we say,
Speaker 2: he didn't put his nose in the business. But because
Speaker 2: he knew that Frank was handling it and I was
Speaker 2: handling it and him and I was gained pretty good
Speaker 2: friends over you know, which I had known him from before,
Speaker 2: and everything worked out fine. But you know, Andre Andrea
Speaker 2: was a happy, go lucky guy and but still he
Speaker 2: was and Trank Vovo was looking out for his interests.
Speaker 1: So sure, when did you know, do you remember first
Speaker 1: hearing about Hulk Hogan.
Speaker 2: The first time? I? Well, I knew that there was
Speaker 2: from the days when he ye, I think he rest
Speaker 2: for the Minneapolis territory under another name or something.
Speaker 1: He had been he had been in Alabama, Memphis, and
Speaker 1: he had been yeah, yes.
Speaker 2: And then he went to uh Golden something. It was
Speaker 2: his name and guy looks good and this and that.
Speaker 2: I had heard about him, but I had never met
Speaker 2: him until well, I didn't meet him the night of
Speaker 2: that show. I had met him before, and but I
Speaker 2: had heard of him because everybody was talking about him
Speaker 2: that the year is a potential to be a big,
Speaker 2: big star, which he was. And so when he came in,
Speaker 2: it's because of course of mister McMahon, Vince McMahon sending
Speaker 2: him in, because of the connection between the Giant, McMahon
Speaker 2: and Frank Vauvoir and all that. Sure, and so it
Speaker 2: was easy to book him. And since they had a
Speaker 2: piece of the territory, he even made it even easier.
Speaker 1: Right, How was how was Vin Senior about Andre owning
Speaker 1: a piece of a territory? He didn't consider Andre his
Speaker 1: exclusive talent. He was okay with him going up to Montreal.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, he's the one that suggested it too.
Speaker 2: I mean, uh, you know, when we talked, he knew
Speaker 2: Frank Frank would come in and that the Giant would
Speaker 2: be an asset. And then that was on the verge
Speaker 2: of getting TV all over on the English Channel and
Speaker 2: the French channels up here we eat French and I
Speaker 2: had TV going all the way from tender Bray, Ontario
Speaker 2: to the Marathimes, and so we seen that we've seen
Speaker 2: the potential in the territory and went Andre, well.
Speaker 1: That you know, that was your race there absolutely well,
Speaker 1: looks like it really started in Versoch for Hogan on
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty where we found some press clippings today there
Speaker 1: were we had.
Speaker 2: Some matches before that, this and that, and we had
Speaker 2: a couple of guys that that. We had the Rusial
Speaker 2: brothers here and rick later on he was he came
Speaker 2: in later Ricky Martel, but Dino Bravo came in and
Speaker 2: and with the Vagina and the territory picked up and
Speaker 2: every time we had the giant here. Well, of course
Speaker 2: we did some good business.
Speaker 1: It looks like in May he wrestled at war Capontier
Speaker 1: Hogan did Do you remember Hogan and Carpontier? Why would
Speaker 1: Why were they put together?
Speaker 2: Uh? I don't really remember. That was it for our promotion?
Speaker 1: It looks like, yeah, it looks like it was. I mean,
Speaker 1: all we have is one press clipping that shows that
Speaker 1: he was there in May. It's kind of the first
Speaker 1: time we didn't.
Speaker 2: Wrest Carpentier in Montreal, and that's what's true.
Speaker 1: Okay, perhaps it was, it was a different city. What
Speaker 1: was Edward Capontier's involvement with the territory and do you
Speaker 1: remember him having an occage?
Speaker 2: Had to worry Cambarantine never had any points, any percentage
Speaker 2: in the promotion or nothing. Yeah, he was just the
Speaker 2: here as per former wrestler, and he had been a
Speaker 2: year before and he's the one that they at first.
Speaker 2: They gave a good hand to my father when he
Speaker 2: first started, although the territory was completely dead then because
Speaker 2: we had they never had TV and they were all
Speaker 2: TV doesn't work, so but Carpenter he needed. Of course,
Speaker 2: he was one of our top guys here too, you
Speaker 2: know Edward with the Vashon, Maurice Vashon and O that
Speaker 2: and Rujo's. Yeah, he never had anything to do with
Speaker 2: the promotion. Said it was the commentary on television with
Speaker 2: g Ray, a man by the name of g O Ray.
Speaker 1: Okay, you know they.
Speaker 2: Used to do the French version of of our wrestling
Speaker 2: program on TV.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because we found an article from May fourth, nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty you remember we just lovec right, Yeah, yeah, so
Speaker 1: he did an article that said the Monday that wrestling
Speaker 1: season kicks off tomorrow evening Paul Schwave Sports Center. The
Speaker 1: promoter none other than Frank Vaulois, and his first card
Speaker 1: proved his seriousness. He pitted a favorite among Montreal wrestling
Speaker 1: fans at Ward Capontier against the current biggest star in
Speaker 1: New York, Hulk Hogan. So apparently that's where it went down.
Speaker 2: No, I don't remember. You could be right, but right.
Speaker 1: Now, Oh that's fine, yeah, yeah, just in case it
Speaker 1: jogs your memory.
Speaker 2: There is. I don't remember that. But yes, as a
Speaker 2: matter of fact, that the night that the Giant wrestled
Speaker 2: all Cogan, Regis which was a boxing promoter. Then I
Speaker 2: gave him, as I said, I want a big promotion
Speaker 2: on this because he was connected with the newspapers and
Speaker 2: all that I see and he had done. I held
Speaker 2: a story on Cogan, so that really helped too to
Speaker 2: pack the house. Was great talking about it.
Speaker 1: So you're talking about Regis Lovek. He was a boxing promoter. Yeah, okay,
Speaker 1: good to know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he had the office next to ours, yep, on
Speaker 2: the second floor of the Postova Arena and the end
Speaker 2: of like the hal Tuns and all the he was
Speaker 2: in the boxing, in the boxing promotion, but he also,
Speaker 2: like I said, he helped us promote us another small
Speaker 2: town and you're in Quebec called Three Rivers and for
Speaker 2: that one show, which he had nine to do with
Speaker 2: the promotion, but the publicity he did all he did
Speaker 2: the public city for that show.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great because it's some of the surviving material
Speaker 1: that we can look at his research. So that's just great.
Speaker 1: It looks like there's some surviving footage some fan took
Speaker 1: some film. I believe it was July twenty third, nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty in Quebec City where you can see Hulk wrestling Carpontier.
Speaker 1: It's on idiot.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well that could be the Quebec city, but not
Speaker 2: in Montreal, Okay, sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it looks like there was a July fourteenth
Speaker 1: match in Montreal as well. But yeah, on Carpentier was
Speaker 1: he because he seems to me like he was from
Speaker 1: another generation. I was surprised to see that he was
Speaker 1: very active in nineteen eighty in terms of in the ring.
Speaker 2: What was that? Yeah, although you had a big point there,
Speaker 2: I mean, his best years were that generation before, but
Speaker 2: he was still a man for even he was in
Speaker 2: his late forties, I think, and it's still in great shape,
Speaker 2: and I must admit better fit than I was, But
Speaker 2: he and he can't. But the only thing is that
Speaker 2: I personally as a promoter and with miss with Frank
Speaker 2: and all that, we didn't rely on him toil the
Speaker 2: really drawn, big big houses anymore. You know. The only
Speaker 2: other guy that was of the other generation that's still
Speaker 2: the great for us because of his character and all
Speaker 2: that was Matt Doug But Shan but and but him
Speaker 2: and Carpenty first of all didn't get along too well.
Speaker 2: So you couldn't do much business with these two together,
Speaker 2: you know. But he did help still, he was a
Speaker 2: good draw on the card, but he was like the
Speaker 2: top baby faces, let's say, in those days. Of course
Speaker 2: he had the gianty aardno Bravo and the rules shows
Speaker 2: him stuff like that, yes, which, but Carponi was still
Speaker 2: plugging along and doing fairly well.
Speaker 1: So when you first heard about Sterling Golden Hulkogan, did
Speaker 1: you hear.
Speaker 2: That Sterling Golden I was looking for?
Speaker 1: Did you hear that he was limited in the ring
Speaker 1: and just really huge or did you hear that he
Speaker 1: had what did you hear about him that you know,
Speaker 1: he wasn't.
Speaker 2: Nick Bob Winker in the ring, you know that could
Speaker 2: make a broomstick look good, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2: But but he had that potential. He was the only
Speaker 2: guy and the man could talk. He was good on interviews.
Speaker 2: He knew what to say, and he had that presence
Speaker 2: and he got that, you know, and he stuck to
Speaker 2: his gimmick. Wood was good with the yellow boots and
Speaker 2: yellow and people just bought into him. And of course
Speaker 2: that's why that I don't think there's anybody that threw
Speaker 2: the money that he drew, and that in his time
Speaker 2: that he was on top.
Speaker 1: Absolutely when you brought him in for the Andre programmed,
Speaker 1: how did you handle the fact that he didn't speak French?
Speaker 2: Help? That is?
Speaker 1: Did he cut promos in English on your TV?
Speaker 2: And Hulk? You know it? Skike? Here we got some
Speaker 2: hockey players that only speak English, but they're so good
Speaker 2: that people buy him, and Hogan was one of those.
Speaker 2: As far as wrestlings, they just loved all Cogan, especially
Speaker 2: the young kids. I mean, I had never seen so
Speaker 2: many fathers and mothers bring their kids to the matches
Speaker 2: as that night, Is that right? You know? And oh yeah,
Speaker 2: you had kids. They're especially ten twelve year old kids.
Speaker 2: They just knew. I don't know how, but they knew
Speaker 2: about hul Coogan.
Speaker 1: That's really interesting.
Speaker 2: But we had that pushed them a lot on TV
Speaker 2: and newspapers and you know we you know, which helps.
Speaker 2: But he was somebody special. I gotta say, I never
Speaker 2: had a guy that it was so easy as far
Speaker 2: as promotions go, for to push the right away, to
Speaker 2: to start drawing big money like that. You know, so
Speaker 2: oh Hogan the first time he came in like well
Speaker 2: with the giant, nobody ever wrote that Gratuate at the
Speaker 2: post overreada I don't think we could have anyway. I
Speaker 2: don't would have let us do with it. People were
Speaker 2: afraid for security and all that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that many people, So I would expect. I would
Speaker 1: have thought that if he came in in nineteen eighty
Speaker 1: he would have been a heel in Montreal against Andre Now.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, which he was then, but he would you know.
Speaker 2: It's like there's some guys in their business as you
Speaker 2: I'm sure you know, like Hogan, Steve Austin, they were heels,
Speaker 2: but people still cheer him and he was one of them.
Speaker 2: And I tell you there were as many people there,
Speaker 2: Probably not as many, but a lot of them were
Speaker 2: cheering Logan last night.
Speaker 1: Oh wow, that's fascinating matter.
Speaker 2: What they he was over, like I said, especially with
Speaker 2: the young children.
Speaker 1: Did you get you know, tapes from vincior did he
Speaker 1: send tapes that you played in your TV of Hulk
Speaker 1: wrestling and doing promos?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, yeah on channel for all of their way Away.
Speaker 2: We promoted a few things there and mostly, like I said,
Speaker 2: if I gave us a big hand there because I
Speaker 2: knew he was good with promotions. I mean his boxing
Speaker 2: shows us. Every one of his boxing shows was doing good.
Speaker 2: So I said, look to think over the publicity, and
Speaker 2: which he did, and he really pushed everybody was talking
Speaker 2: about wrestling there. That's and you could tell you we're
Speaker 2: going to draw a good house when you got all
Speaker 2: the tickets, so then advanced.
Speaker 1: Yeah do you remember Gino? Were you motivated to book
Speaker 1: Hulk because of the house that him and Andre drew
Speaker 1: at Shay Stadium? Was that sort of the catalyst for you?
Speaker 2: No? No, not, Look we all knew that that. You
Speaker 2: know what they say about ninety thousand, I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 1: I No, No, I'm not talking about not wrestling three.
Speaker 1: I'm talking about when he wrestled Andre in nineteen eighty
Speaker 1: in the summer underneath Bruno versus Larry's Obisco. Yeah that show.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah yeah Abisco. Yeah yeah. I knew that he
Speaker 2: draw money, that it was worth to bring him in
Speaker 2: there to way, it wasn't a losing proposition, yes, But
Speaker 2: of course in those days I was talking to Vince
Speaker 2: the Fathers and Vince was said, yeah, we'll push him
Speaker 2: this and that, and I said sure, because I could
Speaker 2: tell that the guy, even when he was wrestling as
Speaker 2: throwing Golden, which he wasn't all Cogan, I could hear
Speaker 2: from other restlans say this kid, he's green, but he's
Speaker 2: gonna be somebody's this is, you know. And we just
Speaker 2: booked him. And with the Giant, well you couldn't miss
Speaker 2: here in Montreal with the Giant. First of all, he
Speaker 2: spoke French, the Giant. The people knew he lived in Montreal,
Speaker 2: this and that. So if you got the guy to
Speaker 2: go against him and organ with his size and everything,
Speaker 2: and the people bought into it and it was an
Speaker 2: easy thing to book.
Speaker 1: What did Andre think of Hope?
Speaker 2: Did he like him? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I think he did,
Speaker 2: you know, unlike you could tell Andre, you know who
Speaker 2: you like, like right between you and and now he
Speaker 2: didn't like John said too much.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well known, yeah, and then you could tell by.
Speaker 2: The matches that you know, it should have worked out
Speaker 2: to Giants home hosts and but but they was a Cogan,
Speaker 2: he knew and anyway to do what he did there
Speaker 2: at in Pontyak, Michigan for for the Hull, he had
Speaker 2: to like him because Andrea.
Speaker 1: Was his own man, absolutely so. So it was more
Speaker 1: Vince Senior recommending Hulk in nineteen eighty than it was
Speaker 1: Andre recommending Hulk in nineteen eighty to come up to Montreal.
Speaker 2: No, No, it was uh, it wasn't Andrea at all.
Speaker 2: It was Andrea we booked it, but everything was McMahon.
Speaker 2: And you know, he had the power and he had
Speaker 2: the restless and he you know, like when I talked
Speaker 2: to him, he gave me some pointers and I agreed
Speaker 2: with him on that and that was it excellent. But
Speaker 2: Andre just came in and like I said, he was
Speaker 2: in the office, but he never he never, like I've
Speaker 2: never seen him come in the office and sit behind
Speaker 2: the desk. I look at the booking or something like that.
Speaker 2: It was his sight.
Speaker 1: That's good to know. Did you know Louis Louis to la.
Speaker 2: If excuse me.
Speaker 1: Did you know Louis to A Louis TOI Lett He
Speaker 1: booked for Ron Fuller, and he booked in Florida, and
Speaker 1: he's from Montreal, Oh.
Speaker 2: Louis tellt Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew him well,
Speaker 2: very well.
Speaker 1: The reason I bring him up to now.
Speaker 2: Was over here when he'd come and visits Montreal a
Speaker 2: few times, because you know, and I had him in
Speaker 2: my house for supper and all that. I knew Louis
Speaker 2: Toilette pretty well. A good wrestling mind, by the way.
Speaker 1: Yes, But the reason I bring him Mupchino is because,
Speaker 1: you know, as far as we can tell, the first
Speaker 1: booker to really book Hulk as a monster was Louie.
Speaker 1: When Louie was booking for Ron Fuller in Alabama.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, Do you.
Speaker 1: Remember Louie talking about Hulk at all and kind of
Speaker 1: discovering him or at least giving him the Hulk gimmick?
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, he did talk about him. The only thing,
Speaker 2: you know, like we used to about the Hulk no matter,
Speaker 2: you know, because some guys would criticize, Oh, he's not
Speaker 2: that good a worker. He can't do this, can do that.
Speaker 2: But like Ruie said, you know the bottom line is
Speaker 2: he's drawn the money. Yes, and so you know he
Speaker 2: knew he knew he had a business mine. I gotta say, Louie.
Speaker 2: And he could tell it when a guy would click
Speaker 2: that's the term we use in the UH. And he
Speaker 2: knew to push. Sometimes it wasn't the best of wrestler
Speaker 2: as far as the technique and all that, but the
Speaker 2: guy would throw all your money. And that's the way
Speaker 2: you look at it.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, he's the one.
Speaker 2: Actually, Luis a d When I told him another wrestler,
Speaker 2: Adullah the Butcher, which I I it wins Ontario, I
Speaker 2: kind of started. I would say, not promoting then, but
Speaker 2: a Dullah the Butcher. And I met with with anduisa,
Speaker 2: let that guy's gonna go far and and I said,
Speaker 2: you know they should. I said that she said that
Speaker 2: gimmick this and that I don't know if it's said,
Speaker 2: don't worry about it, he's gonna go far. So you
Speaker 2: could tell that the guy knew about promoting wrestling and booking,
Speaker 2: especially wrestlingstly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I bring him. I also bring up Louis because
Speaker 1: when he was booking for Ron Fuller, not only did
Speaker 1: he bring in Hulk Hogan in nineteen seventy nine, but
Speaker 1: he immediately he immediately matched up Hulk with Andre. The
Speaker 1: first time Hulk and Andre wrestled was for Ron Fuller
Speaker 1: in Alabama, and sure there he.
Speaker 2: Could see he could see all our science there. Yes,
Speaker 2: which you know, that's what you want to do. You
Speaker 2: want to draw some money no matter what sports you're in,
Speaker 2: and that's it. And Dods too, well, you had the
Speaker 2: biggest things there.
Speaker 1: In the business was Andre when he wrestled in eighty
Speaker 1: still Jean Forrey.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're in Montreal. He always was Jean Forray always. Yeah,
Speaker 2: they always called him Jean Feri.
Speaker 1: Jehan Fetty, sorry John fetti X. I'm looking at yeah,
Speaker 1: some of the advertisements in the newspapers up there, and
Speaker 1: you know it's Hulk and Andre, but it's John Freddy.
Speaker 1: That's how you can always tell if it's Montreal.
Speaker 2: Or yeah, yeah, you're everybody. Jean Peree because he had
Speaker 2: wrestled for Grand Prix Wrestling before in the early seventies,
Speaker 2: when he came in as Jean Forray for so many
Speaker 2: years that people you know, he said that to them
Speaker 2: he was, but people knew that his real name was
Speaker 2: Andrea russim Off because of the public of newspapers and
Speaker 2: all that. So you know, they bought also Andre the Giant. Yeah,
Speaker 2: but they say, is you're in Montreal, Quebec, especially the
Speaker 2: province people was was Jean Foray, Jean.
Speaker 1: Forerray, somebody else? That hulk wrestled in Montreal, according to
Speaker 1: the records we have as Jackie Whites. Do you remember
Speaker 1: Jackie Whites, Jackie v X, Oh pardon me, Jackie v X, Yes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that he was the nephew of Carpentier.
Speaker 1: Tell me more about him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, he was more of a journey man than
Speaker 2: you know, by the year, being the nephew of Carpentier.
Speaker 2: He came in and very nice and uh, you know,
Speaker 2: he had a few matches where you know, like double
Speaker 2: main events and stuff like that, and a good worker,
Speaker 2: the same build, the same size, a bit bigger than Carpentier,
Speaker 2: but the same size, you know. And but he didn't
Speaker 2: use the name Carpentier. First of all, Carparentier would wouldn't
Speaker 2: have liked that. And he used the name Jackie his
Speaker 2: real name is the xovich, so he cut it down
Speaker 2: to the X Jackie.
Speaker 1: That makes sense, Okay, great, Yeah, I'm also seeing that
Speaker 1: Hawk wrestled Ben Hallay. And if I'm not mistaken, did
Speaker 1: you have a guy there named Dick Van Dyke?
Speaker 2: We had a guy yeah, yeah, yeah, the fame as.
Speaker 1: The TV per Okay, that's true. That's not a typo. Okay,
Speaker 1: got it?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Yeah, was Dick van Dyke, another journeyman. It looks like
Speaker 1: it was like a squash match that he had against you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it was, it was. It was.
Speaker 1: How about Pat Patterson, of course, a Montreal guy. It
Speaker 1: was surprising to us.
Speaker 2: He came in there in the late eighties, about eighty
Speaker 2: four eighty five, right, and he did some good business
Speaker 2: as we in trenches with eyes Qebec in English is
Speaker 2: the dream of Quebec. Yes, he was a heel and
Speaker 2: he did good year in Montreal with against Saray Rougeo
Speaker 2: and all that.
Speaker 1: Right, that was years later. I was thinking more Gino
Speaker 1: because when we go back and find some of the
Speaker 1: earliest training footage of Terry Boleah Halcogen training in Florida
Speaker 1: and Tampa in the ring with him as Pat Patterson,
Speaker 1: who I think may have been an assistant booker for
Speaker 1: the Graham at the time in seventy seven.
Speaker 2: That I don't know. I knew that he was a
Speaker 2: big help to Vince during the w WF years there,
Speaker 2: and of course and this and that. Yeah, another good
Speaker 2: to a wrestling mind. By the way, Pat passes different
Speaker 2: than Louis Toilette. Luis Toilette was uh sometimes pat he
Speaker 2: wanted to do things a little too fast, but he
Speaker 2: still had that mind about wrestling. He's the one that,
Speaker 2: uh that you know that how do you call what
Speaker 2: you battle royal? When guys come in everything? Yeah, he's
Speaker 2: someone that figured that out and everything.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, I was wondering he had he had a good mind.
Speaker 1: Did Pat Patterson have an impression of Hulk Cogan? Did
Speaker 1: Pat Patterson support Hulk?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Pat Patterson got he there's
Speaker 2: a guy I gotta tell you. He gotta tell me.
Speaker 2: He got along with everybody and you could see them,
Speaker 2: you know, anytime a guy was getting over. He like
Speaker 2: a few times he sacrificed himself for others because he
Speaker 2: knew that, you know, he said he wouldn't be staying
Speaker 2: here that long anyway, because Evince one of them back
Speaker 2: in New York where he did some work there with
Speaker 2: starting slaughter and all that. That's right business then and no, no,
Speaker 2: but and I like personally, I like Pat. The guy was, uh,
Speaker 2: no matter if you had a thousand people or ten
Speaker 2: thousand people, he worked the same way. You know. Yeah,
Speaker 2: good worker.
Speaker 1: You had said, you know the difference between Pat Patterson
Speaker 1: and Louis Tillett from a booking perspective, I think was
Speaker 1: that Pat liked to move fast. What do you mean
Speaker 1: by fast?
Speaker 2: Louis tilt was more like I said that, Louis tell
Speaker 2: that to me. You know, I could see by what
Speaker 2: he did, like, you know, he wouldn't think, oh, we're
Speaker 2: gonna draw a big house and that well you know,
Speaker 2: tell him it was We're gonna build it up and
Speaker 2: really draw a big ouse. You know. Yeah, I think
Speaker 2: the patients plus see, he could recognize talent very very
Speaker 2: well Louis Toilette, which I'm not saying Pat could not, right,
Speaker 2: but to me, I put my money on Louis for that.
Speaker 1: Very very interesting. So in addition to the Montreal match
Speaker 1: at the Paul Suavel Arena that we talked about, Hogan
Speaker 1: also appeared to have wrestled Andrea in the summer of
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty and Timmins, Ontario and Sturgeon Falls, Ontario were those.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, those sounds. We used to go to Ontario also.
Speaker 2: He must have done some work for the other promotions,
Speaker 2: Frank Tony Promotions out of Toronto, Yeah, and probably sol
Speaker 2: Ogan there. But of course here he used to do
Speaker 2: the whole circuit there. He even went into the Maritimes,
Speaker 2: Gas Pay all the areas northn Quebec, Ontario. Andre did
Speaker 2: all the towns, even the small towns. He used to
Speaker 2: look to to be on the road. I had I
Speaker 2: had myself. I had bought one of those fans with
Speaker 2: the big bubble top for him.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And as long as the you know, he's right there
Speaker 2: with me and this and that and on the way back,
Speaker 2: that case of heir had to be there. I love it.
Speaker 1: So the big matches. August twenty fifth, nineteen eighty Paul Suaverena, Montreal.
Speaker 1: It's the match we started talking about Hogan versus Jean
Speaker 1: Frey under the Giant. What do you remember about the finish?
Speaker 1: You know, how did the match play out? Was it
Speaker 1: a was it a negotiation? Figure out? The finish how
Speaker 1: did that go? I?
Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, I was so busy I
Speaker 2: didn't even see the match. I'll tell you why, because
Speaker 2: people were even used paper. Guys were coming to me,
Speaker 2: I need tell me about this, tell me about that.
Speaker 2: So I'd get a glimpse and that's about it, you know,
Speaker 2: and uh, running around, And then I was my I
Speaker 2: had an office upstairs on that. Like I said the same,
Speaker 2: Floria and my wife were my My wife came to
Speaker 2: the matches and sh I can't go up It's full
Speaker 2: of people up there. I said, what the hell they're
Speaker 2: doing up there? The matches are down here. Wow. And
Speaker 2: so I was too busy to really look at the match.
Speaker 2: It's more first of all, I was nervous, but I
Speaker 2: was thinking, Hey, you know what, I was so proud
Speaker 2: of the house and all that and so that. So
Speaker 2: if you asked me about the finish, I'm sorry. I'm
Speaker 2: not with the one that could tell you that.
Speaker 1: That's okay. So I just I didn't know until I
Speaker 1: asked you. If you if you saw the match, do
Speaker 1: you think at the time it would have been a
Speaker 1: sensitive thing as far as like whether Hogan or Andre
Speaker 1: went over. He just did a count out even if
Speaker 1: you don't remember the finish. Was that a big part
Speaker 1: of bringing a guy like Hulk up is, you know,
Speaker 1: figuring out how the finishes would go.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, No matter what there is with Hogan, Uh
Speaker 2: you know, you know, I don't care if you would
Speaker 2: have lost in the middle of one, two three, p
Speaker 2: He's still the next week you were wrong with somebody else.
Speaker 2: He's still so love you know what I mean. Yes,
Speaker 2: he had that that that power, and of course, uh
Speaker 2: nobody we took care of the Giant might face it
Speaker 2: and nobody's gonna pin the Giant one two three there.
Speaker 2: But still I'm dad worked out, it worked it out,
Speaker 2: And that's why I say that Ogan that the Giant
Speaker 2: light oaken because of that. You know, Hey, it's just
Speaker 2: the fact that he put them over that strong. They're
Speaker 2: in Pontiac, Michigan.
Speaker 1: Fan wrestling podcast.
Speaker 2: He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and for
Speaker 2: an Seo m J. Pisaro. That's something.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a great point. You know that I
Speaker 1: think people that people that don't know about Hogan and
Speaker 1: Andre's history before Pontiac, Michigan might not appreciate the significance
Speaker 1: of Andre taking the one two three against Hulk because
Speaker 1: like you said, yeah, that's.
Speaker 2: Right, that that that was, you know, which he never
Speaker 2: did for anybody like you were to. You know, he
Speaker 2: had some matches with donal Lee, with Jonathan too. They
Speaker 2: called it here we had it. It wasn't my promotion though,
Speaker 2: that was a con priest promotion. He They called it
Speaker 2: Match of the Century and of course nobody beat anybody there,
Speaker 2: you know, but still he wouldn't have been pinned so
Speaker 2: to do it for Ogan. He must have really liked
Speaker 2: the Hulkin and of course he respected the Vincement plans
Speaker 2: so much too that that helps, you know, if Vince
Speaker 2: says we do it this way or that that was it. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Do you think that even though you didn't see the match,
Speaker 1: do you think helped me have slammed Andrea in Montreal
Speaker 1: that that night?
Speaker 2: No, No, he tried to. From what I hear, he tried,
Speaker 2: you know, like to pick him up a few times,
Speaker 2: you know that try they build it up there, you
Speaker 2: know he did they that would that would have been
Speaker 2: something special because you know, you don't want on Andrea.
Speaker 2: He had to put in the people's mind that Andre
Speaker 2: was unbeatable and to beat Andre or something. People say, well,
Speaker 2: this guy I might do it, you know, and and
Speaker 2: Hogan was the guy to do that. I don't. I
Speaker 2: don't see even your biggest seal in New York. Oh yeah,
Speaker 2: you would have sold out, a normal sellout. But let
Speaker 2: me tell you, if it would have been in the
Speaker 2: Montreal form, which you can sit twice the people that
Speaker 2: you can do with the Soviet we would have sold
Speaker 2: out the form too. Oh wow, you think so it
Speaker 2: fell out the form a lot of times anyway, but
Speaker 2: that would have sold out. So you know, when you
Speaker 2: talk about haul Cogan and Andre, to me, it's it's
Speaker 2: a it's a bit special. It's it's they're not just
Speaker 2: two wrestlers. I don't care who's on top. There isn't
Speaker 2: that many restlessly give that can continually you know that
Speaker 2: he did for so many years sell.
Speaker 1: Out like you had absolutely. Why wasn't the forum available?
Speaker 1: Was the forum having wrestling back in nineteen eighty Yeah,
Speaker 1: we used to go to.
Speaker 2: The forum, but we went to the forum. We had
Speaker 2: the form like we'd go about sometimes once a month,
Speaker 2: sometimes every six weeks, because uh form was booked pretty hard.
Speaker 2: If it was, and if I remember, well, then there
Speaker 2: was something that night at the form at the I'm
Speaker 2: not sure now, don't take my word for it, but
Speaker 2: I think that's why we couldn't go there, and so
Speaker 2: we did it at the Paul Sobey, but we went
Speaker 2: to the form where we had sell. I was there
Speaker 2: too well. As a matter of fact, the match between
Speaker 2: Jonathan and the Giant that was at the Forum, Yeah, that.
Speaker 1: Was another battle of the giants, right.
Speaker 2: Like hold Andre, Yeah, that was like they call it here,
Speaker 2: the battle of the century Donalo Jonathan against the Giant.
Speaker 2: And we used to it to the Forum and we
Speaker 2: had some because the way you can put people on
Speaker 2: the ice with ringside, which cannot do it hockey. We
Speaker 2: had one of the biggest cross ever at the form,
Speaker 2: which it wasn't quite twenty one thousand people, but very
Speaker 2: close to it.
Speaker 1: This is for Jonathan, is Andre you're saying, uh yeah,
Speaker 1: yeah that.
Speaker 2: That match too, I think surefs them, but it did
Speaker 2: draw that match at least eighteen to twenty thousand people.
Speaker 1: Nomen So if the Polwavi did fifty thousand maybe at
Speaker 1: the gate, what what if Hulx payoff been for a
Speaker 1: night like that?
Speaker 2: Well that I don't remember exactly, but he had a
Speaker 2: percentage which we sent also a percentage to Vents. And
Speaker 2: it wasn't the money that he started to make. Oh no,
Speaker 2: you know, not even close to what he was making,
Speaker 2: you know, a bit too later run. But it wasn't
Speaker 2: good payoff. And also we had the Giant to pay. Honestly,
Speaker 2: if if we were at that kind of crowd without
Speaker 2: the Giant and oh Corgan, we would have doubled the prop.
Speaker 1: So looking back to you know, we saw a print
Speaker 1: advertisement in one of the Montreal newspapers for the Hulk
Speaker 1: Android match and it said on it that the patch
Speaker 1: was going to happen at Park Jerry, Jerry Park where
Speaker 1: the Expos used to play. I don't know if that
Speaker 1: was it.
Speaker 2: Never did, it never materialized. We never went to the
Speaker 2: Jerry Park with the Giant and Ogan.
Speaker 1: Right, was that a plan at one point? Was that
Speaker 1: something you guys were exploring.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we were loved to do it, but we just couldn't.
Speaker 2: Everything went wrong there because they were back in the
Speaker 2: sementies they went to but then they had change it
Speaker 2: for tennis, and and we only have a certain date
Speaker 2: and just did not coincide with the Big Office in Washington.
Speaker 2: So we couldn't really work it out, and the Giant
Speaker 2: Ogan by then, you know there are a plan for him.
Speaker 2: I guess.
Speaker 1: I see. So I'm clear. When you guys had the
Speaker 1: match of the Paul Suave Arena, was that supposed to
Speaker 1: be Jerry Park or was Jerry Park supposed to be another?
Speaker 2: No? No, no, no, no, no no. We had no
Speaker 2: idea about Jerry Park then, because first of all, it
Speaker 2: was all new right Ogan and this and that, and
Speaker 2: we knew he woulddraw. I would have loved to put that.
Speaker 2: I told you, I think I would have loved that
Speaker 2: that show. I had talked to Frank Vaudwin and we
Speaker 2: said we're gonna go down and see Cory which runs
Speaker 2: the forum, the forum, the forum that day that we
Speaker 2: could get Ogan. That Monday, we could not get the Forum,
Speaker 2: so we went to the Paul. So I was reading
Speaker 2: we had which we had wrestling at the Soulo every Monday,
Speaker 2: usually every Monday.
Speaker 1: I was reading in Pat la Prodd's book when Hogan
Speaker 1: came in. Did you yourself do you know Russell Hulk one?
Speaker 2: If I? If I?
Speaker 1: What did you wrestle Logan?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: No, no, you did not have a match against him? Okay, no, No,
Speaker 1: what was the What was it like working with Vince
Speaker 1: McMahons as far as putting the deal together?
Speaker 2: And I love it was very easy because first of all,
Speaker 2: you know, you said, sit down, talk business. Within ten
Speaker 2: minutes it was over. You would all just right away
Speaker 2: say yes or no when that was it, So you know,
Speaker 2: so and then I was greeingly on years too. So
Speaker 2: you know, for me to do business, I had worked
Speaker 2: for Evinces, you know, but never as a promoter, you
Speaker 2: know about the dealings and stuff like that. So that's
Speaker 2: why I had gone down to where we met was
Speaker 2: not in Washington, was in New York City at the
Speaker 2: hotel there. And that's it. And but you know, if
Speaker 2: you said, yeah, we're going to do it, you didn't
Speaker 2: have to worry. You know, we've done that.
Speaker 1: Last question for you. It used to be obviously the
Speaker 1: model where Vince Senior would rent out Andre for a
Speaker 1: fee to all the different territories when it came to
Speaker 1: working with you because Andre had a piece of verasak,
Speaker 1: was it different or did you have to pay?
Speaker 2: And no, no, we're still we had that deal there
Speaker 2: and where he got the percentage and this, and you know,
Speaker 2: but it didn't matter because you were drawing so much
Speaker 2: more money, you still made more money than usual, you
Speaker 2: know for sure?
Speaker 1: Did you have to do? Did Vin want?
Speaker 2: The deal? Was the deal and that's it. And everybody
Speaker 2: that used the Hulk as you just mentioned, whether he
Speaker 2: would wrestle the Porida or anywhere, and McMahon had a
Speaker 2: cut on I guess.
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, you know, and not I guess I know, yeah, sure?
Speaker 1: Did it look to you? Do you know that Vince
Speaker 1: Senior basically followed the Andre model with Hulk?
Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, basically probably, although you know he could not.
Speaker 2: You see, there's one big difference between Hulk too and anybody,
Speaker 2: and it would tell you the same. And Pat Patterson
Speaker 2: there was very adamant on that when he because he
Speaker 2: was very close to the McMahons. You could not do
Speaker 2: with the Giant what you could do with the Hull
Speaker 2: Cogan because all Cogan, like Bruno sa Martino, you could
Speaker 2: put a week after after a month after money, draw money,
Speaker 2: whereas the Giant was built more like people seem as
Speaker 2: a special attraction, you know, a big one. But how
Speaker 2: many how many guys could have worked with the Giant
Speaker 2: the same way Ogan? Did you know he worked with
Speaker 2: a guy like Paul Orndorf, which wasn't that big, and
Speaker 2: then he'd worked with the bigger guys, and but the Giant,
Speaker 2: there was just so many and unless you were so
Speaker 2: big like Ogan, people believed in Ogan or don Leo
Speaker 2: Jonathan you're in Montreal, they believed in it, but you
Speaker 2: could not you know, let's say an example, if I
Speaker 2: would have said that I would have put the Giant
Speaker 2: against some of his Vashan. I don't think it would
Speaker 2: have meant as much because people figured the Giants twice
Speaker 2: as big as you know, he was an attraction, a
Speaker 2: big attraction, I gotta say, unlike the Mitches were an attraction,
Speaker 2: but you know they were under card, but the Giant
Speaker 2: he had to put them on top all the time anyway,
Speaker 2: So I don't think you build him up the same
Speaker 2: way he built this champion Ogan that went away. And
Speaker 2: the Giant never needed a belt, never had one because
Speaker 2: he couldn't do what an ordinary wrestler would do.
Speaker 1: And they don't think so oh, I understand, yeah, exactly
Speaker 1: what I mean. Did McMahon's television reach Montreal back then?
Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, yeah, because he had the program in Burlington,
Speaker 2: Vermont in English that came into montrealal all the first
Speaker 2: of all, all the in Canada year, we get all
Speaker 2: the American programs anyway, but they were so close that
Speaker 2: we were so already he was on TV. So it
Speaker 2: was easy, you know, because as when at first, I'll
Speaker 2: give you which got name to do with Ogan? When
Speaker 2: my dad died, I took over the business, and that
Speaker 2: same night that my dad died there we had a show. Yeah,
Speaker 2: and Montreal were drawing around a couple of thousand people
Speaker 2: every Monday, twenty five hundred, twenty eight hundred sometimes, But
Speaker 2: we brought in because of that TV in Burlington. Pat
Speaker 2: Parson again flew Albano and we almost sold out the
Speaker 2: place completely. So that's how strong that the American station was.
Speaker 2: Also it brought the English people, you know, they washed
Speaker 2: it probably Montreal being bilingual, and we had the French
Speaker 2: and the English, and that did it. I mean, by
Speaker 2: the time Ogogan came around, you know TV, first of all,
Speaker 2: I had all the TV's going. I had another one
Speaker 2: in Quebec city, went and all over the place, so
Speaker 2: it was you know, it was not but that's the
Speaker 2: way it is. So I don't think that get back
Speaker 2: to your question that all can Andre were promoted the
Speaker 2: same way. No, not at all.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for those extra answers. I really
Speaker 1: appreciate it.
Speaker 2: You know. Yeah, well that's my opinion, you know, from here,
Speaker 2: from my viewpoint, from here, you know, from Canada. I
Speaker 2: don't know how other promoters dealt with it. But like
Speaker 2: you say, we had an ace in the whole because
Speaker 2: Frank Vauba and the Giin were partners in the company,
Speaker 2: so a lot. That really helped a lot. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Did do you know Gino did did Andre have like
Speaker 1: the stake in Varsak all the way through the end,
Speaker 1: Like was that something that he ever sold?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Finally they got out, Frank got out. He got out,
Speaker 2: you know because the Giant actually was there, you know,
Speaker 2: because of Vince Firkman that said, you know, the Giant
Speaker 2: will go in with vowel and that's it. And like
Speaker 2: I said, he was there not as a promoter, as
Speaker 2: a wrestler. He never, like I said, he never looked
Speaker 2: at the books, never looked you know. First of all,
Speaker 2: he was always gone someplace. He'd come in to wrestle Montreal, yes,
Speaker 2: but then he probably was gone someplace elf, So he
Speaker 2: wasn't around to really be part of the promotion. So
Speaker 2: when he sold it him was with nothing, you know,
Speaker 2: he but kept the mirror a bit a bit too,
Speaker 2: was his restaurant that he had, So that helps a bit,
Speaker 2: you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned the restaurant. I understand you
Speaker 1: went in there a few times. How you ate there?
Speaker 2: Oh? I went there, yeah, a few. I don't know
Speaker 2: how many times where I went there quite a bit.
Speaker 2: What was it? Like?
Speaker 1: What did you get? What did you order?
Speaker 2: But that sometimes, you know, I would have right to
Speaker 2: go in there like I go with my went with
Speaker 2: my wife sometimes when Andrea wasn't there, because with Andrea
Speaker 2: you couldn't pay, right, he never made me. He didn't,
Speaker 2: you know, you could not pay, and you know, I said,
Speaker 2: what the hell? You know, you know, I'm sponging off Andrea.
Speaker 2: So you know, but a few times when he wasn't
Speaker 2: there because he was with one of those actresses around
Speaker 2: your fiato was her name, the fiat And so I
Speaker 2: went just as you know, when he wasn't there, because
Speaker 2: I like to go there once in a while, and
Speaker 2: that's it.
Speaker 1: You know, what did you what kind of food was it?
Speaker 1: What did you order?
Speaker 2: Oh? He had all kinds of fool, A lot of
Speaker 2: French food. He make anything the castle, you know those
Speaker 2: French When I go in with the Giant, Actually I
Speaker 2: never ordered. He just said, I'm gonna make this, Ione,
Speaker 2: make that, put her on the table, and we need it,
Speaker 2: which was you know two times still too. We had
Speaker 2: meat like feakes and stuff like that.
Speaker 1: Wonderful, you know, so.
Speaker 2: You know it wasn't nice. And of course with the
Speaker 2: Giant also, I don't know why, but even I was
Speaker 2: drinking a little too much. I bet as feel as
Speaker 2: a glass of wine. Print of all him, I was
Speaker 2: a four guy? For why did they eat four and
Speaker 2: I take two? Six? I said, I called him in
Speaker 2: those days, who would call him Andre? Hey, what the
Speaker 2: hell you doing it? That's just still have full, you know,
Speaker 2: he laughing, Yeah, let's having the rink Bilin we toast
Speaker 2: but him, while I had that one drink, you probably
Speaker 2: had four or five. What is it? Uh?
Speaker 1: What was it like to see WWF go on to
Speaker 1: promote Hulk and Andre like they had never wrestled before.
Speaker 1: When you they wrestled for you in nineteen eighty That
Speaker 1: was so weird because so many people saw them wrestle
Speaker 1: all over the World, Japan, Montreal, but then come eighty seven,
Speaker 1: they had to pretend they never wrestled before.
Speaker 2: What was that like? Well, I mean, t you know,
Speaker 2: it's funny just the two three weeks ago, I was
Speaker 2: at a barber shop and the guy told me, he says,
Speaker 2: you know that, He said, no, Cogan, we were talking
Speaker 2: about every time he sees me talks wrestling. Oh. I said, yeah,
Speaker 2: so oh co the Giant and I said, we can
Speaker 2: say that we had a mirror before everybody else, right, yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, so it's funny that all of a sudden
Speaker 2: you mentioning that.
Speaker 1: I wondered, like wrestling, the three obviously went everywhere, including Canada.
Speaker 1: I wonder if the fans in Montreal were sort of like,
Speaker 1: you know, rolling their eyes when WWF was telling them
Speaker 1: that Hulk and Andre never wrestled before. But it was
Speaker 1: only seven years before.
Speaker 2: They you know. Of course if people thought about it,
Speaker 2: of course they knew, especially the people that were there,
Speaker 2: they've seen them match. They'd say, hey, those guys are lying,
Speaker 2: they're not telling the truth there, right, the definitely wrestled
Speaker 2: in Montreal.
Speaker 1: Do you remember Gino? Did Fred Blastie come with Hulk
Speaker 1: for that? The First, what did Fred Blassie come with
Speaker 1: Hogan to the match against Andrea in Montreal?
Speaker 2: No?
Speaker 1: No, okay no, And I guess just just finally I
Speaker 1: would I would ask you for your thoughts on the
Speaker 1: transition from Vince Senior to Vince Junior. How did that
Speaker 1: change things for you, because obviously the alliance with you
Speaker 1: and Vince Senior was very importance.
Speaker 2: There was, honestly, you know that I did that after
Speaker 2: my promotion. My trailed my promotion because first of all,
Speaker 2: the Dino Bravo, the Rugos, Martel, the Giant, everybody left, right, yeah,
Speaker 2: And I tried for seven eight months to keep going
Speaker 2: and my crew, which the Sovey was doing always well,
Speaker 2: and Quebec City and all that, and all of a
Speaker 2: sudden I wasn't drunk seven and people because I didn't
Speaker 2: have any more stars, and I dropped a lot, a
Speaker 2: lot of money very so I had to bankrupt the company,
Speaker 2: you know, all that, which was hard to take. But
Speaker 2: that's that's business. And its Pat Patterson that came to
Speaker 2: me and said, come to New York. I went to
Speaker 2: New York and I met Vince the father and Vince
Speaker 2: the son, and Vince said, okay, you promote. I had
Speaker 2: the license for them. I still had my the promotion
Speaker 2: with the Athletic Commission on that then there was an
Speaker 2: Athletic Commission and I promoted for them for a couple
Speaker 2: of years. Here all right, you with a bunch of
Speaker 2: Vince back on my feet, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: So you were losing the stars because Vince Junior wasn't
Speaker 1: letting them go.
Speaker 2: Well, I was losing. When I think about it, you
Speaker 2: know today you say, well, it's not you know, but
Speaker 2: in those days, when you're losing three four or five
Speaker 2: thousand a night, all of a sudden, you see, because
Speaker 2: I'd bring in guys and fire them in and this,
Speaker 2: and then your expenses were there, but that wasn't drawing
Speaker 2: any more money, right, But you know that's it. And
Speaker 2: now if I had to do it over again, I'm
Speaker 2: gonna just put the key in the door. And that's it.
Speaker 1: The hard way, Yeah, And when.
Speaker 2: You find out the hard way. And also, you know,
Speaker 2: because my dad before I started doing good, my dad
Speaker 2: also I no TV, like I said, and I said,
Speaker 2: I said, you know, excuse the expression, I said, fuck
Speaker 2: he he uh. You know, my dad gave his life
Speaker 2: and everything crazy for the bid, I'm going to keep
Speaker 2: going and see it. But it didn't work out.
Speaker 1: Didn't work out.
Speaker 2: Then you make up, you shake hand and Vince Junior
Speaker 2: was good enough. They're giving me a job, and which
Speaker 2: I did well. I was then everything was doing good
Speaker 2: with the you know, you had all this Marschall Main
Speaker 2: and Ogan and British Bulldogs, everybody coming in there. Yeah,
Speaker 2: it was They didn't do the survey. We only did
Speaker 2: the form and and that with Vince.
Speaker 1: So besides besides Hogan, and besides Hogan and Andre, who
Speaker 1: are some of the other stars that Vince Junior didn't
Speaker 1: let come to Montreal anymore? Who else do you remember losing?
Speaker 2: Oh? I mean, first of all, my my local guys
Speaker 2: which I had the two friend Shanes, the Rugos and
Speaker 2: Martell and Tonga, remember Amy Russell, that name it coul
Speaker 2: And and those guys. They all laughed and they all
Speaker 2: came to see me, and I told him, I said,
Speaker 2: look for the money that you'll be making. I said,
Speaker 2: I cannot in all honesty ask you to stay. So
Speaker 2: he especially Diano Bravo, which I broke in the bit
Speaker 2: on you him since he was a nine year old kid.
Speaker 2: I broke into business and everything, and he felt bad.
Speaker 2: I said, God, don't feel bad, because you're going to
Speaker 2: make five times what you can make with me. Absolutely,
Speaker 2: and they all laugh. And that's it. And I remain
Speaker 2: friends with all of them. I mean, business is business.
Speaker 2: But then you know you still have a grudge a
Speaker 2: bit you're in there and then it goes away, and
Speaker 2: it goes away.
Speaker 1: I love it.
Speaker 2: I love it.
Speaker 1: So just finally looking back the Hogan Andre match August
Speaker 1: twenty fifth, nineteen eighty at the pul Suavorina in Montreal,
Speaker 1: just to revisit it, you you think that was what
Speaker 1: the biggest where would you put it? As far as
Speaker 1: the matches you were able to promote all the.
Speaker 2: Time, biggest throw, the biggest throw money was and everything
Speaker 2: to me, right and if I remember right there, we
Speaker 2: had you know, up the ringside a bit and everything,
Speaker 2: and we had a hell of a house. First of all,
Speaker 2: we never could have done that again because like I said,
Speaker 2: you know, they have a certain law that that there's
Speaker 2: so many people, you know, they're afraid of fire and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. And I don't know if it's still
Speaker 2: the same today, but then, and but to me, it
Speaker 2: was the the show that of all shows.
Speaker 1: I love that, the show of all shows. And just finally, Gina,
Speaker 1: what did you what went through your mind and your
Speaker 1: heart when you found out that who had passed away?
Speaker 2: Oh? So, I mean especially you know, okay at his age.
Speaker 2: You know, to me, he was still a young man.
Speaker 2: I'm eighty five years old now, wow, So you can
Speaker 2: imagine that, you know, when I see a guy in
Speaker 2: his sixties pass away, I've got a son that's sixty
Speaker 2: three years old. Yeah, to me, it was very young,
Speaker 2: and I couldn't believe that man. But I I don't
Speaker 2: want to say because I don't know for sure, but
Speaker 2: probably is his way of living and the way he
Speaker 2: abuse his body somehow, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I
Speaker 2: heard that he even he had shrunk like two three
Speaker 2: inches of set through.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what he would say. Yeah, for sure. And
Speaker 1: he was hunched over because all the back problems.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, all the back. But he had so many
Speaker 2: operations and all that, and it's too bad. But you know,
Speaker 2: you guy could have had. You know, it's still a
Speaker 2: good life. What can you do. That's the way it is.
Speaker 1: Well, Gino Bredo, thank you so very much for taking
Speaker 1: the time to reflect.
Speaker 2: On this it's it's the kind of very happy. If
Speaker 2: tell you a few things, I'm sorry about what I
Speaker 2: don't remember. Oh, that's okay, Like I said a few things,
Speaker 2: you know, especially that night there I you will asked
Speaker 2: me my name and I Will have had trouble. That's
Speaker 2: so nervous.
Speaker 1: That's so amazing that it was such a crazy night
Speaker 1: that you couldn't even watch the match. That's unbelievable.
Speaker 2: No, I didn't watch the match, and neither the Frank
Speaker 2: Bauba watched that match because he was upstairs there, you know,
Speaker 2: because he said, I can't leave my accountant, Joe Blanchi alone.
Speaker 2: People were coming in and now look they want to
Speaker 2: pictures this and that thing. So we were we were
Speaker 2: busy there. Man. We have to take care of the business.
Speaker 1: End of it absolutely well. But we're grateful that we
Speaker 1: did get the perspective of what it was like to
Speaker 1: work with Hulk in Montreal. It sounds like overall, very positive.
Speaker 2: I tell you, I do it all over again, terrific.
Speaker 1: Gino Brdo, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 2: You're welcome. Take care now.