WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.640 So extremely pleased now to be joined by Gino Brito, 2 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:06.799 also known as Lewis Sir Dan as a former WWWF 3 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:10.839 Tag Team champion and a legend of the Montreal wrestling world, 4 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.400 and he's here to talk to us about Virosok promotions 5 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.120 and the time in nineteen eighty when Hulk Hogan, who 6 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:19.399 was just beginning to break through as an attraction not 7 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.519 only here in the United States but globally Japan as 8 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:25.239 well as come to find out, Canada, and he faced 9 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.160 Andre the Giant in Montreal that summer of nineteen eighty. 10 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:30.120 Gino was the promoter at the time, along with Frank 11 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:32.759 Vola and others. We want to really thank you Gino 12 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:34.240 so much for joining us. 13 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:35.359 You're welcome. 14 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.039 Yes, this is great to get some history here, because 15 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:42.119 until we really started carefully researching Hulk Hogan's history, I 16 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.799 don't think a lot of people appreciated that he went 17 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:48.719 to Montreal after the Shay Stadium match with Andre and 18 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:50.439 you guys were a pretty big house at the Paul 19 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:51.960 Suave Arena, could you. 20 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.759 I have a matter of facts, Yes, it was at 21 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:59.119 the Pulowe Arena, huh. And the place was really jammed. 22 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:04.480 I even had one of the firemen that told me says, 23 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:09.040 you know, we had some standing room there, and he said, 24 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:14.319 you know, be careful because people were I mean hal Cogan, 25 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.680 he just made such a hit and especially against the Giant, 26 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.719 so we knew it was the biggest house ever drawn 27 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:24.840 at the Paulsolvat Arena for wrestling. 28 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:27.480 Is that right? That is fantastic? What was the house? 29 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:28.319 Do you remember the gate? 30 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:33.560 The gate? If I remember at those prices we had, 31 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:36.319 I don't exactly remember it right now, but I know 32 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:40.959 it was over which in those days was over fifty grand. 33 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:45.799 Oh wow, that's very helpful. So tell me about Lerosock Promotions. 34 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:47.359 That's you Frank and Andre. 35 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:52.920 Right. Yes, At first my dad had started it and 36 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:57.400 when he passed away, I took over the promotion and 37 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:01.680 I went to see mister McMahon, not the son, the father, 38 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:07.439 and I needed some help a little bit because I 39 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.599 was kind of okay. I was wrestling, but I was 40 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:15.199 green and promoting and I never had and he suggested 41 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.360 to me that they can Frank Valua, which was from 42 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:24.400 Montreal originally, and he he was pretty well at the 43 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:28.120 end of his career and with Andre the Giant, and 44 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.080 they came in as my partners at first. That's how 45 00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:37.680 you get the name barasag Vala Russiminov for the giant's name, 46 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:41.520 and Akassela my name at the end there, which made 47 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:44.080 Vara sact. That's what we call it death. 48 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.560 That's great. So tell me about Andre and his interest 49 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:49.879 in being involved, you know, having a piece of a 50 00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:52.039 territory in Montreal back then, not just wrestling. 51 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:58.560 Yeah. Well, him, he didn't you know, like we say, 52 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:01.960 he didn't put his nose in the business. But because 53 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:04.319 he knew that Frank was handling it and I was 54 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:07.039 handling it and him and I was gained pretty good 55 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:11.680 friends over you know, which I had known him from before, 56 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:17.199 and everything worked out fine. But you know, Andre Andrea 57 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:21.319 was a happy, go lucky guy and but still he 58 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.360 was and Trank Vovo was looking out for his interests. 59 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:28.280 So sure, when did you know, do you remember first 60 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:29.719 hearing about Hulk Hogan. 61 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.560 The first time? I? Well, I knew that there was 62 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:38.599 from the days when he ye, I think he rest 63 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:43.319 for the Minneapolis territory under another name or something. 64 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:46.639 He had been he had been in Alabama, Memphis, and 65 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:48.479 he had been yeah, yes. 66 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:54.919 And then he went to uh Golden something. It was 67 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:59.599 his name and guy looks good and this and that. 68 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.400 I had heard about him, but I had never met 69 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:06.800 him until well, I didn't meet him the night of 70 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:11.159 that show. I had met him before, and but I 71 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.319 had heard of him because everybody was talking about him 72 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:17.720 that the year is a potential to be a big, 73 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:23.759 big star, which he was. And so when he came in, 74 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:31.120 it's because of course of mister McMahon, Vince McMahon sending 75 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:36.079 him in, because of the connection between the Giant, McMahon 76 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:40.319 and Frank Vauvoir and all that. Sure, and so it 77 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:44.199 was easy to book him. And since they had a 78 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:48.959 piece of the territory, he even made it even easier. 79 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:53.160 Right, How was how was Vin Senior about Andre owning 80 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:56.439 a piece of a territory? He didn't consider Andre his 81 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:59.879 exclusive talent. He was okay with him going up to Montreal. 82 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:03.639 Oh yeah, yeah, he's the one that suggested it too. 83 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:08.639 I mean, uh, you know, when we talked, he knew 84 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.439 Frank Frank would come in and that the Giant would 85 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:16.519 be an asset. And then that was on the verge 86 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:20.560 of getting TV all over on the English Channel and 87 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:24.839 the French channels up here we eat French and I 88 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:28.199 had TV going all the way from tender Bray, Ontario 89 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:32.879 to the Marathimes, and so we seen that we've seen 90 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:36.560 the potential in the territory and went Andre, well. 91 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:40.720 That you know, that was your race there absolutely well, 92 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:43.600 looks like it really started in Versoch for Hogan on 93 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:46.680 nineteen eighty where we found some press clippings today there 94 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:47.759 were we had. 95 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.639 Some matches before that, this and that, and we had 96 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.160 a couple of guys that that. We had the Rusial 97 00:05:56.279 --> 00:06:00.879 brothers here and rick later on he was he came 98 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.519 in later Ricky Martel, but Dino Bravo came in and 99 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:08.480 and with the Vagina and the territory picked up and 100 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:10.959 every time we had the giant here. Well, of course 101 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:12.319 we did some good business. 102 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:16.279 It looks like in May he wrestled at war Capontier 103 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.639 Hogan did Do you remember Hogan and Carpontier? Why would 104 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:20.639 Why were they put together? 105 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:28.000 Uh? I don't really remember. That was it for our promotion? 106 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:31.759 It looks like, yeah, it looks like it was. I mean, 107 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:34.160 all we have is one press clipping that shows that 108 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:37.519 he was there in May. It's kind of the first 109 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:38.759 time we didn't. 110 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.800 Wrest Carpentier in Montreal, and that's what's true. 111 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:44.360 Okay, perhaps it was, it was a different city. What 112 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.800 was Edward Capontier's involvement with the territory and do you 113 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:49.800 remember him having an occage? 114 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:55.000 Had to worry Cambarantine never had any points, any percentage 115 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:58.600 in the promotion or nothing. Yeah, he was just the 116 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:03.079 here as per former wrestler, and he had been a 117 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:07.160 year before and he's the one that they at first. 118 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:09.759 They gave a good hand to my father when he 119 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:14.560 first started, although the territory was completely dead then because 120 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:17.600 we had they never had TV and they were all 121 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:23.879 TV doesn't work, so but Carpenter he needed. Of course, 122 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:26.800 he was one of our top guys here too, you 123 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:30.720 know Edward with the Vashon, Maurice Vashon and O that 124 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:36.319 and Rujo's. Yeah, he never had anything to do with 125 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:41.319 the promotion. Said it was the commentary on television with 126 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:45.160 g Ray, a man by the name of g O Ray. 127 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.040 Okay, you know they. 128 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:51.959 Used to do the French version of of our wrestling 129 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:53.759 program on TV. 130 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.120 Yeah, because we found an article from May fourth, nineteen 131 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:00.040 eighty you remember we just lovec right, Yeah, yeah, so 132 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:02.480 he did an article that said the Monday that wrestling 133 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:06.000 season kicks off tomorrow evening Paul Schwave Sports Center. The 134 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:09.759 promoter none other than Frank Vaulois, and his first card 135 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.839 proved his seriousness. He pitted a favorite among Montreal wrestling 136 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.600 fans at Ward Capontier against the current biggest star in 137 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.600 New York, Hulk Hogan. So apparently that's where it went down. 138 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:25.040 No, I don't remember. You could be right, but right. 139 00:08:24.920 --> 00:08:27.600 Now, Oh that's fine, yeah, yeah, just in case it 140 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:28.439 jogs your memory. 141 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:33.120 There is. I don't remember that. But yes, as a 142 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:37.159 matter of fact, that the night that the Giant wrestled 143 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:43.440 all Cogan, Regis which was a boxing promoter. Then I 144 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:47.039 gave him, as I said, I want a big promotion 145 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:51.480 on this because he was connected with the newspapers and 146 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.879 all that I see and he had done. I held 147 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.840 a story on Cogan, so that really helped too to 148 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:01.519 pack the house. Was great talking about it. 149 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:07.080 So you're talking about Regis Lovek. He was a boxing promoter. Yeah, okay, 150 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:07.480 good to know. 151 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:12.039 Yeah, he had the office next to ours, yep, on 152 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:17.480 the second floor of the Postova Arena and the end 153 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:21.320 of like the hal Tuns and all the he was 154 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:25.240 in the boxing, in the boxing promotion, but he also, 155 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:29.600 like I said, he helped us promote us another small 156 00:09:29.720 --> 00:09:34.080 town and you're in Quebec called Three Rivers and for 157 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:36.960 that one show, which he had nine to do with 158 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.240 the promotion, but the publicity he did all he did 159 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:42.799 the public city for that show. 160 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:44.919 Yeah, it's great because it's some of the surviving material 161 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:47.080 that we can look at his research. So that's just great. 162 00:09:47.559 --> 00:09:51.799 It looks like there's some surviving footage some fan took 163 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:55.320 some film. I believe it was July twenty third, nineteen 164 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:59.120 eighty in Quebec City where you can see Hulk wrestling Carpontier. 165 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:00.279 It's on idiot. 166 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:02.879 Yeah, well that could be the Quebec city, but not 167 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:04.840 in Montreal, Okay, sure. 168 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:06.679 Yeah, yeah, it looks like there was a July fourteenth 169 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.200 match in Montreal as well. But yeah, on Carpentier was 170 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.080 he because he seems to me like he was from 171 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:16.000 another generation. I was surprised to see that he was 172 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:18.279 very active in nineteen eighty in terms of in the ring. 173 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:24.039 What was that? Yeah, although you had a big point there, 174 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:30.440 I mean, his best years were that generation before, but 175 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:35.039 he was still a man for even he was in 176 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:38.480 his late forties, I think, and it's still in great shape, 177 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:42.320 and I must admit better fit than I was, But 178 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:48.000 he and he can't. But the only thing is that 179 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:56.159 I personally as a promoter and with miss with Frank 180 00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:59.759 and all that, we didn't rely on him toil the 181 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:05.919 really drawn, big big houses anymore. You know. The only 182 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:09.519 other guy that was of the other generation that's still 183 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:12.759 the great for us because of his character and all 184 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:19.399 that was Matt Doug But Shan but and but him 185 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:22.200 and Carpenty first of all didn't get along too well. 186 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.320 So you couldn't do much business with these two together, 187 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:31.559 you know. But he did help still, he was a 188 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:36.039 good draw on the card, but he was like the 189 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:40.559 top baby faces, let's say, in those days. Of course 190 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:43.759 he had the gianty aardno Bravo and the rules shows 191 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:49.679 him stuff like that, yes, which, but Carponi was still 192 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.120 plugging along and doing fairly well. 193 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:56.559 So when you first heard about Sterling Golden Hulkogan, did 194 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:57.080 you hear. 195 00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:59.759 That Sterling Golden I was looking for? 196 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.480 Did you hear that he was limited in the ring 197 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:05.360 and just really huge or did you hear that he 198 00:12:05.399 --> 00:12:08.840 had what did you hear about him that you know, 199 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:10.200 he wasn't. 200 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:14.399 Nick Bob Winker in the ring, you know that could 201 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.080 make a broomstick look good, you know what I mean? 202 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.120 But but he had that potential. He was the only 203 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:29.759 guy and the man could talk. He was good on interviews. 204 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.120 He knew what to say, and he had that presence 205 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.960 and he got that, you know, and he stuck to 206 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:38.879 his gimmick. Wood was good with the yellow boots and 207 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:44.200 yellow and people just bought into him. And of course 208 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:49.960 that's why that I don't think there's anybody that threw 209 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.480 the money that he drew, and that in his time 210 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:57.679 that he was on top. 211 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:00.879 Absolutely when you brought him in for the Andre programmed, 212 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:03.320 how did you handle the fact that he didn't speak French? 213 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:03.879 Help? That is? 214 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:05.600 Did he cut promos in English on your TV? 215 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:10.960 And Hulk? You know it? Skike? Here we got some 216 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.279 hockey players that only speak English, but they're so good 217 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:17.440 that people buy him, and Hogan was one of those. 218 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:24.120 As far as wrestlings, they just loved all Cogan, especially 219 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:27.320 the young kids. I mean, I had never seen so 220 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:32.279 many fathers and mothers bring their kids to the matches 221 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:36.080 as that night, Is that right? You know? And oh yeah, 222 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:40.159 you had kids. They're especially ten twelve year old kids. 223 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:43.919 They just knew. I don't know how, but they knew 224 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:44.919 about hul Coogan. 225 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:46.440 That's really interesting. 226 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:49.279 But we had that pushed them a lot on TV 227 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:54.440 and newspapers and you know we you know, which helps. 228 00:13:54.679 --> 00:14:01.879 But he was somebody special. I gotta say, I never 229 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:06.120 had a guy that it was so easy as far 230 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:11.000 as promotions go, for to push the right away, to 231 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:15.000 to start drawing big money like that. You know, so 232 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:19.320 oh Hogan the first time he came in like well 233 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.840 with the giant, nobody ever wrote that Gratuate at the 234 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.480 post overreada I don't think we could have anyway. I 235 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.240 don't would have let us do with it. People were 236 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:32.399 afraid for security and all that. 237 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.440 Yeah, that many people, So I would expect. I would 238 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:37.279 have thought that if he came in in nineteen eighty 239 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:39.799 he would have been a heel in Montreal against Andre Now. 240 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:48.159 Yeah, yeah, which he was then, but he would you know. 241 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:52.279 It's like there's some guys in their business as you 242 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:59.480 I'm sure you know, like Hogan, Steve Austin, they were heels, 243 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:03.440 but people still cheer him and he was one of them. 244 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:07.919 And I tell you there were as many people there, 245 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:13.039 Probably not as many, but a lot of them were 246 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:14.799 cheering Logan last night. 247 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.960 Oh wow, that's fascinating matter. 248 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:20.759 What they he was over, like I said, especially with 249 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:21.840 the young children. 250 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:25.679 Did you get you know, tapes from vincior did he 251 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:27.559 send tapes that you played in your TV of Hulk 252 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:28.720 wrestling and doing promos? 253 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.320 Yeah? Yeah, yeah on channel for all of their way Away. 254 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:38.000 We promoted a few things there and mostly, like I said, 255 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.360 if I gave us a big hand there because I 256 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:46.000 knew he was good with promotions. I mean his boxing 257 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.120 shows us. Every one of his boxing shows was doing good. 258 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:53.960 So I said, look to think over the publicity, and 259 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:57.799 which he did, and he really pushed everybody was talking 260 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:02.600 about wrestling there. That's and you could tell you we're 261 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.799 going to draw a good house when you got all 262 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:07.200 the tickets, so then advanced. 263 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:12.240 Yeah do you remember Gino? Were you motivated to book 264 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:14.440 Hulk because of the house that him and Andre drew 265 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.879 at Shay Stadium? Was that sort of the catalyst for you? 266 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:24.039 No? No, not, Look we all knew that that. You 267 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:28.240 know what they say about ninety thousand, I don't know, maybe. 268 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:30.399 I No, No, I'm not talking about not wrestling three. 269 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.279 I'm talking about when he wrestled Andre in nineteen eighty 270 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:36.600 in the summer underneath Bruno versus Larry's Obisco. Yeah that show. 271 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:42.559 Oh yeah yeah Abisco. Yeah yeah. I knew that he 272 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:45.200 draw money, that it was worth to bring him in 273 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:48.559 there to way, it wasn't a losing proposition, yes, But 274 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:54.440 of course in those days I was talking to Vince 275 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:58.679 the Fathers and Vince was said, yeah, we'll push him 276 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:02.559 this and that, and I said sure, because I could 277 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:05.880 tell that the guy, even when he was wrestling as 278 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:10.640 throwing Golden, which he wasn't all Cogan, I could hear 279 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:15.160 from other restlans say this kid, he's green, but he's 280 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:20.079 gonna be somebody's this is, you know. And we just 281 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:24.480 booked him. And with the Giant, well you couldn't miss 282 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.319 here in Montreal with the Giant. First of all, he 283 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.599 spoke French, the Giant. The people knew he lived in Montreal, 284 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:36.480 this and that. So if you got the guy to 285 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.640 go against him and organ with his size and everything, 286 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:43.279 and the people bought into it and it was an 287 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:44.359 easy thing to book. 288 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.319 What did Andre think of Hope? 289 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:53.680 Did he like him? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I think he did, 290 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:59.720 you know, unlike you could tell Andre, you know who 291 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:03.000 you like, like right between you and and now he 292 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:04.880 didn't like John said too much. 293 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:08.599 Oh yeah, well known, yeah, and then you could tell by. 294 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.519 The matches that you know, it should have worked out 295 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:18.079 to Giants home hosts and but but they was a Cogan, 296 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:21.920 he knew and anyway to do what he did there 297 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:26.000 at in Pontyak, Michigan for for the Hull, he had 298 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.519 to like him because Andrea. 299 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.440 Was his own man, absolutely so. So it was more 300 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.799 Vince Senior recommending Hulk in nineteen eighty than it was 301 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:36.920 Andre recommending Hulk in nineteen eighty to come up to Montreal. 302 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:43.920 No, No, it was uh, it wasn't Andrea at all. 303 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:49.799 It was Andrea we booked it, but everything was McMahon. 304 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:54.039 And you know, he had the power and he had 305 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:58.720 the restless and he you know, like when I talked 306 00:18:58.759 --> 00:19:02.200 to him, he gave me some pointers and I agreed 307 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:04.799 with him on that and that was it excellent. But 308 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:08.960 Andre just came in and like I said, he was 309 00:19:09.079 --> 00:19:13.200 in the office, but he never he never, like I've 310 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:17.440 never seen him come in the office and sit behind 311 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:21.440 the desk. I look at the booking or something like that. 312 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:22.960 It was his sight. 313 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:26.599 That's good to know. Did you know Louis Louis to la. 314 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:30.559 If excuse me. 315 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.079 Did you know Louis to A Louis TOI Lett He 316 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:35.359 booked for Ron Fuller, and he booked in Florida, and 317 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:37.519 he's from Montreal, Oh. 318 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:41.039 Louis tellt Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew him well, 319 00:19:41.559 --> 00:19:42.000 very well. 320 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:44.279 The reason I bring him up to now. 321 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:48.000 Was over here when he'd come and visits Montreal a 322 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.960 few times, because you know, and I had him in 323 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:54.720 my house for supper and all that. I knew Louis 324 00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:58.640 Toilette pretty well. A good wrestling mind, by the way. 325 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:01.160 Yes, But the reason I bring him Mupchino is because, 326 00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:03.720 you know, as far as we can tell, the first 327 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:07.599 booker to really book Hulk as a monster was Louie. 328 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.160 When Louie was booking for Ron Fuller in Alabama. 329 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:11.920 Yeah. Yeah, Do you. 330 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:14.359 Remember Louie talking about Hulk at all and kind of 331 00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:17.000 discovering him or at least giving him the Hulk gimmick? 332 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:25.279 Yeah yeah, yeah, he did talk about him. The only thing, 333 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:31.519 you know, like we used to about the Hulk no matter, 334 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:35.240 you know, because some guys would criticize, Oh, he's not 335 00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:37.960 that good a worker. He can't do this, can do that. 336 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.119 But like Ruie said, you know the bottom line is 337 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:47.480 he's drawn the money. Yes, and so you know he 338 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:52.880 knew he knew he had a business mine. I gotta say, Louie. 339 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:57.200 And he could tell it when a guy would click 340 00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:03.480 that's the term we use in the UH. And he 341 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:08.319 knew to push. Sometimes it wasn't the best of wrestler 342 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:11.319 as far as the technique and all that, but the 343 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:14.440 guy would throw all your money. And that's the way 344 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:15.119 you look at it. 345 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.400 Absolutely, he's the one. 346 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:26.279 Actually, Luis a d When I told him another wrestler, 347 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:31.599 Adullah the Butcher, which I I it wins Ontario, I 348 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:35.960 kind of started. I would say, not promoting then, but 349 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:40.640 a Dullah the Butcher. And I met with with anduisa, 350 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:44.319 let that guy's gonna go far and and I said, 351 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.400 you know they should. I said that she said that 352 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.440 gimmick this and that I don't know if it's said, 353 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.200 don't worry about it, he's gonna go far. So you 354 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:57.799 could tell that the guy knew about promoting wrestling and booking, 355 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:00.440 especially wrestlingstly. 356 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:02.799 Yeah, I bring him. I also bring up Louis because 357 00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:04.799 when he was booking for Ron Fuller, not only did 358 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:07.960 he bring in Hulk Hogan in nineteen seventy nine, but 359 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:11.039 he immediately he immediately matched up Hulk with Andre. The 360 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:13.799 first time Hulk and Andre wrestled was for Ron Fuller 361 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:16.000 in Alabama, and sure there he. 362 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:20.920 Could see he could see all our science there. Yes, 363 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:25.880 which you know, that's what you want to do. You 364 00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:28.960 want to draw some money no matter what sports you're in, 365 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:33.240 and that's it. And Dods too, well, you had the 366 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:34.519 biggest things there. 367 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:37.400 In the business was Andre when he wrestled in eighty 368 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:38.279 still Jean Forrey. 369 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:46.200 Yeah, you're in Montreal. He always was Jean Forray always. Yeah, 370 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:49.240 they always called him Jean Feri. 371 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:51.920 Jehan Fetty, sorry John fetti X. I'm looking at yeah, 372 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:54.079 some of the advertisements in the newspapers up there, and 373 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.119 you know it's Hulk and Andre, but it's John Freddy. 374 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:58.480 That's how you can always tell if it's Montreal. 375 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:02.839 Or yeah, yeah, you're everybody. Jean Peree because he had 376 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:08.680 wrestled for Grand Prix Wrestling before in the early seventies, 377 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:11.240 when he came in as Jean Forray for so many 378 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:15.400 years that people you know, he said that to them 379 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.519 he was, but people knew that his real name was 380 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:23.759 Andrea russim Off because of the public of newspapers and 381 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:28.880 all that. So you know, they bought also Andre the Giant. Yeah, 382 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:33.599 but they say, is you're in Montreal, Quebec, especially the 383 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:38.519 province people was was Jean Foray, Jean. 384 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:42.519 Forerray, somebody else? That hulk wrestled in Montreal, according to 385 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:44.839 the records we have as Jackie Whites. Do you remember 386 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:50.200 Jackie Whites, Jackie v X, Oh pardon me, Jackie v X, Yes. 387 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:54.839 Yeah, yeah, that he was the nephew of Carpentier. 388 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:56.680 Tell me more about him. 389 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:01.839 Yeah, well, he was more of a journey man than 390 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.559 you know, by the year, being the nephew of Carpentier. 391 00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:12.440 He came in and very nice and uh, you know, 392 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:16.799 he had a few matches where you know, like double 393 00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:21.359 main events and stuff like that, and a good worker, 394 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:26.319 the same build, the same size, a bit bigger than Carpentier, 395 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:31.200 but the same size, you know. And but he didn't 396 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:34.839 use the name Carpentier. First of all, Carparentier would wouldn't 397 00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:39.039 have liked that. And he used the name Jackie his 398 00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.559 real name is the xovich, so he cut it down 399 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:43.839 to the X Jackie. 400 00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:47.519 That makes sense, Okay, great, Yeah, I'm also seeing that 401 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:51.319 Hawk wrestled Ben Hallay. And if I'm not mistaken, did 402 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:52.960 you have a guy there named Dick Van Dyke? 403 00:24:56.440 --> 00:25:02.359 We had a guy yeah, yeah, yeah, the fame as. 404 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:07.480 The TV per Okay, that's true. That's not a typo. Okay, 405 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:07.880 got it? 406 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:08.519 Yeah? 407 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:11.119 Yeah, was Dick van Dyke, another journeyman. It looks like 408 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:12.799 it was like a squash match that he had against you. 409 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:14.799 Yeah, yeah, it was, it was. It was. 410 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:18.440 How about Pat Patterson, of course, a Montreal guy. It 411 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:19.440 was surprising to us. 412 00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:28.279 He came in there in the late eighties, about eighty 413 00:25:28.359 --> 00:25:31.960 four eighty five, right, and he did some good business 414 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:37.480 as we in trenches with eyes Qebec in English is 415 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:40.880 the dream of Quebec. Yes, he was a heel and 416 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.880 he did good year in Montreal with against Saray Rougeo 417 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:46.480 and all that. 418 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.039 Right, that was years later. I was thinking more Gino 419 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:50.799 because when we go back and find some of the 420 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:55.039 earliest training footage of Terry Boleah Halcogen training in Florida 421 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:57.880 and Tampa in the ring with him as Pat Patterson, 422 00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:59.839 who I think may have been an assistant booker for 423 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:01.839 the Graham at the time in seventy seven. 424 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.640 That I don't know. I knew that he was a 425 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:12.359 big help to Vince during the w WF years there, 426 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:17.359 and of course and this and that. Yeah, another good 427 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:21.359 to a wrestling mind. By the way, Pat passes different 428 00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:27.960 than Louis Toilette. Luis Toilette was uh sometimes pat he 429 00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:32.039 wanted to do things a little too fast, but he 430 00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:36.519 still had that mind about wrestling. He's the one that, 431 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:42.799 uh that you know that how do you call what 432 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:48.119 you battle royal? When guys come in everything? Yeah, he's 433 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:50.119 someone that figured that out and everything. 434 00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:54.160 Absolutely, I was wondering he had he had a good mind. 435 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:57.160 Did Pat Patterson have an impression of Hulk Cogan? Did 436 00:26:57.160 --> 00:26:58.480 Pat Patterson support Hulk? 437 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:02.359 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Pat Patterson got he there's 438 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:05.880 a guy I gotta tell you. He gotta tell me. 439 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:10.079 He got along with everybody and you could see them, 440 00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:14.559 you know, anytime a guy was getting over. He like 441 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:20.480 a few times he sacrificed himself for others because he 442 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:23.400 knew that, you know, he said he wouldn't be staying 443 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:27.319 here that long anyway, because Evince one of them back 444 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:31.440 in New York where he did some work there with 445 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:38.200 starting slaughter and all that. That's right business then and no, no, 446 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:44.039 but and I like personally, I like Pat. The guy was, uh, 447 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:48.400 no matter if you had a thousand people or ten 448 00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:51.480 thousand people, he worked the same way. You know. Yeah, 449 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:52.599 good worker. 450 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:54.759 You had said, you know the difference between Pat Patterson 451 00:27:54.839 --> 00:27:57.160 and Louis Tillett from a booking perspective, I think was 452 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:59.319 that Pat liked to move fast. What do you mean 453 00:27:59.400 --> 00:27:59.880 by fast? 454 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:04.960 Louis tilt was more like I said that, Louis tell 455 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:09.119 that to me. You know, I could see by what 456 00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:13.160 he did, like, you know, he wouldn't think, oh, we're 457 00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:16.119 gonna draw a big house and that well you know, 458 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:18.240 tell him it was We're gonna build it up and 459 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:21.920 really draw a big ouse. You know. Yeah, I think 460 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:27.200 the patients plus see, he could recognize talent very very 461 00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:30.599 well Louis Toilette, which I'm not saying Pat could not, right, 462 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:34.200 but to me, I put my money on Louis for that. 463 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:37.640 Very very interesting. So in addition to the Montreal match 464 00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:39.960 at the Paul Suavel Arena that we talked about, Hogan 465 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:42.119 also appeared to have wrestled Andrea in the summer of 466 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:46.119 nineteen eighty and Timmins, Ontario and Sturgeon Falls, Ontario were those. 467 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:51.599 Yeah, yeah, those sounds. We used to go to Ontario also. 468 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.240 He must have done some work for the other promotions, 469 00:28:55.319 --> 00:29:00.440 Frank Tony Promotions out of Toronto, Yeah, and probably sol 470 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:07.240 Ogan there. But of course here he used to do 471 00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:12.799 the whole circuit there. He even went into the Maritimes, 472 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:19.599 Gas Pay all the areas northn Quebec, Ontario. Andre did 473 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:24.880 all the towns, even the small towns. He used to 474 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:28.880 look to to be on the road. I had I 475 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:31.599 had myself. I had bought one of those fans with 476 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:34.119 the big bubble top for him. 477 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:34.519 Yeah. 478 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:38.039 And as long as the you know, he's right there 479 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:42.240 with me and this and that and on the way back, 480 00:29:42.359 --> 00:29:46.400 that case of heir had to be there. I love it. 481 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:50.240 So the big matches. August twenty fifth, nineteen eighty Paul Suaverena, Montreal. 482 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:53.240 It's the match we started talking about Hogan versus Jean 483 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:56.400 Frey under the Giant. What do you remember about the finish? 484 00:29:56.680 --> 00:29:58.480 You know, how did the match play out? Was it 485 00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:00.880 a was it a negotiation? Figure out? The finish how 486 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:02.359 did that go? I? 487 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.519 As a matter of fact, I was so busy I 488 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:10.759 didn't even see the match. I'll tell you why, because 489 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:14.920 people were even used paper. Guys were coming to me, 490 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:17.599 I need tell me about this, tell me about that. 491 00:30:17.880 --> 00:30:20.519 So I'd get a glimpse and that's about it, you know, 492 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:27.880 and uh, running around, And then I was my I 493 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:30.920 had an office upstairs on that. Like I said the same, 494 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:36.440 Floria and my wife were my My wife came to 495 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:40.880 the matches and sh I can't go up It's full 496 00:30:40.920 --> 00:30:42.960 of people up there. I said, what the hell they're 497 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:45.640 doing up there? The matches are down here. Wow. And 498 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:49.559 so I was too busy to really look at the match. 499 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.000 It's more first of all, I was nervous, but I 500 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:57.519 was thinking, Hey, you know what, I was so proud 501 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:01.279 of the house and all that and so that. So 502 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:04.400 if you asked me about the finish, I'm sorry. I'm 503 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:06.720 not with the one that could tell you that. 504 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:11.119 That's okay. So I just I didn't know until I 505 00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:12.880 asked you. If you if you saw the match, do 506 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:14.720 you think at the time it would have been a 507 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:17.160 sensitive thing as far as like whether Hogan or Andre 508 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:19.079 went over. He just did a count out even if 509 00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:21.119 you don't remember the finish. Was that a big part 510 00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:22.920 of bringing a guy like Hulk up is, you know, 511 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:24.359 figuring out how the finishes would go. 512 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:27.880 Yeah, yeah, No matter what there is with Hogan, Uh 513 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:35.559 you know, you know, I don't care if you would 514 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:37.559 have lost in the middle of one, two three, p 515 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:41.240 He's still the next week you were wrong with somebody else. 516 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:43.960 He's still so love you know what I mean. Yes, 517 00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:48.160 he had that that that power, and of course, uh 518 00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:52.400 nobody we took care of the Giant might face it 519 00:31:53.079 --> 00:31:56.039 and nobody's gonna pin the Giant one two three there. 520 00:31:58.200 --> 00:32:03.440 But still I'm dad worked out, it worked it out, 521 00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:06.599 And that's why I say that Ogan that the Giant 522 00:32:06.680 --> 00:32:11.680 light oaken because of that. You know, Hey, it's just 523 00:32:11.799 --> 00:32:14.319 the fact that he put them over that strong. They're 524 00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:16.480 in Pontiac, Michigan. 525 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.960 Fan wrestling podcast. 526 00:32:53.559 --> 00:32:56.920 He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and for 527 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:59.960 an Seo m J. Pisaro. That's something. 528 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:02.519 Yeah, that's that's a great point. You know that I 529 00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:05.519 think people that people that don't know about Hogan and 530 00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:09.839 Andre's history before Pontiac, Michigan might not appreciate the significance 531 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:12.400 of Andre taking the one two three against Hulk because 532 00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:14.240 like you said, yeah, that's. 533 00:33:13.880 --> 00:33:18.000 Right, that that that was, you know, which he never 534 00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:22.720 did for anybody like you were to. You know, he 535 00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:25.960 had some matches with donal Lee, with Jonathan too. They 536 00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:29.680 called it here we had it. It wasn't my promotion though, 537 00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:33.480 that was a con priest promotion. He They called it 538 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:38.680 Match of the Century and of course nobody beat anybody there, 539 00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:42.680 you know, but still he wouldn't have been pinned so 540 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.119 to do it for Ogan. He must have really liked 541 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:50.880 the Hulkin and of course he respected the Vincement plans 542 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:54.960 so much too that that helps, you know, if Vince 543 00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:59.160 says we do it this way or that that was it. Yeah. 544 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:01.519 Do you think that even though you didn't see the match, 545 00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:04.000 do you think helped me have slammed Andrea in Montreal 546 00:34:04.079 --> 00:34:04.880 that that night? 547 00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:11.719 No, No, he tried to. From what I hear, he tried, 548 00:34:11.840 --> 00:34:14.239 you know, like to pick him up a few times, 549 00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:16.880 you know that try they build it up there, you 550 00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:21.039 know he did they that would that would have been 551 00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:28.320 something special because you know, you don't want on Andrea. 552 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:31.400 He had to put in the people's mind that Andre 553 00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:35.760 was unbeatable and to beat Andre or something. People say, well, 554 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:38.559 this guy I might do it, you know, and and 555 00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:44.280 Hogan was the guy to do that. I don't. I 556 00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:49.719 don't see even your biggest seal in New York. Oh yeah, 557 00:34:49.800 --> 00:34:54.280 you would have sold out, a normal sellout. But let 558 00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:55.800 me tell you, if it would have been in the 559 00:34:55.920 --> 00:35:00.079 Montreal form, which you can sit twice the people that 560 00:35:00.199 --> 00:35:02.119 you can do with the Soviet we would have sold 561 00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:04.280 out the form too. Oh wow, you think so it 562 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:07.320 fell out the form a lot of times anyway, but 563 00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:12.159 that would have sold out. So you know, when you 564 00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:18.119 talk about haul Cogan and Andre, to me, it's it's 565 00:35:18.199 --> 00:35:21.599 a it's a bit special. It's it's they're not just 566 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:26.239 two wrestlers. I don't care who's on top. There isn't 567 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:30.480 that many restlessly give that can continually you know that 568 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:32.639 he did for so many years sell. 569 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:36.440 Out like you had absolutely. Why wasn't the forum available? 570 00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:39.880 Was the forum having wrestling back in nineteen eighty Yeah, 571 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:40.960 we used to go to. 572 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:44.000 The forum, but we went to the forum. We had 573 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:47.960 the form like we'd go about sometimes once a month, 574 00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:54.800 sometimes every six weeks, because uh form was booked pretty hard. 575 00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:58.079 If it was, and if I remember, well, then there 576 00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:01.320 was something that night at the form at the I'm 577 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:03.960 not sure now, don't take my word for it, but 578 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:07.880 I think that's why we couldn't go there, and so 579 00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:11.039 we did it at the Paul Sobey, but we went 580 00:36:11.159 --> 00:36:13.559 to the form where we had sell. I was there 581 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:17.719 too well. As a matter of fact, the match between 582 00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:23.400 Jonathan and the Giant that was at the Forum, Yeah, that. 583 00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:25.199 Was another battle of the giants, right. 584 00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:29.400 Like hold Andre, Yeah, that was like they call it here, 585 00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:35.920 the battle of the century Donalo Jonathan against the Giant. 586 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:39.280 And we used to it to the Forum and we 587 00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:43.039 had some because the way you can put people on 588 00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:47.440 the ice with ringside, which cannot do it hockey. We 589 00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:50.559 had one of the biggest cross ever at the form, 590 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:57.280 which it wasn't quite twenty one thousand people, but very 591 00:36:57.400 --> 00:36:58.000 close to it. 592 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:04.039 This is for Jonathan, is Andre you're saying, uh yeah, 593 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.320 yeah that. 594 00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:09.760 That match too, I think surefs them, but it did 595 00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:13.719 draw that match at least eighteen to twenty thousand people. 596 00:37:13.960 --> 00:37:16.800 Nomen So if the Polwavi did fifty thousand maybe at 597 00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:18.960 the gate, what what if Hulx payoff been for a 598 00:37:19.079 --> 00:37:19.480 night like that? 599 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:25.840 Well that I don't remember exactly, but he had a 600 00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:31.760 percentage which we sent also a percentage to Vents. And 601 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:37.280 it wasn't the money that he started to make. Oh no, 602 00:37:37.599 --> 00:37:40.400 you know, not even close to what he was making, 603 00:37:41.079 --> 00:37:44.880 you know, a bit too later run. But it wasn't 604 00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:49.519 good payoff. And also we had the Giant to pay. Honestly, 605 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:55.280 if if we were at that kind of crowd without 606 00:37:55.400 --> 00:38:00.440 the Giant and oh Corgan, we would have doubled the prop. 607 00:38:02.840 --> 00:38:06.000 So looking back to you know, we saw a print 608 00:38:06.079 --> 00:38:08.840 advertisement in one of the Montreal newspapers for the Hulk 609 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:11.719 Android match and it said on it that the patch 610 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:14.280 was going to happen at Park Jerry, Jerry Park where 611 00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:16.400 the Expos used to play. I don't know if that 612 00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:17.519 was it. 613 00:38:17.639 --> 00:38:21.000 Never did, it never materialized. We never went to the 614 00:38:21.119 --> 00:38:24.159 Jerry Park with the Giant and Ogan. 615 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:27.119 Right, was that a plan at one point? Was that 616 00:38:27.239 --> 00:38:28.440 something you guys were exploring. 617 00:38:28.840 --> 00:38:33.320 Yeah, we were loved to do it, but we just couldn't. 618 00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:39.599 Everything went wrong there because they were back in the 619 00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:43.840 sementies they went to but then they had change it 620 00:38:44.159 --> 00:38:48.960 for tennis, and and we only have a certain date 621 00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:53.840 and just did not coincide with the Big Office in Washington. 622 00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:57.960 So we couldn't really work it out, and the Giant 623 00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:03.239 Ogan by then, you know there are a plan for him. 624 00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:03.679 I guess. 625 00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:06.239 I see. So I'm clear. When you guys had the 626 00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:09.000 match of the Paul Suave Arena, was that supposed to 627 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:11.320 be Jerry Park or was Jerry Park supposed to be another? 628 00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:14.159 No? No, no, no, no, no no. We had no 629 00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:19.920 idea about Jerry Park then, because first of all, it 630 00:39:20.119 --> 00:39:23.280 was all new right Ogan and this and that, and 631 00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:26.559 we knew he woulddraw. I would have loved to put that. 632 00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:29.840 I told you, I think I would have loved that 633 00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:33.000 that show. I had talked to Frank Vaudwin and we 634 00:39:33.079 --> 00:39:37.559 said we're gonna go down and see Cory which runs 635 00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:42.199 the forum, the forum, the forum that day that we 636 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:46.440 could get Ogan. That Monday, we could not get the Forum, 637 00:39:46.960 --> 00:39:49.679 so we went to the Paul. So I was reading 638 00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:53.079 we had which we had wrestling at the Soulo every Monday, 639 00:39:53.239 --> 00:39:55.159 usually every Monday. 640 00:39:55.599 --> 00:39:57.440 I was reading in Pat la Prodd's book when Hogan 641 00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:59.880 came in. Did you yourself do you know Russell Hulk one? 642 00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:03.639 If I? If I? 643 00:40:03.800 --> 00:40:06.239 What did you wrestle Logan? 644 00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:06.599 Yeah? 645 00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:11.119 No, no, you did not have a match against him? Okay, no, No, 646 00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:14.360 what was the What was it like working with Vince 647 00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:16.800 McMahons as far as putting the deal together? 648 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:23.519 And I love it was very easy because first of all, 649 00:40:24.760 --> 00:40:28.280 you know, you said, sit down, talk business. Within ten 650 00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:32.400 minutes it was over. You would all just right away 651 00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:36.360 say yes or no when that was it, So you know, 652 00:40:36.679 --> 00:40:42.360 so and then I was greeingly on years too. So 653 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:46.639 you know, for me to do business, I had worked 654 00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:54.360 for Evinces, you know, but never as a promoter, you 655 00:40:54.440 --> 00:40:58.320 know about the dealings and stuff like that. So that's 656 00:40:58.440 --> 00:41:03.599 why I had gone down to where we met was 657 00:41:03.760 --> 00:41:06.280 not in Washington, was in New York City at the 658 00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:14.079 hotel there. And that's it. And but you know, if 659 00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:17.440 you said, yeah, we're going to do it, you didn't 660 00:41:17.480 --> 00:41:19.920 have to worry. You know, we've done that. 661 00:41:20.039 --> 00:41:22.679 Last question for you. It used to be obviously the 662 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:25.360 model where Vince Senior would rent out Andre for a 663 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:28.079 fee to all the different territories when it came to 664 00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:30.880 working with you because Andre had a piece of verasak, 665 00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:32.639 was it different or did you have to pay? 666 00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:37.960 And no, no, we're still we had that deal there 667 00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:41.880 and where he got the percentage and this, and you know, 668 00:41:43.480 --> 00:41:47.000 but it didn't matter because you were drawing so much 669 00:41:47.079 --> 00:41:50.719 more money, you still made more money than usual, you 670 00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:51.559 know for sure? 671 00:41:51.800 --> 00:41:54.559 Did you have to do? Did Vin want? 672 00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:59.119 The deal? Was the deal and that's it. And everybody 673 00:41:59.239 --> 00:42:03.239 that used the Hulk as you just mentioned, whether he 674 00:42:03.840 --> 00:42:09.480 would wrestle the Porida or anywhere, and McMahon had a 675 00:42:09.559 --> 00:42:10.880 cut on I guess. 676 00:42:11.159 --> 00:42:17.880 Yes, yes, you know, and not I guess I know, yeah, sure? 677 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:19.840 Did it look to you? Do you know that Vince 678 00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:22.679 Senior basically followed the Andre model with Hulk? 679 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:31.960 Uh? Yeah, basically probably, although you know he could not. 680 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:37.760 You see, there's one big difference between Hulk too and anybody, 681 00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:40.800 and it would tell you the same. And Pat Patterson 682 00:42:40.920 --> 00:42:44.239 there was very adamant on that when he because he 683 00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:47.960 was very close to the McMahons. You could not do 684 00:42:48.679 --> 00:42:52.599 with the Giant what you could do with the Hull 685 00:42:52.719 --> 00:42:57.360 Cogan because all Cogan, like Bruno sa Martino, you could 686 00:42:57.400 --> 00:43:01.000 put a week after after a month after money, draw money, 687 00:43:01.400 --> 00:43:05.480 whereas the Giant was built more like people seem as 688 00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:11.960 a special attraction, you know, a big one. But how 689 00:43:12.039 --> 00:43:15.480 many how many guys could have worked with the Giant 690 00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:18.599 the same way Ogan? Did you know he worked with 691 00:43:18.679 --> 00:43:21.480 a guy like Paul Orndorf, which wasn't that big, and 692 00:43:21.599 --> 00:43:26.880 then he'd worked with the bigger guys, and but the Giant, 693 00:43:27.239 --> 00:43:31.800 there was just so many and unless you were so 694 00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:35.679 big like Ogan, people believed in Ogan or don Leo 695 00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:39.159 Jonathan you're in Montreal, they believed in it, but you 696 00:43:39.239 --> 00:43:45.000 could not you know, let's say an example, if I 697 00:43:45.039 --> 00:43:47.760 would have said that I would have put the Giant 698 00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:51.360 against some of his Vashan. I don't think it would 699 00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:55.440 have meant as much because people figured the Giants twice 700 00:43:55.480 --> 00:44:00.360 as big as you know, he was an attraction, a 701 00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:04.599 big attraction, I gotta say, unlike the Mitches were an attraction, 702 00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:08.400 but you know they were under card, but the Giant 703 00:44:08.679 --> 00:44:11.159 he had to put them on top all the time anyway, 704 00:44:11.800 --> 00:44:13.840 So I don't think you build him up the same 705 00:44:13.960 --> 00:44:18.840 way he built this champion Ogan that went away. And 706 00:44:19.400 --> 00:44:23.719 the Giant never needed a belt, never had one because 707 00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:27.760 he couldn't do what an ordinary wrestler would do. 708 00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:31.920 And they don't think so oh, I understand, yeah, exactly 709 00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:34.960 what I mean. Did McMahon's television reach Montreal back then? 710 00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:41.519 Uh? Yeah, yeah, because he had the program in Burlington, 711 00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:47.760 Vermont in English that came into montrealal all the first 712 00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:51.440 of all, all the in Canada year, we get all 713 00:44:51.519 --> 00:44:55.719 the American programs anyway, but they were so close that 714 00:44:55.880 --> 00:45:01.599 we were so already he was on TV. So it 715 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:07.039 was easy, you know, because as when at first, I'll 716 00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:10.000 give you which got name to do with Ogan? When 717 00:45:10.679 --> 00:45:13.239 my dad died, I took over the business, and that 718 00:45:13.480 --> 00:45:19.400 same night that my dad died there we had a show. Yeah, 719 00:45:20.480 --> 00:45:26.119 and Montreal were drawing around a couple of thousand people 720 00:45:26.199 --> 00:45:30.639 every Monday, twenty five hundred, twenty eight hundred sometimes, But 721 00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:35.599 we brought in because of that TV in Burlington. Pat 722 00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:40.000 Parson again flew Albano and we almost sold out the 723 00:45:40.039 --> 00:45:45.039 place completely. So that's how strong that the American station was. 724 00:45:45.159 --> 00:45:49.519 Also it brought the English people, you know, they washed 725 00:45:49.559 --> 00:45:55.199 it probably Montreal being bilingual, and we had the French 726 00:45:55.360 --> 00:45:58.719 and the English, and that did it. I mean, by 727 00:45:58.760 --> 00:46:04.039 the time Ogogan came around, you know TV, first of all, 728 00:46:04.159 --> 00:46:07.559 I had all the TV's going. I had another one 729 00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:11.320 in Quebec city, went and all over the place, so 730 00:46:12.719 --> 00:46:16.000 it was you know, it was not but that's the 731 00:46:16.079 --> 00:46:19.599 way it is. So I don't think that get back 732 00:46:19.679 --> 00:46:25.679 to your question that all can Andre were promoted the 733 00:46:25.840 --> 00:46:27.920 same way. No, not at all. 734 00:46:28.840 --> 00:46:31.239 Thank you so much for those extra answers. I really 735 00:46:31.239 --> 00:46:31.760 appreciate it. 736 00:46:31.800 --> 00:46:39.079 You know. Yeah, well that's my opinion, you know, from here, 737 00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:43.480 from my viewpoint, from here, you know, from Canada. I 738 00:46:44.199 --> 00:46:48.360 don't know how other promoters dealt with it. But like 739 00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:53.199 you say, we had an ace in the whole because 740 00:46:55.559 --> 00:46:59.000 Frank Vauba and the Giin were partners in the company, 741 00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:04.199 so a lot. That really helped a lot. Thank you. 742 00:47:04.519 --> 00:47:06.960 Did do you know Gino did did Andre have like 743 00:47:07.119 --> 00:47:09.559 the stake in Varsak all the way through the end, 744 00:47:09.760 --> 00:47:11.840 Like was that something that he ever sold? 745 00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:17.679 Yeah? Finally they got out, Frank got out. He got out, 746 00:47:18.519 --> 00:47:24.599 you know because the Giant actually was there, you know, 747 00:47:24.760 --> 00:47:28.119 because of Vince Firkman that said, you know, the Giant 748 00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:32.079 will go in with vowel and that's it. And like 749 00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:37.840 I said, he was there not as a promoter, as 750 00:47:37.920 --> 00:47:40.639 a wrestler. He never, like I said, he never looked 751 00:47:40.679 --> 00:47:44.800 at the books, never looked you know. First of all, 752 00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:48.440 he was always gone someplace. He'd come in to wrestle Montreal, yes, 753 00:47:49.119 --> 00:47:54.320 but then he probably was gone someplace elf, So he 754 00:47:54.559 --> 00:47:58.800 wasn't around to really be part of the promotion. So 755 00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:01.320 when he sold it him was with nothing, you know, 756 00:48:01.440 --> 00:48:04.639 he but kept the mirror a bit a bit too, 757 00:48:04.920 --> 00:48:08.079 was his restaurant that he had, So that helps a bit, 758 00:48:08.199 --> 00:48:08.360 you know. 759 00:48:08.519 --> 00:48:10.519 Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned the restaurant. I understand you 760 00:48:10.599 --> 00:48:12.199 went in there a few times. How you ate there? 761 00:48:13.079 --> 00:48:16.880 Oh? I went there, yeah, a few. I don't know 762 00:48:16.880 --> 00:48:19.440 how many times where I went there quite a bit. 763 00:48:19.639 --> 00:48:20.159 What was it? Like? 764 00:48:20.239 --> 00:48:21.480 What did you get? What did you order? 765 00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:25.360 But that sometimes, you know, I would have right to 766 00:48:25.440 --> 00:48:28.159 go in there like I go with my went with 767 00:48:28.320 --> 00:48:32.719 my wife sometimes when Andrea wasn't there, because with Andrea 768 00:48:32.880 --> 00:48:36.920 you couldn't pay, right, he never made me. He didn't, 769 00:48:36.960 --> 00:48:40.119 you know, you could not pay, and you know, I said, 770 00:48:40.159 --> 00:48:42.800 what the hell? You know, you know, I'm sponging off Andrea. 771 00:48:43.559 --> 00:48:46.639 So you know, but a few times when he wasn't 772 00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:52.639 there because he was with one of those actresses around 773 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:59.119 your fiato was her name, the fiat And so I 774 00:49:00.320 --> 00:49:05.880 went just as you know, when he wasn't there, because 775 00:49:05.920 --> 00:49:07.920 I like to go there once in a while, and 776 00:49:08.079 --> 00:49:08.400 that's it. 777 00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:10.480 You know, what did you what kind of food was it? 778 00:49:10.559 --> 00:49:11.159 What did you order? 779 00:49:12.760 --> 00:49:15.760 Oh? He had all kinds of fool, A lot of 780 00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:21.920 French food. He make anything the castle, you know those 781 00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:26.880 French When I go in with the Giant, Actually I 782 00:49:27.039 --> 00:49:29.920 never ordered. He just said, I'm gonna make this, Ione, 783 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:32.480 make that, put her on the table, and we need it, 784 00:49:33.119 --> 00:49:36.480 which was you know two times still too. We had 785 00:49:36.639 --> 00:49:38.639 meat like feakes and stuff like that. 786 00:49:40.159 --> 00:49:42.079 Wonderful, you know, so. 787 00:49:43.400 --> 00:49:46.360 You know it wasn't nice. And of course with the 788 00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:50.800 Giant also, I don't know why, but even I was 789 00:49:50.920 --> 00:49:56.840 drinking a little too much. I bet as feel as 790 00:49:57.119 --> 00:50:00.239 a glass of wine. Print of all him, I was 791 00:50:00.320 --> 00:50:02.800 a four guy? For why did they eat four and 792 00:50:03.480 --> 00:50:07.199 I take two? Six? I said, I called him in 793 00:50:07.280 --> 00:50:10.199 those days, who would call him Andre? Hey, what the 794 00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:13.719 hell you doing it? That's just still have full, you know, 795 00:50:14.679 --> 00:50:19.960 he laughing, Yeah, let's having the rink Bilin we toast 796 00:50:22.000 --> 00:50:25.599 but him, while I had that one drink, you probably 797 00:50:25.679 --> 00:50:27.960 had four or five. What is it? Uh? 798 00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:32.239 What was it like to see WWF go on to 799 00:50:32.320 --> 00:50:35.079 promote Hulk and Andre like they had never wrestled before. 800 00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:37.719 When you they wrestled for you in nineteen eighty That 801 00:50:37.800 --> 00:50:39.840 was so weird because so many people saw them wrestle 802 00:50:39.840 --> 00:50:43.559 all over the World, Japan, Montreal, but then come eighty seven, 803 00:50:43.599 --> 00:50:45.239 they had to pretend they never wrestled before. 804 00:50:45.440 --> 00:50:49.960 What was that like? Well, I mean, t you know, 805 00:50:50.440 --> 00:50:55.519 it's funny just the two three weeks ago, I was 806 00:50:55.639 --> 00:50:58.599 at a barber shop and the guy told me, he says, 807 00:50:59.039 --> 00:51:01.840 you know that, He said, no, Cogan, we were talking 808 00:51:01.840 --> 00:51:06.360 about every time he sees me talks wrestling. Oh. I said, yeah, 809 00:51:06.559 --> 00:51:10.519 so oh co the Giant and I said, we can 810 00:51:10.679 --> 00:51:15.119 say that we had a mirror before everybody else, right, yeah, 811 00:51:15.480 --> 00:51:18.880 you know, so it's funny that all of a sudden 812 00:51:18.880 --> 00:51:20.280 you mentioning that. 813 00:51:21.480 --> 00:51:24.800 I wondered, like wrestling, the three obviously went everywhere, including Canada. 814 00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:27.360 I wonder if the fans in Montreal were sort of like, 815 00:51:27.639 --> 00:51:30.239 you know, rolling their eyes when WWF was telling them 816 00:51:30.519 --> 00:51:32.760 that Hulk and Andre never wrestled before. But it was 817 00:51:32.800 --> 00:51:34.159 only seven years before. 818 00:51:34.199 --> 00:51:39.760 They you know. Of course if people thought about it, 819 00:51:40.159 --> 00:51:44.039 of course they knew, especially the people that were there, 820 00:51:44.159 --> 00:51:48.159 they've seen them match. They'd say, hey, those guys are lying, 821 00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:53.199 they're not telling the truth there, right, the definitely wrestled 822 00:51:53.239 --> 00:51:53.960 in Montreal. 823 00:51:54.880 --> 00:51:57.440 Do you remember Gino? Did Fred Blastie come with Hulk 824 00:51:57.519 --> 00:52:02.159 for that? The First, what did Fred Blassie come with 825 00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:04.360 Hogan to the match against Andrea in Montreal? 826 00:52:04.679 --> 00:52:04.719 No? 827 00:52:05.199 --> 00:52:10.880 No, okay no, And I guess just just finally I 828 00:52:10.880 --> 00:52:13.079 would I would ask you for your thoughts on the 829 00:52:13.159 --> 00:52:16.400 transition from Vince Senior to Vince Junior. How did that 830 00:52:16.559 --> 00:52:19.840 change things for you, because obviously the alliance with you 831 00:52:19.920 --> 00:52:21.440 and Vince Senior was very importance. 832 00:52:21.519 --> 00:52:29.440 There was, honestly, you know that I did that after 833 00:52:29.639 --> 00:52:33.480 my promotion. My trailed my promotion because first of all, 834 00:52:34.599 --> 00:52:40.760 the Dino Bravo, the Rugos, Martel, the Giant, everybody left, right, yeah, 835 00:52:41.519 --> 00:52:45.199 And I tried for seven eight months to keep going 836 00:52:45.880 --> 00:52:49.880 and my crew, which the Sovey was doing always well, 837 00:52:50.800 --> 00:52:53.039 and Quebec City and all that, and all of a 838 00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:56.760 sudden I wasn't drunk seven and people because I didn't 839 00:52:56.760 --> 00:53:00.039 have any more stars, and I dropped a lot, a 840 00:53:00.079 --> 00:53:05.119 lot of money very so I had to bankrupt the company, 841 00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:07.800 you know, all that, which was hard to take. But 842 00:53:08.079 --> 00:53:14.440 that's that's business. And its Pat Patterson that came to 843 00:53:14.599 --> 00:53:19.000 me and said, come to New York. I went to 844 00:53:19.119 --> 00:53:22.920 New York and I met Vince the father and Vince 845 00:53:23.039 --> 00:53:30.239 the son, and Vince said, okay, you promote. I had 846 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:34.840 the license for them. I still had my the promotion 847 00:53:35.760 --> 00:53:38.519 with the Athletic Commission on that then there was an 848 00:53:38.559 --> 00:53:42.880 Athletic Commission and I promoted for them for a couple 849 00:53:42.920 --> 00:53:45.480 of years. Here all right, you with a bunch of 850 00:53:46.239 --> 00:53:48.599 Vince back on my feet, you know what I mean. 851 00:53:48.960 --> 00:53:51.039 So you were losing the stars because Vince Junior wasn't 852 00:53:51.079 --> 00:53:51.519 letting them go. 853 00:53:53.079 --> 00:53:58.480 Well, I was losing. When I think about it, you 854 00:53:58.599 --> 00:54:01.239 know today you say, well, it's not you know, but 855 00:54:01.400 --> 00:54:04.360 in those days, when you're losing three four or five 856 00:54:04.480 --> 00:54:08.480 thousand a night, all of a sudden, you see, because 857 00:54:08.519 --> 00:54:11.119 I'd bring in guys and fire them in and this, 858 00:54:11.360 --> 00:54:15.840 and then your expenses were there, but that wasn't drawing 859 00:54:15.960 --> 00:54:21.360 any more money, right, But you know that's it. And 860 00:54:21.559 --> 00:54:23.519 now if I had to do it over again, I'm 861 00:54:23.559 --> 00:54:25.679 gonna just put the key in the door. And that's it. 862 00:54:27.760 --> 00:54:30.119 The hard way, Yeah, And when. 863 00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:32.719 You find out the hard way. And also, you know, 864 00:54:32.880 --> 00:54:37.360 because my dad before I started doing good, my dad 865 00:54:37.519 --> 00:54:40.880 also I no TV, like I said, and I said, 866 00:54:41.880 --> 00:54:44.960 I said, you know, excuse the expression, I said, fuck 867 00:54:45.440 --> 00:54:49.280 he he uh. You know, my dad gave his life 868 00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:52.880 and everything crazy for the bid, I'm going to keep 869 00:54:52.960 --> 00:54:55.000 going and see it. But it didn't work out. 870 00:54:55.159 --> 00:54:55.760 Didn't work out. 871 00:54:56.360 --> 00:55:02.000 Then you make up, you shake hand and Vince Junior 872 00:55:02.480 --> 00:55:06.760 was good enough. They're giving me a job, and which 873 00:55:06.840 --> 00:55:11.599 I did well. I was then everything was doing good 874 00:55:11.679 --> 00:55:15.760 with the you know, you had all this Marschall Main 875 00:55:15.920 --> 00:55:20.880 and Ogan and British Bulldogs, everybody coming in there. Yeah, 876 00:55:21.360 --> 00:55:25.320 it was They didn't do the survey. We only did 877 00:55:25.400 --> 00:55:27.800 the form and and that with Vince. 878 00:55:30.400 --> 00:55:33.519 So besides besides Hogan, and besides Hogan and Andre, who 879 00:55:33.519 --> 00:55:35.800 are some of the other stars that Vince Junior didn't 880 00:55:35.840 --> 00:55:38.239 let come to Montreal anymore? Who else do you remember losing? 881 00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:45.159 Oh? I mean, first of all, my my local guys 882 00:55:45.239 --> 00:55:48.840 which I had the two friend Shanes, the Rugos and 883 00:55:49.000 --> 00:55:57.639 Martell and Tonga, remember Amy Russell, that name it coul 884 00:55:58.239 --> 00:56:02.119 And and those guys. They all laughed and they all 885 00:56:02.199 --> 00:56:05.119 came to see me, and I told him, I said, 886 00:56:05.159 --> 00:56:08.280 look for the money that you'll be making. I said, 887 00:56:08.280 --> 00:56:13.159 I cannot in all honesty ask you to stay. So 888 00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:17.840 he especially Diano Bravo, which I broke in the bit 889 00:56:17.960 --> 00:56:20.400 on you him since he was a nine year old kid. 890 00:56:21.440 --> 00:56:24.880 I broke into business and everything, and he felt bad. 891 00:56:24.960 --> 00:56:28.199 I said, God, don't feel bad, because you're going to 892 00:56:28.239 --> 00:56:31.079 make five times what you can make with me. Absolutely, 893 00:56:32.440 --> 00:56:35.400 and they all laugh. And that's it. And I remain 894 00:56:35.559 --> 00:56:39.159 friends with all of them. I mean, business is business. 895 00:56:40.199 --> 00:56:43.239 But then you know you still have a grudge a 896 00:56:43.320 --> 00:56:45.880 bit you're in there and then it goes away, and 897 00:56:46.000 --> 00:56:46.559 it goes away. 898 00:56:46.639 --> 00:56:47.000 I love it. 899 00:56:47.119 --> 00:56:47.440 I love it. 900 00:56:47.719 --> 00:56:50.880 So just finally looking back the Hogan Andre match August 901 00:56:50.920 --> 00:56:53.599 twenty fifth, nineteen eighty at the pul Suavorina in Montreal, 902 00:56:54.000 --> 00:56:56.159 just to revisit it, you you think that was what 903 00:56:56.320 --> 00:56:58.239 the biggest where would you put it? As far as 904 00:56:58.280 --> 00:57:00.519 the matches you were able to promote all the. 905 00:57:00.480 --> 00:57:03.760 Time, biggest throw, the biggest throw money was and everything 906 00:57:03.920 --> 00:57:07.960 to me, right and if I remember right there, we 907 00:57:08.159 --> 00:57:14.000 had you know, up the ringside a bit and everything, 908 00:57:14.199 --> 00:57:18.239 and we had a hell of a house. First of all, 909 00:57:20.159 --> 00:57:24.719 we never could have done that again because like I said, 910 00:57:24.800 --> 00:57:27.079 you know, they have a certain law that that there's 911 00:57:27.159 --> 00:57:32.360 so many people, you know, they're afraid of fire and 912 00:57:32.480 --> 00:57:35.280 stuff like that. And I don't know if it's still 913 00:57:35.320 --> 00:57:41.039 the same today, but then, and but to me, it 914 00:57:41.360 --> 00:57:45.920 was the the show that of all shows. 915 00:57:46.360 --> 00:57:49.280 I love that, the show of all shows. And just finally, Gina, 916 00:57:49.320 --> 00:57:51.639 what did you what went through your mind and your 917 00:57:51.719 --> 00:57:54.119 heart when you found out that who had passed away? 918 00:57:55.920 --> 00:58:02.920 Oh? So, I mean especially you know, okay at his age. 919 00:58:03.079 --> 00:58:06.000 You know, to me, he was still a young man. 920 00:58:06.079 --> 00:58:08.559 I'm eighty five years old now, wow, So you can 921 00:58:08.679 --> 00:58:13.800 imagine that, you know, when I see a guy in 922 00:58:13.960 --> 00:58:17.880 his sixties pass away, I've got a son that's sixty 923 00:58:18.519 --> 00:58:24.360 three years old. Yeah, to me, it was very young, 924 00:58:24.440 --> 00:58:29.800 and I couldn't believe that man. But I I don't 925 00:58:29.840 --> 00:58:32.320 want to say because I don't know for sure, but 926 00:58:32.559 --> 00:58:36.880 probably is his way of living and the way he 927 00:58:36.960 --> 00:58:41.159 abuse his body somehow, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I 928 00:58:41.320 --> 00:58:44.440 heard that he even he had shrunk like two three 929 00:58:44.559 --> 00:58:45.639 inches of set through. 930 00:58:46.039 --> 00:58:48.079 Yeah, that's what he would say. Yeah, for sure. And 931 00:58:48.159 --> 00:58:50.119 he was hunched over because all the back problems. 932 00:58:50.239 --> 00:58:52.519 Yeah yeah, all the back. But he had so many 933 00:58:52.639 --> 00:58:57.159 operations and all that, and it's too bad. But you know, 934 00:58:58.079 --> 00:59:01.880 you guy could have had. You know, it's still a 935 00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:06.719 good life. What can you do. That's the way it is. 936 00:59:07.440 --> 00:59:10.000 Well, Gino Bredo, thank you so very much for taking 937 00:59:10.039 --> 00:59:11.159 the time to reflect. 938 00:59:10.840 --> 00:59:13.599 On this it's it's the kind of very happy. If 939 00:59:14.639 --> 00:59:16.480 tell you a few things, I'm sorry about what I 940 00:59:16.599 --> 00:59:20.719 don't remember. Oh, that's okay, Like I said a few things, 941 00:59:21.480 --> 00:59:26.199 you know, especially that night there I you will asked 942 00:59:26.239 --> 00:59:29.559 me my name and I Will have had trouble. That's 943 00:59:29.599 --> 00:59:30.400 so nervous. 944 00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:33.760 That's so amazing that it was such a crazy night 945 00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:35.920 that you couldn't even watch the match. That's unbelievable. 946 00:59:36.400 --> 00:59:41.360 No, I didn't watch the match, and neither the Frank 947 00:59:41.480 --> 00:59:47.119 Bauba watched that match because he was upstairs there, you know, 948 00:59:48.559 --> 00:59:54.559 because he said, I can't leave my accountant, Joe Blanchi alone. 949 00:59:55.119 --> 00:59:59.079 People were coming in and now look they want to 950 00:59:59.239 --> 01:00:02.639 pictures this and that thing. So we were we were 951 01:00:02.760 --> 01:00:06.159 busy there. Man. We have to take care of the business. 952 01:00:06.039 --> 01:00:09.440 End of it absolutely well. But we're grateful that we 953 01:00:09.480 --> 01:00:11.159 did get the perspective of what it was like to 954 01:00:11.239 --> 01:00:14.440 work with Hulk in Montreal. It sounds like overall, very positive. 955 01:00:15.280 --> 01:00:18.559 I tell you, I do it all over again, terrific. 956 01:00:18.639 --> 01:00:20.400 Gino Brdo, thank you so much for joining us. 957 01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:22.239 You're welcome. Take care now.