Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Stu Stone on the Complicated Legacy of Hulk Hogan: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1734

Episode Date: July 25, 2025

In this 1734th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Dark Side of the Ring producer Stu Stone about the complicated history of Hulk Hogan: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, the Waterfront BIA, Nick Ainis and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

I want to live forever brother! You know, I'm not worried spiritually about this thing I got my travel arrangements made I got the deal upstairs already done But it's morally brother! I'm in Toronto where you wanna get the city love I'm from Toronto where you wanna get the city love I'm in Toronto right where you wanna get the city love My city love me back for my city love Welcome to episode 1734 of Toronto Mike'd, brother!

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Committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past brother building Toronto skyline a podcast and book from Nick Aini's brother brother readily funeral home An appropriate sponsor for this episode pillars of the community since 1921 brother Today returning to Toronto Mike live in the basement studio. it's FOTM Hall of Famer Stu Stoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Stone for God's sake! Big fun fact about this song that... do you know about this? Well hit me with all the fun facts today. We're going to cover the good, the bad, the ugly of Hulk Hogan. But please, what were you about to say about this song?

Well this was the theme for Hulk Hogan's rock and wrestling cartoon program. But... but... did you know? Because so far I knew that. You knew that? Did you know? So far I knew that. You knew that? Yeah, even have a promo loaded up, but play in a moment. Actually this is a song like the bed of music is from Total Eclipse of the Heart. No you're wrong.

I'm wrong? That's the other one. Right? No, that's this one. That's this one? Yes. Isn't that the real... Oh, you're right. You're right.

Okay. So yeah. Yes, of course. She's Welsh. And Total Eclipse of the Heart was ravishing. Ravishing. Ravishing. So if I...

Okay. So we're going to be all over the place. Wait, I have a feeling. And it's also like the meatloaf guy. Like, no, you're right. 100%. We've covered this on a pandemic Friday. I can't believe my brain is set. Bonnie Tyler is her name. Bonnie Tyler recorded like vocals over this song. Yeah, 100% ravishing is the name of this Bonnie Tyler song. And they ended up making it Hulk. It was supposed to be Hulk Hogan's theme.

Jim Steinman is the Steinman. That's right. Meatloaf guy. You're thinking of here. So here's what we're going to do. Let's see if I can pull this off here. Or stand by, Stu Stone. Stand by. Wow, we're off to a roaring start here.

Just mind blows right off the bat. Yeah. Right. So there you go. It's going to be all killer. No filler. We got to remember right off the bat. Yeah. Right. So there you go. It's going to be all killer, no filler. We got to remember. Right off the bat, Hulk Hogan's rock wrestling theme was actually a Bonnie Tyler instrumental. Well, she sings on it, right? Yeah, she sings. I'm saying his version was just a strict her vocals. I was curious. We're going to cover a lot of ground. We lost a, as you would say, a remarkable character.

Yes. That's a Steve Stone-ism. I've been using it a lot. Remarkable. There's nothing wrong with something that is remarkable being called remarkable. So it's remarkable that Barney Tyler is singing over Hulk Hogan's theme here. And Jim, just as like one of those big Jim Steinman songs like that he did with Meat Loaf, etc. Okay, well bring down Ravishing by Bonnie

Tyler. We have a lot of ground to cover, but I want to give you your bonafides. So please tell us, what is your involvement with the successful and fascinating series Dark Side of the Ring, Stu Stone? Oh, we're just going right there. Well, I gotta build you up as a wrestling expert. Sure, a wrestling expert, sure. Before we talk about the good and the bad and the ugly of the Hulk Hogan experience. I have been working on Dark Side of the Ring for, I've done over 40 episodes of the show.

Fingers crossed there's another season coming, we'll see. When do they typically make that decision? They've already made that decision. They just haven't told you? They've told me, I'm just not sure. Wink at me if it's the end. I'm just not sure if I can tell you. But we are coming in strong on this episode,

right off the bat. But yeah, I've been working on that show and I love it. It's obviously a passion of mine, a subject that I absolutely, you know, speaks to me as someone who grew up in the Hulkamania era, which defined a lot of our generation. Mike, people who are a little bit older than me, a little bit younger than me. If you're within like that 10 years of a certain age group, you know, Hulk Hogan

and WWF at the time wrestling definitely grabbed you brother. Well brother, it grabbed me in this era that you're referring to. So here's, let's set this up for people who never listened to pandemic Fridays or toast with Stu Stone and Cam Gordon. We did that for like, we did Pandemic Friday's Stu for 76 weeks in a row. Yeah, and also we, when I was walking up to get into the studio today, I was like, man, I remember when Mike used to do the backyard episodes.

Those were a lot of fun. Remember the monsoon, the gorilla monsoon that opened up on us? That was nuts. And I accidentally kept the camera going cause it just switched which camera, cause I unplugged the big one and then it was still using my MacBook camera and you changed in front of the camera and people on the live stream were watching you change because you were soaked. That's hilarious and that's before I was you know the man that

I am today. Do you remember what song was playing when the monsoon hit and we realized we had to get the fuck out of dodge. I don't remember it was drowning pools bodies. That's perfect. The bodies hit the floor and you I remember that adrenaline rush when bodies was going full blast and the rain was coming down like nothing I'd seen during any backyard recording that's for sure and I realized we're gonna have to get our covid or not and we all had to get to the basement. We violated all the rules to do that. And I remember Cam, he was the most, I think COVID cautious of the three of us. And I remember him like keeping a bit of a distance. He had a mask on, I think, I think that's what he had him hit a mask when we had to move it to the

basement. Well, I do have a quick note here. So a lot's going on here. It sounds like we're making up is going on, but I want to set up what wrestling meant to us in the early to mid to late, in the eighties. We'll stick to the eighties and then we'll kind of talk about who Hulk Hogan was for guys our age and then you can tell us like who he became and what happened next because I sort of tap out in like 1990 or something like that. But I do have a message from the aforementioned cam Gordon Oh and Stu I think it's important. We listened to cam before we talk about the Hulkster. This is cam Gordon

Who is cam Gordon Imitating there Andre the, Hulk Hogan's WrestleMania 3 opponent. That's Cam basically that's the thing that he did that like made us friends. You know Cam was just a quiet lanky kid sitting in the corner not doing much and then one day he busted out that Andre the Giant impression. You know back when we were 14 or 15 years old and it was we've never looked back The rest is history. That's Thorn Lee Which has been covered in great length on this podcast the good people from Noah mince to correct me if I'm wrong, but Hayden

Both of them the the singer and what about They may have graced the halls. But, you know, Moxie Fruits was the big one. And Gian Gomez was the big one. And that was called... Hayden Christensen is the Hayden you were thinking of. Not your Hayden. Not Soccer Dad Hayden.

But Hayden Desser was there, right? Because he was Buds ahead of you, he's older. Buds with Noah Mintz, of course. We know Noah sings on take. He does, we learned that from your show. And that brings us back to our first recording together, which just celebrated an anniversary, like the other day, like your first visit to, and that was thanks to Cam Gordon,

who harassed me, quite frankly, as a Twitter director of communications at Twitter, until I finally let the guy visit, and then he said, you need to meet my friend, stone and it worked out because here we are where you know I'm an honorary member not an honorary an official member of the Hall of Fame and you know I'm I'm chasing numbers now every time I come in the basement I'm chasing numbers here so you mentioned that we play that song and then it led to Bonnie Tyler's ravishing yes I'm just gonna play the

promo I pulled Every Saturday morning starting September 14th Hulk Hogan's rockin wrestling So don't miss the fun and excitement with the Hulk. Rowdy Roddy Piper had many more of your favorite World Wrestling Federation champs. So I want to start by you sharing your stories and then I'll chime in. You know who played the voice of Hulk Hogan on that show?

No. Could be wrong, but I think it's Brad Garrett. Oh that you know what you're you you're correct and that's the honest mechanic from Seinfeld and the the brother from Everybody Loves Raymond. Yeah so I'm pretty sure he played the Hulkster but yeah I mean you're talking about a magical time man a magical time I can take you through what I can tell you about the rise of Hulk Hogan. We want to can tell you about the rise of Hulk Hogan. We want to hear you talk about the rise of Hulk Hogan.

Sure. I'm sort of showing up for WrestleMania. Yeah, so let's rewind a little bit. Okay. Because obviously this is a guy who, you know, he put wrestling on the map in a lot of ways. Specifically Toronto. That's why it's good to be here on the Toronto Mike show talking about Hulk Hogan because this market specifically was very very Hulk Hogan rich with Hulk Hogan memories but we'll get there in a second first off before we start you know just hearing that he died was pretty crazy to me.

How did you find out? I was driving, I was on my way to go into a meeting and right before I walk into the meeting, my phone just starts going nuts. People are like, oh, Kogan. I'm like, what about him? Like, he's dead. And I'm like, what?

And it was like, wow, you know, it's not like the same as when like Bob Saget died and I was like devastated, like, holy shit, like that's my boy. But it was like devastating in the fact that like I was just with this guy. Like, I can't believe it. He's only 71 years old. He still looks good, you know? Like when we saw him at the remarkable Donald Trump

Republican National Convention, you know, that was- To be discussed. Yeah, that was pretty, that was, you know, maybe not the most popular thing that Hulk did, but he still looked like Hulk, you know what I mean? He didn't look like he was on his way out. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, he looked healthy, but... And Bubba the love sponge, if you know who that is.

Yeah, well he's going to come up in this combo too. Of course I do. So I mean, he was the one who was kind of reporting that Hulk was dying like a month ago. Right. And everybody was like disputing that claim. Hart other people in Hulks camp were saying that's not true You know, I believe you know, I Want to say Sky News or some UK outlet was like saying that's not true Hogan's home Two days ago, Jimmy Hart even said Hulks doing phenomenal, right? And then he just dies

Complications from surgery slash heart a heart attack is what I've heard. We should kind of you know because we lost Macho Man Randy Savage to a heart attack right when he was driving. Yeah I remember correctly. A lot younger than Hulk got to be but they a lot of people were blaming steroids. Of course and I mean we know because he under I hate he was under oath when he was I don't know which we covered in an episode of Dark Side of the Ring you should watch the steroid trial episode. It's hard to say you know it's like obviously it didn't help but you know we lost a lot of guys a lot younger who abused steroids do who had

like enlarged hearts and different complications Right Hogan was in his 70 71. So, you know, I Don't know. I'm sure it definitely contributed to it. But I think he also just had like too many surgeries, you know spine back surgeries and Eventually your body just like can't do it anymore and eventually your body just like can't do it anymore. But let's rewind before we start getting emotional about or not emotional. A lot of people don't like Hulk Hogan. Well this is what I'm saying people are like asking me on blue sky. I know you're not on blue sky but you know people were asked when I said you're gonna come on we're gonna talk about Hulk Hogan. People are like are you gonna talk about the bubble the love sponge stuff? People were concerned we were going to do like a glorify this hero.

And I know we're going to talk about Hulk Hogan. There's definitely two sides to this. And, you know, on my truth social, I posted I'm just kidding. But you it's funny that I called them. I just sidetracked here for a second. Yeah. When I was on your show, I guess it was February. We were talking about Donald Trump and I said that the fact that this guy was indicted and had 72, blah, blah, blah.

He was in court. He got shot. He was a pariah. January 6th. This guy was we were never going to hear from him again. I said the fact that he was able to rise up and win the popular vote and win the election was remarkable. And you have held that against me as if I'm some sort of like a make America great guy since then. And you keep referring to that statement. Do I? I didn't even notice if I did. Maybe I mentioned it once with Cam and Tyler.

Well, even to me, even to me when we walk down the stairs right now. So I just want to clarify, like that is remarkable. No, I don't think it is remarkable, but I think that of all the words to use to describe, that's a very careful, kind way to express what's happening. It is. It is. It's like it actually is crazy. Like if you were, you know, canceled for saying crazy

stuff, and then all of a sudden your podcast came back and you were on the cover of the Toronto Sun next week, I would say that's remarkable. Right. Right. Okay. Well, I apologize. Let's go back to home. So because I think the life and times of Hulk Hogan, and we're gonna get into it from the early days, we're going to go on up. I think it's remarkable and I think warts and all it's an interesting fascinating character to discuss. Yes. Because I we're gonna hear from you first, Deustone, but I will

tell you what Hulk meant to me in 1985, 1986. For sure and I'm not here to defend things that Terry Bollea said that were captured on camera that like pretty much buried him Racist things yeah, I'm not very racist of course so that's why I'm not saying that he's he's the best guy That's like let's get that out of the way we're just here to talk about when we were kids and Clueless to all of that just like we were clueless to whatever Bill Cosby was doing these guys were that this is who was pushed to us by the media the everybody was pushing

these guys as heroes on us so we are just the innocent victims here to have these heroes that maybe shouldn't have been heroes to begin with but I digress let's rewind okay Hulk Hogan was a bass player in a rock and roll band in the Florida, Tampa. I'll say Tampa, Florida area. And I don't know how good of a bass player he was because I never saw him, you know, but I've seen him sort of play bass in wrestling sort of circumstances. But I don't know how good he is or isn't good, but he was in in a band and apparently a lot of the wrestlers used to go see this band it was like sort of a popular outfit on the beach scene back then and

Hulk, you know, he was obviously stood out, you know, most bass players in bands are like the tall lanky guy Right like Chris Novice Jelic sure You know Cam Gordon would have made a good bass player. 100%. But, you know, Hulk is 6'7", or something like that, so he really stands out. And some of the wrestlers are like, hey, you know, would you ever think of this? And apparently, you know, from different interviews that I've done, There was a territory in Florida, in Tampa, you know, Florida Championship Wrestling, which was a hotbed for wrestling in the 70s and

early 80s. The Graham family was the promoters, Eddie Graham, who tragically, you know, there's a lot of suicide in that family. We did an episode on that as well. But sticking to Hulk. Yes, sticking sticking to Hulk though Hulk used to go to the matches and there's wrestlers that I've spoken to who remember wrestling there and you had Dusty Rhodes was the big star in Tampa you know a lot of the big big names that we know of from wrestling started in Tampa and Hulk was one of those guys that was hanging around and eventually he linked up from what understand, he linked up with superstar Billy Graham. Do you know who that is?

Yes, I do. Yes. Superstar Billy Graham is basically Hulk Hogan. Now we did an episode on superstar Billy Graham in the past season of that it's available on Crave. You should watch it. It's really an amazing episode. You do a great job on Dark Side of the Ring. I appreciate that. And so do the team. It's not just me, you should watch it. It's really an amazing episode. You do a great job on Dark Side of the Ring. I appreciate that and so do the team. It's not just me but I appreciate it. Superstar Billy Graham was the original Hulk Hogan. Wrestling was black and white and then superstar Billy Graham came and he was

wearing the tie-dye and he had the 22 inch pythons and he said brother, brother, brother and he ripped his shirt off and he was Hulk Hogan and Hulk basically offered to drive Billy Graham around and he sort of got to know Billy and You know back then in Wrestling and in music and in comedy, you know, we didn't have the internet obviously We didn't have the internet and you if something was working in Tampa You could go do that same thing in Alabama and no one would know right that it was happening in Tampa so in wrestling for example you had all these guys as the sheik in different places you had all these guys doing like a nature boy gimmick you had all guys doing like the animal gimmick

so naturally people started doing like superstar Billy Graham stuff well Hulk Hogan did it the best because this guy was the real deal. He's six foot seven, he's 300 plus pounds, he's a monster. He ends up getting an opportunity to become a wrestler and he's not like the best, but he's definitely got the look, right?

Right, he had the look, absolutely. Yes, and Vince McMahon Sr senior sees Hulk and is like I need this guy in New York because New York was a big man territory. They bring Hulk to New York and Hulk is a bad guy wrestler in New York and he's managed by classy Freddy Blassie. He actually wrestles Andre the Giant a bunch of times before you know even though the WrestleMania 3 which we'll get to is Advertises the first time meeting it's not I met many times and Hogan even slammed him many times and every lot of people slammed Andre before

WrestleMania 3 but we were who knew right right we didn't know right so anyway There there's a call that comes in for There's a call that comes in for Hulk to be a part of the Rocky III movie. And Vince McMahon Sr. does not want to let Hulk go do this. How come? I just feel like he probably doesn't want to, he's got his thumb on Hulk. He doesn't want to lose him to Hollywood. He doesn't want to lose him to Hollywood. He's got his own plans, right?

Because that's an amazing movie in an amazing role for It Hulk it certainly is and you know later on the same thing would happen with sergeant slaughter G.I. Joe would call and Vince didn't want him to go do that and slaughter was like well. I'm doing it See ya, so Hulk goes and does rocky 3 yes, sir Rocky 3 is lightning in a bottle because rocky III has Hulk, Mr. T also. Yes. The two of them become household names because Rocky III is one of the biggest movies of that of the early 80s right? Every kid saw Rocky III. It gives us Eye of the Tiger. Eye of the Tiger, Mr. T, and Hulk Hogan. Yeah, Clubber Lang. And Mr. T obviously ends

up becoming one of the biggest stars in the history of pop culture for that run that he had with A-Team in Rocky III. He better not die anytime soon. I hope not. We're losing our icons. We are. Side note, I do remember going to Toys R Us Plaza, the same Toys R Us where sluggers would eventually be.

Mr. T was coming in to do an appearance. Me along with thousands of other kids waited at the store. Mr. T did like one walk through of the store and I remember getting in there and like touching him on his like camouflage converse and it was like the most exciting thing ever. Do you remember that Simpsons? You watched Simpsons? Yeah of course. Okay do you remember when Homer's telling that story about the time he was going to see Mr. T at the mall, but he decided I'll see him next time, but he never came back and Homer's like weeping, telling this great recap. All right. So you got to see Mr. T.

So again, I have a couple of years on you. It depends which birth year we believe in the Stu Stone legacy, but I have a couple of years on you. And so I was there and mr. T Was everything you know Pee Wee Herman was eating mr. T cereal Oh, yeah, he was a cartoon also mr. T and he'd like these gymnastics kids or something with him. They were solving crime Oh TNT Later and that was filmed here in no Vana that was my that was the my pet monster connection there But let's go back to Hogan Okay, Hogan

So we have the character that we need to focus on here is Vince McMahon senior and then Vince McMahon jr Doesn't want him to do this rock. No, no, man senior doesn't want him to do. Oh senior doesn't want to do it I gotcha somewhere in between this timeline jr. Takes over wrestling from senior buys it from his dad. Yes and over wrestling from senior. He buys it from his dad. Yes and Hulk obviously becomes a huge star, Thunder Lips, a huge star and now Hogan's wrestling in Minnesota for a promotion called AWA. Vern Gagne is the guy, the Gagne family and it's the rest you know it's that's that territory and it's basically it's based out of Minnesota but Hulk starts doing the Hulkamania thing and he's a good guy and it's really taken off and Vince McMahon has plans to go national

with his company and he needs his big star and He had Jimmy Superfly snooker Who was going he was super popular right? But then Superfly gets involved in a murder where his girlfriend gets killed inside of a road and super flies gotta get off the road well who's gonna be there to their guy hulk ogan hulk ogan decides to take the money and come to join vince jr

and that's where w w f really become you know hulk they've been hot shot him they put him right in there with the Iron Sheik. Hulk beats the Sheik at Madison Square Garden, becomes the champion, and Hulkamania goes from like a Minnesota thing to like a worldwide phenomenon. Okay, we're going to pick it up there because I'm going to play a little clip of the Iron Sheik. You just mentioned him talking about Hulk Hogan with a pretty damn good interviewer. Here we go

I Have to ask of course Hulk Hogan is a name that usually comes up when you're on shows And I'm not here to say that Hulk is the greatest I just want to know if you were to fight Hulk Hogan today in a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship Who would come out on top good question? for the world heavyweight championship who would come out on top good question Stu, you have your glasses yes can you read that medal what year what is more hold it and read it for me. Alright it says Greco-Roman wrestling

1971. Excellent read another size what country? the Union of the United States this is a gold medal right here. Yes, what country? United States of America, is it not? God bless you. Yeah, that's amazing. I'm going to ask you one question.

Yes. You want to tell me that Hollywood blonde jabroni, Hulk Hogan, have that gold medal? No, he doesn't have that. God bless you. Now, you know who is the man. Yeah. Hulk Hogan come in the TV said take your vitamin, do your pray and go work out. Fuck you. You do yourself. Look yourself in the mirror. Put a shot of Daco in your ass. How can you be the good voice or general for American young generation? Hogan, everybody know, without Aaron Sheik, you will still be working the cable bouncer.

That's amazing. He was a bouncer at a gentleman's club at one point that she never really let that go but that's really funny that she is calling him out. Yeah. He's shooting him on him right there. Yeah and he's talking obviously about steroid use which we'll get to I guess I can fast forward through the rise of Hulkamania but you know much like superstar Billy Graham, superstar Billy Graham's kind of like the Jose Kinseko of wrestling. He's the one that kind of like popularized steroid usage

and kind of like taught a lot of these guys how to even do it. And you know, Hulk was definitely, along with probably 90% of his peers were using steroids back then. And maybe when they first started using them They weren't even illegal, you know, they were just Out there they became illegal when they became

When the Olympics and sport actual sporting events got involved and since wrestling wasn't was deemed a legit sporting event until that time Then it became it caught became kind of cloudy that's when Vince had to change it to sports entertainment and sort of admit what it was because otherwise- Pre-determined outcome. Yeah, otherwise he's gonna have to be scrutinized like boxing or any other athletic competition. Like baseball.

Like baseball. Wow. So anyway, Hulk, Largest Arms, you know, what's his name? Superstar Billy Graham had the 22 inch pythons, Hogan had the 24 inch pythons, you know? But you know, you talk about from a branding standpoint, Hulkamania, the red and yellow, you think about Hulk Hogan. And you know, Toronto was a hotbed territory, you know?

The Tunney family, Jack Tunney presents another power pack card, him and his brother Frank, they ran Maple Leaf Gardens. Yes. You know, they had the Sheik in the in the 70s and 60s and they had Hulk in this in the 80s. And man, Hulkamania was definitely running wild in Toronto. We had wrestling on CHCH.

Don't you dare miss it. On Saturdays and Sundays, twice on Saturdays, once on Sundays. So three hours of WWF was on CHCH on the weekends alone. And then you had WUTV Channel 29 out of Buffalo that also showed wrestling on the weekends. So you know, every weekend we had, you know, if you were a kid, after the Saturday morning cartoons were over, wrestling was on. And that was an extra hour for you before you went outside for the day till your mom called you in. We were the perfect age to like this was just like we were born at the right time for this movement in the mid 80s. 100 percent. And like wrestling went from like smoke filled, like high school

gyms to arenas with like good lighting and you like Dick Ebersol sort of gets involved and they do Saturday night's main event which changes the production value for WWF moving forward forever because like that slick glossy look uh that's basically what that's what separated WWF from everybody the production value not to mention Hulk but you know what i mean it looked it looked like a better product for sure like we're building up Hulk here because he was larger than life and he was so huge yeah but i want to like give people a taste of uh the kind of promos he would cut and what kind of energy so heavyweight champion of the world Hulk Hogan from Venice Beach California putting that coveted title of his on the line of energy. blood man instinct alone go for broke no matter what it takes hang on to that WWF title you know Hulk you've got a little bit of that Rambo in yourself you know

you know you're exactly right that's why the people of Oakland get off on me they don't care if I come riding up in a big long limousine or with a 24-inch pythons hanging off a big hog but the thing is Brutus beefcake number one contender brother this is more than just a war more than just a wrestling match man you broke the hillbilly's leg intentionally on my ad after he had the dude almost beat me gene I indeed I recall that down at San Diego Yes And there's one other thing this big bad number one contender British beefcake who admits he's from San Francisco

No big deal has been hanging around with one great to hammer, another dude that likes busting people up and breaking them up, you know. So the way I figure it, with beefcake in the ring, he's going to have that sleazy manager, Johnny Valiant in his corner. His number one priority is going to be to get this belt. But if I don't watch my back, they're going to try to bust me up. That's not going to happen in Oakland. You had better believe in Oakland, the Coliseum, a rate of this Monday night. Paul Cogan. That's amazing. Yeah, just even hearing that now the pangs of nostalgia I feel how much time I spent. I loved watching these promos in a minute.

I'm going to play something with Randy Savage because Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were the two biggest stars of WWF in this in this period and I was all in. Yeah, he was my main entertainment. He he was you know, and that's before he did what you're going to do when the largest arms come out like this. But that's before that that interview and beefcake. It's interesting that that promo was on beefcake. Another episode we did on British beefcake.

You should watch on dark side of the ring. But beefcake and Hogan were best buddies. And they were even early on they were the brought they were a brother tag team like the Boulder Brothers. But Hogan brought Beefcake to WWF back then. That was Beefcake sort of into the wrestling business was through his buddy Hulk. So anyway. And it was Brutus Beefcake and Greg the Hammer Valentine were the tag team.

Yeah. So getting back to Hulk, coming back to WWF. Now I mentioned Minnesota, the AWA at the time, they also had Hulk, they had Iron Sheik, they had Bobby the Brain, they had Jesse the Body and Mean Gene amongst others. Vince got them all. he basically poached the entire roster and and brought them to to WWF Turned out to be a great move Anyway Hulk in mr. T. Mr. T Really, you know, he's the secret ingredient here because the first WrestleMania Hulk Hogan teams up with mr

T in the main event to face Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorf, Mr. Wonderful, who would later be a Toronto main event CNE. Oh, we're going to talk about that. Don't worry. But yeah, Mr. T, I mean, you talk about Mr. T and Hulk Hogan, the two biggest sort of for young impressionable youth growing up in the 80s. It doesn't get much bigger. I mean, maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are in that conversation too, but

they weren't as accessible. You couldn't watch those guys every Saturday, every weekend. And Mr. T on the A-Team was on once a week. These, uh, Hulk and Mr. T was, was not only lightning in a bottle, it was like lightning in 20 bottles. It was the most perfect storm that Vince McMahon scratched that lottery ticket and got those two together.

WrestleMania obviously at Madison Square Garden, a huge hit, a huge success. And you know, wrestling just sort of takes off. And what year was that? That was 85. 85, so this is when I'm basically joining the WWF fandom is 1985. I want to ask you about a woman, Cyndi Lauper. Yeah, she's just as much a part of all of this as Mr. T for sure. You talk about the perfect storm for Vince. He has Hulk and he has Mr. T

and then Cyndi Lauper. She does the music video for Girls Just Want To Have Fun and she's got Captain Lou Albano in her video who for people who are of a certain age they'll remember the captain he was a got my Georgie animal steel right here everybody a gift from the the great Stu Stone so Captain Lou convinces Cindy to get involved in wrestling and now that's the rock and wrestling connection now MTV just was starting out as well MTV was was in its infancy. Yeah they started in 81. And the very first wrestling sort of the first chess move on the board for Vince was to get the brawl to set the war to settle the score I think it

was called. Hulk Hogan was gonna fight against Roddy Piper on MTV. That predates WrestleMania. Wow. that that gets that really you know that puts wrestling into the pop culture for you know for the young people if you run MTV you were an instant star instantly and Cyndi Lauper was as big of a star as you could be at that point right and of course the video for goonies are good enough for me sure features a bunch of classy Freddy Vlasi iron sheik in there yeah so anyway Rowdy Roddy Piper you know the celebrity and the rock and the wrestling it all takes off we get the cartoon you know well

here so I wanted to ask you a quick question you mentioned the opening theme to that cartoon was that dun dun dun dun dun dun which we played a little bit of I think if there's background vocals on that song from Cyndi Lauper. Like I think if I play it here for a moment here. So let me go fast forward a little bit here. Oh, there's no lyrics on this, right? Okay, then maybe it's the next song.

Okay, so let me ask you, this is a good time for me to ask you, I'll elegantly bring this down. Let me ask you, this is a good time for me to ask you, I'll elegantly bring this down, let me ask you... about this song. It's interesting that earlier this year, Rick Deringer died. Yeah, he did. So remind us, whose theme was this before Hulk stole it? It was Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda, the US Express. They were a tag team that was getting pushed, and then when Barry Windham left the company,

the song was available, and Hulk was using Eye of the Tiger at the time. They were a tag team that was getting pushed. And then when Barry Windham left the company, the song was available. And Hulk was using Eye of the Tiger at the time. Which I discussed with Scotty Mack a few weeks ago. We talked about that. Because I was talking about Eye of the Tiger. We were kicking out iJams on Tost. Well, here's the thing.

Like, Hulk came out to Eye of the Tiger. And Junkyard Dog came out to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. And they weren't really clearing these songs. They were just using them. And as soon as, you know, they started getting onto NBC and it wasn't just like syndicated, you know, 12 o'clock in the afternoon on a Sunday programming, they had to start looking at getting songs that they owned that they didn't have to pay for. Right. So they made the wrestling album. And of course, you know, the wrestling album. You know, some say Simon Cowell is the guy

that was behind the wrestling album. Others would disagree, but he was involved eventually. Really? I didn't know that. You know, when something became popular in the 80s, 90s, and even in the 2000s, it's like still a business model that still kind of works, but not like it used to. But if somebody became popular in one form of media, they would get an album, they would get a movie, a cartoon.

Like William Shatner would put out an album. Sure, you would try, Paris Hilton. If somebody became popular, Lindsay Lohan, it's happened throughout the course of history. I think Cyndi Lauper's doing backgrounds here. That does sound like her. That's definitely her. Yeah, that's her. And do you remember her handle on the wrestling album? Mona Flambe.

Oh, that's so funny. Remember this? Yeah. And I still remember the chatter between the songs and the wrestling album, which I fucking loved, as you know. So they did that wrestling album, right? Yeah. They ended up doing several wrestling albums and it was pretty successful with the music was actually the wrestlers theme songs And it worked out grab them cakes. It really worked out or

Cara Cara Mia was performed by Nikolai Volkoff was in meantime, Oakland Judy fruity sure For everybody which of course was like a cover of a song called Fuck Everybody. Yes. And we can't leave out Roddy Roddy Piper when we talk about the stars of that era. But yeah, so, you know, Hulkamania is running wild at this point. In 86, they do WrestleMania, Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy, Steel Cage match, Saturday Night's Main Event is a number one kind of watch show. It's wrestles. Wrestling is huge at this point. They do a stadium show in Toronto.

Okay, let's talk about this. This was built, I always called it Hulkamania. Yeah, that's what it was. But then Jason Agnew told me it was called the Big Event. Yeah, well that's what they rebranded it for home video. Rebranded it because I remember thinking no, because I was there with you right? It was called Hulkamania but they but the VHS release was called the big event. Well they already had they already had seven other videos called Hulkamania. They got me to buy a ticket too with my buddy Chris we were there but I got a note from Cam Gordon. Okay. Stu was at

that same quote big event at CNE in 86. I recall he was there with DJ Farbzy, whoever the guardian was that night didn't want to waste time visiting the men's room with the kids. So Farbzy filled a discarded cup of urine, which was then hurled 10 to 15 rows backwards to dispose of it. True or false, Stu? My involvement is not true, is false, but like the story- No, this is Far to dispose of it. True or false, Stu? My involvement is not true, it's false, but the story is true. And apparently, weeks later, some Farbsy's grandfather like ran into the guy who got like hit with a...

That's unbelievable. I don't know. There was like 60,000 people there. What are the chances of that? But that's that's that's urban legend So we were there that was Paul. Mr. Wonder They ran a big angle on on television that I'm sure Scotty Mack knows all about Paul Orndorff and Hulk Hogan were teaming up against a King Kong Bundy and Most of your viewers have probably turned off the the show by now. No, we're gonna have lots more

We're gonna okay stick around, stick around. It's not just Hulk Hogan. But, but, you know, Paul Orndorff turned bad and he turned up his back on Hulkamania. One of the biggest, you know, when I was a kid, that was like a moment that really stuck us. Yep. And Hogan was going to get his revenge against Orndorf at C&E Stadium. A record crowd was going to attend

and it was going to be the biggest wrestling show on planet Earth and at the time it was. Was it 65,000? Something crazy like that. I can still vaguely in my head remember like the helicopter shot over where you could just see like the ring is like this big and there's just so many people there. Well you knew it was a lot of people because both Stu Stone and Toronto Mike are at

this event. That's how big it was. I'm not here to dispute that. I'm here to tell you that it was fucking big, man, and it was so big. You what? It's fact that you were there. I was there. You were there. I don't know if you really were. I was there. You were working the grand show. I was there you were there. I don't know if you really were I was there you were working the grand show That's the Rolling Stones

So Joey Jeremiah they end up getting They you know Vince sees the success of this stadium show and books the Pontiac Silver Dome for WrestleMania 3 right he sees Okay, I can fill a stadium in Toronto. Detroit is not that far from there. I could do this again. It's a bigger stadium. We just need, you know, we can't do Hulk and Mr. Wonderful. So what are we gonna do? And that's where Cam Gordon's impression comes in.

Andre the Giant, who is like a lifelong good guy, Andre the Giant, who was always a good guy his whole career, turns bad. He wants his shot against Hulk. And WrestleMania 3 probably the catalyst, probably the biggest wrestling show in the history of the business. Hulk vs. Andre, main event, you know, depending on who you ask, 100,000 people or close to are there. 93,000, whatever they said, it was an attendance record at the time. Hulk slams Andre, beats Andre, and, you know, we're off to the races in ways we've never thought before.

And in some ways, that's the peak of the Hulk Hogan era. It was the peak for me. Like, that's the peak for me, because I start to know grow up get other interests lose interest in the yeah Predetermined outcomes, but I can I can I play another Hulk Hogan promo sure We are counting down to WrestleMania 3 at the silver dome It's Pontiac, Michigan of course on Sunday afternoon March the 29th heavyweight champion of the world Hulk Hogan I cannot believe that the pressure is not starting to get to you a kind of defense against your former friend now bitter enemy Andre the Giant in his corner Bobby the Brain Heenan and you know what people are saying all around the world I don't care what the people are saying around the world man I want to live forever brother

you know I'm not worried spiritually about this thing I got my travel arrangements made I got the deal upstairs already done, but it's mortally brother. Andre the Giant is the only reason I can't live forever man. I've seen the little hulkamaniacs that train in the prayers of vitamins. They're gonna live forever. Hulkamania is gonna live forever. And if Andre the Giant physically destroyed me, physically wiped me out, physically took the belt, physically destroyed me, physically wiped me out, physically took the belt. Maybe the little hulks just wouldn't believe that you gotta play it straight, that you gotta keep your head high, man. Andre the Giant, Hulkamania will live forever. And in front of 93,000

people, brother, with the whole world watching on closed circuit TV, you will feel the power of the largest arms in the world. You will feel the wrath of the largest arms in the world you will feel the wrath of the hawk of maniacs under the Giants and if I get you down in a compromising position there will be no mercy brother I'm gonna think about the time when you tore my shirt when you ripped the cross when you tore the heart and the soul out of all those little hulks for his brother. And if nothing else happens, man, if nothing else happens, I'll get you for that. All right, the heavyweight champion of the world with perhaps his biggest test ever.

Unbelievable. And tell us what happened to conclude that match, Hulk Hogan versus- Slap him for the show all the rivers is a very boss uh... hulk ogan slams that big nasty seven hundred pound giant as he would later on claim and the place erupts the roof of the silver dome basically pops off and hulk manias off to the races

you know like i said that might be the peak but there's definitely you know wrestling is has a stranglehold on pop culture for another three four years, you know The next year Hogan would start getting into Hollywood and doing movies He did a movie called no holds barred. So he took some time off not a good movie, but you know, I saw it They give the belt to macho man Randy Savage in 88 Hulk loses it loses the belt. Sorry, let me rewind. Hulk fights Andre in a rematch on NBC.

Right. In February, I wanna say, of 88. And over 30 million people watch this. Hulk Hogan loses the belt to Andre the Giant. It's on the front page of the Toronto Sun. I think I still have that somewhere in like my hoarding stash of stuff that I didn't throw away but it was like front page news that Hulk Hogan lost right that sets up macho man Randy Savage and then they have the mega powers and the mega

powers explode Elizabeth like you know Hulk's macho man thinks that Hulk's got eyes for Elizabeth they have a WrestleMania 5 match with Hulk winning his belt back from Macho Man at the remarkable Trump Plaza who hosted back to back WrestleMania 4 and 5. That brings us back to Toronto for WrestleMania 6. Okay, pause there. So WrestleMania 6. I want to play a little bit of that Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, you know, joining forces. Yes.

Alright ladies and gentlemen, we got a taste of it a little earlier on here on Saturday Night's Main Event. When the madness melt the mania. I am talking about Macho Madness and Hulkamania. Two mega powers beating here tonight. Hulk Hogan what is happening? Well you know me Gene we really don't know what we're dealing with here man And I'm just kind of a little worried about locking up here It's alright Because we just might blow the whole planet up you know Everybody knows that Hulkamania is the strongest force in this universe

But when I hit that ring and I saw what the madness was all about I realized There was a whole nother universe out there a whole nother frontier and the power of the madness was all about. I realized there was a whole other universe out there, a whole other frontier, and the power of the madness and the mania just blew my 24 inch guns out there. You mean to tell me there is another solar system, Macho Man? Unbelievable, I'm still in a state of shock right now. In fact, I don't think I'm gonna be coming down

for a long period of time, yeah. Rickless abandon is what it used to be. Yeah, but Elizabeth opened up my eyes and the big man right here, the big man. Yeah, he endorsed my Joe Mandus and he gave me direction. Yeah, reckless abandon used to be, but direction now with the mega, yeah, the mega, yeah, the mega power. Yeah, mega powers, yeah. I feel the power now. I feel the power Over the head bunch. Oh man

Right Never been better. Yeah, don't you worry about the head over the head man? I'm just worried about where we're going from here. This is this stratosphere man This is the ionosphere with the madness and the mania as one godly force? We could go ahead and take the whole W. I cannot believe this. More! Better than you ever! Jump the Hulk! The Mega Powers! The Manus! Bunch of man, Randy Savvy and the heavyweight champion and Hulkamania. There you go, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.

Unbelievable. Did anyone cut a better promo than Randy Macho Man Savage? It'd be pretty tough to find somebody. He's up, you know, he's on the Mount Rushmore. He's remarkable. Do you know who does a very good Randy? Scottie Mack. Scottie Mack. He does. Geez, okay, we're going to talk about Scottie Mack later. But I want to set up WrestleMania 6 to say a note came in from the aforementioned cam Gordon another one

Stu I believe was ringside at WrestleMania 6 Hogan versus warrior at Skydome it's true Wow ringside. Yeah, it's uh, I was here if you think of ringside yeah it's uh I was here if you think of if you want to get to the psychology of like you know most people who are our age or in our demographic Mike we had the wrestling bug at that point but if you want to know how I became infected for life you know like how I didn't grow out of it the way that you did in most mature people did. You know, if you want to know why it stuck with me until my current age and even, you know, now I'm even working on a wrestling program for a living. If you want to find out why, look at WrestleMania 6. You had

Hulk Hogan versus the Ultimate Warrior. Rest in peace to both of them now. And both of them not great track records as real people. As human beings to be discussed. Yes. But Hall Cogan versus the Ultimate Warrior, the biggest match, 1990. I had front row tickets for that event. How did you score front row tickets for that event. How did you score front row? My father's got the old, the old man, Jack got the, we had four tickets in the front row. We're on the videotapes.

We're in the magazines. You can just see us, you know, we're right there. I was like leaning on the guard rail, watching the match. I couldn't believe it. And that's why that moment is why I never left me. Because if you sit front row, for Hulk Hogan, Alto Warrior, you're a wrestling fan for the rest of your life.

It's just the way it is, right? That's like, if you went to go see fucking Belinda Carlisle in the front row, I mean, I don't know. That's a terrible, I don't know why I pulled that one out. But you know, it's like if you, if the most popular thing in pop culture is happening and you have that type of experience as a kid. Yeah, you go to see Oz Fest in your front row,

you're an Ozzy Osbourne fan for life. Especially if you're a kid, and I'm a kid at this point. I'm 12 years old, 11 years old, whatever I was. Well, it depends on which source we look at. Could have been 15, you never know. But my point is, is you that does not leave you forever That stays with you. I see magic that excitement. I see that so that that's at the sky dome That's at the sky dome another Toronto thing now

Things get complicated for Hulk after that so basically oh, but but I yes because I do need to burn through Things will get complicated and we'll talk about Because I do need to burn through things will get complicated and we'll talk about how Hulk Hogan the human being was not this hero we were sort of led to follow in the 80s. The first chapter sort of unfolds after this WrestleMania sort of stuff. Okay, because I just want to then quickly just tell you one of my favorite things was watching Hulk Hogan wrestle And he would be the guy would be beating him Whoever he's playing with start to beat him and then there was this thing

I only recently learned it had a term but I'm up hulking up Yeah, and every time Hogan would be hit it was like I could see electricity go through his body And he would get stronger And I can't tell you how exciting this was for young Mike to watch and knowing that every time he was gonna be hit, he wasn't gonna be weakened, he wasn't gonna be hurt, he was going to have this electricity go through him, he was gonna get stronger.

So this is just a brief clip of a match that kinda describes him hulking up. It's almost motionless, two, no! And the Warrior can't believe it. motionless And now that adrenaline is flowing heavy through the body of the Hulkster. Yeah, hulking up, brother. He's hulking up. And he is ignoring those big right hands by the Warrior. This is awesome. I got goosebumps.

And the finger pointing right in the kisser. Right in the kisser. Hulkster with a roundhouse, and another. And the Warrior's backing up. right in the kisser. So this is just an example of this hulking up that I just love. He had an act, you know, his match was like, now, listen, people say the Hulk Hogan can't wrestle. You know, like the Purists say that he can't work. I'll tell you what, part of wrestling is selling. That's what they call it. That's when I'm fighting you Mike and I'm giving you my offense and you are really selling that I'm hurting you.

And the fans are going to get behind you because they see that you're fighting from underneath, right? Right. That's the psychology of wrestling Hulk Hogan was probably the best if you think about it because the guy was six foot seven most of the guys he fought were shorter and smaller than him but he sold so well that you believed that these guys had a chance to beat him now I was a fucked up kind of kid because I used to watch it and I was rooting to see a Hulk Hogan lose I was rooting for Paul Orndorf at it and I was rooting to see Hulk Hogan lose.

I was rooting for Paul Orndorf at Hulkamania. I wanted to see Hulk lose. Until I got older, I wanted Darth Vader to beat Luke Skywalker. I wanted Cobra Commander to beat the Joes. I was rooting always for the bad guys. Did you root for Apollo Creed? Of course. I was rooting for Clubluber Lang. I think I called Hulk Hogan maybe Kluber Lang earlier but it's Thunderlips. You called him Thunderlips. Okay good.

Mr. T was Kluber Lang. So when Hulk would Hulk up I would be pissed. It wasn't until later on that I appreciated what I was seeing. But Hulk's ability to sort of captivate the crowd and make them believe and for them to, and for them to even cheer for him to Hulk up, he had to be getting his ass kicked first. So he had to be believable. So there's not a better seller than Hulk, if you think about it. And Hulkamania, we watched that count and you know, these refs, they're in on it, okay?

That was a, you know, two and a half count or whatever. And in the, I shared this story many times during Pandemic Fridays, but in, at the exhibition stadium, when you're there and you're not hearing gorilla Mount Monsoon, like you only you're here live. It looks like a three count. Me and my buddy celebrated. Oh yeah. Orndorf beat Hogan. Can you believe it? And then you're like, what do you mean that was a two and a half count? So you're at WrestleMania six, your ringside Hogan larger than life. Loses.

He lost to the ultimate warrior at Sky Dome. So let's succinctly and properly talk about, there's an expression I always think about, you either die a hero or you live long enough to become the villain. Hulk Hogan at this point, he's a hero to guys like you and I, like an absolute like icon. He's like Michael Jordan out there. And I used to root against Jordan too, by the way. Interesting. I rooted for Jordan and I, but I also, as my sons would tell you, I also root for LeBron James. So that tells you, I know.

Yeah. Well, anyway, Hulk, just to, just to recap a point I was trying to make if you actually go on to YouTube I don't know if anyone actually will But I would if I were you you should look up Hulk Hogan's matches that he had in Japan Oh against you know he wrestled in Japan a bunch of times, right and you can see this guy can wrestle Oh, he actually does wrestling moves. He does wrestling holds. He's As good as anybody in WWF. He does wrestling holds. He's as good as anybody. In WWF, he didn't have to do that. It's a show.

And he's doing the same, he's got to preserve his body because they're doing 350 shows a year. Why does he need to do all of that stuff? So he had his match that he does. And it's kind of smart and it gave him longevity because he was able to avoid injuries by doing his match so to speak which was he gets his ass kicked he gets his ass kicked he

hulks up he wins right and it was a formula that worked crowd was wild and when Andre finally beat him it was such a shock because that was he hulked up and it didn't work you mean the ultimate warrior same both oh he lost both of those matches right right so anyway I digress. Okay. So, so where we're at now is because after WrestleMania 6. Yeah, like, because I, the steroids start coming in. Personally, I basically, I think WrestleMania 6 was my swan song. Yeah. And wrestling takes a big downturn after that. Okay. So. People are kind of ready to move on. Let's talk about the downturn. Yes. So real quick. Yeah, go ahead. There's a steroid,

the downturn. Yes. Real quick. Yeah, go ahead. There's a steroid. Steroids become a big thing. Ben Johnson obviously, you know, steroids are front page news. Hulk Hogan goes on the Arsenio Hall show and Arsenio asks him if he's ever taken steroids. Hulk claims he's only done it once or twice for injuries. And he's lying. And you know know a lot of bitter wrestlers because wrestling is a very cutthroat industry they all are coming for the same spot everybody wants that spot and superstar Billy Graham is one of those guys that sees Hogan doing his act you know so he's very vocal that Hulk is a steroid guy right and wrestling goes on trial that's the first time we sort of see behind the curtain of wrestling well we basically learned that of course all

Kogan had been doing steroids right and by the way why does it matter if he was what ref wrestling was a show like he's a private citizen it's not but his whole mantra is like say your prayers take hear what you're saying. But his whole mantra is like, say your prayers, take your vitamins, you know. I think that's the problem. He's telling kids if you say, if you have a good attitude, you say your prayers, you eat your vitamins. But if you look at the 80s, how many people were saying, say no to drugs that were actually doing drugs? Probably 100%. You know, it's like, you see a lot of hypocrisy in the 80s.

Of course. Cocaine was running wild, brother. Right. And that's not good for your heart either. Definitely not. So, Hulk now is in a situation where his relationship with Vince is strained. He's going to testify against Vince McMahon in the steroid trial. Hulk ends up getting on the stand and he ends up not burying Vince. He ends up changed, you know, he gets on the stand and he ends up, even though they're're have their problems at the end of the day, when Hulk gets on the stand he does not incriminate Vince directly. He says I did steroids on my own, I wasn't directed or ordered to do so by Vince McMahon. He sort of lets Vince off the hook and Vince

becomes, Vince ends up not getting indicted, like he doesn't, he gets found not guilty. Right. And wrestling is sort of saved saved but wrestling is in a real dark period now Because there's all these scandals Hogan leaves. He goes to WCW his act is stale there. They don't care about hulking mania He turns bad. They do the nwo. I'm fast-forwarding NWO is Hollywood Hollywood Hogan. He's a bad guy now. It's the biggest story in wrestling wrestling is back again Vince answers with the rock and stone cold and wrestling has another peak moment and Hogan is right there again. Vince ends up buying WCW and Hulk comes back to WWF, shocking the world and back again where we are, Toronto at the Sky Dome, Hulk Hogan

against the Rock, which I'm there again, not front row this time, but I'm there. Wow. And Hulk comes in as the bad guy and Toronto refuses to treat him like the bad guy. And if you haven't seen that match, it's worth watching, even if you're not a wrestling fan, just to see how, you know, whatever script they had for that match had to change because the crowd shit all over what the story that they wanted to tell right and dictated where it was gonna go Hulk ends up hulking up even as a bad guy the crowd goes electric and all of a sudden the Hulk Hulkamania is back Wow

Wow, and what do you what year are we talking about in? 2001 okay, okay Hulk ends up, you know sticking around, you know, he does, Hogan does best. There's a lot of bad things that happen after that. I'll tell you where my path crosses with Hulk. Yeah. Uh, me and Jamie Kennedy do had a rap album, which has been documented and held up by Mike right now.

Holdin' it right now. Mark Weisblatt gave me this copy. There you go, which he got for free. The media has got the whole punch in it. It's called, uh, Blowing. It's called a blowing up. Blowing up. So we were getting booked for shows and one of the shows that we did was we had a popular song then called circle circle dot dot I got my cootie shot. Right. And we were getting booked on shows and summer jams and winter jams and Christmas fests or whatever. One of the shows we got booked

on was a Christmas fest or whatever the fuck it was called, pardon my French. You can swear on this show. But you can pull it up on YouTube and see it's remarkable. I take off my shirt and the crowd goes wild, it's so funny. But that was inspired by Hulk. But we were, it was us and Brooke Hogan, Hulk's daughter was launching a music career.

Right, I remember this. Which by the way would be part of the topic that he's talking about in the hidden camera footage that ends up burying him. Right. But Brooke is there and Hulk is basically a momager at that point, or a dadager. He's like a stage dad.

Wherever Brooke goes, Hulk's there. Right. He's helping her sort of get her music career going by feeling like if he's there, it's going to help her. Which is wild because they've been estranged and they have a strained relationship. I think the last time she spoke to her dad was 2023 if I read correctly. So that's kind of sad that it went out like that. But anyway, that day we were positioned in, there was a room where before the show, the people who bought tickets

could go around and get autographs from all the people who were on the bill. So it was like, there was other bands on the bill, but our station was right next to Brooke Hogan's. So I spent the entire day sitting next to Hulk Hogan. Wow. And you know, I was wearing an Iron Sheik Nikolai Volkov t-shirt

not even knowing Hulk was gonna be there. Right. So I'm with Hulk the whole day and first off it was remarkable how much beer this guy drank. I think he drank a case of beer like in an hour. Was it Great Lakes beer? It was it should have been. The beer can looked like a cherry blossom in his hand, in his giant hand. It was like, the guy was so big and so tall and crushed beers. Crushed beers. I'm talking about an abnormal amount of like crushing of beers. It was wild, brother. That is remarkable. So we were with Hulk that day and we got to spend time with Hulk and it was like a fucking, it was like, you know, pinch me. Right. You know, I got to shoot the shoot the shit with Hulk. It's like,

to you it's like hanging out with Muhammad Ali. Yeah, and it really was like that. And I've had the luck or the blessing to be able to meet and be, you know, most of my heroes. You introduced me to Samoa Joe. There you go, Joe's the man. You know, I've had an opportunity to really, things that interest me, I've had an opportunity to have really VIP type of experiences for some reason. And this was one of the greatest ones,

was hanging with Hulk that day, but Obviously, you know things go sideways for Hulk Well, I feel like we need to be fair to the story which is that there's a he didn't know he was being recorded But I guess there was a recording before before that. Okay, tell me you know I don't know when Bubba the love sponge is white so if you if you think about it and Just from my own experience because Jamie Kennedy and I have my own experience doing a reality show Okay, I did a reality show

I was on a show with a guy who I hung out with every day for years We were together and at some point we didn't like each other anymore Because we spent so much time together and there's the ups and the downs and the trials and the tribulations of sharing a career sure and splitting up money and going on shows and arguments and whatever the case may be. When our reality show ended, Jamie and I, we didn't talk for years until we got eventually back together and now we're friends forever, but we had a dark period and that's not just limited to us and we didn't even have the kind of success that others had but you look at Nick Lachey and

Jessica Simpson had a show they ended up partying what you know you look at the Hogan's they had a show Hogan Knows Best it was a successful show on VH1 and it tore the family apart at the if you really think really think about it, you know, after that show went off the air, that's when things start getting really bad for the whole family. You know, his son gets in this terrible car wreck, killing his friend or something, you know, just awful stuff. You know, his whole... You went to prison, right? Yeah, I don't know if he did. Because I did read a, like, one of his racist comments that Hulk Hogan made was a recorded call with his son who was in prison Okay, so he's definitely got arrested then

You know and then the Hulks he gets divorced from his wife and His wife was cheating on her who even knows You know what happens first cuz like one of the more infamous stories is that Hulk Hogan was sleeping with his buddy later on So okay, so cuz I thought his wife divorced him after that. No. Okay. Okay. Before that she was she was messing around with some other guy that looked like Hulk like some younger guy but and I listen we might be getting our facts backwards here who it's all relevant it's all irrelevant the point is it was a shit show for the family after that and you know listen Hulk had a lot of enemies in wrestling also, you know, people who feel

like they were shorted changed by him or he was political. Didn't he break up unions? Like didn't he? He was, he was looking out for Hulk. That's what they say. The wrestlers were trying to form a union and he went behind their back. Jesse Ventura was. Okay.

And Hulk went and snitched. But he's sort of a, even just being a union Buster at that time it speaks to his character Well, it speaks to like he would lose his money if there was like a pay scale Then like Hulk couldn't get paid like a thousand million times more than everybody and at that point Maybe he was right that he should have been getting more than his character. Of course. Yeah, of course I'm not defending that. That's not a cool move. Definitely not. And Jesse Venter and him had a strange relationship as a result. And anyway, if you were friends with Hulk, your life was good. Where he went, you went. He had a crew of guys that where Hulk went, all those guys got jobs too.

Brutus Beefcake, the Nasty Boys, there's a couple guys. Jimmy Hart? Jimmy Hart. You know, so the people who are in Hulk's inner circle, they love Hulk. The people who are not in Hulk's inner circle, not so much. But anyway, Hulk is friends with Bubba the Love Sponge, a shock jock sort of radio host, if you don't know who that is, from Florida. You know, a Kirkland kind of Howard Stern kind of thing right and Hulk's going on his show. Like an Opie and Anthony kind of vibe. And Hulk is buddies with Bubba and I guess Bubba is allowing Hulk to sleep with his wife. Oh so he's okay with it.

Yeah I wasn't sure if he was. So the the deal the deal that's made there is that if she's allowed to sleep with other guys, but they have to film it. Okay. Okay. So, cause he's got some sort of adults. I got it. Some sort of a fetish. Did Hulk Hogan know he was being recorded when he had sex with Heather? Now, I don't know.

I never asked Hulk that. Okay. Cause apparently, uh, Hogan claims he did not consent to the recording. Didn't seem like this was camera footage that you would, that's like, you're aware that the camera's there. It looked more like it was a close like a surveillance sort of camera that was set up. Now here's where Gawker remember Gawker Gawker.com the website the tape yeah they actually put a portion of the sex tape online yes and

then Hogan sued and won a killian dollars in Gawker. In Gawker went belly up. But also at this time, the National Enquirer revealed basically that there was audio of Hulk Hogan referring to black people by the N-word. Terrible. And he said, like, I mean, even out of, you know, he was, he was rapping a song that had the N-word in it. No, that's not what happened. This was just blatantly gross

racism Yeah, this is one of those things that like, you know, you get your guard is Now again, listen the stuff that he said is appalling So this is not we're not saying really bad stuff like my daughter doesn't bring home an n-word She was dating a black man? The whole context from what I remember was that Hulk Hogan was paying a producer to do Brooke Hogan's album a million dollars and then it was discovered that Brooke was actually sleeping with this guy. So Hulk was upset that not only was his daughter sleeping with this guy but he was paying this guy a million dollars and his daughter was sleeping with him so And he was a black man

And he was a he was and so Hulk was not using You know he was not holding back on how he felt about it And he was using words that he probably was comfortable using by the sounds of it. You know Tampa, Florida That's where he you know I don't know he's a product visited environment Well, he was racist sounds like it and yes The answer is yes. He was in that instance. It was it's proven So in this private moment that he thinks he's having with Bubba's wife cameras are rolling and audio is rolling and he's

he's basically caught using the n-word over and over again and He's canceled right he's cancelled. Right he's fired from the WWE as it is known at that time. Yes and so that's the end of Hulk and we're never gonna hear from Hulk again but wait we will because America loves a comeback especially from racism and Hulk sort of comes back and does not quite an apology tour because he doesn't really apologize or own up to his mistakes.

He more is upset that he was, you know, he's more mad that he was caught, you know, and then he got that lawsuit and he sort of felt vindicated by that and it was sort of like you could sort of sweep that language that he used under the you know, and it's interesting because Hulk Hogan, you go back to the rise of Hulk Hogan and it's Hogan and Mr. T. So it's like how could he be racist? You know, he was buddies with Mr. T. How could he be racist? He was hanging with the junkyard dog. Like, that's, that's when you're a wrestling fan trying to justify this, right? Right. But clearly the human being and the character are two different people.

Well, I mean, the union busting, looking out for himself, the, the racism, and then there's another chapter we'll get to in a moment here, uh, speaks to, like, he's not a guy I want to go have a Great Lakes beer with. Yeah exactly. Like he's not the guy we were sold in the 80s we were sold and this is similar to Trump who we're gonna talk about in a moment but like he's a showman who presents this false persona and that's showbiz. And we ate it up because we were young and naive. I've heard people make comparisons like Johnny Carson and other people that had these public personas and behind the scenes they were not what you think they were.

You know, I don't have indications from that Hulk Hogan was like a nightmare to deal with. But you know, listen, he was definitely said a lot of racist things and it's hard to forgive your hero for that, right? And America loves a comeback. Like I said, he ends up coming back to WWE and he gets, you know,

it's a long enough time in past that people forget or forgive or don't care anymore. And he's getting sort of cheered again, but not completely. It's never really the same again. You know, there's a segment of the audience that will not forgive him. And there's a segment of the locker room, not just black, that will not forgive him for this and still to this day, you hear current sort of wrestlers from the last 10, 15 years that just do not like Hulk Hogan because of that. And that's, that's totally fair. Uh, he felt, you know, there's specifically black wrestlers

that like felt like he did not apologize and he should not even be around them. And they're right, you know, he did not handle that right. And it's like similar to Trump and Ric Flair and others that get caught in the crossfire of scandals instead of owning up to it and apologizing, they sort of put the blame elsewhere and try to like deflect instead of owning it.

You know, there was a famous episode of Dark Side of the Ring with a plane ride from hell where Ric Flair was accused of doing things on a drunken plane that ended up not being great for him. He could have just come out and said, hey, this was 20 years ago, we were wasted drunk. I'm embarrassed of that behavior. That's not who I am. I'm out and said, hey, this was 20 years ago. We were wasted drunk. I'm embarrassed of that behavior. That's not who I am.

I'm ashamed of my like, he could have done that and owned it. And instead he didn't. And Hulk could have done the same thing. You could have owned it and been like, you know what? This is terrible. I have, I'm so ashamed of myself or whatever. That just never happened. So there's been this sort of on, you know, know there's a the last chapter of Hulk Hogan's life the last 10 years

is filled with unresolved beef. It's a lack of better words with his family with his friends you know produce beefcake in him hadn't spoken in a long time with the wrestling world so to speak his you know, produced beefcake and him hadn't spoken in a long time with the wrestling world so to speak. His, you know, then he shows up at the Republican convention which, you know, he probably thought he was doing a good thing for his buddy Donald but, you know, half the country hates that guy. So it's like you're really putting yourself in a polarizing sort of you're putting yourself under the microscope by doing that and you know that was one of

the final sort of career decisions he made and then he comes out in January this year the Netflix premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw on Netflix they bring out Hulk the show is in Los, which is not a red state. Oh, you're playing that? This is January 6th, right? Holy, holy hell! Holy hell, Ian! Brother!

The hits just keep on coming! With Jimmy Hart! As you can hear, it's like mixed reaction here. This is January 2025. If it wasn't for Logan, we would not be here tonight. That's true. Rick D'Angelo is still alive at this time. Just listening for the booze. Now that's right there. That tells you everything you need to know. Hulk's coming out as a good guy to do his victory lap and the crowd is shitting all

over him in Los Angeles. And this is sadly his final appearance, I believe, in front of a wrestling crowd. Now, you know, you know, so he heavily endorses Donald Trump, of course, when he was running in 2024. He spoke at the 2024 Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, you know, and okay, so this is the final appearance, WWE appearance of Paul Colvin, you know, poetic. And that's booed, which is kind of poetic. And that's it. And then within six months he's dead.

Wow. Okay. So I find it a fascinating complicated look. I mean, we really did like a Cole's Notes, Cliff's Notes version of his story, but I feel like we accurately covered it. The man has to be credited for putting wrestling on the map and being the biggest star there was, but you know, he's like everybody else, he's flawed and deeply flawed compared to others. And you know, when you're put up on a pedestal as a hero and you take on that role, you really,

you know, everything's, everything's on the table you really you know everything's everything's on the table did you know what I mean by that you put you when you become that famous you can't afford to fuck up and Hogan fucked up and people did not forgive him for that and I'm not just talking about in his personal life I'm talking about the public persona of Hulk Hogan he just got booed by wrestling fans in his last appearance and that tells you everything you need to know about the complicated sort of relationship that people have with this guy. I'm still sad. I'm sad that he's gone. I'm sad that his legacy was torn. And I'm disappointed

by another one of my heroes growing up. and it's sad that our generation has all of these heroes that turned out to be fucking scumbags not that i'm calling people a scumbag specifically but many are i mean you're talking about bill cosby for example you can you can paint a brush oj simpson yeah those are great two great examples are kelly sure well he may have been more of your hero than mine but you know what I'm saying it's just like he did he the people that were up on a pedestal for us they weren't as good as we thought they were and and and human beings just aren't as good as that we think they are you know I'm sure

everybody listening here has regrettable things that they have said done been a part of But we're not in the spotlight like Hulk or one of these other folks. Yes. I agree if you 100% But definitely just I'm there's I'm in no way Endorsing or justifying what he did or what he said. I think it's disgusting, appalling, should not be, you know, if he's going to be forgiven, it's got to be by everybody or nothing. It's like an all or nothing sort of situation and he was not forgiven. It's one thing to make a mistake and then learn from it and then work on yourself to improve as a human being and a member of this society but by all accounts this was a not a nice dude a bad dude who didn't seem to ever own it and make amends and never any the final chapter of Hulk Hogan is him endorsing

Donald Trump for president in the United States of America like it just seems a heel turn in real life but it seems like he was a heel the whole time he could have been now I honestly don't believe that he thought that that was a heel moved endorsing Trump, because that's obviously politically what he believed was the right thing to do. So, you know, that's that's just a choice. Remarkable. That's just a choice that was not a good marketing choice for him. You know, Michael Jordan always said, you know, both sides buy running shoes. That's why he doesn't endorse the side.

You know, Hulk Hogan wasn shoes. That's why he doesn't endorse a side. You know, Hulk Hogan wasn't selling shoes anymore, I guess. But, you know, it's sad. It's truly sad. Well, once you're outed as a racist, you belong to the Republican party. It's interesting because you think of that generation, the boomer generation, especially in the South,

in the States, people who grew up in, you know, Georgia, Florida, you know, and around the south in the fifties and sixties. It's a racist America that these guys grew up in. And Trump is that age and they're all like that. The good news is, sadly and good news, is that that generation is dying out. Like the- I know people can change, right?

Like you could be raised by racist parents and then you can you know you mentioned a couple of the product of your environment and I've heard this excuse but as an adult the onus is on you to be better I agree oh my dad beat me so I'd be right and so those people that are missing you know you can't look at them professional wrestlers for moral compass right to make the right or like Charles Barkley yeah I'm not a role model like you can't you know but we did because that's what was pushed on us by by big you know big media pushed these guys on right you know Arnold Schwarzenegger was doing steroids right Sylvester Stallone come

on like they all were our baseball player heroes of that era we're all doing steroids and they were all probably saying racist shit and sexist shit and committing all sorts of things that like would be regrettable and thank God that for For them there was no social media, but I will kind of wish there was because then we'd know a lot more about who we were Propping up as a hero. I'm not here to tear down a man that just died yesterday. Okay, I'm here to you Well, I'm here by co- we're talking'm here by coincidence because I was booked to be here today and Hulk Hogan happens. It was not about tearing down a guy who died yesterday, but it would be irresponsible to celebrate him as his popular beloved wrestler and gloss over the fact that he was a racist, hundred busting Trump.

A hundred percent. Indisputable three facts. I agree with you. the fact that he was a racist, union-busting Trump-er. 100% Those are indisputable three facts. I agree with you. Union-busting racist Trump-er. Completely agree with you. And I'm not glad he's dead, but at the same time, I can't just live in this 1985. No, of course not.

Where I would get excited when he would play that role of hulking up. And the Hulk Hogan apologist would point to all the good that he did, you know, all of the make-a-wish and all the charities and all the stuff that he did. That's what they would say. And he should get credit for that type of stuff. But that doesn't erase, like I said, if he's not, it's an all or nothing kind of thing, forgiveness. You know, you have to be forgiven by everybody for it to count and he didn't redeem him there was no

redemption no redemption you know that's the sad part you know you can fuck up in life you can make mistakes people love a good comeback story look at what's his name Robert Downey jr. yeah this guy was on drugs like breaking into someone's house and they found him sleeping in a closet And now look at him, you know, it's like people loved redemption and Hulk That's the part that he was missing. He didn't have that redemption arc to his story where people were like Oh, yeah, we do like him and we do forgive him that never happened and that's sad and it's sad with how many Relationships strained relationships he had that just will never will never keep we repaired

he's gone now I'm sad that Hulk Hogan's gone I'm not you know I and that's because of me not because of him I'm sad because it just makes me you had good memories yeah it makes me feel rings Ringside, WrestleMania 6, these are memories that you can never forget. It makes me feel mortal. You know what I mean? It makes me feel like I'm getting, you know, and a landslide comes back down, you know? And I'm looking at you, you're definitely on steroids. Yeah. I'm getting older, you know, children get older, I'm getting older too, whatever those lyrics are. I'm saying that like when these things happen,

then we'd sort of look at reflect back on our own childhood in our own past and these were beloved guys. These were posters that were on our wall. And this is it had not when we were kids, we didn't know that he was saying these things and doing. It's like Roberto Alomar, right? Sure. Roberto Alomar, I had Roberto Alomar was a hero of mine, a greatest position player in Blue Jays history. I thought, you know, five tool superstar Hall of Famer, Roberto Alomar, two World Series championships.

What a hero. You know, that's, I was so excited to meet Roberto Alomar. Yeah. There's an example where sometimes, you know, you don't want to meet your heroes. Yeah, they say don't meet your heroes. Although he's very nice to me. For that reason, probably. It's got to be. Yeah, they say don't meet your hero. Although he's very nice to me for that reason, probably.

Right. It's sad that Hulk Hogan is gone. And for me personally, I have my another little anecdote to drop. Yeah. You know, one of the more famous sort of credits in my repertoire. Oh, I want to have a note here. OK. And I was sharing on I know you're not on blue sky, but I shared a photo, a screen cap from this movie. Stu, I'll set it up by saying this. What is the most well-known movie you've ever been in?

Donnie Darko. Donnie Darko, you're in Donnie Darko. Correct. And there's this great scene on Halloween, right? There's a great scene on Halloween, and the movie takes place in 1988, and I'm playing Donnie's best friend, Ronald Fisher, Ron Fisher.

Right. And in the script we're supposed to be going to a Halloween party and we are you know in the script it's like and Ronald is dressed like a clown and Steve is dressed like a Viking and this one is dressed like you know it's just like Halloween costumes. And when I got to set that day and I saw the costume that they were giving me, I was like, you know what? If this was 1988, I wouldn't have dressed up like this. And they're like, well, what would you have been? And I was trying to think, like, I would probably in 88, I probably would have been like either maybe like Walter Payton or Hulk Hogan. I would probably have a headband that said Sweetness and like the Chicago Bears.

Or I would be Hulk Hogan. And they were like, well, which one would you do? I'm like Hulk Hogan. No doubt about it. Like in 88, that would be my costume. And they were like, well, if you can, you know, we're shooting in like half an hour. If you can throw this together, like go for it. So I run around like a madman. I go to the wardrobe department. I find a yellow, they have a yellow undershirt and I get them to write Ronald mania on the shirt in red, instead of hulkamania. And I, they find the whole outfit.

Then I go to the makeup trailer and I, you you know they have like wig and I find a mustache and I get them to make me the thing and for the rest of the movie I am Hulk Hogan and I'm riding bikes and I'm smoking cigs or whatever the hell the character is doing and I'm right dressed as Hulk Hogan and it's so amazing and in WWE magazine years later they published a list of like the top pop culture references with wrestling and there was a picture of like the top pop culture references with wrestling and there was a picture of me with the Hulk Hogan outfit on this list. You did that. Which blew my mind. Wow. So you know that's my connection to the Hulk

as far as you know cinema goes where it's like in Donnie Darko I dressed up as Hulk Hogan and I insisted on it. So there you go. But you know listen it's over the story of Hulk Hogan is over. Hulkamania will live forever for those who were fans of Hulkamania. You know, it's a tragic tale, a cautionary tale to do better, to be better. You know, if you're gonna represent yourself as, you know, a hero, you got to act like one. You know, it can't just be a gimmick. You know, if you hear it, being a hero you got to act like one you know it can't just be a gimmick you know if you hear it being a hero is not a gimmick and you can't take that

lightly you know if you're gonna sign up for the role of being a hero for kids that comes with a lot of responsibility you didn't see Fred Rogers doing cocaine and and in steroids behind the scenes and using the N-word maybe but no. Remember that great scene when he shared the little swimming course? I love that. Amazing. My point is though you know you if you if you're gonna take on that role it comes with responsibilities that are above and beyond and obviously most people can't live up to it in the end and Hulk is certainly one of those folks so he's gone he won't be forgotten he'll be remembered fondly

by some unfundly by many more for me personally I'll remember the good years that we had with Hulk and I'll be disappointed in how it ended and I'll be angry and upset with things that he did and said and that's it's a complex it's complex it's no different than my father or anybody else that you lose right it's complex and Hulk is a complex guy and thank you for the wrestling memories portion of it and it's just sad that you know all these guys are gone and even Hawke only 71 years old that's not old now Stu I really really appreciated the fact you gave me almost 90 minutes on Hulk Hogan and I have more I'm hoping

you'll stick around would you do another 30 minutes of like rapid fire some other stuff so I'm gonna quickly check out the live stream we've been live at live. Toronto Mike calm and I want to recognize some FOTMs who are there for the return of FOTM Hall of Famers, Stu Stone. And then I wanna thank some partners of the program that helped fuel this real talk. And then I'm gonna do rapid fire quick hits with you, if you don't mind.

I pulled a clip I mentioned of Scotty Mack and I wanna get that story too. So I wanna say hello to Mike, who just went woo with an exclamation mark. Okay, Canada Kev says welcome back Stu and he says hi everyone always love a Stu episode even if it's about wrestling okay tie guy says what is Stu's job description for Dark Side of the Ring producer grip best boy what is your job title over there some seasons I was given a producer credit. Most recently they're calling me the documentary director.

Uh, so producer director. Okay. Mike says, uh, I saw Mr. T at Honest Eds in 1984. That's funny. That's probably the same time that he was. He probably went to Toys R Us then drove downtown to Honest Eds. Wasn't he filming TNT here? He was. So he probably spent a lot of time here. Carlos Delgado is on the live stream. Really? like a Barclay guy that's funny because you

were I guess that's when you said you had rooted against Michael Jordan you know my favorite player back then was Kevin Johnson who is also who's also flawed as a being in real life if you look him up but you know Phoenix Suns when Barclay and Kevin Johnson and they went to the finals against Jordan boy that was my chance to see to see Michael lose and he didn't happen did not happen no six for six hey ref says welcome back Toronto Mike did you know this is my first recording you know we just went which is the longest period of time you'll find in the calendar where there's no Toronto Mike episodes I did a micu entry. I dropped it like Sunday night,

but I haven't recorded since last Friday. So it was good to do this with you, Stu. And we're not done yet. Cam Brio is here. He's like the original Foss as far as I'm concerned. He says, hello, Stu. What's up, buddy? And he says, boys with, oh, he's, I'm gonna, there's a lot of Cam Brio here, but I'm going to just say, Andy says, Stu is so great at this because he actually made me feel a bit of sympathy for this Terrible person, you know, it's and you're allowed to feel sympathy for terrible people It's like that doesn't make you a bad person, you know, it's like Words are very bad that Hulk said Well, they were blatantly racist.

100%. And so you should not forgive him for that. Imagine judging someone because of the color of their skin. It's awful. I don't. It's fucking awful. But he's a flawed guy. It's like I'm saying it's like. Well, Camprio says because I think we talked about Hogan and Mr. T maybe, but he said Hogan just needed T as an endorsement for his crappy beer brand

He was it was a business transaction could have been and then Canada Kev says forgive is okay, but never forget I agree and tie guy says god. I love Stu Stone. I love tie guy. Thank you for the love. Okay, uh-huh Canada Kev says blink twice if there is a next season of Dark Side of the Ring Canada camp says blink twice if there is a next season of Dark Side of the Ring I'll have to check the tape later and Moose grumpy says I made it all the way through the wrestling talk and now she's ready For the rapid-fire so for many listeners, they love you so much. They'll even listen to wrestling talk. Thank you The real show is our intention. I was booked to be here. It was in the calendar for a month So Hogan died yesterday that changed the course of what we were remember it was originally going to be here. It was in the calendar for a month. So Hogan died yesterday. That changed the course of what we were going to talk about. Do you remember it was originally going to be

yesterday that he might've been recording while Hogan died. Imagine that. So I was offline completely. So there were major celebrity deaths. We'll touch on a couple of them in a minute. That happened when I was offline and I never all year round, I'm never offline except for the camping trip I do every summer. So I'm offline. But yesterday I was returning the car I borrowed. I borrowed this Ford Explorer because I needed a room and you know, four of us and a bunch of camping gear that went to the pinery. It was amazing. By the way, everything was perfect.

And I'm returning the car and I'm listening to Indy 88 because my buddy toast co-host Bob will let us on Indy 88. But it's actually Adam who's an FOTM who's on Indy 88. And he says, breaking news, he said, Hulk Hogan just died. And I'm driving this car, it's just Mississauga to return it. And then I'm going to bike home because the bike's in the back. And I'm like, Oh my God, like Hulk Hogan is dead. And then I realized our episode would be very, very different. So I'm going to thank some partners too. And we're going to get to this rapid fire to save the show for the Andes and the moose grumpies and everybody I

Gotta get you stu stone to Christy Pitts to take in some Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. Oh, yeah I've got the history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. It's a book for you stu stone. You'd love it man High caliber baseball no ticket required you grab yourself a hot dog get a Leafs lager Just soak it in in the city. What a hot dog, get a Leafs lager, just soak it in, in the city. What value? Christie Pitts, Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. Are you there every game? Not every game. You and the snowman? But I do have a snowman's right now in Malmo, Sweden. He's got a he's at a festival there tomorrow night. I chatted with his manager lawyer Paul Farberman this morning. Okay, Paul Farberman was a guest on Nick Aini's his show Nick Aini's has a show called building success and we had Paul Farberman on but Paul was actually in Copenhagen

Because I guess I'm good to Copenhagen. This is true Malmo Sweden and Copenhagen are very very close So they're hanging out in Copenhagen for this concert at Malmo. I want to talk to you about snow in a minute So I'm going to just thank a couple more sponsors here and then we're going to cook with gas. You know we drink Great Lakes beer on this program. Stu, that's our beer of choice, Great Lakes beer. You know that, right? God bless him. And we only eat Palma pasta. That's our diet is basically Great Lakes and Palma pasta, delicious Italian food. Thank you to Palma pasta. Thank you to Great Lakes beer. We talked

about Hulk Hogan who died yesterday, shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. Ridley Funeral Home only sells Canadian caskets. They're proud to say, yeah, it's from a Northern casket. That's what they offer to their families. They are proudly Canadian and they support Canadian companies. That's great.

So if you're talking to funeral homes. And you need a Canadian casket. Well, ask, are they only it's like Canadian I'm actually like, you know Canadian tire and then you have like a store Canadian casket You got it buddy. You got it. You know how this works recycle my electronics dot ca another great Canadian company Uh go there put in your poster code and find out where to drop off your old devices your old cables All your uh, your old, uh, you know laptops and phones you drop it off there, Recycle My Electronics dot C-A. I would like to tell you about an event happening on the waterfront. This is

happening soon. It's called the Haberi Africa Festival. You celebrate African culture in Toronto. It's an incredible cultural experience. Haberi Africa is a vibrant multi-disciplinary African arts festival. It's returning to Toronto. It's free. All ages are welcome. It's a fantastic weekend of rich art, tastes and the sounds from the African continent. Sounds great. So don't miss this unique festival happening on the waterfront coming up soon. I should have brought the date down here, except I know it's happening in like early August and uh,

celebrate African culture in Toronto. Let me play this for you. It's Scotty Mack on this program very recently. Now this is the same league that Stu Stone is, that's a force mention. I'm going to document this one. Stu and his co-general manager, Ryan Pasternak and I just made a trade a few nights ago. So to be competitive in this and are you allowed to speak to the controversy or no? Like we had a chat before I pressed record.

Well I'll speak to the controversy but I won't name names. You don't have to name names. I'll name names. So tell us that. Why can't we name names? So it's just a really difficult thing for a listener is like what the hell are these two idiots talking about? But but the best worried about that in the past the best team The best team in the league by record right now. We're at the trade deadline. So we play 78 games

The trade deadline is after your 51st game. So you play 26 three game series. Yeah. Through the year, one series per week. You have 13 opponents in a 14 team league. So you play one series at home and one series on the road against each team in the league. 26 times three, 78 games. So we're all approaching or at the end of our 51st game, so 17 weeks into the season.

So we're at the trade deadline and the team currently with the best record in the league just traded the league's best player, Aaron Judge, to the team that has clearly had the most success through our four plus year history and to the owner of said team and is easily the most adept at this game because he has the most experience with his game and so it

caused some rank holds feelings and certainly made my final days drive of the three-day drive from Halifax to Toronto interesting as the league was all worked up. Name names, Stu. What are we talking about here? Okay, so I'm a part of this league where the which is was it's called the ISO League and it was started by Mike Willner. FOTM Mike Willner. And Mike it's a, it's based on this board game like Dungeons and Dragons,

but for baseball I'll call it. And in the eighties, it was called pursue the pen. And it was a board game, a dice game that was like Dungeons and Dragons, but for baseball. I'm not much unlike the same as like a Pokemon game or magic, the gathering, like where you have cards that have different values you know it's a game right you with me? I'm with you. My father used to sell this game at his store Sluggers Pursue the Penent and across the street from Sluggers was a restaurant Lime Ricky's where Mike Willner worked. Wow. And so Mike may have even gotten the board game from the store. So like probably. So when

Mike and I are just having a casual conversation we bring he brings up Pursue the Pen and all of a sudden it strikes a call. I haven't heard that in forever. And Mike Willner is in Jack of all trades. He is. So when me and Mike when he brings up Pursue the Pen and I'm like oh my god I mean my friend Ryan used to play that game and we used to have the game and nobody, I've never heard anybody else say that. He's like, well, there's an online version of it and we have a league and you know, you should get, you should join it. And I did. I feel like Cam Gordon should have joined it too, because he's like a baseball.

Surprised he didn't. Yeah, he's, he's, I was, that was a bad decision on his part. So it is sort of like, Willner's league is sort of like a, it's sort of a celebrity league. Well, can you name drop? We know Stu Stoneman and Scottie Mack is in it and we know Mike Willard is in it. It's a lot of sports personalities, a lot of big sports writers, some other people from the entertainment world. I'm not going to out everybody, but I will speak about this

specific trade. Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers played dice game and it was in the on his Netflix Aaron judge yeah was traded to somebody who keeps winning can I make it I mean we can all read between the lines yes that person is who is it that's Mike Wilner of course so Mike Wilner acquired at the trade deadline Aaron judge yes from a guy whose team was in first place Nick from he's the he plays for the Arkells a member of the Nick, from he plays for the Arkells.

A member of the Arkells. Yes. Nick from the Arkells. Correct. Traded Aaron Judge to Mike Willner. He did. And it sent shockwaves through the league because it was like the rich getting richer.

Like of all the people that could get Aaron Judge, it's gotta be Mike Willner who always wins and always has the best players. Is there some accusations or suspicions that there's a, some kind of conspiracy or collusion here? There's no collusion, but like, Mike is a very, very stringent negotiator.

He does, he's relentless. You know, he'll try to sell you a flat tire for your car and you'll probably end up buying it. Like the guy, if he didn't do baseball and radio and Toronto Star, he could have been a great salesman. He could sell snow to a snowman. He could sell snow to Darren O'Brien. Oh, I'm gonna ask you about him in a minute.

But, but Wilner is just very relentless. So I have no doubt that like Wilner just used his superpowers to like make this trade happen. And it sent shockwaves to the leagues. There's people that were really upset about it and you know what like Mike is a good guy and he you know he's just trying to play the game and he happened to be he got he made a good trade for him and people were pissed and there was a lot of tension for a couple days like the league was very upset

about this trade. Of course it's all settled down now this probably will stoke the fire up a bit that I came on Here and did this but how do you stewstone feel about this trade? I was upset about it at first because it was like fuck Willner like Willner just got Aaron judge The best card in the game like the Charizard Up to get Aaron judge he gave up. I think it was their market value Maybe does the guy from the Arkells know baseball as well as you guys? Yes, yes he does. Okay so he's not gonna be duped? I don't think he was duped I just think that Willner just pulled off a trade and

people were pissed. Are there any other celebrities? I said to Mike listen if the New York Yankees, you're the New York Yankees Mike, and if the Yankees land Babe Ruth people are gonna be pissed even if it was a fair trade like you have to accept that you have to accept the fact that that's who you are you're the Yankees here and so you're in a league with a bunch of sports writers like they're gonna react to the Yankees getting Aaron Judge so that's kind of what I said to him. And I'm sort of known as sort of the class clown in this league and I'm making mostly, you know, I'm pretty jokey and like to keep things light. And I managed to continue that trend even through all this controversy.

Oh, hey, He passed away too. Are we getting into that? Yeah, I mean you can wind down. I just have to point out one quick thing about Wilner. Yeah, go ahead. Wilner was on your show this year. Yeah. He talked some shit about me, okay? He said that I'm like a Ross Atkins apologist,

and you were right there fucking agreeing with him, Mike. But you know what? I still- Mike, you were agreeing with him. And you were be know it I might know you were agreeing with him You were saying you guys were out there saying that like, you know, I don't know what I'm you know And I'm just what place are the blue Jays in right now irrelevant. What place are the blue Jays in today? But how is that relevant? I just want to know what I still believe we can all have a rational conversation I just want to know what places they in. I still believe you cannot have a rational conversation with Stu Stone about Ross Atkins.

What place are the Jays in right now? First. What place are they in the American League East, Mike? First. What place are they in the whole American League? First. First. How many games out are they from having the best record in the entire league?

I don't know. Half a game. Okay. But it is, what day is it, Stu Stone? It doesn't matter. How many playoff games have they won since 2016 this guy knows what he's doing Mike? God, he's it's like This team is magic and clawed Toronto You are so wrong. The Blue Jays are an Unbelievable team to watch right now. So exciting and guess what Mike and Mike Wilner

It's the same fucking team that was out there last year the same guys that Ross trounced out there last year are literally the best team in Baseball the most exciting to watch the best approach There's no superstars here I speak on my own show, Stu Stone. Every day, one through nine, somebody new contributes. It is a fucking amazing story watching this team and kudos to Ross Atkins.

If I may. Fuck the haters. Do you believe, Stu Stone, you can be critical and fair with regards to moves made by Ross Atkins? Yes. Okay, give me Willner on line two. That's the biggest lie I've heard.

There was an article that came out in Willner's very own Toronto Star that broke down trade deadline deals that Ross Atkins has made since he's taken over the helm. And he has won every single trade that he made at the trade deadline. Every single one. So the facts are true right now on July... Name a prospect that he traded that turned out to be some kind of big thing. I'm asking if you can be fair and,

can you be fair and critical of Ross Atkins? I can, I can. Decisions on, for the Toronto Blue Jays. And I think he's made the right ones. Or are you such tight friends with him? No, this is friendship aside. That you wear rose colored glasses when you see. This guy is smarter, he's smarter than you he's smarter

than me he knows what he's doing or he wouldn't be there he is a baseball expert we are baseball fans okay well the minute you start thinking like a playoff start because I'm not watching you're a negative person your name is Toronto Mike you should be supporting Toronto you should be supporting and you should be all in on this Blue Jays team You should get on the wagon because you sir. It's like you're wrong here. You are wrong here. There's something magical happening I made a choice for myself that I have no regrets I can tell you my oldest daughter for my birthday bought me Blue Jays tickets

So soon I will see my first Blue Jays game of the season. You will love it Yeah, maybe. And look at the renovations they did down there. The stadium is amazing. Great job in the renovations. I will, I think I'm morphing to be quite honest. I am morphing into a high stakes sports watcher. That's fair. Which is to say that I watch the NFL playoffs, but I don't watch the NFL regular season. I don't watch a lot of regular season NHL or NBA or MLB. You're dumb. Okay, I'm dumb. Yeah, you know, there are people out there who don't follow sports at all.

That's fine, but you are Toronto Mike. Okay, Toronto is in your fucking name. I'm not an ambassador for all things Toronto. You are. You are. You are. You're on CNN Mike. You're an ambassador to this country, okay? Whether you like it or not. You are put in this hero, you have this hero role that Hulk Hogan also had. And you are showing your warts and all by not supporting this Toronto Blue Jays team. And let me tell you why you should be. Okay? But I don't even miss it. Like I actually could watch.

I actually don't miss it at all. You are missing something special. Okay? Let me explain it to you. Let me explain it to you real quick. Okay? Sure. This is like the Bad News Bears, or the fucking owned by Rogers. Mighty Ducks. I'm talking about a team with there are no superstars on this team right now

that are head and shoulders above the rest. You have every single player contributing. You have minor leaguers getting called up contributing. You have names you've never heard of contributing. every night someone new is a hero, they keep finding ways to win, they keep putting hits together, they have nobody that's in the top ten in home runs, they have nobody in the top ten in RBI's, none of their pitchers are in the top ten of anything. This is a team effort like we've never seen. The only comparable I can make is to the San Francisco Giants teams that won World Series is in the

last decade where there was no one on the team that hit 20 home runs and they won a couple World Series championships well let's win a World Series let's win let's win a playoff game before we get all excited here you are just like that line from Reservoir Dogs. You're a negative person Mike. You're a negative person. Let's not start negative person. Mike. Yeah, you're a negative person I played a theme from the Cosby show. Yes, because Malcolm Jamelle Warner passed away while I was camping while I was swimming in Lake Huron. He was He drowned an accidental drowning awful terrible He's only in his 50s not much older than I was but I was looking at his IMDB credits because I'll admit I've only seen him in the Cosby show

Okay, that's my admission and just real quick, you know, this kind of fits in with the Hulk stuff that we were talking about the Cosby show was As big as it gets it was the biggest sitcom in the 80s I think like there was not you know, everybody watched it. I did watch a lot of the Cosby Show. Yeah, until the Simpsons came along. The Cosby Show was the show. Right. Did you know Malcolm Jamell Warner,

who played Theo Huxtable, he was a voice of the producer character on the Magic School Bus? Did I know that? Yeah. Of course I knew that. Okay, well, so how how can you share a little bit for the unreanointed? Who were you on the Magic School Bus and,

isn't that interesting you were on a show together? Yes. Because you were never on an episode of the Cosby Show. No, I wanted to be. Only 902 and 0. Yes, true. I was on the Magic School Bus. I was the character Ralphie, the guy with the red baseball cap and the R on his shirt.

Big character. Easy to identify. Easily the most handsome character in the class. Absolutely. Ralphie, that was me. I did all the episodes of that show and then even appeared on the reboot as adult characters later on in life. But the original series, Malcolm Jamal Warner was on the show. He was on every episode. At the end of every episode, do you remember like the He-Man shows?

At the end they would be like, they would teach you a lesson or G.I. Joe. Yes, I do. Or G.I. Joe would be like, you know, knowing is half the battle. 100%. They would teach a kid a lesson. Yeah.

So at the end of every Magic School bus, they had that sort of interstitial where there was a character who was played by Malcolm Jamal Warner, who was the producer of the show who would be going over whatever lesson you should alert. Like, did you happen to catch that lesson? You know, don't talk to strangers or whatever it was yeah it was more that was Malcolm Jamal Warner it was more scholarly than don't talk to strangers because magic school bus was like a like an educational show but I Got a chance to to record with him and it I was so starstruck

You know like because for me even though Lily Tomlin is miss Frizzle my age Didn't we were no Malcolm Jamal Warner was the star right we wanted to meet Malcolm Jamal Warner Lily was cool, but like that our parents like Lily Tomlin We wanted to meet Malcolm, so what a cool guy And so many good memories of him for sure on the Cosby show. But that's a show where we watched it in the 80s, much like we were watching Hulk Hogan.

But today it's got a whole different vibe to it because of what we learned about the star of that show. But definitely Theo when he got his ear pierced. I watched a lot. Like I was a big family ties guy. When he bought that shirt, the gold shirt with the pocket, that was the best one. And now you got Ozzy. What a week, man. Tears and laughs and smiles Just remember that it's all for you Don't forget me as the colors fade

When the lights go down it's just an empty stage Okay Yes, I've been better an empty stage. Okay. Yes, I've been a bad guy. Been higher than the blue sky. And the truth is I don't wanna die I'm not an angry man. I've been... Ozzy Osbourne, man, what is Stu Stone's personal relationship like with The Ozmen?

Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan have similar kind of like trajectories, like almost parallel to each other, like the rise of each of them. Obviously Black Sabbath is, you know, an anomaly. But if you think about the 80s, you know know when Hulk Hogan was being pushed as this hero to us On the flip side of that Hasi Osborne was the devil himself of darkness He was like the guy as a kid you were terrified He like it bit the bat off the head off of a bat or whatever was going around the schoolyard

Yeah, that was a terrifying guy that would like eat your children and we were scared of him. He was terrifying. He seemed dangerous. He seemed, I remember thinking he sounded, he seemed dangerous. Like he was like Charles Manson if Charles Manson was like a singer. And he did a song about Charles Manless. Uh, you're coming home. There's blood on the walls and Charlie and his family. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He did a song on no rest for the wicked. You know, we thought that, you know, and we thought that Ozzy was the scariest guy on earth, you know? And later on Ozzy

would, just like Hulk, he would get in a reality show, the Osbournes, and that's where sort of America got to see another side of Ozzy that was a lot more lovable and fun, and not like biting off the head off a bat. And you know, people fell in love with Ozzy. Well he was just an ordinary man and that's the name of the song I'm playing. Yeah. Ozzy was just an ordinary man playing a character. Yeah and it's like like it's very similar sort of story there minus the racist stuff but Ozzy is... Which is a significant difference. I don't think Ozzy broke up any unions or... No but Ozzy Osbourne, his popularity obviously you know the Osbournes changed television forever. You know, that's the first sort of reality show that like was head and shoulders above the rest.

They were the first... that family held off and made MTV pay them like 20 million dollars, some crazy amount of money. And they changed the game. They opened up the door for what we see today, good or bad, whether you like reality TV or not, the Osborns were there. And of course, you know, changes is such a great song. No Osborns, no Hogan knows best. Of course. No Osborns, no blowing up probably, no anything. You know, Ozzy's somebody who I think was mischaracterized. You know, for a whole generation, he was this like, stay away from him, don't listen to him, he's bad. But when you listen now older,

it's like that marketing was brilliant, but at the same time, it sort of made some of us miss out on some great music. Like he's a, he actually is a great singer. And a lot of his songs are really good. This is a nice song. Yeah, he's not just... I picked the song because he's not just war pigs and paranoid and crazy train. Changes is a really great song.

Yes, great example of an outlier jam. If you're going through a down thing and you're listening, you could, that song could bring you to tears. No more tears, dude. You know, he had his like thing with Lita Ford. I remember that one. Yeah. But you know, Ozzy Osbourne is a legend. And the fact that he performed a couple weeks ago and then he just died.

It's it's like Gord tragically hip. It's like he knew. Do you think Ozzy knew? I don't think we have the answer to that question. He definitely knew it was the end of times, but I don't know. It almost sounds like maybe this was a scheduled made or something. I think we need more info here. Because he died a couple weeks, less than a couple weeks later. Yeah. Here's how we're going out, okay, Stu? Since you were last here... You and Snow have become best friends. The Blue Jays have become a first place team.

A lot has happened. Everything is upside down. Hulk Hogan died. Who would have thought when you were here last time, next time you're here, I'll be buddies of Snow. Jays will be in first place, and Hogan will be dead, and Ozzy will be gone. Ozzy will be gone, and Malcolm Jamel Warner as well. Tough week for the 80s, us 80s kids, losing a kid from the Cosby show, Ozzy Osbourne, and Hulk Hogan.

But this is Snow, still alive and well, he's performing in Sweden tomorrow night. What's your personal relationships to Stone with the Snowman? Well, I obviously was a fan back then. Like, you know, I was at dance parties in high school dancing to Informer, trying to impress the ladies with my running man or whatever I was doing at the time. But yeah, I did a movie called Vandits.

And in the movie is an actor named Francesco Antonio who plays Vini, he's a fantastic actor. And he himself is a musician who is signed to Snow's label. DKO. Right, Darren, whatever K stands for, O'Brien. Yes. Kenneth maybe? They all have these like sort of vests that they wear

and they have patches and it's like, it's a pretty cool, you know, it's a tight knit group of guys. That's part of that DKO family. And Snow came to the premiere of Vandit's and I got to talk to him and meet him then and I was very interested in his story and he loves to tell it and he tells it so well. Yes sir. And since then I've got to spend time with him a few more times. Most recently at the Trailer Park Boys premiere I was with him talking to him and he was telling me more crazy stories.

And I know that he was on your show and he tells you, he's a good storyteller. Good storyteller, yeah. And I'm surprised that there hasn't been a Snow movie and I was trying to get him to give me the opportunity to try to make that happen. Well, you know, I can broker that deal. You still want it?

I'm pretty sure it's already happening with way above my pay grade. I'm tight with his business manager slash lawyer. Barbz? Yes, Barbz? Yes, Barbz. Yeah. But Snow, yeah, he's definitely a fan of the Remarkable One.

Oh, I know. We talked about it. And he's coming back in September and we're going to talk a little more about that. Okay, well, listen, I'm a fan of Snow and he's definitely a guy who has contributed to the reggaeton movement as well. A lot of that is from Snow and he popularized a whole genre that like didn't exist before him. So good for him. I love that your buddies with Snow and shout out to the Snowman. Why were you unable to attend TMLX19 at Great Lakes Brewery?

Were you out of town? Yeah. Because Snow was there. Because snow was there. Yeah, I heard that. Would have been neat to. How did that go? It was excellent. Great turnout, great vibes, great Palma pasta food, great beer from Great Lakes, great night. It was perfect. I'm happy to hear that.

And hopefully, you know, my schedule one of these days will allow me to come and attend and give some hugs. Well, we got one coming up, babe. Yeah. In, I want to say- I'm penciled in. In September, you're penciled in. You're one of the 40. It's tmlx20 at GLB Brew Pub. Snow might make an appearance at this one too. Well, maybe

I'll be back here before then. Maybe I won't. Who knows? But I always love coming in chatting with you, Mike. It's one of my favorite pastimes is to come and chat with you. I love that you are the guy but I do think that you need to Open your heart to the Toronto Blue Jays. Message received. Because something magic is happening here. Message received. Shout out to...

I'm pretty checked out right now and it doesn't feel so bad So I might stay but I definitely would be going to a game with my daughter because she bought me a ticket for my birthday And I'm looking forward to that and I will absolutely tune in for Blue Jays playoff action. Great. And we'll see what happens you know I was a fan since 83. I didn't make this decision lately. They are really special right now. It wasn't a decision I'm gonna do this unless they finish in first place. Rest in peace Malcolm Jermell Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, and you know, Hulk Hogan is gone. Hulkamania lives on, but the man himself no longer is with us. And it's crazy that I'm the one that got to come and sort of memorialize Hulk Hogan. I can't think of a better person for this than the producer of Dark Side of the Ring.

You were the ideal guest for me to book when I learned Hulk Hogan had passed away. I love you, Mike, and I love love this experience and peace and love to all. What's the next film project from five? Seven films. Yes, well to be determined. A lot of good stuff happening, I'll tell you off Mike. Oh my god, off Mike. By the way, when Madsen died, my first thought was Reservoir Dogs co-star Chris Penn yeah in

your professional relationship of Chris Penn I was in a movie with Michael Madsen which one it was called fate a complete I think it was also called voodoo dawn in some markets but I met him but your Chris Penn movie was bigger bigger much bigger the boys what was it called boys club the boys club yeah Chris Penn nice guy Eddie brother of Michael Penn and Sean Penn. Yes. I didn't know Michael Penn was a Penn. Yes sir. That's uh, and Michael Penn. They're like the Baldwins. Was married, is married maybe to the Amy Mann from Till Tuesday. Oh yeah. And all that Magnolia music was uh. That's right. Those guys. Huh, who knew?

And that! And that, brother! Let me check out in the live stream. Everybody okay there? Oh, so somebody's using my account, but it's not me. This is probably my son Jarvis. It was great, Ty Guy. Oh, I went to one game. I went to a Blue Jay game,

but I only saw a couple of batters. I went with Tyler and Cam Gordon. We didn't watch any of that game. Shout out to Rob, by the way. This is awesome. Rob Butler? No. Yeah, him too. Rob Pruse. Yes. Bruce says, I made my decision, but I'm missing a great year. I'm okay with that. Don't worry

about me. Enjoy your Blue Jays baseball. I don't happen to miss it. Not a fan of this administration. You are missing out on some of the best. Not a fan of this ownership. You're dumb. That's a good way to end it. Not a fan of this administration. You are missing out on some of the best. You're dumb. That's a good way to end it. And that brings us to the end of our 1734th show. And that.

I am trying to get Dave Steben the Hall of Fame, by the way. That would be amazing. Go to torontomike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Toronto's Waterfront BIA, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, Recycle My Electronics FCA,

Building Toronto Skyline, and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all tomorrow, Monday.