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  • 2 days ago
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00:00I was just a boy, everybody told me
00:20What I should do, who I should be
00:24I never understood the kind of man I am
00:31I do my own thinking, got a lot of big plans
00:34Stand back
00:35Stand back
00:36In the world, ready for the power
00:41Never slowing down and I'm never gonna stop
00:44Along the way you're gonna see a lot of men drop
00:48Baby, watch them drop
00:50Baby, baby, head until the top
00:53Stand back
00:54Stand back
00:55Stand back
00:57Stand back
00:58Stand back
01:06Everyman burns out in there
01:20And the Hulk through at the moment
01:21Cleaning house with a hockey talk man
01:23Look at it
01:24Professional wrestling
01:25It's always been popular
01:27But lately it's been emerging from second-rate arenas
01:30To attract a whole new generation of fans
01:3384 and 85 was a very pivotal year in wrestling
01:37Things were changing rapidly
01:40WrestleMania 1 was very successful
01:43Vince was ahead of everyone when it came to understanding how to market
01:46And he had the more modern product
01:48And he had the bigger stars
01:50This one scorn pastime has grown so trendy that NBC will soon begin a regular late night television program
01:57Combining rock, comedy, and wrestling
01:59Saturday Night's main event was on NBC late night
02:03Whenever Saturday Night Live takes a break
02:05And it had a big impact on the perception of the business
02:10That was a real big deal to be on network television
02:15My love, my life, wrestling is on network television
02:20And look at that
02:20Oh my goodness
02:21Oh my god
02:24That was crazy
02:26Oh yeah
02:27Morgan scoops him up
02:29When you look at pivotal moments in our industry
02:34Saturday Night's main event was a huge coup
02:39So WrestleMania is this huge success
02:47And they start doing more TV shows
02:50More live shows
02:52Now they're out there every night touring the country
02:55But you're doing all of this on the backs of the wrestlers
03:00Who have to work twice as hard to make the business grow
03:03We wrestled seven days a week
03:06I don't know if people knew that or not
03:07We had no time off
03:09It was seven days a week
03:11Fifty-two weeks a year
03:12And so it was a pretty hard grind
03:14No, he's not going
03:16Oh, over the top
03:17I just wish they'd give me just a few more days off a year
03:20They could have been better at managing the schedule
03:24Especially in the late 80s when it was just a disaster
03:27The schedule now, I don't think it's that bad
03:32And they're on guaranteed contracts
03:33So they're not under the same pressure to reform while hurt
03:36In the 80s, if you were hurt and didn't wrestle
03:40You were not paid
03:42Because of that, you wrestled hurt all the time
03:46And the injuries got worse and worse and worse
03:47And you used painkillers
03:49It was brutal
03:51But at that time, it was about capturing the most amount of money
03:54And that is how they did it
03:56Wrestlers as a group were often exploited
04:01These wrestlers were not unionized
04:03They didn't have medical protection
04:06There was definitely a need for union wrestling
04:09That's what Jesse Ventura was trying to do
04:12Please welcome Jesse the Body Ventura
04:14Right before WrestleMania 2
04:18Jesse was trying to start a union and undermine Vince
04:22I'm here to make sure that Vince McMahon tells it like it is
04:26You know, I was on Vince McMahon's team all the way
04:28So I went straight to Vince
04:29I was like, hey, Jesse's stirring shit up, man
04:31You know, he's trying to start a union here
04:34And next thing you know, you're going to have a bunch of wrestlers walk out on you
04:37In Madison Square Garden
04:38And just want to let you know what's up
04:40Hulk Hogan double-crossed Jesse
04:42And ratted on all the guys that were trying to get a union going
04:45Hulk Hogan stewed him out
04:47Hogan ratted him out
04:48The whole thing was a sham
04:50It was something he pulled out of the air
04:53Mostly like
04:54Where should you get together
04:55And quite frankly, no one in the locker room
04:58Where did we get behind Jesse?
05:00So what Vince would do
05:01He called each wrestler one by one
05:03He's like, I know about the meeting
05:05Everybody that's show up for this meeting
05:06Would not have a job in the morning
05:08So nobody showed up
05:10It was almost always acknowledged
05:12That these guys will never go for it
05:14And these guys will never stick together
05:15And the wrestlers would tell me that too
05:17We say boycott Wrestlemania all together
05:20And then half the guys are going to go back and do it and undercut us
05:22Unionizing never happened
05:25And I think it's actually less likely to happen now
05:27Than it was right before Wrestlemania 2
05:29Wrestlemania 2
05:32But the world has come to
05:35Wrestlemania 1 was such a huge success
05:38So what do you do to top this?
05:40Oh, I know
05:42We'll have an event from New York
05:45We'll have one from Chicago
05:47We'll have one from LA
05:49Three shows in one day?
05:53Okay, it's kind of impressive
05:54Wrestlemania 2
05:56And the three cities
05:57That was a disaster
05:58To try to send a signal
06:00From three different cities
06:02It felt like we weren't in control
06:05You know, Vince could not be in all three places
06:08Beg your pardon?
06:09We have technical problems
06:10I just remember after that
06:11Vince goes, we'll never do that again
06:13You know?
06:15Wrestlemania 2 was a success
06:17In that it made money
06:18And that
06:19It wasn't a total catastrophe
06:21But even if it was a commercial success
06:25It wasn't a spectacle
06:27On the level of Wrestlemania 1
06:29So Wrestlemania 3 then
06:33Was like
06:33Hmm
06:34What am I going to do?
06:37I knew there was a very large stadium
06:39In Pontiac, Michigan
06:40It seats 93,000 people
06:43Or something like that
06:44It was almost like
06:45Wow
06:46Would you really do that?
06:48And I thought with the right attraction
06:50We could
06:51And that involved Andre the Giant
06:53Andre the Giant, ladies and gentlemen
06:55Is the only
06:56Undefeated
06:58Superstar in professional wrestling
07:00Hogan vs. Andre
07:02Another headbutt
07:04And Hogan is in trouble
07:05Even though they had met many times
07:07In the past
07:08In order to sell tickets
07:10We would sell it
07:11As if they had never met
07:12But
07:13I had to convince Andre
07:15To come back to the visit
07:16At the time
07:17Andre's health
07:18Was failing him
07:20He needed a crazy
07:22Back surgery
07:22As I recall
07:23Andre
07:25Did a film
07:26In the UK
07:27And just was going to
07:29Cash his chips in
07:30Done as much as I can
07:32Of the business
07:32I'm hurting
07:33I can't move
07:34I'm in pain
07:35So I went over
07:37In the middle of that film
07:38And he said
07:38Andre
07:39Here's what I want to do
07:39I want you to get the operation
07:41That you refuse to get
07:43And I want you to come back
07:45And I want you to draw
07:46The largest crowd
07:47That's ever been drawn
07:49How many seats boss?
07:5293,000
07:53He laughs
07:55So no Andre I'm serious
07:57You vs. Hogan
07:59With the way we can present this
08:01You as the heel
08:02Because he had never been
08:03A heel
08:04A bad guy
08:05He was always
08:05You know
08:06A baby face
08:07So he thought about it
08:09And um
08:10I'm okay
08:11I'll get the operation
08:12I'm there for one reason
08:15To challenge you
08:17For a world championship match
08:19In the Wrestlemania
08:20Are you
08:22Or are you
08:23Not
08:23Gonna fight him
08:25In Wrestlemania 3
08:26Yes or no
08:27Yeah
08:28It was such a
08:34Huge promotion
08:36They're talking about it
08:37Not only here
08:38But all over the world
08:39Heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan
08:40To defend his crown
08:42Against challenger Andre the Giant
08:44So great is the lure
08:46That Wrestlemania 3
08:47Will draw the largest audience
08:49Ever to witness
08:50An indoor sporting
08:51Or entertainment event
08:52In the history of the world
08:53We sold 93,000 seats
08:56We're expecting fans
08:58From France
08:58Germany
08:58Africa
08:59South America
09:00The Orient
09:00All over the world
09:02Ladies and gentlemen
09:04Welcome
09:04From Mike Richardson
09:07And welcome
09:11To Wrestlemania 3
09:14And now
09:17The Queen
09:19Of Soul
09:20Miss Aretha
09:23Franklin
09:24Oh beautiful
09:30Take a look Jesse
09:33It's unreal
09:34History will be made
09:35He shoots us up
09:36Into Pontiac Silverdome
09:38A little fever
09:39Just getting ready
09:40A shot in the blood
09:40Oh he brought it
09:42With a sleeper
09:43From behind
09:43With a cape
09:44He falls
09:45Oh he got it
09:46Boom
09:47He broke his guitar
09:48And now his couple
09:49Check shot
09:50He can't fall
09:51And fight
09:51On the end
09:52Of the stars
09:52And strikes
09:53And now the
09:54Evidenty
09:54Collider
09:55Missy
09:58There are a lot
10:03Of great
10:03Attractions
10:04Underneath this
10:05Huge main event
10:05But it was
10:07Hogan and Andre
10:07That drew that house
10:09Sooner or later
10:10You gotta live and die
10:11And you gotta face
10:12The truth
10:12And for you
10:14Andre the Giant
10:14It's time to face
10:16The truth brother
10:17Hulk Hogan
10:18Has never met a man
10:19Bigger than him
10:20Stronger than him
10:21And with a burning
10:22Will inside
10:23More than Andre
10:24The Giant
10:25Andre
10:26He never told Hogan
10:27Whether or not
10:28He would allow Hogan
10:29To win the match
10:30And Hulk
10:31Kept coming to me
10:32Just talk to Andre
10:33Just talk to Andre
10:34And I did
10:35What do you say
10:36What do you say
10:36I just said
10:37There's not gonna be
10:38Any problem
10:38You couldn't force him
10:40To do anything
10:41Come on
10:41He's a Giant
10:42I sat in the locker room
10:44With Andre
10:45I would say
10:46Hey boss
10:46Any idea
10:47What we're doing out there
10:48Don't worry
10:49I got a hold of Vince
10:51I said
10:51What's gonna happen
10:52What am I doing out there
10:54Am I winning or losing
10:56He goes
10:58Andre will do the right thing
10:59Don't worry
10:59What does that mean
11:01This is the main event
11:04Of the evening
11:05He weighs
11:07520 pounds
11:09Andre
11:11The Giant
11:12And now
11:15His opponent
11:16Hulk
11:17Hulk
11:19Hogan
11:19When I walked out
11:21To this silver dome
11:22I just couldn't believe
11:24How full it was
11:25I said
11:26Boy
11:26This is either gonna be
11:28The easiest thing
11:29I've ever done
11:29Or this is gonna be
11:30A total disaster
11:31There's no in between
11:33This is the biggest match
11:34Of the history
11:35Of professional wrestling
11:36The irresistible force
11:38Meeting the invisible object
11:39Look at the size
11:40Of the Giant
11:41Yeah that's a giant
11:43And you get this individual
11:45With so much charisma
11:46Who is almost a superhero
11:48And the two of them colliding
11:51It was awesome
11:52During the match
11:57It was the first time
11:58I realized
11:58How bad his back
11:59Really was
12:00And I told him
12:01The ring boss
12:02Stay close to the ropes
12:03Because I knew
12:04He couldn't get back up
12:05On his own
12:06But
12:07We got through the match
12:09And out of nowhere
12:09He goes
12:10What
12:10And when I said
12:13What
12:14He came at me
12:15After I slammed
12:18I went and dropped the leg
12:19And I covered him
12:20And I didn't know
12:21If it was gonna be
12:22A one-two kick out
12:23I had no idea
12:24If I was gonna win
12:24Or lose the match
12:25Until when
12:27Until Andre
12:29Didn't kick out
12:30That moment in time
12:40It's just something
12:42Very very special
12:43World
12:45Wrestling Federation
12:47Heavyweight Champion
12:48Hulk Hogan
12:51That probably is
12:57The greatest attraction
12:58We've ever had
12:59That's something
13:01I'm very very proud of today
13:02Wrestlemania 3
13:05Is a key part
13:07Of the WWE
13:08And Vince McMahon
13:09Mythology
13:10And story
13:11Of wrestling
13:11You know that
13:12Andre the Giant
13:13Passed the torch to Hogan
13:14The reality is
13:15Hogan was already
13:16A bigger star
13:16Than Andre
13:17Before that match
13:17Ever happened
13:18Hulk Hogan
13:19Electrified
13:20Discapacity crown
13:22Andre had never lost
13:23That's the first time
13:24In 15 years
13:26Andre the Giant
13:26Had ever been defeated
13:28Nah
13:28Andre lost
13:29Andre is
13:31I can't believe it
13:33Andre had never been slammed
13:34He'd been slammed
13:34Probably 25 times
13:35Before that
13:36Maybe more
13:37Oh look at that
13:38It's at 93,000
13:40For so many years
13:41They probably all believe it
13:42At this point
13:4293,000 people
13:4493,173 people
13:46We
13:46Held the record
13:48For 93,000
13:49In that building
13:50Yeah it was actually
13:5178,000
13:52In the building
13:53I don't know why
13:55This is one of the
13:56Greatest controversies
13:57In pro wrestling history
13:58I think the truth
14:00Is probably somewhere
14:01In the middle
14:01And I'm not sure
14:03That it matters at all
14:04I mean nothing
14:05That any wrestler
14:06That anybody involved
14:07In wrestling tells you
14:07Should be regarded
14:08As fact
14:09But regardless of the
14:11Real attendance figure
14:12WrestleMania 3
14:14Was an enormous success
14:15History is made here
14:18The silver note
14:19Pontiac reaching in
14:20And that guy
14:21Right there
14:22Has made history
14:23All over the world
14:24A victory
14:25For Hogan
14:26At that time
14:27Would build him
14:28Greater as an entertainer
14:29And an athlete
14:30And representation
14:31Of our brand
14:32But of course
14:33The brand
14:34Comes up that way too
14:35I am a real American
14:39Fight for the rights
14:41Of the
14:41WrestleMania 3
14:42Changed the business
14:44And it launched me
14:45Into superstar status
14:47He is the most famous
14:52And successful
14:53Professional wrestler
14:54The world has ever seen
14:55His name alone
14:56Can generate millions
14:57Of dollars of revenue
14:58And when he performs
14:59At indoor arenas
15:00He has attracted
15:01Bigger crowds
15:01Than the Rolling Stones
15:02And even the Pope
15:03When Hulkamana
15:04Was run wild
15:05He got to be
15:06The most popular
15:07Person in the world
15:08You book Hogan
15:10On the card
15:10The billing sold out
15:11That was it
15:12He was a figure
15:17Of national fame
15:19And you didn't even
15:20Really have to be
15:20Someone who regularly
15:22Watched wrestling
15:23Hulk Hogan
15:24Had broken through
15:26At that time
15:29Hulk Hogan
15:30That's all
15:30Anybody ever talked
15:31About was Hulk Hogan
15:32So I do remember
15:34Feeling a little bit
15:35Of resentment
15:36As a kid
15:37Because my dad
15:38Never got the credit
15:39That he deserved
15:41For creating all of this
15:43Every word that came
15:45Out of Hogan mouth
15:46Was Vince talking
15:47You better stock them
15:48On your shelves
15:49Make sure
15:50You've got plenty of them
15:51Right on your shelves
15:52Hogan and Vince
15:54Were like one person
15:55Vince came up
15:56With the idea
15:56Hogan did it
15:57Every single thing
16:00Was Vince
16:01When he would
16:02Tell me stuff
16:03I'm like
16:03I don't know man
16:05But I would do it anyway
16:06Because everything he did
16:08Turned to gold
16:09With wrestling superstar
16:11It's like having a real match
16:12Right in your own home
16:14This huge swell
16:15Of fans and what have you
16:17That we now had
16:18Middle class America
16:19It's like
16:19Okay let's bring this together
16:21And let's sell it
16:22You can start by
16:23Getting in shape
16:24With a Hulkamania
16:25Workout set
16:261-900-45-4
16:28Hulk
16:28Yay
16:29One of the most
16:30Remarkable success stories
16:32Has been written
16:33By the WW app
16:34His marketing merchandise
16:35Grossed over 200 million
16:36Last year alone
16:37The man behind the magic
16:40Is the man behind the mic
16:41Vince McMahon Jr.
16:43Vince never stopped
16:44He didn't complain
16:45About the hours he worked
16:47He's a workaholic
16:48As Hogan was out
16:50Doing the shows
16:51Him drawing the money
16:52Vince was out
16:54Setting up all the stuff
16:55At that time
16:58Because of the success
16:59That we had
17:00Hogan wanted to be
17:01A part of Hollywood
17:02And I'm going
17:03Oh god
17:04I'm going to lose Hogan
17:05To Hollywood now
17:06And I said
17:07Terry
17:07Look if you want to do a film
17:09I'll do one
17:10With you
17:11Of course I knew nothing
17:12About filmmaking
17:12So Terry and I
17:14Decided
17:15Alright
17:15Then we'll go write a movie
17:17It was basically
17:18Vince and I
17:19Spending two
17:20Two and a half days
17:21In a hotel room
17:22Writing the whole script
17:23We just had
17:25Didn't know
17:25What the hell
17:26We were doing
17:26We were just
17:26Having fun
17:27The movie
17:28The hoaxers
17:29You've never seen him before
17:30No hoax barred
17:33It's not the world's
17:38Worst movie
17:39But um
17:43It wasn't great
17:44What's that smell?
17:46It was pretty hokey
17:50I thought okay
17:53I'll do this great movie
17:54And then everyone in the world
17:55Is going to want to see it
17:57Not exactly the way it worked out
17:58It didn't prevent Hogan
18:02From then going to Hollywood
18:03But it delayed it for a while
18:05When did you notice
18:07Hulkamania was starting to fade?
18:10You know I go back
18:11And I look at
18:12Wrestlemania 6
18:15The Hulkster putting his title
18:17On the line
18:18Against the ultimate warrior
18:19For the inner
18:20At that time
18:21For Hogan
18:22The star of me
18:23May have been
18:24Fading a little bit
18:25Do you want to live forever?
18:28You can't just stay here on top
18:29Every day
18:30Every year
18:30It was probably time
18:32For Hogan to be
18:33On the bench for a while
18:34Hulk's getting older
18:35And you need something new
18:38The ultimate warrior
18:41And warrior
18:42Had a groundswell
18:44Of popularity
18:45Listen to the ovation
18:46For the ultimate warrior
18:48The ultimate warrior
18:49Was built better than me
18:51And his colors
18:52Were brighter than me
18:53The only one problem
18:55He had was
18:56He really wasn't
18:57In love with this business
18:58It was a situation
19:00Behind that shiny object
19:01There wasn't much go
19:03But I did what
19:05Andre did for me
19:05I passed the torch to him
19:07He's impervious
19:08To those moves
19:09Unbelievable
19:10Hogan has never
19:11Had anyone do that
19:12Look out
19:14The big splash
19:15One
19:16Two
19:16He got it
19:18He got it
19:19Warrior became the champion
19:22And
19:23He was very popular
19:24With the audience
19:25As popular as Hulk
19:27No
19:27As time went on
19:30Warrior wasn't all
19:32We had hoped
19:33He would be
19:33And he was not
19:35A popular person
19:36Backstage
19:37So
19:38Immediately you look at
19:40Well
19:40Oh my god
19:41We need to move back
19:42To Hulk
19:42We had this storyline
19:44In which
19:46Sergeant Slaughter
19:47Who was a big
19:48Huge fan favorite
19:49Sergeant Slaughter
19:51He was a green
19:52He was a green
19:52Corps
19:52Real sergeant
19:53And a great
19:54American
19:54So
19:56He
19:56As a baby face
19:58A good guy
19:59In the
19:59Parlance
19:59Or
19:59Business
20:00Was turning into
20:02A bad guy
20:03And
20:04Like any good
20:05Organization
20:05You're always like
20:06Okay
20:06What can I take
20:07From pop culture
20:08What's happening
20:08Out in the world
20:09You know
20:09And how can we
20:10Present it
20:10In a different fashion
20:11So
20:12There was a lot
20:13Of heat
20:13As we call it
20:14With Iraq
20:15And USA
20:16Troops and civilians
20:18Are on edge
20:18In the middle east
20:19So
20:19Okay
20:20Good
20:21Then we can
20:22Capitalize on that
20:23A 10
20:24Hood
20:25My guest
20:26This week
20:27Ladies and gentlemen
20:27Is the former
20:28United States
20:29Military man
20:30Sergeant Slaughter
20:32Sergeant D.D.
20:34This honorable discharge
20:36Sergeant Slaughter
20:37Then
20:37Sort of
20:38Was drafted
20:39Into the
20:40Iraqi culture
20:41So to speak
20:42And now
20:43He wanted to
20:44Represent Iraq
20:45I will
20:46Kick
20:46The flag
20:48Of the brave
20:50Iraqi country
20:52And raise it
20:54High in the air
20:55And so
20:56We had this
20:57Big storyline
20:57Going
20:58With Hogan
20:59Versus
20:59Sergeant Slaughter
21:00USA
21:00Versus Iraq
21:01And it was working
21:03It was working
21:04Really well
21:05And then
21:06All of a sudden
21:07From reality standpoint
21:08Da da da da
21:10Iraq
21:12Invades Kuwait
21:14We have
21:14Desert Storm
21:15As I report to you
21:17Air attacks
21:18Are underway
21:19Against military
21:20Targets in Iraq
21:21Having Sarge
21:23As an Iraqi
21:23Sympathizer
21:24It was way too fresh
21:27And way too new
21:28And in the now
21:29It was like
21:30Wait a minute
21:30I've got
21:31A relative over there
21:33Or a niece
21:33Or something like that
21:34That's
21:35Serving our country
21:36But the audience
21:39Really didn't want to see it
21:40We got to the point
21:42Where Sergeant Slaughter
21:43Was getting death threats
21:44At home
21:45And they wanted to
21:45Kill his wife
21:46And kill his kids
21:47So as far as
21:48Telling a wrestling story
21:49It worked awesome
21:50I just thought that
21:51Whew
21:52Boy this is a risky move here
21:54Americans could die
21:55In this thing
21:56So change it up
21:57Back off on the storyline
21:59Just a little bit
21:59But you know
22:00Still have a match
22:02Once again
22:03The largest pay-per-view audience
22:05In the history of pay-per-view
22:07Oh no
22:08Give me a break here
22:10It's not only that
22:12It's still turned into pieces
22:15You're not going to do that
22:17To the United States of America
22:18At the end of the day
22:25The great American won
22:26The wrestling of the early to mid 80s
22:36I liked it a lot
22:38I was very amused by it
22:41But it took a nastier turn
22:45Somewhere down the line
22:47And at some point
22:49It ceased to be something
22:51That I was comfortable
22:52Being involved in
22:54Well you learn from everything
22:56And since you have no control
22:59Over world events
23:01You have to be very careful
23:03Associating yourself
23:04With events
23:05In the real world
23:06Anything can happen
23:07So don't go there
23:09So we moved back to Hulk
23:12And there wasn't
23:14Oh thank God Hulk's back
23:16The audience
23:17Was tired
23:19Of Hulk
23:19At least Hulk in that role
23:21Of being
23:22The All-American
23:23And being the hero
23:24They were sick of him
23:26And on top of that
23:30There started being
23:32The whispers of the Dr. Zahorian trial
23:36And the whispers of all this other stuff
23:38In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
23:40Next Monday
23:40A doctor will go on trial
23:42Charged with prescribing
23:43Anabolic steroids
23:45To several professional wrestlers
23:46Dr. George Zahorian
23:48Has been indicted
23:49By a federal grand jury
23:50On 15 counts
23:51Of distributing
23:52Muscle building steroids
23:53To my right
23:55Dr. George Zahorian
23:55Thank you very much
23:56For joining us here this week
23:57Dr. George Zahorian
23:58Was appointed by the
23:59Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission
24:01As the doctor of note
24:03For WWE
24:04We had nothing to do
24:05You know
24:06With who was appointed
24:07His role was
24:08To make sure
24:09That all the laws
24:10Of the State Athletic Commission
24:11Were followed
24:11And would be in our locker rooms
24:14And things of that nature
24:15And he began to
24:17Sell steroids
24:18To our talent
24:19At that time
24:20Steroids were
24:22Part of the culture
24:23Because
24:25All the stars
24:26During that time period
24:27Had the perfect bodies
24:29And so
24:30It was the norm
24:31You know
24:31Like people go to Starbucks
24:33In the morning
24:33Before they go to work
24:34People take steroids
24:35Because they're wrestlers
24:36Or actors
24:37Or baseball players
24:38Or hockey players
24:39Or football players
24:40It was an era
24:42Where steroid use
24:43In sports
24:43Ran amok
24:45If you just looked
24:47At the wrestlers
24:48Themselves
24:49They went from
24:50You know
24:51A burly guy
24:52Who could plausibly
24:53Be introduced
24:54As having come off
24:55His grandpa's farm
24:57In Iowa
24:57Built his muscles
24:59From hoisting bales
25:00Of hay
25:00To these guys
25:02Who were like
25:03Cyborgs
25:03The WWE
25:05Reeked
25:06Of steroids
25:07It's obvious
25:09Now you tell me
25:10He ain't ripped
25:11Dr. George Sahorian
25:13Would come
25:14And he would
25:15Have steroids
25:16And painkillers
25:18And sleeping pills
25:19And different things
25:19That he would then
25:21Prescribe
25:22And sell to the talent
25:24He would check you
25:26For your batch
25:26Blood pressure
25:27Or your pulse rate
25:28And all that
25:29And it's like
25:29I need a few other things
25:31And then you'd negotiate
25:32For your steroids
25:33And your pills
25:34It wasn't illegal
25:36To buy steroids
25:38From a physician
25:39I bought some
25:40From him
25:40But it was illegal
25:42To prescribe them
25:44Just to sell them
25:45Steroids
25:47Early on
25:48They were legal
25:49However
25:50When they became
25:50Illegal
25:51That's when it
25:52Became an issue
25:53Following Reagan's
25:54Era of war on drugs
25:55Just say no
25:57The laws
25:58Started changing
26:00And at some point
26:01Steroids were
26:02Categorized
26:03As I believe
26:04A class 3 substance
26:05The feeling was
26:07That doctors
26:07Were prescribing them
26:09Not for the purpose
26:10That they were
26:11Intended for
26:11So George Sahorian
26:13Was arrested
26:14By the federal government
26:16The government
26:17Came down hard on him
26:18And sent him to jail
26:19It's hard to believe
26:20What's occurred today
26:21All of the media
26:24Hoopla behind
26:25The steroid trial
26:25Definitely came
26:27At a really bad time
26:29For Vince
26:29And we had just
26:31Started the WBF
26:33The World Bodybuilding
26:34Federation
26:34Here comes
26:35The World Bodybuilding
26:37Federation
26:37I've always enjoyed
26:39Bodybuilding
26:40And physiques
26:41So I thought
26:43Maybe okay
26:43I could get these
26:44Bodybuilders to perform
26:45Various routines
26:46And add a lot
26:47Of entertainment value
26:48To it
26:49Turn out
26:50Not a good time
26:51To do that
26:52Because bodybuilders
26:54All they do
26:55Is take steroids
26:57So the writing
26:58Is on the wall
26:59This is not going to work
27:00So I decided
27:02Well
27:02Let's fold this
27:04At that time
27:06There was a lot of heat
27:07And I felt like
27:09Boy I'm getting hit
27:10From all sides
27:11Most of us think
27:12Of professional wrestling
27:13As harmless entertainment
27:15And Hulk Hogan
27:16As the king of the ring
27:17But was there
27:18A sinister side
27:19To his success
27:20Dr. Zohorian
27:21Testified
27:22He had treated
27:23Hulk Hogan
27:24For a serious
27:25Steroid abuse problem
27:26After the Zohorian trial
27:28Vince ended up
27:29Being pressured
27:30By the media
27:30To start steroid testing
27:32When you see
27:33This symbol
27:34You can be assured
27:36Of drug free
27:38Sports entertainment
27:39That you
27:40And your entire
27:41Family
27:42Can be proud of
27:43I held a press conference
27:46And said
27:46Hey look
27:46I took steroids
27:48I'm not anymore
27:50And we're going to
27:51Establish
27:51Protocols and procedures
27:53To make certain
27:53That none of our
27:54Performers do either
27:55The World Wrestling Federation
27:57Will be the standard bearer
27:59For drug free
28:00Sports and entertainment
28:01The same day
28:05Hulk Hogan went on
28:07The Arsenio Hall show
28:08Your name came up
28:10Recently
28:11When a doctor
28:12Got himself into trouble
28:13Have you heard about this?
28:15Oh yeah
28:15I've heard about it
28:16I remember talking
28:18With Vince
28:18About going on
28:19Arsenio Hall
28:19And he thought
28:20It was a really bad idea
28:21My suggestion to him
28:23Is to come clean
28:24That's not what happened
28:26I'm not a steroid abuser
28:29And I do not use steroids
28:31They're like
28:32Oh god please
28:33You know
28:34Just tell the truth
28:35It's so much easier
28:36Hulk Hogan went on
28:38The Arsenio Hall show
28:39And he told everybody
28:40That he only took steroids
28:42Three times
28:42He lied like a dog
28:44I myself injected him
28:46Personally
28:47I injected Hogan
28:48With steroids
28:48Many times
28:49I self-destructed
28:51My own self
28:52You know
28:53That was one of the
28:54Worst decisions I ever made
28:55Was not listening to Vince
28:56When you do stuff like that
28:58And don't tell the truth
29:00Then it's an open door
29:02For people to come get you
29:03And unfortunately
29:05We were caught in a cross-airs
29:06In that as well
29:07I was never assigned
29:13To cover wrestling
29:14But pro wrestling
29:16Was so highly rated on TV
29:18It was hard to ignore
29:19And I slowly began
29:21To feed it into my column
29:23There's a newspaper columnist
29:26Phil Mushnick
29:26With the New York Post
29:27I try to be nice here
29:29But there's nothing nice
29:30To say about him
29:31He seemed to be on a vendetta
29:33Against the company
29:35And Vince in particular
29:36Phil Mushnick was digging
29:38For anything he'd possibly dig for
29:39I don't know why
29:40His vendetta
29:41Still does
29:42Against our company
29:43Against our form of entertainment
29:45Against me
29:46I don't know why
29:47Because he's a dirtbag
29:49What Vince had
29:53By running wrestling
29:54Is that it's wrestling
29:55So the real reporters
29:57For the most part
29:58It's wrestling
29:59We don't want to waste our time
30:01Covering it
30:01And Phil Mushnick
30:03Was the one guy
30:04To cover it
30:05And he wrote
30:06Very very strongly
30:07Against Vince
30:08Stronger than I would write
30:10Back then
30:13No one had seen
30:14Anything written critical
30:16Of pro wrestling
30:17And mainstream media
30:18And when I first
30:20Wrote this stuff
30:21My mailbox
30:22Was stuffed with messages
30:24And they essentially
30:26All read the same
30:27You don't know
30:29The half of it
30:30You don't know
30:31How truly bad it is
30:33Within the ring
30:33And within the locker rooms
30:34And I returned some calls
30:37And it was mind-blowing
30:39You know
30:41As wrestling becomes
30:42More popular
30:43Naturally people are
30:44Interested in
30:46The stories of
30:47What's going on
30:47Behind the scenes
30:48And pulling back
30:51The curtain
30:51In the pro wrestling world
30:52Can be pretty shocking
30:53You know
30:54The stories of depravity
30:55Of sex
30:56Of violence
30:57Of drug use
30:57We would have been
30:59Looked upon
30:59In today's society
31:00As some of the worst
31:02Human beings
31:02Walking the face of the earth
31:03I mean
31:05We abused
31:06The hell out of women
31:06All of us there
31:08You know
31:09They were like
31:10A toll for us
31:11You don't have to do
31:12A lot of research
31:13To understand
31:15That being a woman
31:16In or around
31:17The pro wrestling world
31:19At this point in history
31:20Was not necessarily
31:22A safe place to be
31:24I hear some horrible stuff
31:25About women's wrestling
31:27Horrible
31:28With us now
31:29Ladies and gentlemen
31:29Superfly
31:31Jimmy Snooker
31:32For example
31:33The Jimmy Snooker thing
31:34When that girl got killed
31:36In 1983
31:39Jimmy Snooker
31:40Was the most popular
31:42Wrestler in the company
31:43At the time
31:43Something happened
31:45In a hotel room
31:46In Allentown, Pennsylvania
31:47His girlfriend
31:50Hit her head
31:51And died
31:52The forensic pathologist
31:54Who investigated
31:55Thought it was a homicide
31:56But at the time
31:57No charges were ever filed
31:59Superfly
32:00Jimmy Snooker
32:02And was the power
32:03Vince involved in that
32:04I think that Vince
32:06Had a hand in making it go away
32:08I mean exactly what
32:09I don't know
32:10And hell, brother
32:11It's gonna be hot
32:12Hot, brother
32:14No doubt
32:17At this point
32:19Most fans
32:20Didn't know about
32:21These sort of
32:22Darker stories
32:22About pro wrestling
32:23And Phil Mushnick
32:25Was one of the first people
32:26To really bring this out
32:27Into the public space
32:29Phil Mushnick
32:32Was vigilant
32:33Against Vince
32:34He had told me once
32:36And he said like
32:36I've got a story
32:38And the day I write it
32:39They may have to
32:39Close the doors
32:40The next day
32:40A battle royale
32:42And professional wrestling
32:43Over new allegations
32:44Of sexual harassment
32:45By top officials
32:46In the sport
32:47This growing scandal
32:48Could put wrestling
32:49Down for the count
32:50There was so much
32:52Going on at the time
32:53And one accusation
32:55Is that someone
32:55From our organization
32:57Was coming on
32:58To someone
32:58On the ring crew
32:59The ring boy scandal
33:02Began with a fellow
33:03Named Mel Phillips
33:04Who was what they
33:06Called a ring boss
33:07He would bring with him
33:09Ring boys
33:11In too many cases
33:14These ring boys
33:16Were underage
33:18And they were
33:19Being sexually abused
33:21Former ring boy
33:22Tom Cole
33:23Says the top
33:24WWF executives
33:26Sexually harassed
33:27And abused ring boys
33:28The teenagers
33:29Hired to put up
33:30And take down rings
33:31At matches
33:32Mal Phillips
33:34Was a total pedophile
33:35That preyed on young boys
33:37And if these young boys
33:39Were complying
33:41With their requests
33:42For sexual favors
33:43They weren't hired
33:45And then
33:46I learned
33:48There were others involved
33:50Terry Garvin
33:52An executive
33:53In Connecticut
33:53And Pat Patterson
33:56One of McMahon's
33:57Top executives
33:58Here at ringside
33:59Vince McMahon
34:00Along with wrestling
34:01Great Pat Patterson
34:02In a business
34:03That was very homophobic
34:05Pat was gay
34:07And openly gay
34:09But Pat prospered
34:11And became a top guy
34:13Everywhere he went
34:15I was grabbed
34:16On numerous occasions
34:17On my testicles
34:18On my buttocks
34:18By Pat Patterson
34:20Of the World Wrestling Federation
34:22And Terry Garvin
34:23Propositioned me
34:24When I was 16
34:25Offered me cocaine
34:26And all kinds of drugs
34:27To have sex with him
34:28When I refused
34:29I was let go
34:29From the company
34:30When I was 16
34:31I think Vince
34:33Is guilty
34:34Of aiding and abetting
34:36The ringboy scandal
34:38At best
34:39He's guilty
34:40Of rank neglect
34:42Phil Mushnick
34:44Was trying to build
34:45This whole case
34:46Of how rotten
34:48The company was
34:49He didn't care
34:49How he did it
34:50He didn't care
34:50About whether or not
34:51He hurt the people
34:52That were involved
34:53You know
34:54On one side
34:54Or the other
34:55He just wanted
34:55To write this
34:56Salacious piece
34:57About WWE
34:58It was a pedophile ring
35:00Three of these guys
35:02Were all in on it
35:03These were real kids
35:05Being sexually abused
35:06On McMahon's watch
35:08I do think
35:10There was a lot
35:10Of turning a blind eye
35:12To some of the things
35:13That were going on
35:14But I don't think
35:14Anybody
35:15Could ever prove anything
35:18It was kind of like
35:18How do you prove it?
35:19Eventually Vince
35:21Settled with Tom Cole
35:23Melthold and Terry Garvin
35:27They were let go
35:28And never worked there again
35:29Pat Patterson resigned
35:32But during that period
35:34Vince and I talked
35:35He goes
35:36One of the three
35:37Was innocent
35:37And I go
35:38Who?
35:39And he goes
35:39Pat Patterson
35:40And I go
35:40So why is he gone?
35:42If he's innocent
35:42He goes
35:43You don't understand
35:44Running this business
35:45It's a gay witch hunt
35:46And he had to go
35:49Most people in wrestling
35:51That were around
35:52Believed that Patterson
35:53Never acted unprofessionally
35:55And months later
35:58Patterson was back
35:59In regards to the allegations
36:02Made against Pat
36:03Nothing has ever
36:05Been substantiated
36:06And I just don't believe him
36:08Oh please
36:09Not me
36:10He's doing home movies
36:11Patrick
36:11None of it rings true
36:13The others
36:14No comment
36:16We all knew
36:19Pat was doing this stuff
36:20I didn't like Pat
36:22Because he kept
36:22Grabbing my pecker
36:23In the locker room
36:24He what?
36:25He was grabbing my pecker
36:26Yeah
36:28Did you guys complain?
36:31To who?
36:32He's a booker
36:33He's the number two guy
36:34In the office
36:35To who?
36:36Vince
36:37You know nothing
36:41About the rest of the
36:42Vinny, don't you?
36:43He's nobody
36:44To go to son
36:45You either take it
36:48Or you go home
36:50Who you gonna go
36:51Playing to?
36:52Vince
36:53For what?
36:54To get fired?
36:57He needed Pat
36:58More than he needed me
36:59Pat was like
37:01The savant
37:02Of professional wrestling
37:03And he was
37:04Vince's
37:05Right hand man
37:06When it came to booking
37:06And you know
37:08He was very very valuable
37:09In the company
37:09Did Vince protect Pat?
37:13I wouldn't say
37:15He protected him
37:16I would say
37:17He protect the business
37:20His allegations
37:22Are absolutely absurd
37:24That have been raised
37:25McMahon insists
37:26It's all just a conspiracy
37:27To wreck his business
37:29And it just seems
37:31As though
37:31They're all ganging up
37:32On us
37:33All at one time
37:34There's no sign
37:34That charges
37:35Have done any harm
37:36No wrestling
37:37Or whatever this is
37:38Has survived
37:39Scandals before
37:40And there is no reason
37:41To believe
37:41This one too
37:42Won't be drowned out
37:43By all those fans
37:45Who couldn't care less
37:46What reaction here was
37:49Was meager
37:49From legitimate media
37:51Those who seemed
37:53To eat it up
37:53Were the scandal shows
37:55Like the Phil Donahue
37:57Kindness show
37:58Here you are
37:59Being accused
38:00Mr. McMahon
38:01Of presiding over
38:02An organization
38:03That looked the other way
38:04While these
38:05Sex-harassment activity
38:06Was taking place
38:07I want a few people
38:09In the world
38:09Who enjoys confrontation
38:10If there is a situation
38:12Like Donahue
38:13You know
38:14I have no problem
38:14At all confronting someone
38:16Especially when you're lying
38:17You did a horrible job
38:18That's the only reason
38:19Why you were fired
38:20Donahue was
38:22An opportunity
38:23To stand up for himself
38:24I don't think it went
38:25The way he wanted it to
38:26Sexual harassment
38:27Is running rampant
38:29In the world
38:29Where are you all these years
38:31His father blackballed me
38:32All over the country
38:33I didn't sleep
38:33With your vice president
38:34Two weeks later
38:35I'm fired
38:36I don't know
38:36That that happened
38:37And whether it was
38:38A good decision
38:38Or a bad decision
38:39At that time
38:41At this time
38:41I did it
38:43I was sitting
38:45Right next to Vince
38:46He was not comfortable
38:47At one point
38:48He whispers to me
38:49Like this is the
38:50Longest hour of my life
38:51This is not the truth
38:52Okay
38:52You lie about this
38:53To children
38:54You're finished
38:55I don't buy it
38:56There
38:56Well
38:58I think that this was
39:02One point in his life
39:04That everything was
39:05Kind of coming down
39:05At once
39:06There was a bit
39:07Of frustration
39:08In what he couldn't
39:09Control
39:09Oh my gosh
39:11There were so many
39:11Scandals going on
39:12With who was dating who
39:14Who was sleeping with who
39:15Do you remember
39:16Any of those
39:17Well
39:18You know
39:19You know what
39:21Let me try to do
39:22I'm trying to be
39:23I'm trying to be
39:23Really cautious
39:24On doing this
39:24I don't know
39:25What they want
39:25Out in the open
39:26Or not
39:26I know there was
39:29Some girl
39:29That I think
39:30Was a referee
39:30Girl referee
39:32That had claimed
39:33That Vince
39:34Had sexually assaulted her
39:36For the first time ever
39:38A lady referee
39:40And I remember
39:42Rita Marie the referee
39:42Because there was
39:44Only one female referee
39:46In wrestling
39:46At that point in time
39:47And it was her
39:48Vince was definitely
39:49Trying to push her
39:50You know
39:50The hot blonde woman
39:52Ref as a character
39:53In his soap opera
39:55Rita Marie
39:56Ladies and gentlemen
39:57The very first ever
39:58Lady referee
39:59In the world
40:00Wrestling federation
40:01Hopefully we'll be
40:01Seeing more of her
40:02In time to come
40:03When you're accused
40:05Of this
40:05And accused of that
40:06And it's like
40:06There's this deluge
40:07Of things
40:08You're this
40:08You're that
40:08One of the things
40:10Was an alleged rape
40:11That never happened
40:13I was forced
40:17Into oral
40:19Sex with Vince McMahon
40:21When I couldn't
40:23Complete his desires
40:25He got really angry
40:27Started ripping
40:30Off my jeans
40:31Pulled me on top
40:34Of him
40:34And told me
40:35Again
40:36If I wanted
40:38A half a million
40:39Dollar a year contract
40:40I had to satisfy him
40:41And if I didn't
40:42Satisfy him
40:43I was blackballed
40:44I was scared
40:46My wrist was all
40:47Black and blue
40:48He just didn't stop
40:50When you're accused
40:52Of rape
40:53You're a rapist
40:54But it was consensual
40:57And actually
40:58Had it been
40:59A rape
40:59The statute of limitations
41:03Had run out
41:04So I mean
41:04It's all kind of
41:06Crap like that
41:07That people are
41:07Digging up
41:08And trying to find
41:08Something on you
41:09Vince did sue her
41:12Over it
41:12And he sued
41:14Geraldo Rivera
41:15But the general public
41:18I think they just
41:18Thought that it was
41:19All sleazy
41:20People looked
41:21The other way
41:22God I just hope
41:23Somebody listens
41:24They just thought
41:25It was like a woman
41:26Making up a story
41:27On a rich guy
41:27Rita what do you
41:29Expect to get now
41:30I mean what do you
41:30Want did you just
41:31Want to come on
41:32Geraldo or
41:32They were very
41:34Very negative on her
41:35It just didn't
41:37Resonate with
41:38A public
41:40That it should
41:41Have resonated with
41:42This was the biggest
41:44Guy in cable TV
41:45Nobody wanted to
41:47Look a little deeper
41:48They really didn't
41:50Want to look
41:50They didn't want to know
41:51Most newspapers
41:54Ran away from it
41:55Or wouldn't touch it
41:56Because it's wrestling
41:57It's beneath us
41:58But Phil was not
42:00Dissuaded by Vince
42:02At all
42:02He kept going and going
42:03And I do think
42:06That the negative
42:07Headlines and attention
42:09That did lead to
42:10The indictment
42:11That did lead to
42:12The trial
42:13The Justice Department
42:14Has indicted the most
42:15Powerful man in
42:16Professional wrestling
42:17In this country
42:17Not a wrestler
42:18But the man who runs
42:20The World Wrestling
42:20Federation
42:21The charge
42:22Illegal distribution
42:24Of steroids
42:24Do you know what
42:26Triggered the federal
42:27Government to start
42:27Looking into you
42:28Well I think
42:29Phil Mustick
42:30Triggered all of this
42:32And whether or not
42:33He had any connections
42:34To the federal government
42:35I don't know
42:36But again
42:37That's where it seemed
42:38To begin
42:39I was an FBI informant
42:42I admit to that
42:42You know why
42:43The FBI would read
42:45What I wrote
42:45And then act on it
42:47When the indictments
42:49Came
42:49There were no indictments
42:50Or anything
42:51On the Ringboy story
42:52Or
42:53Ria Chatterton
42:54There were steroid
42:55Indictments
42:56The three count
42:57Indictment charges
42:58That he conspired
42:59To defraud the government
43:00By possessing and
43:01Distributing steroids
43:02Through Dr. George
43:03Zaharian
43:03Good morning guys
43:04It was not a good morning
43:07For World Wrestling
43:07Federation owner
43:08Vincent McMahon
43:09On this day
43:10He was in federal court
43:11Entering a plea
43:12Of not guilty
43:13To charges
43:14That he bulked up
43:15His wrestlers
43:15With steroids
43:16Prosecutors say
43:17McMahon
43:18Who admits
43:18Being a former
43:19Steroids user himself
43:20Is a corporate
43:21Drug pusher
43:22McMahon lawyers
43:23On the other hand
43:24Say the wrestling mogul
43:25Is the victim
43:26Of a government
43:27Witch hunt
43:27Sometimes life
43:29Isn't fair
43:29And unfortunately
43:31For me
43:32I believe this is
43:33One of those instances
43:34The federal government
43:36And the justice department
43:37Can be the biggest bullies
43:39They have unlimited resources
43:42The average person
43:44Can't afford
43:44To buck the government
43:45They just can't
43:46So that's why
43:48So many people
43:48Cop a plea
43:49They wanted me
43:51To cop the plea
43:52He would have to
43:54Plead guilty
43:54To some charge
43:56But he would pay a fine
43:57And everything goes away
43:59I wouldn't do it
44:00I wasn't guilty
44:01Of anything
44:02I said
44:02Talk yourself
44:04If convicted
44:06McMahon can face
44:07Up to 11 years in jail
44:09And $500,000
44:10In fines on each count
44:11So right before the trial
44:13Vince had neck surgery
44:14And so he goes
44:15Into the trial
44:16And he's wearing
44:17A neck brace
44:18My impression was
44:20That it was not
44:21An operation
44:21That he needed to do
44:22At that moment
44:23A lot of people
44:25Thought he's wearing
44:26That he's wearing
44:26That's the team
44:26Because he's trying
44:27To evoke some sort
44:28Of sympathy
44:29You know
44:30From the jury
44:31That was not the case
44:33It's impossible
44:35To not think
44:35There was some sort
44:36Of storytelling
44:38Contrivance
44:39Behind it
44:39I mean
44:40In pro wrestling
44:41Bad guys
44:42Would wear
44:43Those neck braces
44:44Because they knew
44:45The crowd
44:45Would boo them
44:46For like
44:46Being overly dramatic
44:48It's not a facade
44:49I'm not
44:50Not well
44:51With Vince
44:53Everything is a show
44:54Even
44:55In the midst
44:56Of this very
44:56Serious trial
44:58I mean
44:59There's a lot
44:59At stake here
45:00It was a tense time
45:02If he was
45:05Proven guilty
45:05That would have
45:06Been a problem
45:07For us
45:08And they would
45:08Be off the air
45:09During that time
45:11There was a lot
45:12Of turbulence
45:12And
45:14Instead of
45:15People cheering
45:16Me nonstop
45:16I'd hear a couple
45:17Boos here
45:18You know
45:18Instead of
45:19We love Hulk
45:20Hogan or Hulk
45:21May you live forever
45:21I'd see a sign up
45:22That said
45:23Hey did you take
45:23Your shot today
45:24And so
45:27I didn't feel
45:28Like I was in
45:29Control of the
45:30Crowds anymore
45:30And that's when
45:32I told Vince
45:32I needed to go
45:33It was not
45:35An easy conversation
45:36And whether or not
45:38This is your last match
45:39I'd like to say
45:40That on behalf
45:41Of all of us
45:42Your Hulkamaniacs
45:43Thank you
45:45For the memories
45:46And thank you
45:48For Hulkamania
45:49Thank you
45:51I don't think
45:53People fully
45:55Appreciate how
45:56Dire things
45:58Were looking
45:58All the scandals
46:01Were all
46:01Piled on
46:02At the same time
46:03And it was
46:04A great opportunity
46:05For a competition
46:06To make it move
46:07At that time
46:11Ted Turner
46:12Who owned
46:13WCW
46:14He was my
46:15Biggest competitor
46:15I've been involved
46:17With the wrestling business
46:17Since we started
46:18Televising it
46:19Back in
46:20I think
46:2073
46:21Ted Turner
46:24Is one of the
46:25Pioneers
46:25Of cable television
46:26Obviously founded
46:28TV networks
46:29Like CNN
46:30TBS
46:30TNT
46:31And he was
46:33One of the first
46:33People to broadcast
46:34Professional wrestling
46:35Nationwide
46:36We were the number
46:38Two wrestling promotion
46:39In the world
46:40Good morning America
46:41And a welcome
46:42To WCW
46:43We might as well
46:43Have been number
46:44202
46:45That's the distance
46:47Between WWE
46:48And WCW
46:49The type of program
46:52And the content
46:52That WCW
46:53Was producing
46:54Prior to me
46:55Being hired
46:56As executive producer
46:57Was
46:57Just a really
46:59Bad
46:59Imitation
47:01Of what
47:02WWE
47:02Was successful at
47:04There was no vision
47:05There was no strategy
47:07There was just
47:08Throwing things up
47:10Against the wall
47:10And hoping something
47:11Would work
47:12As long as it looked
47:13Something like
47:14What WWE was doing
47:16I had been following
47:19The steroid trials
47:20And all of the controversy
47:21And everything that went on
47:22As a result of that
47:23I was very well aware
47:25That Hulk had left
47:26WWE
47:26And was going to pursue
47:29Television and movies
47:30And coincidentally
47:32I was down at
47:34Disney MGM Studios
47:35Shooting my show
47:36For WCW
47:37While Hulk Hogan
47:39Was at
47:40Disney MGM Studios
47:42Shooting a show
47:43Called Thunder
47:44In Paradise
47:45Here comes Eric Bischoff
47:47Wandering over to the set
47:48And he said
47:50We really would
47:51Love to have you
47:52You know
47:52Consider
47:53Coming back to wrestling
47:54We know you're filming
47:55The TV series
47:56Even if part time
47:57I said
47:57Let's talk
47:58You know
47:59Let's talk
48:00I was not happy
48:02With the acting
48:02And being locked up
48:04In a trailer
48:05Most of the day
48:06Just wasn't me
48:07Hulk was torn
48:09Because he loved wrestling
48:11He missed it
48:12But
48:13He also had two
48:14Very very young kids
48:15At home
48:16And it was really
48:17Important to him
48:18To not be on the road
48:20300 days a year
48:21And WCW
48:23Provided Hulk
48:24An opportunity
48:25To do both
48:26The nature of our contract
48:28Was
48:28You may have
48:29A total of
48:3030 appearances a year
48:32As opposed to 300
48:33Ted Turner
48:35Was given these guarantees
48:36We're going to give you
48:37A million dollars a year
48:38How many days do you work
48:40Well how many days
48:40Do you want to work
48:41I want to work
48:42A hundred days
48:43Okay you got it
48:44Where WWE
48:45I know when we were there
48:46It was seven days a week
48:4852 weeks a year
48:49I just looked at it
48:50As wow
48:51I have this amazing opportunity
48:52I'm going to put
48:53My salesman hat on
48:54I'm going to get this guy
48:56To join WCW
48:57When I left
48:58And I had the meeting
48:59With Vince
49:00And it was a real
49:00Emotional meeting
49:01I actually told Vince
49:02I will never run against you
49:04Because that was a concern
49:06You said
49:07I'm going to offer
49:08To do movies
49:08And do things like that
49:09But I do want my release
49:10But you're not going to compete
49:12You know
49:13I knew
49:13No
49:13Absolutely not
49:14So
49:15It was one of those things
49:17Where they misrelease
49:18And next thing you know
49:18These were the other guys
49:20WCW
49:22Is about to dominate
49:23The globe
49:24In professional wrestling
49:25That's why we're here today
49:27To sign the contact
49:28For a match
49:29Between two of wrestling's
49:30Biggest superstars
49:31Hulk Hogan
49:32And Ric Flair
49:33We had a very close
49:35Personal relationship
49:36Took him and of course
49:38Made a huge star out of him
49:40And then from there
49:42He decides
49:42He wants to flip
49:43To our competition
49:44And no longer be
49:46Associated with you
49:46So
49:47Sure
49:48Emotionally
49:49It hurt
49:49It broke my heart
49:51You know
49:51I mean
49:52Damn
49:53Hulk Hogan's defection
49:56To WCW
49:57Right there in the middle
49:59Of the trial
50:00That was an enormous
50:02Slap in the face
50:03Even to this day
50:05That was taboo
50:07In my book
50:08Vince viewed
50:10Hulk
50:10As a lifer
50:11But Hulk was offered
50:13A better deal
50:14With Ted Turner
50:14Offered guaranteed money
50:15With Ted Turner
50:16Money talks
50:18As the expression goes
50:19I guess
50:19Hulk's looking at it
50:21Also like
50:22Man I don't know
50:23That Vince is going to be there
50:24After the trial
50:26I don't know
50:27If there's even going to be
50:28A company there
50:29To work for
50:29It's another day in court
50:31For World Wrestling Federation
50:32Founder Vince McMahon
50:34Vince McMahon
50:35Was charged with
50:36Conspiring to
50:37Beef up
50:37His brawny wrestlers
50:38With anabolic steroids
50:40This case should go on
50:41For several days
50:43And interest is expected
50:44To peak
50:45When a pro wrestler
50:46By the name of
50:46Terry Bolea testifies
50:48Of course he goes
50:49By the name of
50:50Hulk Hogan
50:50Wrestling insiders say
50:52That Hogan will be
50:53The government's
50:54Star witness
50:55And testify against
50:56McMahon
50:57At his trial in May
50:58After I left the WWF
51:00The government
51:01Wanted me to be
51:02Their star witness
51:03I was told
51:05That if
51:06I didn't say
51:07What they wanted to hear
51:08The target of the investigation
51:09Would be directed to me
51:10And I might do 17 years
51:12Hogan didn't want
51:14To testify against Vince
51:15They forced him to
51:15They basically had something
51:17On Hogan
51:17And they wanted Vince
51:19And so Hogan had to
51:20The conviction rate
51:22In cases like that
51:23Was very very high
51:24So at that point
51:25It was like
51:25God the odds
51:26Are a look against Vince
51:28I think a lot of the stuff
51:28In there is evidence
51:29Of what I believed
51:31All along
51:32Is kind of proven
51:32To be true
51:33I was there for two weeks
51:34And I could tell that
51:35Vince was just
51:36Scared to death
51:37Vince was in serious
51:39Serious
51:40Problems at that point
51:41I truly believe
51:43In the law of the jungle
51:44Something's weakened
51:45You know
51:46Then you want to pal on it
51:48You want to kill it
51:49So
51:49At that time
51:50It was coming from everywhere
51:52How could I possibly
51:53Stand up to that
51:54And hold up
51:55You know
51:56Law of the jungle
51:57I get it
51:58I was granted immunity
52:01And
52:02I said well
52:03Cool
52:05I got it
52:06I know what I'm going to say
52:27I don't know what I'm going to say
52:28I don't know what I'm going to say
52:29I don't know what I'm going to say
52:30I don't know what I'm going to say
52:31I don't know what I'm going to say
52:32I don't know what I'm going to say
52:33I don't know what I'm going to say
52:34I don't know what I'm going to say
52:35I don't know what I'm going to say
52:36I don't know what I'm going to say
52:37I don't know what I'm going to say
52:38I don't know what I'm going to say
52:39I don't know what I'm going to say
52:40I don't know what I'm going to say
52:41I don't know what I'm going to say
52:42I don't know what I'm going to say
52:43I don't know what I'm going to say
52:44I don't know what I'm going to say

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