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Polls Well Boss. We've been charting Terry Boulder coming up through Memphis, walking in Memphis with his KFA brother Ed Boulder, and he's been it's been fascinating to see him get in the ring with the likes of Jerry Lawler and you know the Mongolian stomper Ron Bass, A ton of
guys in Memphis, footage of which survives. But we don't have, though, is footage of how they improve their ring skills, that is carry and ed Boulder, Right, how did they add to what was still when you look at the tape a pretty limited repertoire, as we talked about on the Complete Hulk Hogan Ed Boulder slash Burtis Beefcake has talked a bit about how important Future WW Superstar was in seventy nine and Memphis to showing them the ropes quite literally and how to get just that much better in
the ring. And that gentleman is none other than the Birdman, Coco Beware. And here we're proud to say everybody get up and everybody get down, because the Birdman is in fact in town. Coco Beware, thank you so much for joining us here in the life. We appreciate it.
Are you are welcome?
Excellent?
Definitely welcome, excellent.
So this is great, uh man, so much to talk to you about. So yeah, I've heard you talk in other interviews, Coco about meeting Terry and Ed in seventy nine in Memphis. But maybe you could just start there. For our listeners who haven't heard you tell the story, can you kind of revisit first meeting these two.
Yes, when I first met them, they came from Memphis, Tennessee. In fact, he came out of Florida. I guess where Terry was. I guess he. I don't know exactly where he was born, but he he Someone saw him down in Florida. Some of the wrestlers went to a to a little band that Terry was in, and Terry was playing and he was actually was playing bass guitar. What they were telling me and the little bass guitar looked
like a little kid's his guitar, right, you know. And and then they then they invited, hey, man, you need to get into wrestling business and stuff like that. And so I think a hero Mats Suita got him started started working with him and stuff like that. I'm not really for sure, but but uh, just bus and pieces of Matt Suitor name was mentioned about he worked out
with Terry stuff. And then and I guess, uh, when it was time for uh for them to move Terry and Beefcake, they said, well, Memphis was kind of one of the easy, easy territories there were really and uh, yes, you know, just to get started on because you know, it was a lot of guys that came through there and a lot of guys that left and then they came back and stuff like that. Memphis. Memphis was the hottest, hottest,
the place to go at one time. So after the uh, I think it was uh, you know, I think he called up Jarrett and said, hey, can you talk? And I got it and uh and uh and Eddie, I said, you know these guys here there, Hawk is really big. He was like three hundred pounds and and so I didn't know. I didn't know either one of them and stuff like that. So they came up to Memphis and then I was and uh, I was just still kind of working out with big guys and stuff like that.
And and uh so one night when they came in as Terry Bouter and Eddie Bouter and uh, Jerry Lawler was the booker at that time, and and he said, guys, y'all are working against these tag teams. Guys, I here, y'all gonna y'all gonna work a match. And he said, oh, okay, that's all I want y'all to do. I just want you, it's Terry. I just want you to throw the guy in the rope, pick him up, give him a bar hug, and slam him. I want you to do that ten times.
Ten times? Wow, yeah, ten times. And Eddie, I want you to uh slam the guy. I want you to just slam him, to slam him ten times. And then I want y'all to double pinum double pen these guys one two, three. Well they did that. And then when Terry came back in the dress room, he said, oh, man, I believe. I can't believe that's how That's how he sounded like, I just can't believe. Man, I went out there and all that stuff and I didn't even do nothing. I feel like I need to do none for the
people and all this stuff, man, I want. I wanted to do more. I wanted to do a whole lot more. You know. I wanted to have a match with a guy and stuff. All this stuff. You know, I said that was just suck. Man, that just sucked. And going out there and shooting the guy and get him a brother hug and drop him, pick him up, to do that about ten times and baf cakes over and slamming the guy about ten times and stuff like that. He said, Man, I want to do more than that. Then that's when
I came in with these guys. I mean, I didn't know him at all, and but I said, Terry, I just saw the pretension of him. I just saw the potential of mostly Terry because he was three hundred pounds. Man, I mean he got he got you, he got your eye. I mean big time. I mean like it was more than twenty two or twenty three pythons what he was talking about. And so I said, Terry, I'll tell you what I could do. I said, I have a buddy.
He's in Dyesburg, Tennessee, just right out of Memphis, probably about seventy five miles north of Memphis, Tennessee, on Highway fifty one. And I said, he's got a ring set up in his barn outside is in the back of his house. I said, we can go there out you and Eddie, we can we can all go work out, go work out there, and I can show you some
some big man's stuff. Yeah, this is living truth. What I'm saying here, this this podcast here is is going to be shocked because I'm not going to sit out here and lie on the post.
No. No, if I can't.
Tell the truth about it, I'm just you know, that's what I just want everybody to really.
I'm glad you know you said that who was the buddy that had the ring? Coco? Was that a wrestler?
Yes, yeah, he was. He was an ex wrestler. In fact, he was one of the Have you ever heard of Fullers of course, Ron Ron and Robert Fuller? Yes, of course it was his their granddad and their grandfather.
Oh, their grandfather. So Buddy Fuller or.
Her, it was herb welch Welch's ring.
Okay, cool, you had access to it, all right?
I see, yeah, I had, you know her. Let let us come up there and and and and work out with Hulk And I mean, what would idiot and Terry?
Then okay, that's great, so.
Go ahead. So a Hulk wanted to Hug wanted to do a whole lot of stuff. He wanted to kind of a drop kick, He wanted to do this, he wanted to do that. And I'm going Terry, you don't need to learn how to drop kick, I said, Now you take it my role, right, I said, I'm the little guy that does the drop kicks and all that stuff. I said, you're a big monster, I said, use your monster ability. Well, what can I do to I said,
I'll tell you what. I'm gonna tell you what you can do this how you're going to do it, and and and you eventually you can get really really good at it. And I said, I want you to slam the guy and then I want you to run and run it and and and drop your leg on him or pick the guy in, to pick the guy up, or give him a clothes line.
And stuff like that.
Because are you telling us? Are you telling us that you gave Hulk the leg drop?
I told him this is what I told him he could do. You know, I said, you could give the guy a leg drop. You can give the guy a clothesline and stuff like that, big as you are, and you could give the guy splash.
Yeah, yeah, you know.
And and and I said, Terry E the one you want to either one you want to do and stuff like that. I say, but as you go on, you're gonna get You're gonna have your timing down, which is which one is gonna be comfortable for you?
So did he do the leg drop right there in the barn. Do you remember that or did he decide.
To do he did? He tried, he tried, he tried to leg drop. He tried, he drived, tried to close line and stuff like that.
That's so he did all can you tell me? Because he I mean, he got up there, especially in the very very beginning we were watching some of them, yeah.
Doing now doing the leg drop. He was a little green about doing it because you know, he's he was a guy. And and and and then he didn't want to really hurt nobody trying to do the leg drop. And and I told him how to do it. I said, you gotta being when you run, you gotta hold your leg out, but you gotta bend it where the guy's neck. Yes, he will, he will fit your your knee will fit his neck.
Right like the back of you right the back of your leg out right.
And I said, when you come down, I said that, he said, And and he had to put it over like you really really uh. And I said, and you can pin somebody like that. I mean, that's a that's a finishing move from you, guys, I mean from from U hawk here. It is, Uh. You threw and you give him a leg drop, and give your opponent a leg drop. The guys shouldn't even get up no more. And then, you know, I said, and then you can run, You can run and give him a a elbow.
Elbows, Yep, we saw elbows, sure.
You know. And I said, it's all kind of choices that you can do. That's a big man's stuff right there.
Yeah, another one we saw him. He grabbed the ropes and he drives the knee down like six times in a row in the corner.
Right, and but he he was more comfortable with the with the leg drop.
I see, you know.
And and uh and I said, after that, I said, you're gonna get better. You gonna you're gonna feel like you could give the guys a clothes line, like you're making your comeback. You can give a guy you run and give him a clothes line, knock him down, boom, and then turn around and bag off the rope and then and then run and then drop the leg on him.
Yeah, that's so fascinating, Coco. I mean, I didn't realize. I mean, I knew he started doing the leg drop in Memphis, or at least that's the earliest tape we have of him doing anything really, but the leg drove in particular. And I wonder did you get the idea to suggest the leg drop to him because someone else in the business, another big man, was using the leg drop. Do you remember why you would have thought that was a good fit for him?
No, I just saw, I just saw, you know, well, I mean my thing was totally different. I mean I could close line the guy or whatever, or my thing was like drop kicking the guys of course, yeah, yeah, you know, and so but for a big man, I thought it would work better for him. Yeah, as a big man. All big man's I mean, drop the leg, you could do the splash and you know, close line somebody. Just part of me, part of what you thought it was a man, big man.
Still, that's that's so fascinating. So when he does it, though in the matches we've seen in Memphis seventy nine, he doesn't use it as a finish. He hits the right JP ready hits the leg. And what does he do, like, does goes for a cover or does he even go for a cover? I'm trying to remember me.
Yes, he goes through the pin one two.
Three, Sometimes yes, but but but sometimes he doesn't. He doesn't use it exclusively as a finish, and sometimes he does a weird leg drop where he he he what was so so he goes, he goes, he comes off the ropes, and it's a position where if you're doing a traditional leg drop, you you'd lift your left leg, but he always has his right leg, and so he ends up putting his whole body on the guy, well.
Like his whole right like the back of his thigh goes across the chest. Like he uses the opposite leg then you would expect him to use years later.
So it's not well, so he so he could easy roll up, roll the opposite way and getting up I see, yeah, or just and then cover the guy.
Yeah, very good. So do you remember him not using it as a finish in the beginning, Because even in WWF when he first went there in nineteen eighty in late seventy nine for Vince Senior, he would do the leg drop the middle of the match and just keep going. It was. It wasn't the finish until he went baby face and a w A, I don't think what.
That's what I'm saying. You know, I told him, say you could use this. I didn't say that it could be a finish, right, got it. I just told him you could use this, and and uh and but if it if if it looks if you do it so impressing, that is that is that is something else work a guy. A guy shouldn't even want to get up.
If you want to get up. Now, you're right about that. He went when he dialed that in and made that his finish, man, that.
Was because that's his finish. That's a good finishing move. And that's what's wrong with the wrestling today. They're doing incredible moves and they and they and they get a lack of one two one two uh one two count out of it and the guy kicks out on the one hell will finishes.
Yep, we're talking about all the time, the values, the entire.
That's what I can't understand. I can't understand why guys using they're a finishing hold, knowing that if you use that kind of hold out on the street, the guy's not getting back up. Yeah.
Right, So can you tell us Coco kind of based on the other guys you knew in the business, where was Terry at As far as I know, you said he was green, and you can see he's green, but he's not brand brand new. In fact, I'm not even sure if you realize this, but he didn't come to Memphis from Florida. He was in Florida in seventy seven.
He had about a dozen matches for Eddie Graham, and then he took a year off of the business and he went to Cocoa Beach, Florida with Eddie Boulder and they worked in a nightclub there, slash bar called the Anchor Club, and they opened a gym as well there in Coco Beach. They took a year off. Seventy nine, he gets back into the business, but before he goes to Memphis, he wrestles for about four months or three months for Ron Fuller in the Southeastern Territory Doth in
that whole loop down there. And in fact, he had already wrestled Andre the Giant before he came to Memphis. We don't have tape of these matches. We do have a tape of an angle he did at the Doth and TV studios where he attacked Andrea during the arm wrestling angle thing that they did, and Andre juiced for him and everything. We found that whole footage came out so long, so many years later, so it wasn't like
people knew about it at the time. So do you remember that him coming to you as someone who had had some serious, high profile matches in Alabama or is your memory he didn't do anything since Florida.
Well, he didn't say anything to me about it.
Got it okay about.
Eating the matches that he had because I didn't know him. I didn't know him like that. See, when they came into Memphis, they they was kind of like green greenhole.
Right, it looked to you like he couldn't do anything, like, I mean, could he what could he do?
Well? I mean when Lawler had him out there, just say hey, this is this is all I want y'all to do. And that's what a hulk got up said about.
When when you got him in the barn, could he do more than you expected? Or was he actually really that limited?
And Lawla was, well, when we got him in the barn, when I got him in the barn, this this is what I was I was telling him, Terry, this is what we do. You need to do the big man stuff and and that, and that's what I was giving him. The big man stuff like like he would Andrea Giant. Andrea Giants not gonna go up here and kick uh uh do a drop kick on Coco be ware you used, said, Andrea Giants gonna he's gonna give him a choke. He gonna pick him up and slam him, slam into the mat.
Or he can drop a leg if Andrea Giant, if he's dropped the leg on you, or he he splashed you. You and you know what that should be?
The finish should be the finish great. So did he do many sessions with you at the barn or was it just one?
We did? We get baby, little couple and uh and and and I said, this is all you need, yep, Terry, this is all you need to do. And I said, if you keep doing this down the down the years, I said, you're gonna you're gonna get polished. You're gonna this is gonna make you really get polished and get good at it. Then you can be able to strut your stuff and do whatever how you want to do it and stuff like that. I said, all this is
gonna come to you. Did I said, well, but right now you need you need to learn how to do that clothesline. You needed, you need to drop the leg, You need to do the splash, if you want to do the splash. I said, that's that's something to you on that you just you just take that however you want to take. You do it the way you want to do it, just quickly.
How is Eddie? Was he even greener than Terry? Because I'm not even sure Eddie had done much wrestling?
Well, yeah he would, Yeah, he hadn't done too much anyway, Eddie hasn't He wouldn't done. And I was just kind of working. I said, what you Eddie? Now you could at your side, you could drop kick the guys and stuff like that. I said, now, you're not as big as Hulk, right, you know? And I was just you know, but I didn't really concentrate on Eddie too much.
Yeah, okay, so it's more it's more about focusing on Terry. Yeah, I got it.
Right, because you know, when Terry walked down the street and if everybody don't pull over side the road, man, it's something wrong. He said, wait a minute, who was this big guy here? Man? God that we don't just so see guys like it every day walking around.
That's the origin story is that one full and Louis Tillette was looking for him, saw this guy that had you know, he worked a bit in seventy seven. The Briscoes knew him, the Graham's new him, Bob rup knew him, a couple of some other guys, and it's like this guy is just it's just massive and he turns heads.
And Louis Toilette, I think, gets some of the credit for being the first guy to say like, no, like, even though you're green as as can be, you've got something we absolutely can make money with.
Yeah, but I just I just I just wanted to let everybody to know I just started him out. I didn't know nothing about him at all when he came. But when he came to Memphis, he was writing my territory and he needed I knew he needed help or they needed help, and I was willing to give. I gave them what I thought, what I thought what a big man should have.
That's great.
So that's wanted to asked one thing before, like please so way wait, I mean, I'm sorry to go back this far, but you talked about how he uh when he first came in, how how people were we were pinning him left and right right? Is that what you said when he first came in, like people like they had to go out there, and you said he wanted to do more? I mean did.
Like?
How did how did that pinning him like that many times?
I mean did it?
Did it kind of? Did he kind of get to get to his confidence? Did he feel a little like freaked out the fact that.
He can him? He did? He didn't want to, He didn't want to do that him. This was the finish were him and law I mean that beefcake and I'm saying beefcake. They just told him to go out there and and slam the guy. Yeah, and he slammed the guy ten times. Hulk shoot the guy in for a barrel hub for ten times and drops and then at the end of it, y'all, y'all do a double pin on these guys and beat him one, two, three and the middle of the ring. So they would there.
I got you wouldn't take that, they would get the pin. I got you.
I wasn't sure that sounded like it was the other way around, but now I get it. Thank you for clarity, Coco, that Terry was maybe did you think part of it was Terry was concerned that they weren't letting him do more like that that by telling him just to do these basic moves, they were purposely kind of holding him down.
You know. No, no, they thought they knew they was he was green from from the story with Ady Graham right told told Jerry Jared.
And that was what he had to go on. So that's great, So so we go on.
So so they they was trying to say, well, we're going to start to these guys slow and see see what they can do.
When we went back and looked at it. He first came in in May seventy nine to Memphis and he did a couple of matches kind of like at first as a mystery partner for Jerry Lawler as the Hulk. He had already, like we had talked about, made a bit of an impact down in South eastern from Ron Fuller. So it was known that he was, you know, an entity. Were you surprised that the day one he came in he was associated with the top guy Jerry Lawler.
Yes, I wouldn't. I was already surprised because I thought he was good. He was he he was out of this world, that he could work I mean he was. I mean he was like Andre to Jihant. He wasn't the best worker. Yeah, he wasn't the best worker, but what Andre could do, he was good at it.
Do you do you think that Jerry uh might have gotten I don't know a little concern that Hulk got too over as a baby face and might have been cutting in on that spot as time went.
Well, I don't really. At that time, Lawler didn't have didn't have nothing to worry about on that on that end, because he was he was still green. Yeah, you know, he was still green, and he just he did he just didn't have it. He just didn't have it together like when he when he got when he when he went to New York, that's when he did. He that's when he had his hisself together.
One more question about training him, and then we'll move on to some other parts of you know, hanging out with them and stuff in Memphis? Did Hulk Did you have to work with Hulk on kicking out? Like, was him kicking out of pinfall something he really was interested in getting better at.
No, I didn't have to do that at all, because you know they're right there. It was this kind of simple simple thing to do. Yeah, you know, I mean I was I was just trying to help him to do the big man stuff.
The big man stuff, because what he tells the story about hearing Matsuda, you know, it's like I got my leg broken and they were doing the initiation thing and it was like kind of kind of a rough thing for him, and he was kind of paranoid, you know, the way he told it over the years that like people would try to take advantage.
Of I don't know, I don't think he I don't really think he broke his leg or whatever because he was moving too much when he came to Memphis. If you break your leg once, I mean you're not going to be really really going out there for straw, right, you know, just going out there. And I really because he didn't didn't. He never did say to me about that he broke his leg and whatever and stuff like that, you know, but it was it was, uh, I mean, they were they was good. Like I say, they were,
they were good. I mean, after I learned him from They was green when they came in, and then they stayed around for a little while and then they left. They went to verning Ganya, and then I didn't see him no more till nineteen eighty six when I got when I got, uh, Evince wanted got accepted it in the w w L.
That's great and we're gonna definitely get there. But before we go that far ahead. You also, it sounds like you just helped them train that a couple of times in the barn. You traveled with them. You you you were in the towns with them. Tell us all about what it was like traveling with Terry and Ed Boulder before they were superstars.
Well, we had a big green Lincoln. I mean Terry had a big green He had a big green Lincoln and stuff like that. And Terry, I mean Hawk would drive and and Beefcake was that he would be on the other side and I'll be in the back seat, and I just I just loved it. Here's these big two munsters back here. I'm back there just talking, you know, I'm just like man. And we would go to these towns, back and forth, back and forth, and stuff like that, you know, because that's when Memphis was kind of hot,
you know. But Terry would They didn't have him as a main event or whatever at the time. You know, they just didn't have they didn't have him. He had a match, he had a match with and and the match didn't go along. You know, if he had a match in Memphis and we go to Louisville, we go to we go to Evansville, Indiana, where we might go Lexington, Kentucky and stuff like that. I mean, you know, then we'll drive all the way back across back down to
Memphis getting ready for TV and stuff like that. You know. So I mean that was that was That was it, and you know that's where and that's where they the guys could get really polished because we was out there every every night. Every night. We start off in Memphis,
then we go to Louisville on Tuesday. Then we go to Evansville on a Wednesday, and then if there's that month rose around, there's Lexington, Kentucky up arena and we'll work there and stuff, and then we'll come on back down to uh uh it's uh, I can't even think of the name, little Mississippi town, Tupelo, Mississippi. And then we'd go to Jonesboro, Arkansas, or we'll go to uh Nashville on a Saturday night.
Where were they?
And that was the that was the territory.
That's that's great. So I can picture the geographic area where were they. Were they living in like a hotel like a Day's In or something, or did they have an apartment.
You know what? Uh, I think they had they had some kind of a partner. Now now they had a hotel like the Day's Inn or something, you know, and and we will get a hotel, I mean, get the hotel every night.
I see, so just call the hotel the hotel. Yeah right, yeah, So you're in that car, and what kind of stuff are they talking about him? And I know they were eating like crazy, they were probably smoking like crazy, they were hanging out with women crazy.
I mean. The thing though, it is I had a great time with them and stuff like that. And uh, it was just it was just I never see him. I never did see him date any girls or anything like that. Now, I didn't never even see that much.
Oh okay, got it.
You know, because I wasn't around them. When I when it's time for me to go to my hotel, I go to my room and stuff like that, and and I just I just I did my thing on you know. The next morning, we get up and we go to go to the gym and go get something to eat, go to the gym. And I worked out with him, you know, so I worked out with them. With them, it was it was good. I mean, I mean it was good. It was really good that I worked out.
I mean I felt I felt good. And and and Hug learned me some things, and and and Eddie learned me some things about working out and all that stuff. I mean, you know, we we it was just it came out where it was just like brothers was together. That's how how that's how their relationship came turned out to be like brothers.
So how would that work out? Regimen? They always talk about it. Eddie did a book and he talked about it. They would eat a lot, right and they would be tell us about how they kept their diet, their diet on the road.
Yeah, they just we died in the car. And then when we when we when it's time we have a match and stuff like that. And then Huk Hulk will say, hey, we're gonna we're gon We're gonna go to the roast store and that's when they pig out.
Okay, what are we talking? What's on the menu? Yeah, we need to know what what what would they What would they get?
Oh, they would get all kind of bananas, apples, oranges and milk and stuff and you know, just a lot of protein drinks and just just a little favorite thing.
What was it? What was like a favorite place you guys would go eat? Would you ever eat? Would you ever eat with them? Would I go out to eat? Like go to a bar or go to like, I don't know, any restaurant like anything like that.
I mean we we went to, uh, I guess a steakhouse. You know, places like that were like a long horn and stuff like that. I mean we we just that's when the people didn't even realize because when everybody walked in, I mean when we walked in, then nobody kind of realize. Howk until he really got big on the Rocky movie.
I see m So he was big and wrestling, but when you went out in public in general, he had some privacy people.
It wasn't that bad. I mean, it wasn't that bad. I mean even with Jared Lawler, yes, they would know him and stuff like that, but just just force him, just just saying, hey, that's oh my god, Hulk is in there, you know, and just like I mean, you know when when he left, when he left the Rocky movie and stuff like, he got over real big.
Of course he didn't. You mentioned the green Lincoln that they had. They've talked about that over the years. Eddie's talked about it, others have talked about it. Ron Bass tells the story about how Hulk used to make fun of Ron's little dog, and so Ron to get him back one time smashed into the side of his Lincoln and and then Terry got out all pissed off, and then Ron pulled a pulled a gun on him to freak him out before he realized it.
Was I don't know now, I don't know nothing about that. Come on, I wasn't no.
I wasn't there, Okay, I was hoping you were in the back seat, not that you get hurt.
No, no, no, no, I wasn't there all the time with those guys. It was just it was where where when I was with him those guys, it was just strictly business. We own the road and stuff like that. And they the one wanted me to go with them, right, they wanted me to go with them and stuff like that. And and I guess it's just being nice hunk with just being nice is saying, hey, you know, man, I appreciate you. The only one down here just really cure anything about us, you know, and we just like for
you to tag alone and stuff like that. You know.
Yep, got it? Okay, that's clear. Yeah, because Eddie tells a story in his book about Sherry and how they met Sherry in a club down there before she was even in the business. Do you remember Sherry being around Memphis before she was even wrestling.
You're talking about Sherry.
Get sensational, Sherry, Sherry Martel.
Yeah. I knew Sherry Martell. Yes, I knew her, but you know I knew her what she got into business? I got it. Yes. Now, now I think I think Jake to Snake will I think he was going with her one time. Yep. I don't know, you know what I'm saying. I don't know the whole history about Sherry.
No, no, Yeah, I just wondered. It just seemed like Eddie was telling the story as if they met her when they were in Memphis before you know, she was dancing at a club, and she she knew the business, she loved the business. But I just thought it was fascinating that they knew her before she was in wrestling. I always thought that they would have met there.
But right that was, I don't know, I don't know anything about that, you know what I'm saying. But I just knew. I just knew. Uh Man, when we when we load up, we'll drive and we we'll stop and eat, and we'll stop and eat, stop and eat just a little risk. Yeah, oh yeah, I mean there were those guys. And then then when we drive all the way back, we're running to a place called Kroger Park, I mean grocery store and stuff like that. And we and we get groceries in there, and and we were going down
the highway and man, Dolly headed back to Memphis. You know that's but I want to say this too, And I know it. I know this. You're probably gonna come up. I mean, you're gonna ask me this. I want to say this, and I mean this from my heart. There was no racial mark said in my present ye with Hunk and Beefcake. They never did use the word nigger
at all. I don't know where they came from. And I travel with those guys the whole time down here, and it really bothered me when that when it came out that somebody want a suit hery and all this stuff. It bothered me because it wasn't true in my world. I said, unless cherry doesn't change, that didn't even mention. I mean, they treated me like I was their brother.
Awesome. I'm glad. I want to run it up because.
I just want the world to know that that I don't care what they say. They did not say anything about that. Okay, Now I don't know, you know, they said Brooke, I mean, is his daughter was dating this this black dude whatever, And that's when they came it came up. Well, I don't, I don't know, I don't. All of this was way before all that, when his daughter started dating. Yeah, I'm talking about me and a Hawk and and and be for we were I mean, we was brothers. And it wasn't no nigger jokes anything.
Ain't like that. He was just brothers.
And let me ask you, Coco, I bet you kind of heard a lot of jokes like I bet there are some people, not I'm not to ask you to name them, but there are some people that definitely would make you uncomfortable in that way, right, And they weren't two of.
Them, you know, what. That didn't bother me. That's the thing about it. See if I let that bother me, because I already know there's somebody's going to say something about some some black person already and they're going to use that word. Well, let's turn the let's turn the whole tables around. When I get when we get mad, when black folk getting mad? Would another black person, what do you think they call them?
I'm so old, I'm not going to say it well saying you know what they're gonna say.
Sure, sure, yeah, So that's.
That's how it is. I mean, so why should I get I mean, why should another black person will get mad? If they if they was joking around or or they just came out and said that, now they came out and then what they were saying, they're serious about it. Then you know what, then I then I got the right to say something to them in return. So but other than that, you know, that's that's the only time. That's what that's the difference of it. You know, why
get why get upset? Well? I know why they get upset because everybody looks up on hu Kogan was a he was memorial brother. I mean, I'll come what I'm trying to say, you know.
Yeah, well yeah he was held up on a pedestal. Yeah, but that's right. I'm glad you brought it up. I mean we weren't we definitely.
And you did. And you know he wasn't gonna you know, you don't say those things. It's okay for everybody else tonna say that, but certain people were you out here in this entertaining world. You gotta watch what you say. Yeah, and I don't And you know what and if he and if he said it, if he said it, and but I know he was saying it. Probably he was upset with his daughter.
Yeah, yeah, that's the context. You're right. Yeah, it was on. He was being recorded. He didn't know it. He was talking to the he was talking to the radio host wife, and he was on because they were investigating if he was being extorted for the sex tape. And he said it. Yeah, he was talking about.
See that's why I see see true body with me now, I'm gonna tell you with me and I and and that's where he was green that I believe. Okay, see that we when you when you're doing podcasts, when you're doing radio, when you're doing TV, you got to watch what you say.
Well he didn't know. Yeah, but he didn't know he was being recorded for.
He was green. The reason why he didn't know because he never was taught. And see, I wasn't around. I wasn't around hunk that longed to say, hey, huok, you only talk about certain things and you can't swear. See that's the first thing they learned us in mental sendency. Hey do not swear on TV? Yeah, and we swear it on TV. We had we had a a person that work work with with the TV station. They wouldn't give us no interview time.
Yeah, yeah, that would be harmful to your career. Well, well, Memphis. You know a question I didn't have about the circuit is you know it didn't have the reputation. I don't know by the time Jerry took over from Nick glasson Improved, but he didn't have the reputation of paying the best right. A lot of guys were frustrated with their pay in Memphis. But then I pictured, you know, Hulk being on the road with the Continental and and go in to the grocery store three times a day. You know, I want
to get your sense. I mean, I mean by the time they buy all those groceries and all that gas, do they have much money left over? What was that like?
Well, it's the same way everybody. Then you have to work with lawlor to make big money, okay. And then and then and then when we're saying about big money, I'm looking at you might make a thousand dollars And I didn't see these guys checks right right, and stuff like that. You know, even when when uh uh was his name Rocky uh was his name Rocky Dwayne Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, when he before he became used his real name. He came in in the myphics as well.
Yeah, it's flex cavana right right right.
And he would and you know what, you could buy him for twenty five dollars and he and I'm gonna tell you right now. And I never and I'm the one that him try to help him in the rest of the business because I can't. I can't say this on a tape. I can't say what I want to say on tape because I don't want to hurt Rocky. I don't want to hurt Dwayne or whatever. It wasn't nothing really bad, but it was bad. He's an Lapsed Fan.
Wrestling podcast with Jack for A SEO and Jpi Soros a Lapsed Fan Wrestling podcast.
Rocket was sitting. Dwayne came into Memphis and they wasn't doing nothing what he was he was never starting. Let me start back. Hold on Miami University. He played football there, right. They tried to get him in the NFL. That didn't work. Then he had to turn to wrestling, so he went I guess he went to WWE and then l and then finally they they sent him down to Memphis where Okay, he came into Memphis and they was paying him twenty
five thirty dollars a night. I mean, this is that was he didn't have no way, he didn't have I'm talking about poor.
Seven dollars in his pocket or something like that.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know whatever, it's seven dollars. And he had downtown Bruno and he will stay at his place, and you know what, And he wasn't the only place he stayed at. He had other guy that was hip was hlping him out too. But one day, one night we had a show and he was stressed out on the couch. And but I've been knowing y'all know his nickname. Uh, do y'all know Dwayne Johnson Dewey. There we go. Dewey used surrived with me and his dad,
different places to the shows and stuff like that. That you know, but that that was that, But that's when he was young. But now the Miami, Now I'm back on the right track now.
He was.
He was stressed out on the couch and said, you know what, Coke, you know what? Uh, we was all just talking. He said, Man, I don't know if he mentioned my name or not. He said, man, I don't know. I don't know what I'm gonna do here. Man, I'm not making no money. And Jerry Lawlingen was beating him every night, and uh, and the kid was still over with the crowd. The young girl was going. They were screaming because he was he was a good looking man.
Yep.
And he said and uh, and I said do it. Let me tell you, man, you go to w W E, I mean F. I said, you go to w w F. I want you to go up there, man, because I just left him up there. I said, I want you to go up there. And I want you to keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing. Oh lord, Coco I'm sorry, man, I'm sorry about this. Uh My dad already burned all kinds of bridges up there. I said, I don't care what your dad had done, right, I said, I want you to go up there and make some
money and keep your mouth shut. I said, because they might do something with you, because they done tried. This. Senior already was trying to put the belt on Tony Allats and a few more black guys up there, and said they wanted a black champion, but they all been messing up. He said, they all been messing up, but you know, and he said, but you you go up there, and said, man, you're a good looking person. You say, you're all these people, these girls down here going crazy
over you. I said, you go there, keep your mouth shut. They might do something with you. And said he said, well, okay, I go out, And so he went on up there. I said, they're gonna, yes, they're gonna beat you. They're gonna beat you. They want us seem you can you can handle what they're gonna do to you. I said, you're not gonna get over on Steve on on Stone on Stove Stone cold, Steve Wauston. I said, it's gonna be a lack of tie. Said, they're gonna put you over.
They're gonna put They're gonna they're gonna put Steve, Steve Awson over. You're gonna lose. They're gonna put Steve Awson over. You're gonna lose your match. But the crowd is loving you because you got something. When you get the eyebrow, I think right with your eyes.
Oh yeah, they were off to the races. I mean, that's that's amazing. I didn't realize that you were also there when Rocky was having questions about you know, how much further he was gonna.
Go, yeah, and you know and so and that's what I just told him. And he was in the dress room. Can you smell what memph was this cooking?
Cooking? It's gotta be ribs and good stuff.
So you know, I mean all stuff like that, and uh, it didn't hit home until he got up there. Can you smell what the rock is cooking?
Amazing?
Did did you have when you when you when you were watching him down in Memphis? Do you have any inkling that he would I mean, not necessarily this particular match, but did you I guess by the time two thousand and two rolled around. Were you surprised at all that that the Rock would made event WRESTLEMANI with Hulk Hogan.
I wasn't. I wasn't. I wasn't surprised. Yeah, I was a because I knew it was going to happen.
Did you know about then though, when he was in Memphis? Did you like have that inkling like you know, someday he's going to be like you know.
No, no, no, I didn't call I didn't call a shot like that. I called a shot when he when he got when he got Poplar and all this stuff. Yeah, and then he's and then that's what let me tell you number See, this is another this is another part that the people people don't realize. Let me tell you, Yeah, Dwayne, he didn't make it really really big in the wrestling business. Watching now, I was gonna say he didn't holdly, he didn't make it. He didn't make it big in the
wrestling business. He made it big in the movies. And then he came back to the wrestling business.
Yes, he did.
You see what I'm saying. So even when he the rest of the the movie got him over as Dwayne Johnson.
Absolutely, yeah, Well.
But he but he did, but he did not get over just starting out as as uh, Dwayne, Dwayne Johnson whatever in the rat Johnson.
Yeah, well that's good stuff.
Man.
I didn't even realize that part of it, But that came up because we were talking to you about, you know, the Memphis pay Days and stuff, and I wanted to ask you, do you remember how Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler kind of felt about Hulk. I mean you already talked a little bit about how you know, Lawler thought he was green, but at the same time he was working with him, he was putting them in main events, he was rest you know, he was staring next to him, six man tags with him and stuff.
Well you know that's that's that's how it works. If you can't beat them, you gott to join them.
Okay.
So they knew that Hunk was was a big guy, I mean the big strong guy and stuff like that. I mean, unbelievable. Where the people do people were kind of they loved him and stuff like that. But the thing about it, they just they just had room. They
had room for him, but they didn't. But it came down when if the Jerry Lawler would would would take all the wins, right, Munk would Hug would go in there and he'll make the comeback and stuff like that, and and Tag and Tag Lawler and Lawla come in and do his finishing move Boom one two three, you get the pen. I see what you mean, you know, so, I mean that's how, that's how that, that's how Lawla worked in the getting over and stuff like that. And
he had to go last every night. Hey the King, I will say, he did the king job real well. And I love Jerry Lawler and stuff like that. My my prayers goes out to him, uh for having the strokes and all that stuff. And I talked to I talked to Jerry all the time and stuff like that. He was my idol. He was one of my idols getting into wrest him in this.
I bet what a huge presence he was. Do you think that Jerry Jarrett saw Hulk as a big attraction or do you think it was just somebody that he wanted to use just for a little while.
No, he saw him as a big he saw me. He see, he was just too green for for Jerry too. He will try to push him, I see, like you know, but when he got when he went to vron Gunya. When they went there, that's when that's when he was started getting polished. And then varn Gun try to try to steal Hulk from Vince. Vince was going to to vron Gun and take it Hulk.
Do you remember when Hulk was in Memphis with you that they would promote him as like basically for like if you came to the arena, you would see the Hulk. They would play it up like that.
Yeah, I've seen all that, but it's still it didn't stop the Hulk though. He didn't stop his Yeah, I'm just saying it just because he was already when they when the people saw the size, they gave him. They the people gave him that title the Hulk.
The people did.
I mean, I'm saying, no, he was. They changed it to Hunk. Yeah, but the people. But what I'm saying, but the people loved the Hunk because he was like the incredible Hulk.
In what way. I mean it's obvious, but I'd love to hear you well.
What I'm saying. In that way he was built. He I mean, he this guy here, I mean, Hunk was he he had he had muscles on his neck and everything. Like I told you, when I met him, he was three hundred pounds and he had more than than twenty two inch biceps.
Wow, when you were in there with him? Was Robert Fuller booking?
No, Robert, Robert Fuller wasn't booking mythals at that time. I mean, Robert never had their own Florida thyme Pensacola.
Right, Yeah, it was. I've heard Ron talk about it because Ron has a podcast and he said that in seventy nine, Robert, his brother, was booking for Jerry Jarrett in Memphis, and.
You might have you know what I'm saying, I'm you know, I might have been gone. I don't know.
Yeah, That's all I was asking is if you remember Robert Fuller ever working with Hult, because it seemed like, I don't know if you remember this Cocoa, but it seemed like there was a lot of talent exchange between Pensacola and Memphis back then. A lot of guys would go back and forth. Do you remember that.
Yeah, I kind of remember that, A little bit called novelle Awsome, Yeah, yes, and stuff like that. And he was my partner as a pretty young thing.
Pretty young thing. So do you remember that going back and forth. Was that like a friendly thing or were you like kind of leaving one of the guys in the dust and going to the other place or were they working together? Do you remember that vibe?
Well, I mean myself, I did. I never did. I didn't. I didn't like it like that myself. Because when Bobby Eaton, I know, y'all know Bobby Eaton him and I him, and I was partner's eye as well. And then Bobby Eaton said, at Leasa gave me a warning. He said, Coco. He said, man, I heads up. He said, this is what I really want. I want to do. I want to go with Dennis Country and Midnight Express. We're going to go to UH to Louisiana and work with Bill Watts.
He said, man, what's your feelings? What's your thought about that? And you know what I told Bobby, I said, Bobby, you're a full and you're a full grown man. Yep. You make these choices, you make, you make him on your own, brother, you know. I said, good luck, you know, have at it whatever, and I hope you the best. I said, I'm not gonna stop. I'm not gonna stop nobody. That's the only thing about it. I'm not gonna stop nobody from trying to make for better himself.
Do you remember Terry leaving Memphis and why he left?
You know what, I don't know why he I don't. I really don't know. And at that part, I definitely don't know why he left Memphis and went to barnegonn Here because I didn't see him until till I want uh the WWF in eighty six.
Just you just suddenly wasn't around anymore. Yeah, I got it, okay.
And I'll tell you what I'm gonna tell you he was. He wasn't there when I got there. I was sitting over in the corner and there was a big Andre to John, There's Don Morocco. There's all these big guys all around and stuff like that. And when Hulk came in, Jimmy Hard wasn't in the picture. He wasn't. Jimmy Hard was not in the He wasn't in the picture even in Mithless when I was, when I was with.
All, Yeah, he was just sort of helping Jerry on the back end with some of the music stuff and promotions. But he wasn't a TV manager yet.
Right.
Well, then we'll say this right quick. Do you know how you know how Jimmy Hard got started in the business.
Yeah, he Jerry Lawler wanted to make a record and uh, Jimmy Hart was a big fan and was doing the gentries and they hooked up and did the record and then and then Jerry brought him into the business.
No, Jerry Lawler, Yeah, yeah, Jerry Lawler and Jimmy. Jimmy wanted to be a wrestling manager. Jerry Lawler wanted to sing country music.
Yep, for sure.
So that's how Jimmy Hard got into wrestling business.
That's right. So you were saying that through the prism of meeting Hulking eighty six again, he said.
Bring it. Yeah, then we're going back. We're going back there. See, I gotta I jump all around, so you gotta watch problem on the rail, No problem. When I walked when in nineteen eighty six, I was there when Huck walked in, and I didn't know he was there when he walked. When he when Hug walked in the dressing room, and Hug looked over in the corner and Hug said, no, no, I'll be damn God, damn, I mean, I hope he's
no kids around please. But uh and and he said he came over there, hunk came over there and picked me up and shook me like I was the baby.
Wow.
And he looked at Andre and and all of them Morocco and everybody was in there, and he said, hey, guys, this little eml here. He was the only one that helped me at Beefcake in Memphis. He said, Man, I'm glad to see you. Oh, I'm so glad to see you.
What did that mean to you?
Kco Man, it meant the world. I mean here it is tears coming down my eyes and stuff like that. And I said, man, I didn't think I ever see you no more and stuff like that. And I asked the words beef re read and stuff like that. He said, well, he'd probably be here. He's probably coming, you know, later on somewhere, you know. And uh and he did uh as came and came back as Beefcake. So but but that just made me feel good all over. I said, golly, you know, I did my I did my very very
best helping somebody. And I helped him. And then when at that time, he was so he was polished, he was so polished. He he was over big time. And that's what I was telling trying to tell him, said once, once you learn how to do all of this, it's gonna you're gonna get better with it. Each and every day you're talking, your interview, talking and stuff like that, You're gonna get better with it.
And look at that in the full circle moment. I want to ask you one more question about uh I.
Went I said one too, just now? Did you do you think just curious if you thought that? You know, in comparison Hulk Hogan to Luf Forregno is the incredible. HOWK do you think Ulk Cogan was bigger.
Than well, you know what. I think he was bigger by.
Name, Okay, sure.
You know what I mean. And he was and the other dude was he was big too. I'm not disrespected him. I mean he was big. But for just everybody, they would love Hulk over him. They had Hunk out there a lot more than they had they had him. Hm.
Who do you think if if, if, if if l.
Ever ever gotten the wrestling ring, who do you think would who do you think would be the better one?
But you know what I think, I think Hulk, especially if if like Hunk is if if they've both been doing it about the same time or whatever. You got to be trained to do this stuff, and then you and then you and then you got to you got to know how to do it. You got to know how to talk and all that stuff. See when I when I saw Hunk up in the w w F, well, he man, he could rap, come out, he could wrap.
Yep, promos were there and he and he could put himself over and that's that's that's the things that that you look that you love that you If you don't have the wrapping part down you and stuff like that, then you lose.
You know.
I think the other guy could be He might be the same, but I don't know.
Yeah, not quite. The promo Hulk was, for sure, Coco. Did Elvis ever go to any of your matches? Hulk said. Elvis used to go to some of his matches in Memphis.
Elvis came there one time, but I never you see him, Oh really, because they said they set him up in the press box. Yes, wow, they had him. They had him. They had him up in the press box and stuff like that, and they didn't let nobody know that Evers was in the building. They snuck him in.
Yeah, probably. I don't know how they got him in there in seventy nine, but yeah, I understand why they wouldn't make a big show of it.
Yeah right, And so you know, but that's the only time that I got a kind of, uh just a little seeing him a little bit, just just that he was leaving.
Yeah, my goodness. So you saw him getting in the limo or you just heard about.
It, Well, just just I saw him getting in the limo and uh and stuff like that. You know, I just saw him. I didn't you know, didn't I didn't even really know that was him.
But you sure it wasn't Unky tunk Man, No, No, that was I mean, listen, listen. I'll tell you what.
If I ever had been in the presence of Almans, I wouldn't want to run up to him and just grab him because I wouldn't believe he was real it's still alive.
Well, well, you know what, I wasn't like that. I just wasn't like that at all. And uh but uh but that's okay. But I I couldn't make I couldn't make nothing out of it because I didn't really I saw I just saw a flash of him of him coming down, they had so many guys walking with him, and and next thing, you know, when I came out, they were just getting in the limos. So I don't I can say that they said it was it was personally, but I never did see.
Yeah, gotcha. Yeah, the resurrection unbelievable. So one more question for you, Cooko about Memphis, because this one is of interest fans. I think in eighty one, after Hulk could come through the first time, he went to WWWF, he went to New Japan, he went to he started in Awa. He was now a big, big name in the wrestling business. He came back to Memphis just for one match in February of eighty one against Jerry Lawler. And this is
the match that came out on videotape later. Remember this where they claimed Jerry Lawler once beat Hulk Cogan after he made it big in WWF Hulk, and they made a big deal about it. They put a videotape out about it. And I always wondered that in that time period, and perhaps you have some perspective on this, having worked there, did did Hulk did it bother Hulk that Jerry kind of went around acting like he beat Hulk Cogan. It was like a DQ finish and they did a rematch
later in Florida. But you know, Jerry did something similar with Andre the Giant and the wrestling magazines the midget who beat Andre the Giant, that whole controversy. Do you remember the Hulk Jerry Lawler match in eighty one.
And this idea?
Yeah?
True, I knew Lawler see aure call Lawler. He wanted to beat you. He that was his thing. Yes, if he could beat you in Memphis, that put him over and he could get out there on the TV and talk about it. I don't beat them all. I don't beat the Hunk Hogan, I don't beat the Andre the Giants and stuff like that. I mean, you know, but even with Ric Flair, I mean, Rick Clair put Lawler over, and Lawler was supposed to return the favor to Ric Flair.
And that's the reason why Ric Flair kind of don't like he don't really care for Lawla.
Now, yeah, that didn't happen. Do you think that there was animosity between Hulk and Lawler about that eighty one thing where they acted like he beat Hogan or not so much.
Well, see that's I think Hogan was working with I guess McMahon. I don't know. I don't know if he was working with McMahon or not.
Yea, he had for a while. Yeah, but that was like in that period between Vin Senior and vern Yeah.
Oh yeah, yeah. But but it was just it was it was it was just something that Lawler. That was all Lawler. I mean, Lawler can talk to you and tell you what we're gonna do as and and then you make a big comeback on the end of it where it throws your mind off, Yes, what they've done. Yes, and then you don't really you don't think about it. Ntil you in the dressing room or you you're in the airplane someone and say, Lee, what in the heck did I put him over for? Right? Right?
Right? That's fascinating. Jimmy Hart said in his book that he didn't really think Jerry Lawler saw a star in in Terry in the beginning, and Jerry kind of I don't know if he disagrees or not, but that that's what he thought. Jerry's perspective was, do you think Jerry, because we talk of about, you know, how a lot of people missed on Hulk, like Eddie Graham had him first. They didn't really push him Dust he didn't like him. Alabama pushed him big time, but he left there too.
And then Jerry Lawler, you know, worked with him and made him a big name in Memphis, but then he left. He had left the business for a little while. You do you think Jerry Lawler saw a star and Terry Boulder Truly.
He probably saw a star. H Noel Lawlers, like I say, he probably did, and he probably didn't want him to get into bigger yeah right, you know, but he did. I mean after he left, after lawering him, after he done beat Hogan and stuff like that. He'd unbeat Andrada John and so it didn't really matter because Hope brought it up. I mean Lawler brought it, but brought all this back up before he even thought about going up to Wwe already beat all of.
Them, right, He was able to say that too to his face.
See what I'm saying.
I do last one for you, Cocoa, when I mean you talked about being moved to tears in eighty six, when Hulk gave you the big Bear hug the move, you told me you should do more than just the bear hugg and there he is Bear hugging you backstage in eighty six and being emotional about it. I got to ask you, everybody we've talked to about Hulk, we asked them your reaction when you learned of his passing.
It shocked a lot of people. And just what what memories and thoughts went through your head when you found out that that Hulk passed last year?
Is what all we just talked about, all the questions you just asked, you asked me, and all the memories that and I'm going, oh man, and what really bothered me too? I wanted a kin to a fuel sure, yeah, but I got I got stuck in New Jersey. Were doing up there, and the flight was the flight canceled out until that it was a Sunday until that Monday night. It wasn't going to fly back to Memphis that Monday night. Well,
I had to get up that Sunday morning. I took a flight out to all the way to Chicago and then it came down to Memphis and got in the Memphis around about eleven o'clock. Well, I get a text and saying you are invited to Hawks home homecoming ye, And I'm going like I can't make it. It was going to be that Tuesday to try to try to try to buy a ticket in Memphis, of all places many were they would ate me up, of course I would. And I'm and I'm not. I'm not related to Donald Trump.
In terms of being able to pay for fair on that short notice. Well that that stinks. I'm sorry to hear that, but definitely, I'm sure you spent some time reflect.
But I got it. I got invited, and and and uh and I cried about that because that hurt me, because when I heard it, and it hurt me, and and all the memories that I just went over with your guys and stuff like that, that that that's that's lifetime for me. And and then I told Brutus, and I ain't even told brutus, Brutus, why you and Hogan cannot get along? Right? Why? I said, why, why y'all cannot get a loan? That hurt me so bad that these guys here let a woman get between them.
Mm hmm, yeah, that was.
And I said, I said, forget that. I mean you got to put you guys, got to put the woman in her place. And said, look here this who I was with when I didn't have nothing. And I love you, honey, but nothing is gonna come between me and huwk here me in terior here. He helped me out when I when I. He gave me money when I when when I didn't have it. Yes, he helped, he did. He helped did surgery on me when when I didn't have the surgery money. He did a lot of things for me.
I did a lot of things for him. So I can't turn against him no matter what.
Ye friends to the end. So what what your final question? So if you had a chance to see Hulk one last time, what would you tell him?
If I had a chance, You know what, I was still I did make a when this when this brought us up to uh New York, brought the beefcake. No, no, it wouldn't be cake.
It was.
Uh TiO Santana, Greg Valentine, Jimmy Hart and h tedd Viosta was supposed to be there bringing all the legends back, you know, and uh and I got a chance. Jimmy Hart was on was talking to Huck on the phone, and I got a chance to talk to I said Jimmy, Because Jimmy wasn't gonna let me talk to him. Where he's busy. Hulk is busy, Jimmy, all, he's coming up. Well, he's so busy, he came, he can't. I said, well, Jimmy, let me talk to Hunk here for a minute. One minute, Jimmy,
So I talked. I talked to jim I mean, I talked to hook and I said, hey, big brother, how you doing us? I said, I've been trying to call you and everything, but I don't have your number. And I said, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna blow your phone up and stuff like that. I'm not gonna wear you to death. I said, you know, I know how the rastle business work. I don't want people to wear me to death either, I said, you know, but I think we all at least say hello to each other sometimes,
you know. I said, I never forgot you, what you did and what you did for me and all that and stuff like that. I never forgot you. And uh he said, yeah, he said, I never forgot you, brother, when you helped me out down to her Welch's place and stuff like that. Men bee for and uh but I said, man, I just wish I just wish you and Beefer can get along and man, get back brothers again. He said, well, I don't think that's that were going to happen and stuff like that. I said, that hurts me.
It hurts me big time because we was all big buddies. And then I got off the phone. I said, here's Jimmy hard. I don't want to talk to you too long. Man. I love you, man, you take care of yourself. I didn't know he was sick or anything.
Right, amazing, you know, and and you know what, and it just.
It just breaks my heart that how he was he was sitting there. I could tell that it wasn't him because he did he wasn't really a sharp talk that.
He right, right, you can tell by the voice.
Yeah, and you know, and that was that part of we're going in. I said, oh, something is something is going on with it's something is something's wrong with him.
Well it makes sense. I mean, you saw them as.
He was my he was my big brother. I'm telling you, he was my big white brother in the wrestling business. And he's gold. He's gold. Now. I mean, you know, I had two brothers in the wrestling business that I loved, that I really really loved. And that was hung Kogan and that was Kamala that you gunn and Josh sure Hm. I didn't have no nobody. I didn't have nobody in the wrestling I could say, that's my brother, that's my cousin.
I was all alone by myself when I went to when I get with the Vince McMahon, I was all alone. I didn't have nobody that I could trust. And I'm around all these big monsters. Everybody was a big monster. And this little bird Man got over.
Damn ready did bird Man got.
Over and I fnced back man bought the whole gimmick.
Well you're still you're still over with us, bird Man.
I got my hair, I good paint all over my face and everything, trying to be like Frankie. Now, Oh I kill you. Y'all gotta excuse me for a minute. Now now Franky Frankie's gold.
Oh, Coco, we're sorry that this is you know where your head's at now, But we got to tell you we appreciate everything you did. We loved you for all the all the I want to reach you gave us as a rest.
I want to tell you something, Coco, that when I was a kid, when I was a kid, and I one of the things that you So when I was, when I was a kid, when they came out with your Hasbro Action figure, the little one back in like I think it was like ninety two or ninety three or something like that. It was the it was the hardest figure to find, was your Action figure. And I like, I searched long and hard you were. You were one
of the only ones that I couldn't find. And then the day I found it, it was like it was it was one. It was such an incredible like my heart was racing because I'd finally found your Action figure.
And this is no joke.
And and the when I was, when I was also a kid, I did something. I did stupid things with my Action figures, not knowing they would become collectibles and that I would I would paint them. I would paint over my wrestling Action figures, so like my Hogans and my Papa Shangos and my Sids and whatever. But because yours was so hard to find and yours was so special to me, I didn't touch it. I was like, I'm not touching Coco. Coco is not going to have a different colored outfit.
I am keeping his figure absolute pristine. It was like that. It was that special. So you you mean a lot to a lot of people.
Well, I appreciate you all taking out time for me absolutely.
Thanks for reflecting with us. Man, We really appreciate it.
And I'm just I just get to what becall. Of course, there was two guys. Yeah, I didn't have I just had just for brothers. Those two guys, you know, and they was real brothers. They just want to put on brothers for the rest of them. They were real brothers.
Well listen, man, I'm glad that we we got a chance to, you know, give you a place to express that because I don't think people realize how important those guys were to you. And now here it is. And man, I got to tell you to let you go.
We wish I want to say that, but I just wanted to, but you know we would it wouldn't be beefcake time.
Yeah. This is all about hook time. Yeah.
We all lived it and we all loved it. So thanks for the part you played, and man, all the absolute best to you. Thank you so much for giving us all this time.
Yeah, thank you, Thank you all.
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