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Hulk Hogan Real American S01 E02 - 22 April 2026 (Hulkamania)
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00:06Hey, where are you guys?
00:07I gotta get my lighting and stuff set.
00:10Hi, Tara.
00:11Hey.
00:14I had been dating Terry for a year,
00:18and he really wanted to make it serious with me
00:22and live together.
00:24But he was getting so famous.
00:30And his lifestyle was just nuts.
00:32Make a star!
00:33And I said, well, I'm not going to, you know, move
00:37and then have you get tired of me
00:38and, like, I'm, like, left with nothing.
00:40Like, I'm sorry, I can't do that.
00:42And he didn't call me for two weeks after that.
00:45And I was like, no, I'm being fucked up.
00:47You know, I should have just lived with a guy, you know?
00:50Darn it, now I lost him.
00:51Now he's going to break up with me.
00:53And the next thing you know, he called,
00:56and he was kind of stiff on the phone.
00:57He's like, hey, can you fly up to Oakland?
00:59I need to talk to you.
01:00And I'm thinking, oh, God, here comes the ax.
01:03You know, I'm going to get it in a minute.
01:04So we go straight to the hotel,
01:06and it's sitting on the edge of the bed.
01:09And he goes, Linda, I don't want to lose you.
01:13And I love you.
01:14She was life on top of life.
01:16She was vibrant.
01:17And I was young and, you know,
01:20had never met anybody like her.
01:21And I realized I didn't want to be without her.
01:24And all of a sudden, he's down on one knee.
01:29And he says, will you marry me?
01:31I want to marry you.
01:32I want to be with you for the rest of my life.
01:34And I was like, oh, my God.
01:36It was like such a shock.
01:37Like, I was like, what?
01:39You know?
01:40I was like, you've got to be kidding me.
01:42I'm thinking, oh, my God, I've got to call my mom.
01:46He just took me by the arm and pulled me into him.
01:49He had that handlebar muscle.
01:50I was like, yeah, I like that.
01:52And he can't wait to, like, you know,
01:56like a little wrestling match.
01:59Look out, Eric.
02:01What an explosion.
02:04You know, it's more than just a wrestling match, Mejia.
02:06I've changed my ways, and I have walked a straight and narrow.
02:10May then this love,
02:11with which you join your minds and hearts today,
02:15the incredible Hulk Hogan.
02:17Now the news is out.
02:18My life has changed completely.
02:20I'm on one heck of a roll, man.
02:21I feel like I've been winning in Vegas for the last 10 years.
02:26There was no time for a honeymoon.
02:27It was like, hurry up and pack up.
02:29We have to beat in New York.
02:30I'm going for the gold.
02:31Madison Square Garden.
02:32The bombshell that is going to knock this city on its ears.
02:36This is what I strive for, work for,
02:38train and say my prayers for.
02:40The diamond and gold studded.
02:43WWF world title belt.
02:49The bottle chair is still in here.
02:55Wow.
02:57Ooh.
02:58History.
02:58All kinds of gold in here.
03:01Oh, I see what the jackpot is right there.
03:03I already see it.
03:04Here it is right here.
03:05Oh, my God.
03:10Holy smokes.
03:12These are books I kept my schedule in.
03:16Oh, wow.
03:17Minnesota.
03:18Japan.
03:20Whoa, whoa, whoa.
03:21What's that right there?
03:22Madison Square Garden.
03:23Madison Square Garden, January 23rd, 1984.
03:33I was ready for that night in Madison Square Garden.
03:38I was Hulk Hogan, and I had my gimmick down.
03:41I knew exactly what I was doing.
03:43There he is.
03:45Hulkamania.
03:47And because of the political landscape, we knew going in that this was a huge deal.
03:55Well, anti-Iranian feelings kept rising across this country today over the hostage situation.
04:00More than 200 students burned an Iranian flag and chanted, let our people go.
04:04I wasn't into politics in 84, but on the world stage, that was the news.
04:10Iran had the American hostages.
04:13Blindfolded hostages visible in the grounds.
04:16So I would see this crazy tension.
04:18We're tired of being kicked around.
04:21I've had it.
04:22I'm serious.
04:24You couldn't miss it.
04:25Children hung out of cars telling the Iranians to go home.
04:28It was just like the perfect setup for the all-American hero, Hulk Hogan, to go against the Iron Sheik.
04:34Hulk Hogan, the biggest American animal.
04:37Back in the day, the Iron Sheik was actually the Shah of Iran's bodyguard.
04:42We're taking the belt back to Iran, where it rightfully belongs and where it will stay.
04:46Me being an American storyline meant more than wrestling.
04:50It's good guy versus bad guy.
04:52The world of modern pro wrestling draws definite lines between good and evil, with the fans providing the chorus.
04:59Wrestling has always been a soap opera.
05:01It's not supposed to be nuanced.
05:03It's not supposed to have shades of gray.
05:06America!
05:07Ha!
05:07Puff!
05:08The Iron Sheik would come in and demand that the Iranian national anthem be played along with the Star Spangled
05:16Banner.
05:16Oh, that's awful.
05:18The fans would go nuts.
05:19They'd be booing.
05:20They'd be throwing stuff.
05:21It was perfect.
05:22In its own weird way.
05:24And it would really raise the ire of the American public.
05:28The incredible Hulk Hogan has been designated to challenge the Sheik for the world championship.
05:34You know, I'm just glad it's finally here this Monday night.
05:36These Iranians, the 52 people, the 444 days in captivity, the oil embargoes, the cartels.
05:43It'd be like putting a six-shooter to your head and holding up the United States.
05:47It's all that together.
05:48That's what's got the Hulkster spurred on.
05:51It couldn't have been better timing.
05:54Madison Square Garden is very intimidating.
05:57The crowd reaction was so big.
05:59The Iron Sheik in the ring now.
06:01Madison Square Garden on its feet.
06:04They have a lot of hate in their hopes for this man.
06:06I remember that morning, Terry was out of body.
06:09If you try to talk to him, he was not like my husband anymore.
06:12He was already, yep, in another world.
06:16My parents were there, you know, because my dad was very, very in love with this country and our president.
06:26He would never come to any of my wrestling matches because he equated wrestling with a circus performer.
06:32So, when he came to Madison Square Garden, it really meant something.
06:39It was giddy-up-and-go time.
06:40It was destiny.
06:42I felt that fever pitch.
06:45I felt that fever pitch.
06:48When I came out of the chair in my shirt, looking and pointing, and just pointing.
06:55You did Iron Sheik and just look at the crowd.
07:03As soon as I heard the response, I went,
07:07And that's why I jumped the Sheik before the bell started.
07:12He didn't know I was coming.
07:15That was not planned at all.
07:17I just beat the crap out of him.
07:20Oh, Poker now stands up.
07:22Will the Sheik get rammed down?
07:25Ended up, top-time hardball.
07:28Pulled him, knock him out.
07:29That's a mess.
07:29He got him.
07:31Paul Kogan, he dropped a big leg on him.
07:33He's not going to cover up the leg, but no.
07:36He got him.
07:43The winner of this bout, a new heavyweight champion, the incredible Paul Kogan.
07:53That place was so loud and so electric.
07:57It's just totally nuts for my mom and dad to hear something like this for the first time ever.
08:02It's just overwhelming.
08:04What about your son?
08:06Well, we're very proud of him.
08:07He's very dedicated and a real professional.
08:13You've got to be proud of him, mom and dad.
08:15You know what I mean, Gene?
08:16Pete and Ruth are the people that trained me from the day I could toddle, man.
08:19And they're the ones that fed me and made these 24-inch pythons.
08:22This is Pete's belt and Ruth's belt.
08:24And we're going to stand behind it all the way, daddy.
08:26It's USA and Hulkamania running wild.
08:29Oh, the party, ladies and gentlemen, is going on.
08:32There is your new champion of the world, the incredible Hulk Hogan, kissing that coveted belt.
08:38He never kind of got over the fact that I passed on a college degree to become the world's heavyweight
08:47champion, but that night he understood it.
08:49It was almost like a miracle because where he came from, his poor upbringing, to look at their son holding
08:56up that championship belt, just how famous he had gotten.
09:00So I took him out to dinner.
09:02You know, they were very happy.
09:04You know, my dad especially.
09:06He told me he was proud of me, said he loved me, and that I made the right choice.
09:14Tonight in Madison Square Garden, the World Wrestling Federation champion Hulk Hogan.
09:18You know, some vicious fence.
09:20I am a WWF champion, and I knew.
09:22For Hulk to beat the Iron Sheik from Iran, that was a major deal in the world of wrestling.
09:27Hulk Hogan is about his biggest prince in the Purple Rain.
09:30Hulk, what in the world are you doing here?
09:32Hey, it's time to train, daddy.
09:33Time to train.
09:35Hulkamania, Genomania, get psyched, man.
09:36But professional wrestling didn't have national television exposure, so pro wrestling was a dirty word.
09:43No carbs, no fat, nothing but pure protein.
09:46No, Hulk.
09:47There's not a better way to go.
09:48Come on, Mean Gene.
09:49It wasn't considered legitimate sports or entertainment.
09:54Come on, Gino.
09:55When you look back at moments that are pivotal, moments of time that changed the industry,
10:00you can look back to 1985.
10:04That changed everything going forward.
10:06It's ours, brother.
10:07It's ours.
10:08In my crystal ball, I saw I was more than just the wrestler, you know?
10:13This is just a setup for what's next.
10:16WrestleMania, what the world has come to.
10:20Vince being the businessman that says, hey, man, we need a Super Bowl.
10:24All the top talent assembled under one roof, the Coliseum of Wrestling in Madison Square Garden.
10:31In our industry, WrestleMania 1 was the most important event that has ever taken place.
10:40Locations coast to coast in which you can see WrestleMania.
10:43This was everywhere on closed circuit television.
10:47I was a little reluctant to do a wrestling story.
10:49Why would a sophisticated young audience buy into this stuff?
10:52It was very simple.
10:53They had a cavalcade of celebrities.
10:56I'd like to talk a little bit about Sybil Alba.
10:58I'm a main man, Mr. T.
11:05During the 80s, he was the guy.
11:08He was the top television star in the United States.
11:13Oh, wow.
11:14No, they don't start some scandals.
11:16No.
11:17Uh-huh.
11:18The original idea was a tag match.
11:21Hulk Hogan and Mr. T versus Mr. Wonderful and Rowdy Piper.
11:25I thought to myself, what does he do?
11:26What are you doing fighting me?
11:27Mr. T, the wonderful human being.
11:31Good versus evil, plain and simple.
11:33You could wind up looking like this.
11:35I painted this myself with your arm and attached.
11:38The hope was that fans were not just watching for wrestling.
11:42They were watching for the spectacle.
11:48That said, there was a lot of uncertainty about whether WrestleMania would really fly.
11:56There was a lot of risk because it was extremely expensive to put on.
12:01We bet the farm.
12:03How's the audio sound on this?
12:04What kind of audio do you have?
12:07Vince's livelihood, everything that he owned, he begged, borrowed, and steeled his houses on the line.
12:12So much of it was built around me and the showcase of this business had to be a win-win
12:18situation.
12:19You know, we got all kinds of stuff to do.
12:23It was nonstop press, 24-7.
12:27Waiting for the break of the day.
12:30A wrestling veteran teams up with a rookie of the ring.
12:33They ain't going to tell me what I might do there.
12:34That's right.
12:35Chicago-style shuffling, brother.
12:37The team and Hulk are going to be in Los Angeles on the 19th.
12:39Then from there, we're going to have to swing down to Phoenix to do some PR for March 31st.
12:44The thing about Piper and Orndorff, just think about that.
12:49Just think.
12:50Just think.
12:53Stink.
13:05Wrestling's always been around, but now the people are really following it.
13:08A lot are, like you said, Wall Street people or normal everyday people that may have been afraid to say,
13:12I was at the wrestling match this Friday and Saturday with my kids.
13:15We were just bra-beating ourselves to death.
13:17We could leave no stone unturned.
13:19Get hungry, man.
13:20Get hungry.
13:21That's what we do, man.
13:22You can dig that, New York City.
13:24I was completely beat up.
13:26You gentlemen have one million viewers paying a lot of money.
13:29I think you should be nervous.
13:31I was completely spent.
13:37Five days before WrestleMania, Vince goes, hey, you got one more thing you got to do tonight.
13:43Somebody in the office booked you on a show called Hot Properties with Richard Belzer,
13:47and there's like six or seven kids waiting there in wheelchairs.
13:55I said, okay, I'll go.
13:57So we get to Hot Properties.
13:59Well, show me one of the moves that you use.
14:00There are no kids in wheelchairs.
14:03That didn't sit well with T or me.
14:06What's your famous move?
14:07Well, I'm going to have to stick to the basics with you.
14:09The floor is a little hard here.
14:10I don't want you getting hurt.
14:11There's something to hold up.
14:12Well, I don't want you getting hurt either.
14:13So, you know, be careful.
14:14Belzer was very condescending.
14:15I sneeze as you bend over.
14:17No, I'm sorry.
14:18I'm sorry.
14:18Oh, now look at this asshole.
14:21You just tell me, brother, when you want me to quit squealing, okay?
14:23All right.
14:23Get called.
14:24So I'm sitting in the audience, and Terry's like, oh, this guy's a wise guy.
14:28He's popping off about how fake this shit is, you know?
14:30Hey, fun and games, fake wrestling.
14:32Oh, really?
14:32How about it, T?
14:34He's been like that for a little while.
14:41He's all right.
14:42He's just sleeping.
14:43He's sleeping.
14:44Really?
14:44I was asleep at home.
14:45I don't think Terry intended to actually, like, make him pass out to that point, but
14:51he did, because he's, like, skinny, you know?
14:54Yeah, I knew I went too far.
14:55He's waking up now.
14:56There was a serious...
14:56All right, bro.
14:57A lot of people...
15:01See?
15:01It works.
15:03All right, brother.
15:04And now, we'll be right back after this word from you-know-who.
15:08Then I went backstage, and I collapsed, and the ambulance took me to Cedars-Sinai, where
15:12I had eight stitches in the back of my head.
15:15And those became a real pain in the ass.
15:17You know, I'm in show business.
15:19I don't have a show to get almost killed.
15:21I assume he didn't apologize.
15:23He didn't feel bad at all.
15:24Somebody wants to, you know, make fun of the business that he's in, that he's worked
15:29so hard to be in, kind of spit on it in a way.
15:31There's very little remorse, unfortunately.
15:34Sure enough, a couple days later, here comes the half-a-million-dollar lawsuit.
15:39Financially, there's gonna be a big problem.
15:42We lived on about $3,500 a month.
15:46We were living in an apartment, which was like in the hood of Stanford.
15:51I said, Terry, train, say your prayers.
15:54Pray to God, WrestleMania works.
15:56And it's not the biggest flop ever in the business.
16:00Okay.
16:01You know.
16:03The wrestling extravaganza of all-time, WrestleMania.
16:08What is this all exciting about?
16:09This is WrestleMania.
16:10Everybody's here.
16:12Everybody's here.
16:13Tickets for Sunday's sold-out tag team brawl at the Garden have been going for as much
16:16as $100 a pop.
16:18Next thing you know, they'll be hawking Perrier and Keish at ringside.
16:21This is where it's at.
16:22Forget the Super Bowl.
16:23The Super Bowl is super boring.
16:24This is exciting.
16:25Never saw a wrestling match in my life.
16:28You're about to.
16:29Yes, sir.
16:33Our main event.
16:37Liberace.
16:38Here he is.
16:39The greatest.
16:40Have you ever seen such tantamonia?
16:44It's just so exciting.
16:45I just don't know what to say.
16:58There goes the bell.
16:59Look at the bell by Liberace.
17:01Oh, look at that bell, Jed.
17:03Oh, nice fireman's carry.
17:05What's he going to do with him?
17:07A slam by Mr. T as Piper goes down.
17:10Whoa.
17:11Here comes the hump.
17:12And all four of them are going at it in the corner.
17:14And a four-way is going on.
17:16Muhammad Ali is getting into the ring.
17:18Ali stepped right in there.
17:20Oh, look at Ali.
17:21Took a shot at Piper.
17:23Ali not going to take anything from anybody.
17:26He can control it.
17:27The Dow Bagan knock the ball.
17:30Double whip now.
17:32Piper off the rope.
17:33Whoa, whoa.
17:34Tore the house down and accomplished the mission.
17:38The Dow Bagan.
17:39The West of the King's run.
17:41The Dow Bagan got it.
17:42The Dow Bagan got it.
17:42The Dow Bagan got it.
17:43The Dow Bagan got it.
17:43The Dow Bagan got it.
17:45The Dow Bagan got it.
17:47Madison Square Garden.
17:49WrestleMania.
17:49Hulk Hogan.
17:50Mr. T.
17:51We reign supreme.
17:52Can you dig that?
17:53I can dig it at this point in time proving conclusively.
17:57The whole United States was watching and it changed.
18:01It changed our lives.
18:02It changed wrestling.
18:03It changed everything from that night on.
18:05It was never the same.
18:07That's it.
18:08Mainstream.
18:08Overnight.
18:09I'm a real wild one.
18:11Wild one.
18:14Ladies and gentlemen.
18:16Heavyweight champion in the world.
18:17It's the Hulk Hogan.
18:18That was the beginning of this global juggernaut.
18:22And here he is in all his glory.
18:25Hulk Hogan.
18:26It was just a total insanity.
18:28Move over, Mr. T and Rambo.
18:30It seems Hulk Hogan is now the superhero America chooses.
18:34I want your autograph.
18:35He's a famous.
18:36I just had to sit back and shake my head and think like, I cannot believe that this has happened.
18:46Our bookkeeper called us and he goes, are you sitting down?
18:51You guys have a million dollars in your bank account.
18:55I was like, Terry, we're millionaires.
19:00We celebrated.
19:02We just got it on, right?
19:04Well, Terry's new boat is finally here.
19:07He's probably just jumping for joy.
19:09These girls are going to have a good time on this cruise.
19:11Now, let's party!
19:15Professional wrestling.
19:16It's always been popular, but lately it's been emerging from second-rate arenas to attract a whole new generation of
19:22fans.
19:23On with Vince McMahon, we got the beer drinkers and the cigar smokers and the bloodthirsty people out of the
19:29front row, and the families showed up.
19:37Every city, every arena, I dominated.
19:41We think Hulk!
19:42We think Hulk Hogan, why don't we keep us...
19:43Now, I love Hulk Hogan.
19:45My daddy's crazy about it.
19:58It's showbiz, pure and simple.
20:00And America is eating it up.
20:04I'm a white one.
20:08So it changed the dynamics of the business from a territorial status to stadiums and big arenas.
20:14And then the groundwork was laid, so a lot of the other wrestlers would jump on that train, cutting these
20:21guys better deals.
20:22So now, at the end of the year, instead of bringing home a half a million bucks to your wife
20:27and kids, you're probably going to bring three or four million dollars home to your wife and kids.
20:33He was the golden goose, because you knew if he was on the card, that the building was sold out.
20:47You wanted to wrestle Hogan, because that's where the money was at.
20:49You got a lot of people wanting a piece of you, and they all want this right here.
20:53Hogan meant money.
20:55That meant you were the main event.
20:57That meant you got the bigger check, not as big as his, but let's give the credit where it's due.
21:05Everybody in the dressing room was praying and crossing their fingers when they hand out the booking sheets.
21:09And you'd look and see if you were on the same shows that Hulk was on.
21:12You could just look at all the guys that are lining up behind this guy.
21:15They want this guy.
21:16You'd get a better check when it was sold out.
21:19This is easy money, baby!
21:21Oh my God, a different level.
21:22Are you kidding me?
21:23I mean, here you're with the guy that's making the whole company money.
21:28Hulkamania elevated wrestling to a place that nobody ever thought it would go.
21:32This mega business.
21:33They say money is the root of all evil.
21:36Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not.
21:38You know, and not that money means everything, and it doesn't.
21:42The only thing it does is it makes things a little easier.
21:44We have a 12-foot surfboard here.
21:46Turn around, Tara, let me see your face with it.
21:49The holster board.
21:51Yeah.
21:52Matches the motorcycle.
21:54You know, when he'd give gifts, he wasn't a cheap miser.
21:57He was just, he really rolled the dice on things, you know?
22:04Linda and I just go out on the boat every day, and it was just raising the holy hell.
22:08Wild Wild West winging it, you know?
22:10It was like constant good times.
22:12Nothing really got us down.
22:16Tony, tell me mama.
22:18The success and the money turned into a lifestyle of partying.
22:24You're doing good.
22:24How are you doing?
22:25How have you been doing this evening?
22:26Okay.
22:27Andrew, come out.
22:28You know, we were running pretty hard doing the drug stuff.
22:32How are you doing?
22:33You know, how are you doing?
22:35Yeah, we did a little bit of it.
22:37And we have Hulkamania himself.
22:41We were going 90 miles an hour, and whatever you think about, we did it.
22:47Yes, we do.
22:50I was all there for the take.
22:52It's a boat on the way back.
22:53Okay, so it's virtually not.
22:56Sure, I'll take a little bit of that.
22:58Uppers, downwards, sideways.
23:01You know, I had diet pills from my mom's doctor.
23:04What we have got to face every night, eat it every night.
23:07It is a nightmare.
23:08Because, I mean, you needed it.
23:09We've got a 13 or 15-hour day ahead of you.
23:12But Hulk, they all want you!
23:14They all want you!
23:15When you're on one hour of sleep, you've got to figure out how to do it.
23:19Scratching, clawing, fighting, working longer, working harder to achieve a goal of greatness.
23:26He was kind of like the guy, and you don't want anything to mess that up.
23:33And something happened that kind of, like, knocked me off my pedestal.
23:40We're at Gold's Gym on Sherman Way in the Valley.
23:44There was a Gold's Gym there years ago.
23:47And I went back out to the car to go get water or something, or my towel.
23:51And as I go out there, there's this big biker guy just standing around our car.
23:59You know, and then I looked at him, and I was like, it looks just like Terry.
24:02The same face, the same nose.
24:04They were twins.
24:06And Linda, she came back in.
24:08Their eyes were huge.
24:09She goes, there's this monster sitting on the hood of your car.
24:12And he says he's your brother.
24:15It was my brother, Alan.
24:18We weren't that close.
24:20He rode off the reservation early.
24:23Grew up really fast.
24:26By the time he was 17, he was riding with a bunch of bikers.
24:31And he got in some trouble here in Florida.
24:37And he ended up in Oakland, California.
24:41So when I used to wrestle at the Oakland Coliseum or the Cow Palace, he'd always show up, you know,
24:46with like 10 Hell's Angels.
24:50So we talked and stuff.
24:51And he goes, I'm just going out of rehab.
24:54He just had a problem with drugs.
24:57You know, hard drinking, hard living.
24:59You know, so Terry kind of put the straight line on him, you know.
25:03I said, look, I'm going to wrestle.
25:05We'll be out there about 9.30.
25:06We'll jump on a plane, come to me.
25:08I was trying to help him out as much as I could.
25:11But he goes, oh, no, no, man.
25:13I've got to pay my rent.
25:14I need you to lend me some money.
25:16So I gave him some money.
25:17And I didn't take him with me.
25:21And I went to wrestle.
25:23And when I came out of the ring, I got a number.
25:26And it was like an emergency.
25:28So I called the number.
25:31And they said, your brother overdosed and passed away.
25:34So I should have taken him with me instead of giving him the money.
25:40So that was the last time I saw him.
25:45It was a hard one to get over.
25:55Was there a funeral?
25:57I tried to go.
25:58But I had to leave right away.
26:00I couldn't handle it.
26:04And your parents?
26:05No.
26:07Did you talk to them about his death after having any, like, grieving?
26:11No, bro, we have to stop.
26:15You have to stop.
26:20You're digging way too much for me.
26:25I was running pretty hard, partying and drinking and the drug stuff.
26:30I was completely done after that.
26:36You know, the problem with me at the time was that in Hulk Hogan, it was just a business.
26:41And I just didn't realize the responsibility that came along with it.
26:46It was Hulk Hogan, the role model.
27:04I saw the respect the fans have for Hulk Hogan.
27:08I quit being cynical about it, you know.
27:10And I started thinking, wow, this is really cool.
27:12Because before, it wasn't work to me and it really didn't matter.
27:15But it really did matter what the people thought, you know.
27:18So I wanted to be closer to who the character was.
27:22Your eighth international summer special Olympic Games.
27:27I never really prepared for it.
27:29It just started happening.
27:31The Make-A-Wish kids started showing up.
27:33They wanted to meet me.
27:36Instead of going to see Mr. T or Mickey Mouse, they wanted to come see me.
27:40I started seeing one at a time and two at a time.
27:43Sometimes five or six, ten at a time.
27:45Here at Madison Square Garden, well over 18,000 special children.
27:50You know who Hulk Hogan is?
27:51Yeah.
27:52Yeah, he's going to be here today.
27:54Hulk Hogan is going to be here.
27:56They're survivors and they're hanging in there and they're all happy with smiles on their faces.
28:00And it hurts a little bit, man.
28:01I just wish I could give these kids what I have, a healthy body.
28:05It gave them something to believe in.
28:07And I, too, can live like a Hulkamaniac.
28:10Hey, big guy.
28:11How you doing?
28:13Well, boy, you look like a Hulkamaniac to me.
28:16He was amazing with the Make-A-Wish kids.
28:18He would always pick them first.
28:20I'm glad to meet you.
28:22Don't break my arm now.
28:22I've got to go to work in a little while.
28:24All right.
28:25I'm glad to meet you.
28:27I'm worried.
28:28Worried about what?
28:29Well, come on.
28:30Oh, yeah.
28:31What do you think I'll do about that, man?
28:34Well, I don't know.
28:35No, just do your best.
28:38Boy, I should have some good advice today.
28:40To have these kids as fans is such a huge responsibility.
28:45Hulk Hogan was able to capture their imagination, whether it was the size.
28:50God bless you, all right?
28:51Okay, I love you.
28:52Don't get in any trouble.
28:53I'll have to come back and body slam you, all right?
28:56Or just the fact that he was able to be booked against these big monsters and overcome.
29:00What's up, big man?
29:02Everything good?
29:03When I was six years old, my dad took us to WrestleMania III.
29:06I was like, oh my God, I completely...
29:08I remember that.
29:09I was like a little kid at that.
29:10WrestleMania III meant something very different in the evolution of Hulkamania.
29:17WrestleMania III will be your last lesson.
29:21Talk about heroes.
29:23I had looked up to Andre, you know, my whole life.
29:28He was my mentor.
29:30I'm a great part of you.
29:31And you're a good wrestler, I'm quite now.
29:33You're the reason I got into professional wrestling.
29:36You were like a god to me, a role model.
29:38And wrestling fans had been waiting to see me fight him for the belt.
29:44What are you doing, man?
29:46You can't leave like this, man.
29:48You should respect the guy a lot, man.
29:50Andre was viewed as someone who couldn't be beaten.
29:54He was called the eighth wonder of the world.
29:57The most extraordinary athlete of all time.
30:00We laid him at the Detroit airport on the baggage scale.
30:03He's like 600 pounds or something crazy.
30:05In later years, every time Hulk told the story, Andre gained 100 pounds.
30:11For those who believe, it's like when St. Paul had his epiphany on the road to Damascus.
30:17The whole earth is going to shake.
30:19When Jesus rose from the dead.
30:21What are they going to think when the giant hits the ground?
30:25This is the way to the end.
30:29The people, they were right there with all of it.
30:32He ripped the shirt off the champion as well as the crucifix.
30:36Seven foot five.
30:37It was the first time I've ever been in the ring not knowing what was going to happen.
30:41Look at the size of the giant.
30:43What's Hogan saying to him?
30:44I wonder what could Hogan possibly be saying to him?
30:47All right, man, I love you to death, brother.
30:49Let me tell you something.
30:50Thank you so much, man, for helping me out all these years.
30:52That was a conversation.
30:54And he looked pissed.
30:56He just looked like a rabid great white shark.
30:59I thought he was going to tear me apart.
31:02Oh, big right hand, blocked by the champion.
31:06And a homster unloading, going for a slam.
31:09The storyline is no one had body slammed Andre the Giant.
31:17It's impossible.
31:18Andre, tell him the champion, get up.
31:21Get up.
31:21I said, well, I'm dead because he's going to kill me.
31:24Oh, the bear hug.
31:26We could get a submission on this.
31:31He's racing a man who has never been beaten 15 years.
31:35He's taking the air away from Hogan.
31:38Hogan is not being allowed to get a full breath of oxygen in there.
31:41And when you talk about who's the greatest, you know, the greatest is, was, or ever will be, or greatest
31:46in the world.
31:48I challenge anybody in this business to do one move better than mine.
31:55One more time.
31:56If that arm drops, it's over.
31:58Which has etched in time.
32:00It'll be a piece of history.
32:01Do whatever sidekick you want to do, whatever suplex you want to do, whatever twirly, twisty thing off the top
32:07rope.
32:08What I did will live forever.
32:10Oh, look at that.
32:10It's up there.
32:12Look at the nice part.
32:17One more sidekick, and another one, and another one.
32:22Oh, he pulled it up to the guy.
32:25He's holding it up to us.
32:27They're trying to look into London.
32:29Let's see what this guy is really made of.
32:31But he is the greatest professional athlete in the world today.
32:36Look at this.
32:37I can't see him anymore.
32:39I don't believe it.
32:41I don't believe it.
32:43Oh, boy, we're going to be going.
32:45Over for the cover.
32:47He's going.
32:49Oh, boy, we're going to be going.
32:54After that, I told him, you're never going to be Cherry Bollea again, Hulk.
32:59When you walk out there with that headband on, it's not Cherry Bollea.
33:04It's Hulk Hogan.
33:04And that's the way the people see you.
33:06He became the legend, the myth.
33:10Hulk Hogan, the immortal one.
33:12He's thanking the guy upstairs, Jess.
33:14As he always does.
33:15The power of Hulkamania made us push everything else aside and escape into this marvelous movie.
33:24The Hulk Hogan turned out to be more real than anyone ever thought it would be.
33:30It turned out to be who I really am.
33:35Here you go.
33:38Whoa.
33:41I was hoping these had Andre's blood on them.
33:44I used to order 12 pairs at a time.
33:46And every time I'd order 12 pairs, I'd swear, once I'm done with these 12 pair of boots, I'm quitting.
33:51I'll never wrestle again.
33:53Then I'd order 12 more, then 12 more, then 12 more.
33:58WrestleMania III etched in stone, but I wasn't going anywhere.
34:05I was 700 feet tall and in public size.
34:12There was no corner in the earth where they didn't know about Hulk Hogan or what was going on with
34:18me.
34:19And it was like John Lennon and Paul McCartney at their heyday.
34:23I mean, the people just come out of the woodwork.
34:25It was just the who's who of who would show up at these matches to meet and talk with me.
34:30Unreal.
34:31Donald Trump, one of the Hulkamaniacs.
34:34There he is right there.
34:35A Hulkamaniac.
34:36You really think so?
34:37Absolutely.
34:38It's an honor.
34:39I'll tell you what.
34:39It's an honor.
34:40Everybody in the country wanted this event.
34:42Get on up here.
34:43Come on.
34:44Do you believe this?
34:45I'm 6'2".
34:46I want the world to know that I'm 6'2".
34:48And look what I look like.
34:50It was just amazing to watch this guy work.
34:52I've heard a lot about him.
34:53This is the first time I ever saw him in action in person.
34:59Nice to see you.
35:01Sitting right here.
35:05So you go ahead if you're ready.
35:07I have a big Russia meeting going on.
35:12Somehow I've become friendly with Hulk over there, the Hulkster.
35:15And he's a good man.
35:16You know, he's just a nice guy.
35:17He asked me, would you do this interview?
35:19I said, why not?
35:20Here we are in the White House, right?
35:22Get ready, ladies and gentlemen, for WrestleMania 4, which will be held at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.
35:3088 WrestleMania at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.
35:33Oh, there he is, Donald Trump.
35:37Yeah, he's my main man.
35:38He's sitting in my box.
35:39Yeah, he was in there wrestling his heart out.
35:42Hulk Hogan, the right to the United States.
35:45Obviously, you need the physical ability.
35:47If he walked in and he was not, didn't look like that, I don't care how good an actor you
35:52are, it's not going to work.
35:53Thank God Donald Trump's a Hulkamaniac.
35:56But he's also a showman, and that would be a good word for him.
36:00Thank you, Hulk Hogan, let's get back to action.
36:02I've seen him numerous times.
36:04I've watched him wrestle numerous times.
36:06Trump Plaza is dedicated to getting the greatest sporting events.
36:10We were really delighted to land WrestleMania 5.
36:12But we sort of had a good relationship early on.
36:15You know, it was a good chemistry.
36:17Wow, what you doing?
36:18The big man.
36:19Come here.
36:20Emily, why don't you have to do it?
36:21How are the kids?
36:22Tell them I talk about them, they're great.
36:24Are they going to be at ringside?
36:25He's just a big, strong guy who's got a good heart.
36:29He's a very loyal person.
36:30If you want to be in Hulk's corner, that's all right.
36:32I'll take care of you on the outside of the ring.
36:34Sounds good.
36:35Yes, I'll take care of everyone.
36:38Wrestling is a mimicking of life.
36:41He's a winner and a loser.
36:43Here we go.
36:44But Hulk was really at the top of the game.
36:47The Hulk's dishonor.
36:48You'll think he was beat.
36:49Nobody's ever got them from the hell, Hulk.
36:52Then you'll see the finger moving.
36:53The Hulk's dishonor.
36:55The Hulk's dishonor.
36:56The finger going like this and all of a sudden you're saying, well, no, I've given you enough
37:04there.
37:06And the leg drop.
37:08One, two, here we go.
37:15Business-wise, this work ethic rubbed off on me.
37:18How he recreated the whole New York Skyline.
37:22Hulk has a great brand.
37:24It's had a lot of success.
37:26He was the biggest ever in this world of wrestling.
37:31It's a pretty big world.
37:39He was the first one that had merchandising.
37:43Hulk was great that way.
37:45That's Hulk Hogan.
37:47Wrestling buddies are looking for action.
37:50The amount of money that is made off of product.
37:53Dropkick.
37:54That's where it's all at.
37:56Not by putting asses in seats.
37:58The marketing of professional wrestling has turned into a multi-million dollar business.
38:03Post the rules, brother.
38:05When I say Hulk Hogan was the greatest wrestler in the world, it's because I was the guy who
38:10generates the most revenue.
38:12You need to be able to walk in a room where you're talking to 4,000 buyers from Walmart.
38:17I'm so thrilled, so happy about the new Hulk Hogan rock wrestling cartoon.
38:20There's a lot of responsibility with being a businessman outside, the normal wrestler
38:25that was driving down the ring chugging some beers before the match.
38:29You need to know merchandise, licensing, ancillary stuff.
38:32You need to be able to talk their language.
38:33Hulk is the only number one.
38:35There is no one better.
38:37You also need to be able to hold your own with 30 women and be able to relate to them.
38:43Hulk Hogan is sexy.
38:44He's a wonder.
38:45Good build, good body.
38:47Best loving wrestler in the business.
38:49Good for the kids.
38:50I'm approving 10 or 15 new products every week.
38:53Underwear, bed sheets, potty seats for the kids to learn how to go to the bathroom.
38:5716 inch high.
38:59The Hulk Hogan vibrating action figure.
39:01And that had to get knocked off right away.
39:04Like that.
39:04I have no idea.
39:07Hulk Hogan turned into a licensing merchandising monster.
39:18There's Hulk.
39:19It's a beautiful day on the beach here.
39:21I'm not used to seeing them all dressed up.
39:25His career became all-consuming.
39:29He would have a promo, a commercial, a photo shoot.
39:34And then he had a wrestling match at night.
39:35He would live, sleep, eat, and breathe in.
39:41And I got to a point where I was like, you know something, Terry?
39:45Ever since we got married, we've just been on the run, like Bonnie and Clyde.
39:49You know, it's never been a situated situation.
39:52And I'm like, I need a situated situation right now.
39:56And I think maybe it would be a good time now if we had a kid.
39:59I want to have a baby.
40:03And then nine months later, Brooke came.
40:10This big man's holding this little baby in a pink blanket.
40:13And I mean, it was like, he couldn't believe that he had a baby.
40:25My whole reason for living changed instantly.
40:28Come on, get that kid.
40:37He became more of a family man.
40:39And he liked doing family things.
40:41I had no idea that my whole focus would change to try to protect this human being.
40:47And what to my wandering eyes should appear?
40:51What a huge Hulkamania.
40:55When do you check?
40:57What do you have to say for yourself on this sunny day?
41:01We already did that.
41:02That's why we're in this predicament.
41:04I boom.
41:06Holy shit.
41:06Let me get back.
41:07The ones are fogged up.
41:08At the time, her nini, Linda's grandmother, was living with us.
41:12I came downstairs for coffee.
41:14She goes, hey, I just want to let you know, congratulations, that Linda's pregnant.
41:19I went, what?
41:21Thanks, nini, with your big mouth.
41:23I said, how'd you get pregnant?
41:24She goes, well, I just quit taking my birth control pills.
41:26I decided not to tell you.
41:27I went, cool.
41:31That's okay.
41:32He got over it.
41:34My son, Nick, came along, and I had a baby boy.
41:37I was ecstatic.
41:38I'd like to lose him.
41:40My wife's in my hand.
41:42Oh.
41:42Shut up.
41:44It was something that was printed in my brain that I didn't want to live the way I grew up.
41:51Not that my parents didn't love me.
41:52It wasn't a verbal or a physical thing.
41:56Those people I love, man, I'm not afraid to tell people.
41:59He was always affectionate with kids.
42:01Never forgot to say I love you.
42:03Well, there she goes.
42:04One, two, kick down.
42:05She's up.
42:07She's staring you down.
42:08I mean, I thought you were, I thought you were supposed to fight you.
42:11You're on my side.
42:12Oh, damn.
42:14Let him hang.
42:15Yes, sir, buddy.
42:18So come to Jesus set.
42:20There you go.
42:23You know what I'm done?
42:24You know what I'm done?
42:25Stick with it.
42:26Good.
42:30The person that's been around the longest that's stuck in me through everything is my son, Nick.
42:34That breeze coming off the ocean.
42:36Oh, my God.
42:37That feels good.
42:38Oh, man.
42:39When Nick is around, I hang like this.
42:41You got to see me do that.
42:42It's so hard to walk straight.
42:44I'm off balance.
42:45You know, it's kind of embarrassing.
42:48Ego-wise, you know.
42:50Dad, you do more weight than I do.
42:53You're still stronger than me.
42:54He was just this, you know, action figure that was my dad, you know.
42:58So I still see him like that.
43:01And I don't remember Hulkamania.
43:03I was so young at the time.
43:05So I never really understood what Hulk Hogan, what wrestling was, what any of that really meant.
43:12My friends, they'd come over there and be like, am I going to meet your dad?
43:15Or, you know, is your dad going to be there?
43:18The first time I met Hogan was at one of his birthday parties that he threw on his yacht.
43:23These girls are going to have a good time on this cruise.
43:26My dad was a part of that very special era.
43:28This is the nasty guy.
43:29He's the anvil.
43:31We're not nasty.
43:33Like, I was in awe.
43:34Wow.
43:35He just kind of exuded that, like, star.
43:38And you see him, and he's just got this presence, this aura.
43:41He was the guy.
43:43But I've never met a top person in wrestling that has had an easy, smooth road.
43:51My dad wasn't top star, but my dad was gone 300 days a year.
43:57Jim Neidhart, in the ring.
43:59Hammering down.
44:00I saw my dad more on TV than in real life, just like Hogan with his kids.
44:04Tell them, Brooke, who's here?
44:07Well, I've got Nicolette and Daddy.
44:10Yay!
44:11Brooke and Nick had to share him with everybody else.
44:14I like Hulk Hogan!
44:16There you go.
44:17I have a man here.
44:18I like Hulk Hogan.
44:19They had to share him with the other boys and the other girls.
44:22Look at this big one, man.
44:23Yeah, big guy.
44:24He couldn't be a real father because he was Hulk Hogan.
44:26He was not Terry Bollea.
44:30Trading a real life for a wrestling life is a choice.
44:34You can destroy a family.
44:35Come here.
44:36Come here.
44:38Hello?
44:39Hi.
44:40We're just playing in the kitchen.
44:47Hulk loved his family.
44:49He loved his wife.
44:50You know, he'd be on the road.
44:51I'm just going to keep my family happy.
44:53Whatever Linda wants, that's what we'll do.
44:55Are you done?
44:56Okay.
44:57Everything this man did, you were to have the best life possible.
45:01But what good is a good life if you don't have your husband with you?
45:04I get to have such a nice Mother's Day.
45:06Terry just sent three dozen long stem red roses.
45:11He was gone for 12 days and then only home for two sometimes.
45:17And then, boom, we're gone again.
45:19He's leaving for England and I don't want him to go.
45:21I don't want him to go.
45:22You know, my kids were starting to freak out when I'd leave.
45:25Look at her crying.
45:27Come on.
45:27Why were you crying now?
45:29It would just take him a long time to get out the front door.
45:31And it probably affected him until he finally got, like, you know, vodka and tonic on the plane and got
45:37going.
45:37But, like, honestly, I know it must have been hard for him.
45:40Oh, my gosh.
45:43It was killing me.
45:45And I told Linda that I'm going to gracefully approach Vince and start winding this thing down to a part
45:50-time schedule.
45:51And it made it really hard for him.
45:53You know, we didn't have anybody else at that time that could draw the thousands and thousands of people.
45:57You have to give them what they want.
45:59I mean, it was just me because he was opening his book.
46:02And you go, okay, how am I going to book Cincinnati?
46:05How am I going to book Boston?
46:07How am I going to book New York when I can't put your name on the book?
46:11How am I going to do this, Terry?
46:14I said, well, we need another star.
46:20The Ultimate Warrior came along.
46:23Warrior had a look.
46:24Warrior had ungodly charisma.
46:27Ultimate Warrior was just custom-made.
46:30Something that guys would want to be and something that girls would want to be with.
46:35He has this belligerent body.
46:37He has the face paint.
46:39And Vince has put all the neon colors on him, much brighter than the red and yellow.
46:44I was someone who really bought into the Ultimate Warrior.
46:48I really liked the Ultimate Warrior.
46:50I was so excited.
46:51And you could feel that energy.
46:53Now, Hulk Hogan, I come to take what you believe in further than you ever could.
47:01The building blocks all made sense.
47:06If it worked for Hulk Hogan, why can't you do it for him?
47:10I am the chosen one.
47:14And Vince goes, I'm going to give the Ultimate Warrior a big push.
47:20Something's going to happen, Warriors.
47:23I can feel it.
47:27It turned out to be probably one of the worst ideas in the history of professional wrestling.
47:32The Ultimate shit.
47:34You got to know what the hell you're doing.
47:37Remember what's going on in the ring.
47:39What was supposed to happen, more or less, was sort of a changing of the guard.
47:44Ultimate Warrior was supposed to lead, you know, the company and the brand into the next century.
47:50But what no one really seemed to stop and consider is what do we do with this guy after he
47:58wins.
47:59That when you step in the Sky Dome, when you feel the energy that's going to run wild throughout the
48:04arena,
48:05those are my people.
48:07That's my energy, brother.
48:08The muscles on my skeleton are of a different texture.
48:13Very good.
48:14He doesn't have the walk.
48:15He doesn't have the talk.
48:16When you send him out to Toys R Us or to a convention.
48:19He was better than Kelsey's nuts.
48:21Can you look out for a second?
48:23There you go.
48:25All the freaks are out today.
48:26Let's go.
48:27I remember, like, thinking, Warriors not the guy.
48:31Warriors not going to carry it.
48:32He had nothing on the bone.
48:33For the life!
48:35Oh, fuck.
48:36The ultimate warrior was not well-liked at all.
48:40Fuck.
48:41Go again.
48:43You know, he knew everything.
48:44He couldn't give a shit.
48:47Listen to me is basically what he told you.
48:50And if you don't like it, shut the fuck up.
48:52And if anything, we were kind of, like, clinging to Hulk going, you're the guy.
48:56You know, it also seems as though you've been chosen, man, just like I was, to lead the masses to
49:02higher ground.
49:03Wow.
49:07It was decided, okay, well, put the title on the ultimate warrior and let Hulk endorse him and see what
49:15he can do.
49:16What a matchup this is going to be!
49:18This is what has brought 68,000 strong here to the sky goal.
49:23Look at the intensity.
49:25And Hulk was like, I'll put him over.
49:27I'll put him over just the way you want.
49:29And he'll be your new star.
49:31If you put someone over, that means you're letting them win.
49:34And actually putting them over means making them look good in the match, too.
49:39He couldn't wrestle.
49:40He was horrible.
49:42Unless he had somebody actually leading him step by step, you know, he was horrible.
49:49Probably about three-minute mark, he wanted to end the match.
49:52Let's go home, let's go home.
49:53I said, no, we're not going home.
49:56I said, no, bro.
49:57This is a winner, Donald.
49:58He's right here.
50:00If you're going to beat me, you're going to earn it.
50:02Walked him around the ring for another 15, 20 minutes, maybe 15 minutes.
50:06It had to be like pulling damn teeth.
50:08Going for a slam.
50:10Oh, they believe it.
50:11He got him up.
50:12He was totally out of gas.
50:14He didn't even want to breathe.
50:17Look out the big splash.
50:19One, two.
50:20He got it.
50:21Rather than letting the ultimate warrior exalt in his triumph, Hulk Hogan pondered the belt.
50:30And he shook his head.
50:32It felt like the story was Hogan losing.
50:35And I, even at a young age, saw how cool do you have to be?
50:39That it's still your story.
50:41You losing is more of the tale than someone new being anointed.
50:46Answering to the power of the ultimate warrior.
50:52I think a lot of people resented the ultimate warrior as champion.
50:56And the audience, I don't want to say they saw through it,
51:00but the audience said he was no Hulk Hogan.
51:04The ultimate warrior didn't work out.
51:07He was immediately shot down.
51:09New World Wrestling Federation champion!
51:14Vince McMahon, when he can't draw the crowd that he wants, he goes back to the familiar.
51:19The ultimate slime, Hulk Hogan!
51:23Sergeant Slaughter, essentially, would turn into the Iron Sheik wrestling Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 7.
51:30Iraq invaded Kuwait!
51:32Shut your mouth, you see!
51:34From an Iranian to the next big villain.
51:37And he's literally doing the same identical match.
51:42It's not over yet!
51:44They should have found somebody to take my place in the 90s, but they didn't.
51:48The power!
51:50He got him!
51:51They could replace all of them.
51:53Oh, the hell back!
51:54So they had to put the belt back on me again.
52:01You know, my run was a lot longer than Vince expected it to be.
52:05Well, I ran with it as hard as I could and as long as I could.
52:09You know, most guys' careers don't generate that type of interest for that long.
52:17Yeah, look through there, see?
52:18It's like there's contracts and all kind of crap in there.
52:21Who knows?
52:22Could be anything.
52:24I want you to understand that Hulkamania is never going to die.
52:28It's just something that is going to go down in the history books as an era.
52:32You know, you talk about the Roaring Twenties still.
52:36Hulkamania era is going to be talked about like that.
52:38You know, you talk about World War I, World War II, the Wild Wild West.
52:43Hulkamania is going to be talked about like that.
52:45It was a part of our society.
52:47It was a part of the international climate.
52:50I broke a missile.
53:06There was a period of years there where the lights were so clear and clean.
53:12Where did that life go?
53:18How did it go away so fast?
53:20Most of us think of Hulk Hogan as the King of the Ring.
53:23But was there a sinister side to his success?
53:29I think he's a scum of the earth for the lies that he's perpetrated on children.
53:35People read the paper to be informed.
53:37And sometimes you read the paper and you get misinformed.
53:39It's the lie that gets in there.
53:41It's like Nixon.
53:42You're a liar.
53:43He's taken steroids through the whole decade of the 80s.
53:46Congress ought to investigate.
53:51He's going to die.
54:00I want to be a Hulk Hogan media.
54:04I'm fine with my family and friends.
54:16If you want to be a Hulk maniac, I can sure tell you how to stay on track.
54:20You got to train, say your prayers, use your vitamins too.
54:23These are all the things that the maniacs do.
54:25Positive thoughts and positive deeds.
54:27These are the things that make you succeed.
54:29Always be good to your family and friends.
54:31They're the only ones that'll be there in the end.
54:32I want to be a Hulk Hogan media.
54:36I'm fine with my family and friends.
54:40I want to be a Hulk Hogan media.
54:44I'm fine with my family and friends.
54:48When you're looking for something cool to do,
54:50just pick good friends to be with you.
54:52You better watch out where you are at.
54:54You may be judged where you hang your hat.
54:56Can you feel the music?
54:57Can you feel the beat?
54:58You don't need drugs to move your feet.
55:00When the dealer tries to push on you,
55:02just tell him what you're going to do.
55:05I want to be a Hulk Hogan maniac.
55:08I'm fine with my family and friends.
55:12I want to be a Hulk Hogan maniac.
55:16I'm fine with my family and friends.
55:45I'm fine with my family and friends.
55:48Even look at han upside down there.
55:49I know.
55:56I know.
55:56I know.
55:56I know.
55:56I know.
55:57I know.
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