Blank screen.
ii. LORD ATHOL LAYTON
GOOD EVENING, sports fans, Lord Athol Layton your commentator at the ringside of the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium with wrestling at its very best. Pedro Martinez has gone all out and has provided a contest here: The Battle of the Giants. You see the the two giants taking their instructions in the ring at the moment. Big Bobo Brazil, the colored sensation from the West Coast, previously from East St. Louis, Illinois, who has come here with a fine record and is displaying great form, pitted against the Big Ozark giant tonight, Sky Hi Lee, who weighs 290 pounds, 6 feet 7 in height ... Bobo Brazil , incidentally, 6 feet 6 in height, weighing 278 pounds. Bobo Brazil made a great debut here last week, when in 13 seconds he subdued his opponent and tonight, Sky Hi Lee, showing utter contempt for Bobo Brazil, but Bobo Brazil, highly rated, regarded as probably the greatest colored man in the business ATTACKS Sky Hi Lee from the outset and hits with a head butt ... and with a bulldogging hold and another headbutt by Bobo Brazil, as he takes Sky Hi Lee ... and buries his head in the canvas. And the referee is down ... ONE, TWO, THREE, and ... another fast win on the part of Bobo Brazil as he compltely surprised the mighty Sky Lee, er, seldom or never before have I ever seen Sky Hi Lee so completely surprised by an opponent as he was here by this mighty colored boy. Bobo Brazil rushed and before Sky Hi Lee could could collect himself in the contest, he gave him a big headbutt , took him in a side headlock and drove him into the canvas as he rushed across the ring, then he repeated that, fans. He headbutted him once or twice, and then he drove him again and got this quick win ... And there we have it, at 29 seconds this week, 29 seconds, Big Bobo Brazil from East St. Louis, Illinois, with a surprise attack on Sky Hi Lee, made short work of him and defeated him in suck quick time. That is a most impressive win, a most impressive win on the part of Bobo Brazil, who shows he means business in these parts, and will, undoubtedly, take on the best of them, and that looks like a tough assignment for a lot of rougher wrestlers in these parts. And there goes Sky Hi Lee, an unhappy man, a surprised man, defeated so soon by Bobo Brazil ...
Fade to black.
Blank screen
Fists fly as a pudgy Bruno Sammartino and a balding Hans Schmidt trade punches and near-misses in the middle of the ring.
TV announcer: That's the bell? I think the bell rang! The bell may have rung, but these two fellows are't willing to break it off ... Hans Schmidt isn't willing to settle for that, he wants to keep going. They are. Look at those punches! And Sammartino has a big grin on his face ... Look at Hans, he wants to check the ballots before they're totalled up.
Hans Schmidt (deep growl): Do me a favor ...
Ring announcer (backing away from Schmidt: The official decision. A draw.
Fade to black.
iii.
WHEN THE 37th annual Cauliflower Alley Club banquet settled in at Studio City, Ca., on March 19, 1994, the familiarity of old faces still bred content. There was Dick Hutton, Billy Robinson, Al (Kangaroo) Costello, Sherri Martel, Peggy Allen, Penny Banner, Gene Kiniski, Verne Gagne, Danny Hodge, Tiger Conway, Dick (Destroyer) Beyer, June Byers, Bette Clark, John Tolos, Hardboiled Haggerty, Don Curtis, Toru Tanaka, Bruce Swayze, Red Bastien, Pepper Martin ... and the Elder Statesman, Lou Thesz.
The 1,400-member-plus fraternity traded stories of early TV wrestling of Bobo Brazil's Coco Butt; of Timothy Geohagen's Irish Windmill; of Danny Hodge's Banana Split; of The Sheik's Camel Clutch; of Thesz's Airplane Spin; and of the dear friends, who had departed during the previous 12 months, including the flamboyant Buddy (Nature Boy) Rogers, Bulldog Don Kent, Ronnie Etchison and Eddy Creatchman.
However, the convrsations mainly centered on Vince McMahon, the 48-year-old son of an old-time promoter by the same name, who was facing up to 11 years in jail for distributing steroids in a court case, which would begin in Uniondale, N.Y., on Tuesday, July 5, 1994.
The Old Guard would, perhaps, finally see justice done, for they all, seemingly, echoed the words of their Elder Statesman, Lou Thesz, when he, emphatically, stated: "He (McMahon) raped wrestling."
iv.
IF ANYONE was to the manor born, it was Vincent K. McMahon, for his father, Vincent J., once ruled wrestling in the northeastern United States, from New York City's old Madison Square Garden, and his granddaddy, Jess, was a boxing matchmaker for the legendary Tex Rickard and later worked as a wrestling promoter in the Big Apple and Philadelphia.
Grim, smoke-filled arenas and brutes such as Skull Murphy and Moose Cholak were the order of the day with the promoters' sales pitch targetting the working-class male, who wanted to vent his venom at his lot in life on these seemingly out-of-control mastodons.
McMahon The Elder was just one of about 30 warlords across North America, who controlled their territories, usually with an iron hand, as well as their stable of wrestlers. However, McMahon was one who admantly believed in something called television, in the 1950s.
Vincent J. had a string of hits, and very few misses, jamming Madison Square with memorable matches, particularly from 1950 to 1971 with power-packed names such as Argentina Rocca, Gene Stanlee, the Mighty Atlas, Ricki Starr, Dick the Bruiser, Primo Carnera, Pedro Morales, Stan Stasiak, and his premier performer, the Living Legend, Bruno Sammartino.
There were other promoters scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada, who, were just as successful at the gate, from Frank Tunney in Toronto, Sam Muchnick in St. Louis, Paul Boesch in Houston, Roy Shire in San Francisco, and a compact wrestler-promoter, Stu Hart, out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who had been one of McMahon's stablehands at MSG.
In the central U.S., Buddy Rogers, Pat O'Connor, Gagne, Baron von Rashchke, the Vachon Brothers, Crusher and Dick the Bruiser packed 'em in at Chicago's Comiskey Park, while Thesz, Baron Michele Leone, Leo Nomellini, Fred Blassie and John Tolos were drawing cards in Frisco's Cow Palace.
Tunney, once called a splendid set of cauliflower ears, was an articulate and shrewd businessman, pushed the Toronto terriotry to new heights; first with clean-cut Whipper Billy Watson against the meanest Gene of them all, Kiniski; then came the devilish and deceitful Sheik and his treacherous accomplice, The Weasel Farouk. The Maple Leaf Gardens' throngs would never be convinced that this pair was, in real life, two successful businessmen, named Ed Farhat and Ernie Roth.
FIVE
Trying to Catch
the Falling Star
1.
VINCE McMAHON had set his priorities as he criss-crossed the United States in March 1992.
Salvaging the monster merchandising empire he created with its main product being Hulk Hogan, had to be uppermost in his mind.
The other controversies, particularly the sex abuse charges, were secondary to the importance of not allowing Hogan's steroid and drug problems sink The Titan.
The major share of the more than $125 million in profits each year, contrary to the figures of more than a billion being bantered about, was generated by the "family value" images portrayed to the Little Hulksters.
However, one of the key stories from the "dirt bag" media, with acusations of coke and steroids, put Hogan's image and the sport in peril.
2. JOHN CHERWA & HOUSTON MITCHELL (Los Angeles Times)
EVERY WEEKEND, millions of children -- quite a few adults -- suspend reality for a few hours, plant themselves in front of the television and wait for the self-proclaimed "real" American hero to appear.
Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan -- 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds of muscle -- bounds to the screen and urges little Hulksters to say their prayers, take their vitamins and believe in themselves. Hogan is a Saturday morning cartoon come to life and the star of the merchandising empire that grossed $1.7 billion last year (1991).
The Make-A-Wish Foundation says he is their most requested personality, and he reportedly visits as many as 30 sick children a week. He has starred in two movies, both aimed at children, and played Thunderlips in Rocky III.
He does commercials and there are almost 300 official Hulk Hogan products, aimed at children.
But Hulk Hogan's image is in peril, and so is that of all of professional wrestling..
Hogan is acused of heving abused steroids and cocaine. And professional wrestling is said to rife with steroid abuse, at the very least.
For Hogan, whose size and rise seem to personify what professional wrestling has become in America, troubles mounted when he turned up on Arsenio Hall's television show to quash reports that he was a heavy steroid user. He declared that he had only used steroids on three occasions, all under doctor's care to rehabiliate muscle injuries.
The outcry was immediate.
Former wrestlers came forward to say that Hogan was lying. They said they have pewrsonal knowledge of his drug abuse. They said you can't make it big in professional wrestling without drugs.
There was no bridge over troubled water and even the London Daily Mirror trumpeted:
Hulk Quits In Cocaine Shame
In the story, Hogan's personal agent, Peter Young, said: "I don't think Hulk ever denied taking steroids."
Sports merchandising analysts were also predicting the Hulk's endorsements of various products would end, if the allegations were true.
3.
THE FLAMES seemed to be flaring up all over the place, to the point Vince McMahon must have thought he was on duty with the Stamford, Conn. Fire Department.
He booked himself on the Larry King CNN show in order to douse them, but another San Diego Union-Tribune story by Jeff Savage struck a nerve with the headline:
Will Hulk's Next Fortune Be Made In Japan?
Savage claimed Hogan had already agreed to a $600,000 deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Graham again was roaring again about Hogan sometimes using coke before his matches, and on, at least one occasionally had unintentionally injured his opponent by stepping on his back.
When Savage tried to contact Hulk at his home, he denied all allegations of drug use, and after the reporter called back the next day, Hogan disconnected the phone.
Orton's quotes were also part of the San Diego newspaper stories, with Barry O stating: "Every time Hulk came to Las Vegas he would call me looking for some blow (cocaine). A couple of years ago he bought an eight-ball (an eighth of an ounce) and did all of it in his hotel room after the show."
Haynes, being quoted in The Oregonian of Portland, Ore., about his involvement with Hogan and steroids, said, "Vince (McMahon) wanted you to be drugged up. Every day you'll be traveling and by being drugged up you were wrapped around his finger. The drugs made you content."
Although McMahon appeared to best two phone-in guests, Sammartino and Orton, on an ill-prepared Larry King show, nevertheless, the drug issue became strong and stronger.
4.
THEN VICIOUS VINCE, who was supposed to have street smarts, seemingly foul up the "ringboys" issue by paying off easily-controlled Tom Cole.
His price: $70,000 back pay and a two-year deal as a ringboy to "hang around the wrestlers again."
This was after McMahon said he wasn't negotiating a settlement with Cole and called the charges "bunk."
Meanwhile, Tom's big brother, Lee, had secured a lawyer through the Yellow Pages, saying, "This isn't about money. If they offer us $2 million right now, it wouldn't be enough. Tom's been mentally damaged by this. He isn't thinking straight."
There was a change in attitude and Lee Cole replaced the phone-book lawyer with Alan Fuchsburg, whom Lee called "f ...... huge."
Then he added, "His name is Ficksberg, Fooksberg, Fyoksberger, something like that. He picked us up and took us to his mansion. When McMahon hears this guy is our lawyer, he's going to shake in his boots."
According to Fuchsburg, McMahon, with tears swelling in his eyes, said he, too, was abused as a child, and offered Tom Cole the job as restitution and saying the offending parties were all history.
Since the Coles had already struck a secretive deal, both sat in the Donahue audience, and at the end of the panel session, they introduced themselves to the show's producer Ed Glavin.
LEE COLE (to Glavin): This show was bullshit. There's only one guy here who cares, and it's that guy right there. (He pointed to McMahon).
"Tom got a good feeling that McMahon really cared," said Fuchsburg. "Mr. McMahon explained to Tom that he had a difficult childhood himself. He shook hands with Tom and offered him his job back. Tom is ecstatic. His prospect of doing anything one-tenth as exciting was nil."
Tom Cole and all the other ringboys also breathed a collective sigh of relief that Patterson, Garvin and Mel Phillips were, supposedly, no longer with the company.
5.
WITH MARCH MADNESS threatening to sink The Titan, McMahon knew he had to gain the edge, so it was decided that Wrestlemania VIII on April 5, 1992 in Indianapolis' Hoosier Dome would be a farewell match for Hogan.
The media feeding frenzy had died down, and to most of the ticket-buying public, they were still unaware of the devious internal workings of the WWF, and their hero of heroes, the Hulk might, with the emphasis on might, have taken steroids, but was innocent as far as hardcore drugs were concerned.
Through a series of well-orchestrated promo pieces, McMahon hyped that Hulk was so weary he needed a rest after Wrestlemania, with the fanatics being assured that their Main Man was pure as the driven snow.
McMahon was correct in his assessment, as the garish show brought a clash of giants in Hulk vs. Sid Vicious, the most obvious steroid user of them all, before at least 30,000 enthusiastic Dome watchers, and millions on pay-per-view (PPV).
The WWF and Vince still displayed the same high production values as his cameras caught the excitement of the title match between Ric Flair and Randy Savage with Roddy Piper squaring off against Bret (The Hit Man) Hart.
To business insiders, Hogan , would actually be making another movie and his return, if ever, was a matter of conjecture. Piper also was planning to pursue his thespian skills.
After th Arsenio show fiasco, the supposedly always accessible Hogan could have been Greta Garbo with his "I wanna to be left alone" routine.
The only obvious fallout, for Hogan, at least, was that Jun 1992, the Hulk Hogan Vitamin Company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, even the vitamin distributor, Solaris, stated they remained avid fans in March.
Gillette, which used Hogan to endorse Right Guard, also stated it wasn't calling off their project.
It appeared by July that Hogan was only taking his own vitamins, and not steroids, because when he went on TV's Entertainment Tonight to plug one of his latest movies, he looked so small and even with the huge weight drop, lacked muscle definition.
6.
THE NEGATIVE publicity concerning sexual harassment charges seemed to be at a minimum, except for a few young men coming out of the woodwork, claiming they had been abused. The stories appeared to be tall tales, mainly initiated by Tom Cole's older brother, Lee, a former con, who had an obvious vendetta against McMahon.
Then came the aftershocks from Tom Hankins' appearance on Geraldo in September 1992 about same sex harassment involving Patterson, which the Californian related in his open letter to Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Hankins emphasized on Geraldo that he believed McMahon not only knew about Patterson's action, but condoned them. He also spoke about the now infamous "Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin School of Defense" comments that Gorilla Monsoon and Al Hayes used to make on the air as an inside joke during Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi matches.
When the sex charges were thrown out about in the spring of 1992, McMahon promised on Donahue to hire an independent investigative team, Fairfax Partners, who wre supposedly going to probe all the allegations. Hankins said he was never contacted by Fairfax.
Then he announced that Patterson had returned to the WWF after only a six-month exile, although many believe he was never away, as McMahon's right-hand man.
The "bomb" was a dud. No one seemed to care, and McMahon considered the sexual harassment scenario history.
Vince had other things to concern himself with, such as counting the take from the highly-successful PPV Summer Slam card in London's Wembley Stadium on August 29, 1992, with some 80,335 fans paying $2.7 million.
It appeared although Hulkamania may have been dormant, the WWF was alive and The Titan still afloat.
SIX
Whatcha Gonna
Do, Bad Boys?
1.
ALTHOUGH CONFRONTED by major legal and moral issues throughout 1992, Vince McMahon had to deal with the troubles crowding in on other members of his "family."
It began at 2 a.m. on Januay 25, when then 32-year-old Marty Janetty, who had been part of the flashy Rockers with Shawn Michaels, was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest with force in Tampa, Fla.
When Janetty and Angela Ialacci tried to get into the Yucatan Liquor Stand, cops tried to arrest the 19-year-old for flashing a fake ID. At this point, Janetty went ballistic and "violently grabbed the officer." That's when they found less than a gram of coke on both of them, and a twist-tied bag on the wrestler.
Janetty was indefinitely suspended by the WWF, but he would later return to the fold in a very limited capacity.
2.
THE TRIALS of McMahon would continue all the way through 1992, with the final aggravation occurring on December 14 after a locker-room confrontation between Vince and Kevin (Nailz) Wacholz, in Green Bay, Wis., over his Summer Slam payoff.
"I guess he (Wacholz) wasn't happy with his pay," said WWF spokesman Steve Planamenta. "Police came and then we have a police report that Vince did things that were fabrication."
The report, filed two days later by Officer Scott Semb of the Brown County Sheriff's Department, listed Wacholz as the victim and McMahon as the suspect in an alleged sexual attack.
WWF official Earl Hebner snickered at the charge, claiming he was five or six feet away, when the so-called incident took place. "He (Wacholz) launched across the room, grabbed him (McMahon) by the throat and threw him down," related Hebner. At that point, Sgt. (Robert Remus) Slaughter, Dave Hebner, Arnold Skaaland and Gorilla (Bob Marella) Monsoon pulled Nailz off McMahon.
According to Earl Hebner: "Kevin ran to the phone and dialed 911, and told police to come down because he'd been sexually assaulted. Not a chance. There's no way. He couldn't have pulled out a gun as fast as Nailz was on him.
The cops arrived about 20 minutes later.
Dan Klares Associates, a p.r. firm that handles Titan Sports, made a statement in the New York Post that Wacholz was trying to extort $150,000 from McMahon.
Although the "sexual assault" charge seemed far-fetched, Nailz was, undoubtedly, a hero to his bar pals for having had the guts to stand up to McMahon. Wacholz claimed it was the second time McMahon assaulted him, the first being in November 1992 in Madison Square Garden.
In early 1993, Titan added Nailz's name to the growing list of people to sue. This one for slander.
3.
OF COURSE, there had been other misfits in the "family." One was Jake (The Snake) Roberts ( real name: Aurelian Smith Jr., son of road agent Grizzly Smith), who had been through rehab at least once while in the WWF.
There had been an unsavory moment when Roberts' gimmick, a cobra named Damien, had, in reality, bitten fellow wrestler, Randy (Macho Man) Savage (real name: Randy Poffo).
It was learned that in early November 1992, Roberts, then with the rival WCW, had checked himself into the Betty Ford rehab center. His future in the business appeared bleak.
As for the Macho Man, he was going through a traumatic time, divorcing his wife, Elizabeth. McMahon had used the Miss Elizabeth angle on numerous occasions, however, it was now certain that Savage would continue wrestling, but Elizabeth Poffo would re-enter the real world outside the business.
4.
THERE HAD been a major change in the face of Titan promotion, as well. In 1992, their marquee performer. Hulk Hogan, had left, for the movies, and for diverse reasons so had The Legion of Doom, Warlord, Barbarian and Sid Vicious, and then came two PPV main eventers, the Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig) and the British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) walking out at the last minute.
When Prime Time Wrestling went to taping, it forced McMahon to turn Curt (Mr. Perfect) Henning babyface and teaming him with Eabdy Savage in the Survivor Series main event against Ric Flair and Razor Ramon (Scott Hall).
Although some said Hellwig and Smith, both who dropped muscle size and bodyweight because of steroid testing, had actually quit. They said they were fired.
Smith was believed headed for All Japan or the WCW, and had apparently quit the WWF because he was being shortchanged at $155,000 per; while Hellwig was going to go independent and take his ring persona with him.
As usual, Titan wasn't willing to hand over the Ultimate Warrior name to Hellwig, and, it all ended up in divorce court.
5.
THE WWF always had periodic problems with its wrestling stable, even before McMahon launched his major raid on small warlords throughout North America.
In 1983, cops broke down the motel door at the Howard Johnson outside of Syracuse, N.Y., and found Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka, in his underwear, standing over a screaming woman, 23-year-old Nancy Argentino.
It took nine cops and two police dogs to subdue Snuka.
Four months later, Argentino died in hospital after being found in a semi-conscious state, at the George Washington Motor Lodge in Whitehall, Pa.
This time, Snuka had a strange explanation. He claimed they'd been drinking beer on their way to Whitehall and stopped to urinate behind some bushes, and on her way back to the car, Argentino slipped and hit her head on a guardrail.
"Where was this?" an investigator asked.
"I don't know, she was driving," Snuka answered.
It didn't add up for Lehigh County forensic pathologist Isidore Mihalakis, and Snuka was questioned again.
Whitehall Township detective Gerry Procanyn admitted it was puzzling that Argentino could have functioned normally throughout the day until her death. "Okay, she supposedly conks herself on the head, but then she's able to drive the rest of the way here," said Procanyn. "She's able to register them at the motel. She's able to walk to a diner and order food and bring it back to the room. Then, all of a sudden, she dies.
WAYNE SNYDER (former Lehigh County deputy coroner) The fracture is on the back of her head. Okay, fine, but what about the marks on her face? What about the multiple bruises on various parts of her body? We have a highly suspicious death, and I don't believe it was accidental. This case had to be investigated as a homicide.
Procanyn, in Jeff Savage's Penthouse article, said: "Vince McMahon sat with Snuka throughout the interviews, yes. But a coverup? That's pure unadulterated bullshit. There was a full and complete report. C'mon how would you cover up something like that?"
And after all these years, the case is still open, and Jimmy Snuka is still wrestling; not with the WWF, but in the minor-league Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW).
SEVEN
The (Large) Body
of Evidence
1.
WITH SEXUAL abuse and drug misuse already causing a maelstrom throughout Vince McMahon's empire, a former Navy Seal delivered a blow to the solar plexus.
On April 13, 1994, a St. Paul, Minn. seven-women jury awarded Jesse (The Body) Ventura (real name: Jim Janos) $809,958 after determining the WWF had defrauded him in regards to royalties on videos sold by the federation.
Alan Eidsness emphasized Titan repeatedly lied to his client during contract negotiations when they told Ventura other wrestlers weren't getting any royalties.
"The wrestlers were like serfs," said Eidsness. "The kings were the ones that made the decisions. The jury decided the kings were wrong."
Even before the ink dried on the jury's recommendation, Titan's lawyers were considering an appeal with Mark Ginder stating, "my client is very disappointed, although the jury significantly reduced Ventura's request of more than $2 million."
Ventura, the 42-year-old mayor of the Minnepolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, was once one of McMahon's top draws as a rock-solid 6-4 creature, who paraded around the ring with feathered boas, earrings, long hair and a goatee.
However, he changed directions the night before his L.A. title bout against Hogan in 1986 because of pulmonary emboli -- blood clots in the lung, by moving into the announcer's booth for both wrestling and pro football while pursuing acting roles and local politics.
After spending time as color analyst for the NFL's Tampa Bay Bucs, he worked all the Minnesota Vikings games on radio in 1991before signing a two-year deal as a full-time broadcaster with Ted Turner's WCW. This caused a rift betweem Jesse and the Vikings' radio station and they soon parted company.
In addition, Ventura had been struck by the acting bug, with The Body teaming up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in such 1987 unforgettables as Predator and The Running Man.
"Anybody that does a film with Arnold will have fun. It's a prerequisite," remembers Ventura, "He doesn't take himself too seriously, he enjoys his work, and it rubs off. He'll get down in the dirt with you. I can't say enough nice things about Arnold. He's a terrific man."
2.
FOR THE man, who had two tours of duty as a Navy Seal in Vietnam, his toughest role was in the "guerilla warfare" world of politics.
Ventura thought it would be a cakewalk; after all Clint Eastwood had been the successful mayor of Carmel, California.
Environmental issues revolving around proposed real estate development on marsh land near his home on the Mississippi River set the stage for his one-fall match against long-time Broklyn Park mayor, Jim Krautkremer.
Running on the motto, "If you've had enough and you're mad enough," Ventura ran up against a state representative, Linda Scheid, who accused him of insulting women and being a bad role model. The broadside was contained in Scheid's missive to a community newspaper, in which she publicized excerpts from a Ventura interview in the March 1989 issue of Penthouse.
What upset him the most was that Scheid's letter had tagged him as a "bit-part actor."
Scheid also recommended Ventura "pick up some sensitivity handbooks," after he was quoted in Penthouse as saying, "I just want to be an actor who, when the scene's done, heads back to his air-conditioned trailer, picks up a Penthouse, looks at the pictures, and, maybe, even reads the article."
To Jesse's defence came Karla Blomberg, president of Minnesota's Make-A-Wish Foundation, saying that the wrestling persona is just that -- an image -- and that Ventura was a frequent prticipant in Make-A-Wish events, a positive role model and devoted man.
"Politics is dirtier than pro wrestling," Ventura stated, adding, "It's dirtier than anything. I mean, including wheeling and dealing in Hollywood. They're even more honest than politics is."
As usual The Body had the last word, winning the November 1990 election in a landslide.
3.
ACCORDING TO the Gospel of Jesse Ventura, all he ever wanted from Titan Sports was a "fair slice of the pie," but what he got from McMahon was a donut. A big fat zero.
When the St. Paul jury ruled after deliberating for seven hours that Jesse had been defrauded and gave him more than $800,000, he believed it would open up the floodgates and other colleagues would be compensated for appearing on the wrestling videos.
However, the jury failed to award Ventura money for personalized action figures, which, had he won on that point, would have given every wrestler from the mid-to-late '80s the possible right to sue.
He said his claim entitled him to receive residuals on his announcing gigs for the WWF.
4. JESSE VENTURA
WHAT IT is, it's simple. Vinc McMahon wants to be in the normal entertainment world. He talks like he is and like he's a big operator within it. But he wants to play by his own set of rules. He doesn't want to play by the normal rules of the entertainment industry.
If I do a film and that film goes to videotape, I get royalties from that. If I do a TV show, and if that show is shown in reruns, I get royalties from that. Vince McMahon has put out over 150 wrestling videotapes. I would venture to guess I'm on at least 135 to 140 of them and I haven't received one penny. It's my voice from the beginning to end on many of them.
... He was bragging in Sports Illustrated how he made $100 million in the videotape industry. Yet, he's paying no one any royalties.
5.
THE 1994 JURY awarded Ventura $801,333 for royalties, for his announcing work on 90 videotapes.
In the discovery process of the case, it had been dtermined that Hogan, Andre the Giant, Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper, and perhaps others, had received or were receiving royalties from sales of generic tapes and thuis Titan had lied to Ventura in the negotiations, rendering Jesse's agreement with the company void.
The jury also awarded him $8,625 for other merchandising, a calendar poster of himself, and a computer game with his likeness on it, neither of which he had received payment for.
"I'm hoping it brings to light what's gone in th world of wrestling," roared Ventura. "Wrestlers have never been allowed to unionize. Wrestling evolved from carnivals. They've tried to keep us back in those carnival days."
EIGHT
Giant's Death,
a Curse and a Murder
1.
JUST WHEN the troubles seemed to have reached their peak, the three deaths of Andre The Giant, Kerry Von Erich, and Dino Bravo, in sucession in 1993, shocked the WWF's immediate family, and the entire wrestling business.
There was such sadness in Hulk Hogan's voice as he spoke during Andre's memorial service.
Dressed in a black suit, wearing sunglasses and a black scarf covering his thinning blond hair, he wea one of seven friends, who stood beneath a tent covering, and eulogized "the Eighth Wonder of the World."
Andre Rene Rousimoff had died at age 46 on Thursday, January 28 in Paris and his family held a service for him there. But many of Andre's friends in the U.S. were unable to attend, however, on February 24, they did.
Choking back tears, Terry Bollea told about 200 friends of Andre's unselfishness on the AFJ, the Giant's beloved 200-acre ranch on Hwy. 72 between Ellerbe and Mount Gilead, North Carolina. "Even though he was hurt bad (during one particular match), he wanted to take my career to another level. I bodyslammed him -- only because he let me do it. He said, 'Slam me, boss' ... We all love you, Andre. See you soon."
Besides Hulk, other mourners, from the business, included Randy Savage, Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake), the Fabulous Moolah (Lillian Ellison), Ivan and Vladimir Koloff, and WWF czar, McMahon the Younger.
The 6-10, 555-pound Giant began his wrestling career in Europe in the 1960s before arriving in Montreal as Jean Ferre in the early '70s, making his early U.S. appearances in the AWA for Verne Gagne. Later, McMahon the Elder began to handle Andre's bookings.
While he would never be considered among the great technicians, in his prime he was an amazing athlete, and certainly one of the mat game's top draws.
He was featured on many of the biggest cards of all time, going back to June 25, 1976, when he faced boxer Chuuck Wepner in Shea Stadium on the undercard of the closed circuit feature which had Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki and Bruno Sammartinoi vs. Stan Hansen, through the 1987 Wrestlemania main event before more than 90,000 live and millions more on PPV from the Pontiac Silverdome.
Andre made many appearances as an actor on TV and in movies, with his most notable film role that of the giant Fezzick in the 1987 hit, The Princess Bride.
2.
ALTHOUGH a Frenchman by birth, he was a Greek tragedy, for with all his fame, Andre lead an often difficult life. There were tales of wrestlers not wanting him to ride in their cars, fearing it wouldn't hold his weight, and hotels that wouldn't
allow him to sleep on their beds, which were usually too small for his bulk.
His size resulted from a medical condition known as acromegaly, a form of giantism caused by the body's excessive secretion of growth hormone past the age of puberty. This manifests itself in progressive enlargement of the head, face, hands, feet and chest. In later years, people with acromegaly often have problems with thei mobility, as the torso becomes too large for the back and legs to support. Most of those afflicted, with acromegaly, don't live much past the age of 40.
3. TERRY TODD (University of Texas prof and The Giant's biographer)
THERE WAS some sadness in Andre, but he didn't let you see it.
Andre said that he'd eaten more good food, drank more beer, drank more fine wine, seen the world and made more friends than most men ever do.
When I met him 22 years ago in Macon, Georgia, Andre weighted 400 pounds and was a great athlete, but as he got older, his great size began to cause health problems.
Andre knew he wouldn't live a long life, and he couldn't understand who athletes would actually take growth hormones to make them bigger.
He asked me, 'why would they do it?' Look at me. God made me this way.'
In a strange twist of fate, considering the furor, Andre The Giant's life was probably prolonged when his doctors put him on anabolic steroids to strengthen the muscles in his back and legs just prior to Wrestlemania III.
4.
ANDRE LIVED in a three-storey house he thought looked like a castle, and he bought the ranch from friends he had come to visit, saying it reminded him of where he grew up in France.
Frenchy and Jackie Bernard ran the ranch, and so AJF stands for Andre, Frenchy, Jackie in his "non-combat zone" in North Carolina.
"The memorial service was by invitation only because this farm couldn't hold all of them all, all the friends he had in the world," said Frenchy Bernard.
Then Darrol Dickenseon, a friend who sold Andre cattle, remarked: "This farm was an island of refuge for him. He recreated a type of life he remembered, with the animals he loved.
Later, seven of Andre's friends mounted horses and rode to an adjoining pasture.
The last rider was Frenchy Bernard, who slowly and tearfully scattered his ashes. When the ashes had vanished, French dismounted.
Then he spoke: "Let's have a drink of wine for Andre. He would like that ... Let's fill them up again ... One more for the Big Boss."
5.
WITHIN THREE weeks of Andre The Giant's death of natural causes, a suicide in a blackberry vine thicket on a 140-acre ranch in the Shady Shores community of Denton County, north of Fort Worth, Texas, sent shivers down the collective spine of the business.
On Thursday afternoon, February 18, 1993, Jack Adkisson, known in the ring as the hated Fritz Von Erich, found his son's body with a single wound in his chest from a .44-caliber Magnum handgun.
Kerry Von Erich -- the Texas Tornado -- was scheduled the next night at the Dallas Sportatorium in a WWF match. His opponen: The Angel of Death.
The Von Erich Curse had claimed another son of Jack and Doris Adkisson: Jack Jr., 7, electrocuted, 1959; David, 25, inflamed intestine, 1984; Mike, 23, overdosed on tranquilizers, 1987; Chris, 21, shot himself in the head, 1991; and now Kerry, dead at 33.
The most-athletically-gifted of Jack's sons, Kerry, seemed to have to deal with the most demons. Days before he sought a final solution, Dallas Criminal District Judge Larry Baraka signed an arrest warrant after Kerry was indicted on a charge of cocaine possession.
Since he was on 10 years' probation for a drug convictionin September 1992, prosecutors were seeking to revoke his probation and send him back to the slammer.
"Kerry could never learn to cope with the loss of any of his brothers," mourned his father, adding, "because when one in the family does it, it makes it a whole lot easier for another one to do it. We learned that the hard way."
Ironically, Kerry used a gun Jack Adkisson had given him for Christmas 1991.
6.
IN 1984, after his brother, David, died from a freak inflammation of the intense while on a wrestling tour in Japan, Kerry Von Erich turned to drugs.
In 1986, he almost died in a motorcycle accident that forced doctors to amputate his right foot -- which he was convinced would end his career if word ever leaked out.
But while he could hide his handicap with boots and trickery, Kerry couldn't do anything to shake the constant physical agony. Soon, his life was collapsing into an abyss of painkillers and despair.
There were rumors that the Texas Tornado had said over and over again he would kill himself before he'd ever spend a day in jail. He even pleaded with his ex-wife Cathy to take him back during lunch, just hours before his suicide.
7. DORIS ADKISSON (Kerry's mother had divorced his father in the summer of 1992)
I THINK people are awfully simplistic when they start looking for a reason.
You're talking about a lifetime of all current emotions.
To say it's all so-and-sos fault is awfully simplistic.
It's like saying it's all my fault because I married him. It's all my fault because I married him at 17 instead of waiting until he was 30.
And, maybe, then it's all Fritz's mom's fault for having him. Or my mother's fault for having me in the first place.
There are no real answers.
8. JACK ADKISSON
MAN, I did everything in the world to keep my kids out of this damn business.
But it was all they knew.
A lot of boys don't want to follow in their father's footsteps. But there are those that do.
Everybody likes recognition. They saw me getting a lot of it. They idolized me.
I trained, was on television, a big name, why wouldn't they want the same? It was natural as anything in the world.
If somebody has the gall to say that I forced my kids and I'm responsible for their deaths in any way, shape or form, it makes me want to get a .45 and shoot somebody right in the ass.
It burns me up.
9.
THEN THERE was murder in The Family.
It wasn't the first. In July 1988, the infamous Bruiser Brody was allegedly killed by promoter-wrestler Jose Gonzalez after a dressing-room altercation in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
The immediate reaction of the other wrestlers in the dressing room was to turn their heads; to not go to the authorities because if they testified against their booker, they could lose their jobs. Gonzalez owned 25 percent of the action.
In January 1989, Jose Gonzalez was found not guilty of manslaughter charges in a Puerto Rican courtroom after his attorneys had supposedly established he acted in self-defense.
Even six years later, the rumors persist concernine Brody's death, with the common word being used is C-O-V-E-R-U-P.
Less than three weeks after Von Erich's suicide, strongman Dino Bravo was brutally murdered on March 10 as he sat in his $850,000 home in Laval, Quebec, just 20 minutes north of Montreal.
10.
ADOLFO BRESCIANO, a.k.a. Dino Bravo, was shot seven times, at least two in the head, while cops found 17 shells from a semi-automatic .22 and .380 calibre guns on the floor of his living room. His brutal slaying was immediately linked to the mob because of his suspected connection in dealing with contraband cigarettes.
Bravo had undeniable ties with the Montreal underground, since his aunt Maria was the wife of Mafia godfather, Vic Controni, and he often was a driver for Vic's relative, Paul Controni.
His name was linked to those caught in the net on March 5 after an RCMP sweep seized 234 cases of cigarettes and 69 cases of tobacco worth $400,000 on the black market; as well as with those arrested when the cops grabbed 47 kilos of cocaine smuggled into Montreal in tomato cans. There was speculation that the assassination was as a result of a $4000,000 loss of money.
Bravo's wife, Diane Rivest, had accompanied their six-year-old daughter to ballet classes, and when they returned, shortly before midnight, they found Bravo sitting in his easy chair.
There had been no signs of a struggle or of a forced entry, which led police to believe he knew the killers because none of the neighbors heard any commotion.
Police found a "large sum" of money in his home.
His long-time pal, tag-team partner and business accomplice, Gino Brito -- Louis Acocela -- confirmed that Bravo's life had been threatened. Brito, who had been the WWF promoter in Montreal, had been arrested in October 1992 on extortion and loan-sharking charges.
11.
STARTING HIS wrestling career in 1970, Bravo joined the Grand Prix Wrestling training school, Montreal's largest promotion at the time, under Eduardo Carpentier, Luigi Macera and Brito, who became his Italian baby-face tag-team partner.
He quickly rose through the ranks, joining Jean Ferre (Andre The Giant) and Carpentier in six-mans and also teamed with Dom DeNucci and Tony Parisi, as well as Victor Rivera, and earned a large reputation in southern California.
First, in the WWWF, and later in the WWF, Bravo returned full-time to Montreal in 1981, where he hooked up with Brito, Tony Mule and Frank Valois in forming International Wrestling.
In January 1985, during a sold-out WWF show, Bravo was supposed to wrestle Hulk Hogan, but his opponent was switched because WWF officials were worried, at the time, that Hogan would be perceived as the heel against the local French-speaking star.
He would become a bleached-blond heel in 1987, partnering Greg Valentine, and Bravo worked full time with the WWF throughout the 1991 Wrestlemania, where, he, ironically, tangled with Kerry Von Erich.
Retiring from the ring a year later, Bravo owned two sporting goods businesses, at the time of his death.
His killers have never been identified.
NINE
Cowboy & Dry Rot
in the Conscience
1.
VICIOUS VINCE McMAHON continued to try to change his image to Humble Vince, with his extensive charity work, and, then, in a calculated moved, he resigned as president of the World Wrestling Federation in May 1993.
McMahon transferred his titles over to his wife, Linda, since he claimed she had been largely responsible for running the business end while he looked after the creative side.
However, the business had to snicker at the latest Vince Shuffle, since he knew full well of the on-going Grand Jury investigation into his affairs.
McMahon, during a May 24 production meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, when announcing corporate changes, made a comment about it being the Year of the Woman, and when acknowledging the probe, he said there was no reason for it.
Linda, whose official title was Executive Vice President of Titan Sports, was, indeed, more than a company president, for she was a key participant in the business and legal departments.
The mother of two took her duties seriously, although her husband, undoubtedly, was still CEO, when she was interviewed in the Chicago Sun-Times on June 22, tried to project a "new, wholesome" image for the WWF.
In the interview, she talked about changes such as face-to-face segments, charity events and attempts to increase local retail tie-ons to the TV events.
When asked to comment about the steroid use, Linda McMahon answered: "The harmful effects of steroids are just now really being looked at. Steroid use was not encouraged in the WWF, but in the past some of our wrestlers did use prescribed drugs."
In addition to his wife being elevated into the Ivory Tower, Vince McMahon gave the impression that his son, Shane, was being groomed as the heir apparent and would be taking a more prominent role in the company.
"It's not as big a deal as people are making it out to be," claimed Titan spokesman Steve Planamenta. "People are reading things into this that aren't there."
However, speculation ran rampant that the changes were made because of the investigation.
2.
THEN CAME The Indictment on Tuesday, November 23, 1993.
McMahon would have to stand trial in U.S. District Court Judge Jacob Mishler's court on conspiracy and distribution of anabolic steroids to WWF wrestlers.
The charges had been barely read, before an exodus began, with high-profile announcer, Bobby (The Brain) Heenan, defecting to the WCW. Another prominent announcer, Mean Gene Okerlund, had left for Ted Turner's group in October.
With The Brain's departure, the WWF had its weakest announcing crew ever. Randy Savage had assumed a full-time wrestling schedule against Crush (Bryan Adams) and Jerry (The King) Lawler had been suspended. Their two replacements -- Stan Lane and Rio Rogers (Bruce "Brother Love" Protchard) -- were flops.
Lawler had been involved in a "family feud" angle with the Harts, however, it went down the drain when he was charged with rape, sodomy and intimidating a witness. He was eventually cleared of all charges, brought by a 14-year-old girl, except the minor infraction of intimidating a witness. He wouldn't serve any jail time, but would be put on two years' unsupervised probation.
Of course, Heenan's departure from the WWF came with an angle as Gorilla Monsoon booting him from the broadcast booth on a Monday Night Raw taping.
The defections brought plenty of smiles to those running World Championship Wrestling.
"We have the resources and the commitment from Ted (CNN mogul Turner) to make this the No. 1 wrestling company in this business. There's no doubt in my mind that we will overtake Titan," emphasized WCW president Bill Shaw.
WCW executive producer Eric Bischoff, however, issued a pinch of caution, saying, "The biggest challenge we have ahead of us is making people realize we do have a better product. I think the consensus is we are better. But not enough people know about that."
3.
ALTHOUGH THE WWF had suffered severe wounds, the WCW's front office had more than its share of internal bleeding.
In January 1992 after three years of heavy losses, reported to be in the $19-million range, WCW executive vice president Jim Herd quit the TBS organization after what to have been a him-or-me struggle with booker Dusty Rhodes.
However, there were underlying rumblings, such as the deflection of charismatic champion Ric Flair to the WWF and Herd's frustration with his inability to get the company competitive with Titan.
Herd left and was replaced with an even-tempered TBS lawyer, Jim Frey. He immediately set in motion a nine-page policy statement on anabolic steroids and related substances.
However, his reign was short-lived. He resigned after the hiring of one-time wrestler Cowboy Bill Watts as vice president in charge of wrestling operations. Frey was moved sideways within the Turner organization.
4.
COWBOY BILL WATTS was a no-nonsense ruler, and he had rules -- the Ten Commandments -- as most WCW wrestlers dubbed them.
However, it was his mouth, not his notorious list of do's and don'ts, that got him into trouble.
Ole (Alan Rogowski) Anderson would soon take Watts' position and Eric Bischoff the Executive Producer of all WCW television with president Bill Shaw taking a more active role.
5.
A CASE of instant dry rot in the conscience.
That's how Joe Jares, in his book, Whatever Happened to Gorgeous George?, described Watts when he turned against his one-time tag-team partner, Bruno Sammartino, in 1965.
In the '90s, Watts definitely turned back the clock and developed a case of instant dry rot in his conscience and when his defamatory quotes in a couple of interviews came to the attention of TBS president, Terry McGuirk, Watts was banished.
When Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sportswriter Mark Madden faxed an interview he had with Watts for Pro Wrestling Torch Summer 1991 to Hank Aaron, the former baseball megastar took the article to McGuirk.
6. BILL WATTS (Torch interview)
IF YOU want a business and you put money in, why shouldn't you be able to discriminate? It's your business.
If free enterprise is going to make or break it, you should be able to discriminate? It's your business.
If free enterprise is going to make or break it, you should be able to discriminate? It should be that, by God, if you're going to open your doors in America, you can discriminate. Why the f... not?
That's why I went into business, so that I could discriminate. I mean, really. I mean I want to be able to serve who I want to. It's my business. It's my investment ... I can't tell a fag to get the f... out. I should have the right to not associate with a fag if I don't want to. I mean, why should I have to hire a f.....' fag, if I don't like fags?
Fags discriminate against us, don't they? Sure they do ...
Do blacks discriminate against whites?
Who's killed more blacks than anyone? The f.....' blacks.
But they want to blame that bullshit Roots that came on the air. Thato Roots was so bullshit. All you have to do if you want slaves is to hand beads to the chiefs and they gave you slaves.
What is the best thing that has ever happened to the black race? That they were brought to this country. No matter how they got here. You know why? Because they intermarried and got educated. They're the ones running the black race.
You go down to the black countries and they're all broke. Idi Amin killed more blacks than we ever killed. You see what I mean. That's how stupid we are. But we get all caught up in this bullshit rhetoric, And so, it's ridiculous what's happening to our country.
Lester Maddox (former Georgia governor and defiant restaurant operator) was right. If I don't want to sell chicken to blacks I shouldn't have to. It's my restaurant. Hell, at least I respect him for his stand.
"It was horrible. They are horrible statements," commented Aaron, in reviewing Watts' interview."In this day and age, for anybody, regardless whether he made them or anybody else, it is just despicable, really. This is too big a company and it stands for too much to have something like this stand in the way."
7.
BEING REMINDED if Bill Watts' shortcomings, Bill Shaw and Company tried to keep a low profile while building up WCW's Bottom Line.
Any setbacks were caused by poor judgments in bokings, but they seemed unscathed by scandals, which had plagued the mighty Titan.
On March 24, 1994, Melissa (Missy Hyatt) Hiatt filed a claim with the Georgia Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), claiming that during her five years of employment with the WCW she was frequently sexually harassed by supervisors, cameramen and wrestlers and was paid substantially less, as well. She threatened to file a suit in excess of $2 million against the WCW in federal district court, demanding back pay and monetary damages for emotional distress.
The center of the storm, and the reason for her emotional distress, seemed to be a photo taken of Missy jumping into the ring during Starrcade '93 where her breast fell out of her ring outpit. The photo was blown up and hung in the photo studio where employees could see it.
EEOC guidelines prohibit the releasing of her complaint or the names of her alleged harassers, however, Hiatt's lawyer, Allyson Baum, said she had evidence that several of Hiatt's supervisers made demands for sex and co-workers subjected her to public embarassment.
After filing the compliant, Hiatt moved from her long-time home of Atlanta to New York.
She said WCW executives demanded she play the bimbo role, and during her tenure endured off-color remarks and requests for dates. She claimed she stuck it out, only for the money -- $75,000 per year -- but that was about $100,000 less than some male announcers and managers.
Within WCW, Missy's threats caused numerous unwarranted snickers, however, booker Dusty Rhodes stooped to an all-time low during a Terra Rizing match. While Rizing flexed his pecs, Rhodes said something to the effect of, there used to be a girl around here who coukl do that, but I won't get into that now ... Then Larry Zbyszko said, "Yeah, but her's were bigger."
TEN
X Marks the Spot
& Hulk's Future
1.
EVEN THE Mainstream Media jumped on the speculation bandwagon on whether Vince McMahon could survive the swirl of controversy.
Would Wrestlemania X in Madison Square Garden be his Last Hurrah?
If it was, then McMahon certainly knew how to throw a farewell party, with X aiming for the same crowd-gate status as the monster sucesses at Wrestlemanias in Toronto, London and Tokyo.
The actual attendance at Madison Square Garden in NYC on March 20, 1994 was 18,065 fans with a gate of $960,000; 4,200 in The Paramount with the seven Fan-Fests having full houses of 1,700 each, with total merchanizing sales for the weekend reaching $237,000 -- about $7 per head.
The excitement in the ring, undoubtedly, made McMahon forget his troubles for at least one day. Of course, he was there in the chief announcing capacity along with Jerry (The King) Lawler.
He had all the angles covered with the Bedlam on Broadway superbly choreographed with Bret (The Hitman) Hart surviving to claim his second WWF heavyweight strap. Hart, who lost to his brother, Owen, in an earlier match, toppled Yokozuna for the crown.
However, Shawn (Michael Hickenbottom) Michaels put on one of the greatest performances in the history of the business at X, which elevated it to the best PPV show in WWF history. His ladder match loss to Razor (Scott Hall) Ramon was given a close run by the Hart vs. Hart confrontation which ringsiders said was better than even the legnedary match between Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage in Wrestlemania III.
Wrestlemania X opened with Little Richard's lip-synch rendition of America The Beautiful complete with an entourage from the Stamford, Conn. Baptist Church. Reportedly after the show, there was heat in that Little Richard got out of tje building after doing his thing and wouldn't sign autographs for the guys backstage.
Burt Reynolds, who had his hand in a cast because he decked someone who tried to mug him two days earlier in San Diego, did a commendable job as the main-event ring announcer, and picked up $150,000 for his services.
2.
WITH WRESTLEMANIA X in the history books, the business awaited McMahon's trial on July 5, in Uniondale, N.Y.
It was a period of legal manoeuvring and there were questions as to who would be the prime witnesses.
Would Terry (Hulk Hogan) Bollea take the stand? Undoubtedly, yes, even though he didn't exactly have an exemplary level of credibility.
Would Dr. George Zahorina take the stand? A possible maybe.
On April 6, the U.S. Justice Department reportedly dropped one of the two charges in regard to steroid distribution against Titan Sports.
Sean O'Shea, the assistant district attorney for New York's Eastern District, indicated the decision to drop one charge was for "tactical reasons." while Titan attorneys claimed the dropping of the charge was a proof that the government had no case.
The two counts against Titan were 1) Conspiracy to distribute steroids; and 2) For illegal distribution of steroids.
It wasn't known which one was dropped.
However, two counts against McMahon remained, which could put him behind bars for eight years plus a $500,000 fine. The government had already dropped plans, which they had a right to do, to seize the $9 million Titan Towers in Stamford.
Then before the legal dust had settled, as April closed, two additional charges were added, bringing to five counts -- three against McMahon and two against Titan. Both new counts were similar, charging both McMahon and the company with intent to distribute anabolic steroids on April 13, 1989.
In the count against McMahon, the indictment claimed he "knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute to a WWF performer known to the Grand Jury a substance containing anabolic steroids for use in humans other than for the treatment of disease."
According to Grand Jury evidence during the Zahorian trial in Junr 1991, there was a two-pound package sent from Zahorian to Titan. It was accepted at the headquarters by McMahon's personal secretary, at the time, Emily Feinberg, who was expected to be another key witness.
In the count against Titan, it claimed the company together with others, including Zahorian, possessed to distribute anabolic steroids to Vince McMahon. The two counts were virtually identical to the other two counts against Titan and McMahon , from October 24, 1989 when Zahorian allegedly sent a steroid package for distribution to a WWF performer known to the Grand Jury. The performer was believed to be Hulk Hogan.
The other count against McMahon and Titan, involved conspiracy to defraud the FDA in its attempts to regulate distribution of steroids, to introduce into interstate commerce prescription drugs without a presecription, and to distribute steroids for use in humans other than for the treatment of disease.
With all the manoeuvring, the additional indictments upped McMahon's possible jail time from eight to 11 years with potential fines against Titan and Vince around $2 million.
3.
IN THE midst of the growing horde of detractors, veteran Jacques Rougeau, who partnered with Pierre as the Quebecers and raked in half a million annually, rushed into the fray, saying he attributed his success to McMahon.
"I'm often asked why wrestling became so successful and so big. The answer is always the same -- Vince McMahon," Rougeau was quoted by one of the "friendly" members of the media, the Toronto Sun's Frank Zicarelli, adding, "He is a genisu. He sees things that no one can see. He will then make people believe ... I'm a puppet on a string and he (McMahon) pulls the strings."
However, Rougeau, the Montrealer who started wrestling when he was only 17, admitted he knew th popular trend was to criticize McMahon.
"I have nothing but respect for Vince," said Rougeau. "I'm as straight as they come and it was very difficult working a few years ago when a lot of people were doing drugs and taking steroids. I figured that if you smoked or sniffed you deserved what was coming to you, which meant being fired. That's why I think Vince has made enemies. Wrestlers start to believe their own character. When they go back home, they've got no job and are frustrated. They have to express their hatred and have to blame someone, so they blame Vince."
4.
TO PARAPHRASE Ralph Waldo Emerson, "every hero is a bore at last," and so it was as Terry Bollea, er, Hulk Hogan, tried to hide in the pleasures od Winter Garden, Florida during April 1994 with the waves continuing to crash around Titan Towers.
The world had bought the idea that Hogan was a genuinely decent human being, although he had a history of questionable behavior.
Now, he wanted to be known as Terry "Hulk" Hogan, actor, and R.J. Hurricane Spencer on the TV screen, not Hulk Hogan, tainted wrestling megastar. He seemingly had traded in his rasslin' tights for the lights, camera, action of the syndicated series, Thunder in Paradise.
As an Orlando Sentinel reporter, Catherine Hinman, described it: "Hurricane Spencer is Tinseltown's take on this wrestler turned cultural icon. And yet it's not a complete metamorphoses of Hulk Hogan. As in the ring he still fights big guys with funny names -- and some of them are wrestlers. He's still soft on kids. He's still wrapped around the American flag. He is, still, the Real American.
In Thunder, Hogan was leaner than during his days as the WWF's champion and standardbearer. He still had distinctive bleached locks ringing a bald crown, but his tanned, 6-6 frame carried only 255 pounds, down from 305. He was in fighting shape for Hollywood.
"Certainly no one in professional wrestling has ever been more primed to transfer an image to film. Adored by millions, especially children, and studied by academics, he's as much a pop culture phenomenon as Madonna," gushed Hinman.
If the thought of McMahon's July 5 trial was weighing on his mind, it certainly didn't show.
He and his wife, Linda, along with two small children, had an 8,000-square foot, million-dollar-plus island near Clearwater, Fla., and were in the middle of construction of their 16,000-square-foot French farmhouse, and thinking about another home in Orlando.
With his split from McMahon and the WWF apparently permanent, Hogan continued to talk with both HBO and Ted Turner's WCW about expanding his acting career and returning to the ring under limited conditions.
In late March, althugh many believe it was a case of too little too late, he tried to do some damage control in a lengthy discussion on steroids and his career in the New York Daily News.
5. HULK HOGAN (New York Daily News)
WHEN THEsteroid thing came out, I said, 'Oh, my God, there's a hysteria, just like there was with AIDS. People don't know what this is all about.'
I thought by touching upon it -- and I did say, 'Yes, I used them,' -- that people would really dial into it, but it is kind of like, stirred it up even more and I probably should have hit them bluntly.
People (were) saying that they injected me at certain arenas. Total lie. Total lie. Never happened. I gave myself injections there ever was. Or a doctor, under his prescription.
You do what seems to be right at the time, especially when a doctor says, 'Hy, here's a prescription' and it's legal.'
Instead my arm became torn and healing in three months, it helped me heal in four weeks. These guys that were wrestling every night, they were bigger and stronger than me, so it gave me that edge to have an extra 20 or 25 pounds on my body.
If I had to do it all over again, know what I know now? No way.
It's not like I've got some unknown disease where I gotta be quarantined. I mean, these people (wrestling fans) are very forgiving, and they're very understanding, and it's comforting to know people are like that.
If it comes up again, well then I'll just deal with it.
If it's a federal trial or a question from you, this is the way it is. But there's no new news. For me it's old news.
ELEVEN
A Letter, The Suit
& Shattered Dreams
1.
THE LETTER, dated April 7, 1994, from U.S. assistant district attorney Sean O'Shea's office, demanded to be opened.
Addressed to Titan lawyers Michael Armstrong, Jerry McDevitt and Laura Brevetti, it read:
United States v. McMahon, et al
Criminal Docket No. 93 CR 1276 (JM)
Dear Counsel:
This letter serves to provide you notice of evidence which the government will offer pursuant to FRE 404 (B) at the above-captioned matter.
In or about February 1990, defendant McMahon ordered a Titan employee Howard Finkel to fraudently take a HIV blood test for Terry Bollea, a/k/a/ "Hulk Hogan" which, was required by state licensing authority.
Very truly yours,
Zachary W. Carter
United States Attorney
By: Sean F. O'Chief
Chief
Business/Securities/Fraud
For all its legalese, it meant that McMahon was accused of getting one of his employees, long-time lieutenant and ring announcer Howard Finkel, to take an IDS test for WWF's all-time hero.
The letter was displayed prominently on the tabloid TV show, A Current Affair, and what followed in interviewer John Johnston's story drew back the curtain even more on the wrestling organization.
Right off the top, Johnston quoted an unidentified Hulk attorney, known to be Henry Holmes, as saying, "If there was a fake blood test, Hulk Hogan never knew."
But Hogan's nemesis, David (Dr. D) Shults came on camera to put his slant on the controversy.
"Concerning him (Hogan), he knew everything that was going on in the WWF," Shults emphasized. "Howard Finkel would never do this on his own ... Hogan knew everything going on in the WWF ... If it was switched, he knew it was switched."
A Current Affair claimed the government source had informed them that Finkel testified to a grand jury he gave his blood for Hogan's HIV test. At the time, Finkel was being questioned in th government's case against McMahon.
2.
AFTER THE devastating report about Howard Finkel taking an alleged HIV blood test for Hulk Hogan, Titan breathed a collected sigh of relief.
It couldn't get any worse, could it?
During the previous three years, the WWF had become a litigation mess and less and less a wrestling company. The on-going court cases seemed to have run their course, after Jesse Ventura had been awarded more than $800,000 by a Minnesota court.
Lost in the legal shuffle was one between a jobber, Chuck Austin, and Titan. Austin's name was only known to a few of wrestling insiders.
On Friday, April 29, 1994, a Tampa, Fla. jury awarded the 37-year old a monstrous $26.7 million to compensate for injuries Austin had received during a WWF match against the Rockers -- Shawn Michaels and Marty Janetty in December 1990.
The lawyers on both sides shook their heads; dumfounded by the verdict in the two-week trial.
3.
CHUCK AUSTIN's lawyer, Richard Wilkes, who suggested a minimum $7 million award, said it was his client's low-key testimony that resulted in the jury's award.
After deliberating for seven hours, the jurors awarded Austin for his past and future medical expenses and lost earnings, as well as his pain and suffering. His wife, Holly, was awarded $5.5 million, and their sons, Joshua and Matthew, $500,000 each.
Titan was judged by the jury to be 90 percent negligent; Janetty five percent, the same as Michaels. It meant Titan would be responsible for $25.4 million.
"I think it's outlandish, really not based on any of the evidence," stated Titan lawyer, Joseph Lopez, adding, "We will appeal it."
4.
AN OUTSTANDING high-school athlete, Austin had played linebacker at the University of North Carolina.
He was working as a construction superintendent in Port Lucie, Fla., when he was introduced to wrestling in 1990 and, with the encouragement of friends, learned the ropes at Treasure Coast School in Fort Pierce.
Austin soon became one of the faceless members of wrestling's minor leagues, who are thrown in nightly against the big-league stars such as Michaels and Janetty.
Paired with The Genius (Lanny Poffo, the rel-life brother if Randy Macho Man Savage), the 15,000 fans were screaming in the Sun Dome as Janetty took aim at Austin.
The climax was supposed to be the "Rocker Dropper," in which Marty puts his leg over his foe's head and jumps down. It was a manoeuvre performed hundreds and hundreds of times without anyone being injured.
Austin, however, landed on his head instead of his face. His neck snapped and although his doctor feared Austin would be paralyzed from the neck down, he regained some feeling in his arms and legs. However, his dreams were shattered.
In 1994, he was still on crutches while suffering from bowel and urinary problems. There was also stinging in his hands and burning in his legs.
5.
FILING THE suit in 1991, Austin sued Janetty, Michaels and Titan for assault and battery, negligence and misrepresentation.
After the verdict was reached, Janetty shook hands with a red-eyed Austin for the first time and Chuck started thinking of his future, which, undoubtedly, would include experimental therapy.
"If you stand strong on your faith, you can make it through anything, even paralysis," said Austin, adding, "A long time ago my sons took apart my wheelchair and put it in the attic. I believe God's got a plan for my life, and I don't believe that's to ride in a chair."
TWELVE
It was a sign on
the wall for the times
1.
THIS WAS an on-going story and even before The Trial concerning the United States v. McMahon, et al, there had been a strange effect on the world of professional wrestling, that of grudgingly facing the truth as to its foibles.
For years, the word had been Kay Fabe, meaning "shut up! there's an intruder nearby," however, men and women of courage such as Rita Chatterton, Superstar Billy Graham, David Shults, Barry Orton, Billy Jack Haynes, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse (The Body) Ventura, along with investigative journalists such as Phil Mushnick, Barry Meisel, Jeff Savage, John Arezzzi, John Cherwa and Houston Mitchell and, in particular, Dave Meltzer, spoke up and had exposed the dark underbelly of the business.
It was a time of needed cleansing from th decade of steroid and drug abuse, sexual deviations and outright greed.
Their courage and fortrighness would, perhaps, alter wrestling forever; that and the courts' massive awards of $800,000 plus to Ventura and $26.5 million to a crippled jobber named Chuck Austin.
2. JEFF SIEGEL (WrestlingObserver Newletter reader)
IF AND when the current scandal-ridden furor in pro wrestling eventually dies down and the steroid doctors and sex therapists have had their say, there remains yet another kind of doctor who should be asked to shed some light on the entire industry.
That's the good old-fashioned shrink.
The wrestling world and its closed community have succeeded in breeding a culture, complte with correlating psychological mindset, that is at best unique and at its worst, highly dysfunctional.
Listening to Vince McMahon's (recent) media appearances find him sounding more like one of his announcers explaining the "legitimate" need for a Texas Death return match (i,e. "It's the only way to really, truly settle this thing once and for all") ... and believing it.
Somewhere, the line between reality and fantasy has blurred for these people. And worse yet, they don't seem to know that this is the case.
Pathological? Yes.
A sign of mental illness? Possibly.
A psychiatrist's dream? To be sure.
It's a sad state of affairs.
And it's really the only way for a rational person to rationalize how real-life tragedies like murder, child abuse and sexual harassment can be comprised in the name of "protecting the business."
Perhaps, we shouldn't be angry with any of these people.
Maybe, we should just pity them.
Nevertheless, it would probably be worthwhile for a qualified psychiatrist to do a thorough work-up on the wrestling business and the typical pro wrestler's mentality. Whether or not it would yield anything productive for society as a whole is debatable.
At the very least, however, it would extremely revealing, maybe even enlightening, for someone, somewhere.
3.
WITH LESS than a month before the court trial in Uniondale, N.Y., the focus swiftly shifted off a case involving steroids to a double homicide in the upscale California neighborhood of Brentwood and another superhero in Hulk Hogan's category. O.J. Simpson, the NFL great/actor.broadcaster/TV pitchman, was charged in the heinous crime.
The TV cameras and the mass media followed a white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings and with O.J. sitting in the rear of the vehicle, seemingly ready to kill himself.
Fortunately, O.J. finally surrendered without incident and the legal manoeuvring between the prosecution and defense teams began in earnest in Los Angeles.
Although the spotlight had shifted across the continent, there should have been nervousness in the McMahon-WWF camp, which, undoubtedly, also affected Hulk and a bevy of pumpd-up musclemen, who had become America's heroes, but there wasn't.
4.
MOST OF the world had little idea what the Long Island trial was all about.
If there were jail terms for lying, greed and being obnoxious, then a number of its participants would have been handed life sentences.
McMahon's empire, however, was being accused of being in a conspiracy with Dr. George Zahorian and others to get WWF wrestlers to use steroids -- gas or juice, as it was known, because of the belief steroid-logged wrestlers would sell more tickets and more merchandise.
But was there a conspiracy?
Could U.S. assistant district attorney Sean O'Shea prove that Titan, the WWF, McMahon et al had worked with Zahorian to commit unlawful acts?
Would as the sign on the late Earl McCready's wall succinctly stated: Excrementum, tauri, ominium, superat (Bullshit Conquers All) become a reality, or would justice be served?
Only time would tell.
THIRTEEN
U.S. Government
v. Vincent K. McMahon
1.
THERE WAS a slight pall hovering over Judge Jacob Mishler's courtroom on Tuesday, July 5, when jury selections began.
The reason was that some of the WWF "family" had heard of the tragic death of 10-year veteran referee Joey Marella, the popular son of Gorilla (Bob Marella) Monsoon, the previous day, July 4.
It was another almost unexplainable Fourth of July incidents; for a few years earlier Marella had suffered an injured spleen in an austo accident on the same date. Ironically, Adrian Adonis had been killed in another auto accident on July 4, 1988 in Newfoundland while Brutus (Ed Leslie) Beefcake's face was mangled in a parasailing accident on July 4, 1990.
After television tapings in Ocean City, Maryland, Marella, who had worked several matches, including the Hart Family Feud between Bret The Hitman and Owen The Rocket, was driving with Harvey (Bruno Lauer) Whippleman along the southern end of the Jersey Turnpike when he apparently fell asleep around 2:55 a.m.
Marella, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was believed to have been killed instantly when he was thrown from the car while Whippleman suffered only minor cuts and bruises. He was wearing a seatbelt.
Two wrestlers, Brian Lee (Evil Undertaker) and Bryan Clark (Crush) were supposed to have driven with Marella and Whippleman, but took other transportation that night.
2. SEAN O'SHEA (Opening remarks)
OPENING REMARKS were the order of business in the federal courthouse as U.S. assistant district attorney Sean O'Shea began by claiming Titan employee Anita Scales, who was in charge of handling matters with various athletic commissions, would testify that when she learned about Dr. George Zahorian distributing steroids to wrestlers after the Pennsylvania state athletic commission had closed down, she didn't want to use the urologist as a physician for any shows in Hershey, Pa.
Other O'Shea remarks included:
* That Pat Patterson told Scales they had to keep Zahorian because the "boys" wanted him there;
* That Jay Strongbow told Scales the "boys" needed their candy (drugs) and they needed him (Zahorian);
* That Zahorian called her, and declared that Hershey was "his town";
* That Scales went to Linda McMahon and told her to listen to what Patterson said;
* That when Scales tried to stop the WWF's use of Zahorian as a doctor, she was rebuffed;
* That when Titan learned about the Zahorian probe, they cut all ties with the doctor and conspired to cover its tracks;
* That if they hadn't, the government would have caught both red-handed in 1991;
* That Zahorian had set up shop in Hershey and Allentown, Pa. locker rooms;
* That Vince McMahon distributed steroids to wrestlers, but that the government was only going to focus on two occasions in 1989, when O'Shea claimed McMahon distributed them to Hulk Hogan;
* That McMahon bought steroids for Hogan and took the money out of the corporation to pay for them with bank checks written to Zahorian so funds coudn't be traced back to Titan or any individual;
* That McMahon urged, cajoled wrestlers to use steroids;
* That when knowledge of the probe was out in the open, Zahorian, Vince and Linda McMahon and Patterson tried to cover their tracks;
* That Patterson phoned Zahorian on non-traceable pay phones and shredded documents to cover their tracks;
* That Richard (Rick Rude) Rood was told by McMahon "to get back on the juice" when he started "getting small";
* That testimony would show WWF agents gave wrestlers advances in order for them to buy drugs from Zahorian;
* That when the steroids laws changed, the WWF continued to promote their use;
* That Zahorian had lied during his 1991 trial, so why should be believed in 1994;
* That Patterson had warned Hogan to stay away from Zahorian because he was "hot";
* That Emily Feinberg got bank checks and "untraceable advice" from Titan financial officer Doug Sages;
* That Feinberg was forced to destroy records and;
* That Patterson had full knowledge that she destroyed records so ot would force Patterson to say he was doing so under orders from Vince McMahon.
3. JERRY McDEVITT (Rebuttal)
THE TITAN lawyer, Jerry McDevitt, was quick to reply, and adamantly claimed there was no conspiracy because Vince McMahon and Dr. Zahorian had never talked.
McDevitt went on to assert:
* That McMahon had to pay full price for the steroids, so he and Zahorian certainly weren't in business together;
* That Zahorian already admitted lying at the 1991 trial;
* That Hulk Hogan lied on national television;
* That the Grand Jury had spent three summers, probing McMahon and getting little evidence;
* That McMahon and Zahorian hadn't spent five minutes talking together in their entire lives;
* That wrest;ers used steroids to enhance their athletic performances, so there was no need to conspire, for distribution, at that time, because acquiring steroids was so easy;
* That Vince McMahon believed a doctor doing it, was safer than going to the black market.
McDevitt, in his concluding rebuttal, called "distribution" to Hulk Hogan as two friends just sharing steroids.
Then he added, that all the government witnesses had axes to grind or were disgruntled former WWF employees and some even worked for the rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
4. LAURA BREVETTI (Titan lawyer)
THE VOLATILE and aggressive Titan lawyer, Laura Brevetti, told solid swings at the government's case right from the start.
First, she went on the attack, claiming that wrestling was not a competitive sport and quickly outlined how matches were set up and worked.
After her expose, Brevetti went on to point out:
* That steroid use was a personal choice;
* That Vince McMahon was an honest man; being the first promoter to admit wrestling wasn't real and that Hulk Hogan would tell how there was a beer-drinking redneck crowd before McMahon and Company changed the sport;
* That McMahon had made a personal choice to use steroids, but that he didn't know there would be any personal harm through their use;
* That the Pennsylvania athletic commission knew Zahorian was distributing steroids, but that they didn't do anything to stop him and;
* That Anita Scales had the type of personality where she couldn't take being overruled well and she had now developed 20-20 hindsight.
Brevetti finished off her remarks by noting that McMahon was being linked in a conspiracy with Zahorian, but Zahorian wasn't being charged because he was a government witness.
She also claimed Emily Feinberg earned $64,000 a year as McMahon's secretary and when she was let go she received a year's severance pay, and now Feinberg had turned FBI informant.
In conclusion, Brevetti noted that nothing McMahon had done could be termed illegal.
With the opening remarks dispense with, it was time to call the first government witness.
5. RANDY CULLEY (Moondog Rex)
IT WAS a short testimony, with Jerry McDevitt bcoming the bully in belittling Randy Culley's lack of schooling.
McDevitt pounced on him, by also trying to establish that Zahorian was Culley's doctor, since he saw him upwards of 16 times a year, but Moondog Rex laughed him off, saying if he had a medical problem, he couldn't consult the Harrisburg medic, but freely admitted that when the WWF taped in Allentown, Pa., he would get sometimes a three-week supply of juice, or even larger, from Zahorian.
When McDevitt asked Culley if McMahon had ever told him to lose weight, the veteran wrestler admitted he had, for the Demolition role.
In his cross-examination, Culley told O'Shea that he had used Anavar (a steroid to harden up the body) to lose weight and become more muscular.
Then it was Brevetti's turn, who said some wrestlers received advances, or draws, while on the road for every show of between $100 and $200, not just when Zahorian was present; and they used the monies to pay for hotel, meals, etc.
6. TOM ZENK (Former WWF wrestler)
THE ARTICULATE Tom Zenk admitted that WWF agent Jack Lanza had told him that if he wanted "anything," Zahorian could get it.
However, Zenk, who had left the WWF after six months in 1987, said McMahon never told him to use steroids, and that he never got any from Zahorian, but did acquire them from a source at Gold's gym in Atlanta.
McDevitt noted that Zenk had been arrested in Atlanta on a steroids charge "a few years ago." He was a first-time offender.
Zenk said he didn't have to work out while on steroids because he had good genetics and compared steroids to putting fertilizer on a lawn.
In conclusion, he said he had left the WWF because of an "unnamed" problem with Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin.
7. TERRY SZOPINSKI (Warlord)
WHEN HE joined the WWF, Terry Szopinski claimed that official Dave Hebner told him he could get steroids and pain killers from Zahorian.
However, Warlord, who admitted weighing only 195 pounds at his high school graduation, and through steroid use ballooned to 340, said he believed Zahorian's price was too high, so he got his juice from a source he met in a European gym.
He said McMahon told him to get off steroids after Zahorian's 1991 trial; and he stopped using them at that point. However, he was now on 18 months' probation because of a drug arrest, but he hadn't used steroids since his arrest. There was courtroom laughter at this statement.
Finally, Warlord claimed he wrote McMahon recently to get his old WWF job back.
8. TULLY BLANCHARD (Final first-day witness)
THE COMPACT veteran wrestler admitted he had a conversation with McMahon just before he joined the WWF, however, Vince told of his concern about cocaine use, not pot or steroids.
However, in later cross-examination, Blanchard changed his story and said McMahon never mentioned steroids.
Tully said he began using steroids in 1977. Even then Zahorian was a known supplier and he saw wrestlers being injected and that he had gotten his supply from various gyms.
The first-day of testimony ended with the scorecard reading:
DEFENSE: 1
PROSECUTION 0
The bottom line seemed to be that no one had been told to use steroids. And that the conspiracy charge seemed to be far-fetched.
Meanwhile, interest in the trial was minimal except for autograph seekers, who complained that there were far too few wrestlers on hand.
After all O.J. -- The Juice -- was hogging the television sets of America, and Judge Mishler wasn't allowing the all-seeing eye in his domain. The defendant, Vince McMahon, clad in a neck brace from his herniated disc operation, had to be photographed outside the courthouse.
9. GEORGE ZAHORIAN (Main witness, July 8-9)
AS IN the O.J. Simpson case, there was considerable time spent about "preferential treatment," given George Zahorian, who became a minor-league celebrity after his 1991 conviction, during Thursday and Friday of The Trial's opening week.
Titan attorneys, Jerry McDevitt and Laura Brevetti, zeroed in on the fact Zahorian recieved improved jail conditions after testifying before the Grand Jury in April.
Both struck out when they tried to imply that the seizure and monies from the sale of the doc's offices in Lower Paxton Township was part of a payoff, for his testimony.
Zahorian's past was fully explored, as it had been in the 1991 trial.
He was, and probably still is, a die-hard fan who doted on WWF wrestlers ever since the days of TV taping at Allentown Agriculture Hall and admitted distributing steroids -- the first being decadurabolin -- valium, Tylenol III & IV and Halcions at shows starting in 1981 through 1989. He did a booming business from 1985-87 and then when the investigation seemed to be closing in on him in 1989, it started to fizzle.
McDevitt, in his cross-examination, noted the medic had supplied certain wrestlers with drugs, such as David Shults, Eddie Gilbert, Steve Muslin (Steve Travis) and Brian Blair, even after they left the WWF.
Other points learned during Zahorian's testimony, which nearly covered a two-day period were:
* That Pat Patterson told him McMahon wanted to see him in 1988;
* That McMahon allegedly asked him if he was giving wrestlers steroids and Zahorian said yes. Zahorian told Vince that if he wanted him to stop that he would. McMahon, at that point, allegedly told him not to stop.
* Zahorian said he had another conversation with Emily Feinberg, who told him to send steroids to the office;
* In other conversations, Feinberg would call him and ask for a certain amount of steroids and mention that it was for either McMahon or (Terry) Bollea; and
* That after the Pennsylvania state government disbanded the commission regulation of wrestling in early 1989, Patterson still wanted him at wrestling matches.
However, it was learned that, supposedly, Patterson called several months later and told him to get to a pay phone. After returning the call, Zahorian learned about the Titan investigation and that McMahon said it was necessary to destroy all documentation on the wrestlers.
Patterson indicated as soon as the probe died down, their relationship could resume.
Instead of destroying the documents, Zahorian put them in a storage area, and later in his lawyer's office. When the government raided Zahorian's office they didn't find any medical records.
Some of the testimony, which was ruled inappropriate by Judge Mishler, proved to be the most interesting, including a letter which Zahorian had written Sean O'Shea, asking him to help him get into a Philadelphia halfway house and be furloughed on weekends while in a prison work program during the week.
Apparently, O'Shea wrote a letter saying Zahorian had been truthful and cooperative. That's when the judge stepped in and ruled McDevitt's line of questioning was "immaterial and inappropriate."
As the testimony continued, some enlightening points were brought up, such as:
* That Zahorian admitted Titan Sports never paid him anything extra for selling steroids nor did he split profits with Titan on his steroid sales, nor was an offer ever made offering to split profits for letting him sell steroids to wrestlers;
* That McMahon, Jack Lanza, Arnold Skaaland and other agents were never in the room when he was giving the wrestlers steroids and that Phil Zacko, Vince McMahon Sr. and Gorilla Monsoon (the three owners of Capital Sports a.k.a. WWF before McMahon The Younger took over, the predecessor to Titan Sports) never encouraged him to sell steroids to the wrestlers;
* That when he was asked about Anita Scales, Zahorian said he didn't recall who she was. The defense tried to make the point that Zahorian didn't go to McMahon about continuing to work at shows which if there had been a conspiracy between the two, he would have gone right to the top and it would have been a done deal;
* That Zahorian said he wasn't aware of the steroid law changing on November 18, 1988 making a doctor's distributing for non-medical purposes illegal, thus when asked if he told anyone in Titan Sports about the law change, obviously, he couldn't have if he didn't know it himself.
In later testimony, when Zahorian was asked if the call from Pat Patterson deterred him from selling steroids, he said, "Not to a large degree. I was concerned but continued to sell steroids."
He also mentioned that Randy Savage bought steroids from him.
If there was a conspiracy, it seemed to be lost in the legalese of The Trial.
Maybe, on Monday, July 11, when it resumed, evidence might expose a "smoking gun." George Zahorian was expected to testify again.
FOURTEEN
Second Week of
McMahon's Trial
1.
ANTICIPATION would be the only word suitable as the second week began with George Zahorian on the stand.
It wasn't over the doctor's testimony, which was being dissected once again by Titan lawyers, Jerry McDevitt and Laura Brevetti, but that Trry Bollea -- Hulk Hogan -- would be under oath to tell ... the whole truth later on in the week.
Zahorian, under cross-examination by McDevitt and Brevetti, said he never told McMahon he was selling steroids and took no notes for Vince on who was buying them.
2. RICHARD ROOD (Ravishing Rick Rude)
THE RELUCTANT witness was asked by prosecutor O'Shea if McMahon told him to get on steroids, to which he replied: "Not in those words."
When the assistant D.A. asked him what Vince did say, the wrestler replied that McMahon told him that "when you're down and sore, you need to push yourself ... He may have said gas or juice. I took it to mean I wasn't taking anything."
Rood, under McDevitt's cross-examination, admitted that McMahon never used the word 'steroids' ... and McMahon was concerned that he was partying too much.
3. KEVIN PATRICK WACHOLZ (Nailz)
THE FIRST SHOCKER of The Trial came with Wacholz on the stand and the New York media had their first chance to expose what was happening out on Long Island.
Wacholz first related a conversation he claimed he overheard on June 6, 1989 at a WWF TV taping in Madison, Wisconsin.
He said he was with Rick Rude when McMahon introduced himself and asked Rude if he was going to put some size on; suggesting he get bigger.
According to the ex-wrestler, McMahon said, "I suggest you go on the gas." Rude, according to Wacholz, wasn't interested.
Then the questioning shifted to January, 1992 when Wacholz and McMahon discussed the Nailz character in Florida. He said he'd been working out regularly without taking steroids and that Vince responded: "You should be."
Nailz claimed that he'd never used steroids in the WWF.
The defense team made certain the court heard that Wacholz was suing McMahon was suing McMahon; and then when he was asked if he hated the WWF boss, he growled: "Yeah."
4. PAT PATTERSON
SEAN O'SHEA, as one veteran observer described it, carved up Patterson like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Trying to put a positive spin on both Vince and Linda McMahon, the WWF veep seemed to go into a deep sleep over steroids, denying he ever suspected Zahorian of supplying them to the wrestlers.
Then the so-called "smoking gun" memo, from Linda McMahon to Patterson in late 1989, was brought up by O'Shea.
It stated: "I spoke to Vince about the fact that the State of Pennsylvania is probably going to launch an investigation into the use of all illegal drugs including steroids ... Although you and I discussed before about continuing to having Zahorian at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea. Vince agreed, and would like for you to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking. On December 26th, the State Athletic Commission is having a small meet and greet session with some of our talent, and I would definitely not want Zahorian there."
Even the rehashing of the memo brought out the worst in Pattersin. He remained in his "I don't know nothing" mode.
5. ANITA SCALES
THE DIRECTOR of Compliance and Regulations for Titan Sports who reports to Linda McMahon, claimed Zahorian had insisted that Hershey was "his town" and then emphasized that both Pat Patterson and Jay Stronbow, in 1989, told her the boys needed him there to get their "candies."
The docile Scales eventually told Patterson and Strongbow that they (the boys) "could get their damn candies somewhere else."
When Scales found out that Zahorian had appeared in Hershey, she said she called Gorilla (Bob Marella) Monsoon and told her she was being pressured to hire Zahorian.
Marella supposedly told Scales that the doctor was sleazy and "there was no room in the wrestling business for him and said, 'you're between a rock and a hard place.'"
Then came her meeting with Linda McMahon.
"I explained to her that I was receiving pressure to assign Zahorian to Hershey and I had believed it was my responsibility to make the choice, but I was being asked to assign Zahorian ... Pat (Patterson) wants me to assign him. I've heard bad things and I don't want him there, and she said do what Pat wants."
During Scales' testimony, Judge Mishler called Afa Anoia, manager of the Head Shrinkers, to his desk and admonished him for mouthing "not guilty" at the jury.
6. JIM HELLWIG (Ultimate Warrior)
THE WELL-SPOKEN Hellwig freely admitted being on steroids, which has always been obvious from his muscle-bound physique, and didn't know they were illegal back in 1989.
When asked if Hershey, Pa. was known for one specific reason, he replied: "Dr. Zahorian."
The TV media followed him from the courthouse and asked if WWF wrestlers were ordered to take steroids, he dismissed it as so much bunk.
7. MARGE SHARKEY
A FRIEND of Anita Scales, who handles the domestic events contracts, re-iterated that both didn't want Zahoria working events because the word was out that he was peddling pills to wrestlers.
She also recalled Scales' meeting with Linda McMahon concerning Zahorian: "We were both very angry," she told the court.
8. DOUG SAGES
THE CHIEF Financial Officer of Titan Sports was straighforward and seemingly comfortable in detailing the premier wrestling organization's structure, with Vince McMahon being its 100 percent owner.
Titan was a Delaware corporation, taking advantage of that state's lenient tax laws, and also a S company with all income or profits going directly to McMahon.
However, Sages seemed uncmfortable on the witness stand when O'Shea asked him about a May 1988 conversation he had with Vince about steroids, in which "he wanted to obtain cash to do a transaction in quiet fashion."
Mulling over grand jury testimony, O'Shea pointed out that Sages had used the word "untraceable," but the financial expert said those were his words and not necessarily Vince's.
When asked if McMahon, during that conversation, told him he wanted steroids for himself and Hulk Hogan, Sages replied: "Yes." He then got between $1,000 and $2,000 from petty cash.
Sages claimed the May 1988 cash transaction was the only time Vince told him spefically that any money was being used to obtain steroids for him and Hogan .
9. EMILY FEINBERG
ONCE VINCE's executive assistant, Emily Feinberg, had become the prosecution's star witness and according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, her questioning took on the look of a soap opera.
DAVE MELTZER: Feinberg, a one-time Playboy Playmate (which wasn't brought up in the trial), is a very attractive woman who "dressed down" in order to downplay her looks.
While she was on the stand, it was like an eerie soap opera, because it was evident there was far more to the story than ever came out.
Titan's attorneys dropped hints, but never really established anything other than beginning statements that looked to lead somewhere but never went anywhere.
Armed with steno notebooks from her days with McMahon, Feinberg claimed her former boss only cared about cocaine positives and received most of her steroid knowledge from Pat Patterson, who was like an uncle to her children.
In June 1988, she said McMahon called her into his office to send an "untraceable" check to Zahorian, who would be sending a package.
Then she testified she had bought steroids for Hogan.
The most damaging testimony, however, wasn't the fact that Hogan received steroid packages through her, but that on January 25, 1991, McMahon told her he wanted to check the Fed-Ex roster and to see if there were any records of steroid packages from Zahorian.
This was on the same day that Feinberg and McMahon formulated a memo, which was sent to all wrestlers, telling the laws had changed and that if wrestlers were using steroids to heal their injuries, they must carry prescription with them.
O'Shea was quick to point out on the same day the memo was issued, she was told to destroy records relating to Zahorian.
FIFTEEN
Hulk Hogan
Takes the Stand
1.
ON THURSDAY, July 14, 1994, The Trial evolved into a media circus. Hulk Hogan was to take the witness stand.
However, first came the preliminary matches, with Titan lawyer Laura Brevetti complaining of illness.
"I am personally not feeling well. And I will go through as long as I can today, Judge, because I don't want to delay anything," said Brevetti. "But I am getting shooting pains in my back and neck. I had an operation in October. It has affected me. I will go as long as I can."
Judge Mishler sympathized and then Brevetti added, "I also feel a slight fever, with the coldness in the courtroom and the warmth outside.
Gregory S. Taylor, a dectective with the Lower Paxton, Pa. police department, was the first witness, bringing a vial of decadurabolin obtained from Bill Dun, who was working undercover for the FBI, during the 1989 Zahorian investigation.
It apparently matched the serial lot number of the steroid Emily Feinberg testified she had found in a WWF office.
2. TERRY GENE BOLLEA (Hulk Hogan)
WITH HIS thinning blond hair carefully combed and hanging down to the shoulders of the black suit he wore with a red tie, tanned Terry Bollea, in cowboy boots, appeared to be scared out of his mind at the start of his testimony, but calmed down when he saw that the proceedings wouldn't jeopardize his career. It was established early that he had been granted immunity, except for perjury. The so-called "bombshell" was denotated early, with Bollea admitting he'd taken steroids since mid-1976, ending somewhere around 1989.
When asked about specific steroids he had taken, Bollea admitted they included dianabol, anavar, winstrol, testosterone and decadurabolin with "deca" his obvious drug of choice.
He claimed that during his second stint with the WWF, 1983-1984, steroid use was quite common, with the figure between 75 abd 80 percent, and Zahorian was identified as the doctor who could supply the wrestlers with everything from steroids, to sleeping pills, to Tylenol III & IV and Valium, and he could anything he wanted from the Harrisburg, Pa. urologist.
When asked if Vince McMahon was ever in the area when Zahorian was passing out the steroids, etc., Bollea indicated "yes."
Later, he said he had discussed steroids with McMahon while they were making a movie, No Holds Barred, in Atlanta, and also with Jay (Joe Scarpa) Strongbow when the former wrestler wanted them for his son.
Bollea claimed he'd call McMahon's former executive secretary Emily Feinberg from time to time to get her to call Zahorian for a steroids order and then pick them up along with his paycheck, and his mountain of fan mail. Sometimes he paid for the steroids by check or cash, while other times he wouldn't pay for them, claiming he was being repaid for steroids he'd earlier given McMahon.
When asked by O'Shea if buying steroids was similar to writing Vince a check for car insurance, he said buying "gas" was more frequent.
As for the Zahorian probe, Bollea claimed both Pat Patterson and McMahon told him not to use the doctor anymore.
In a dramatic turning point, the Hulkster was almost in tears when he admitted carrying steroids with him on the road. He added that he'd used steroids to heal injuries because of the tough schedule and "because I was trying to get big, trying to gain weight."
There was considerable discussion between the lawyers concerning the Howard Finkel HIV blood test, which the WWF official allegedly took for Hogan, but Judge Mishler eventually wouldn't allow the megastar to answer the questions.
After trying to establish that Bollea had quit taking steroids in 1989 or "a little later," Brevetti pried into his personal life, particularly, about his wife, Linda's pregnancy.
In 1989, he and his wife decided he would wind down his steroid use because they wanted to have a second child, Nicholas, who was born in July, 1990.
Brevetti tried to tie in that Bollea wasn't on steroids when the controversial October 24th package arrived, but Bollea said that wasn't the case, claiming his wife got pregnant when he was still on the stuff and it had caused a major family argument.
3.
HULK HOGAN proved to be a genrous man, admitting he had sent steroids to other people, including high school friend, Dan Brower, and then he seemed to have lost his memory, claiming he didn't recall picking up steroids in April 1989 from the Titan offices, nor could be remember McMahon's former limo driver, Jim Stuart, delivering steroids to him at an arena.
He emphasized any orders placed with Zahorian would have been for his personal use and that he didn't distribute steroids, because he believed they were legal with a prescription.
Besides Zahrian, Bollea started he got steroids from a Dr. Lebowitz in New York, a Dr. Wor in Canada and Dr. Bob Paunovich in Denver, who happened to be one of his close personal friends.
The superhero, who had entered the courthouse through the back door to avoid the milling fans, indicated he started using doctors when he worked for the AWA and New Japan, while avoiding the unsafe black-market variety.
Brevetti tried to put words in Hulk's mouth, but he did admit that with his knowledge of the drugs in 1994, he might never have taken steroids.
Then, in defense of McMahon, who was only sitting a few feetr away although they never made eye contact, he said Vince never ordered him to use steroids, saying that was his decision. He said he was never personally aware of McMahon telling or implying any wrestlers should use steroids.
Also there was a discussion concerning rigs -- a term for hypodermic needles -- as well as 'roid rage, although Hogan claimed he'd never experienced it, and didn't believe McMahon had ever experienced it.
Then Brevetti tried to make the assumption wrestlers were naturally aggressive and boisteroud, but he wouldn't make the connection between that behavior and steroids; citing that any larger-than-life reference pertained to the character, and not physical size.
In continuing his testimony, Hulk emphasized that Titan never paid for steroids for any wrestlers, and he indicated he never saw any road agent or employee hand out steroids. Also in answer to a Brevetti assessment, he said Titan didn't have anything to do with providing any service from Dr. Zahorian.
Concerning his pal, Dan Brower, the WWF megastar claimed he didn't recall having steroids sent to him, but if Broiwer received any, they would have been Hogan's steroids. There was a free exchange of steroids between them, but he didn't consider that distribution.
In referenc to McMahon, he said Vince never sent him steroids by FedEx that McMahon had got from Zahorian, and that the packages he picked up in the office were packages he ordered himself by calling Emily Feinberg, adding Vince didn't direct Emily to do this for him, but that he called Feinberg himself.
There had been enormous speculation that the government could tie in McMahon, but Hulk stated he picked the steroids from Emily personally and he never remembered McMahon handing him any and he didn't recall limo driver Jim Stuart ever delivering him a package of steroids.
In 1988, during the filming of the movie, No Holds Barred, his pal, McMahon, used Hogan's deca and anavar and Hulk discussed cycling with him.
Then Hogan went on to discuss the safety of various steroids and claimed Zahorian told him that deca and anavar were the safest and deca was as safe as sugar going through the system and relied on the doctor's opinion, believing that thay helped speed up the healing of injuries.
He also claimed he was surprised to learn Zahorian was under investigation and he still tried to talk with him despite being told not to.
In 1991, he admitted being unfairly treated and singled out among the thousands of users; and even admitted during that period saying things weren't true regarding steroid use, including the infamous Arsenio Show. He pointed out thst McMahon didn't think "it was a good idea" to go on the now-defunct late-night TV program.
4.
THEN IT was Sean O'She's turn again.
He was testy in his questioning since he said Hogan had received and shared steroids with McMahon and Feinberg and neither were doctors.
After establishing his appeal was linked to his size and muscles, O'Shea asked if his size was due to steroids. Hogan replied, "In the past." And there were questions about his 22-inch arms and that he got to be Hulk Hogan because of steroids, to which he affirmed it with the words, "In part."
While the old judge, Mishler, had interrupted the testimony on occasion, he was visibly upset by the breach of medical ethics after learning Hogan had been travelling with a white prescription pad-full for deca from Zahorian. The Doc never limited Hogan to the quantity.
Brevetti wound up saying that even off steroids, Hulk still talked about his "22-inch pythons" during interviews.
5.
THE HULKSTER, now leaner and tanned, had come clean after more than two years of semi-denial.
Hogan had testified that steroids "kind of gave you an edge that helped you keep going," and that he and McMahon had shared the drug the way other people traded cigarettes.
He admitted his past "sins" with McMahon sitting close by, and although, he freely admitted his friendship for the WWF boss, they never looked at each other throughout the proceedings.
And, of course, wrestling fans were there to forgive him, such as 19-year-old Lou Tangredi, who told Newsday: "Ten years I've waited to see this guy up close. People like movie stars and actors, I like him."
Then as Hogan exited the courthouse in a cab, he flashed a peace sign and told onlookers to be certain to check out his next PPV performance.
SIXTEEN
The Defense Rests,
The Prosecution Rests!
1.
WHILE HULK's testimony had been long-awaited, it was Vince McMahon who was still on trial for conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids.
However, the likelihood of conviction seemed to lessen after Hogan's testimony, for on Monday, July 18, two of the three charges, those relating to possession with intent to distribute steroids to Terry Bollea were dropped, due to no evidence tying in the alleged activity to the Eastern District of New York (comprising Richmond, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties.)
Jim Stuart, McMahon's driver, never appeared at the trial so there was no tie-in to Nassau Coliseum and without any testimony indicating anything happened at the arena, and the outright denying of it by Bollea, the government had failed to establish the Uniondale court as the proper venue for the two charges.
No reasonable jury could have found the defendants guilty of the April 13, 1989 charge as there was nowhere near enough evidence. Even for the October 24, 1989 charge the evidence appeared to be insufficient and definitely was fuzzy.
The government couldn't prove Bollea ever received steroids from McMahon at Nassau Coliseum and Feinberg's testimony was far from specific on the subject, leaving Mishler no other choice than to toss out the two charges.
It showed government investigator Tony Valenti hadn't really done his homework.
2. JOHN MINTON (Big John Studd)
WITH HULK and two charges out of the way, the next major witness was Jhn Studd, who had been Hogan's adversary on many occasions. Now, he faced other adversaries.
Minton testified by phone.
Although McMahon and the Titan lawyers were steamed, believing it could have been another piece of work, Minton had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin's Disease and a staph infection in his chest, and had been ordered by his doctor not to travel. The jury wasn't told of his physical condition.
Admitting he believed Zahorian was doing a "great service" by providing steroids to the wrestlers, he stated: "During that period of time, steroids were a very important part of our regimen. It was a service. I've never seen steroids forced on anyone. It was of my own free will. I thought it helped me maintain my performance level."
Then Minton emphasized he never talked to McMahon about steroids, only about his own wrestling business with Vince.
3. DR. GARY WADLER
IT WAS war as Jerry McDevitt and the final witness in the case, Dr. Gary Wadler, clashed.
They bashed each other about the effects of steroids, but it had little to do with the trial.
Wadler, who has written a book, Drugs in Athletics, as well as being Chairman of Medical Records committee at Cornell University for eight years, was challenged by McDevitt on some petty points, mainly his fees for appearing on the witness stand. He earned $8,700 as the government's expert witness in the Zahorian case, $38,450 in the Walter Jekot case (a convicted Los Angeles doctor who had supplied steroids to track stars, football players, actors, etc) and $10,500 in the McMahon trial.
Brevetti even got into the fray. And then the jury was excused.
4.
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTOR O'Shea had tried to argue the distribution charges, but he was shot down by Judge Mishler, who wanted more substance, saying he was supposed to tie the case into the Eastern District which he failed to do.
However, Mishler denied Titan's motion to throw out the conspiracy charge and when closing arguments began on Wednesday, July 20, O'Shea nearly pulled off the case, using a torrent of slicing words, which almost made up for a weak case.
He painted the WWF as a business with a dark, corrupt underbelly that used dangerous drugs to pump up profits; that they provided drugs to their superhero while hiding behind Zahorian's white coat.
With a flourish, O'Shea said they now blamed Anita Scales, who was just trying to stop Zahorian; and Emily Feinberg, who was just following orders and they played a game of see-no-evil, hear-no-evil when it came to the doctor's activities and blamed everyone else but themselves.
PROSECUTOR O'SHEA: We're not talking about the paltry profit Zahorian made, we're talking about the millions of profits they made. Don't let them say they got no money from Zahorian's drug sales.
McMahon instructed Feinberg to give the drugs to his megastar, Terry Bollea, O'Shea said, adding, "the law says the drugs can only be distributed in a doctor/patient relationship for a disease and Vince McMahon isn't a doctor and Terry Bollea didn't have a disease." Then delivering a left hook, he called McMahon a corporate drug pusher while conceding some of the wrestlers might have wanted the drugs for themselves. However, the personal choice argument didn't hold up because the wrestlers did it because they wanted more money and a job.
O'Shea went on to claim that Pat Patterson knew about it in 1985, and agents Arnold Skaaland and Jay Strongbow knew about it because they bought steroids for their sons. He said agent Jack Lanza told wrestler Tom Zenk, "Do you need cash? The doctor's here. The doctor has anything you want."
Then he pointed out Anita Scales had heard Zahorian was "bad news" and told Scales that he was opening up shop. Then Strongbow told her the boys needed their candies.
"When was the last time your doctor sent you pounds of drugs?"
Patterson's nervousness on the stand didn't go unnoticed and the assistant D.A. pointed out the WWF veep said he never used terms like "gas and juice" while Feinberg testified he used those terms about 20 times.
O'SHEA: He (Patterson) said Zahorian saying 'if it's nt from me, the boys will go to the black market' is no defense. He should have told Zahorian to stop ... Get out of here and don't come back. They know it's no excuse. They kept him on the stand for three days and claimed the government put him up to it. You saw Zahorian was credible. Dr. Wadler told you Zahorian was a drug dealer in a white coat. Like any other drug, an addict doesn't get better. An addict keeps using. Even Zahorian admitted he did wrong. He was a fan. They knew it. They facilitated it. The wrestlers decided how much they would get. He was at 50 events giving drugs to wrestlers and sending them in FedEx packages.
The government's point man lashed out at Titan's defense team for being two-faced; portraying Zahorian as a doctor and on the other hand blaming him as a drug dealer.
He said when Patterson called Zahorian and told him to call back on a pay phone, "that's what drug dealers do when they're trying to avoid being caught by the police."
O'Shea had built his case around the so-called "smoking gun" memo from Linda McMahon to Patterson in late 1989 and he brought it up again, saying it showed that the Big Three -- Vince and Linda McMahon along with Patterson -- were "up to their necks."
He pointed out the memo said Vince ordered the coverup and said Vince told Pat through his wife to warn Zahorian about the investigation.
O'SHEA: When Patterson said it was his idea, it was a lie. The memo said Pat and Linda had talked about Zahorian before they knew of the investigation. The memo showed they knew it was illegal as there was a passage that read, 'illegal drugs including steroids.' Six weeks before sending the memo they tried to get untraceable laundered checks to get these drugs to their biggest star ... They want you to believe Emily Feinberg is the drug dealer ... The memo shows knowledge of the guilt ...
THE SO-CALLED SMOKING GUN MEMO
From: Linda McMahon
To: Pat Patterson
Circa: Late 1989
I spoke to Vince about the fact the State of Pennsylvania is probably going to launch an investigation into the use of all illegal drugs, including steroids ... Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea. Vince agreed, and would like you to call Zahorian to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking. On December 26th, the State Athletic Commission is having a small meet and greet session with some of our talent, and I would definitely not want Zahorian there.
O'SHEA: Blaming the commission doesn't work because they still tried to use him after the commission closed down ... Emily Feinberg told you about 6-7 direct distributions to Hulk Hogan. Terry Bollea said it could be as many as 10 times ... It was business as usual ... It's a corporation as drug pushers trying to blame the little guys. This hugely successful money machine mixed up chemical cocktails to get wrestlers pumped up and keep them going. It's shameful and it's illegal.
5.
LAURA BREVETTI was a Courthouse Star, with a sense of timing and dramatics worthy of Vince McMahon, who didn't take the stand during the trial.
Brevetti was swift in telling the court that the government had used Hulk Hogan into trying to breathe life into a dead case and said O'Shea's team was asking too much for what had been presented, claiming the investigation was to find out what happened four to 10 years ago and called it "sizzle, but no steak."
BREVETTI: Zahorian is a man who lied under oath. Is that evidence you want to rely on to send a man to jail?
She spent her time cutting up wrestlers, Randy (Moondog Rex) Culley, Zenk, Warlord, Tully Blanchard, Rick Rude, Wacholz and Hellwig, concerning steroid use and, particularly, noted Zenk and Rude had walked out of court as free men while admitting, under oath, they had recently used steroids while McMahon was on trial. In a stinging comment, Brevetti singled out Zenk and said, "He's the type of individual that would take steroids out of a garbage can and use them."
BREVETTI: Zenk never bought steroids from Zahorian and he even called Mrs. McMahon up at 2:30 a.m. He walked out on his contract and was in litigation. Vince never told him to use steroids. Zenk told us about current steroid use in the WCW and nobody cares. Zenk admits using steroids three weeks ago, getting the drugs from a gym and he's allowed to walk out of th court room a free man and wrestle in Japan for $10,000 while we have to decide Vince McMahon's fate.
She pointed out that neither Hogan nor Jim Hellwig (Ultimate Warrior) had said McMahon had told them to use steroids and neither one had testified Vince and Zahorian conspired and that although Hulk was the government's key witness to prove their case, there was no basis for it, adding, "No witness could breathe life into this dead case."
As for Feinberg, Brevetti said, "she's well practised in the art of deception," imply she was an actress and what she did on the stand was an act, including the tidbits about knowledge of steroids being sent via Jim Stuart and making it appear Vince asked her to send steroids to Hulk Hogan.
BREVETTI: She (Feinberg) makes it up out of the whole cloth and is presented as a government witness and they hope you don't notice ... Hulk Hogan put the lies at the feet of Emily Feinberg ... There are no FedEx receipts and no Jim Stuart ... It's a figment of an actresses' imagination.
6.
JERRY McDEVITT, the well-researched Titan lawyer, waited until the closing remarks to give a stirring speech, cutting a wide swath concerning the hypocrisy of the case to the FDA's lack of effort in regulating steroid use. "The FDA ran this courtroom like Dracula from a cross."
On O'Shea's statements, McDevitt said, "When you have no evidence, you use empty rhetoric." He added the government couldn't prove a starting point of a conspiracy in 1985.
"The conspiracy idea is trying to create a crime when there wasn't one."
He said nobody ever told Zahorian to sell steroids and said the Harrisburg, Pa. doctor talked with Feinberg about payment and Hogan placed the orders and that Zahorian had didn't know anything about McMahon giving steroids to Hogan.
As for the government's expert witness, Dr. Gary Wadler, McDevitt took another swipe at him, blaming Wadler with trying to create hysteria by bringing up the side effects from steroids, saying they had nothing to do with the case.
In conclusion, the Titan lawyer stated, emphatically: "They (the government) have the burder of proof. They didn't come close."
7.
AFTER McDEVITT had finished slamming the government's case, Sean O'Shea showed a vicious side, previously unseen during the trial, which left Linda McMahon fighting back tears. It was a speech that no human being would ever want to have said about them in front of their families.
O'SHEA: These points demand an answer. Some are an outrage. Some of what they've said about the government are an outrage. You're talking about corporate drug dealing.
He claimed the "smoking gun" memo was all that was needed to get a conviction and they (Titan and McMahon) were still blaming others.
O'SHEA: They blamed us for bringing Terry Bollea into the courtroom and packing it. We didn't sell Terry Bollea, eat your vitamins kids, when they were pumping him full of steroids ... He (McMahon) told Emily Feinberg to distribute drugs to Hulk Hogan ... He ordered Doug Sages to get him cash for drugs. He laundered checks ... He told Emily Feinberg to destroy steroid correspondences.
Then the prosecutor blamed McDevitt for bringing up irrevelant documents. "McDevitt tried to throw smoke up in the air to divert you from the evidence," saying the 1988 law said steroids could only be dispensed for the treatment of disease. "He (McDevitt) played a game with Wadler for two days, taking things out of context."
In shifting gears, O'Shea stated the defense team had claimed every witness had a grudge.
O'SHEA: They (Titan) sue someone and then they say that person has a grudge. They say it (the investigation) took too long and it's too old. It takes a long time to uncover these things. What is Anita Scales' grudge? What is Emily Feinberg's? Anita and Marge Sharkey are two regular folks. McDevitt tried to tell you they're liars. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. How do we know there aren't more documents? (He noted Hogan said there were up to 10 distributions to him, Feinberg said six or seven, and they could only find records of two.) ... They talk about bias of witnesses. What about Terry Bollea? He said McMahon was one of his best friends. He said they gave him steroids up to 10 times.
He claimed steroid use was still going on in the WWF because Terry Szopinski (Warlord) testified there were users in August 1993. "Rick Rude is a user, not a pusher. Vince McMahon is the pusher ... Now they say why don't you prosecute the WCW. If we get any of WCW supplying its wrestlers with steroids then we'll be on them like white on rice. They don't like it because we got them."
Then O'Shea returned to the grudge issue, saying, "if Randy Culley had such a grudge against them why didn't he say Vince McMahon told him to go on steroids. If Tom Zenk had so much hatred, why didn't he say that."
Bringing up Brevetti's statement that nobody had any respect for wrestling, the prosecutor, in a speech reminiscent of Al Pacino in And Justice For All, screamed: "You know who doesn't have any respect for wrestling? It's the defendant, Vincent McMahon. He treated the wreslers like (cattle) ..."
In continuing his tirade, he pointed out that Titan only contacted the Ultimate Warrior -- Jim Hellwig -- about steroids when he got caught, and then he turned to other wrestlers and other matters.
O'SHEA: They said Hogan was our star witness. We had to immunize him to get the truth from him. We never tried to create hysteria. They (steroids) were illegal then. They're illegal now. They said 'roid rage doesn't exist. What's Emily Feinberg's grudge? They say she's an actress. She left the company. Now you can't leave the company. What's Anita Scales and Marge Sharkey's grudge? Where's their lawsuit? What's Doug Sages' grudge when he squirmed around before admitting he got a bucket full of cash for McMahon and Hogan ...
What boggles the mind is they say everyone is out to get them. Emily Feinberg came here from a government subpoena. She did as she was told. She didn't distribute on her own. But they tried to put it on her. McMahon gave her the drugs that Bollea picked up. Why is she corroborated up and down by Sages? How is Sages telling the truth and Emily Feinberg lying when they said the same thing? They didn't agree to break the law. They broke the law. All their tricks didn't help them. They beat up Emily Feinberg, but she was corroborated by Sages on one side and corroborated by Bollea. When they distributed drugs they broke the law. We're picking up on them, but you heard of other doctors that have went to jail. If we set them up, did we also write the memo? Why didn't we frame them tighter? If you've found out the doctor is giving you drugs, you say get out and don't come back. Vince McMahon said come back. When people called Zahorian sleazy and used terms like setting up shop, you don't need to be a doctor to say something something wrong was going on. There's a disease that can't be cured. All the wrestlers suffer from it. And nobody ever gets better. This case isn't about the FDA ... That's another smokescreen to create confusion. They say Anita is a liar. No motive, she's just a liar. Another excuse -- they (drug companies) made too many drugs. It doesn't matter if others are guilty, it matters if they are guilty. They blame the FDA. They say the system was at fault. Listen to the law. They say, please don't look at what we did or you'll convict us. We all know in our daily life you can't distribute drugs. When they say there's no proof, that's a laugh ...
Which side took sentences out of context to confuse th issue? Dr. Zahorian was never hired, but he was authorized back then to distribute drugs. You can't hide behind a doctor's white coat. You can't obstruct or impede an investigation. If you violate the law, you're guilty. I ask based on the evidence to find the defendants guilty.
The defense rests.
The prosecution rests.
What would the verdict be?
SEVENTEEN
Finally,
The Verdict
1.
AFTER ALL of the full-bodied rhetoric on both sides, it all came down to the interpretation of the law and definition of the word: CONSPIRACY.
The only charge that went before the jury was a charge of conspiracy, with Zahorian as an unindicted co-conspirator, to distribute steroids to wrestlers in order to improve their physiques and, therefore, sell more tickets to wrestling matches.
According to Judge Mishler, the letter of the law stipulated that if two or more persons conspired to commit a criminal offense, even if just one criminal act takes place, each was guilty.
However, because Vince McMahon owned 100 percent of Titan Sports, McMahon and Titan joining together to commit a criminal offense wouldn't be conspiracy.
Since distribution of steroids by someone other than a physician and by a physician without a prescription before November 18, 1988 was a misdemeanor crime, a conspiracy to distribute during that time period would be a misdemeanor offense.
O'Shea tried to argue that the defendants had conspired to defraud the FDA, which regulated steroid distribution before November 1988, which would make it a felony, but Misher didn't agree.
The bottom line for the government was to prove McMahon and Titan knowingly , willingly, and voluntarily joined into a conspiracy with the objective of furthering their business.
Having a stake in the outcome of a crime is evidence of a conspiracy, and wrestlers being more muscular and thus being more marketable is at stake. However, it isn't a conspiracy when one has knowledge of illegal acts and due to negligence, ommission of attempting to stop it, or mistakenly allowing it to continue, has it continue unabated. They are under no legal obligation to stop illegal activity and be charged as conspirators just for failure to stop it. One has to willfully and voluntarily enter into the conspiracy.
The government pointed out that they entered into a conspiracy when Pat Patterson was offered Halycon by Zahorian in 1985 that he didn't ask for, thus he knew he was peddling drugs, didn't stand up.
The best argument that could be made and it came up frequently was that in July, 1989, Pennsylvania deregulated wrestling so the commission no longer assigned Zahorian to the matches in Allentown and Hershey.
At that time, according to Titan employee Anita Scales' testimony, was put in charge of hiring a doctor for shows in Hershey. She picked a three-person medical firm to work the Hershey shows, but voiced her opinion that she she didn't want Zahorian because of his reputation of a doctor who dispensed steroids. At the August show, another doctor was assigned, but Zahorian turned up as well.
Zahorian would call Scales on numerous occasions and when he was rebuffed, he threatened to go over her head to higher-ups. That's when Patterson and Chief Jay Strongbow told her that the "boys" loved him.
When Scales went to Linda McMahon, the WWF czar's wife told her to listen to what Patterson said.
Zahorian was pencilled in to work the December 1989 show in Hershey, but the assignment was cancelled when Linda McMahon heard of the investigation and the company cut all ties with him.
It wasn't cut and dry, in McMahon's favor, as many observers believed it would be.
The tension began to grow after the jury asked to stay a few more hours after Mishler was ready to dismiss them at 6: 30 p.m., Thursday, July 21. By 9:45, there was no agreement and they went home.
On Friday, July 22, the jury returned. There was still no verdict.
The Titan defense team appeared scared as the jury asked portions of testimony, including those of Dr. Zahorian, Anita Scales and Emily Feinberg, be read to them. The three were witnesses whose testimony was damaging to McMahon.
When the jury finally came in at about 4p.m. Eastern time, on July 22, the verdict was read:
In regards to Vince McMahon: NOT GUILTY.
In regards to Titan Sports: NOT GUILTY.
The courtroom exploded with Judge Mishler warning them that it wasn't an entertainment spectacle.
It only looked like one.
2.
ON MONDAY, November 28, 1994, Vince McMahon, finally, went public about the trial when he, and his wife, Linda, appeared on American Journal.
During the clip, which started in the ring in Bethelem, Pa., McMahon, the usual roaring Liege of Titan Towers, showed his supreme acting skills.
Meekly, he said: "You have to be willing to lose everything, because I knew going in, that I was totally innocent. I knew the company was innocent of the charges brought against us. I knew it was ludicrous and I think you have to have a degree of confidence in your fellow man."
However, his Oscar-winning performance came as interviewer Lauren Thierry fed him a non-threatening Q&A concerning steroids, with Linda sitting in stony silence by his side.
Thierry: Are you innocent?
McMahon: Yes.
Thierry: Hundred percent.
McMahon: You didn't distribute steroids?
McMahon: No, I did not.
Thierry: You didn't push them on your wrestlers?
McMahon: No. Definitely not.
Popular performer Bret (The Hit Man) Hart said, "I'm lucky or happy to say that my involvement with steroids was very limited, but there were a lot of people extremely hooked on steroids."
McMahon, who had earlier bellowed that he was thinking of suing Uncle Sam for false charges, admitted having used steroids at one time, but defended the WWF's present-day steroids testing by saying, "if a professional wrestler has a problem with steroids, and is so into his appearance, there is just no place for them here."
David (Dr. D) Shults snickered, claiming the testing was just a "joke."
EPILOGUE:
The Parting
of the Ways
i.
THE PARTY DAYS were over. That's not to say there should be any tag days soon for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation.
However, the face of the WWF was changing as 1994 turned into 1995. In fact, the whole face of rasslin' had changed.
The company's megastar of the '80s and '90, Hulk Hogan, had become the marquee performer for McMahon's chief rival, Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. Then Randy Savage shifted his allegiance.
McMahon introduced a host of young faces, seemingly far removed from the "Better Living Through Chemistry" syndrome, and began to push an unproven Diesel as champion.
The WCW, with Hogan now taking on someone named the Butcher, a.k.a. Brutus Beefcake and Ed Leslie, pinned its future on Starrcade in late December. The "retirement" of the charismatic Ric Flair, however, may have been a mortal blow to the WCW, but only time will tell.
Of course, there were many WCW detractors, including a Wrestling Observer Newsletter reader.
JOHN McADAM: I'd like WCW to hire me as a wrestler. After seeing their recent television and PPV shows, I believe I'm overwhelmingly qualified for the position. Consider these qualifications: I have absolutely no talent in the ring. It's fair to see it would be impossible for me to even have a decent match. Not only am I talentless, but I'm also lazy. I have no personality or charisma. Nobody in their right mind would ever pay a dime to see me, or even want to watch me on TV for free. As you can see, I'd fit in perfectly with most of th WCW crew. I only have one problem. I'm not a friend of Hulk Hogan's. I know this is a serious drawback, as most of WCW's new hirees are Hogan's cronies. But I'll do whatever it takes to be Hogan's friend. I'll drive him around. I'll tell how much better he's always been than Ric Flair. I'll go parasailing with him. Hulk, if you're reading this, I want the job bad, so please let me be your friend. As for salary, I'm not asking much. I think $750,000 per year and 50% of the gross on PPV shows should satisfy me. I'd also like seats on the booking committee for me and a few of my friends. I also want a limited schedule since traveling to house shows cramps my lifestyle. I'm only a phone call away. If I'm not around or sleeping late, keep trying.
ii.
AS FOR Hogan and McMahon, there seemed to be a parting of the way.
On October 5, 1994, the Caesar of pro wrestling told a Chicago cable show he couldn't understand why his friend, the Hulk, would turn his back on him and work in the "minor league."
As for steroids, McMahon admitted that it "ruined what could have been" for the WWF because nobody wants to do business with you if you're surrounded by controversy.
iii.
TURN OUT the lights, the party's over.
Of course, wrestling will go on, to another cycle of success or failure and McMahon and his chief script-writer, Pat Patterson, will delve into the occult, for more sinister heels from the "underworld" and Uncle Ted Turner will dip into his deep pockets to keep McMahon's Babe Ruth -- Hulk Hogan -- happy in the service.
Meanwhile, other organizations and PPV shows will spring up, flourish, and then fade throughout North and South America, Europe and the Far East, but the glory days have faded into a clous of bright hopes gone gray.
And the Old Guard will still be mumbling about how McMahon "raped" wrestling.
No Holds Barred,
Official Court Transcript,
July 14, 1994
1. TERRY GENE BOLLEA, DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY SEAN O'SHEA
Q. Mr. Bollea, how are you employed?
A. Self-employed as an entertainer.
Q. And you are currently an actor as well as a wrestler, is that correct?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And what is yourt wrestling identity?
A. Hulk Hogan.
Q. Have you been promised that you will not be prosecuted for your statements here today?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And now, when did you start wrestling with what is now known as the WWF?
A. Probably late '78 when it was Capital Wrestling.
Q. Okay. You wrestled there for some period of time; is that correct?
A. Yes, sir, a couple of years.
Q. A couple of years?
A. Yes.
Q. And then did you leave -- did you leave the organization?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long were you gone?
A. Approximately three -- three years.
Q. And you came back in roughly '83, '84?
A. End of '83, right.
Q. Have you used steroids prior -- had you used steroids prior to going to work for the WWF?
Q. When did you start using steroids, Mr. Bollea?
A. Probably th middle of 1976.
Q. And what -- over the years what sort of steroids had you used?
A. Injectibles and orals.
Q. Okay. Can yougive us some of the names of the steroids you would have used?
A. Dianabol, Anavar, Winstrol, testosterone, Deca Durabolin.
Q. A steroid commonly known as Deca?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Can you tell us, when you came back in '83, '84, to WWF, can you describe the steroid use that you observed there,
A. Yes. It was fairly common amongst the wrestlers.
Q. Is it fair to say that it was pretty much everywhere?
A. That's fair to say.
Q. If you had to give a percentage of the wrestlers that you saw at the WWF using steroids, what would you say it was?
MS. BREVETTI: Objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: Objection overruled.
A. Seventy-five, 80 percent, maybe more.
BY MR. O'SHEA:
Q. Would it be fair to say the vast majority?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see steroids being used in the locker rooms?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, did you know someone named Dr. Zahorian during your time at WWF?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was Dr. Zahorian?
A. He was the commission doctor for the state of Pennsylvania that came to the TV tapings. Also he was at the TV tapings, in Allentown, Hershey or Reading. And also he came to the TV tapings, he was the commission doctor.
Q. What else was he known for?
A. For the wrestlers to get different substances.
Q. Such as ...
A. Such as steroids.
Q. Other drugs?
A. Yes.
Q. What sort of other drugs?
MR. McDEVITT: Objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: Overruled. I will allow it.
A. Sleeping pills and different diet pills.
BY MR. O'SHEA:
Q. Tyenol Three is Tyenol Four?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And Valium?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How would Dr. Zahorian distribute these drugs to the wrestlers?
A. Well, when he came to the TV, he was there. So, during the course of two or three days of filming TV, you would see the doctor when you had time. He would check you for your heart beat and pulse and the normal standard things they check for wrestling, and he would ask if you need anything.
Q. When he said do you need anything, you would ask for drugs?
A. Yes.
Q. And he would give you what you wanted, would he take a medical history?
A. Just the normal physical before you wrestled.
Q. Any blood tests?
A. No.
Q. Any follow up about the drugs and how they were affecting you?
A. With me personally, he would always ask me if I was okay or how I was doing, that type of thing, just general conversation.
Q. All right. Did he give you pretty much anything you asked for?
A. Yes.
Q. And when you went to Dr. Zahorian, who decided what you were going to get, him or you?
A. You.
Q. What would Dr. Zahorian have with him when you saw him?
A. His normal medical bags with his instruments. And he would also have two tackle boxes, like fishing boxes, that would open up with the drugs inside of them.
Q. Now, were cash advances available prior to going to see Dr. Zahorian?
A. Cash advances were available every night for the wrestlers.
Q. And have you ever heard of the term, a slang term used for steroids?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What sort of slang terms have you heard, Mr. Bollea?
A. Juice, gas. Those were the two basic ones.
Q. Did you ever hear Mr. McMahon use those terms?
A. Not that I can remember.
Q. Now, did there come a time to your knowledge Mr. McMahon ordered himself from Dr. Zahorian?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And do you recall when that was?
A. Well, we discussed ordering steroids -- together in Atlanta when we were filming the movie, No Holds Barred.
Q. And did you have a discussion about steroids at that time?
A. Yes.
Q. And were steroids -- in the course of the discussion, did you learn from Mr. McMahon whether steroids were new to him or not?
A. As far as subject matter, they weren't new. He knew what they were.
Q. Do you know someone named Jay Strongbow?
A. Yes.
Q. And did you ever discuss steroids with him?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And what did you discuss?
A. Dr. Zahorian. And he discussed getting steroids for his son.
Q. Now, did there come a time when you started to actually get steroids from Mr. McMahon or from Emily Feinberg, his secretary?
A. I would call Emily Feinberg when I was on the road and tell her to call Zahorian and place an order for me.
Q. And did that happen more than once?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And how many times would you say approximately that that happened?
A. As far as me calling Emily for drugs from Dr. Zahorian, I would say 10 or less.
Q. And when you ordered steroids through Emily Feinberg, how would get them?
A. I would go by the office, which was the normal routine for me, because I lived near the office, and picked them up along with my paychecks or pictures or fan mail, whatever else was there for me.
Q. So you would go in the office in the normal course to pick up different things?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And one of these things would be your steroids?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, who paid for the steroids that you were getting from Emily Feinberg, do you remember?
A. Yes, sir. Most of the time I would write a check or pay cash for them.
Q. Were there times that the company provided the steroids for you?
A. There were times when I picked up on the steroids that I didn't pay for because it was a pay back situation, because I had given Vince steroids.
Q. You had given Vince McMahon steroids in the past?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How common was it for you to pick up steroids in this manner and to use steroids when you were Hulk Hogan at the WWF?
A. It was very common, because at the time all the wrestlers were using it, and I had a prescription for it.
Q. Is it fair to it was like writing a check for car insurance for you?
A. Probably more frequent than that.
Q. Did you learn at some point that Dr. Zahorian had come under investigation?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did you learn?
A. I just learned that he was in trouble.
Q. From whom did you learn that?
A. From Pat Patterson.
Q. And what did Mr. Patterson say to you?
A. He said Dr. Zahorian is under investigation, and don't call him and don't use him.
Q. And did he tell you not to use steroids?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you later talk to Mr. McMahon about Dr. Zahorian being under investigation?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did he say to you?
A. Not to call Zahorian or use him.
Q. Now, I would like to show you a document -- a document marked for identification as Government's Exhibit 63.
(Document handed to defense counsel.)
(Handed to witness.)
Q. Do you see the signature on that document for Terry Bollea?
A. Yes.
Q. Is that your signature?
A. No, sir.
MR. McDEVITT: Objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: Come to sidebar.
(At the sidebar.)
THE COURT: Can I see the document, please?
(Handed to the Court.)
MR. McDEVITT: This is I believe, the document in issue that your Honor has ruled the government is not ...
THE COURT: He said it is not his signature.
MR. O'SHEA: Judge, I am not asking him any more on it, because I expect this issue to become revelant, or if Mr. McMahon is taking the stand I can cross on it. I am just asking if it is his signature.
THE COURT: You are not offering it at this time?
MR. O'SHEA: No.
THE COURT: You are saying someone at Titan may have signed it?
MR. O'SHEA: Mr. McMahon asked someone to take this blood test for Terry Bollea, and it was submitted for state regulations. And I will not go further on it, your Honor.
THE COURT: What is it an order for?
MR. O'SHEA: It is a blood test, Judge. Mr. Bollea, who was required to wrestle in Oregon, I believe. And Mr. McMahon told a corporate employee to go in and take the test for Terry Bollea. This signature is a signature of Howard Finkel a corporate employee ordered by Mr. Mahon to take the test.
(Open court resumes.)
THE COURT: It is offered for identification?
MR. O'SHEA: 62 for Identifcation.
THE COURT: Please proceed, Mr. O'Shea.
MR. O'SHEA: Thank you, your Honor.
BY MR. O'SHEA
Q. Mr. Bollea, a minute ago we were talking about steroids. You said you saw them from time to time in the locker room and people using them in the locker room?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you from time to time carry steroids with you on the road?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And can you tell us why you were using steroids?
A. To heal injuries, to keep on going, just to ... the schedule was pretty tough. And it kind of gave you an edge that made you keep going many days in a row and for body building.
Q. When you started, you started using them in a gym; is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And because you were a body builder?
A. No. Because I was trying to get big, trying to gain weight.
Q. You used steroids to get big?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, did you wrestle in Nassau Coliseum right across the street here?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, you made statements to the press at or about Dr. Zahorian's indictment and trial; is that correct?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were those statements entirely truthful, sir?
A. No, sir.
MR. O'SHEA: Thank you, your Honor. I have no further questions.
2. TERRY GENE BOLLEA. Cross Examination
BY LAURA BREVETTI
Q. Good morning, Mr. Bollea.
A. Good morning.
Q. My name is Laura Brevetti, hi?
A. Hello.
Q. You and I have never met before, have we?
A. No, ma'am.
Q. Never spoken before, have we?
A. No, ma'am.
Q. Mr. Bollea, I am correct, am I not, that for a period of time the WWF did not hold performances at the Meadowlands in New Jersey?
A. I don't know.
MS. BREVETTI: May I approach, your Honor?
THE COURT: Yes.
MS. BREVETTI: I don't know what the next exhibit is.
THE CLERK: BL.
THE COURT: Mr. Adler will mark it.
BY MS. BREVETTI
Q. Mr. Bollea, I would like to show you what is marked Defendant's Exhibit BL for Identification. Just take a look at it.
(Handed to the witness.)
Q. I point to the right-hand side, over there, and I point to the middle of the page.
A. Uh-huh.
Q. I would like you to look at th first page of the document, and then the second page.
(Pause.)
Q. And I would like you to look at this column on the left-hand side, as to each line.
A. As to each line?
Q. Yes. As you are glancing or reading the page.
A. Just the first two pages?
Q. Yes. You have looked at that?
A. Yes.
MS. BREVETTI: I would like this one also mark, BM.
THE CLERK: So marked Defendant's Exhibit BM for Identification .
(Ms. Brevetti confers with Mr. O'Shea.)
Q. Showing you Defendant's Exhibit BM, again pointing to the upper right and left-hand column as well as the middle column.
(Handed to witness.)
A. What am I looking for?
Q. In looking at that document, does that document refresh your recollection that you did not appear in East Rutherford or the Meadowlands in the year 1989, sir?
THE COURT: The question is not what the document says. The question is whether it refreshes your recollection, Mr. Bollea.
A. No, I don't have the independent recollection.
Q. Mr. Bollea, I would correct in saying that you stopped using steroids in 1989, would I not?
A. Around that time, maybe, a little after.
MS. BREVETTI: Your Honor, may I approach the board?
THE COURT: Yes. You need not ask permission to approach the witness.
MS. BREVETTI: Thank you.
Q. Mr. Bollea, am I correct, am I not, that you and your wife have two children?
A. Yes.
Q. And your youngest child is named Nicholas?
A. That's right.
Q. And the date of birth of your last child?
A. July 27th.
Q. 1990?
A. Yes.
Q. He will be four years old in a couple of weeks?
A. Right, right.
Q. Would I be correct in saying, Mr. Bollea, that in the year 1989 you and your wife decided that you would not be on any drugs at all prior to the conception of your second child?
A. We decided it before we had a child. I was going to try to wind down and come off it.
Q. And come of them?
A. Yes.
Q. So that would it be fair to say that at least nine months prior to the birth of your son, Nicolas, that you stopped using steroids?
A. No.
Q. You used them during ... after October of 1989?
A. One argument that my wife and I had is she got pregnant while I was still on drugs. It was one of big arguments we had.
Q. Mr. Bollea, do you remember being in the grand jury?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And you remember being asked questions by Mr. O'Shea?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. Do you remember at that time raising your hand as you did today and taking an oath?
A. Yes, ma'am.
MS. BREVETTI: 3500-3 pages nine through 10.
Q. Were you asked this question and did you give this answer under oath in the grand jury, Mr. Bollea?
Question: Let's go back to the types of ... let's go back to the types of steroids that you have used over the years from I guess you said roughly '77, '78 through ... well, when was the last time you used steroids?
Answer: Probably four to four and a half years ago, before my daughter was born.
Question: I think you told me yesterday late '89 early '90?
Answer: Yes, my daughter ... not my daughter, I am confused. My son will be three years old on the 27th of July. And then nine months before that, a couple of months before then my wife and I discussed not having any drugs in my system before she got pregnant.
Q. Mr. Bollea, were you asked those questions and did you give those answers under oath?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And were the answers truthful, sir?
A. Yes. We have discussed me not having ... we discussed me not having any drugs in my system prior, before she got pregnant.
Q. Now, Mr. Bollea , I am correct in stating that you had drugs, steroids delivered ... had steroids delivered to home or pleaces in the nams of other people?
A. Yes,
Q. And one of those people would be Dan Brower?
A. Yes.
Q. I would like to take you to the month ... refer your attention to the month of April of 1989. As a point of reference, it is Wrestlemania V; okay?
A. Okay.
Q. Now, as a matter of practice after a Wrestlemania when you were under contract with the WWF, would it be fair to say that there was a hiatus, that is, a period of layoff after a Wrestlemania?
A. Sometimes there would be a hiatus, yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say that on ... you would be on the road a lot before Wrestlemania, or during the full course of the year while you were wrestling?
A. Yes, that's fair.
Q. And would it be fair to say that you would try to spend as much time as possible with your family as you could when you were not on the road?
A. Yes.
Q. And during the year 1989 you and your wife had essentially moved your home base from the northeast down to Florida?
A. Yes, as much as we could.
Q. In particular, after the birth of your first child, your daughter in 1988, that would be essentially so; is that right?
A. We tried to regroup in that direction, yes.
Q. Now, during the periods that you were on the layoff after Wrestlemania V, do you have an independent recollection of being in Florida for a period of time?
A. No, I don't.
MS. BREVETTI: May I have an exhibit marked, please.
THE CLERK: Document marked Defendant's Exhibit BN for Identification.
Q. Mr. Bollea, I would like to show you what is marked as BN. And the question I was ... let me withdraw the question. Do you recall that your travel arrangements would be made through one particular agency while you were with the WWF?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And it would be Travel Strategies or some name to that effect?
A. The letters are TCA.
Q. TCA, you recall that. You would use either TCA for your travel, or on occasion there might be a charter flight that you would use; is that right?
A. Or I would call myself.
Q. You would call yourself. And charter flights were sometimes arranged by Titan and sometimes arranged by you?
A. They were always arranged by Titan.
Q. But essentially more often than not you would use commercial travel?
A. Yes.
Q. And that would be arranged by TCA?
A. Yes.
Q. Now, I am going to show you the Exhibit BN, and ask you, in looking at this document, would it refresh your recollection as to your location in Florida during a period of time in April 1989, and I will point to it to see if it refreshes your recollection.
Please take a look at this.
(Handed to the witness.)
A. No, it doesn't.
Q. Do you see where I'm pointing to?
A. Yes.
(Pause.)
Newark, New Jersey, Tampa, Florida.
Q. You can read it for yourself to see if it refreshes your recollection. Do you see where I am pointing to?
A. Yes, I see.
Q. Now, sir, does it refresh your recollection whether or not you were in Florida during the month of April 1989?
A. No, it doesn't.
Q. I show you what is marked as BF in evidence. Mr. Bollea, do you recall at some point in time you would have discussions with Titan executives, or personnel at Titan as to who would pay the cost of charter flight, whether it would be you, whether it would be Titan, or whether you would both share the costs?
A. Yes.
Q. And there would come a time when that issue wuld be resolved between you and Titan one way or the other; would that be fair to say?
A. Yes.
Q. And I would like to show you what is marked as BF in evidence, a letter dated April 11, 1989. Please take a look at it.
(Handed to the witness.)
A. Uh-huh,
Q. Is it fair to say that this is a letter ... do you recall an incident where one of those issues was whether or not ... withdrawn. You had a particular concern in April 1989 as to whether you or whether Titan would be paying the full cost or part of the cost of travel per charter from Lake Placid to Tampa?
A. I don't recall.
Q. It doesn't refresh your recollection?
A. No.
Q. And on this letter which is marked in evidence, dated April 11th, 1989, Mr. Terry Bollea, 16800 Gulf Boulevard, Town House 14, Reddington Beach, Florida, 33708, do you recognize this address?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. Would it be fair to say, Mr. Bollea, you were living at that house or that location in the month of April of 1989?
A. It would be fair to say I owned it. I don't remember if I was living there in April 1989.
Q. You own that location?
A. Yes.
Q. But you had another residence?
A. Yes.
Q. In Florida?
A. Stamford, Connecticut.
Q. Would you pick up your mail if you did not live there?
A. No.
Q. Would mail be delivered to you or forwarded to you?
A. Forwarded.
Q. So, it would be forwarded from this address to another address in Florida?
A. Or to Connecticut.
Q. You would have mail ... this is a letter from Titan, Mr. Bollea.
A. Yes.
Q. You would have mail from Titan ...
A. No. Usually I get mail from Titan delivered to me.
Q. If it was sent to you, down in Florida you would receive it as a regular practice?
A. Yes, if I were there I would receive it.
Q. Mr. Bollea, you testified on direct examination that there would be occasions where you would pick up a package of steroids at Titan?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you have any specific recollection as you sit here today of picking up any package at Titan in the month of April 1989?
A. No, I don't.
Q. Do you have, as you sit here today, any recollection of anyone named Jim Stuart delivering to you steroids from Titan to a location at either an arena where you would be performing in the New York area, Mr. Bollea?
A. No, I don't.
Q. Would it be fair to say that any orders that were placed ... that were placed to Dr. Zahorian for you would be for your personal use?
A. Yes, that would be fair to say.
Q. You were not in the business of distributing steroids, were you, Mr. Bollea?
A. No, ma'am. That was not my business.
Q. It was for your personal use, correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Which you believed tat that time to be legal, is that correct?
A. I believed it was legal because I had a prescription for it.
Q. And you had a prescription from several doctors, is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. A doctor from Canada?
A. Dr. Wor.
Q. W O R?
A. I don't know.
Q. Dr. Paunovich, Denver?
A. If there was a prescription for steroids, I don't remember it.
Q. Did you receive a prescription from a Dr. Liebowitz in New York?
A. Yes.
Q. And besides Dr. Zahorian, would it be fair to say, that you had other doctors who dispensed steroids to you during the years '85 to '89?
A. Yes.
Q. And would that be Dr. Wor as well?
A. Yes, it would be.
Q. Dr. Liebowitz?
A. Yes.
Q. And would it be Dr. Paunovich?
A. If he ... if he distributed steroids it would be with a prescription, I don't remember him distributing steroids to me.
Q. Before the grand jury, Page 15, were you asked this question, Mr. Bollea, or questions, and did you give this answer?
Question: What about doctors, medical doctors? Did you receive steroids from them?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question: Tell us the doctors you received steroids from?
Answer: Dr. Wor in Canada, Dr. Zahorian, Dr. Liebowitz in New York, Dr. Paunovich in Denver. These were doctors, all I remember, would write prescriptions for steroids.
Q. Do you remember being asked the questions and giving those answers?
A. Yes.
Q. And were they truthful when you gave them?
A. Yes, they were.
Q. Would it be fair to say that you received Deca Durabolin, or commonly known as Deca from Dr. Paunovich?
A. Yes. If there was a prescription, that would be fair.
Q. And you tried to do it, that is, use steroids, in a legal manner, is that correct?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. You tried to get a doctor to see you before getting steroids, is that right?
A. Not so much that. Just to make sure that I had aprescription when I was carrying it.
Q. Now, there was a period of time in your life when you were getting steroids in gyms; isn't that right?
A. Yes.
Q. And that would early on in your career in the '70s; would that be fair to say?
A. '70s and '80s, yes.
Q. And once you began wrestling for larger organizations, such as the AWA, or Japan Wrestling, you started seeing doctors?
A. That's fair to say.
Q. And you came to learn at that time it was better for you as a steroid user to obtain steroids from doctors because of the quality of steroids?
A. That's very fair.
Q. And that's one of the concerns one would have, if one were personally using steroids and buying in the gym would be fake or bad steroids that were on the black market, if you will; is that correct?
A. Yes, that's correct.
Q. Mr. Bollea, am I correct in stating that if one were to look, or if you were to look, the eyes and ears that you had in the 1980s, that you did not have the knowledge about steroids, what they are, and what they could possibly ... what possible effect they could have as you have today in 1994? Do you understand the question?
A. Not completely.
Q. Would it be fair to say that today, 1994, you have more knowledge about the effects of steroids than you had in the '80s when you were using them?
A. That's very fair.
Q. Is it fair to say that if you possessed the information, or if the information had been given to you that you possess today back in the '80s you might not have used steroids?
A. That might be the case.
Q. And when you said that the use of steroids was fairly common, in the wrestling community in the '80s, do you recall testifying to that on direct examination?
A. Yes.
Q. Is it fair to say that to your knowledge and experience, that the use of steroids was fairly common among athletes in other rpofessions during the years of the 1980s?
A. Yes. From my knowledge that would be a very fair assumption.
Q. And Mr. O'Shea asked you questions concerning when you were in locker rooms. Do you recall that?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And during the period of '85 to '89, would Titan make it a point to give you your own locker room?
A. Yes.
Q. And would that be so in Hershey?
A. Yes. It was available if I wanted it.
Q. And would it be fair to say that it was your preference to have your own locker room with people you wanted to be around you rather than with all the extras and other wrestlers that may be on the cards?
A. It would be fair to say that I could have my locker room and be around if I wanted, yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say particularly before performances, Mr. Bollea, you are a private individual?
A. No, not really.
Q. You have a lot of things to do when you are at events, such as taking photographs with a lot of people?
A. Yes.
Q. Mr. Bollea, you were aware of the trial of Dr. Zahorian in 1991; is that correct?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. You recall that there was a photograph introduced in evidence at that trial?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And you know the photograph that I am talking about; is that right?
A. The one that I am thinking of is there are three people in the photograph, myself, Mr. McMahon and Zahorian.
Q. And that photograph to your knowledge appeared throughout the country in newspapers?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. Do you even remember when that photograph was taken?
A. No, I don't.
Q. Would be it fair to say that it was fairly common that you alone, or even with Mr. McMahon, would take photographs with I could say scores of people?
A. That's very fair.
Q. And that photograph that was taken, was that any sort of photograph ... withdrawn. At the time the photograph was taken, was that on any particular date that you can recall that you had some conversations with Mr. McMahon and Dr. Zahorian about steroids?
A. No.
Q. In fact, Mr. Bollea, as you sit here today, isn't it a fact that you have no recollection of being in a room with Mr. McMahon, yourself and Dr. Zahorian, in person, having any conversation about steroids?
A. No, not in a room.
Q. Would it be fair to say, Mr. Bollea, that Mr. McMahon never ordered you, directed you, to take steroids?
A. He never ordered or directed me to take steroids.
Q. You would agree with Mr. Bollea, Mr. Bollea, that taking steroids was a personal choice and decision, sir?
A. Definitely.
Q. And from your knowledge of other wrestlers similarly situated to yourself, that their decision to take or use steroids was their personal choice or personal decision?
A. From my knowledge, yes.
Q. Were you ever present physically at any time between Mr. McMahon and another wrestler, where Mr. McMahon ever told another wrestler he should take steroids?
A. Never.
Q. Do you have any recollection of any conversation that you may have witnessed between Mr. McMahon and another wrestler where it was your understanding from Mr. McMahon's words that he was implying that that wrestler should use steroids?
A. Never
Q. Now, Mr. O'Shea asked you a question about advances.
A. Yes.
Q. Advances at performances?
A. Yes.
Q. Advances were given by agents to wrestlers at every wrestling performance; isn't that correct?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And whether it's Hershey, whether it's Rosemont, Illinois, Boise, Idaho, or Portland, Maine?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And for those wrestlers who wanted an advance, they could take an advance, is that correct?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And that's money that is deducted from that performer's nightly performance.
A. Yes.
Q. It is not extra money, in other words?
A. No, ma'am.
Q. Mr. Bollea, did you ever hear in the course of your time at the WWF any agent saying the doctor is here. Does anybody want an advance?
A. No. I just heard them ask if anybody wanted an advance.
Q. And that was the normal course?
A. Yes.
Q. Anyone who wanted an advance could have an advance; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. With the exception of you, Mr. Bollea, the other wrestlers had to pay for their hotel and for their meals, isn't that correct?
A. No, I always paid for my hotel and meals.
Q. I will rephrase the question. Other wrestlers, nt yourself, had to pay for their hotel and means?
A. Yes. I hate to assume. But, yes, they would. No one else would.
Q. And they would be going from one town to another town night after night?
A. Yes.
Q. Is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Sometime for stretches of 30 days or more?
A. Right.
Q. Away from their home?
A. Yes.
Q. And they would have to go from a hotel in one city and a hotel in another city, is that right?
A. Yes.
Q, And isn't it a fact that th reason for those advances were for those wrestlers to pay for those personal expenses connected to their living from city to city?
A. Yes.
Q. Mr. Bollea, ever hear the term, Riggs, R I G G S?
A. Yes.
Q. And is it fair to say that Riggs is a slang word for those who use steroids for hypodermic needles?
A. Yes.
Q. And it is not known commonly insofar as you are concerned as steroids and needles?
A. No, just Riggs are needles.
Q. And Riggs to your understanding does not mean -- it is not a slang word for steroids?
A. Definitely not.
Q. Mr. Bollea, would it be fair to say -- withdrawn. Have you heard the slang term for -- or the common term for Roid rage?
A. No, I didn't.
Q. You saw Mr. McMahon during the period of time you knew him to be using steroids, correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you ever see him have any sort of change of personality or behavior that is commonly called or bandied about as Roid rage?
A. Never.
Q. And would it be fair to say that wrestlers are by nature aggressive?
A. When in character, performing.
Q. When performing; isn't that right?
A. Yes, yes.
Q. And would you say that being on the road night after night, that wrestlers off stage are boisterous?
A. Not all of them, no.
Q. Not all of them?
A. No.
Q. Some of them like to party?
A. Right.
Q. And sometimes they get in trouble, isn't that right, when they party?
A. Sometimes.
Q. Did you in your mind, as far as you were concerned make any connection back then through the eyes and ears that you had back then, between steroid usage and anytime you heard about someone becoming boisterous at a bar or boisteroud at a hotel?
A. Never.
Q. Mr. Bollea, would it be fair ro say that Vincent McMahon was an individual who wanted to see the wrestling performers be in physical shape?
A. Yes, it is very fair.
Q. And would it be fair to say that he is not a person who just says the words, but he is a person who himself acts upon the words when it comes to himself?
A. Yes.
Q. And he works hard to be in shape himself; isn't that right?
A. Yes, he does.
Q. Have you personally worked out with Mr. McMahon?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And in your opinion did he work out on those occasions as hard as you tried to work out?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you ever hear of the term, bigger than life, larger than life?
A. Yes.
Q. And was that a term used or a term you heard while you were at the WWF?
A. Yes.
Q. And was that a term used or a term you heard while you were at the WWF?
A. Yes.
Q. What did that phrase mean to you, Mr. Bollea, when you heard of it?
A. I took it as a reference about me, said by Vince McMahon about how success had taken us by surprise, and to achieve more things and get more popular than we thought, and it was larger than life.
Q. Is it fair to say that it was a reference to your character, Hulk Hogan?
A. Yes.
Q. And that the character as opposed to the individual Terry Bollea had become larger or bigger than life?
A. Yes.
Q. And that phrase was not any sort of code word for someone to build up their physical body or musculature to become large or in a physical, literal sense, larger than a normal man?
A. No.
Q. And you would agree with me, Mr. Bollea, would you not, that in order to create public appeal, it's very important to build a character, isn't that right?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. And would you say that more people back in the 80s, not today, knew you as Hulk Hogan rather than Terry Bollea?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. You yourself view that you have two identities, don't you?
A. Yes.
Q. There is the identity of the individual who is sitting in that seat today as Terry Bollea; is that right?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And then there is the identity of Hulk Hogan who appears on television and at performances, and in the movies, isn't that right?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And that's the character that is bigger than life; isn't that right?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And would it be fair to say that while you were there, and even after you left there, that it would be a goal of Mr. McMahon as a wrestling promoter to try to promote some character into that vision of bigger than life or larger than life?
A. Yes.
Q. To hope -- in the hope that that would go over on the crowd so they would -- so that character would become popular and they would come to the wrestling matches; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. And I use the word "go over." Is that a term of art, something used in the industry?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. It means hopefully the public will accept that character as a popular character; isn't that right?
A. Exactly.
Q. And if it is successful it means that that character -- it is going over well with the crowd, that character. Is that a fair usage of the phrase?
A. Very fair.
Q. Now, Mr. Bollea, did you ever have any personal knowledge -- and I will define personal knowledge for you -- in conversation, something you heard, something you saw during the time you were with the WWF that Titan ever paid for steroids for wrestlers?
A. No.
Q. As far as you knew in response -- when you were responding to Mr. O'Shea's questions about people in locker rooms or events purchasing from Dr. Zahorian, that they were purcashing that from their own money; isn't that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you in your entire time of your career with the WWF, ever see any road agent, or anyone else who you knew to be an employee or an agent of Titan, distribute steroids to wrestlers who wanted steroids?
A. Never.
Q. Would it be fair to say then during the years '85 to '91, if you could not get steroids, and if Dr. Zahorian was not available to you, you had other sources, other physicians from whom you would be able to get steroids?
A. If needed, yes.
Q. Would it be fair to say, Mr. Bollea, that Titan had nothing to do with providing you with the services of Dr. Zahorian to provide you steroids?
A. It would be very fair.
Q. Mr. Bollea, I mentioned before the name Dan Brower.
A. Uh-huh.
Q. Do you recall that?
A. Yes.
Q. Would it be fair to say that he is a friend of yours?
A. Yes.
Q. A friend of yours from high school?
A. Yes.
Q. Back in Florida?
A. Yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say that there came a point in time where you and he renewed your friendship in 1988 before the filming of No Holds Barred?
A. Yes.
Q. And do you recall during that period before the filming of No Holds Barred, training, physically training with him?
A. I don't recall physically training with him before that.
Q. Going to the year 1989, Mr. Bollea, do you recall ordering steroids yourself from Dr. Zahorian?
A. I know I ordered them before 1989. yes.
Q. And do you recall that at least on two occasions in 1989 that you called Dr. Zahorian, and you had steroids for yourself and Mr. Brower delivered to Mr. Brower's address in Florida?
A. No, I don't recall that.
Q. And that you don't remember the date when that occurred?
A. I don't remember the date, yes.
Q. But the incidents themselves, that is, that you would call Dr. Zahorian and have steroids delivered to Mr. Brower's address in Florida for yourself, you do recall that as an incident?
A. Yes. I am recalling Dr. Zahorian, and telling me about Dan Brower, whether it was to be sent for me to him, I don't remember.
Q. You don't remember whether you called Dr. Zahorian for steroids to be sent to Dan Brower in Florida for your personal use?
A. Dan Brower was using steroids, and I told him about Dr. Zahorian. And I put him on the phone with Dr. Zahorian and introduced him over the phone.
MS. BREVETTI: Page 25 of the grand jury.
Q. Mr. Bollea, your recall the grand jury testimony. We mentioned it before.
Did you give these answers to these questions:
Question: Referring to Dr. Zahorian ... question: He sent you FEDEX packages to your home in Tampa?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question: To Dan Brower who received them for you?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Q. Do you remember hearing those questions and giving those answers under oath, Mr. Bollea?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Were the answers truthful when you gave them, sir?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. And on those questions when Mr. Brower would receive steroids in your behalf, Mr. Brower would share in the steroids that were received by him; is that right?
A. Yes, he would give me my portion, yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say that you paid for the steroids that you would use?
A. Yes, that's correct, that's fair.
Q. So, in other words. it was an occasion where you made the order and the order was delivered for convenience to Dan Brower, and you took what was for your personal use; is that fair to say?
A. Or we made the order and I took what was for my personal use.
Q. And you paid for them?
A. Yes.
Q. No one else paid for them, you did?
A. Yes, for my personal portion, yes.
Q. And on the occasion when you gave to Dan Brower, and there were occasions when that happened; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Gave steroids to Dan Brower?
A. Uh-huh.
Q. Did you charge him money for it?
A. No. It was a situation if he gave me 10 bottles, I would give him 10 back.
Q. In other words, it was a method of paying back for using what somebody else ... from somebody else's supply; is that right?
A. Yes, we were friends. That's the way it worked.
Q. Would it be similar to the fact if one were a smoker and one had a pack of cigarettes of another person, one would give that person the half a pack, or a full pack later in exchange for having been given the cigarettes before?
A. Yes, it's fair.
Q. And is it fair to say in the years '85 to '91, that you gave wrestlers steroids, and the reverse would be true in the similar situation that you just described?
A. Yes, that's fair.
Q. In your mind, sir, were you distributing steroids?
A. No. These were my friends.
Q. On the occasions they gave it to you in your mind, sir, were they distributing steroids to you?
A. No, ma'am.
Q. When you dealt with these doctors that you have mentioned, Mr. Bollea, and received prescriptions from them, did you believe as a lay person that they, the doctors, had a legal right to prescribe and dispense steroids to you during the period of time of '85 to 1991?
A. Yes.
Q. When you purchased from Dr. Zahorian, in particular, Mr. Bollea, did you in your mind believe that Dr. Zahorian was committing a crime?
A. No, I didn't.
Q. You later came to learn that Dr. Zahorian was convicted for having dispensed steroids to, among people, individuals who had been wrestlers, right?
A. Yes, ma'am.
Q. You did not have the knowledge at the time ... in 1980, before the trial, the 1980s, that Dr. Zahorian, what he was doing may or may not have been criminal; is that right?
A. That's right.
Q. Is as far as you are concerned, as a lay person, he had a right to dispense steroids to you directly?
A. Yes. And he wrote a prescription.
Q. To give you a prescription as well on the occasions which he didn't distribute it directly to you; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Is that true for Dr. Paunovich and the other doctors that I mentioned here and that you mentioned here before?
A. Yes, it would.
Q. In your state of mind during the period of time from 1985 to 1991, when Dr. Zahorian was dispensing steroids at performances or through FEDEX, did you believe that Titan as either condoning, was condoning an illegal practice?
A. No.
Q. When individuals in Hershey, for example, went in for examinations, would that be essentially a private transaction between Dr. Zahorian and that individual wrestler?
A. In Hershey, yes.
Q. Would it be fair, Mr. Bollea, that you would have many conversations with Dr. Zahorian about your physical condition?
A. Very fair.
Q. Would it also be fair to say that you discussed with Dr. Zahorian medical conditions or circumstances or problems apart from the usage of steroids?
A. Yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say, without getting into specific matters, that you had personal and confidential discussions of a medical nature with Dr. Zahorian concerning your physical condition?
A. I would say personal and confidential, definitely.
Q. And did you expect at that time you had those conversatuions with Dr. Zahorian that he would keep those conversations confidential?
A. Yes.
Q. Would it be fair to say that when you had those conversations with Dr. Zahorian, that you had the same expectation of confidentiality that you had with any other family physician that you may have gone and seen?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. And without getting into any private matters, Mr. Bollea, would it be true that those personal and confidential conversations would also concern your wife and yourself?
A. Yes.
Q. And you expected those conversations with Dr. Zahorian, and those discussions with Dr. Zahorian to be maintained as confidential?
A. Yes.
Q. And would it be fair to say that you used Dr. Zahorian on medical ... for medical reasons apart from the usage of steroids?
A. Yes, for advice and reasons, yes.
Q. For reasons unassociated with the use of steroids?
A. Yes.
Q. During the period of time of 1985 until at least 1989, when you found out he was under investigation?
A. Right, yes.
Q. In your opinion, as far as you were concerned, were you satisfied with the advice and the consultation on matters other than steroids with Dr. Zahorian?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he help you?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he help your wife?
A. He helped me.
Q. Did he help your wife?
A. Yes, and he helped me.
MS. BREVETTI: Excuse me for a moment.
(Pause.)