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CTV News
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘He was the catalyst': Toronto referee remembers Hulk Hogan, the man behind the myth
Hulk Hogan battles Mr. Perfect at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in a 1988 handout photo, as referee Jimmy Korderas officiates the match. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Steve Argintaru TORONTO — Even as Hulkamania was catching fire around the world, former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas says Hulk Hogan always treated him like 'one of the boys.' When Korderas joined what was then called the WWF in 1985, one of his first jobs was picking up wrestlers from the airport and driving them to Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. 'Hulk was one of the first guys I had to pick up, and right away, he made me feel comfortable and at home, like I belonged,' says Korderas, a Toronto native. On one occasion, while giving Hogan and his then-wife Linda a ride, Korderas caught Hogan's eyes in the rear-view mirror as Linda gushed about Toronto. 'The entire time Linda was talking about how beautiful the city is, this is her first time, oh my goodness. I could see Hulk's eyes going, 'Oh boy,'' he laughs. 'When we got to the building, he pulled me aside and said, 'Brother, I'm sorry.' I said, 'For what?' He said, 'She kept going on and on.' I got a chuckle out of it and so did he. That's the nature he had … Here's this megastar and he's concerned about my needs.' Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, died Thursday at 71. Known for his stars-and-stripes swagger, handlebar moustache and chest-thumping catchphrases, Hogan was the face of professional wrestling's golden era and one of the most recognizable pop culture figures of the 1980s. Korderas would referee many of Hogan's matches over the years and says he felt 'like a kid in a candy store' doing so. READ MORE: Reaction to the death of professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan 'You're trying to curb your emotions while you're out there trying to do your job, but at the same time you're thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm in here with Hulk Hogan,'' says the 63-year-old, reached by phone Thursday in Toronto. 'He was the guy. He was the catalyst. If it wasn't for him, I don't think wrestling would have taken off the way it did, hit the mainstream the way it did and become the global juggernaut it is today.' Korderas vividly recalls officiating several hard-hitting bouts between Hogan and Mr. Perfect, but one that looms especially large is the inaugural Survivor Series in 1987, when Hogan's team battled André the Giant's in a stacked main event. Hulk Hogan in Toronto Hulk Hogan celebrates a win at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in a 1988 handout photo, as referee Jimmy Korderas raises the World Heavyweight Championship belt. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Steve Argintaru (Mandatory Credit) 'I have this picture of myself and (referee) Joey Marella in the ring trying to keep André the Giant and Hulk Hogan separated,' he says. 'Other guys got a great reaction from the crowd, whether it was cheering or booing, but it was different when Hogan entered the ring … He would flex for the crowd, he'd put his hand to his ear, he would pose and that got incredible reactions. He knew it was more about the entertainment aspects as opposed to the actual technical aspect of pro wrestling.' Years later, Hogan reminded the world of his unmatched ability to command a crowd at WrestleMania X8 in Toronto in 2002, when he faced Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson in a blockbuster showdown. Hogan was firmly in his villainous 'Hollywood' persona, while The Rock was WWE's top babyface — but the Toronto crowd flipped the script and threw its support behind Hogan. While Korderas didn't referee the match, he snuck out to watch it live and says several wrestlers did the same. 'The crowd literally got them to call an audible and switch roles. They were backing Hogan because they remember him as their superhero from the past,' he recalls. 'Ask anybody who was there, whether they were in the crowd or in the locker room, that building was literally shaking on its foundations when those two were staring off across the ring.' Behind the scenes, Korderas says Hogan treated him like 'part of the locker room' — ribbing included. During the '80s, then-CEO Vince McMahon enforced a strict no-smoking policy in WWE. Korderas remembers sneaking a cigarette before stepping into an elevator — only to find McMahon, Hogan, Brutus (The Barber) Beefcake and several other wrestlers already inside. 'The entire ride down, Vince is reading me the riot act about how bad smoking is,' Korderas says. 'While he's doing that, Hulk was giving me little elbow shots in the back, so I'm jerking forward. Vince is like, 'Are you all right? What's wrong with you?' I said, 'No, I am good.' And the whole time, they're all laughing. So Hulk was a bit of a prankster at times.' But Hogan was also a controversial figure at times. In 2015, WWE terminated his contract after leaked audio captured him using a racial slur and describing himself as 'a racist, to a point.' He later issued a public apology. Korderas says the news 'disappointed' him, and that he had 'never witnessed that side' of Hogan. 'It's hard when you hear that stuff about people who you consider friends,' he says. 'It makes me feel sad to see that side.' Still, he says it's tough to deny Hogan's role in reshaping the wrestling industry. 'The business of wrestling may not be as hot and as popular as it is today if it wasn't for him, because he is arguably the main reason why it is so,' Korderas says. 'Take the other stuff away from it, the controversies — you can't deny that he was the catalyst for this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The Rink at RBC Canadian Open is ready to rock. Will 2025 deliver the first hole-in-one?
The Rink at RBC Canadian Open is ready to rock. Will 2025 deliver the first hole-in-one? One year ago, during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open, Canadian golfer Mackenzie Hughes arrived at the par-3 13th hole at Hamilton Golf & Country Club and described the scene as pandemonium. Before he could hit his tee shot, the fans at The Rink, the hockey-themed hole wrapped in boards on both sides of the tee, goalie helmets as tee markers, a goal on the tee, and a Zamboni ice-resurfacing machine nearby, serenaded him with Canada's national anthem. 'The hair on the back of my neck stood up,' Hughes said. They sang 'Hey, Baby!' before Trace Crowe teed off and John Denver's 'Take Me Home, Country Roads,' in between groups, while Rory McIlroy was treated to a Ryder Cup-esque 'Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!' When the pounding of hands slapping the boards slows down, there's organ music just like they used to play at the old Maple Leaf Gardens (now Scotiabank Arena) and DJ Summer Knocks, the official DJ of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs added some authenticity this year. The Rink, born eight years ago, might see its first hole-in-one It was a hare-brained idea that debuted eight years ago and is now part of the fabric of the RBC Canadian Open. This year, The Rink is slimmed down from 230 yards a year ago and is set up at the downhill, 144-yard par-3 14th hole at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Greater Toronto's Caledon, Ontario, and some players say this could be the year for the first hole in one at The Rink. 'It's on a shorter par-3 and there's a couple pin locations (including back left) where you could see an ace and hopefully a lot of birdies and give the fans something to cheer for and get loud for,' said Canadian pro Taylor Pendrith, who dunked one on just his third swing of the day during charity scramble last summer. Credit goes to the executive director of Golf Saskatchewan, who suggested a hockey-themed hole to combine Canada's most popular pastimes, golf and hockey. It debuted originally in 2017 at Glenn Abbey. The first year, rowdy fans lined the hockey-style boards, which replaced traditional roping, on one side of the seventh hole. The next year, at St. George's, the boards were positioned on both sides of the 16th hole, which created a different vibe, and it just keeps growing with a double-decker tent lining the left side of the hole last year. Former RBC Canadian Open tournament director Bryan Crawford told PGA "I don't think anybody could have dreamed when that idea was brought forward that it would have grown to what it is today.' Shades of TPC Scottsdale's 16th hole It creates an electric atmosphere that is shades of the infamous 16th at TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course during the WM Phoenix Open, only these fans tend to be buzzed rather than three sheets to the wind and while they slap the boards and singalong to their heart's content, it becomes quiet enough to hear a pin drop before a player tees off. "They get it," two-time RBC Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy once said. So, too, do the pros, who have bought into putting a slice of Canada's national pastime into the act, wearing their favorite hockey jersey. Mike Weir has worn a Detroit Red Wings jersey. Dustin Johnson, a past champion before departing to LIV, used to rock an Edmonton Oilers jersey of his father-in-law, 'The Great One,' Wayne Gretzky. Former touring pro Graham DeLaet used to sport a Calgary Flames jersey. Three years ago, Golf Canada introduced The Rink at the Canadian Women's Open, with Brooke Henderson donning a sweater of her hometown Ottawa Senators and Nelly Korda a Chicago Blackhawks jersey, the team that her boyfriend played for at the time. And the players aren't the only ones dressing the part. The volunteer marshals rock the black-and-white vertical-striped shirts and black shorts resembling referees, and have dubbed the area around the tee "The Penalty Box." Just like at a hockey game, the fans booed and chanted 'Referees suck,' when one of them confiscated a plastic hockey puck that was being toss in the stands. It's fast become one of the more unique experiences at a professional golf tournament without feeling too contrived or the fans getting too out of control. 'On that Rink, there's like no space. It's just like the boards are right there on the tee and they're banging and they're screaming,' said Hughes, who wore a jersey as a tribute to a late friend last year. 'Walking on that tee, again, just a total hair-raising moment where, I mean, I'm trying to play it pretty cool, but inside I'm thinking this is really, really cool.'
Toronto Star
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Metallica brings the noise to Rogers Centre in blistering concert
Metallica 3 stars (out of four) Rogers Centre, Toronto, April 24, 2025 A little more than 40 years ago — Jan. 19, 1985, to be exact — an upstart young band from Northern California nearly burned Toronto's Concert Hall to the ground due to the friction caused by how fast they played their guitars. They were inspired by a new wave of British metal, played heavier and more frantically; who ever thought it would have so much staying power? That band was of course Metallica, and by the next winter they were headlining their own tour with a stop at Maple Leaf Gardens. Fast-forward to 2025, and the thrash metal pioneers now need a full four days in Toronto — to host an art exhibition inspired by their music, launch a coffee-table book and screen a preview of a documentary about how they've saved fan's lives. Not to mention play a pair of sold-out concerts at Rogers Centre. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW As grizzled as James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo may now seem, they haven't missed a beat. They still know how to put on a bombastic headbangers' ball. At the first night of shows, there were more interludes and rest periods than in the good ol' speed demon days, just as the dates on the tour are more spread out. The newest wrinkle for the ongoing M72 World Tour, which began with the release of their 11th studio album, '72 Seasons,' in 2023, is that no two setlists in the same city are the same, no songs are repeated. Which makes sense given their extensive body of work dating back to 1983, but can make things expensive for even their most loyal of fans. Words can't really do justice to the transformation Rogers Centre underwent shortly after the Blue Jays wrapped their latest homestand in anticipation of Metallica's Toronto takeover. The entire field was covered and eight towers were erected with cylindrical video screens atop each one projecting images, including a cool montage of ticket stubs from the nearly 20 Toronto-area shows played over their Canadian concert history. There were also plenty of close-ups of the four of them doing what they do best, while the band made full use of the not-quite-circular stage; drummer Ulrich had his kit moved around so as many people as possible on the floor could get a good look at his playing prowess. The set featured an eclectic mix of compulsory cuts off of '72 Seasons' including the title track, 'If Darkness Had a Son' and 'Shadows Follow' relatively early on. I don't know if they'd be considered deep cuts, but I was surprised to hear 'Holier Than Thou' over other potential choices from Metallica's breakthrough 1991 self-titled album as well as 'Ride the Lightning''s 'Fight Fire With Fire' with its misleadingly gentle acoustic opening. And from 2008's 'Death Magnetic,' 'The Day That Never Comes' was a welcome inclusion. There was even an impressive mosh pit that broke out during the prolonged instrumental — and tribute to late former bassist Cliff Burton — 'Orion.' It was not as impressive, however, as the amplified singalong that commenced during 'Nothing Else Matters.' And if the older attendees thought of nodding off around the 10:30 p.m. mark, 'Fuel,' with Hetfield's rapid and loud delivery of 'Gimme fuel / Gimme fire / Gimme that which I desire' definitely woke everyone up. I don't know if I'll get the image of giant yellow and black beach balls dropped from the towers and bouncing through the stadium during the 'Kill 'Em All' classic 'Seek and Destroy' anytime soon, but that's Metallica in 2025, I guess.
Toronto Star
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Review: Metallica brings the noise to Rogers Centre in blistering concert
Metallica 3 stars (out of four) Rogers Centre, Toronto, April 24, 2025 A little more than 40 years ago — Jan. 19, 1985, to be exact — an upstart young band from Northern California nearly burned Toronto's Concert Hall to the ground due to the friction caused by how fast they played their guitars. They were inspired by a new wave of British metal, played heavier and more frantically; who ever thought it would have so much staying power? That band was of course Metallica, and by the next winter they were headlining their own tour with a stop at Maple Leaf Gardens. Fast-forward to 2025, and the thrash metal pioneers now need a full four days in Toronto — to host an art exhibition inspired by their music, launch a coffee-table book and screen a preview of a documentary about how they've saved fan's lives. Not to mention play a pair of sold-out concerts at Rogers Centre. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW As grizzled as James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo may now seem, they haven't missed a beat. They still know how to put on a bombastic headbangers' ball. At the first night of shows, there were more interludes and rest periods than in the good ol' speed demon days, just as the dates on the tour are more spread out. The newest wrinkle for the ongoing M72 World Tour, which began with the release of their 11th studio album, '72 Seasons,' in 2023, is that no two setlists in the same city are the same, no songs are repeated. Which makes sense given their extensive body of work dating back to 1983, but can make things expensive for even their most loyal of fans. Words can't really do justice to the transformation Rogers Centre underwent shortly after the Blue Jays wrapped their latest homestand in anticipation of Metallica's Toronto takeover. The entire field was covered and eight towers were erected with cylindrical video screens atop each one projecting images, including a cool montage of ticket stubs from the nearly 20 Toronto-area shows played over their Canadian concert history. There were also plenty of close-ups of the four of them doing what they do best, while the band made full use of the not-quite-circular stage; drummer Ulrich had his kit moved around so as many people as possible on the floor could get a good look at his playing prowess. The set featured an eclectic mix of compulsory cuts off of '72 Seasons' including the title track, 'If Darkness Had a Son' and 'Shadows Follow' relatively early on. I don't know if they'd be considered deep cuts, but I was surprised to hear 'Holier Than Thou' over other potential choices from Metallica's breakthrough 1991 self-titled album as well as 'Ride the Lightning''s 'Fight Fire With Fire' with its misleadingly gentle acoustic opening. And from 2008's 'Death Magnetic,' 'The Day That Never Comes' was a welcome inclusion. There was even an impressive mosh pit that broke out during the prolonged instrumental — and tribute to late former bassist Cliff Burton — 'Orion.' It was not as impressive, however, as the amplified singalong that commenced during 'Nothing Else Matters.' And if the older attendees thought of nodding off around the 10:30 p.m. mark, 'Fuel,' with Hetfield's rapid and loud delivery of 'Gimme fuel / Gimme fire / Gimme that which I desire' definitely woke everyone up. I don't know if I'll get the image of giant yellow and black beach balls dropped from the towers and bouncing through the stadium during the 'Kill 'Em All' classic 'Seek and Destroy' anytime soon, but that's Metallica in 2025, I guess.
