Toronto referee remembers Hulk Hogan, the man behind the myth

National Post

25-07-2025

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.'
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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.
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'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.
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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.
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'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.
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'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.'
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Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, died Thursday at 71.
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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.
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Korderas would referee many of Hogan's matches over the years and says he felt 'like a kid in a candy store' doing so.
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'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.
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'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.'
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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 Andre the Giant's in a stacked main event.
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'I have this picture of myself and (referee) Joey Marella in the ring trying to keep Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan separated,' he says.
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'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.'
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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.