TORONTO - Even as Hulkamania was catching fire around the world, former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas says Hulk Hogan always treated him like 鈥渙ne of the boys.鈥
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鈥檚 Maple Leaf Gardens.
鈥淗ulk 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,鈥 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.
鈥淭he entire time Linda was talking about how beautiful the city is, this is her first time, oh my goodness. I could see Hulk鈥檚 eyes going, 鈥極h boy,鈥欌 he laughs.
鈥淲hen we got to the building, he pulled me aside and said, 鈥楤rother, I鈥檓 sorry.鈥 I said, 鈥楩or what?鈥 He said, 鈥楽he kept going on and on.鈥 I got a chuckle out of it and so did he. That鈥檚 the nature he had 鈥 Here鈥檚 this megastar and he鈥檚 concerned about my needs.鈥
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鈥檚 golden era and one of the most recognizable pop culture figures of the 1980s.
Korderas would referee many of Hogan鈥檚 matches over the years and says he felt 鈥渓ike a kid in a candy store鈥 doing so.
鈥淵ou're trying to curb your emotions while you're out there trying to do your job, but at the same time you're thinking, 鈥極h my God, I'm in here with Hulk Hogan,鈥欌 says the 63-year-old, reached by phone Thursday in Toronto.
鈥淗e 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.鈥
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鈥檚 team battled Andr茅 the Giant鈥檚 in a stacked main event.
鈥淚 have this picture of myself and (referee) Joey Marella in the ring trying to keep Andr茅 the Giant and Hulk Hogan separated,鈥 he says.
鈥淥ther guys got a great reaction from the crowd, whether it was cheering or booing, but it was different when Hogan entered the ring 鈥 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.鈥
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 鈥淗ollywood鈥 persona, while The Rock was WWE鈥檚 top babyface 鈥 but the Toronto crowd flipped the script and threw its support behind Hogan.
While Korderas didn鈥檛 referee the match, he snuck out to watch it live and says several wrestlers did the same.
鈥淭he 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,鈥 he recalls.
鈥淎sk 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.鈥
Behind the scenes, Korderas says Hogan treated him like 鈥減art of the locker room鈥 鈥 ribbing included.
During the 鈥80s, then-CEO Vince McMahon enforced a strict no-smoking policy in WWE. Korderas remembers sneaking a cigarette before stepping into an elevator 鈥 only to find McMahon, Hogan, Brutus (The Barber) Beefcake and several other wrestlers already inside.
鈥淭he entire ride down, Vince is reading me the riot act about how bad smoking is,鈥 Korderas says.
鈥淲hile he's doing that, Hulk was giving me little elbow shots in the back, so I'm jerking forward. Vince is like, 鈥楢re you all right? What's wrong with you?鈥 I said, 鈥楴o, I am good.鈥 And the whole time, they're all laughing. So Hulk was a bit of a prankster at times.鈥
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 鈥渁 racist, to a point.鈥 He later issued a public apology.
Korderas says the news 鈥渄isappointed鈥 him, and that he had 鈥渘ever witnessed that side鈥 of Hogan.
鈥淚t's hard when you hear that stuff about people who you consider friends,鈥 he says.
"It makes me feel sad to see that side."
Still, he says it鈥檚 tough to deny Hogan鈥檚 role in reshaping the wrestling industry.
鈥淭he 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,鈥 Korderas says.
鈥淭ake the other stuff away from it, the controversies 鈥 you can't deny that he was the catalyst for this.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published July 25, 2025.
