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Paul Orndorff Wonderful Life · Gil I Am

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  Speaker 1: The wonderful life of Paul Orndorff, the man who nearly
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  Speaker 1: ended Hulkamania Gilliam. Pro wrestling history revealed. Imagine this. It's 1986.
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  Speaker 1: Hulk Hogan is the biggest superstar in professional wrestling. Hulkamania
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  Speaker 1: is running wild. Millions of fans are buying the merchandise,
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  Speaker 1: watching the television shows, and cheering for the Hulkster. But suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: one man decides he's had enough. A man with enormous arms,
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  Speaker 1: an incredible physique, and one of the most devastating pile
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  Speaker 1: drivers in wrestling history. And here's the crazy part. This
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  Speaker 1: man was once Hulk Hogan's friend. He helped headline the
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  Speaker 1: very first WrestleMania. He later battled Hogan in front of
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  Speaker 1: more than 60,000 wrestling fans, and their rivalry became one
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  Speaker 1: of the most financially successful feuds of the 1980s. But
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  Speaker 1: despite his incredible success, serious injuries would eventually change his
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  Speaker 1: career forever. His name? Paul Orndorff. Mr. Wonderful. Welcome to
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  Speaker 1: Gil I Am. Today, October 29th, we're celebrating the birthday,
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  Speaker 1: career accomplishments, and extraordinary life of one of wrestling's most
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  Speaker 1: unforgettable villains. And brother, this story is going to be wonderful.
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  Speaker 1: Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. was born October 29th, 1949, in Winchester, Virginia.
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  Speaker 1: He grew up in Florida, where he developed into an
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  Speaker 1: outstanding athlete. But here's something many wrestling fans don't realize.
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  Speaker 1: Paul Orndorff was a legitimate football star. He played college
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  Speaker 1: football at the University of Tampa, and in 1973, the
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  Speaker 1: New Orleans Saints selected him in the 12th round of
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  Speaker 1: the NFL Draft. That's right. Before Mr. Wonderful became a
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  Speaker 1: wrestling superstar, he had an opportunity to play professional football.
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  Speaker 1: Although his NFL career never took off, he also spent
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  Speaker 1: time in the World Football League. Eventually, Orndorff found a
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  Speaker 1: different calling, professional wrestling. He trained for the business and
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  Speaker 1: made his wrestling debut in 1976. And let me tell
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  Speaker 1: you something, Paul Orndorff didn't have to pretend to look intimidating.
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  Speaker 1: The man was built like he had been carved out
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  Speaker 1: of granite. Broad shoulders, massive arms, and a legitimate athletic background.
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  Speaker 1: But having a great physique wasn't enough. He had to
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  Speaker 1: learn how to perform, draw money, and make people believe
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  Speaker 1: they were watching a real fight. And he was about
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  Speaker 1: to get one incredible education. Before national wrestling television dominated
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  Speaker 1: the business, professional wrestling was divided into territories. And Paul
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff worked his way through some of the toughest promotions
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  Speaker 1: in America. Memphis, Georgia, the Mid-South, the Southeastern Territories. He
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  Speaker 1: battled wrestlers such as Jerry the King Lawler, Ted DiBiase,
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  Speaker 1: Jake the Snake Roberts, and the Junkyard Dog. Now understand something.
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  Speaker 1: These weren't easy places to become successful. You had to
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  Speaker 1: travel constantly, you had to wrestle night after night, and
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  Speaker 1: you had to convince people to spend their hard-earned money
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  Speaker 1: to watch you fight. Orndorff became a major attraction. He
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  Speaker 1: captured regional championships, including the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
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  Speaker 1: in Mid-South Wrestling and the NWA National Heavyweight Championship in Georgia.
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  Speaker 1: But here is what made him special. His personality matched
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  Speaker 1: his physique. He was cocky. He was arrogant. And when
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  Speaker 1: he looked into the camera, he made you believe he
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  Speaker 1: could whip anybody standing across from him. In 1983, the
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  Speaker 1: World Wrestling Federation came calling. And soon, The man who
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  Speaker 1: had dominated regional arenas would be wrestling on the biggest
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  Speaker 1: stage in the business. March 31, 1985. Madison Square Garden.
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  Speaker 1: New York City. The very first WrestleMania. And guess who
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  Speaker 1: was in the main event? Paul Orndorff. On one side
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  Speaker 1: stood Hulk Hogan and television superstar Mr. T. On the other,
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  Speaker 1: Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff. This wasn't
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  Speaker 1: an ordinary wrestling match. It was a massive entertainment spectacle.
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  Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali was involved as a special guest referee. Celebrities
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  Speaker 1: were everywhere, and the future of Vince McMahon's national wrestling
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  Speaker 1: expansion was riding on this event's success. But here's something
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  Speaker 1: younger fans might not know. The first WrestleMania wasn't headlined
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  Speaker 1: by a world championship defense. It was a tag team match,
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  Speaker 1: and Paul Orndorff was one of the four men chosen
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  Speaker 1: to carry it. Think about that. The very first WrestleMania
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  Speaker 1: main event, not Randy Savage, not Andre the Giant, not
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  Speaker 1: the Ultimate Warrior, Paul Orndorff. Unfortunately for Mr. Wonderful, Cowboy
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  Speaker 1: Bob Orton accidentally struck him with his arm cast, Hogan
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  Speaker 1: pinned Orndorff, and the Hulksters team won, but that defeat
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  Speaker 1: would lead to another major chapter in Orndorff's career. After WrestleMania,
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  Speaker 1: Roddy Piper and Bob Orton blamed Paul Orndorff for their defeat.
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  Speaker 1: They turned against him, and suddenly the fans began cheering
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  Speaker 1: for Mr. Wonderful. Imagine that. One of wrestling's most arrogant
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  Speaker 1: villains was becoming a fan favorite. Orndorff eventually developed a
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  Speaker 1: friendship with Hulk Hogan. and for a while, everything seemed wonderful.
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  Speaker 1: But professional wrestling loves jealousy, and this storyline was about
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  Speaker 1: to become one of the greatest betrayals of the decade.
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff grew tired of living in Hulk Hogan's shadow. There
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  Speaker 1: was even an ongoing storyline involving Hogan failing to return
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff's telephone call. Yes, folks, one of wrestling's biggest rivalries
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  Speaker 1: was partly built around a phone call. And then came
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  Speaker 1: July 1986. Hogan and Orndorff teamed against King Kong Bundy
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  Speaker 1: and Big John Studd. After the match, Orndorff appeared to
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  Speaker 1: save Hogan from a beating. The fans cheered. He helped
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  Speaker 1: Hogan to his feet, raised his hand, and then, boom,
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  Speaker 1: a clothesline. Then came the pile driver. Paul Orndorff had
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  Speaker 1: betrayed Hulk Hogan. And just like that, one of the
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  Speaker 1: hottest rivalries of the 1980s was born. Now, here's where
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  Speaker 1: Paul Orndorff's career became something extraordinary. August 28, 1986, Exhibition Stadium, Toronto, Canada.
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  Speaker 1: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
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  Speaker 1: More than 60,000 fans packed the stadium. Let that sink in.
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  Speaker 1: More than 60,000 people coming to see Hulk Hogan battle Mr. Wonderful.
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  Speaker 1: And here's what made the feud incredible. Hogan was the
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  Speaker 1: ultimate superhero. Orndorff was the jealous former friend who believed
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  Speaker 1: he deserved Hogan's spotlight. Now managed by Bobby the Brain Heenan,
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff had every reason to hate the champion. He even
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  Speaker 1: used Hogan's own entrance music to mock him. Talk about
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  Speaker 1: getting inside somebody's head. The atmosphere in Toronto was electric.
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff attacked Hogan with everything he had. And when Bobby
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  Speaker 1: Heenan interfered, the championship match ended in controversy. Hogan retained
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  Speaker 1: the title by disqualification. But the important point wasn't simply
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  Speaker 1: who won. It was the size of the attraction. Paul
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff had proven he could headline a massive stadium event
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  Speaker 1: against professional wrestling's biggest superstar. And the rivalry wasn't finished.
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  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about one of the most famous finishes
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  Speaker 1: in wrestling television history. December 1986, Hulk Hogan versus Paul
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff inside a steel cage. The match was taped for
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  Speaker 1: Saturday night's main event and broadcast on January 3rd, 1987.
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  Speaker 1: And remember, this wasn't the modern steel cage match where
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  Speaker 1: escaping doesn't always matter. In this match, getting out of
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  Speaker 1: the cage could win you the championship. Hogan climbed one side,
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff climbed the other. Both men headed toward the floor.
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  Speaker 1: And then something absolutely unbelievable happened. They both landed at
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  Speaker 1: almost the exact same time. One referee declared Hogan the winner.
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  Speaker 1: Another declared Orndorff the winner. Who won? Who was the champion?
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  Speaker 1: Even the replay couldn't settle the controversy. So the match
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  Speaker 1: was restarted. Hogan eventually escaped the cage and retained his championship.
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  Speaker 1: But here's what made this moment special. For a brief instant,
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  Speaker 1: millions of television viewers were left wondering whether Hulk Hogan
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  Speaker 1: had actually lost the title. That's how dangerous Paul Orndorff
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  Speaker 1: had become in the eyes of wrestling fans. Mr. Wonderful
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  Speaker 1: had made the immortal Hulk Hogan look vulnerable. Now comes
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  Speaker 1: the difficult part of this story. During the peak of
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  Speaker 1: his career, Paul Orndorff was dealing with a serious physical problem.
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  Speaker 1: He suffered nerve damage affecting his neck and right arm.
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  Speaker 1: Accounts differ about exactly how the injury originally occurred, but
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  Speaker 1: the consequences were unmistakable. His right arm began losing muscle mass.
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  Speaker 1: And remember, Paul Orndorff's physique was part of what made
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  Speaker 1: him a superstar. His incredible arms and powerful build helped
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  Speaker 1: define the Mr. Wonderful character. Yet he continued wrestling through
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  Speaker 1: the pain. Why? Because this was the biggest money-making period
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  Speaker 1: of his career. The crowds were enormous, the arenas were
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  Speaker 1: selling out, and the opportunities were extraordinary. Eventually, the damage
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  Speaker 1: became too much. Orndorff stepped away from the WWF in
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  Speaker 1: early 1988. And here's the heartbreaking reality. The man who
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  Speaker 1: looked almost physically indestructible had suffered an injury that left
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  Speaker 1: lasting damage. But don't make the mistake of thinking that
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  Speaker 1: ended his story, because Mr. Wonderful wasn't finished with professional wrestling,
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  Speaker 1: not by a long shot. After time away from wrestling,
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  Speaker 1: Paul Orndorff returned to competition. And in the 1990s, he
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  Speaker 1: found another opportunity in world championship wrestling. Now, this was
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  Speaker 1: a different era. Wrestling had changed. New stars were emerging.
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  Speaker 1: But Orndorff still knew how to work. He still knew
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  Speaker 1: how to get a reaction. And most importantly, he still
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  Speaker 1: knew how to be a believable villain. In March 1993,
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  Speaker 1: Orndorff defeated Eric Watts in a tournament final to win
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  Speaker 1: the WCW World Television Championship. Mr. Wonderful was a champion again.
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  Speaker 1: But he wasn't finished collecting gold. He eventually teamed with
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  Speaker 1: Paul Roma. Together, they formed one of wrestling's most memorable,
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  Speaker 1: arrogant tag teams. Pretty Wonderful. Now, tell me that isn't
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  Speaker 1: the perfect name for two guys who thought they were
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  Speaker 1: God's gift to professional wrestling. In July 1994, Pretty Wonderful
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  Speaker 1: defeated Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan to capture the WCW
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  Speaker 1: World Tag Team Championship, and they would win those belts
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  Speaker 1: a second time later that year. So let's get this straight.
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  Speaker 1: A WrestleMania main eventer, a legendary opponent of Hulk Hogan,
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  Speaker 1: a WCW television champion, and a two-time WCW World Tag
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  Speaker 1: Team Champion with Paul Roma. That's not just a career,
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  Speaker 1: that's a resume. Eventually, the physical demands of professional wrestling
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  Speaker 1: caught up with Paul Orndorff, but even when his active
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  Speaker 1: wrestling career was winding down, he continued contributing to the business.
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  Speaker 1: He became a trainer at WCW's power plant, and this
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  Speaker 1: is another accomplishment that people sometimes overlook. He helped develop
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  Speaker 1: wrestlers who would become television stars. Among the names associated
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  Speaker 1: with his training work were Goldberg, Mark Jindrak, and Stacey Keebler.
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  Speaker 1: Think about that. The man who wrestled Hulk Hogan in
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  Speaker 1: the first WrestleMania era was now helping prepare talent for
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  Speaker 1: a new generation. In 2005, Paul Orndorff received one of
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  Speaker 1: wrestling's highest honors, induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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  Speaker 1: And who inducted him? None other than Bobby the Brain Heenan,
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  Speaker 1: the same legendary manager who had stood by his side
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  Speaker 1: during the historic feud with Hogan. Orndorff would also receive
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  Speaker 1: recognition from other wrestling halls of fame, He had succeeded
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  Speaker 1: in multiple territories, he had headlined stadium events, he had
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  Speaker 1: held championships, and he had passed his knowledge to younger performers.
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  Speaker 1: On July 12, 2021, Paul Orndorff passed away at the
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  Speaker 1: age of 71. But his wrestling legacy remains unforgettable. And today,
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  Speaker 1: October 29, 2026, we remember what would have been his
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  Speaker 1: 77th birthday. Paul Orndorff was never the WWF World Heavyweight Champion.
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  Speaker 1: But here's the question. Do you really need a world
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  Speaker 1: championship to be one of the biggest stars in wrestling history?
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  Speaker 1: He headlined the first WrestleMania. He helped sell out stadiums.
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  Speaker 1: He battled Hulk Hogan in one of wrestling's greatest rivalries.
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  Speaker 1: He captured championship gold around the country. And he helped
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  Speaker 1: prepare the stars of tomorrow. That sounds like one heck
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  Speaker 1: of a career to me. So let me ask you something.
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  Speaker 1: Was Paul Orndorff the most underrated superstar of the 1980s?
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  Speaker 1: And where does the Hogan-Orndorff rivalry rank among the greatest
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  Speaker 1: feuds of all time? Tell me in the comments. This
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  Speaker 1: is Gil. I am bringing you another chapter of pro
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  Speaker 1: wrestling history revealed because the championships may change hands. The
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  Speaker 1: arenas may close and the generations may come and go,
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  Speaker 1: but legends live forever. Paul Orndorff, Mr. Wonderful, one of
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  Speaker 1: the greatest villains to ever step inside the squared circle.