On a recent episode of the “Marc Summers Unraps” podcast, legendary talk show host Jay Leno reflected on his memorable foray into professional wrestling, sharing detailed stories about the famous “Tonight Show” angle that set up his match, the rehearsal process, and his time working with the late Hulk Hogan in World Championship Wrestling.
The “Tonight Show” Takeover
The storyline that led to Leno stepping into a WCW ring began on his own turf. In 1998, then-WCW World Heavyweight Champion “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and WCW President Eric Bischoff appeared as guests on The Tonight Show. The appearance turned into a hostile takeover, as Hogan and Bischoff shoved Leno’s bandleader, ran down the host, and brought out other members of the nWo to hijack the program. The segment concluded when Diamond Dallas Page (DDP), who was in the audience, rushed the stage to defend Leno.
This high-profile television angle was a major crossover event that brought the world of pro wrestling directly to a mainstream late-night audience. It was during this chaotic on-air confrontation that the challenge was laid down for a tag team match to settle the score.
The Road Wild Main Event
The challenge culminated in the main event of the WCW Road Wild pay-per-view in August 1998, held in front of a massive crowd at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. For the charity event, Jay Leno teamed with Diamond Dallas Page to face the team of “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. When asked if the match was staged, Leno responded, “Yes, because you rehearsed for six weeks. I run this way. You throw me this way. I run this way.”
Fans Believing It Was Real
He also shared his humorous frustration with fans who, to this day, believe that his anger in the ring was genuine, despite him explaining that it was just part of the show. Leno said, “To this day, people want to go, ‘man, look, look, Jay, I know wrestling is fake, but I could tell man, you were pissed.’ I go, ‘No, I wasn’t.’ ‘And I could tell’ no, you can’t, don’t you understand it’s not real… ‘when you threw him down, you were mad.’ I go, ‘wasn’t mad, acting.’
A Classic Hogan Story
Summers told a story about traveling with Hogan for a personal appearance, highlighting the wrestler’s larger-than-life personality and a humorous contradiction. He explained that Hogan had a specific demand for his transportation. “His deal was, anytime he did a personal appearance, he had to have a yellow Rolls Royce,” Summers recalled.
He then pointed out the irony of Hogan’s request. “He says to me, as we’re driving to the airport in a yellow Rolls Royce, ‘I hate being recognized,'” Summers said, adding that Hogan was also wearing his signature bandana and wrestling tights at the time.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Marc Summers Unwraps with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
