Toronto mayor beats Hogan

Assocaited Press

TORONTO

Toronto’s larger-than-life mayor took down wrestling star Hulk Hogan in a friendly arm-wrestling match Friday to kick off an annual pop culture convention.

The 14-time world wrestling champion, in a T-shirt and his trademark bandana, entered the room to applause and his old wrestling theme music, while Mayor Rob Ford strutted in to “Eye of the Tiger.” Ford ripped off his jacket and tie, untucked his dress shirt and rolled up his sleeves.

“Big man, oh, that’s all you got?” Hogan asked Ford, who weighs in at 307 pounds as the pair locked hands.

“Not only am I going to rip this arm off, I’m going to take your job while I’m at it, brother. Mayor Hogan,” he added.

A sweating Ford seemed to struggle at first. But after 20 some seconds of trash talk and stalemate, he slammed Hogan’s arm down.

“I own this town!” Ford said.

Hogan grimaced. “That was a setup,” he said, without a hint of irony.

“The only reason he beat me is because he’s younger,” the 60-year-old Hogan said of the 44-year-old mayor, whom he nicknamed “Fantastic Ford.”

“It was like wrestling a friggin’ grizzly bear,” Ford said of the 302-pound wrestler.

The event took place at Fan Expo Canada, a convention celebrating diverse pop culture genres.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was in Toronto for the expo.

Ford said Hogan has been his hero since he was a “little guy.” He tweeted after the match, “I own this town@HulkHogan! Thanks for being such a great sport.”

The wrestler took to Twitter: “Just arm wrestled Mayor Ford from Toronto, had a great time brother.”