Podcast Summary: Planet Tyrus – “My Story PT. 1”

Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Tyrus (George T. Murdoch)
Guest: Himself ("interviewing" his own story)

Overview:

In this candid, solo episode, Tyrus dives deep into his personal history—unpacking his journey from a painful, unstable childhood to forging his own identity as a wrestler, entertainer, and author. Full of raw storytelling, humor, and signature wit, Tyrus reflects on formative experiences: changing his name, surviving abuse, moving through foster care, and the hard choices made by those around him. He connects these moments to larger themes of resilience, personal growth, and what it means to become your own person. The episode culminates with the excitement of revealing his third book, featuring a foreword by President Trump, and a heartfelt unboxing of a unique fan gift.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Pain of Names

[00:30]

• Tyrus introduces the meaning behind his many name changes: from George T. Clements Jr. (after his biological father) to Murdoch (his mother’s family name), and ultimately Tyrus, his stage persona.
• “A name often is an extension of your family tree, your family history, of what makes you great. … In a lot of ways, I’m Jon Snow. Actually, even less than that. I’m Tyrus. I just cut it down.”
  — Tyrus [02:53]

Roots and a Lack of Them

• Born into a family with little stability or connection; describes his early feeling of rootlessness.
• Explains why, when starting school and sports, he changed his name from Clements to Murdoch—wanting to distance himself from the legacy of pain associated with his father.

2. Early Trauma: Survival and Resilience

[05:35]

• Born of a fraught relationship (bi-racial and underage parents, born in New Hampshire to avoid legal trouble in Massachusetts).
• Experiences ongoing abuse from a physically abusive, addict father. Paints a vivid scene of hiding under the bed for safety.
• “I literally came into the world and I got punched off jump. … I walked in the world; it was going to be an uphill battle.”
  — Tyrus [04:35]

Turning Point: Childhood Violence

[16:00]

• As a small child tries to “save” his mother from violence:
  • Inspired by TV shows, one night Tyrus tries to stab his father with a steak knife, but hits his father in the backside.
  • This escalates things dangerously, leading to his father’s rejection—“he decided that I couldn’t be his child because I betrayed him.”
    — Tyrus [22:40]

3. Foster Care, Family, and Being "Unwanted"

[29:00]

• After being rescued from his father by maternal relatives, faces a new challenge: his own grandfather refuses to raise biracial grandchildren, citing racism and social stigma.
• Details being turned over to foster care, only on the condition he and his brother could stay together.
  • “You make a bad decision over a worse decision because your intentions are good… Sometimes parenting isn’t as easy, or the decisions in life aren’t like TV, where you make a good versus a bad decision. Sometimes you just make a less-bad decision.”
    — Tyrus [37:00]

Profound Moments of Alienation

• Recalls his grandfather inspecting his hands and saying: “We just…He has pink hands. We can't. No one's going to believe he's anything but what he is.”
  — Tyrus [41:50]

4. Fighting for Belonging — the Foster Experience

[46:00]

• First day in new foster home, Tyrus and his brother are tricked into thinking their stay is temporary. When he realizes his mother has left, he goes wild—describes himself as “a monster.”
• Illustrates the deep connection—and pain—of being “unwanted” but determined to protect his brother and mother.

Cycle of Violence and Discipline

• Shares the infamous “corduroy suit” story: getting into an altercation (at age 5!) with his foster mom over discipline, ultimately hitting her with a stool, knocking her out.

  • “She told me to assume the position… but I grabbed the stool and held it at her. … And as she stepped towards me with the spatula, I swung and I cracked her…”
    — Tyrus [01:06:35]

• Attempts to run away, gets chased down and retrieved from a tree by the neighborhood, police, and fire department.

• Foster mom’s unwavering forgiveness—refusing to let him be taken away—deeply affects Tyrus:

  • “It clicked in me that day… someone wanted me. …There was people I would do anything for that didn’t want me. So this was completely weird to me.”
    — Tyrus [01:17:45]

Turning Point in His Character

• Foster dad’s lesson: Men do not hit women, and there are consequences for actions.

  • “Tomorrow will be a better day, and you’re going to be a better person tomorrow.”
    — Foster Dad, recounted by Tyrus [01:20:30]

• Tyrus credits this tough love with turning him from a future of violence toward the man he became.

5. Letting Go: “Sea Turtle” Philosophy

[01:32:00]

• Compares his relationship with his mother to sea turtles, who are abandoned early but must make their own way—sometimes, for everyone’s good, you have to let go.

• “You can love somebody and still know you have to let them go. …Sometimes life, your family, you have to be like sea turtles.”
  — Tyrus [01:40:00]

• Reframes his tumultuous relationship with his mother and past not with resentment, but as part of his journey.

6. Finding Identity & Self-Definition

[01:48:00]

• Story of changing his own last name in elementary school, “signing himself in” as Murdoch to sever ties with his father’s name, and later embracing the “Tyrus” moniker in wrestling.
• Expresses pride in forging something for himself, not being defined by trauma or family legacy.
  • “You have to paint your own canvas and you have to make yourself so big they see you with their eyes closed.” (Dusty Rhodes advice recounted) [01:54:20]

7. Writing His Story: Becoming an Author

[01:56:00]

• Excitement about releasing his third book, “What It Is, America,” which features a foreword by President Trump.

  • Shares the humorously awkward story of replacing another writer’s foreword with the president’s:
    • “What are you gonna do? The President of the United States wants to write a foreword for your book…”
      — Tyrus [01:58:15]

• Pride in the accomplishment—especially given his beginnings as a dyslexic kid with childhood trauma.

• Reflects on the journey:

  • “If you would have met me when I was an angry kid who wet the bed at night, was dyslexic, couldn’t read right, left, had a small stutter… to go to having a president write a foreword for your book—it’s very humbling.”
    — Tyrus [02:02:10]

8. Notable Wisdom & Life Lessons

• “Every road that leads to wherever you are, there’s going to be broken hearts scattered everywhere… disappointment, letdowns, lies—you name it, you're gonna go through it. And that's the point. So when you do get to a great place, you appreciate it because you've walked through hell and fire to get there.”
  — Tyrus [30:00]

• “Sometimes you make a bad decision over a horrible decision because the intentions are good.”
  — Tyrus [36:55]

• “In a lot of ways, you have to sea turtle it. You have to figure it out for yourself.”
  — Tyrus [01:43:00]

9. Fan Gifts & Community

[02:07:00]

• Unboxes a custom art piece on the podcast—artwork of the Tuskegee Airmen from artist David Lee Sample.

  • “This is what’s cool—when you are amongst the people, you get cool things.”
    — Tyrus [02:10:35]

• Jokes about other received gifts that “will go in the special mystery closet and never be seen again.”

Memorable Quotes

• “A lot of times, you’ll hear my story and want to say bad things about my mother. But… the decisions in life aren’t like TV. Sometimes you make a less-bad decision because the intentions are good.”
  — Tyrus [37:00]

• “You never know who you’ll meet in life… it is a small world, an extremely small world, so be thankful.”
  — Tyrus [02:06:25]

• “Every time you get to the top of the mountain, or anytime you’re at a high level of success, you need to remember you’re one step away from falling down that hill. ...Keep your knees bent—be ready, because anything can happen.”
  — Tyrus [02:03:55]

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• Origin of Name & Roots — [00:30] to [07:00]
• Birth Story & Early Abuse — [07:00] to [21:00]
• Fight with Father/Escalation — [16:30] to [23:00]
• Grandfather’s Rejection & Racial Alienation — [29:00] to [41:50]
• Foster Care Transition Story — [46:00] to [01:21:00]
• Sea Turtle Analogy / Family Philosophy — [01:32:00] to [01:44:00]
• Choosing His Own Name/Identity — [01:45:00] to [01:53:00]
• Life Lessons from Wrestling/Dusty Rhodes — [01:54:20] to [01:56:00]
• Book Reveal, Trump Forward Story — [01:56:00] to [02:03:55]
• Fan Gift Unboxing (Tuskegee Airmen art) — [02:07:00] to [02:13:30]

Tone and Style

• Bold, unfiltered, self-deprecating humor.
• Equal parts tough, vulnerable, and philosophical.
• Willing to be raw and honest with painful childhood details, but brings in humor and asides (e.g., “I would rock a day suit to this day”).
• Relentless focus on personal responsibility, resilience, and growth.

Conclusion / Next Episode Tease

• Tyrus promises the next solo episode will dive into “the wrestling, the bodyguard, the teaching stuff, and all those kind of things.”
• Signs off with gratitude for listeners, a nod to his evolving journey, and his usual cheeky sense of humor.

Summary prepared for those who want the essence, impact, and soul of Tyrus’ “My Story PT. 1” without missing the heart or humor that defines Planet Tyrus.