Planet Tyrus
Episode: The Moment WWE Admitted They Were Wrong
Date: March 26, 2026
Host: Tyrus (George Murdoch)
Guest Interviewer: [Unnamed]
Podcast: Outkick

Episode Overview

In this intimate, high-energy episode, the tables are turned as Tyrus sits down for a deep-dive, career-spanning interview. Listeners are treated to Tyrus’s candid, unfiltered account of his journey from aspiring football player, to bouncer, to WWE superstar — and the personal and professional hurdles he faced along the way. The episode centers on a powerful turning point: the moment WWE recognized they were wrong to have let him go, opening the door for his triumphant second act in the industry. Throughout, Tyrus’s signature humor and vulnerability are on display, and the conversation is punctuated with memorable stories, hard-won life lessons, and tributes to mentors like Dusty Rhodes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Sports Dreams & Hard Reality (00:30 – 12:12)

• Childhood & Football Ambition: Tyrus discusses dreams of playing in the NFL, his injuries, and the desperate hustle to make it in pro football.
  • Injury setbacks and the failed NFL tryouts (02:00 – 04:40)
  • Taking “penitentiary chances” in pursuit of a paycheck, and the realization he was chasing a fading dream (03:00)
  • “I just sat out there in the bench and I started crying...I knew it was over.” (00:30, 11:20)
• Transition to Wrestling: The emotional fallout from leaving football and struggling to define himself post-sports.

2. From Fanhood to First Steps in Wrestling (12:12 – 23:00)

• Lifelong Love for Wrestling: Childhood memories of watching Wild Samoans, Andre the Giant, and more.
  • Family backyard brawls and DIY wrestling belts (13:02, 14:00)
  • “We decided to come up with...somebody broke in the house and attacked us” to cover for broken furniture from wrestling at home (16:17)
• Crushing Realities of Breaking In: First humiliating encounter with the Canadian WWE office — being told he had no future.
  • “He basically said, you don’t have a good look, no one gives a shit that you’re big...” (23:57)
  • Paralyzed by insecurity and rejection, feeling “not enough for anything” (25:00)

3. Chance Encounters & Second Chances (30:03 – 48:46)

• Turning Point – Meeting Tommy Dreamer: While working as a bouncer, Tyrus impresses ECW star Tommy Dreamer, who encourages him to try out for WWE.

  • “You have a smirk on your face when you were throwing guys out...I think you got a future” – Tommy Dreamer (36:00)

• WWE Tryout & Grueling Training:

  • Wrestling tryout “they basically tried to make me quit. It was one of the toughest workouts ever.” (30:24–32:00)
  • Relentless personal drive: “My whole life has been there's—you're gonna have to do a whole lot more than this to me to get me to quit.” (32:30)

• Stumbling Start on the Road: Early matches were full of mistakes and embarrassment:

  • “Kofi and I had the worst match ever...that's not a hold!” (34:53)
  • “No, you never are [ready].” and Dusty Rhodes’s advice: “When you smell the popcorn...you’re gonna know exactly what to do.” (37:12)
  • “You have to learn to go forward by moving backwards...you have to learn to kick your own ass.” (33:30)

4. WWE Release, Humble Return, and Redemption (39:43 – 55:30)

• First WWE Run Ends in Disappointment:
  • Sent home after an unsuccessful run, “football failure, wrestling failure, but I didn’t burn my bridge.” (43:14)
• Bodyguarding for Snoop Dogg:
  • New chapter with Snoop; Snoop encourages Tyrus not to settle: “You don’t need to stand behind anybody...Go be you.” (53:00)
• Key Moment: WWE Admits Their Mistake
  • While with Snoop at a WWE event, John Laurinaitis approaches: “We made a mistake. We should never have let you go...I think you should come back.” (48:49)
  • “It was like you got divorced...and then, you show up and she looks at you and says, ‘You complete me.’” (50:02)
  • Tyrus’s newfound self-respect: asks for time to consider, credits Snoop for urging him to chase his dream, even at great personal cost (54:00)
  • “You gotta bet on yourself, but you also have to take into account that when you want more, you’re going to lose people.” (53:30)

5. Rebirth and Reinvention – Mentorship & The Power of “Owning Your Shit” (55:30 – 63:43)

• Weight/Gear Struggles & Dusty Rhodes’s Support:
  • After ballooning to 489 lbs, Tyrus has to drop the weight and wrestle in trunks, facing body image issues.
  • Dusty Rhodes famously supports him: “I didn’t want you to be alone, baby. Now go out there and work.” (55:45)
  • Learning the deeper, life-lesson value of wrestling from Dusty: “He owned all his shit, all his mistakes...because he’s like, what can you say to me? I already know.” (59:29)
• Dance Gimmick & Creative Frustration:
  • Initially resistant, Tyrus is challenged by Dusty to own even the “Funkasaurus” dancing gimmick:
  • “Are you better than me? ...I had kids to support...and he made me wear polka dots...and I turned that shit around.” – Dusty Rhodes to Tyrus (61:53)
  • Private, cathartic dance session: “He takes my hands like, let’s dance. I’m not like, hey, yeah.” (63:56)
  • “He climbed out of the ring, and I was dancing. He’s like, you got it.” (64:20)

6. Reaching “Home” – From WWE to NWA Champion (68:29 – 73:28)

• Triumphs & Titles:
  • Recounts first WWE championship match, TNA run, then finally winning the NWA title with a tribute to his mentors.
  • “When I won that championship, I took a knee and I put the title up. And I'm not a religious guy, but I thanked Dusty and it was like, I’m in the house.” (70:10)
  • Wrestling gave him the “rocket fuel” to launch every other aspect of his life and career (71:00)
  • Pride in being comfortable in front of crowds: “I was at my most comfortablelist [sic] in a pair of spandex in the ring, wrestling in front of grown ass men and women and children.” (73:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On rejection and insecurity:
  • “He basically said, you don’t have a good look, no one gives a shit that you’re big...you have no future in wrestling.” – Tyrus, on his first WWE meeting (23:58)
• On perseverance:
  • “You’re gonna have to do a whole lot more than this to me to get me to quit.” – Tyrus (32:30)
• On self-worth and mentors:
  • “Dusty, the American Dream, believes in me. And then, of course, as I continue to become a star...I got Dustin, I got Cody, and I got you.” – Dusty Rhodes to Tyrus (58:54)
• On creative humility:
  • “Are you better than me? ...I walked out there every night with my head held high because every time I walked out there, there was food on my family’s table. Are you better than me?” – Dusty Rhodes, to Tyrus (62:10)
• On overcoming shame:
  • “After wearing spandex, there is nothing I can’t do, literally. Except I don't want to wear them now on television. But if I had to...I'd do it.” – Tyrus (73:18)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:30 – Emotional football farewell
• 11:20 – Realization it’s over, breaking down on the bench
• 13:02–19:30 – Childhood wrestling obsessions, family stories
• 23:00–25:00 – Humiliating first WWE tryout, confronting prejudice and doubt
• 30:24–34:52 – WWE tryout camps, “They basically tried to make me quit”
• 37:12 – Dusty’s advice on making the most of the moment
• 48:49–50:20 – The moment WWE admits their mistake and asks Tyrus to return
• 53:00 – Snoop’s pep talk: “Go be you”
• 55:45 – Dusty Rhodes’s emotional support over body image
• 61:53–64:20 – Turning point: embracing the dance gimmick, Dusty’s challenge and partnership
• 70:10 – First championship win and tribute to Dusty
• 73:08 – “Home” in the ring – pride in personal growth and self-acceptance

Tone & Style

The episode flows with the mix of humor, streetwise candor, and raw vulnerability that’s quintessentially Tyrus. His storytelling swings from gritty, self-deprecating, and irreverent, to inspiring and deeply heartfelt. Mentorship, humility, and second chances are constant themes, with stories both wild and profoundly relatable.

For New Listeners

This episode stands as a definitive introduction to Tyrus’s unfiltered worldview, his resilience, and his hard-won wisdom—whether you’re tuning in for wrestling nostalgia, life lessons, or just the laughs. It’s a ride from rejection to realization, guided by a voice that “calls it out there,” unafraid to own both the pain and the triumphs.