Toronto mayor defeats Hulk Hogan in arm-wrestling

[August 24, 2013]  TORONTO (AP) -- 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 bandanna, 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 an "uncensored" question-and-answer session at the expo.

Ford most recently made world news over allegations that he appeared in a video smoking crack cocaine. The video has not been released publicly.

When asked if he thought the alleged video of the mayor was real, Hogan responded, "I'm hungry."

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

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

[Associated Press; By CHARMAINE NORONHA]

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