Standing 6’ 7” and proudly owning an abundance of charisma, Tyrus (actual identify: George Murdoch) spent years within the ring with the WWE and retired final yr after a run because the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. However, since stepping out of the ring, Tyrus’ capability to speak a great combat has been serving him properly within the media panorama, the place he now hosts Outkick’s Sustaining with Tyrus present, and interviews a variety of visitors.
At 51, Tyrus says that he’s lastly discovered to realize management of his weight by changing into accountable, and meaning having some actual discuss with himself.
“It’s only a dialog,” says the host of Outkick’s Sustaining with Tyrus about his method to interviewing visitors akin to Lara Trump, Kevin O’Leary, and even Piers Morgan .
“I don’t have an agenda.” The previous professional wrestler is just not new to broadcast media. He’s been honing his craft for greater than ten years due to his profitable visitor appearances on The Greg Gutfield Present on Fox Information, and changing into a frequent voice on the channel. In 2023, Tyrus was given the obligation of internet hosting the primary episode of Fox Information Saturday Night time and returned recurrently. In February, 2024, Tyrus debuted OutKick’s Sustaining with Tyrus, and he’s discovered that having all of these sincere conversations has made him extra accountable in his personal life.
One vital subject that has dogged the massive man for many of his life has been gaining management of his weight. “Earlier than, if I used to be having a foul day, I’d seize a Snickers, or a sandwich or twenty,” he smirks. “However as I obtained older, and extra assured in myself, I used to be in a position to management that extra. However that was one thing that I all the time struggled with.”
Tyrus says that he was in a position to persuade himself that weight points have been a non-issue
In his youthful days, working safety in golf equipment, Tyrus remembers that he was truly the lightest within the crew, regardless of weighing greater than 400 kilos, and this made it troublesome for him to get a deal with on his form.
“The stuff you’ll say to make your self okay with not being okay is superb,” displays Tyrus on his lack of ability to be accountable to himself at the moment. “The power you’re taking to cowl up your B.S. When you simply confronted it within the mirror, it’ll be so a lot better for you.” Due to his personal challenges with mastering his weight, Tyrus doesn’t consider in telling folks that it’s okay to be overweight by way of concern of upsetting somebody’s emotions. “I haven’t been the very best at this, however in the event you eat much less, and burn extra, you shed some pounds. And in the event you don’t, you don’t. It’s that easy,” he concludes.
Tyrus had performed school soccer for the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in his youth, however an harm diverted him into professional wrestling. Together with his larger-than-life presence, he signed with WWE in 2006 however was launched from his contract two years later. He returned to the corporate in 2010 and shortly shot to fame as Brodus “The Funkusaurus” Clay, flanked by backing dancers and a glance accomplished by a velour tracksuit.
Behind the scenes, nevertheless, WWE’s then chief, Vince McMahon was reportedly not proud of the burden that he had gained whereas away from WWE, and the story goes that McMahon responded by making Tyrus put on revealing trunks. “Vince McMahon referred to as down and he needed me in trunks, and I believe lots of that has to do with, while you get a giant man, you wanna ensure that he’s consuming proper and if he has to the place rattling trunks, he’s gonna eating regimen and keep on prime of his coaching.”
Thankfully, the late and legendary Dusty Rhodes, who additionally famously battled the bulge however turned a mat megastar, gave Tyrus the encouragement he wanted to personal his plight and suck it up with the trunks in order that his star may proceed to rise. Tyrus’ says that one huge cause for his weight acquire between these WWE runs was as a result of his profession had taken one other surreal flip and he’d labored as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg, no much less.
“He can eat something his desires, and he doesn’t acquire a pound,” jokes Tyrus, who was comfortable to be a part of the closely consuming entourage, however wasn’t immune from piling on the flab himself, reaching 498 kilos on his return weigh-in at WWE. “I left the WWE at 333 kilos,” he explains, which means that he’d gained a whopping 165 kilos in two years. “I didn’t notice, I had gotten so fats. It’s no excuse, it’s simply you will notice no matter you need to see.” Making the choice to get again in management, Tyrus labored with coaches like Rob Macintyre and commenced incomes awards for his dedication to creating a change. Tyrus says he obtained all the way in which again all the way down to 356 kilos throughout his second stint with WWE.
Tyrus conquered the wrestling world, and is now conquering a brand new type of figuring out
After a run with TNA/ IMPACT Wrestling, Tyrus retired from the wrestling ring in 2023 after lastly changing into a world heavyweight champion within the Nationwide Wrestling Alliance. Throughout his tenure with the NWA, now owned by Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Tyrus was in a position to raise the profile of the promotion by displaying the NWA belt on a Gutfield! industrial that aired throughout Tremendous Bowl LVII. Residing life as a professional wrestler introduced Tyrus many fond reminiscences, and meant that he obtained to journey the world, however alas, journey would show to be one of the troublesome facets of a grappler’s way of life for this man-mountain.
“The hardest factor on my physique, moreover wrestling and soccer, and bar preventing, and bodyguarding, was travelling on the planes,” explains Tyrus, who suffered with a variety of points within the air together with swelling in his knees. Now he avoids flights (and bar fights) wherever potential. “I used to have panic assaults in WWE as a result of I’d acquire 12 kilos of water, flying,” he says.
Tyrus says his coach would clarify to him that the burden acquire was as a result of water retention brought on by the stress of flights. By shifting to New Jersey and being nearer to his broadcast job, Tyrus is now not consistently within the air, and has just lately even been in a position to throw away a strolling cane that he’d come to depend on to assist him get round. “I couldn’t wait to see how far I may chuck that factor down my yard, as a result of I used to be finished with it,” he jokes.
Now on the opposite aspect of fifty, Tyrus has come to phrases with the truth that he’s not going to be lifting tremendous heavy like he did in his WWE heyday. However one factor that has put some pep again in his step is the act of stretching.
“You have got all of this heavy weight occurring, and also you’re used to only throwing stuff round, and everyone seems to be like ‘wow,’ you recognize? You encompass your self with monsters. When you try this now, 4 hours later you may be laying in the lounge of your own home and you’ll’t transfer anymore,” he laughs. “My coach stated why are you continue to lifting heavy? What do you will have left to show?”
Quite than run out and purchase beard dye to reclaim his youth, Tyrus says that he’s embraced the brand new chapter that being over 50 brings, and opts to rejoice the knowledge that he’s discovered from surviving on this planet as an alternative. He’s discovering that intermittent fasting helps to shift extra weight, and likes to tuck in to lean protein’s like fillet mignon. Tyrus remains to be on his weight-loss journey, and is now trying to get beneath 300 kilos. “Discuss to the particular person within the mirror, lead by instance, and other people will need to discuss to you about it once they see the outcomes of you being a greater you,” says the no-nonsense host. Now that’s actual discuss.
Take heed to OutKick’s Sustaining with Tyrus!
