Legendary daytime talk show host Phil Donahue has died at 88 and while his connection to pro wrestling was small, he had an impactful contribution in March 1992.
During the WWF’s ring boy & steroid scandal in the early ‘90s, Donahue dedicated an entire episode of his program to the issues on March 16, 1992.
Those invited to speak on the show included former wrestlers Bruno Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham, Barry Orton, and Tom Hankins as well as reporters Dave Meltzer and John Arezzi.
The key guest was Vince McMahon, who agreed at the last minute to participate and had an elaborate plan to reveal former ring boy Tom Cole in the crowd to discredit members of the panel but his plan never came to fruition. Cole and another ring boy, Chris Loss, first went public by speaking to Jeff Savage of the San Diego Union-Tribune with accusations against ring announcer Mel Phillips with Cole also alleging he was propositioned by executive Terry Garvin (Terry Joyal).
Cole quietly reached an agreement to return to the WWF and would be provided back pay. He was brought to the Donahue taping and sat in the audience with Linda McMahon and Elizabeth Hulette with reporter David Bixenspan covering the story for Business Insider in 2020:
According to Cole, the plan was that if his name came up, Vince would point him out, and then announce the settlement in a dramatic televised gesture. But Phil Donahue didn’t even mention Cole, and Vince McMahon never got his triumphant moment.
The other significant guest was a former ring announcer, Murray Hodgson, who eviscerated McMahon on the show. Hodgson alleged he was fired for not accepting homosexual advances made by WWF official Pat Patterson. Hodgson’s claims were deemed not credible following a deposition in his civil suit over his release. After a deposition, his lawyer Ed Nusbaum, dropped Hodgson as a client and referred to Hodgson as a “lifelong con man.”
While the Donahue episode’s title indicated a focus on the ring boy scandal, it was a minor part of the hour-long subject matter in favor of steroid usage and the overall wrestling culture along with members of the panel arguing over each other.
Donahue was very well-researched on the topic and didn’t have the condescending tone most people in his position would hold against professional wrestling.
The coverage of the scandals in 1992 was largely contained in tabloid news programs and Phil Mushnick’s coverage in the New York Post. The Donahue episode would not do any follow-up coverage on the stories but is frequently revisited due to the preservation of the episode on video-sharing sites such as YouTube, etc.
Donahue also did a show on pro wrestling during an AWA event in 1981.
Donahue was a 20-time Emmy winner, was awarded the Peabody Award in 1980, and was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden earlier this year.
The Phil Donahue Show aired until September 1996.
