Episode Details

Episode 9: Curt Hennig, The Equalizer, and Sky Hi Lee

From the son of a legend to a towering Hollywood star, this episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters spotlights three wrestlers who each took very different paths—but all passed through Portland on their way to something bigger.

Host Frank Culbertson revisits three fascinating careers that began or evolved in the Pacific Northwest:

💫 Curt Hennig — Before he was “Mr. Perfect,” Curt Hennig was a rising young star in Portland. From his 1982 debut to his legendary series of matches with Dynamite Kid—called the best in the country by Dave Meltzer—Hennig’s time here shaped the technical precision that made him one of wrestling’s greatest performers.

💥 The Equalizer (Dave Sullivan) — Trained by The Grappler, The Equalizer was already 33 when he debuted in 1990, but he quickly made an impression. After a run in WCW as the dyslexic “Evad Sullivan,” he found himself sharing the ring with Ric Flair, Sting, and Hulk Hogan. A classic Portland story—big heart, big frame, and bigger personality.

🎬 Sky Hi Lee (Tyler Mane) — Standing 6’10”, this giant trained under Stu Hart and Red Bastien before breaking into Portland in 1986. His wrestling career didn’t last long, but it opened the door to Hollywood. Under his real name, Tyler Mane, he went on to star in X-Men, The Scorpion King, and Halloween. From Don Owen’s territory to blockbuster films—talk about better things.

Three wrestlers. Three careers. All connected by the same place: Portland Wrestling.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes every Friday.