Jay Leno on pro wrestling: “I had people telling me it was beneath the host of The Tonight Show–but I loved it”

Also–a look at the latest Rhodes-Cena interaction and what that means moving forward

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Jay Leno on Road Wild ’98: “I practiced for something like six weeks”

When Jay Leno wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, not everyone was pleased about it.

You read that correctly. In the summer of ’98, Leno, who was the host of The Tonight Show, feuded with Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff.

And you thought pro wrestling in 2025 was something else.

A genius at cross-promotional affairs, Bischoff generated all sorts of interest in WCW with the likes of NFL greats Reggie White and Kevin Greene appearing in the ring. He struck gold when he brought in as active NBA stars in Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman. And though it generated mixed reviews, Bischoff also engineered a crossover feud with the host of The Tonight Show–and Kevin Eubanks, the leader of The Tonight Show band.

The feud culminated in a tag match at Road Wild ’98, with Leno and “Diamond” Dallas Page teaming to battle Hogan and Bischoff at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that August in South Dakota.

Never to be mistaken with David Arquette winning the world title, Leno’s in-ring cameo still stood as a source of controversy. The majority of wrestling fans overwhelmingly disapproved when Leno applied an arm lock on Hogan during their tag match, with Hogan selling the effect of the move–yet controversy was at the core of what Bischoff was seeking to create.

For Leno, it was another opportunity to entertain.

“I had people telling me it was beneath the host of The Tonight Show–but I loved it,” said Leno. “I practiced for it–practiced for something like six weeks. And every cent we made doing it went to charity.”

The opportunity to work with Leno afforded Bischoff a new contact at The Tonight Show. That didn’t win the battle against WWE, but it added another level of excitement to pro wrestling in the late 90’s.

As for the match, it was a one-off for Leno. He has fond memories of the experience, and he appreciates that people still remember it.

“It comes up from time to time,” said Leno. “To this day, I still hear, ‘You looked so pissed at Hogan!’ I try to explain that I wasn’t mad, I was part of it. Hogan and Bischoff, they were nice guys. Kevin Eubanks and I, we had so much fun.”

Leno’s career shares plenty of parallels to pro wrestling. Rapidly approaching his fiftieth year as a standup comic, Leno, 75, is still on the road. He performed just outside of Boston on Friday, and next weekend he’ll have shows in Norman, Oklahoma and Fort Yates, North Dakota.

After his run atop the entertainment world as the lead man for The Tonight Show, a popular notion is that visiting smaller cities and towns is a step down for Leno. Yet he feels just the opposite. It offers a chance to reconnect with his roots as a standup comic foot soldier, touring the country with one goal in mind–entertaining the masses.

“The world has grown so distant,” said Leno. “Going on the road, I get to interact with people in the audience. I get to read the crowd and react. I get to interact with them–I love that.

“You can’t feel the full effect of a comedy special by watching it on an iPhone. I’d rather do 100 dates on the road instead of one [streamed] comedy special.”

Just like famed pro wrestlers working independent dates well beyond the height of their success, Leno has a home away from home on the road.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Leno. “People show up now to see if I’m still alive, which is fine with me. I still love doing it.”

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Cody Rhodes and John Cena set up pivotal match

John Cena and Cody Rhodes/WWE

Cody Rhodes and John Cena went face to face on SmackDown.

Like last week on Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rhodes got the better of Cena for a second straight time. And that is a tell-tale sign of what we’ll see in their tag match at Money in The Bank–where the heels should win.