Known for his tough-guy appearance, WWE wrestler Tyrus possesses an unexpected depth that extends beyond his imposing presence.
Smart, eloquent, and observant, he has triumphed over personal challenges including a difficult upbringing during which he initially desired to alter his skin hue.
Though that pain never goes away, Tyrus chose to use it to create strength rather than let it drive resentment. This paper looks at Tyrus’ path—and the renowned wife who supports him. Keep watching to find out how she influenced his amazing narrative.
Tyrus, 51, is a name that likely resonates for anyone into wrestling. A former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, he had a major influence in the ring.
But nowadays, he is known for more than only his wrestling ability. Especially as a co-host on the late-night talk show Gutfeld!, he has become a cable news figure who often features on Fox News and Fox Nation.
Still, his road to celebrity and wealth was not a straight line. To be honest, given where he began, it’s difficult to believe how far he has traveled.
A difficult beginning: Tyrus’s childhood challenges
Tyrus, originally George Murdoch, was born on February 21, 1973, in Boston, Massachusetts. His path to celebrity is really amazing.
Tyrus was not given a smooth beginning, however. Born to teen parents—his father was 19 and his mother just 15—he grew up in a rocky Los Angeles home. When his violent father hurt him as a toddler, causing him a damaged eye, the scenario turned tragically. Tyrus’s mother ran away from this event, bringing him and his brother with her.
Tyrus and his brother, however, were not accepted in their grandparents’ house because of their mixed-race background, which drove them into foster care. The rejection was difficult, and young Tyrus was “obsessed” with altering his skin tone, thinking it would bring him back together with his family.
Tyrus and his brother finally came back to their mother, who labored relentlessly—often up to 80 hours a week—to support them. The family’s occasional six-month travel to follow her job made stability a transient idea.
A stepfather made everything worse. Fifteen-year-old Tyrus departed home unwilling to embrace this new parental figure. Proud and homeless, he would not seek assistance. He spent many nights in his school’s locker room concealing himself.
Sports as a means of salvation
Tyrus discovered salvation in sports—especially football—amid the turmoil.
Football gave me life back. No doubt. Without football, “I would be dead or in prison,” he later told the Lexington Clipper-Herald.
Football helped Tyrus to find male role models, be responsible, and make friends. But perhaps more crucial? He discovered a distant objective to pursue, something to battle for.
His lifeline was coaches and teammates who provided him not just a place to crash but also guidance. His love of football also paved the way for more schooling.
The enormous, offensive lineman drew the interest of scouts, which helped him get into Antelope Valley College and then the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK).
Tyrus excelled with the Lopers football squad at UNK, where his size and ability were well known. Not exactly a team anyone wanted to face, the Lopers offensive line averaged more than 300 pounds per guy.
The sports were good, but much more crucially, Tyrus developed as a person throughout his time at UNK. He became a man, understanding the need of discipline, organization, and honoring his word.
Still, he was dogged by financial difficulties. Though he graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Tyrus could not buy a cap and gown to go to his graduation ceremony. True to habit, he declined to seek assistance, a choice he eventually acknowledged was motivated by pride.
From bar brawl to wrestling celebrity
Many may not be aware, but Tyrus really had several NFL tryouts. Sadly, they didn’t work out; later a burst appendix destroyed any hopes of a profession on football’s largest stage.
Following those tragic events, Tyrus started his night job as a nightclub bouncer and his day job as a substitute teacher.
Tyrus’s journey into the wrestling universe is quite amusing.
Tyrus was working as a nightclub bouncer one early 2000s night when two rowdy customers started fighting. The fight soon turned into a full-blown brawl, and Tyrus intervened to calm things down. He says he “clunked their little heads together and carried them out like a suitcase” all the while making jokes.
Professional wrestler Tommy Dreamer took notice of this and couldn’t help but believe Tyrus’s natural appeal and muscular presence would play well on television.
Tyrus therefore made his pro wrestling debut in 2006 under the moniker Brodus Clay; he later rose to stardom as The Funkasaurus. He joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) by 2014; there most fans got to know him just as Tyrus.
What brought Tyrus to Gutfeld! Fox and
Tyrus’s larger-than-life attitude didn’t only connect in the ring; it also grabbed TV executives’ notice.
In fact, it’s very amusing. Tyrus playfully called out presenter Greg Gutfeld on social media, which started it all and launched a fun back-and-forth between the two. Gutfeld, who was entertained by their conversation, asked Tyrus to come on the late-night political and satirical show.
Tyrus has been a frequent fixture on Fox News since 2016, including on programs including The Daily Briefing and Fox & Friends. Known for being a chatty man even back in his football days, his candid attitude turned out to be just right for television.
Tyrus has been known for unreservedly expressing his thoughts.
Tyrus has also tried acting, yet that’s not all. Apart from the horror movie No One Lives, he’s been in TV shows including The Purge, MacGyver, and Syn.
Apart from co-hosting the podcast Tyrus & The Wise Men, this multi-talented individual has authored two novels. Becoming a New York Times bestseller, his 2022 book Just Tyrus: A Memoir He followed it with Nuff Said, published in 2023.
Who is Tyrus’s wife?
On January 7, 2024, Tyrus wed his lifelong companion, Ingrid Rinck Herbert.
For almost ten years, Ingrid, a successful businesswoman and fitness coach, has been a major player in Tyrus’ personal life. Focusing on whole living, Ingrid Murdoch founded the lifestyle and fitness company The Rinck Routine.
Drawing on her twenty years of personal training experience, she also founded Sensible Meals, a meal preparation business, to enable others reach their health objectives.
