In the third episode, Bruiser makes a powerful enemy - but also falls in love. Bruiser Brody was a wrestling star in the 1970s and 1980s; a classic villain of the ring, and a foil for wrestling heroes like Bruno Sammartino and Ric Flair. When he was killed in the dressing room before a fight in Puerto Rico, it shocked the world of wrestling, and pulled back the curtain on a world full of rumour, fakeouts and mystery. Comedian and wrestling fan Adam Hills tells the story of the larger than life character behind the truly unbelievable tale. Producer: Ilona Toller Assistant Producer: John Rogers Executive Producers: Robert Nicholson and Will Yates Sound Design and Mix: Mike Woolley A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Warning: This episode contains strong language. In episode two, Frank Goodish fights for the first time - and makes quite an impression on the world famous wrestling impresario Fritz von Erich. Bruiser Brody was a wrestling star in the 1970s and 1980s; a classic villain of the ring, and a foil for wrestling heroes like Bruno Sammartino and Ric Flair. When he was killed in the dressing room before a fight in Puerto Rico, it shocked the world of wrestling, and pulled back the curtain on a world full of rumour, fakeouts and mystery. Comedian and wrestling fan Adam Hills tells the story of the larger than life character behind the truly unbelievable tale. Producer: Ilona Toller Assistant Producer: John Rogers Executive Producers: Robert Nicholson and Will Yates Sound Design and Mix: Mike Woolley A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

In the first episode, Puerto Rico wakes up to the news of a brutal killing, and a young boy in Michigan starts taking his first steps towards superstardom in the ring. Bruiser Brody was a wrestling star in the 1970s and 1980s; a classic villain of the ring, and a foil for wrestling heroes like Bruno Sammartino and Ric Flair. When he was killed in the dressing room before a fight in Puerto Rico, it shocked the world of wrestling, and pulled back the curtain on a world full of rumour, fakeouts and mystery. Comedian and wrestling fan Adam Hills tells the story of the larger than life character behind this truly unbelievable tale. Producer: Ilona Toller Assistant Producer: John Rogers Executive Producers: Robert Nicholson and Will Yates Sound Design and Mix: Mike Woolley A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Coming soon to BBC Sounds, comedian Adam Hills tells the extraordinary story of the life, legend and death of Bruiser Brody, one of 1980s wrestling’s biggest stars and most enigmatic figures. Bruiser Brody was a classic villain of the ring and a foil for wrestling heroes like Bruno Sammartino and Ric Flair. When he was killed in the dressing room before a fight in Puerto Rico, it shocked the world of wrestling, and pulled back the curtain on a world full of rumour, fakeouts and mystery.

Coach Anthony: Like we said at the start, Anthony Curcio is the most unexpected person you will ever meet. A suburban dad and former football star turned felon. He pulled off one of the most creative bank heists in US history, robbing an armoured car and escaping down the river in an inner tube. But his final act might be the most astonishing thing of all. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 08 of 08, host Johnny Marr walks us through the winding road Anthony Curcio drove, in order to restore his relationships, and create the life of his dreams. You don't just rock Cactus Jacks without a bag of some sort, right?

Double Solitary: Anthony Curcio never imagined himself in prison. He was too smart. Too clever. Too unassuming to ever get caught. But he never expected a homeless man to act as his foil, ruining the perfect crime by witnessing and then acting on the one detail Anthony forgot. The error caused Anthony and his family to see the double life he'd been living. And he embarked on a journey more perilous than any police chase. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 07 of 08, host Johnny Marr takes us inside the prison system to show the path Anthony had to walk to make it out alive.

News of the robbery spreads around the state. Everyone is talking about the way the armoured car robber got away.

Back From the Brinks: It's game day in Anthony Curcio's hometown. Only this time, he's robbing an armored car instead of catching touchdown passes. He had everything prepped and mapped out, down to the tiniest of detail. But nothing, not one single thing, could have prepared him for the rush of actually setting the plan in motion. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 05 of 08, host Johnny Marr steps aside and lets Anthony, his accomplices and eyewitnesses and local police tell the story of the robbery. With new documents, and previously unreleased audio, we bring the legendary robbery to life.

The Playbook: Anthony Curcio was in desperate need of cash. The housing hustle left him deep in debt. But he couldn't get any cash. No one could. No one, except large banks, bailed out by the US government. They had all the cash he needed. So he decided to steal it. But creating a method to rob a bank would take the type of planning and preparation generals use for war, or rather, football coaches use to win. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 04 of 08, host Johnny Marr tells us how Anthony Curcio planned one of the most creative heists in US History, showing all the meticulous details, timing and misdirection involved. Enough to make Danny Ocean proud. If you want to learn what it takes to rob an armored car, not that we'd advise it, this is the episode to hear.

Good Form: Anthony Curcio loved the life of crime. The double life. He fancied himself a blue collar Thomas Crown, pursuing pills over Pissarros. His various heists enabled him to live the American Dream, own a house, marry his high school sweetheart and start a family. He was also close to walking away from crime, until he bought that house and learned that an even bigger hustle was happening across the US. He wanted in. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 03 of 08, host Johnny Marr walks us into the lawless world of real estate, a place where Anthony Curcio could ply his craft. He rode the housing bubble to its zenith, and then was left to fend for himself when it popped.

Just Say No: Anthony Curcio had used his second chance at football. Used it well. He built his body and refocused his mind on the sport. But football is football, a sport loved for its precise brutality. And Anthony tears a ligament in his knee. His dreams of playing are over. And yet, for once in his life, he doesn't care. It's all due to a little pill prescribed to him from a doctor. This little pill unlocked something inside Anthony. Pretty soon, he'd do whatever it took to get more. From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 02 of 08, host Johnny Marr takes us to the rolling fields of Eastern Washington State, where Anthony attempts his first heist and discovers that while he was good at football, he's absolutely gifted at crime.

Anthony Curcio is the most unexpected person you will ever meet. At first glance, he appears as simply a suburban dad who wears khaki pants, Cactus Jacks, coaches his daughters in basketball, and drives a modest truck. You soon learn that he was once a high school football star, with the dream, and, more importantly, the speed, to play professionally. But that's not the interesting part. Anthony Curcio pulled off one of the most creative bank heists in US history, robbing an armored car and escaping down the river in an inner tube. It makes you do a double-take. You're left feeling puzzled. How did this normal seeming guy end up at a point in his life where he thought that was a good idea? And then, how did he pull it off? From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists. In episode 01 of 08, host Johnny Marr takes us to the small logging town that would soon become famous for a hometown football star's turn to crime.

Friday Night Lights Out: Anthony Curcio is the most unexpected person you will ever meet. At first glance, he appears as simply a suburban dad who wears khaki pants, Cactus Jacks, coaches his daughters in basketball, and drives a modest truck. You soon learn that he was once a high school football star, with the dream, and, more importantly, the speed, to play professionally. But that's not the interesting part. Anthony Curio pulled off one of the most creative bank heists in US history, robbing an armored car and escaping down the river in an inner tube. It makes you do a double-take. You're left feeling puzzled. How did this normal seeming guy end up at a point in his life where he thought that was a good idea? And then, how did he pull it off? From BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live, Sports Strangest Crimes presents, Friday Night Heists narrated by Johnny Marr.

Two decades on, fresh intel from a mafia source threatens to blow the case wide open. Italian journalist Lorenzo Bodrero takes us through the present day-inquiry, and the shocking new evidence that has come to light. New witnesses, new theories, and new evidence all surface - nearly 20 years on, are we any closer to finding out what really happened to Marco Pantani? Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voices of Iain Ferrier and Helen Roper Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

Mystery bruises, missing cash… driven by Tonina Pantani, 2 inquiries into Marco’s death follow. Family members present new evidence, alleging that Pantani was beaten, forced to drink cocaine, and murdered - but it all comes to nothing. The second inquiry is dismissed - and it seems like the pirate has been put to rest for good. That is, until 2020… Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voices of Iain Ferrier and Helen Roper Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

Italy, and the world, are struck by grief at the death of the pirate. But as mourners throng the streets of Cesenatico, those closest to Marco are possessed by an undercurrent of suspicion. We speak to the woman who knew Marco best - his mother, Tonina Pantani - about the Marco she knew - and about her gut instinct that something about the ‘crime’ scene seems wrong.. Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voices of Iain Ferrier and Helen Roper Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

After his disqualification from the 1999 Giro, Marco Pantani is devastated and withdrawn. His cocaine abuse worsens, and he becomes obsessed with clearing his name. Friends and family watch on, helpless, as his career begins to slip away - and then, on Valentine’s Day 2004, some devastating news shocks Italy: the Pirate has is dead. Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voices of Iain Ferrier and Helen Roper Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

As corruption allegations run rampant, all roads seem to lead back to the mafia. But what connections did organised crime have to sport? And is there even any such thing as ‘The Mafia’? Today, we’re giving you an episode you can’t refuse as we delve deep into the heart of organised crime in Italy, with the help of mafia expert Professor John Dickie, and Italian journalist Lorenzo Bodrero. New episodes released Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - first on BBC Sounds - bbc.in/3PbXQxv Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voices of Iain Ferrier and Helen Roper Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

Convinced of a setup, Pantani is paranoid and following the money adds fuel to the fire. Why was there so much money in 90s cycling? And who was trying to get their hands on it? With the help of leading cycling historian Professor John Foot, Italian historian Dr Francesca Billiani, and Phil Liggett MBE, we learn how, over the course of the 90s, cycling went from a niche continental sport, to a billion-dollar industry - and how one man winning all the time might not have been in everyone’s best interests. From sponsors and gamblers to commercial and criminal enterprises - many had a vested interest in seeing Pantani fall. It’s time to follow the money. New episodes released Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - first on BBC Sounds - bbc.in/3PbXQxv Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voice of Iain Ferrier Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes

It’s 1999, and Marco Pantani is riding high after his Tour de France victory - both the bad boy of cycling, and the saviour of the sport. The 1999 Giro D’Italia seems to be made for him, and he leads the race by over 20 minutes - until a late-stage disqualification stops the pirate in his bike tracks. With the other riders overjoyed, rumours about criminal betting, conspiracies - and even the mafia - abound, but the pirate refuses to go down without a fight. As Pantani flies too close to the sun, who might be watching from the shadows? New episodes released Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - first on BBC Sounds - bbc.in/3PbXQxv Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voice of Iain Ferrier Sound design: Rich Evans Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish Writer and producer: Katie Sayer Executive producer: Jon Holmes