Back in July of 2009, we had the chance to interview Don Kernodle while getting together with him and his brother Wally (aka Rocky Kernodle) with mutual friends Peggy Lathan, Wendi Weaver, and others. It was on the eve of that year's Johnny Weaver Cup tournament for CWF Mid-Atlantic based out of Burlington, NC, where Don would be honored on that night.
David Chappell led the discussion with Don as we both had a blast covering all sorts of topics in an epic 8-part interview that first appeared on the old (rather archaic) Mid-Atlantic Gateway website, and is still archived at that old web address.
You can click the graphic above to go to PART ONE or navigate to the other installments using the list below. It's one of the best interviews we did in those early years of this website, and that was largely due to Don himself, who gave fascinating insights into how he broke into the business and many other topics.
THE GATEWAY INTERVIEW: DON KERNODLE (JULY 2009)
PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR
PART FIVE | PART SIX | PART SEVEN | PART EIGHT
We were very sad to learn the news of Don's passing. He was a warm, fun loving guy we enjoyed getting to know over the past 12 years or so, and always looked forward to seeing him and Wally, whether for fried chicken and BBQ at Smithfield's in Mebane or crossing paths with them at the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest events. He always greeted you with that familiar "Hey, ol' buddy!"
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| Don Kernodle was honored at the 2009 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament for CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in Burlington, NC. |
Don't miss Peggy Lathan's farewell to Don posted earlier on our site:
A Friend Says Goodbye to Don Kernodle
And Mike Mooneyham's most recent column for the Charleston Post & Courier remembering Don is excellent.
And look for a special episode of Mike Sempervive's Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast on the life and times of Don Kernodle with a detailed examination of one of the territory's biggest events ever, "The Final Conflict." Coming soon to midatlanticpod.com.