 |
| Art by Robby Bannister |
Back on November 27, Robby Bannister presented his first throwback-style art cover to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, a tribute to the old issues of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine sold at arenas back in the 1970s and 1980s.
The first one featured Blackjack Mulligan as United States champion back in 1976, when Mulligan was the top heel in the Mid-Atlantic territory for Jim Crockett Promotions.
The second installment jumps ahead almost a full decade and features the wrestler who would become known as "the enforcer" Arn Anderson.
A member of the legendary Anderson family in wrestling, Arn was a cousin of Gene, Lars, and Ole Anderson in Anderson mythology, although he was briefly recognized at times as a brother, and even initially a nephew when Ole Anderson first introduced him in Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1983.
I like to think this could have been a cover in the spring of 1985 when Arn was relatively new in the territory. It wouldn't be long before Arn would have always had a title belt around his waist, whether it be the National Tag Team title, NWA World TV title, or NWA (or WCW) World Tag team title.
Arn was a great singles competitor as TV champion, and was most famously a member of the legendary Four Horsemen. But he is best remembered for his tag team success, holding the Southeastern tag team titles with "Mr. Olympia" Jerry Stubbs, the National Tag titles with Ole Anderson, and the NWA/WCW World Tag team titles with Tully Blanchard, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko, and Paul Roma.
Arn sadly never had a cover of Mid-Atlantic magazine, but With Robby's artistic vision we can now imagine what such a cover would have looked like.
* * * * * *
Check out more of Robby Bannister's art on his Facebook page featuring wrestlers from various territories over different eras.
NO. 2 IN A SERIES