A Magical Phone Call From Tony Schiavone

by Kyra Quinn
Special to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The following story from Kyra Quinn was originally posted in 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.


1985 Calling: Tony Schiavone, George South, and One Magical Phone Call 

About a year ago I got a phone call. But it was more than that. It was a link to a cherished part of my past, a connection to my youth and to one of the men who helped make wrestling real to me.

It was Sunday morning, August 7, 2016. I was getting ready for church and almost didn’t answer my ringing phone. But then I looked and saw that the caller was my friend, Mr. No. 1 George South. It was the Sunday of Fanfest weekend in Charlotte, and George knew I was sorely disappointed that I was unable to attend. I knew George was there, and I also knew that one never quite knows what Mr. No. 1 has up his sleeve. So I answered.

I was hailed with an excited, “Hey baby! How are you?” which is a pretty typical greeting from George. I could tell he was pumped to be there, spending the weekend amongst his friends and heroes – guys he has wrestled with and against for several decades. Quickly, George let me know he had someone who wanted to say hello to me. He told me to hold on.

The next voice I heard took my breath away: “Hi Kyra, this is Tony Schiavone.”

Of course, he needn’t have introduced himself. I would recognize that voice anywhere. It was one of the primary voices of my youth, the voice that conveyed magical moments with the perfect blend of exuberance, enthusiasm and realism. My heart pounding, my mind racing, I babbled some sort of ‘hello.’ As usually happens when I meet my wrestling heroes, I was awestruck. Initially, all I could think of was that he had said my name. Tony Schiavone said my name! Immediately I attempted to capture that moment in my mind forever so that I would always be able to recall it.

The conversation lasted a few minutes, and my excitement was such that I honestly don’t recall half of what I said. But I do remember the most important thing: I thanked Tony for helping to make it all so real to me. I discovered Crockett wrestling on Pittsburgh’s WPGH-53 one late summer morning in 1985 at the age of 8, with my introduction being the exhilarating title win of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express over the Russians. I was hooked from then on, mesmerized by the athleticism, excitement, and the struggle between the good guys and the bad guys. From that first Saturday morning, Tony’s voice was an integral part of the spectacle, and of the realism that was the hallmark of Jim Crockett Promotions.  Tony’s love for wrestling came though, but so did his professionalism, in the way he called matches and handled interviews. He was, for me, a huge part of Jim Crockett Promotions, and when he left, some of the magic left with him.

My friends at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway had Tony sign this for me that August in Charlotte.
It was a Fanfest I hated to miss.

Of course, Tony’s departure in early 1989 was only one of a slew of big changes around that time. My favorites, Ricky and Robert, were long gone; the Horsemen had disbanded; the whole talent roster had experienced upheaval; and the look and feel of the shows had changed. But Tony’s leaving was especially upsetting to me. He had been a constant – he had provided the soundtrack – and now he was gone. I was delighted when Tony eventually returned to what had become WCW, and I was always happy when past favorite wrestlers of mine found their way back to the promotion. But too much had changed. Wrestling was never quite the same for me.

When I thanked Tony for being such a big part of helping to make it real, he seemed genuinely grateful. Maybe it’s not a comment he hears very often, but he should. He was so good at what he did, and yet is so underrated. For those too young to remember, those who have simply forgotten, and those who can be critical, I’d suggest a visit to YouTube and a trip back to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 or 1986. Those shows have retained their magic. Watch the amazing talent in the ring, listen to the pops of the red-hot crowds, and pay special attention to the professional yet boyishly enthusiastic voice delivering the play-by-play. It doesn’t get much better.



Originally published in August of 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

* * * * * * * *

Also by Kyra Quinn on the Gateway:

My Secret Charlotte
Whispers of Magic from the City's Wrestling Relics

Dr. Joseph Estwanik: A Doctor Remembers
Noted Charlotte orthopedist recalls his experiences treating
the wrestlers of Jim Crockett Promotions

* * * * * * * *

Also don't miss our huge feature with Tony looking back on his days as a fan of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. It was a multi-part series called "Sunday's With Schiavone" and can be found in its entirety by clicking here.

Raleigh Memories: David Crockett and Bob Caudle

With @AEW in Raleigh tonight (on @TBSNetwork), I can't help but think back to the two guys who brought Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling into our living rooms every Saturday afternoon in the 1970s from the cozy confines of Raleigh's @WRAL TV studio. Bob Caudle & David Crockett! pic.twitter.com/1flehmXZFh

— Mid-Atlantic Gateway (@magateway) January 12, 2022

Roddy Piper Tells Great Wrestling Stories in Advance of Fanfest in Atlanta (2011)

Images Reclaimed: Terry Funk and the United States Championship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The United States Heavyweight championship was defended in Jim Crockett Promotions from the birth of the title in 1975 until the company folded in 1988. While the title lived on in WCW and WWE, its 13-year history in Crockett's NWA promotion was arguably its most storied period, during a time when wrestling titles actually meant something. During those 13 years, there were 5 different versions of the belt, the first being cast plates on red crocodile leather used from 1975-1980.

While there are many photographs of most of the U.S. champions, there were a three that held the red belt for which no photograph exists at all, or at least none that we have ever been able to find. One of those men was Terry Funk.

Terry Funk in 2010 in Charlotte

Terry Funk held the U.S. title for less than three weeks in 1975. He won the title in the huge Greensboro tournament that took place following the airplane crash that ended the career of then-reigning champ Johnny Valentine. He defeated Paul Jones in the finals of that tournament and then faced Jones in a rematch weeks later on Thanksgiving night, dropping the title to him.

On the night Funk won it, the company did not have the original belt, thought to still be in the possession of Valentine recovering from the accident. They used a stand-in belt that night. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around three weeks later, JCP had the original belt back and Funk wore it to the ring only to quickly remove it and hand it to the referee before his title defense against Jones.

The 2010 NWA Wrestling Legends Fanfest in Charlotte presented a unique opportunity to finally capture an image of Funk with a likeness of that belt, a beautiful replica crafted by Dave Millican.

When I handed the belt to Terry, he looked at it for a moment.

“Do you remember that?” I asked.

He looked at it a moment longer and said, “This was Paul Jones’, right? Did I beat him or did he beat me?”

“Both.” I replied, thrilled that he remembered something that long ago. I reminded him of the scenario that took place 35 years earlier in Greensboro. He held the belt out in front of him and smiled for the photo.

“There was never a photo of you with that belt,” I said.

“Oh, yeah?” Funk said, and with that he pulled the snaps apart and put the belt over his shoulder. “Well then, get this close.”

And with that he posed for another photo with the belt much as he might have done in 1975. A very cool moment indeed.

Taken from a larger article published in 2010 on the old Mid-Atlantic Gateway website, archived on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives. 

Fanfest Memories

Two of our favorite NWA/Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest memories!

#FanfestFlashback at 2010 Hall of Heroes: Danny Hodge, Dory Funk Jr., Billy Robinson, Terry Funk, & Jerry Brisco. pic.twitter.com/I8gWu2sO8U

— Mid-Atlantic Gateway (@magateway) July 29, 2016

#FanfestFlashback @RicFlairNatrBoy and Bob Caudle share a "Woooo!" at @NWALegends Fanfest #Charlotte 2008 #Magic pic.twitter.com/MCtWVYoHIq

— Mid-Atlantic Gateway (@magateway) July 29, 2016

J.W. looks back at "the Granddaddy"

One of our favorite blogs to check in on from time to time is J.W.'s Wrestling Memorabilia. he has memorabilia on display from all eras and all territories and federations. Our favorite stuff, as you might imagine, is anything that has to do with Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions.

The 2009 Fanfest program that featured
a reunion of the Four Horsemen.

Recently, J.W. posted his reflections on the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest that has been held most years each August in Charlotte. There is no event this August, and we are sad about that, having had a great time there each year visiting our wrestling friends, many of whom we don't get a chance to visit with except at this event. Plus, it is always great fun seeing some of the great stars of wrestling from years gone by (and some of the new stars today.)

The personal highlight for the Gateway boys last year was our inclusion in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes, which was recognition for our efforts on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway website. We remain grateful for that recognition and were honored to be inducted by one of our all time heroes, the voice of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Bob Caudle.

So we thought we'd share a link to J.W.'s post of some of his favorite Fanfest memories. Here's hoping for Fanfest to return in 2018!

The "Granddaddy of 'Em All" of Wrestling Conventions
J.W.'s Wrestling Memorabilia
http://wrestlingmemorabilia.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-granddaddy-of-em-all-of-wrestling.html

 

1985 Calling: Tony Schiavone, George South, and One Magical Phone Call

by Kyra Quinn
Special to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

About a year ago I got a phone call. But it was more than that. It was a link to a cherished part of my past, a connection to my youth and to one of the men who helped make wrestling real to me.

It was Sunday morning, August 7, 2016. I was getting ready for church and almost didn’t answer my ringing phone. But then I looked and saw that the caller was my friend, Mr. No. 1 George South. It was the Sunday of Fanfest weekend in Charlotte, and George knew I was sorely disappointed that I was unable to attend. I knew George was there, and I also knew that one never quite knows what Mr. No. 1 has up his sleeve. So I answered.

I was hailed with an excited, “Hey baby! How are you?” which is a pretty typical greeting from George. I could tell he was pumped to be there, spending the weekend amongst his friends and heroes – guys he has wrestled with and against for several decades. Quickly, George let me know he had someone who wanted to say hello to me. He told me to hold on.

The next voice I heard took my breath away: “Hi Kyra, this is Tony Schiavone.”

Of course, he needn’t have introduced himself. I would recognize that voice anywhere. It was one of the primary voices of my youth, the voice that conveyed magical moments with the perfect blend of exuberance, enthusiasm and realism. My heart pounding, my mind racing, I babbled some sort of ‘hello.’ As usually happens when I meet my wrestling heroes, I was awestruck. Initially, all I could think of was that he had said my name. Tony Schiavone said my name! Immediately I attempted to capture that moment in my mind forever so that I would always be able to recall it.

The conversation lasted a few minutes, and my excitement was such that I honestly don’t recall half of what I said. But I do remember the most important thing: I thanked Tony for helping to make it all so real to me. I discovered Crockett wrestling on Pittsburgh’s WPGH-53 one late summer morning in 1985 at the age of 8, with my introduction being the exhilarating title win of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express over the Russians. I was hooked from then on, mesmerized by the athleticism, excitement, and the struggle between the good guys and the bad guys. From that first Saturday morning, Tony’s voice was an integral part of the spectacle, and of the realism that was the hallmark of Jim Crockett Promotions.  Tony’s love for wrestling came though, but so did his professionalism, in the way he called matches and handled interviews. He was, for me, a huge part of Jim Crockett Promotions, and when he left, some of the magic left with him.

My friends at the Gateway had Tony sign this for me that August in Charlotte.
It was a Fanfest I hated to miss.

Of course, Tony’s departure in early 1989 was only one of a slew of big changes around that time. My favorites, Ricky and Robert, were long gone; the Horsemen had disbanded; the whole talent roster had experienced upheaval; and the look and feel of the shows had changed. But Tony’s leaving was especially upsetting to me. He had been a constant – he had provided the soundtrack – and now he was gone. I was delighted when Tony eventually returned to what had become WCW, and I was always happy when past favorite wrestlers of mine found their way back to the promotion. But too much had changed. Wrestling was never quite the same for me.

When I thanked Tony for being such a big part of helping to make it real, he seemed genuinely grateful. Maybe it’s not a comment he hears very often, but he should. He was so good at what he did, and yet is so underrated. For those too young to remember, those who have simply forgotten, and those who can be critical, I’d suggest a visit to YouTube and a trip back to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 or 1986. Those shows have retained their magic. Watch the amazing talent in the ring, listen to the pops of the red-hot crowds, and pay special attention to the professional yet boyishly enthusiastic voice delivering the play-by-play. It doesn’t get much better.


* * * * * * * *

Also by Kyra Quinn on the Gateway:

My Secret Charlotte
Whispers of Magic from the City's Wrestling Relics

Dr. Joseph Estwanik: A Doctor Remembers
Noted Charlotte orthopedist recalls his experiences treating
the wrestlers of Jim Crockett Promotions

* * * * * * * *

Don't miss Tony's popular podcast "What Happened When" with co-host Conrad Thompson. It drops each Monday on the MLW Radio Network and can be found on all major podcasting platforms, including iTunes.

Also don't miss our huge feature with Tony looking back on his days as a fan of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. it was a multi-part series called "Sunday's With Schiavone" and can be found in its entirety by clicking here.

Celebrating Anniversaries

Dick Bourne & David Chappell - Hall of Heroes Class of 2016
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest, University Place Hilton, Charlotte NC

August marks the 17th anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway which David Chappell and I first started back in 2000.

It began as a small little site with a few pages of photos and newspaper clippings, and a little historical piece on the year 1975. It grew to include tens of thousands of pages of historical record, memorabilia, and great memories covering one of the great old territories throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It's been a fun little adventure.

Also, it was one year ago today, August 5, 2016, that David and I were recognized for our efforts on the website at the Hall of Heroes dinner banquet during the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest in Charlotte, NC. It is a very nice memory for us. We were honored to be introduced by the legendary Bob Caudle, one of our heroes, and a member himself of the Hall of Heroes inaugural class of 2007. Thanks again to Greg Price and everyone involved with Fanfest. We hate there is no Fanfest event this year, but hopefully it will return in 2018.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to and visited the Mid-Atlantic Gateway over these many years. 

David Chappell, Bob Caudle, and Dick Bourne
Raleigh, NC January 2017

 

An Afternoon with Bob Caudle

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

David and his wife Diana and I had the opportunity to have lunch and spend the afternoon with Bob Caudle and his wife Jackie this weekend. Bob and Jackie are two of our very favorite people and it was great to spend some time with them.

Bob Caudle and the Gateway Boys visit in Raleigh with their Hall of Heroes hardware.

Bob was kind enough to introduce David and I for induction into the Hall of Heroes Class of 2016 at the NWALegends.com Wrestling Legends Fanfest in Charlotte this past August. We were recognized for our contributions to wrestling history through our website. It was such an honor to share the stage with him, and we are forever grateful for the kind things he said about us and the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

With my "other Mom", the lovely and
gracious Jackie Caudle

Bob is a member of the inaugural class of the Hall of Heroes, inducted in 2007 in Charlotte. When we got together this weekend, Bob pulled out his plaque and Diana took a photo of all of us together with our Hall of Heroes awards (seen above). It was a nice little moment for us.

Bob is such a part of the fabric of what made up Mid-Atlantic Wrestling for nearly three decades. Wrestlers would come and go, but Bob Caudle was the one constant that we could count on week in and week out. Every week, after that familiar theme song, we would hear those familiar words:

"Hi Wrestling fans, this is Bob Caudle, welcome to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. And have we got an hour of action and excitement in store for you this week..."

There was nothing more comforting than to hear those words every Saturday afternoon. We knew we were in store for the best hour on television.

And to cap it all off this weekend, we were happy to learn that Bob and Jackie had just celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary! Incredible!

Happy Anniversary to them both!!

Carter Anderson Keeps a Family Tradition Alive

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Ever since Brad Anderson and I became friends, his youngest son Carter was always afoot. Carter was always angling to get into a wrestling ring, even as he had just seemingly learned to walk. He got involved in the finish of a match at an outdoor show at his grandmother's church once, he couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old. It was all for fun, but even at that young age, he was fearless and always willing. I wrote in the epilogue to my book "Minnesota Wrecking Crew" that Gene Anderson would have been proud of his grandson that day. Brad later laughed and told me his father probably would have rolled over in his grave if he knew his grandson was in the ring without any real training. Gene was fiercely protective of the business.

Carter changed all that when he enrolled at George South's pro wrestling training school at the Highspots.com facility in Charlotte several years back. South had his hand in training the kids of several of the biggest names in the business including Ricky Steamboat's son Ricky Jr., Ric Flair's son Reid, Bobby Eaton's son Dillon, and most recently Tully Blanchard's daughter Tessa (not to mention his own son, George Jr.) So it seemed only fitting that an Anderson should be added to that list. And Carter Anderson was a natural.

Brad and Carter Anderson - Tournament Winners
Anderson Brothers Classic Tag Team Tournament (2013)

A year or so later, again in a fun little finish to a tribute show to Gene and Ole Anderson known as the "Anderson Brothers Classic Tag Team Tournament", Carter actually teamed with his father Brad. His Dad did all the work in the match of course, Carter was still a pretty young kid. But when Brad had one of their opponents stunned and staggering on his feet, he tagged in young Carter who did the prettiest flying body press from the top rope that you've ever seen. He got the three count and won the tournament trophy with his Dad, and in so doing, honored his grandfather - - the great Gene Anderson, the founder of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

What few people realized in the building that night was that young Carter Anderson was wearing his grandfather's wrestling boots. Yes, those boots - - "Anderson boots"- - the famous maroon-and-gold striped boots that were a trademark of the Anderson Brothers going back to the mid-1960s.

Brad had started bringing his Dad's boots to the ring with him when he wrestled in the mid-2000s. He would hang the boots over the turnbuckle in the corner where they would stay during his matches. It was a tradition started in 2005 at a big wrestling legends show in Spartanburg, SC, and Brad continued to do it for several years to follow.

Now Carter carries on that tradition, just in a different way.

Carter is not currently training. I'm not sure if he still wants to wrestle professionally or not, but it's clear that he loves honoring his grandfather. When he comes to some of George South's shows, especially the Anderson Brothers tribute shows, he always brings his grandfather's famous boots with him. Sometimes his ring jacket, too, and even the hickory cane Gene carried with him when he was a manager.

With Carter Anderson
holding Gene Anderson's wrestling boots.

Sometimes he brings them to events just because he knows I get a kick out of seeing them. Such was the case recently when Carter attended the "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes" dinner banquet. David Chappell and I were being recognized that night for our work on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway website alongside others who were being honored for their work in the wrestling business. When we shook hands after not having seen each other in well over a year, Carter smiled and said "I brought the boots." This meant something to me because it meant something to Carter, just bringing them in the first place. He knew how much we all loved just seeing the boots. They were iconic of a wonderful time in our lives - - David, George, myself - - growing up and watching the Anderson Brothers dominate pro-wrestling.  I respect how this kid, now growing into a young man, puts so much thought into honoring the memory of his grandfather and helping keep a grand family tradition alive - - those famous Anderson boots.

It was a magic night, having Bob Caudle induct the Mid-Atlantic Gateway into the Hall of Heroes Class of 2016 (Bob a member of the inaugural Class of 2007 himself), and receiving our plaques. But Carter's gesture was just as special. I was as honored standing there holding his grandfather's boots as I was standing on the rostrum later that night.  ✦

Don't miss another story posted here of another one of Gene's grandsons keeping Anderson traditions alive: Another in the Long Line of Anderson Championships

Ross, Caudle, and Schiavone Reunite in Charlotte

Memories of Pro Wrestling That Will Never Grow Old

by Tony Schiavone, CBS Atlanta
A great look back at Fanfest 2016.

Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Bob Caudle (Photo NWALegends.com)

Hall of Heroes

We are honored to have been included in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes Class of 2016. Thanks to Greg Price at NWALegends.com and to all of his staff at Fanfest.

And a special thanks to all of you who have loyally supported the Mid-Atlantic Gateway for the last 16 years!

 - Dick Bourne & David Chappell            

See lots of pics from the weekend on our social media sites: Facebook | Twitter

And check out the all the photos on the Facebook page of the "Queen of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling" Peggy Lathan. Some great photos from Fanfest!

A number of these and other Mid-Atlantic Gateway books will be on sale 

at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest in Charlotte.

Visit George South's table in the vendor room 

Friday and Saturday at Fanfest and check them all out! 

Fanfest is this weekend, August 4-7, at the University Place Hilton in Charlotte. Visit NWALegends.com for ticket information.

The Mid-Atlantic Gateway is proud to be introduced by Bob Caudle 
as we are inducted into the Hall of Heroes Class of 2016.
Thanks to everyone who has supported the Mid-Atlantic Gateway over the past 16 years.

And don't miss David Chappell's three recent interviews with some of Crockett Promotions' biggest names of the 1980s as they prepare to be inducted into the Hall of Heroes in Charlotte.

THE GATEWAY INTERVIEW

"Precious" Paul Ellering

"The Perfect 10" Baby Doll

"The Boss" Magnum T.A.

Jim Ross: Dusty Rhodes to be honored in beloved city of Charlotte (FoxSports.com)

Dusty Rhodes to be honored in beloved city of Charlotte at NWA Legends event
The American Dream was part of the fabric of the North Carolina city.
By Jim Ross on FoxSports.com     Aug 2, 2016

The late "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes will be inducted into the NWA's Hall of Heroes in his favorite city, Charlotte, North Carolina, before family and friends in what is certain to be a moving and emotional ceremony on Friday at the 14th Annual NWA Legends Fan Fest.

Rhodes was a beloved, larger-than-life personality to millions of fans that followed "The Dream's" pro wrestling career, which started in 1968 after a brief stint on the gridiron and baseball diamond at West Texas State University, and in the Continental Football League. The son of a plumber was born Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr in Austin, Texas, in 1945 and had a body that more resembled Babe Ruth's than many of the grapplers with body-builder physiques that often monopolize the pro mat game.

Read the rest of the article on FoxSports.com >>>

And don't miss David Chappell's three recent interviews with some of Crockett Promotions' biggest names of the 1980s as they prepare to be inducted into the Hall of Heroes in Charlotte.

THE GATEWAY INTERVIEW

"Precious" Paul Ellering

"The Perfect 10" Baby Doll

"The Boss" Magnum T.A.

 

The Gateway Interview - Baby Doll

WrestleZone.com

Fans of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling were introduced to a beautiful and talented performer in February of 1985, when Baby Doll debuted for Jim Crockett Promotions. Selected as Tully Blanchard’s “Perfect 10,” Baby Doll wasted no time in assisting Blanchard in two major feuds in 1985, with the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and Magnum T.A. In 1986, Baby Doll joined forces with Dusty, and worked with the “good guys” to battle villains such as the Four Horsemen and the Midnight Express. During this time period, it was not uncommon for Baby Doll to shed her valet and managerial role and don the wrestling tights, and help battle these “bad guys” in the ring as part of six man tag team matches! Alas, all “good” things must come to an end, and Baby Doll turned her back on Rhodes on August 9, 1986, assisting Ric Flair in his regaining the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The Mid-Atlantic Gateway had the great pleasure to speak with Baby Doll recently, and we chatted about her upcoming induction into the Hall of Heroes Class of 2016, her amazing run with Jim Crockett Promotions and her latest comings and goings!

David Chappell: Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Baby Doll, and congratulations on your inclusion into the NWALegends.com Hall of Heroes!

Baby Doll: I'm looking forward to it! It's a return to Fanfest. Greg Price was nice enough to offer me the Hall of Heroes Legends honors at the banquet. That's a big deal right there. Plus, look at who I'm getting inducted with, and get to see everybody, and a lot of people I haven't seen in a couple of years. Of course, there's Charlie Brown, my number one fan. It's as much a big deal for the fans as it is for us.

Chappell: I agree, for sure. Now that the Charlotte area is really your home area, and getting inducted into the Hall of Heroes in Charlotte, you combine those two together, what kind of feeling does that give you?

Baby Doll: What's really cool too, is we're right at the 30th anniversary of whenever I put a foot on the ropes for Flair and Dusty, whenever the title changed back to Flair. We're right at the 30 year anniversary of that, which that's so cool in as much of itself, you know?

Chappell: August 9, 1986…hard to believe almost 30 years has passed! And for you to go into the Hall of Heroes right at that 30 year anniversary, that is off the charts cool!

Baby Doll: I know. You've got Dusty being inducted, and Jimmy Valiant, and the Road Warriors, and then the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Boys. It's a big deal. It really is. It's an honor. Especially ... I've traveled everywhere, I've lived several places, and the Charlotte area is home. There's nowhere else that we would want to be.

Chappell: When you came into the Crockett territory in early 1985, things were setting up to become red-hot over the next couple of years. You were a big part of that. What stands out for you over those couple of years when things were booming so big in Charlotte?

Baby Doll: The enthusiasm of the fans. So much no matter where we went; whether it was Virginia or Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charlotte, Atlanta, even down in Florida; just how much the fans were part of it. As much as a show as Flair was, the fans were part of the show too. That is what I think made it so unique is that so many people remember that time in their life of those Saturday afternoons sitting on the couch with grandma and grandpa and then they get to see us.

Chappell: Back then, wrestling every Saturday was must see TV!

Baby Doll: Ricky Morton still does a lot of shows. Jimmy Valiant does a lot of shows. The WWE network has been a blessing to a lot of us to keep that memory alive. It was before computers and it was right when people, I want to say quit being dumb, but it was the last time the fans were really not smart. They didn't want to be smart. Everybody believed, and we made them believe. There was no doubt in their mind of what we were doing and that was so unique about it. I got to work with the best of the best. With Dusty and Tully, and the Russians and the Rock 'n Roll Express and Sting came; Luger and the birth of the Four Horsemen. In wrestling history there's never been another time like it.

Chappell: What a time frame. When they put the Saturday night 6:05 shows on the WWE network I went back and started from the first episode they had and just followed it through and you all really stand the test of time. It's as good today as it was back then. It's amazing.

Baby Doll: I remember whenever cable first started coming out, my house didn't have cable. The whole part of that city didn't have cable and I remember every month calling to talk to the cable company to see if my neighborhood had been put on the grid because I wanted to get the wrestling on cable. It was 5:05 in Lubbock, and at 5:05 I was watching wrestling and my mom and dad just didn't understand because they were like, "Well you watch wrestling all the time." And it's like, "Yeah I watch wrestling all the time," because when that came on that was like a whole new world ... I got to see everybody then. That was a whole new spectrum for us.

Chappell: I think the world stopped at 6:05 Eastern time on Saturdays for many of us back then…

Baby Doll: There for a while…

Chappell: Those two hours were magical!

Baby Doll: I didn't work; I didn't do nothin'. If I could, I was home watching TV, that's for sure.

Chappell: Now, one thing that I think is really important in your story is in that time frame, the role for women in wrestling was pretty limited and it seemed like you burst on the scene and went into a role that was absolutely out there with the men. I just wonder your thoughts on that aspect of your wrestling career. Do you consider yourself a trailblazer? Because I think a lot of people do, including myself.

Baby Doll: At the time, it was a lifestyle. If you're a wrestler, we're just different from everyone else. When a wrestler walks in the room you just know that there's something different about them. I think that's being a true breed of all of us. And the guys today which, I mean, it's just different. Back then we were like true mavericks. There was no one else like that; no one else had the lifestyle that we did. It wasn't like you moved…you lived somewhere for 6 to 9 months and then you got up and you moved and you went somewhere else and got yourself over. We're true performers. Back then it was something that was different, and I was fortunate to be part of it at that time.

Chappell: But your role was truly unique.

Eddie Cheslock Photo

Baby Doll: It was just…how do you be something that no one else has done? The only thing that I can really remember is Sunshine had worked with the Freebirds a little bit in Dallas. I remember my dad commenting about watching her face. If anyone watched the match and watched her, you could tell everything that was going on in the match just by how she sold it in her face. I remember that and that's how I kind of copied it.

Chappell: Your facial expressions at ringside added so much to so many matches back then.

Baby Doll: But I was so different because I was so athletic and being almost six foot tall, if I wore heels, I was the same size as the guys. Having to hold my own, and try to be pretty and a girl and jumping three and a half, four foot up high into a ring every night. Fighting your way back to the dressing room with eighteen, twenty thousand people sometimes…and they really, really, really, didn't like you and security wasn't always the best all the time.

Chappell: And they didn’t cut you any slack because you were a woman…

Baby Doll: And you try to be girly and pretty at the same time, it was a challenge. Now I look back it was something to have heat when you walk into a building with twenty thousand people in Charlotte. The girls today have got different heat now because they've got the whole social media thing. Not only do you have the fans you're working on, you've got millions of people that know who you are and probably don't like you because you're successful. They've got a whole different lifestyle that I never even had to deal with.

Chappell: They women today certainly have their own set of problems that's unique to this era.

Baby Doll: And I look at my daughter, she just graduated college. There for a while she was going to school full time; she had a full college schedule. She was working full time as a manager in a restaurant and she was working every weekend. At least twice, sometimes three times a weekend for her, and I was thinking that lifestyle is totally different. Then I look back at whenever I first worked, I had fifteen days off my first year. It's a different time…I was blessed because then it was a career, it's your job, it was something you did and it was nothing to go drive four hundred miles one way and work a show and drive another three hundred and sleep and get up and do another show. To work five days in the same outfit and then have to go to Georgia Championship TV at 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday and not look like you hadn't gotten but two hours of sleep.

The Gateway Interview - Magnum T.A.

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When professional wrestling in Jim Crockett Promotions caught fire in the mid 1980’s, a man that was right in the middle of that explosion was a gifted performer hailing from Chesapeake, Virginia named Terry Allen, better known as Magnum T.A. In December of 1984, Magnum took the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling area by storm, with his ruggedly handsome features and his lightening fast wins with the use of his patented belly-to-belly suplex. Memorable United States Heavyweight Championship programs with Wahoo McDaniel and Tully Blanchard in 1985, and with Nikita Koloff in 1986, keep Magnum’s many fans talking about his accomplishments with pride right up to this day.

Magnum’s best friend during those amazing Crockett years, the incomparable “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, will be inducted posthumously into the NWALegends.com Hall of Heroes “Class of 2016” during Fanfest weekend in Charlotte on August 4-7, 2016. The Mid-Atlantic Gateway was fortunate to catch up with “The Boss” recently, and we discussed Magnum being the presenter for Dusty’s Hall of Heroes honor and his close relationship with the “Dream,” his relatively short in-ring career that was tall on superlatives and assorted other tidbits that make Magnum T.A. an inspiration to anyone he crosses paths with.

David Chappell: Magnum, it’s so good to finally have you here on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. You mean so much to so many wrestling fans all over the world, but probably no place more than the Carolinas. You now call Charlotte home, and you’re going to be “home” for the NWALegends.com Fanfest event in about a week, and you will be presenting your mentor, the late Dusty Rhodes, for induction into the Hall of Heroes, Class of 2016. First off, please tell us about Dusty.

Magnum T.A.: Sure, well, I mean, Dusty was more than a mentor, he was my best friend. He was a comrade in the business, we were partners, I was involved with so many elements, and so many things because of his and my relationship. And his involvement, of course, in all the creative things that took place in our relationship…it started back in like, 1982.

Chappell: Wow, it goes back that far, huh?

Magnum: Yeah, goes back that far. I met him when I came to work for Eddie Graham, for Championship Wrestling from Florida. When I came in Eddie was the booker, and he was a booker for the first six months that I was there, and then Dusty came in to cover the book. We met, and Barry Windham had come in about a couple of months before Dusty did, and so Barry and I had formed this real strong friendship. Dusty, Barry, Blackjack and I soon became very close.

Chappell: How did Dusty size you up in the beginning?

Magnum: When I first came in I was kind of a fish out of water, because he didn't know me, I was new. I had been in the business about a year, and it was Barry that actually kind of broke the ice, got he and I together, and we traveled on a trip together and just had so many things in common. So many of the same desires, and dreams, and goals, and things that were just mind-boggling even though he was, you know, over ten years older than me. He became more like a big brother, and you know, was the best friend in my career.

Chappell: That’s very insightful. I didn’t realize your friendship with Dusty started that early.

Magnum: Well, it's really way more in depth than I'll ever be able to go into during his induction, but when I got the call to come to Mid-South, and when the Magnum T.A. character launched, Dusty gave me his blessing to go do it, because he had been really grooming me there in Florida to help me learn as much as I possibly could. He had me booked in tag matches with Brad Armstrong, and Scott McGee, and we were going out there for forty-five minute broadways every night with the Royal Kangaroos, and it was education I was getting, and of course I was around Eddie Graham.

Chappell: I’m sure just hanging around Eddie Graham was an education unto itself.

Magnum: Eddie was Dusty's mentor, so it was just this big old educational thing going on, and these strong, strong bonds being formed. I had only been in Mid-South for about six months, and back then Ernie Ladd was kind of booking things, and Ernie wasn't the most insightful guy as far as new creative things…he recognized talent, but didn't know what he was going to do with them. He was kind of like in a lull, not knowing exactly what to do with me, and I wasn't really happy with the direction things were going, so I was getting ready to come back to Florida with Dusty, with the Magnum character, in a whole different genre, and Bill [Watts] saw me and said, "You're not going anywhere! I've got plans for you."

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Chappell: Yeah, Bill Watts had an eagle-eye for talent, and for sure had ideas for you.

Magnum: Bill hadn't been really involved to that point, either. Bill came in and the rest is history. But when Dusty then made his move to the Carolina's, and worked for the Crockett's, he always had these big dreams of this superstar. He was dreaming about what became WrestleMania way before that ever happened, and that of course being the Starrcades were the beginning of all that. But when I was getting ready to come into Mid-Atlantic, they didn't have any injection of new blood. Barry Windham had come in with him as his top baby face, and it was…

Chappell: Barry left about as soon as he came, didn’t he?

Magnum: Well, he did because he was getting three, four hundred dollar paychecks, and he couldn't live on it.

Chappell: Whew, the territory was down that much then?

Magnum: He couldn't afford to eat, and so I was at a place that was on fire, and I was making over two grand a week in Mid-South, in 1984, that was big money. Dusty and Jimmy Crockett called me in the middle of the night, and Jimmy gets on the phone with me and said, "Look, I can't match what you're making there, but I promise if you come you won't make less than x amount of dollars that was respectable, and I would give you the biggest push anybody could ever get."