This is the Truth Network. Nakita, destroy, crush, demolish all competitions. Does he want it? There it is. Yeah, and Mr.
Koloff once again made his feelings very, very apparent. It's been a long time, but the wave is over. That's a bad man. No, that's a bad man. No, that's a bad man.
It's time to man up with Satan's nightmare, Nakia Koloff.
Well, welcome back to another episode of Time to Man Up. And man, this is an added pleasure, an added joy for me today. We're going to talk about the 40th anniversary. We're going to talk about overcoming adversity. We're going to talk about a man of a miracle story and so much more today.
Well, with me today, I know him as Terry Allen. You might know him as Magnum TA from the whole wrestling world, but Magnum. Terry, welcome to It's Time to Man Up. Man, it's great to be here, Nick. I always enjoy anytime you and I have an excuse to get together.
and share a few moments in this crazy life that Both of us still lead. I don't know that. either one of us envisioned if we could have gone back 40 years ago and looked at a time capsule that we thought it In our 60s, we would be. you know, actively pursuing and doing and all the things that we're both involved with, because you're a world traveler and I'm a dad of seven. And you know, like like you, you know, lot lots lots of kids have been just all the things that go along with I just, you know, I couldn't picture that.
First of all, I never thought I'd make it this long. First of all, just be frank. I never envisioned being an old guy. But uh My mind is certainly. occupies each and every moment of every day.
You know, on that note, I honestly kind of hate to admit it, but I can remember, like, you know, when you're 20 and 10 foot tall and bulletproof. You know, I'm like, ah, if I make it to me 40, you know, that's good. And then you hit 40, you go, well, if I make it to me 80, even better, you know. But on that note, Matt, there's so much to talk about with you, so much backstory there. You know, I kind of opened up introducing, you know, overcoming adversity.
And of course, we first met through the rest of that crazy world of professional wrestling way back when, mid-80s, right? The mid-80s. Yeah, I I came to to work for Jim Crockett promotions my first uh I came in and worked some T Vs in December of of uh twenty Four. And then uh then you know started full blown you know in in uh in in 80 in 85. And so it was a Yeah, it was a whirlwind.
You know, you were the real Russian guy that everybody was talking about internationally, terrifying everyone. Right. They entered the square circle with you and uh Yeah, we uh you know we met early on and and had interaction in the beginning, you know, just in some offhanded tag matches and stuff with Ivan and you and I Dex Dick Slater. You know, before every the angles and all the things that were to be forthcoming. It was really cool because You know, I was getting, I was.
I was more seasoned. Then you and And it was my second big push because I'd had a A good run working for Mid South with Bill Watts and been their champion and. And for me, it was. It was a come full circle thing because I had left I had left my home of Chesapeake, Virginia, and uh the fall of nineteen seventy nine To pursue my quest that's uh you know just crazy in and of itself how i got in but You know, I had literally. you know, had five years under my belt when you and I met.
And five full years because we were going seven days a week, you know, a couple of times on the weekends. you know i i can't help but think i probably had over you know, 1500 matches when I met you. Yeah, and you probably come the closest. Because I often say, you know, for those who know my story, and maybe for those who don't, you know, out there in the viewing audience, the listening audience. That know how that I broke in with having never stepped in a wrestling ring and debuted on television with absolutely zero experience.
And now I don't have the amateur background that Terry has. I have an athletic background, but yeah, you broke in, Terry.
So you broke in several years before me, but you only had a handful of matches or training prior to your breaking in the business, too, correct? I had two hours in the ring before I wrestled live on. on Portland T V against Buzz Sawyer. And uh I never had uh that was my only formal training the only other guy that ever worked out with me in the ring and it was short as well. Was uh Manny Fernandez when I went to uh uh San Antonio work for working for Joe Blanchard.
uh he got in the ring with uh myself and Tom Pritchard. and and showed me in less than 10 minutes how to throw a drop kick. And I mean, Manny was like a natural teacher. is funny and we developed a friendship early on. But Yeah, the difference I the the The indoctrination.
point was You we both got in like baptism by fire You got to push. immediately, which was different, was the polar opposite of me. I had the the journeyman experience working from the bottom-up uh You know, some nights in Portland, I'd wrestle the opening match and I'd put on a referee shirt and help referee two or three of the matches. and I helped them break the ring down.
So I got the full the full flavor of it top to bottom the six months I was in Portland. And then uh on to uh on to work for Joe for six more months and uh got to florida where I'm at Dusty and And all those things ensued.
So I I I had a fairly Quick by those terms, and back in that time, pretty quick rise. because back in those days guys would work seven to ten years to get a break. To get an opportunity to work on top. Yeah. And, you know, you obviously got in, you know, broke in to fill a spot.
for a a hole they had and and something you know, very direct. You know, and Uh It was you know getting that school of hard knocks on the on learning Lord again, the ring. And after Let's see. To Three and a half after three and a half years Got my got a break. And that was the Mid-South experience where I worked for Bill.
So it was uh You know, there Regardless of how brilliant or Much uh much potential someone has as you know you know, repetition and being inside. an area performing in front of people. is uh yeah it just takes a certain amount of time. to find your way. or you know, around that that that square circle.
And I had to like yourself. Had you know, everybody out, everybody I was in the ring with had more experience than I did, you know, for all that period of time.
So I was a student. you know, every time I got in the square circle, it was absorbing it like a sponge.
So, yeah, so our only two different similarities were: yeah, we both got in quick. But you had to You had to absorb it much, much, much quicker than I did because you were thrust into the spotlight. You know, pretty much immediately, you know, working with Dusty and you know, the main event people you were, and I wasn't in a main event. until I'd been in the business three and a half years.
Okay. Yeah. And I think it was maybe three and a half months for me, actually, or maybe less. But yeah, and you're right. I mean, I had a unique opportunity to fill a void at the time and just step into that.
And fortunately, like you, just became a student and a sponge. Of course, I had some great teachers, Ivan Koloff and Don Carnoto, and then, like you, Able to step in the ring with guys with way more experience than me, Ricky and Robert, the Rock and Roll Express, and Ricky Steamboat, and Dory Funk Jr., and Blackjack Mulligan, and just some guy, Johnny Weaver, who was legendary in the mid-Atlantic area. And Dick Slater, just so names, guys who were well schooled in the business. That I can learn from. And so, yeah, so a lot of similarities.
So, so you come fast, let's fast forward a little bit.
So, you now 1985. You come into the Carolinas at this point. And I'm still, I've only, I'm just still six months in at this point. But again, I had a lot of. I made a vet type masses where I could learn.
And you come in, and you end up partnering with American Dream, Dusty Rhodes, at a point, you guys become America's team. Right? Wasn't that the tag, the American America's team? Yep, I know it was. And I still got one of those t-shirts running around here somewhere.
Okay. And of course, you had anyone that goes back and looks, I mean, you just like once, and well, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but once we matched up. It could have, I don't think, could have been any better in terms of what they were building in me as this Russian menace. And then you having just the all-American, you know, apple pie, hot dog, you know, just the look. You had the look.
Uh, that you know, the fans just fell in love with.
Well, what's a uh, take a minute, what's a teaming up with Dusty? What was I know? He became, you guys became the best of friends. What was that experience like? It was uh It was fun.
I don't ever remember Any in-ring things with Dusty that weren't just fun to, because for me, It was entertaining always being on the ropes and watching him in the ring because he's the most unlikely looking of. physique to be able to do the things that he was capable of doing. I mean most people don't realize that uh You know, he was a stellar athlete before he got in wrestling. I mean you can eat He could have easily played. uh you know football or baseball either one You know, you tried out for the Yankees in the In the superdome, when they were throwing the yellow, the orange balls inside so you could see them.
I mean, he was like a... Ugh. It was almost like a babe roof type, you know, awkward looking. Body guy, but light on his feet, very agile. And when he got into the uh you know the profession of wrestling and that charisma you know just flowed out of him He knew how to to play that crowd like like nobody I've ever seen.
You know, he just could manipulate them like he was conducting an orchestra. Right. And I learned a lot by watching him. Uh and watching him listen to the people and his Panama and the way he could tell the story. You know, you know, typically You know, I've been used to in the past.
being the one that they got the heat on and giving the hot tag.
somebody else and he He's one of the first main eventers that put me in a situation where he let them get the heat on him. and give me the hot tag. And you know, he he was uh I thought he was very gracious in the ring. Uh, as a partner, because I've been in ring, I've been, I've worked with people. as I've got early on in the main events things.
that I could see where people were less than gracious. with uh how they, you know, they were very. Very self-centered. in sometimes in in their approach. And all they were concerned with was themselves shining and getting themselves over.
And you hear those stories, particularly on the babyface side, because a lot of egos, a lot of folks that want to present themselves in the spotlight. But uh Dusty had visit, you know, you you and I share something else very similar because He had a vision for both of us. You in your lane, me and my lane. And uh You know, you couldn't have a bigger supporter. Than to have somebody like Dusty Rhodes see something in you and then him vicariously want to pull that performance out of you.
and put you in the spotlight. and let you really shine.
So yeah, I cherish those moments and those memories. and the friendships that we developed over over the years and all the miles we traveled together and laughed and And he was just a unique guy. You either loved him or you hated him. There was no like in between. You either embraced him or he annoyed you so bad that you couldn't stand to be around him.
Right. It's like it was black and white, right out of dope gray in between there. And kind of a bittersweet thing, correct me if I'm wrong on this, but kind of a bittersweet thing is he actually passed away on your birthday. Yeah, indeed he did. And uh I remember it like it was yesterday and I had just.
the I think it was the November before I had worked the big event in New York City. And I don't even remember who brought me in for it, but he and I got to sit next to each other. And I had my son Tucker with me. And we got to really spend, we spent about six hours together, so we really got to catch up and. and uh you know you know find out what was going on in each other's lives and and it was really good reconnecting and then Uh I but and I knew he was the leanest I'd ever seen him.
When I saw him, he was probably I'd say maybe 370, 360, I mean 260. And he'd usually been like 320, 330.
So him at 250, you know, 260 range, he looked skinny, he looked gaunt. And then I was watching him on the Some WWE programming, I would say, look, I could even draw more weight.
So I was shocked because they hadn't announced to the world that he was. you know, basically fighting like a stomach cancer. type thing and they kept it very private. But I had just come out of a meeting. I was heading home to meet my family to go out for my birthday and one of my co-workers called me.
and they'd heard it on TMZ. And when they said it, I almost thought they were saying it was Cody. You know, I thought something had happened to Cody. Yeah, I couldn't wrap my head around it. And then of course, you know, the internet blew up with it and I found out it was for real.
Yeah, I've never uh be able to forget that day it'd be And I was fortunate enough to be able to go down to the service they had for him and Tampa and uh Really glad I got to see the impact. that he had on that tub. That training community down there because he had the time we'd shared, he talked so much about. mentoring those we call them his kids you know, at the training facility. I mean, from, you know, Seth Rollins to Becky Lynch to Roman Reigns to so many people, he's got his thumbprints all over.
Uh it is uh As great a performer as he was, He impacted the business greater. in his ability to share His wisdom of the business, even than he did in his entering career. That's a great, great teacher. And on another note, too, which this leads to what we want to talk about, you know, the tail end of the last part of the show, the best of seven series, and the 40th anniversary commemorative book we've got coming out, and poster and t-shirt just honoring the 40 years. Later for the best of seven was the creative side of him, right?
What a just the brilliance and his creativity come like even coming up with the best of seven. But what were we going to talk about that? What were the couple other things that you remember that he created? And then let's we'll get to the best of seven series.
Well, you know, everything. Everything to him was bigger than wrestling. He thought of things globally, entertainment-wise. You know, I was w I was with him when the when the whole the the the the the whole big show uh you know concept was was going around in his head. before the first starcade.
So I mean, he is really. the innovator that thought of bringing that big show atmosphere together before Vince did.
Now of course Vince did it you know, ticket increase so much bigger as Because he had more resources and more things, but he didn't have more imagination than Dusty. and you know the midnight rotter. You know, that was a that was come up with, you know, over a you know, driving down the road, you know, just thinking about cowboys and outlaws and this and that and the other and how to bring angles in. He's the one that helped. hone my character.
And make me where I had an alliance. with him. But if you think about it, I wasn't like... I wasn't like the a rock and roll type baby face. I was kind of the more rugged singular Uh in my lane, you know.
Kind of the rougher around the edges babyface, even though that may be portrayed to be. you know, to be the forerunner for that side of the of the fence. but it wasn't the traditional. Ricky steamboat-ish type babyface character. It was a precursor to.
kind of what Steve Austin. Became without flipping the bird at everybody. I was still the rougher around the edges of wild-eyed Mexican silver. Uh cowboyish. Uh Character still would be able to sell and get the sympathy and let the baby, you know, the heels get the heat.
but more rugged and and more you know, willing to buck the authority of the NWA or the bobgoggles of the world or people that didn't see things quite the way I did. And uh and and he helped me uh kind of hone that. and develop you know that character development and that's what he was good at. He was good at saying.
something within yourself that you were comfortable portraying. There was a magnification of something he could see inside you and help you bring that out. And I've talked with Cody about that. He he calls it Uh, like the land of misfit toys, being able to find. broken characters and help them find the best version of themselves that they could be and give them the confidence to portray.
He never really talked to me about. like in-ring psychology and the things like Eddie Graham talked to me about when I was in Florida. But as far as the character development and the way that this are perceived by by the public in the things that you say. You know, baby phase could never lie. to look at the camera, stare it down, and tell somebody something they knew was just a bald faced lie.
You couldn't, if you knew. You aren't going to come out victorious. You can't go on there and say, you know, and I promise you, I'm coming home with that title. Yeah, right, right. Yeah, I mean, a heel can lie and get away with it and say anything.
But if you're going to instill the confidence of the paying public, They got to be able to relate to you and believe what you say and be involved in the struggle. and be able to be all those things.
So that's why. with you and I vicariously me representing you know the the the pride of the usa america and you being so anti Anti-America and in your face with the Kremlin and Uncle Ivan and all the things. It was just, it was the perfect. It was a perfect match. And someone who had If someone didn't have the intensity that you had, it wouldn't have worked.
You couldn't have had that program with Jimmy Value. But you know, I mean I love Jimmy, but that would have been the right right makeup. to be the The guy to fight the Russian nightmares, yeah.
So, he so he creates this best of seven angle for the U.S. heavyweight belt. There's a whole story behind that. Again, we're coming out with a commemorative book. Uh, you're going to be able to get we're going to be Terry and I are going to be at the gathering together in Charlotte, and then later this year, November, at the WrestleCade in Winston-Salem, we're going to be there together, autographing the book and poster, and it's going to be t-shirts available and whatnot.
And you're going to get the full story in the book, like match by match by match, but also William Murdoch, who collaborated with us on the book, the whole history. Of that US belt and some of the marquee names who wore that belt prior to Terry. Prior to myself, and then some of the names who later would wear that belt. There's quite a story and a history behind that. And to Terry's point, to your point, Terry, just the chemistry between the two of us, from the menacing look that I portrayed to that, again, all-American look that you had.
Boy, it just couldn't have been any better in terms of the intensity and the fans, right? Just here we are, Terry, 40 years later, like you said, could pinch ourselves, right? To think in our 60s, 40 years later, we're going to run into a bunch of fans who've already said it's blowing up on social media. I got to get a guy told me today, I got to get a copy of that book. I got to get a copy.
I can't wait to read the book. Even people said, I don't even read books, but I'm going to get a copy of that book, right? And again, it's a commemorative thing. It's not just a. you know, as a little history lesson.
There's some great pictures in there, some that fans have probably never seen before. And to have all that consolidated in one unit. uh you know to capture that history in that event Is a really cool thing. And to your point, I mean, the U.S. title.
Was not a mid-card title in the Crockett organization. It was. the we are recognized by the NWA as the number one contender for a world title. uh the you know the person that held that and uh And though it, you know, different regions had their version. of of the US title as as a book.
you know describes Uh it there I don't think there's ever been a point in history outside of what we created in 85 in the 85, 86 era. that elevated that belt to as is as high as uh is high state. And I mean, you Now back then Flair was a traveling champion. And there was You know, you'd go. You know.
you know sometimes those six, eight weeks and have the champion all over the country. And we'll be in all the templates.
So The US title was the marquee title. that was being fought for and recognized. And uh you know you go back to the combatants that fought for that over the years You know, go back and watch some history, see Johnny Valentine and Wahoo McDaniels. beating each other to a pulp you know, for for the for the US title and and uh You know, just on and on and on. It tells its own story, and I'm honored just to be part of it, to be honest.
Well, you and I both, and we're almost out of time. We're just gonna tell you, we're gonna have to have you back and talk about what happened that cut your career short.
Now, we do talk about that in the book: the accident that happened in 1986. Post-best of seven series that cut the career short not long after the seventh and final match. Because you were being, again, we'll just kind of tease the people for another show, Terry, because Terry was being set up to become the next Ric Flair, the next world champion. And Terry, I know we've talked about it, but I could have seen a best of seven first time ever for the world heavyweight title. Who knows?
The sky was the limit. Unlimited possibilities, right? We got 60 seconds left. Last thoughts, Terry.
Well, my hat's off to. The fans and the children of the fans, and the grandchildren of the fans, because they've passed their passion and their memories of this. down to you know next and next generation and uh Yeah, I just really embrace The people that made it possible for you and I to get out there and perform the way we did, and certainly to be remembered this many, many years later. is uh something that's humbling to this day. Yeah, something special certainly to have been a part of with you, Terry, and such incredible memories.
And so if you're in the coming into the Charlotte area, come see us out at the gathering in Charlotte. If you're going to come out in November to Winston-Salem, see us at WrestleCade and keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open for the advertising for an online. I just had a loss of words, Terry, for a virtual. a virtual.
Terry and I are going to do July 23rd. We're going to Thursday night. We're going to do a virtual signing where anyone in the world could get a copy of this book and a signed poster from the two of us and order some t-shirts. Terry, thank you for being a part of the show today, man. You're amazing.
Yeah, a pleasure as always, Nick. Anytime.
Well, God bless you. And for all of you out there, God bless you. Go out and have a God-filled day today. Until next time, it's time. Better.
