What is it like to have the world at your feet and have it taken away from you on one fateful night? One of pro wrestling’s greatest tragedies is the story of Magnum TA. You have heard many of Magnum’s peers talk about it in past RF Video Shoot Interview. Now it is time to hear the story from the man himself. It is with great honor that RF Video presents the Magnum TA Shoot Interview.
One of the most talked about topics in our shoot interview series is the Magnum TA crash. Grown men have cried on camera when recollecting the story about Magnum TA. Now it is time to hear from the one man that has lived that tragedy. Magnum TA opens up about his car wreck and the aftermath like never before.
Before this crash, Magnum was on pace to rival Hulk Hogan in wrestling. Magnum talks about his rise in the business. Magnum starts from the beginning and tells a story about being ripped off by Buzz Sawyer. How did it impact Magnum later in wrestling? What did he learn from it? Does he forgive Buzz?
Magnum talks in great detail about his rise throughout the territories. Magnum talks about working his way up from Florida to Bill Watts’ Mid South to Jim Crockett Promotions. Who helped him along the way? What promoters did he like working for more than others? What was Bill Watts’ reaction Magnum when he jumped to Jim Crockett Promotions? Magnum has a ton of great stories about his journey to th e top.
Magnum talks in great length about his short but legendary run in the Carolinas. What was truly the plan for him and the NWA title? Did he like working with Ric Flair? Did he see Dusty Rhodes as a mentor or competition? Magnum also goes into his many great feuds including the legendary Best of Seven series with Nikita Koloff and the I-Quit Match with Tully Blanchard. Magnum has a ton of war stories in this interview.
Magnum talks about the aftermath of his car accident. Does he think he would have ended up in the WWE if it didn’t happen? How hard was it mentally on him to never wrestle again? Magnum talks about the emotional walk at the Crockett Cup and the reaction from the boys. Magnum also talks about his days as a commentator and working with Jim Ross. Did Magnum ever think of attempting a comeback? Magnum is candid here in talking about the frustrations of calling wrestling and not being able to wrestle.
This is truly one of the most intense yet fascinating RF Video Shoot Interviews in the history of our company. This is a rare opportunity when one of the most talked about topics is discussed by the subject himself. In addition to the accident, Magnum fans will love the stories about Magnum’s matches with the Horsemen, Ernie Ladd, Mr. Wrestling II, Ric Flair, and more.
Fans of the Jim Crockett era and of Magnum himself will be riveted from the first minute of this interview. Magnum opens up on camera like never before and you will hear stories for the first time ever by the former US champion. It is truly with great honor and pleasure that RF Video presents to you the Magnum TA Shoot Interview.
How did you get started in wrestling
Were you a fan before you got into the business
What happened when you were tried out by the Andersons
Do you agree with those methods of breaking guys into the business
Do you think Ole was a bully
Jake Roberts said in an interview that Buzz and Brett Sawyer were screwing you over left and right as a rookie. Do you agree?
How did you wind up in Portland
Thoughts on Don Owens
Did you wind up in any shoot matches there courtesy of his brother
Memories wrestling Buzz in Portland
What was the hardest thing to pick up about the business or wrestling
How did you wind up in Florida
What did Buzz promise you
Initial thoughts of the territory
Initial thoughts on Dusty Rhodes
Could you tell that he liked you right away
Memories of matches with John Studd
Memories of Eddie Graham
Good road stories
Memories of Kevin Sullivan
Memories of seeing/meeting Ric Flair for the first time
How did you wind up in Southwest
Memories of Joe Blanchard
Initial memories of Tully Blanchard
Memories of matches with Nick Bockwinkel
Who was the first promoter to see potential in you
Memories of Gino Hernandez
Good road stories
Memories of Manny Fernandez from this time
You came back to Florida for a bigger role, how did that happen
Memories teaming with Scott Magee
Memories teaming with Dusty in the middle of the Midnight Rider gimmick
Did you get the sense here that you were being groomed for big things
How did you wind up in Mid South
Initial thoughts on Bill Watts
Was he a bit of a bully
Did you get the sense that he liked you right away
How did the Road Warriors influence you early on
Memories training with Ray Hernandez
Memories of matches with the Midnight Express
How close were you to leaving the area before this feud
Memories of your feud with Mr. Wrestling II
Did you learn a lot from him
Would you call this a turning point for you
Who did you travel with in this area
Memories of matches with Butch Reed
Memories of Junkyard Dog
Memories of Dick Murdoch
Memories of matches with Ernie Ladd
Barry Windham recently said that Ernie was hard to work with and didn’t like putting over young talent. Did you feel that way?
Memories teaming with Jim Duggan
Memories of Steve Williams
Memories of matches with Jim Neidhart
Memories of your first match with the Road Warriors (I think Superdome with Mr. Wrestling II)
Memories of your feud with Ted Dibiase
How did you wind up working for Crockett
How did Watts react to you leaving
Did you know right away you were going to be a top guy
Memories of your first matches with Ric Flair
Memories of matches with Wahoo McDaniel
Memories of matches with Kamala
How did you get the Magnum TA gimmick
What was the party scene like in this area
Did you feel you and Flair getting better together the more you wrestled
Memories of matches with Nikita Koloff
Did you like the feud
Did you like the best of seven idea
Thoughts on the Goldberg comparisons
Was he hard to work with since he was still kind of green
When did you feel that the territory started taking off
Memories of your feud with Tully Blanchard
Did you ever feel that with Dusty booking and wrestling that you would never be the top babyface
Is it true that Jim Crockett tried being one of the boys
Did you and Tully know going into Starrcade how good of a match you would have
Are you surprised that to this day it is one of the most talked about matches in wrestling history
What made it so special
When is the last time you watched the match
Do you ever watch back your old matches
How did the territory change when the Rock and Roll Express came in
Who came up with the belly to belly finisher
Was it a tight locker room back then
What was Flair like back during this time
What did you think when the magazines started comparing you to Hogan
Memories of your match with the Road Warriors at the Crockett Cup
Memories of matches with Jimmy Garvin
At what point were you aware that you were being groomed for the NWA title
When were you supposed to get it
Would the travel to other territories have been something you liked
Memories of matches with the Horsemen
Barry Windham also in his shoot said he felt that Flair really had a hard time giving up the title to guys like you, him, and Dibiase who were groomed. Do you agree?
What happened the night of the crash
When did you wake up
Did you know what had happened
Who was at the hospital with you
Was Dusty supportive
Did you initially think you’d wrestle again
How difficult was it mentally to come to terms with not wrestling again
Did you ever attempt to try and come back over the years
Hypothetically if you continued wrestling, do you think you would have went to the WWE at some point or been a WCW/NWA guy for life
Was there any kind of a coverup from the police with the crash
Did you pay your hospital expenses out of pocket
Describe the Crockett Cup 87
Was it a good thing or did it make it more difficult being around the business
Where do you think Crockett went wrong and wound up bankrupting himself
How did you get into announcing
Did you like it
Memories working with Jim Ross
How did things change when Ted Turner bought the company
What did you think when you saw Dusty in polka dots on WWE television
How did you wind up working with Dusty in booking
Was booking harder than you thought
How did your cellular business come about
Do you watch wrestling today
Thoughts on the growth of the business
Does it bother you that WCW was run into the ground
Do you think Vince has been fair to your history since buying the tapes
Would you like to be inducted into his Hall of Fame
How did it go when you made an appearance for the WWE at Vengeance
Are you surprised they brought the U.S. title back
Does it surprise you that Flair was still wrestling up until last year
Any good Flair stories
Any good Dusty stories
Billy Jack Haynes talked about everyone being stiffed from Crockett on their Starrcade 85 payoffs. Is that true?
Did you ever refuse to put anyone over
Best guy you ever worked with
Worst guy for whatever reason you ever worked with
How did you develop your promos
Are you still in pain
Are you surprised at the affection the fans still have for you today
Thoughts on all of the successful second generation wrestlers in the WWE
You married Tully Blanchard’s ex wife. How did Tully take it
Any plans to write a book