I first started following pro wrestling in the mid 1980’s, and absolutely loved watching the old Crockett shows on WTBS. Airing at wacky times like 6:05pm Eastern, they were chockful of incredible promos, storyline developments and best of all for us, squash matches a plenty. Ask most fans who the squash masters were on those shows and they will immediately bark back “The Road Warriors”. While that is certainly valid (and we’ve featured them here several times already), there is someone else who’s entire gimmick was that he squashed his opponents in record time: Magnum TA.
Magnum TA (short for Terry Allen) was one of Crockett’s biggest stars. Ruggedly good looking, he made the girls swoon. The guys generally thought he was ok as well, as he was pitted against nefarious nogoodniks like Tully Blanchard and Nikita Koloff. Heck, I can’t even say “Magnum TA” without slipping into a really bad impression of Nikita. If you were around for their feud, you’re a liar if you don’t admit to doing the same.
Today, Magnum is taking on Bill Tabb. And don’t blink, cuz this don’t last long.
We start off with the two men circling and Magnum locking Tabb up and pushing him into the ropes. A really nice dropkick right to the chin follows. I mean that is a thing of beauty. Unless of course it knocked a tooth or three out, which from the looks of it is possible.
An Irish whip is next, followed by a belly to belly suplex. And that is IT. Magnum is in and out in less than 20 seconds, which was the formula for all his matches. It showed that if Magnum hit someone – anyone – with that move it was all over. So simple and so effective. It’s something that someone really needs to bring that back today.
Sadly, Magnum’s run didn’t last long. As his career was seemingly peaking, he was in a horrific car accident in 1986 and his in-ring career was suddenly over. He would appear only appear on television moving forward as an in-ing commentator.
To this day, Magnum appears at wrestling fan fests. If you get a chance, be sure to ask him about that belly to belly…I’m sure it would make his day.
(Congrats Dustin Nichols for correctly guessing who I was writing about this week!)