Magnum TA: I could have been a contender

When I was young there was only one wrestling to watch and that was Mid-Atlantic Pro Wrestling. Of course I knew of other wrestling places because of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and The Wrestler, but Mid-Atlantic was the one I got to see all the time. I got to see Blackjack Mulligan when he was still in his prime. I got to see Andre the Giant when he was marketed as "The Eighth Wonder of the World". I got to see the formation of the Four Horsemen. Ric Flair defeating Dusty Rhodes to become NWA World Champion for the first time and to see him lose it to Harley Race at. I got to see the great Roddy Piper Greg Valentine Dog Collar Match and Ric Flair regain the title from Race in a cage match at Starcade '83. And I got to see Terry Allen, Magnum TA.

Most people who didn't follow Mid-Atlantic of Florida Championship Wrestling in the early 80's have no idea who I'm talking about. Starting his career in the last years of the seventies as Terry Allen, it was only after suggestion from Andre the Giant that Allen play up on his passing resemblance to Tom Selleck by changing his name to Magnum, that Magnum TA was born. With a name change came a change of scenery from Florida Championship Wrestling, where he teamed with Dusty Rhodes, journeyman Scott McGee (who even wrestled for the British Wrestling Federation), and Brad Armstrong. He held the North American Heavyweight Title in the Mid-South region before moving onto the Mid-Atlantic region.

In the Mid-Atlantic region Allen became a star. He was a hometown boy to me since he was from the Tidewater Area which was just across the Chesapeake Bay and Bridge Tunnel, so of course everyone cheered him. He first feuded with Chief Wahoo MacDaniels and gained the United States Heavyweight Championship. After a short feud with Kamala, a feud was started with Ric Flair which led to the formation of the Four Horsemen. Ric bought Magnum a tailored suit, which Magnum ripped up in front of Flair. Later during a Ric Flair Interview Allen came to the ring and challenged Flair, putting up $1,000 that Flair couldn't beat him in ten minutes. During the match the Anderson Brother's came out to watch their "cousin" defeat the "rookie" Magnum TA. A few months later Magnum would feud with Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard which ended in an "I Quit"match. Magnum then would move on to his greatest feud with Nikita Koloff, which ended in a best of seven series for Magnum's United States Heavyweight Title. In the end Nikita would win the series.

In a time where the NWA World Heavyweight Title was decided by all of the NWA regions, Magnum was supposed to win the title from Flair, but before the feud started up again, Terry Allen was severely injured in a car accident which ended his in ring career. After the accident Nikita Koloff was turned "face" because of his respect for the man Magnum TA. There was a cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated that people still talk about. On the cover is the title of an article with Koloff titled, "I cry for Magnum TA". Koloff would become one of the biggest "face' wrestlers in the company.

I often wondered what would have happened if his career hadn't been cut short. He was extremely popular with the fans. Decent in the ring, not too bad on the mic. In time would he have been mentioned in the same breath as Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race? Spending his entire career as a "face", how would he have been as a "heel"? Would he ever cut that mullet?