What's Really Important?

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Once a world champion wrestler, now a champion for Christ. Once the Russian nightmare. Now the devil's worst night in your tagteam partner not keyed a call this time coming up today, a story of inspiration from tragedy to triumph. Hey listen carefully to magnanimity a story as he explains how professional wrestling was a building block to him becoming a real hero, not in the ring outside the ring. Stay tuned. Why will welcome you back to its time to man up the cuticle off the doubles worst nightmare. That's right, but today today. What a special treat for me today as I introduce our guests today, any of you who followed wrestling or as we say sometimes in the South Rasul and I have with me today such a special friend Magnum TA Terry Allen Terry, welcome to the show but I could not be happier to be here. You moments Monday.

Would you like a pressure well. I appreciated I do and will talk a little bit about that and cover some of that how how we remain friends today from our introduction really years ago through the ranks of professional wrestling before we get to that is trying to little research on you to give our listeners little backdrop for those who maybe don't know you know are familiar with Magnum TA or as you noised it back in the day, I get the my favorite lies that were we were arch nemesis, but the I was still a little background here and in and you may if I did my research right back to your real your high school days, up in Virginia. What I found was Norfolk collegiate school, and in Norfolk, Virginia were in the you are a member of of the collegiate wrestling team.

You want to state championship at 167 pound division if I did my homework right till our listeners will be about your formative years up there and in the Chesapeake area will wrestling was like for me to get me on the path much like other people that you know sports like you did like football right me. I got introduced to wrestling in gym class in eighth grade and I had no natural aptitude toward anything else but me. It was just a fascinating challenge and it was something that I was part of why be a model T that my law school together. The very first wrestling is bad because they're the big deal always in basketball. They were basketball conference champions and I was going to stop so the wrestling for me was that it was a great challenge personal challenge myself to be better myself in product become a champion. But even more so that I will almost like below, should with the 80 pound weakling got sand kicked in his face. I could hardly do a push-up in the eighth grade I was just not a natural athlete and I want myself and myself into a champion over for you. Common use point out one state championship my senior year hundred 67 pounds and dollar bill real strong basis for myself physically that I obviously built on healing later years, but it was that love amateur wrestling maybe maintain the grades to a college graduate school that was really tough to begin with and he had to maintain at least a C average to be able to play sports and so I did get books and do things that I otherwise wouldn't of been so interested in. After one for the fact that I want to compete in athletics and in particular wrestling cited wrestling during Mike October till till the end of February and the track and field.

In the spring so they kept me off on the right path through the high school years were shirts to sell To get to focusing I can certainly relate to that with my for me with my love for weightlifting and bodybuilding at a very young age, about seventh grade for me and then and then in football as well and that you bring up a couple interesting points on how I mean just the value of competitive athletics at such a young age for us and how it does right. It keeps you focused for for many of the athletes keeps them focused and and driven to you as you said driven to to study at least get at least a C average. If not, if not higher, but so that you can be a part of the team and and and be able to compete and so you got the opportunity at what I'm hearing to really pioneer that whole wrestling program for for your school and I learned about the building blocks and now you know why people surrounded dream about achieving something, but they don't have any idea of About a get there in athletics teaches you a pack you know you read the first time you wanted Jim, you generally don't pick up 300 pounds and be able to best present you. You start where your baseline is in you working you go through different things and you build yourself up to try to achieve a goal and athletics obviously did that, you know, for me there for you but I lost every single match that I had my freshman year, with the exception of the last match that one would like you have fun when the Super Bowl also excited that it just like them yet. But then again about some of the senior pinned everybody to wrestler the state tournament in less than a total of six minutes for the entire term and it was not you it was a a POI journey that was there seem really crazy at the time because of the transformation that I had made such a relatively short number of years but really it was just the preface of what was yet to come. Because of my life was really on this media you take of laws that are really had no idea where was going that particular catamount life because it is just you, would you look back at the time frames and I was involved in amateur athletics and then you less than five years, graduated in Amida venting in the professional wrestling world of things like that just don't ordinarily happen right right were recently getting to that we want to talk about that as well. It's interesting there is a parallel course that I really marvel honestly at it. Those of you with with the amateur background of in wrestling because I didn't have that save those who know my story are some who've heard my story or or will you know here about or read about my story and in fact, shortly here. I'm going to be coming out with a revision of my last book Nikita a tale of the ring and redemption that's going to share more of my shoe wrote about six or seven or eight new chapters including some stories from from fans from other people that maybe washed my career but I sell that to say I marvel at you guys, because I know we competed against a number of guys weather was a Brad ring and Sir Mike Rotondo Steiner brothers him either, different guys.

You had your Dr. Dusty Williams, who I know you know very well that that had that background and I used to joke with those guys and say like a dopey trying to shoot any single leg zombie or put putting them chicken wing what the web you call them moves up up up here on the entertainment side of this. Okay, I'll clearly let you get your hand raised in the dressing room because of like meta-I know you guys you guys get tires up tie me up like a pretzel. You know, and so certainly admire all of you guys that had that amateur background, but that you know that brings up an interesting point.

You just made. How how you went from as you kinda describe this 80 pound weakling if you will. When you are pioneering the school wrestling program to becoming really it.

If you want to say hundred 67 pounds state champion. You could maybe doubled your weight or least as you said had it had a rocketship career there, but that really is interesting because that parallels you mention your professional career before really jumping that it did you always want to be a professional wrestler and some do, some did some don't. To when did you first come the fall of a professional wrestling. I fell in love with it is a fan of it when I was young when I was like early memories of watching TV with my dad probably six or seven years old. Watching the Atlantic amateur wrestling with them on Saturday nights so I watched it in for me it was like watching you know my superhero. I chose those guys work euros in billings and by watching the Lone Ranger John Wayne movie work. Anything else from that era that I came up you are you the bad guys were good guys were not going marketing, from a entertainment type perspective never really is a kid. Imagine being able to do something like that. Then when I got into the amateur wrestling. My, my focus was was very much just on that Dan Gable was my hero. Back then I read his book I have read 1 to 73 Olympics and in he was the big inspirational motivator in my life to you. Kinda started be 11. The amateur wrestler that he was an and I was building towards that that thought process to want to go to the Olympics. One day, and not in 1980. If you remember, that was usually boycott of the Olympics And I was also in the process of rolling because I had guided my entire high school career to stay down at 167 pounds and 90 Russell 167 my freshman year in college and then all of a sudden like the court came on I started working out with some gradual power lifters and bodybuilders and eating a holy completely different… I never eat my life and all of a sudden one summer I went from 167 delight 215. While I like some ice down right go right because I like basically starve myself for years and so it changed my focus because there wasn't really a happy place for me to be late. I was at an amateur wrestler and I didn't really want to be back then heavyweights where there was a limit to what Chris Taylorwood for account type member and so you know I was in that range and it was like you I got a call for when I was working security bouncing nightclubs while going to college and pro guys were were coming in the morning I called you to be 12 work, and simultaneously in one of the Virginia papers they wrote an article about professional wrestling and I for the first time I look at it like a business opportunity that they were talking about guys making six figures and this is 1979 I'm gone six figures back in 79 you are a millionaire. You're making six figures and and so it the right you have the lightbulb went off the opportunity. All of a sudden I look like something I potentially could do. Because of this new group I was running with and getting bigger about a month and that's what. So wasn't until I was like 19 years old almost 20 that I even gave professional?

Real hard look as a potential career okay and if I'm not mistaken. Old Dominion University's is where you were up wrestling college correct in exactly Billy Robertson not Billy Martin Junior was my coach and his dad was a legendary coach from Granby was famous for inventing a movie called the Granby role of the all the kids were being back in the 70s it came out. It is In the software support still loved it, but in thinking about the life and career and realizing that the Olympic dream wasn't probably going to be in the making, particularly the fact that we were going to get everyone to be Olympics the US in 1980, then that Charlie just like like flip the switch letter looking at the next move and what I could do to have your career right for the listeners out there. You not familiar with the name Dan Gable who Megan is referring to. I encourage you to research Google his name but one that that's interesting. So so you are now entertaining. This idea your meeting professional wrestlers is to see this average this article: answer now you your contemplating considering and you eventually jump into the world of professional wrestling and you dominated really from what I can tell, almost out of the gate in a looking at some of the your history in Florida championship wrestling in Midsouth championship wrestling, the Watson eventually were you and I would meet in the mid Atlantic wrestling that that will you and I would meet up at just briefly give us a little quick history on on Florida and in Midsouth well it was when I got to Florida in the business for you book in in Portland, Oregon under Don Owens and I was there for six months just walking underneath journeyman. I think I'm learning the ropes and six months.

There down to Texas in six months with Joe Blanchard and in the San Antonio and his organization. And while there I meet this young man named Mike Graham my grandson of Eddie Graham owned and ran for the championship. Russell and Mike and I hit it off like I we will brothers let me know each other. Entire like Mike said you Florida wouldn't do this is to be great and we did a Bob Florida did to his word and they treat me like golden taught me things that I got a crash course on psychology and in everything that about the wrestling profession that you couldn't pay a professor to teach you, but I had Eddie Mike's dad in my ear every night God… About what it took to be just one business critiquing only what I did, but stood there with me while we watch and vice matches called me and told me what was good wasn't good.

It was like I said it was just a complete education and six months after being in Florida I meet the bigger than life personality that we both know so well. The American dream just wrote and dusty and I became almost instantaneously tied at the hip and just develop amazing friendship outside of the ring I ruffled for another year in Florida with dusty learning more and more more about what I needed to do to be successful.

Then I got the opportunity to go to Midsouth and Midsouth where the Magnum PA Prasanna came to life and it was at the recommendation of none other than hundred Jott he'd come up with his name.

One night while we have a breakfast should I look how I got home so I gather was on Magnum PI back in the day right. He came up to handle the name I did know what that meant is that a good Magnum PA sounded really good job with character will be but I you again jump off the cliff and built your legs all the way down the road ahead will put into the opportunity and the work related failure receiving value from this.

It's time to man you like to support the show along with price ministries go to co-op.co-op.org and donation of any amount. I note 1 of my latest book and you receive a personalized, Nikita tale of the ring redemption yeah and in because you eventually come to the Midatlantic were you and I would meet in person number one by the wrestling fan, the number one most Benson thing when I'm out and about talking fans are signing autographs and do alleged signings and all that that you and I still do today all these years later. Who'd ever thought combat but up but we do think God thank you Lord, but we have these legendary math this best-of-seven this creative idea. Again you of Dusty's that puts together the series best of 7 AM.

For sake of time, folks. You just have to go research that in and you can watch matches on the WWE network and in all that the best-of-seven but your career skyrocket. Here's what I want to get to your career.

Skyrocketing your being groomed to become world heavyweight champion NWA heavyweight champion what would become WCW for our listeners will be a program with Rick flared in the midst of that tragedy strikes the rugs kinda pulled out from underneath you and by the way, I was personally shocked when I was first made aware of this. I just come back from a tour in Japan.

I remember I was in Philadelphia.

Dusty and Jimmy Crockett pulled me aside and say you you you have this accident. You'd had this rack in and you know it took a while to convince me once a day. I was shocked by that.

But I want to leave that to this question.

Original diagnosis was a quadriplegic. You're gone from the skyrocketing professional wrestling career to this rugby pulled off her money. How did you cope in those early days of that diagnosis.

Terry will know sometimes and and I never lost consciousness. When I had this accident so late in the form of corporal laws of going on what road hit my head on the roof of the car Monsanto bumble number really bad. I don't know what's wrong and go a few hours later I'm waiting on a gurney and I entered hospital will go to know God is brilliant neurosurgeon on top of me telling me just what you said that I'm know I'm a quadriplegic that my chances of ever doing anything other than setting up a chair and being spoonfed about a million to one amendment to that shape my C-5 a break and exploded in the collision that I was in and you me it was like everything I done my entire life that led up to that moment all the work from the days of not being Outlook do a push-up to keep going through all the grueling hours on the mat room waiting room to all the other things I done Lettie up to this greatest challenge of all time. Improving the doctors wrong and I'm saying to myself they don't know me know what I made other than what I've been through to make that kind of decision then statement is just a really brash and in hindsight now, knowing what I know about the kind of injury know exactly what they said because what they said was actually true. People do not walk away from things like that is just get this to devastating of an injury, but I had the decompression surgery done within that eight hours of the accident and they took the pressure off my spine and when I woke up I was immediately able to move my left arm just a little bit, which was which was like a miracle in and of itself and you know I never said you know God by me on this. You take this away from the asset. Please just give me the strength to persevere and do whatever it takes, but I've got to do to do with the enemy right and and and I remember it vividly remember saying a prayer more times than I can tell you because I was 30 days in ICU with three people to a personal either side of the both of which God allows. I want to came out of that little unit and then I was a total of five months in the hospital at which time I walked out under my own power and is not a grace of God that that I was able to do all this writing, the strength and any gated perseverance, but more than that gave me a purpose so far greater than anything I've done in all the accolades and the millions of people to watch as every week on the wrestling program would not be good. I played a hero on TV and all of a sudden I'm getting hundreds of thousands of letters and people that their heroes gone down and they've never known me to be anything but what they perceived as all television so I had a choice I could I could call and I could take all the meds and all the things you will being offered up to me to try to overcome the pain and become just babbling idiot and not be able to be productive at all. Or I could dig in and try to come back and with some dignity and show people that you have through the grace of adversities you can persevere and you can find a way made out a way to do things the way you wanted a way to be successful all the way to go bring bring honor to the things you are trying to accomplish. Like, and give a different kind of message and be an inspiration and a different level and for me it wasn't just so much the level of wanting to be back out in the public at which I did for quite quite a bit about a year and have a couple years. I did dabbled in doing things on television. Things just sent people would see that I didn't just fold up and quit and give up on life, but the day-to-day is where the greatest testimony of what you put into practice is all about. Well, I've been I've been in the construction business. I've been in telecom been a lot of things for the last 30 some years and never ask anything extra of anyone I found ways to make other people comfortable seeing that that I can accomplish things that they're not sure exactly how I do.

But the fact of the matter is just by going through life. I realize you have more chance to touch people and inspire people and help people overcome than I ever would've imagined just being in the world sports entertainment well your your story. Does that have to have you back again because we are out of time, but I want to summarize by saying this. What you just said for our listeners out there. Just be encouraged. I mean it was your faith that help sustain you through life's tragedy, and I think what you just said Terry will be a real encouragement to someone out there may be going through a very similar thing right now, or may be going through a hardship in the future, but I can't thank you enough for sharing your heart and share some of your story today, and I know it's good to be an inspiration and encouragement to many others in working have to have you back on okay we come back on sometime absolutely needed: I'll be your RI will focus thanks for tuning into it's time to man up, magna TA Terry Allen Judy next week for another great story godless men. I would like to challenge each of you to consider spending five days with my sliver and I am pursuing the heart of ladies you're listening. Will send your men home with God godly husband and God you give them your blessing for them to sign up today at band camp.enfold pastors you would like to bring Holland for Christ ministries and man up conference to your community. Go to co-op.org and email. Remember this. It's time to man up. This is the Truth Network