Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest

[jason1980s]

I seem to remember from Manny's shoot that the other wrestler who left him in the bar fight was Tully Blanchard.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

May 21, 2013 15:08:40 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I seem to remember from Manny's shoot that the other wrestler who left him in the bar fight was Tully Blanchard.

Jim Cornette said the same in one of his shoots with Bobby Heenan, so I'm betting there's some truth to it. Which is interesting since both are booked for the Fanfest this year.

That kind of thing happens sometimes, and made me re-think an interaction between Tully and Ricky Morton in 2011 after reading a story in one of Dutch Mantell's books.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Well, I had a feeling that the legend who announced he would be there wouldn't make it, and that ended up being the case. This was the 2nd time he had attempted to make it to Fanfest, and he'd also had to back out of a scheduled appearance at a Legends of the Ring event. In the words of the LOTR promoter, "In his heart, he wants to get out there and reconnect with the fans. His body simply won't let him. He thinks he can do it, but the reality is, he can't." Apparently, Greg Price will still be making a trip to Florida to interview him for the documentary, which is great news, and his sons will guests at this years events. Here's Mike Mooneyham's article:

Barry Windham knew when he first set foot in a pro wrestling ring that he had some mighty big shoes to fill.

After all, his dad, Blackjack Mulligan, was not only a larger-than-life character in the wrestling business, but also was one of the largest men in the business in stature.

At six-foot-nine and well over 300 pounds, Mulligan cast an imposing shadow as he went head-to-head with other giants of the day, such as Andre The Giant, Big John Studd and The Super Destroyer (Don Jardine).

Mulligan, whose real name is Bob Windham, traveled the roads with some of the greatest characters in the wrestling business. The pride of Sweetwater, Texas, was, indeed, one of pro wrestling’s true originals.

Windham, though, would accomplish things that his famous father never did, including winning the NWA world title in 1993.

Windham, along with younger brother Kendall, will return to his old stomping grounds on Aug. 1-4 in Charlotte as featured guests at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest.

Mulligan had hoped to attend this year’s event, but will be unable to due to health issues. Son Barry was there to accept his dad’s award for induction into the 2009 Hall of Heroes class.

Like his dad, Barry Windham is a WWE Hall of Famer whose considerable talents expanded well beyond the confines of that organization.

Barry, 52, was inducted in 2012 as a member of the legendary Four Horsemen, along with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and manager J.J. Dillon. It was a unit that made its name famous in the NWA and, more specifically, in the Mid-Atlantic area.

Like his dad a decade earlier, Barry enjoyed an incredible run working for Crockett Promotions during the ‘80s and into the ‘90s for WCW.

“My dad had kept us all pretty sheltered from the business. He kept us away from the shows. I was 11 before I got to go to my first (wrestling) show. I went with him to some workouts, but he didn’t let me come around that much. But I could understand why he did that.”

Windham knew Blackjack Mulligan was one huge, imposing figure in the ring. But at home, he says, “he was always Dad.”

“I’m sure it was difficult at times for him to balance home and wrestling, especially at times like that, when he was so hot.”

What Jack Mulligan couldn’t keep his son sheltered from, however, was his neighbor.

Windham laughs when conjuring up mental images of living two doors down from the Nature Boy. “Ric and my dad were best friends when I was growing up.”

Windham was only 15 when he started driving Flair’s limousine.

“I once burned up one of his limousines,” says Windham. “I was out driving my buddies around in the Nature Boy limousine and we pulled into a Taco Bell drive-through. The back end of the car caught on fire. We didn’t get to take the limos out after that.”

Living next to Flair was “quite an experience,” says Windham. “I got to see Ken Patera train for the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ competition as he was working out in Flair’s garage. I watched him pull our van up and down our street. It was unreal.”

While growing up in Charlotte, Windham loved watching such Mid- Atlantic stars as Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Paul Jones and Johnny Weaver.

“It was a great show to watch. There was some tremendous talent in this territory.”

Windham dropped out of West Texas State in 1979 to follow his father into the wrestling business. He had his first match in 1979 against J.J. Dillon, who would become his manager years later.

“I had been refereeing the matches on the weekends. When some of the guys didn’t make the trip or missed their flights, I was put on first, then I’d referee the rest of the matches.”

“It probably took five years in the business before I really thought that I knew anything,” he adds. “It just takes a while to get acquainted being in the ring.”

By the mid-’80s, though, Windham was a national star, first in the WWF as a tag-team champion with Mike Rotunda, and then in the NWA, where he was one of Flair’s top challengers for the NWA world title, until joining Flair’s Four Horsemen in April 1988.

Windham, considered by many to be one of the top five in-ring performers in the business during the mid-’80, first came into the Carolinas as Jack Mulligan Jr., although he had worked previously in Florida under his real name.

“Honestly I think it was easier as Barry Windham. I probably also went farther than I did as Jack Mulligan. It wasn’t a conscious decision not to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

Nor did Blackjack Mulligan push or encourage his sons to get into the wrestling business, says Windham.

At 6-6 and 275 pounds, Windham possessed the kind of speed his dad could have only dreamed of. He held a slew of regional singles titles, along with U.S. and world tag-team championships.

But in February 1993, he added the NWA world title to his collection, defeating The Great Muta at WCW’s Superbrawl III pay-per-view in Asheville, N.C.

“Even though it was a sorry match, I still came out on top,” he says.

One of the highlights of his career was working as one of the Horsemen.

“It was something that you achieved when you got to be a Horseman. I guess we knew we were good, but we didn’t know how good we were. That just carried through in the work that we did. Every night we wanted it to be right. We worked hard and we played hard.”

Windham jumped between WCW and WWE several times over the years, and after retiring from in-ring action, he worked with WWE as a backstage agent.

He escaped a near-death situation in 2011 after surviving a heart attack that left him hospitalized and in rehab for several months.

He says the attack came out of the blue. There were no symptoms, no known health issues.

“I just went to bed and didn’t get up. It was a strange deal. It’s been a year and a half. I had to completely learn how to walk again. My left side just quit on me. That’s why they initially thought it was a stroke.”

It’s been a long, uphill battle, but Windham says he continues to make progress.

“I’m still getting there. But it’s just part of having a heart attack. It takes a while to come back.”

Windham says he was glad he was able to attend the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony the following year.

“Especially to go in as a Horseman ... that was a big deal. I was really honored that the WWE would even consider me to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. But to go in with Ric, Arn, Tully and J.J., that was really a way to go.”

Would he do it all over again?

“Absolutely,” he says. “Without a doubt. It was a great ride.”
Kendall Windham


Like his brother Barry, Kendall Windham was born into the business and destined to be a pro wrestler.

Although he never reached the level of success that his dad and brother did, Kendall was a solid worker who could be counted on to put together a good match.

“You had to work hard because so much was expected of you,” says Kendall, now 46.

Windham, who broke into the business in 1985, went straight to Florida after graduating from high school in Charlotte. He was trained by Mike Graham and Hiro Matsuda.

“I learned the hard way ... lots of push-ups, Hindu squats and get beat you until you can’t walk, and keep going,” he laughs.

Wrestling, he says, came naturally to him.

“Ever since I was 14 years old, I knew what I was going to do. I had been in the preparation stages ever since I was a young teen-ager.”

Windham, who gained several titles in the Sunshine State, worked in Florida until 1987.

When he returned to the Mid-Atlantic territory, it was like coming home.

“We had lived in Charlotte off and on throughout my younger life. I really liked the Carolinas quite a bit. It was whole different atmosphere there. The fans were different, the climate was obviously different, the wrestlers were different. It was still a major promotion.”

Windham also got the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the best talent in the world.

One guy he says he never stopped learning from was Ric Flair.

“Ric has been a mentor in my life since I was a young kid. We used to live two doors down from him in Charlotte. From the time I was 8 years old, that was the lifetime that I saw and wanted to grow up and live. I learned how to enjoy the finer side of life from Ric. He had a limo and a limo driver. Just seeing all the things and the persona that he lived. He didn’t just turn it off at night when he went home. He lived that persona. That was him.”

One of the highlights of Windham’s career was his role in a group called The West Texas Rednecks in WCW in 1999. The group was made up of the Windham brothers and Bobby Duncum Jr., along with native Minnesotan Curt Hennig.

Originally intended to be a heel faction in a feud with the No Limit Soldiers led by rapper Master P, the pro-Southern fans turned the tables on the bookers of the program, cheering on the Rednecks and booing the rappers.

“I loved it. We were supposed to be heels, but it just didn’t quite work out that way, so it kind of got squashed prematurely.”

Windham, who was 33 when he officially retired from the business, has run an ADT home security business since retiring from wrestling.

Business, he says, is going well. Unlike the wrestling profession, it’s steady work and easier on the body.

“I would live the exact life I have lived, but I wouldn’t go back and do it either. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my past because it got me to where I am right now.”

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Time for a few more photo ops:



From 2008, with the Freebirds. Rest in peace, Buddy.



From 2009, with The Fink.




From 2009, with "The Oklahoma Shooter" Danny Hodge. If I look a little nervous, it's because he was starting to put on the squeeze. Thankfully, he took it easy on me.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Next guest announcement via Mike Mooneyham and a schedule change via Greg Price:

Decades before Mark Henry claimed the title of the “world’s strongest man,” there was Ken Patera.

A world-class weight lifter before breaking into the wrestling business, Patera was the first American to clean and jerk 500 pounds over his head. He won a gold medal in the 1971 Pan American Games and competed in the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, Germany.

Patera, who will be a featured guest at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest on Aug. 1-4

in Charlotte, has loads of memories to share of his time working in the Carolinas during the ‘70s.

Some of his best memories, though, are the ones he has of rooming with a future world champion before either got into the mat game.

“It was total insanity. That was the original Animal House,” Patera says of his roommate days with Ric Flair during the early ‘70s in southern Minnesota. “It wasn’t exactly cupcakes and liquorice.”

The two met while working at a Minneapolis dinner club.

“I worked the back door, which was the Red Dog Saloon,” says Patera. “That was the working man’s bar where everyone came in with (stuff) on their shoes, and their only purpose was to get drunk and get in a fight. Ric worked the front door, where most people came in wearing suits and ties and evening gowns.”

The club was a virtual gold mine, attracting several thousand patrons a day, says Patera.

Flair, a major sports fan even then, recognized Patera. “I just saw you on (ABC’s) Wide World of Sports,” he told the weight lifter.

The following week, says Patera, Flair invited him to his parents’ house for a birthday party.

“He was still living with his mom and dad at the time, and he was dating his first wife. After that we really got to know each other. He was totally insane,” Patera laughs.

The two eventually moved in together.

“Here I was at around 320 pounds, and he was about 280, and all we did was chase women. He was totally outrageous. Of course he was working at it 24/7.”

In addition to bouncing at the dinner theater, Flair also worked as an insurance salesman.

The late-night hours, though, continued.

“His boss would have to call the house several times a week looking for Ric. I’d have to kick his (behind) out of bed every morning because he had been out all night,” chuckles Patera. “It was a nightmare getting him to work.”

Patera says he finally laid down the law and told Flair that the all-night parties had to come to an end. Patera was training for the Pan-American Games and complained that he couldn’t sleep.

“I had to get up at six in the morning and work out. I had to put the kibosh on that.”

Patera says the two were roommates for about five months. He knew that Flair wanted to break into the wrestling business.

“He never stopped bugging me about introducing him to (AWA promoter) Verne Gagne.”

Flair had attended the University of Minnesota with Gagne’s son, Greg, and Jim Brunzell, both future wrestlers.

Patera obliged and took Flair to Gagne’s wrestling office. Initially Gagne refused to take Flair since he already had his limit of students at his training camp.

Patera, though, did a sales job on the veteran wrestler and promoter, telling him about “the stack of wrestling magazines four feet high” that Flair had collected. “I saw the pile at his parents’ house. It was actually four feet high.”

“You gotta take this kid,” Patera implored Gagne. “He knows Greg, he knows Jim. “We’re roommates, he’s a good, big, athletic kid. He’s a natural for this business. He can do all the spots and moves like Ray Stevens.”

Gagne agreed to consider Patera’s request despite the fact that his camp was at capacity.

“Trust me, he won’t be in the way,” Patera told Gagne, who trained the grapplers on his sprawling, 120-acre farm.

Gagne consented, and the rest is history.

At one point, says Patera, Flair wanted to quit. But he never did, as Patera wouldn’t let him.

“He didn’t quit for even an hour,” says Patera, who started the camp a couple of weeks after returning from Munich.

The group included Flair, Patera, Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell, Hossein Khosrow Vaziri (later known as The Iron Sheik) and former NFL linebacker Bob Bruggers.

Flair would later admit that he had never worked so hard in his life as he did during that harsh Midwestern winter, as Gagne and trainer Billy Robinson put him through the paces of 500 free squats, 200 push-ups and 200 sit-ups.

The ring, notes Patera, was inside of Gagne’s horse barns.

The grueling workouts would set the stage for Flair’s later reputation of being one of the most well-conditioned performers in the business.

“That was Ric’s role in life. He was meant to be in this business. He was meant to be the Nature Boy,” says Patera.
Mid-Atlantic memories


Patera got hooked on wrestling at the age of 10 when his family became the first in his Portland, Ore., neighborhood to purchase a television set.

“Every Saturday when wrestling would come on, I’d watch. We got three half-hour shows every week ... wrestling from Portland, wrestling from Texas and wrestling from the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Since we were the only ones in the neighborhood with a TV, there’d be 20 other kids in our living room watching wrestling.”

Patera grew up watching the likes of Gorgeous George, Mad Dog Vachon, Tough Tony Borne and Kurt Von Poppenheim.

Like Flair, Patera broke into the business in 1972. Billed as “the world’s strongest man,” Patera performed feats of strength such as bending steel with his bare hands and holding back an accelerated car with his legs pressed against the car’s front and his back against a wall.

An amazing all-around athlete, he bench-pressed 560 pounds, squatted 820 pounds and deadlifted 785 pounds.

When he first arrived in the Carolinas, he began a money-drawing program with Johnny “The Champ” Valentine.

“I loved working with him. The place would always be sold out when we worked together. I remember one particular match where we just beat each other to a pulp for 35 or 40 minutes. He dropped me on my head with a suplex, and just about knocked me out. That was a great match.”

The best match he had in the Mid-Atlantic area, says Patera, was the first match he had with his former roommate.

“It was a match in Rock Hill. I had a hell of a match with Ric. I don’t remember who won or who lost, but it was a tremendous match.”

Patera says he always enjoyed working for Crockett Promotions.

“It was more of a family situation,” says Patera, who noted that many of the wrestlers lived in close proximity to one another.

He also liked the area — so much that he bought booker George Scott’s house in Charlotte.

“He had it custom-built two years earlier. I bought it from him for exactly what he paid for it. He built a bigger house out by the golf course. I wish I still had that house, but I ended up selling it to Jimmy Garvin.”

One of his favorite characters in the wrestling business was Mid-Atlantic favorite Wahoo McDaniel.

“Wahoo had a fishing pole and a bag of golf clubs, and he was the happiest guy in the world. He didn’t need anything else.”

Patera, during his second Mid-Atlantic stint in the late ‘70s, defeated McDaniel for the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight title, a crown he held for more than a year before losing it and later regaining it from Tony Atlas. He would eventually drop the belt to fellow AWA alumni Jim Brunzell.

“Forget about all the BS about Wahoo McDaniel. If you were a guy in need, even if he didn’t even know you, he’d take the shirt off his back and give it to you. He was that type of guy.”

Patera battled the best and toughest wrestlers of the era, but none more times than the biggest wrestler of that era, Andre The Giant.

It was a natural match-up: The Eighth Wonder of the World vs. The World’s Strongest Man.

“We wrestled each other more than 600 times,” he says. “Hulk Hogan was second at about 500. The reason I know it’s over 600 times is because Andre told me. He kept a record. If I had to do it all over again, I’d work with him every night. He was a brilliant guy. His favorite subject was math. He was an unbelievable card player. You should have seen him play cribbage. He’d beat you like a red-headed stepchild.”

He and Hogan had a number system, says Patera.

“One through 10. We didn’t even call the move. We just said the number. He was very basic. I tried to mix it up a little bit. Ray Stevens once told me to keep it basic and simple, and everybody will remember. That’s absolutely true.”

Patera lists his final official match as the 1988 Summer Slam pay-per-view, although he later did a few “mini-world tours.”

“I couldn’t get out of there fast enough,” says Patera, who had eight major surgeries as a result of his profession.

“In 1993 I had my hip replaced, and I said this is it. I don’t need it anymore. I could have continued, but I like being close to my kids.”

Being a strongman, Patera says he could have easily limited his repertoire.

“I could have stuck with the bear hug and the full nelson and the body slam, and I wouldn’t have had all these operations. I was the world’s strongest man. Why should I take a backdrop or a suplex? But I felt I needed to entertain the fans. I think I gave the people their money’s worth.”

Patera, a couple of months shy of 70, worked in a number of businesses following his wrestling career. He owned a limousine service, health club, tanning salons and sports apparel company.

He now works as a leading salesman for one of the leading industrial suppliers of replacement screening systems in the country.

In layman terms, he says, “We crush rocks. We make big rocks smaller and we put them through a screening system that sizes them. They’re taken off on big conveyor belts, and they make big piles of rocks. Every time you run by a sand and gravel operation, you see all the different piles. All those piles have different sizes. We make all that possible.”





-The comedy/karaoke event has been moved to late-night Saturday. At 10 p.m. Friday night, Highspots will be holding the premiere viewing of their documentary on Jim Crockett Promotions. Admission to this event will be controlled by Highspots and, I believe, limited to those that have 1) supported their Kickstarter campaign, 2) purchased the DVD of the JCP documentary, or 3) purchased a certain amount from their booth earlier that day.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

A new guest announcement via Mike Mooneyham. I really dig this announcement - a truly old school guest with whom I am totally unfamiliar. This entire article was a learning experience for me.


Danny Miller might have never left his hometown of Fremont, Ohio, had it not been for his big brother.

Danny, the younger brother of Dr. Big Bill Miller, a collegiate and professional Hall of Fame grappler, made the decision to turn pro in 1955.

And he’s never looked back.

“I might have been walking behind a plow somewhere had I not got into wrestling,” the jovial Miller laughs.

Miller recently marked his 81st birthday, but the memories of his days in the wrestling business are never far away.

For his achievements in the wrestling business, specifically his contributions in the Crockett territory during the 1970s and ’80s, Miller will be inducted into the 2013 Class of the Mid-Atlantic Hall of Heroes at Fanfest Weekend on Aug. 1-4 in Charlotte.

“It’s a wonderful honor,” says Miller. “I really look forward to seeing my old friends and fans. It’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Like his brother, Danny attended Ohio State University, where Bill was a nine letterman and in the Hall of Fame for wrestling, football and track.

But Danny stayed in school for only a year before joining the military.

Stationed in Fort Jackson, it was a brand new experience for Miller.

“It was very good. I got to see a lot of things I would have never seen in Ohio,” says Miller, who served from 1953-55, following the end of the Korean War.

“When I got out of the military, Bill trained me to come into pro wrestling.”

Miller, who stood 6-1 and weighed 245 pounds, couldn’t have had a more qualified trainer teaching him the ropes.

Brother Bill, at a towering 6-6 and tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, had been an All-American heavyweight wrestler, a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champion and conference MVP his senior year. He also was an All-American shot-put and discus track star who would be voted into the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 for both wrestling and track.

Danny learned well from his big brother.

He vividly recalls his first pro match, on Nov. 15, 1955, in Springfield, Ohio.

“Evidently they had someone was who hurt, sick or couldn’t make the show. I was shaking all over and scared to death.”

At the time he broke in, says Miller, there was no shortage of seasoned, grizzled veterans based in the territory. He knew very well what they could do to a young upstart. He plotted his strategy accordingly.

“The only way I could get away from them was to get to the ropes so the referee would make them break. I had mat burns on my cheeks, my shoulders, my chins, my elbows, my knees. I told my brother Bill that I didn’t know if this was the right business for me.”

As it turned out, though, it was the perfect business for Miller, who enjoyed a successful 34-year career.

“As time goes on, you get smartened up. You learn to go with the program. But at first I got put in with those older guys, and they didn’t want to see the younger guys get that chance because they might get knocked out of a booking. It was kind of a vicious cycle.”

Even being the brother of Big Bill Miller didn’t help.

“He wasn’t in the picture. He probably laughed all the way to the bank.”

Miller would hit his stride a couple of years later when he began teaming with Nelson Royal.

Like Miller, Royal also broke in with promoter Al Haft’s Columbus promotion and showed early promise.

Royal, who would later become a Mid-Atlantic star, had started wrestling at the age of 17 under the watchful eye of legendary Indian wrestler Don Eagle. For nearly two years, he trained with Eagle and wrestled in nightly events held at National Guard armories for $5-10 a night.

His pairing with Miller was good for both performers.

“We started in the business together. We kind of both learned together. Nellie was very good,” recalls Miller, who would enjoy a lucrative program working against Royal several years later in the Amarillo territory.

“Those were the days when you wrestled at the county fairs up in Maine and Vermont where it was colder than a well-digger. You took your shower out in the pens with the cows and the horses. It was a lot different then than it is today.”

The two began teaming in Boston, and later moved to Montreal. Brother Bill, meanwhile, had added a fictional sibling to the mix. Ed Albers, who resembled Big Bill and was even slightly larger but not nearly as athletic, was given the moniker Ed Miller.

Ed, however, broke his ankle in a 1957 match. With baby brother Dan couple of years into the wrestling game, Bill made the call.

“It was my first big break. I was doing just preliminary matches. Bill and Ed were out in Calgary at that time with Stu Hart. When Ed broke his ankle, Bill called and asked if I felt comfortable enough to come out there and tag with him. We were very successful. I spent the last three months of 1957 there.”

Their main opponents were another brother team, George and Sandy Scott, whom Miller would become well acquainted with during his later years in the Carolinas.

The two teams battled it out at the Calgary Stampede, Hart’s big promotion of the year, and sold out the Calgary Corral.

“Ed was at ringside when Bill and I wrestled,” recalls Miller. “Of course here’s baby brother Dan. I was a midget compared to Bill and Ed.”

Ed would later join Danny and Bill for six-man matches in the Buffalo, Toronto and Calgary territories. Danny and Bill would team sporadically throughout the years, with one of their biggest wins coming in 1965 at Madison Square Garden where they defeated Gorilla Monsoon and Cowboy Bill Watts for the WWWF tag-team title.

The Miller Brothers usually worked as heels, but it didn’t matter to Danny.

“The fantasy of wrestling is: What can I do to give these fans their dollars’ worth? I always contended that the first match on the card was very important. If you put the people in the palm of your hand, then you can manipulate them and do anything you want to with them. But you have to gain their confidence first before you get their response. Once you have a million dollars, it’s not too hard making the second.”

Great career



Miller enjoyed strong runs in a number of territories, working for such promoters as Sam Muchnick in St. Louis, Fritz Von Erich in Texas, Ed “The Sheik” Farhat in Detroit, Dory Funk Sr. in Amarillo, and Eddie Graham in Florida.

Proficient in both singles and tag-team competition, Miller would acquire a slew of titles over the years, including the Florida heavyweight and Brass Knuckles crowns. As a tag-team specialist, he held titles with the likes of brother Bill, Fritz Von Erich, Jose Lothario, Whipper Billy Watson, Ronnie Etchison and Nick Kozak.

One of his most memorable runs was in the Mid-Atlantic area during the early ’70s.

Miller first arrived on the scene in 1971 and captured the Eastern States title from The Missouri Mauler (Larry “Rocky” Hamilton). He became the first Mid-Atlantic TV champion in 1974 with a win over Ole Anderson.

In the interim he formed a top team with Les Thatcher. “Les was very talented, and we had a great time together,” said Miller. “He was like a brother to me.”

He recalls a 1971 match the two had with The Masked Marvels (Billy Garrett and Jim Starr) in Norfolk, Va.

“We won the match, and the fans went over the barriers. The TV crew was there. We had sold the place out. The fans put us on their shoulders and carried us out of the ring. The place was electrified.”

Despite their popularity and their wins over such top teams as The Marvels, Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson, The Mauler and Brute Bernard, and Art Nelson and Gene Anderson, Miller hints that politics in the booking office may have prevented them from going further.

“The people in Charlotte didn’t see that. It would have been to their good advantage to have Les and I as tag-team partners (champions),” he said. “We were enthusiastic. We didn’t walk to the ring — we ran to the ring. We had red, white and blue outfits, and we were quite popular.”

Miller, though, has nothing but fond memories of Jim Crockett Sr., who passed away in 1973.

“Jim Crockett Sr. was a big guy. What a man he was. He would sit and observe. He was honest as the day was long.”

Miller says he still remembers going into Crockett’s modest office in Charlotte, and talks about the standards which Crockett demanded.

“If somebody came in his office with their shirt outside of their pants, they got sent away without their check,” said Miller. “When you walked into his office, you presented yourself as a professional person. He was really a straight-laced guy. He was good to work for because you knew where you stood with him. He had his rules, and he ran a great business.”

Miller spent 22 years in the ring. He was 45 when he had his last match with Abe Jacobs at the Charlotte Coliseum. But his wrestling career would last another decade as he joined the office end of Crockett Promotions after retiring from the ring.

“George Scott was the booker at the time, so I went in and helped George with paperwork and stuff like that,” says Miller, who also handled the TV tapings in Raleigh.

“George would just hand me the sheet and tell me to run the show,” said Miller.

Miller, who moved to Florida in 1985, also spent eight years helping promote Crockett shows in the Greenville-Spartanburg area and working with Henry Marcus in Charleston and Columbia.

“Henry Marcus was quite a character,” said Miller. “I spent a lot of time with Henry. He was from the old school. We had our disagreements at times, but we got along fine.”

Miller worked for the Tampa Electric power company after he retired from wrestling. He spent 11 years with the company.

“It was pretty interesting for me because I had been in wrestling for 34 years and didn’t know anything else. It was a smart move on my part.”

The job also offered something that wrestling never did: health care benefits and life insurance. “In wrestling, being self-employed, you don’t have those privileges,” he said.

“I’m just enjoying retirement, and the government’s taking good care of me, God bless ’em,” added Miller.

He has lived in Tampa since 1985. He and other wrestlers meet about every two months at an Irish pub called O’Briens. “It’s a mix of the old and new,” he said.

His brother Bill graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine before entering the U.S. Navy. After a highly successful pro wrestling career, Bill retired in 1974 and returned to his first love of veterinarian medicine, opening a practice in Ohio. He died in 1997 at the age of 69 shortly after finishing a workout at a gym.

Dan Miller’s career took him to many parts of the globe, including most of the 50 states, Japan, Mexico, South America, Canada and Australia.

“Wrestling is what I did all my life,” he said. “I often sit back and wonder to myself had I been in another business for 34 years, where would I be? At my age now, it’s a good memory. I’m glad I did it. I got to see a lot of the world I would never had been able to afford to go and see myself.”


Greg Price has also announced that there will be more vendor guest announcements today. I will update as necessary.

In another announcement that really caught my interest, there will be a book available that covers not only this year's guests, but past Fanfest events. Fans have been invited to submit photos and anecdotes about moments that have been special to them, be it with a legend or simply friends they have made at the event. Who knows, yours truly may event make it to the printed page.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Here are yesterday's vendor guest announcements:

NWALegends.com will have booth guests Impact Wrestling superstar GUNNER and former TNA X Division champion and three-time former World Tag Team champ HOMICIDE signing autographs and taking photos with fans.


Big Time Wrestling will have booth guests MAN MOUNTAIN LINK and "Fantastic" BOBBY FULTON signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Mike's Wrestling World will have booth guest WWE Hall-of-Famer and NWA wrestling legend TONY "Mr. USA" ATLAS signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Southern Championship Wrestling will have booth guests "Wildfire" TOMMY RICH, MASKED SUPERSTAR, "Golden Boy" CHIC DONOVAN and "Action" MIKE JACKSON signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

New guest announcement from Mike Mooneyham. I'm excited about this one:

Baron Von Raschke was a goose-stepping, monocle-wearing Teutonic terror who played on the fears of Americans whose memories of the war and Nazi tyranny were not yet that distant.

In professional wrestling, perception is reality. But things don’t always appear as they seem.

German heel Von Raschke was actually a shy but affable athlete by the name of Jim Raschke. His hometown was Omaha, Neb., a far stretch from his storyline birthplace of Berlin.

A high school wrestling standout and state champion in 1958, Raschke attended the University of Nebraska, where he was a two-time All-American and Big Eight wrestling champ his senior year. He served his country — in the U.S. Army — and represented his homeland on the U.S. World Team in 1963 when he became the second American ever to win a medal in Greco-Roman wrestling by capturing the bronze at the World Games in Halsingborg, Sweden.

Raschke was named to the 1964 Olympic Games, but an injury prior to the event left him unable to compete.

Finding himself on pro wrestling’s doorsteps in the 1960s, the former middle school teacher became one of the sport’s greatest villains, as well as one of the most accomplished amateur wrestlers ever to transition to the squared circle.

Baron Von Raschke was his famously outrageous alter ego, and it was a character he performed to perfection. Scowling constantly and threatening opponents with his feared claw hold, The Baron terrorized foes and fans alike throughout the country.

He also would become one of the Mid-Atlantic territory’s most memorable wrestling characters.

The mild-mannered Raschke, now 72, will return to his old stomping grounds as a special guest during the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest on Aug. 1-4 in Charlotte.

Raschke, who has appeared at previous Fanfests, says the event is one of his favorites.

“I have a great time at Fanfest. I get to see a lot of friends there that I haven’t seen for quite a few years,” says the Hall of Famer. “It’s a great reunion. I also enjoy seeing a lot of great fans. They are always so nice when talking about how they loved the wrestling in this area. The whole atmosphere gives you a big, warm, fuzzy feeling.”

Can this gentlemanly, demure individual be the same man who once could drive the crowd into a frenzy just by walking down the aisle?

“I’ve mellowed a lot,” he says, with a wink and a smile.

It’s true. The man fans loved to hate is a kind, warm-hearted teddy bear with an endearing sense of humor to boot.

But back in the day, Baron Von Raschke, with his crimson cape and hood, replete with the red stripe down the side and iron cross, was as hated as they come.

One of Raschke’s favorite teammates — and adversaries — during his Mid-Atlantic run was “Number 1” Paul Jones.

“I had some great times with Paul,” says Raschke. “He’s one of the funniest guys I know.”

Raschke captured the NWA Mid-Atlantic TV title from the popular Ricky Steamboat after arriving in the Carolinas in 1977. An immediate feud ensued with Jones, Steamboat’s partner, who took the TV crown from the hated Baron.

Raschke, however, would gain a measure of revenge when he and Greg Valentine captured the NWA tag-team belts from Jones and Steamboat.

A heel turn by Jones, one of Mid-Atlantic wrestling’s most popular performers for more than a decade, turned the territory upside down, especially when he joined forces with the despised Baron.

The unholy alliance would go on to defeat Jimmy Snuka and Paul Orndorff for the tag-team belts, later swapping them in a series of matches with Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan, before eventually losing them to Steamboat and new partner Jay Youngblood.

One of the funnier moments during their partnership came when Raschke presented Jones — now labeled “Weasel” by his once adoring fans — with a gold medal to wear around his neck to signify that he, indeed, was “Number 1.”

In turn, Jones presented the chrome-domed Raschke with a blond wig to help his self-esteem, which fans and rivals had delighted in tearing down with chants of “bald-headed geek!”

Their paths would cross again six years later when Raschke reunited with his former rival and tag-team partner as part of manager Paul Jones’ Army.

Amateur standout

Raschke spent five years at the University of Nebraska.

“I was a slow learner,” he jokes.

“I loved my time at the University of Nebraska. I didn’t have much money, so I worked out a lot. I had some great coaches along the way. It was just a great experience.”

Raschke actually attended the school on an academic scholarship.

“My dad was a baker for a big bakery in Omaha. He was a member of the Bakers Union, and they offered a scholarship. I was lucky enough to win the scholarship, and that opened the door.”

A talented athlete with good size, Raschke immediately walked on to the football team.

“Nebraska was the place I had always wanted to go as a kid. I walked on, and several weeks into the season I started a couple of games ahead of guys who had scholarships.”

Raschke was so impressive that he was offered a full football scholarship,

He was even more impressive on the wrestling mat. He placed second as a sophomore in the heavyweight division and won the Big Eight title as a senior.

Raschke’s sterling amateur run culminated with him making the U.S. Olympic team in 1964.

“We were at camp making final preparations before going to Tokyo, and I suffered a hyperextended elbow just before we were going to leave. I didn’t get to go. I’m almost over it now,” he quips.

New accent, new look

One of the first pros he bumped into was Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon, who had wrestled in the 1948 Olympic Games but was now one of the top heels in the business.

“You’d make a good German,” the menacing Vachon growled.

Raschke, of course, was of German descent. But he’d later learn that Vachon was suggesting that he take it a step further.

“I had never met him, and I really didn’t know that much about him,” says Raschke. “He didn’t say another word to me, went in and did his thing, and did his interview.”

Vachon, though, would tell Raschke the same thing every time their paths would cross.

While Vachon, a main-eventer, delivered intense, money-drawing interviews, the timid and unimposing Raschke struggled to get the words out.

“I was horrible. (Announcer) Marty O’Neill was not a very tall man, and he had to get his arm up so he could interview me. He tried to pull an interview out of me, but it was tough. I’d really get him frustrated. I was just so shy.”

“Verne ... you’ve got to teach that kid to talk. I can’t get an interview out of him,” O’Neill would repeatedly tell promoter Verne Gagne.

“He kept trying and trying, but I was never very good. Jim Raschke was just not a good interview,” admits Raschke.

Raschke eventually formed a connection with Vachon, who asked him to join him in Montreal as his partner.

Raschke shaved what little hair he had left, and with new bride Bonnie, loaded up their small Mustang with their two small rubber tree plants and a few other possessions, and headed for Canada.

It’s where Baron Von Raschke, one of pro wrestling’s greatest characters, would be born.

Raschke had taken German in college, and while both of his parents were of German heritage, neither spoke the language around the house. Raschke practiced the few German words he knew with his wife. “I wasn’t fluent in it at all. I practiced it, and the accent sounded pretty good to me.”

Before his first match in the new territory, Raschke was sent out to do an interview along with Vachon.

“Mad Dog was over like crazy. He was a French-Canadian, but they hated him more than anybody. He was hot, and I was going to be his partner. I automatically got that kind of heat.”

When Vachon finished his promo, the announcer turned the mic over to Raschke, who was now known as “The Baron.”

With the new name came the German accent and an interview style where he occasionally would actually sprinkle in at least a few German words.

The hulking, bald Raschke delivered his spiel — one full of anger and vitriol that would incite the fans — threatening to destroy anyone who got in his way.

It was an amazing transformation. The Baron became Jim Raschke’s alter ego. His new persona unleashed a side of his personality that the withdrawn and introverted Raschke had never seen before. More importantly, the change would result in a box-office bonanza for Raschke and promoters. His portrayal of an evil German madman would make him one of pro wrestling’s top heels of that era.

Memorable catchphrase

One of pro wrestling’s most enduring catchphrases originated purely by accident.

Raschke recalls being interviewed by O’Neill.

“I can’t see very far, and when the guys give me the windup with the TV thing, it was really hard for me to see. Sometimes I just kind of guessed. Well, Marty was talking to me, and I thought I saw the guy winding me down. So I finished up, and just as I started to walk away, Marty asked me another question.”

Not fully hearing the question, and with time running out before the next match, “Herr” Raschke stopped, retreated a couple of steps, and blurted out in a deep, raspy, German-accented roar, “Dat is all da people need to know!”

“I said it because I had nothing else to say,” explains Raschke.

The quote , though, struck a chord.

“It cracked Marty O’Neill up. He just laughed and thought that was the funniest thing. So the next time he interviewed me, he asked me to ‘say that thing again.’ So I did it just for him. I did it two or three more times,” says Raschke.

Gagne and matchmaker Wally Karbo then insisted that Raschke recite the phrase at the end of every interview.

And the rest is history.

“Then I was stuck with it. But it seemed to be a good thing to be stuck with after a while.”

That twisted scowl is never far away.

“Just be The Baron when you’re in front of people, and you can’t go too far wrong.”

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Another guest announcement will be made tomorrow, but not via Mike Mooneyham, whose article will likely be related to an upcoming WWE event in town. Greg Price will be announcing "at least one guest, possibly two" via an email update tomorrow.

Also, I saw this on Price's Facebook page only moments ago:

"Next year's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends fanfest weekend will be July 31-August 3, 2014. It will be our 12th reunion, and the 10th anniversary of our first in Charlotte back in 2004. It will also be our last. Our weekends have been so much fun and I've met so many wonderful people from all over the world and made what I hope to be lifelong friends. The premiere of our "Mid-Atlantic Memories" film next year will be a great way to leave things. VIP "All Access" Passes will go on sale next Monday, July 1. I can't thank each of you enough for your years of support! Stay tuned later in the week as we reveal a special "Thank You" gift from me to you."

While I'm a little saddened, I can't say I'm surprised. Originally, last year's event was going to be the last. Once it was cancelled, I assumed this year's would be last. Then I was hearing it would be the last in Charlotte. I will miss pretty much everything about these events.

So if you've been wanting to attend one of these and you can't make it this year, start saving your money now and plan to be there in 2014. I hope to see many of you there.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

I've fallen behind lately, so here's a sprawling attempt at getting caught up.


From WCW to ECW to TNA, James Mitchell has been almost everywhere and done almost everything. The Columbia native returns to the Carolinas this summer to host "Legends Karaoke & More," a late-night Saturday night funfest at fanfest!

The former "Sinister Minister" in the original ECW is an entertaining host, a music aficionado, and will add an exciting new element to our yearly gatherings.

Mitchell, who debuted in World Championship Wrestling in the late-1990's, managing Mortis (the late Chris Kanyon,) and more recently, as Father James Mitchell, managed Raven and Abyss in TNA, will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans on Saturday afternoon, August 3.



One of the all-time greats, referee Tommy Young will again be on hand to meet and greet fans at next month's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend in Charlotte.

Regarded as one of the best to ever don the stripes, the veteran of more than two decades inside the squared circle looks forward to seeing everyone in Charlotte.

In addition to Young, others to recently confirm their appearances in Charlotte include Tommy Angel, The Assassin, Susan Green, Rocky and Don Kernodle, Moondog Rex (Randy Colley,) and Bill and Randy Mulkey.



Legendary Tennessee wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett returns to Charlotte next month to induct the Rock-n-Roll Express, Midnight Express and Jim Cornette into the Hall of Heroes.

The former wrestler-turned-promoter ran the Memphis territory when Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were paired together and formed one of the most popular tag teams in the history of wrestling. He also made Cornette a manager a while after his mother, Christine Jarrett, had started him in wrestling as a photographer and ring announcer.

"Jerry Jarrett opened wrestling in Louisville," said Cornette. "In doing so, he was directly responsible for me becoming a fan, even before I ever dreamed of being in the wrestling business. He is a booking legend. We all spent years learning the business in his company."

The sixth-annual Hall of Heroes dinner and awards ceremony takes place Friday night, August 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend.

Others to be honored for their lifetime accomplishments include Magnum T.A., Les Thatcher, Danny Miller and Lars Anderson.

The awards ceremony follows a wonderful dinner buffet that begins at 6 p.m. Many of the honorees, presenters, and featured guests from the weekend will be on hand to share in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This event has sold out each of the previous four years. Very few seats remain for this year's dinner and awards ceremony, so get your tickets now if you want to be part of this memorable evening.



Highspots has confirmed their booth space and, on Friday, August 2 at 10 p.m., will premiere their Jim Crockett Promotions documentary. The premiere is open to those folks that contributed to their Kickstarter project, as well as:

• anybody that purchases the JCP documentary at Fanfest prior to the premiere
• anybody that spends $25 or more at their booth on Friday
• anybody that purchases the documentary via their website in advance




NWALegends.com will have booth guests DAVEY RICHARDS and MICHAEL ELGIN signing autographs and taking photos with fans.




Brotherhood Championship Wrestling will have booth guests "Wild-Eyed Southern Boy" TRACY SMOTHERS and "Wildfire" KEVIN WALKER



LG Promotions will have booth guest Aces and Eights "Director of Chaos" D.O.C.



Peach State Wrestling Alliance will have booth guests RICK STEINER and BUFF BAGWELL



North Carolina native and currently one-half of the TNA World Tag Team champions Gunner will battle the Aces and Eights "Director of Chaos" DOC in Saturday's main event.

Ring of Honor Wrestling's 2012 "Match of the Year" rematch highlights our Sunday afternoon card as Michael Elgin battles Davey Richards.



Two matches, the final first-round contests in the year-long "Race For The Ring" tournament, have been confirmed to take place at this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest in Charlotte.

"Race For The Ring" is an exciting new concept from Los Angeles-based Wrestling Cares, the brainchild of founder David Jackson and wrestling legend Les Thatcher. The tournament showcases one-of-a-kind matches, mixing old school wrestling action with fast-paced scoring. Each pinfall scored during each ten-minute bout is worth one point. The competitor with the most points wins. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, there is a three-minute overtime period. If there is no clear winner at the end of the overtime, both competitors are eliminated.

Cassidy Riley squares off against Corey Hollis, and Micah Taylor battles "The Greek God" Papadon in the two "Race For The Ring" tournament matches on Saturday night, August 3.




Premiere Wrestling Xperience presents a clash of championship tag teams at this August's fanfest, as Charlotte favorites Caleb Konley and Cedric Alexander face off against former PWX tag team champions Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Another guest announcement via Mike Mooneyham. In the next few days, I'll update the first post with all the most recent info on guest lists and schedules. In the meantime...

Watching the "Minnesota Wrecking Crew" work in a ring was like staring at the face of professional wrestling. From their rugged looks and their machine-like precision to their ability to stir crowds into a frenzy, Gene and Ole Anderson were the proverbial "well-oiled team" by which future mat combinations would be judged.

Few will argue the fact that the Anderson Brothers helped define the art of tag-team wrestling during the '60s and '70s. Working over one part of the body, tagging in and out, and the blocking technique were all Anderson trademarks. Their timing and ring psychology were impeccable. And their "working" ability, according to many of their respected peers, was beyond reproach.

Without a doubt, the most outspoken of the group, which included "brother" Lars in the mid-'60s, was Ole Anderson. One of the last true, old-school tough guys, Ole will tell you that he was never out to win any popularity contests. He was opinionated, abrasive and contentious. And those, he might suggest, were his good qualities.

But he was a survivor - as a wrestler, booker and promoter. In what was often a cutthroat business, one had to have a very strong constitution to survive in the industry. Not only did Anderson survive, he was a major power broker who successfully wore many hats during a 30-year career in the business. And most of those years were spent in the Mid-Atlantic territory where the Anderson Brothers became a household name.

In recent years Anderson has battled multiple sclerosis. But his presence at the annual Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest has become a highlight for many fans who travel from all corners of the globe to listen to the inimitable Ole wax nostalgic. Ole will make another appearance at next month's fanfest weekend August 1-4 in Charlotte.

It's an event where he enjoys holding court and swapping old war stories. "It's a good reason for a lot of people who like something to do with wrestling to come and see all the guys," he says. That statement qualifies as high praise coming from Ole Anderson. "The only problem I can see is that there's a whole lot less guys now because they're dropping dead," he bluntly adds.

That's what most fans like about Ole. He speaks his mind and, agree or disagree with him, you won't find him wavering in his opinions.

Anderson is now 70, and continues to wage a battle with his debilitating disease. Not unlike how he waged battle in the wrestling ring for decades and the booking office years later, Anderson has refused to give in to the disease. He now needs assistance moving from one spot to the next, and his energy level and strength have been compromised.

"All the problems I had wrestling, and now this damn thing," he says. "I can walk for about half a step, and then I have to grab hold of something or I'm going to go down."

His wife, Marsha, remains by his side to assist him. "She's taking care of me," he says. "If it weren't for her, I'd be sitting in the garbage somewhere."

Anderson was diagnosed eight years ago, but doctors have since told him he most likely has had the disease since he was in his 30s. "I've had it for a long time, I just didn't know anything about it, because every time I had a problem, I just thought it was related to wrestling. Most of them (injuries) were, but they were just made worse because I had MS. I didn't find out I had MS until I was nearly 62 years old. Now I know and I can't do a thing about it."

Anderson had a simple formula in the wrestling business. "Every day we did the best we could do, and we tried to draw the people. We worked our (behinds) off no matter where we were or who we were working with."

There aren't many who would dispute the fact that the burly Minnesotan was one of the toughest grapplers to ever come down the pike. With Gene, he helped rewrite the book on tag-team wrestling.

Just as importantly, he helped shape the business as booker during key periods in wrestling history, overseeing the offices in Charlotte (Jim Crockett Promotions), Atlanta (Georgia Championship Wrestling) and later for the Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling.

By the early '90s, however, it was clear to Anderson that the business - or at least the business as he had known it - had passed him by. Like Verne Gagne, Bill Watts and other "old-school" traditionalists, Anderson could not accept the fact that professional wrestling had gone the way of modern-day sports entertainment.

Years after his retirement, Anderson remains an intriguing, almost mythical, figure in the wrestling business. Some have seen him as a stubborn, embittered old-timer with a myopic, outdated view of the profession. Never one to mince words, his argumentative, confrontational personality has left a sour taste in the mouths of some who have taken a different approach to the business. Others have viewed him as a throwback and symbol of what tough guys were like "back in the day."

Ole Anderson was, however, an unorthodox but savvy booker and businessman who stood up to the establishment and waged his biggest battles not inside the ring, but rather in the halls and offices of corporate giants such as TBS, and with the likes of Vince McMahon, Jim Barnett, Eric Bischoff and Jim Herd. "The wrestling matches may have been staged and scripted, but there was nothing fake about the corporate and legal battles," says Anderson.

Anderson admittedly was one of the last defenders of the legitimacy of the business. During his ring career, he approached every match as if it were a shoot (a real contest), worked tight with his opponents and went to great lengths to make everything look believable.

"I told the Turner people back in '90 or '91 that I was of the opinion that the suspension of disbelief was so important that it was necessary to maintain that. I would be more than willing to bet you that I could get in the ring with somebody and convince you after 10 minutes that what you had just seen was a shoot."

Anderson, who began his career in 1967 under his real name, Al "Rock" Rogowski, makes no apologies for his obstinate disposition. In fact, there's little difference between the Ole Anderson fans despised in the ring for so many years, and the Ole Anderson outside the business. Like so many others from his era, he lived his gimmick. And, love him or hate him, he still has that intangible quality that separates the men from the boys in the wrestling business: He can evoke emotion at the drop of a hat.

He'll also be the first to tell you that he wasn't in the business to make friends or cultivate legions of fans. He was in the business to draw money, pure and simple, and everything else took a back seat.


I'm incredibly happy to see that Ole will be back. I could spend most of the weekend in the lobby listening to him tell stories and offer his opinions and that would be worth the price of admission.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

The OP has been updated with the most recent information on all things Fanfest weekend.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

In a late update, Glacier has been added to the vendor area and will be doing photo ops in full gimmick.

Everything gets underway tomorrow. I won't be getting nearly as many photo ops this year, but there should still be some good stuff, and I'll try to post some updates during the weekend.

I'll be making the drive solo this year, so hope/pray/cross your fingers/whatever you do for safe travels. I am ready for some fun, relaxation, and old school wrestling.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Another weekend in the books. I would have already had some pics posted here, but immediately after Fanfest, I went to Myrtle Beach with my brother and his family. I return to work tomorrow, sadly.

I didn't get nearly as many photo ops as I have in the past, but I'll be posting the ones I did get, as well as other pics and recaps.

Next year will bring us the last Fanfest. I certainly want to be there, and I will make every attempt. I'm hoping it goes out with a bang.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Alright, I figure it's time for some photos and recaps of the weekend.

I passed on the pool party, so I have no idea what happened there. I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and picked up my VIP materials. As has been the case for the last 2 or 3 weekends, staff member Tommy G., who always handles this job, recognized me and told me "Welcome back." The materials includes your wristband, badge & lanyard (which features your VIP number for the autograph line, seating for the matches, etc.) Fanfest t-shirt, any photo op tickets and/or 8x10s you pre-ordered, and if you purchased a Hall of Heroes ticket, your seating information. As I had done the 2 times previously, I waited until I was back in my room to open the HOH envelope. It just adds a little something to it. I was pleased to find that this year I would be dining with James J. Dillon. As a mark for managers and the original Horsemen, this was a big deal for me. Plus, having met JJ before, I knew him to be a class act, so I wasn't concerned that there would be an incident the likes of which some had with Abdullah the Butcher a few years ago where he just ignored everyone and talked on his phone the whole time before leaving early.

The first event of the evening was the Q&A with Tully Blanchard & Magnum T.A. I was just a bit late getting down to this, and didn't think I was going to find a seat. The room was packed. Before the start, they had done some photo ops with Magnum & Tully in a steel cage set to play off the I Quit match, so the stage had a cage built around it on 3 sides. I was able to find a seat, but it was off to a side, so I couldn't really get any good photos. On the bright side, the Q&A was great, and for the first time, all of these events were being broadcast on iPPV. Check Highspots, as I'm pretty sure they are still available. They were also recorded for DVD release, and as always, I will definitely be buying the set. I won't give a full recap, but they talked about their starts in the business and who helped them along the way, what they felt made their feud work so well, the angles leading up to the match at Starrcade, and of course, the match itself. As always, Tully mentioned that he didn't say "I quit." Tully also talked about working with Dusty Rhodes and how you have to handle things when working with the booker. Magnum talked a bit about his feud with Nikita Koloff. Magnum's career ending car wreck was covered, and this was something else. Magnum talked frankly about going from an athlete at the top of his game and a future world champion (he said it wasn't actually set in stone that it would happen at Starrcade, but he had been told that a championship run was the direction they were heading) to looking up at doctors from a hospital bed and being told that he would never walk again and would spend the rest of his life being spoon fed in a wheelchair. He tied this into the talk about the Starrcade match with Tully, stating that he could have given up and said, "I quit," but he decided to fight. He told the doctors he would walk out of the hospital and did. He encouraged everyone to take the same approach to whatever problems they face - to never quit and fight with all you have. They then talked about a unique situation that has helped tie them together closer than they ever were before - Magnum is now married to Tully's ex-wife and has helped raise their children. Some of the kids live in Texas with Tully, some live in North Carolina with Magnum & their mother. Tully praised Magnum as a great step-father and role model. Tully also touched on the death of his father and his WWE HOF induction happening in the same week, and whether or not he's been able to process the whole thing yet. This was definitely one of the best Q&As I've seen to this point.

After a break (during which the cage was removed) it was time for Jim Cornette's late night Q&A. I came in after Jim had just started answering the first question, which context told me was something about Colt Cabana and $5 Wrestling. You'll either find his answer hilarious or think he's an asshole, which is pretty much par for the course. I thought it was funny. As often seems to happen, Jim was joined onstage by legendary ref Tommy Young, who occasionally takes a question, asks one of his own, injects some additional info, and serves as a comedic sidekick. Jim did not talk about Vince Russo, making only passing reference to him in answer to a question in which he referred to him as "that guy I'm not going to talk about." He did touch on his departure from ROH and the notion that his booking was "stuck in the '80s." A fan asked if it was true that he had Kevin Steen's DVD pulled. Jim said, "First off, I like Kevin. But he's a pain in the ass. But he's French-Canadian, so okay, that comes with the territory, I can work with that. But he's just a pain in the ass." He talked about issues with Kevin while booking and gives his side of the DVD incident. He took questions covering the Midnight Express and their feuds with the Fantastics and the Rock n Roll Express, how he came into contact with Rick Rubin and got financial backing for SMW, the sale of the Mid-South video library to WWE, the Dairy Queen incident, and more. Then my buddy Carroll asked a couple of questions which led to widespread laughter and Jim actually sitting down on the side of the stage and dropping his head for a few moments. Jim seemed to think Carroll was drunk, but he was actually just nervous and went up there with no idea of what he was going to ask. As usual with Jim's Q&A's, I got a lot of laughs and had a great time.

Friday brought about the first autograph sessions of the weekend and the start of the "Future Legends" training camp. I kept forgetting this was going on, so I didn't catch any of the camp matches until Sunday, but there was an incident (I can't remember if it was Friday or Saturday) involving Sunny's new boyfriend, "The Product" David Starr. I heard different reports about what happened, but what is known for sure is that he was working with a female trainee, threw her from the ring, and she ended up bleeding hardway. I was down the hall when the ballroom doors opened and she was rushed into the nearest bathroom. A friend of mine said he was washing his hands at the time and as he left, he heard Tom Pritchard tell Starr, "You're already a dick, you don't need to be doing this kind of shit!"

Other than the 2 autograph sessions, the day was fairly laid back for me. I didn't get many photo ops this year, and the vendor area had a lot less guests than usual. Of course, there ended up being more guests than expected because, inexplicably, some vendors brought guests with no prior advertisement. There wasn't even signs around the tables for them, which makes no sense at all. Highspots alone had Steve Corino, Amber O'Neal, and Santana Garrett. Again, no advance notice, no signs at the table. Whoever brought in Luke Gallows also had D'Lo Brown. No notice, no signs. It was very bizarre, and not at all like the vendor area usually runs.

Friday night came the Hall of Heroes banquet, which I always enjoy. As mentioned, I sat at James J. Dillon's table, which was excellent. Before the meal had even started, we had talked about Ole Anderson, Bobby Heenan, the Midnight Express-Rock n Roll Express feud, his various HOF inductions, and Skandar Akbar. The ceremony itself was great as always, with the highlights being Tully Blanchard's induction of Magnum T.A. (Tully gave a great speech, followed by Magnum slowly rising from his table and making his way onto the stage. Seeing him walk, you really get the full idea of just how badly the wreck affected him) and Jerry Jarrett's induction of the Midnight Express (with Jim Cornette) and the Rock n Roll Express. Stan Lane couldn't be there because he does television announcing for boat races, and they always have a big race during the first weekend in August, but he sent a video from the beach, stating that there was nowhere he'd rather be except for there in Charlotte at the Fanfest. He thanked the fans, Greg Price, and his fellow Express members before giving the old Gordon Solie line, "So long from the Sunshine State." To the surprise of no one, Jim Cornette and Ricky Morton did most of the talking. Robert Gibson gave a brief speech, and Dennis Condrey said, "I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I've had a hell of a cramp in my big toe for the last 20 or 30 minutes and I want to get it worked out," before giving his thanks. Jim actually got choked up while thanking Dennis for all that he had taught Jim when the team was first beginning. Jim then said, "Everyone knows Bobby's a man of few words. Do you guys want to hear him say something tonight?" This was naturally met with applause, despite Bobby shaking his head and and trying to wave everyone down. Finally, he told us he wasn't good at this kind of stuff, stumbled and stammered for a bit, said "thank you," and stepped back. All of the inductions were great in their ways, but those were my favorites. I did get some pictures.

Saturday was more autograph sessions, and the last of my photo ops. The matches that night were fun. I can't remember the entire card, but we had the 2 "Race For the Ring" matches. The action wasn't bad, but with it basically being a 10 minute Iron Man match, and guys scoring 2 or 3 falls apiece, it's just not what I'm used to seeing, I guess. NWA National champion Damien Wayne took on Homicide. The title was not on the line, and Homicide won with a flying forearm. There were a few spots that got the crowd's attention, but mostly it seemed pretty dead for this match. The Flock (Lodi & Sickboy, accompanied by Riggs) beat a local team. Match was fine, and Lodi was really over. In one of my favorite matches I've seen in a long time, Bobby Fulton of the Fantastics beat Fanfest favorite "Action" Mike Jackson (who worked as enhancement talent on TBS years ago). Fulton worked heel, expressing anger that the Midnights and Rock n Rolls were inducted before "the greatest tag team of all time, the Fantastics." He threatened Ricky Morton and said he'd brought his sons with him so they could see how the Fantastics used to kick butts. The kids were GREAT. They were basically a heel cheering section for their dad, arguing with fans and doing the Fargo strut with him after the win. Fulton played a (pardon the pun) fantastic old school heel, working the old foreign object bit, doing his old "sexy" ring dance as a balding middle aged man who was just slightly soft around the middle instead of the young guy in shape with flowing blond hair, and winning the match with his feet on the ropes. GREAT old school match. The main event was the Rock n Roll Express vs. Luke Gallows & D'Lo Brown, with special referee Tommy Young. This was a lot of fun. The Express hit all their old tag team spots, Ricky sold for a bit, made the hot tag to Robert, and got the win with the double dropkick on D'Lo. They got a standing ovation and "Rock and roll!" chant for their efforts, and Ricky thanked everyone and said "We love you."

I left before Sunday's wrestling card, as I had to drive back home, unpack, repack, and leave for Myrtle Beach with my brother and his family early Monday morning. I hit the last autograph session and was on the road. Another great time, and as much as I've said to friends and family that I don't know if I'll make it back next year, I know that if I don't, it will be because I absolutely can't. I love these things too much to miss the last one otherwise.

Now, for the pics:

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151820878319602.1073741833.507784601&type=1&l=5fd04f0999

(I thought this would be a lot easier than re-uploading everything to photobucket and sharing them individually. )

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

I almost forgot: Friday after the Hall of Heroes, I attended the premier of the Highspots documentary "Jim Crockett Promotions: The Good Ol' Days." I didn't think I'd find a seat for that, either. Good stuff, and I recommend checking it out if you are a fan of the territory.

After the matches Saturday, I attended the karaoke event hosted by "Sinister Minister" James Mitchell. I thought I'd stay for a minute or 2, get a laugh, and go. I stayed the entire time, which was almost 3 a.m. when hotel staff finally just showed up and started stacking chairs, prompting Mitchell to say, "Well, it looks like I'm being shut down by the noise police." Mitchell himself sang a few songs, including what he called "a gimmick killer" - a duet with a fan named Tonya on "Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong," to close things out. Things were off to an interesting start when reality TV & former TNA "star" Johnny Fairplay (who Mitchell called "Johnny Foreplay") showed up in a ridiculous suit and carrying a jar of moonshine. Mitchell proceeded to get "half in the bag" in short order, and Johnny sang Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself." Performances by fans and one Fanfest staffer followed, ranging from horrible to quite good.

Glacier (who Mitchell called "block of ice" all night) sang "The Ride" by David Allen Coe. Ricky Morton's wife showed up and sang. Robert Gibson and his wife shared a slow dance while a fan sang "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" by Coe. I'm not a karaoke guy at all, but the oddness of this made it fun. Tiger Conway Jr., who I'm pretty sure was fully in the bag, gave a rambling monologue and sang. I think it was a Marvin Gaye song, but time and being 1/4 in the bag myself makes me unsure of what it was.

Apparently it was enough of a hit to be on the tentative schedule for next year.

[Kash Flagg]

Is the last one gonna be in Charlotte? I may just decide to go to meet Cornette.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Aug 14, 2013 20:21:54 GMT -5 Kash Flagg said:

Is the last one gonna be in Charlotte? I may just decide to go to meet Cornette.

Yes it is. VIP passes are actually already on sale. Next year's event is scheduled for Thursday, July 31 - Sunday, August 3. I assume it will be back at the Hilton, though the tentative schedule on the website says, "Charlotte, NC TBA."