On iberty

Celebrate St. Patricks Day with these magically delicious recipes

Irish Potato Bread,Reuben Sandwiches and 3-layermint chocolate brownies bring festive flavors to the table! PageC4

ABOVE LEFT: Centuries converge at MilitaryThrough theAgeswith nearly600 militaryre-enactors (JAMESTOWN-YORKTOWN FOUNDATIONPHOTO)

ABOVE:TheGreekPhalaxdemonstrate shields and otherdefensive techniques of500 B.C.E.(JAMESTOWN-YORKTOWN FOUNDATIONPHOTO)

LEFT:At noon on both days,visitors can enjoydemonstrations of comparative artilleryfirings,from a 17th-centuryswivel gun to a howitzer with theVirginiaArmyNational Guard. Shown is theVirginiaArmyNational Guard firing its 105mm howitzer (PHOTOBYBOBRUEGSEGGER)

FARLEFT: Ladies forLibertywill perform during MilitaryThrough the Ages (PHOTOBYBOBRUEGSEGGER)

Jamestown Settlement’s Military Through The Ages returns March 18-19 for centuries of military history

PressRelease

WILLIAMSBURG,Va Romans,Vikings, knights Privateers, sailors, soldiers Patriotic music and artillery salutes Make ready for centuries of military history all in one weekend during Jamestown Settlement’s time-honored Military Through the Ages eventonSaturdayandSunday March18-19.

Military Through the Ages features hundreds of re-enactors depicting armed forces from 500 B.C.E. all the way to modern-day soldiers with the Virginia Army National Guard.

As one of the most unique chronological displays of military history held for nearly 40years,MilitaryThroughtheAgesinvites visitors to explore military encampments and interact with re-enactors to learn how uniforms weapons and tactics evolved throughthecenturies.

Timeline from 500 B.C.E. to the Virginia Army National Guard

Nearly 600 re-enactors will portray soldiers and military encounters across the globe from Greek and Roman times the medieval period, Hundred Years’ War, War of the Roses, American Revolution, War of 1812, Napoleonic Wars and Ameri- canCivilWar.Re-enactorsdepictingWorld Wars I and II, the Vietnam War and Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada will take visitorsthroughthe20thcentury.TheNational Museum of the Marine Corps and the Virginia Army National Guard 111th Field Artillery will represent the present day View a complete list of participating units atjyfmuseums.org/militarythroughtheages

Patriotic Musical Performances

Music will be performed throughout the weekend, featuring the boogie-woogie soundsoftheLadiesforLibertyreminiscent oftheWorldWarIIera.LadiesforLibertyis scheduledtoperformat11a.m.and2:30p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The Federal City Brass Band, re-creating a UnionArmyregimentalbrassbandfromthe 1860s with period instruments, and Field MusickVirginia,offeringamixofAmerican Revolutionmilitarymusicandinstrumental history,willpresentroamingperformances duringthetwo-dayevent.

Artillery & Military Pass-in-Review

Comparative artillery-firing demonstra- tions will be presented at noon Saturday and Sunday, with weapons ranging from a 17th-century swivel gun to a modern-day howitzer Amilitarypass-in-reviewwilltake placeat3p.m.Sundayandwillfeaturerecognitionofre-enactorunitsjudgedinthebest unitimpressioncompetition.

Mobile Veteran Center

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will display its Mobile Vet Center near the museum’smainentranceduringthetwo-day event.An“officeonwheels,”theMobileVet providesreadjustmentcounseling,information and resources to veterans for veterans, service members and their families. Find it nearthemuseum’smainentrance.

Share Your LOVE of Military History

In partnership with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the LOVEworks program, Jamestown Settlement will feature the lifesize LOVE artwork in the museum’s Quadricentennial Plaza offering re-enactors and guests to take photographs and share their love of history on social media using #LOVEVAand#JYFMUSEUMSand#MTA. MilitaryHistoryatJamestownSettlement:Arms,armorandmilitaryequipment

Virginia Championship Wrestling returns to Hampton High School March 18th with special guest, local international wrestling superstar, Magnum TA

InterviewByYiorgo

Virginia Championship Wrestling (VCW), sponsoredbyPriorityAutomotive,isreturningon March18thtoHamptonHighSchoolforitsannual schoolfundraiser,withanexcitingwrestlingcard andspecialguest,localinternationalprowrestling superstar,MagnumTA Magnumwillbeavailable tosignautographs,takepictureswiththefansand reminisce with the fans at the show. For tickets photoopsandmore gotovcwprowrestling.com

Fans will see Virginia Heavyweight Champion LoganEastonLarouxdefendhistitleagainstThe Boar Also VCW Liberty Champion Dirty Money putshistitleupagainstformerLibertyChampions the “Greek God” Papadon and former Hampton High School’s own “Platinum Icon” Phil Brown inaTripleThreatMatch.

In other great matches, Erica Leigh locks up withSavannahEvans GinoMedinatakesonCaleb Konley The Reason with “The Director Jerry StephanitsisinhiscornerbattlesBenjaminBanks with“Diamond”VictorGriffinhiscorner,Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion Tim Spriggs goes one-on-one with DK Vandu, Alex Divine steps in theringwithSaulEsparzaandsomuchmore.

The special guest of the night is a man who needs no introduction in the wrestling world. He isHamptonRoadsown,MagnumTA TerryAllen. AtremendoussuperstarforJimCrockettPromotions as well as several other promotions in the

1980’s. Magnum TA was one of the most popular wrestlersinNationalWrestlingAlliancehistory a two-timeNWAU.S.HeavyweightChampionand afutureWorldChampion.Ahorrificcaraccident endedhiswrestlingcareerbeforehecouldbecome World Champion. The doctors at the time credit Magnum’sphysicalconditioningforsavinghislife, believinghewouldneverwalkagain

With Magnum’s strong faith in God along with his will and determination to never give up he pushed himself hard through many months of physical therapy and is a walking testament that anythingispossible

Yiorgo: With us today is Magnum TA, Terry Allen.Ittrulyisanhonortotalkwithyoutoday.

Magnum TA: The honor is all mine I want to thankVirginiaChampionshipWrestlingforbringingmein.IcannotwaituntilMarch18thatHampton High School to return back home after being goneforsomanyyearstosee thankandtalktoall the great wrestling fans that make our business possible

Y:Speakingofhome,let’sstartattheverybeginning.Wherewereyoubornandwhatmadeyoufall inlovewithprowrestling?

TA:IwasborninNorfolk,Virginiaandmyearliest memories of watching on television back in the day was with my dad. That laid a seed in my mind.Itwasadifferenttimeandera.WehadJohn

TurntoMagnumTA Page 3 of 17th-century Virginia can be seen yearroundinJamestownSettlement’sextensive gallery exhibits and in the “Reign & Rebellion” special exhibition on display through September 5. Permanent exhibits and films tell the story of America’s first permanent English colony and of the convergence of PowhatanIndian,EnglishandWestCentral Africanculturesin1600sVirginia.Outdoors visitors can immerse themselves in life of early Virginia in outdoor re-creations of a 1610-14 English fort, Paspahegh Town and threere-createdshipsthatbroughtEnglish coloniststoVirginiain1607

MilitaryThroughtheAgesismadepossible inpartbygrantsfromJamesCityCountyand theVirginiaTourismCorporation,withadditional support from the Jamestown-YorktownFoundation Inc.AnnualFund.

Admission to Jamestown Settlement, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily year-round, is $18.00 for adults and $9.00 for ages 6-12 Childrenages5andunderarefree Avaluepriced combination ticket with the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for ages 6-12 Parkingisfree JamestownSettlementislocatedonState Route31neartheColonialParkwayinJames CityCounty justsouthwestofWilliamsburg and adjacent to Historic Jamestowne For information, call (757) 253-4838 or visit jyfmuseums.org/militarythroughtheages.

Submit YOUR events, news and photos

The Flagship welcomes submissions from ourreaders online.

Pleasesubmiteventshere: www.militarynews.com/users/admin/calendar/event/

Pleasesubmitnewsandphotoshere: www.militarynews.com/norfolk-navy-flagship/submit_news/

Free 757 Sober LYFT Rides

St. Patrick’s Day within the Hampton Roads coverage area

PressRelease

HAMPTONROADS,Va ThehardestpartofSt Patrick’sDayisthemourningafter

Plan ahead for a sober ride before you reach the pint of no return! Use Drive Safe HR’s 757SoberRidepoweredbyLyft.https://www.drivesafehr.org/757soberride

Free or reduced fare rides are being offered to drivers in Hampton Roads who are using alcohol on St Patrick’s Day 2023. Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR) is sponsoring757SoberRideforSt Patrick’sDayfrom4p.m.onFriday,March17thuntil4:00a.m onSaturday,March18th.

Duringthetwelve-hourperiod,arearesidentsage21andoldercelebratingwithalcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones, then enter the 757 Sober Ride code in the app’s “Payment” tab (under the “Add Lyft Pass” option) to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home DSHR’s 2023 St Patrick’s Day 757 Sober Ride promo codewillbepostedat3:00p.m.onFriday,March17th,atwww.DriveSafeHR.org/757SoberRide.Itcanbeusedonlyduringtheabovestatedperiodforridesoriginatingfromor have a destination within Hampton Roads Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service. Valid for newandexistingLyftuserswhilesupplieslast.

According to the NHTSA, approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs at or above .08) During the 2016-2020 St Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 287 lives were lostindrunk-drivingcrashes.**InanefforttoreduceinjuriesandfatalitiesinHampton Roads DSHRpartnerswithLyfttopromotethe757SoberRidecampaignforridesstarting and/or ending in Hampton Roads Sponsors of the 2023 757 Sober Ride campaign includetheChristopherKingFoundationandtheVirginiaDMV “St.Patrick’sDayisoneofthebiggestdrinkingday’softheyear Whichmeansalotof drunkdriversmaybeontheroad.Ifyouplantodrink,pleasedon’tdrive.Besmart,plan ahead, and use 757 Sober Ride to get home safely The life you save may be your own, or someone you love.” said Pat Davidson, 757 Sober Ride Chairperson. The program is patternedafterthehighlysuccessful,award-winningSoberRide®programconductedby thenon-profitWashingtonRegionalAlcoholProgram(WRAP)

Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR) is a non-profit regional coalition whose mission is to improve highway safety and reduce injuries and deaths from vehicle crashes For 35years DriveSafeHamptonRoadshaspromotedcitizeninvolvementandcommunity awarenessaswestrivetowardzerodeathsonourregion’sroadways.

*Source: Virginia Crash Data **Source: USDOT Traffic Safety Marketing

Register now for the Chesapeake State of the City address

PressRelease

TheStateoftheCityisthepremierannualforumforChesapeake’sbusiness, civic, and community leaders. The 2023 address, delivered by the Honorable RickWest ChesapeakeMayor,willhighlightkeybusinessdevelopmentinitiatives provide strategic municipal progress updates address challenges and opportunities,andprovideaglimpseintotheCity’sfuture

WHEN: Wednesday,March29,2023

Registration&Networking:11:30am-Noon

Lunch&Program:Noon-2PM

WHERE: ChesapeakeConferenceCenter

700ConferenceCenterDrive,Chesapeake,VA23320

REGISTRATIONREQUIRED

This event is open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Cost is $60 for Chamber members and $80 for prospective members Table Sponsorship is $850. Register online at https://web.hamptonroadschamber.com/ events/.

PressRelease

NASHVILLE, Tenn As “an artist made for the outdoor summer concert season” (Sun-Sentinel), multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley announces details today behind his upcoming GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR this summer produced by Live Nation.The“notoriousroadwarrior (RollingStone)hastappedJordanDavisasdirect supportwithadiversegroupofspecialguestsjoiningthroughoutthe28-citytrekincludingElleKing,TracyLawrence,TylerBraden,CayleeHammack,HotCountryKnights, Kameron Marlowe, The Cadillac Three, The Red Clay Strays, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway,ShaneSmith&theSaints,CaitlynSmithandHaileyWhitters

A complete list of tour dates can be seen online, but the closest shows to Hampton Roads are:

„ June16-Raleigh,NCatCoastalCreditUnionMusicParkatWalnutCreek

„ June17-Charlotte,NCatPNCMusicPavilion

„ July29-Bristow,VAatJiffyLubeLive

Tickets are now available! Citi is the official presale credit card of the GRAVEL & GOLDTOURandCiticardmemberswillhaveaccesstopurchasepresaleticketsbeginning Weds Mar. 8 at 10:00A local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presaledetailsvisitwww.citientertainment.com.Ticketsbegingoingonsaletothepublic nextFri.,Mar.10at10:00ALocalTimeatDierks.com.

“I’ve been waiting as patiently as possible for the time when we could tell our fans aboutthistourandI’mhappythemomenthasarrived, saidBentley.“Withnewmusic, awholenewsetandvibealongwithincrediblemusiciansandsingerstosharethestage with IcanhonestlysayIthinkthiswillbeourbesttourever JordanDavisandIhave beentalkingabouttouringforalongtimeandhe’sjustkilling.Nottomentionthelistof artiststhatwewillbetouringwithissoexcitingformeasafanofalltheirmusic.Iwillbe sidestageeverynighttakingitallinalongsidethefansonthisGRAVEL&GOLDTOUR.”

Named after his newly released 10th studio album which “testifies to everything Bentleydoessowell (Esquire),theGRAVEL&GOLDTOURwilltakeBentleybackto the road where “his stage presence is something to marvel (Spokesman Review) and “hepourshisenergyandheartintoeachperformance (St.LouisDispatch).Coinciding with the announce Bentley’s GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR openers trade verses for their ownrenditionofhisTop10andclimbingsingle“Gold.”

The10thalbumlandmarkspeakstohowtimehasflowninBentley’sunique,21st-centurycareer.Thediverse14-trackalbumofperspectiveandself-awareness,atmanylevels, fromthepersonaltotheprofessionalisatestamenttothemanystrainsofCountrymusic Bentleyhasmasteredandcultivatedinhiscareer fromthearenashakertothebarroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer His current Top 10 and climbing single “Gold,” hits thecorethemeofperspectivewitharoad-tripvibeandwisdomearnedonlybyputting in the years and the work He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debutalbumin2003,producinganinstantNo Onesingle.Theyearssincehaverevealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity eight more albums that reached the top of theCountrysalescharts,resultingin21No Onesongs,eightbillionstreams,threeCMA Awards,14GRAMMY®nominationsandmembershipintotheGrandOleOpry Trendy soundshaveebbedandflowedaroundhimoverthesetwodecades,butfanshaverelied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professionalendeavorsoutsideofthemusicwithhisFlag&AnthemlifestylecollectionDesert Son along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations Formoreinformationvisitwww.Dierks.com

Pre-Registrationisrequired.RSVPtoLauren

Pressisinvitedtoattendtocovertheevent.Pressboxandseatinginthedesignatedpressareawillbeprovided

RobertsCarteratlroberts@hrchamber.com

Due to the high volume of attendance and limited space, we ask that cancellations be received at least 3 business days before the day of the event to avoid beingcharged.

Wayne and Clint Eastwood, Batman, very clearheroesandvillains.Theywerepersonalitiesthatweknewwhothegoodguysand whothebadguyswere SoasIgrew,became anathlete,anamateurwrestlerandwenton towinthestatechampionshipin1977inthe 167 pound division I always had pro wrestlinginthebackofmymind.WhenIwasin high school, I was wrestling at 167 pounds and I didn’t really comprehend in my mind thatIcouldchangemybodyandgrowtothe size that I did That I could be competitive with these guys who looked like monsters and freaks ofnature.Ididn’tknowthat was apossibility

Think about this fact I graduated in 1977 at 167 pounds and in 1985 I’m wrestling Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight title in a sold out Norfolk Scope in my hometown. In what kind of a fantasy story does something like that come about? It’s just unfathomableforpeopletowraptheirheadaround because breaking into pro wrestling back thenwouldn’tbemuchdifferentthansomeone who thought they were a pretty good football player and decide they are going to do a walk-on with an NFL pro team and try toplayfortheNFL.Justtogetintothebusinesswasafeatinitself,buttoexcelandgetto thatlevelinareallyshortperiodoftimeand then to be able to perform in front of your family, friends, two sets of granddaddy’s up in the stands watching their grandson compete for the world’s heavyweight title, that’ssomethingbeyondcomprehension

Y:Wheredidyougotoschool?

MTA: I went to Norfolk Collegiate for my 6th-12th grade years and then to Old DominionUniversitywhereIcompletedmy Freshman and started my Sophomore year but then I decided to follow my dream and becomeaprofessionalwrestler

Y: When did you realize I can make a livingdoingthis?

MTA: I realized it the first week in the business Again, I had never been in a pro wrestling ring in my life. I got into the ring, workedoutfortwohourswithBuzzSawyer and Princess Victoria in Portland, Oregon in a bowling alley and the next night, I had my very first match on TV against Buzz. I workedsevendaysaweekfromthenonout, because all these people thought that I had been wrestling in Mid-South Wrestling for Bill Watts and nobody had checked out the story

Y:Youhaveauniquewrestlingnamewith an interestingly unique way of how you got thenameMagnumTA Canyoutellusabout it?

MTA: It was just like all the other crazy things WhenIstartedinPortland,Ihadthe biggest car of all the babyface (good guy) wrestlers, an Olds 98 Regency four-door, big luxury car So when Andre (the Giant) camein,theofficesaid,heneedstoridewith yousohecanbecomfortable SoAndreand

I met literally my first month in the businessandwebecamefriendsbecausehewas there for a couple of weeks He is with me everynight,travelingupanddowntheroad talking. I don’t see Andre again until about two years later, when I’m in Tampa, wrestling as Terry Allen, tag teaming with Scott Magee, Brad Armstrong and having a good timeinFlorida.

While in Florida, Andre says to me, “You’rereadyBoss,todosomethingbigbut youneedaname,youneedahandle.”That’s exactly what he called it, a handle Andre said, “You look like that guy on TV, you should be Magnum TA.” It sounded great. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it and he was going back to Vince Sr to tell him about me to pitch it and have me come upthereandworkforthem.

Well before he could do that, a little event took place in Mid-South where Paul Orndorff up and left, went to the WWF/E, leaving a big spot to fill on the cards Earnie Ladd had been coming back and forth to Tampa working spots, he had seen me, and calls me in the middle of the night saying “There’s a spot open here that’s an opportunity of a lifetime if you want to try.” So I gothereandtakeonthenameMagnumTA that Andre gave me over breakfast around threeo’clockinthemorningandtherestwas history

Y: Dusty Rhodes and Jim Crockett also gave you an opportunity to work for Jim Crockett Promotions, Mid-Atlantic Wrestlingandyouranwithit Howdidthatoffer happen?

MTA: How it all came to be, is that I was on top at Mid-South for Bill, I’ve been his champion,workingmaineventseverynight, and making six figures for the first time in mywrestlingcareer.Meanwhile,Dustyhad left Tampa to go work for Jimmy as a wrestler and the booker (set up the matches, recruits talent, etc) to help them revitalize the territory because they were not making a lot of money Barry Windham had come with Dusty to be his top guy and for Dusty to build everything around Barry but Barry wenttoworkfortheWWFformoremoney JimmyandDustycalledmeinthemiddle of the night. Dusty puts me on the phone with Jimmy, he introduces me, and they laiditalloutforme JimmyknewwhatIwas makinginMid-Southandsaid,“Ican’tguaranteeyouthatmoneytoday Icanguarantee you’ll make half of that to start and we will give you the biggest push anybody can ever want to get.” Meaning they will basically givemethekeystothecity.Tobethebigger star, on the bigger field then I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams. Dusty believedinmeandIknewthatJimmyasthe ownerofthecompanywouldbesupportive andinfullagreement

It also brought my journey full circle I had left Virginia, gone all the way to the other side of America to start my career in wrestling. I had worked myself all the way around the whole loop, to get back where I had started from, but now I am coming on thesceneasastar

Y: How did the friendship between you andDustystartinFlorida?

MTA: Dusty and I traveled everyday for close to a year and we had this eerie bond almostlikewewerebrothers.Hewasalittle olderthanmebutwebothwerebigdreamersandalsohardworkers.Weweredriving back from a show one night and he started playing Frank Sinatra songs inthe8trackplayer.Because my parents raised me to be culturally diverse I knew every word to every song and we sang them together We got along like we were connected at the hip from a decadebefore.Soourfriendship took off immediately once we started spending some time together just the twoofus.

He saw that potential in me from the get go, but againwehadthatfriendship with a mature type, respect friendship that you don’t commonly find in our business.IfDustytoldmethathe needed me to do anything short of taking somebody out I would have done it for myfriend

Y: Your friendship with Barry and Dusty is intertwined.Canyoutellusabout it?

MTA: Barry and I had become friends in Florida before Dusty and I were friends Barry and I were just a mess together,verygoodfriends OfcourseBarry and Dusty were almost related together becauseofthefriendshipbetweenDustyand Blackjack Mulligan (Barry’s father.) Dusty watched Barry grow up When Dusty first came into Florida, Dusty didn’t know me from a house cat. Dusty was looking at me asoneofthetalentstosendtoTennesseeand to Barry’s credit, he pulled Dusty aside and said,“Dusty,youmightwanttotakeacloser look at this one referring to me From that pointon,wewerefamily Barry,DustyandI weretrulythethreeamigosdowninTampa.

I also mended the fences for Barry to comebackaftermyaccidenttoJimCrockett Promotions Dusty was being stubborn and was hurt personally when Barry left to go workforVinceMcMahon.BarryandIwere talking on the phone and I told Dusty, look it’s time, you need Barry back here. Barry is amazing. Bring him back and let him do what he does best That’s the other inside storythathadalottodowithrebuildingthat whole relationship before there was ever goingtobeachancefortheFourHorsemen.

Y: What can you share about the Crockettfamily?

MTA: Let me just say this about the Crocketts Birds of a feather always flock together when things are good and not so muchwhenthingsarebad Ihavetosaythat Jimmy,David,JackieandFrancis,allofthem treated me with as much respect and kindness after my accident as they did before whenIwasmaineventingandhelpingthem draw record breaking crowds. They are the most first class of individuals anybody can everwanttoworkfor

Y: You mentioned Ric Flair earlier, how didyoufirstmeetRic?

MTA:IhadwatchedRicwrestlebeforeI brokeinthebusiness Mygrandfatherwould take me to the Norfolk Scope to watch the matches,soIadmiredhisabilitiesandwhat he could do in the ring. I broke in, in 1980 and the first time I met Ric was on a boat in Tampa with Mike Graham Ric came down withBeth(WWESuperstarCharlotteFlair’s mom) they were not married yet. We all went out on the boat and had a few cocktails together He was definitely a fun guy tobearound.

Ididn’tseeRicagainuntilprobablyayear and a half later I’m in Mid-South, I’m the North American Heavyweight Champion, workingforBillWattsandtheybookRicand I in the main event either in Tulsa or Oklahoma City, I can’t remember. We worked a very lengthy match with probably a DQ since I was Bill’s Champion. It was my first opportunity to be in the ring with him and also, every time he is traveling the world wrestling different people, he was scouting for Jimmy Crockett at the same time I’m sureheputthatbuginJimmy’sear.Ournext meeting was when the Crocketts brought me in I started around Christmas 84 and I wenttoFlair’sannualbigblowoutChristmas party that he always had at his home every year with Wahoo and the whole crew and we struck up an immediate bond. Rick is 10 yearsolderthanmebutheactedlikehewas my age or younger most of the time I have the ultimate respect for him as a performer andsuchagoodhumanbeingtobearound. With all the extreme travel that we did, it’s always good to have someone there to keep themoraleupandonahappynote

Y:How about a favorite Ric story that we canprint?

MTA: I’m running it through my filter rightnowbecausemostofRic’sstoriesaren’t PG 13, 14, they are NR you can’t even rate them,lol.Comicallyenough,oneofthegreat RicstorieswasinRichmond Virginia.They had just opened up a new Sheraton Hotel, right across from the Holiday in which we alwaysstayedhistorically WehadtheGreat American Bash and the whole crew was in this brand new bar/restaurant there at the hotel. There are probably 50 plus of us in this room. Road Warrior Hawk is sitting there, Flair has flipped some food over and it hit Hawk Well Hawk of course returns the favor, and the biggest food fight that I ever personally seen in my life that probablyrivalsthefoodfightinthemovieAnimal HouseandRicwasthecatalystofthewhole thing Itturnedintothebiggestfiascotothe point, that next morning when we checked out, they said, “Mr. Flair, Mr Rhodes, and Magnum are no longer welcomed in our hotel.” They blamed it all on us because we weretheonlythreepeopletheycouldreadilyidentifyinthemeleethathadtakenplace the night before Supposedly, we had done $2,500 water damage that Jimmy of course had to pay. Ric was just classic like that He liked to play hard and every night he went outintheringandgaveyou60minutes,tear the house down and do only what Ric Flair cando

Y:TellusaboutRic,thein-ringperformer In one month you and Ric did 19 one hour broadways(60minutesmatches.)

MTA:So we had just gotten on TBS the SuperStation.JimmypaidVinceMcMahon 1 million dollars to get on there. That was the amount that was told to me. Dusty and

Jimmywereamazingpromotersandshowcased the difference between our product andtheWWFnowWWE’sproduct.Soyou takeyourtopbabyfacewhotheywerepushing to the moon, and that’s what they were doing with me, and had me chasing Ric for the world title In all these major cities we weregoingto,weweredoinganhourevery night and tearing the house down. We set thetableforthewholefoundationforeverythingweneededtodoinbuildingthatbrand.

Ourmatcheswereorganic Whatworked in one town did not mean that it would work in another city with different people there. We always worked to the crowd Ric was a master at manipulating the crowd and getting them where he wanted them to When it came to heat, Ric was second to none.Thereweresomanyspotsthatwedid alloverthecountrythatwedidn’tevenhave totalkabout.Itkindofnaturallyflowedwith whatweweredoing.

Y: Let’s talk about Tully Blanchard. You actually worked for Tully’s father Joe BlanchardbeforeyoucametoJimCrockett Promotionscorrect?

MTA: Yes, that was my second territory working in the business That’s where I met Tully for the first time and Scott Casey Bruiser Broady Tank Patton Buck Robley, TomPrichard,HerculesHernandez,wehad auniquecrewthere Iwasonlythereforsix months and I absolutely loved it. It was a great experience and I learned a lot there. IhadagreatworkingrelationshipwithJoe, they taught me a lot. Mike Graham came there,alittleguestshot MikeandIstruckup this great friendship and next thing I knew, IwasofftoFlorida

Y: Tell us about your rivalry with Tully WasitDusty’sideaforyoutodotheprogram withTully?

MTA: It was a marriage that made sense Tully and I talked about it amongst ourselves.Whenhesawmecomingintothe territory, he had not seen me since I was a rookieinSanAntonio Whenhesawtheskill setsthatIhaddeveloped sincehehadseen mebefore heknewtherewasmoneyinthe making there. So I think between Tully and JJ, they probably campaigned for it. I had just come off the win in the cage matches against Wahoo in Charlotte. The money is always,thebabyfacechasingtheheelforthe belt. And we had those horrendous battles and Tully would get a win by the skin of his teeth, by cheating The fans wanted to kill him

BecauseIwassointense,likeIhadtodial itdownforRicbecauseIwasaphysicalstyle type performer. I came from the Bill Watts school of credibility and physicality and Ric was very much more the finess, Ricky Steamboat type style performer and Tully couldbejustasbrutalasIcouldfromaheel perspective. So you take those two intense styles throw them against each other and themagicisgoingtohappen.

Y:Whatwouldyoulikethefanstorememberabouttheinfamous“IQuit match?

MTA: It was the fact that I let him live. It was that John Wayne moment, when I had that spike in my hand, he had already submitted and the fans seriously did not know if I would finish him off and just kill him or what would happen That poignant moment at the end where I had him and I just let him go and it was over, that to me was the complete, final conclusion of this bloodbath battle that had been going on for months, and months and months I guess it was not forgiveness or redemption, it was mercy.

Y: How about a favorite memory of you andNikitaKoloff?

MTA:Ihavemany,manyfavoritememoriesbutthatpressconferencewithmymom there, will go down in history, because my mom had no idea what was going on. She was not told anything in advance She reacted like an academy award winning actressanditwasallanaturalreaction.Out of all the things we did, to me that’s one of the biggest standout moments It was the way we protected the business back then. I never smartened my parents up about the business and they never questioned me aboutthebusiness

Y: You were involved in that horrific car accident that ended your wrestling career Doyouremembertheaccidentatall?

MTA: Oh I never lost consciousness I remember it all It was a freaky thing and I guessthat’swhyaccidentshappensocloseto home.Whenyouareonapaththatyoutraveled hundreds of times when you get close tothosefiveminutesfromyourhouseyou’re likeonautopilot.Itwasrainingreallyreally hard, I was driving the posted speed limit butitwastoofastgiventhehorribleweather conditions at the time It didn’t seem to me at the time, but the fact that I hydroplaned, ifIwasgoing15-20milessloweritprobably wouldnothavehappened.

ThosefivemonthsthatIwasinthehospital gave me time to reflect. In my wrestling career, I had the opportunity to play this hero on television for years and now I had real life in front of me I knew the way that I reacted to this thing was going to impact morepeoplethananythingelsethatIwould probably do in my life I really felt driven to do everything I could not to get on my pity party like most people would do in such a situation I tried to present a positive attitude,makingthebestofwhateverIwasable to gain back from the injury and show the people that I was not quiting the game of life. I was going to find my path and never give up Through the grace of God, I was able to persevere and help motivate others Irememberitlikeitwasyesterday.

Y:Youhaverecentlygotteninvolvedwith PowerTownWrestling Canyoutellusmore aboutthisexcitingventure?

MTA:PowerTownWrestlingwasfounded in2021bytoyindustryveteranSteveRosenthal and wrestling legend Greg Gagne I got involved with it through an invitation by GregGagne Greg’sdadVernGagne(legendaryAWApromoter ownerandwrestler)and Steve had a working agreement back in the 80’s. Steve’s company Remco made all the actionfiguresbackintheday.Sohereached out to Greg and asked him about doing a few nostalgic figures of wrestlers that have neverbeendone,andmakesomemoneyfor the guys. That rapidly changed He started talkingtomeandotherpeopleandlongstory short, we started with 12 wrestlers and we arewellover200ontheroster

We want to pay tribute to wrestling’s earliest television origins So we are starting back with Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz and bringing them back to a new level of relevancytoanewgenerationofwrestlingfans At the same time, we can create some revenue stream for their families and give back to those that didn’t get to capitalize in the heydayofwrestlingwhenitbecameabillion dollar industry You know back in the day, guys wrestled seven days a week and we’re notmakinganyfortunesbyanystretchofthe imagination, we want to give back to those people.

Y:Howcanfanspurchasethesewrestling figures?

MTA:Wehaveanonlinestoreathttps:// powertownwrestling.com/ and pre-orders are reopen for series 1 Ultras for a limited time They include: Bruiser Brody Stan Hansen,KerryVonErich,LouThesz,myself andVerneGagne

Y: Why did you decide to get involved? Youareactuallyapartner,correct?

MTA: Yes, I am an equity partner in the company.I’vegotaverydiversebackground. I owned and operated the communication towerbusinesswithmymomanddadthere inChesapeake,Virginiaforyears Ofcourse I’ve worked in Turner Broadcasting on the corporatesideofthehousewithDustyback inthedayandinthelast15plusyearsIhave been working for MasTec an international companythatdoescellularworkalloverthe world Ihavebeenintelecomsince1989.

Over the course of all of these things that I have done after my in-ring career, which was almost seven years I’ve been involved inalotofoperationalthingsthathavegiven me a good overview of the process that you need to do in any business in order to be successful. So when Greg brought me this idea, introduced me to Steve, in the course of our conversation, I was more than your averageretiredwrestlerfrombackintheday. Ihadbusinessknowledgeandexpertisethat added value to what they were trying to do We became a good fit and I share the same passionforwantingtobeabletogivebackto theforgottenlegends Wearetryingtobring awareness truly to the pioneers that laid all thebricksintheroadsopeoplecanenjoythe productthattheyseetoday.

Y: The figures are so life-like, as a figure collectormyself,theyaretrulybreathtaking.

MTA: We have a couple of 3D artists that are absolutely world class They as well are partners in the company and have lended their skilled craftsmanship. They have created these amazing sculptures, these seven inch scale figures, to allow us to provide the best wrestling action figures today to the avid collectors It really is a thingofbeautyandweareextremelyproud ofthem.

One of the figures is Bruiser Brody and Bruiser had a special part in my startup in wrestling somebody that I had a very special friendship with and I am really glad wehave beenable to get himin this Series1 Ultrasoffering.Thelikenessofhimisreally breathtakinglikeyousaid.It’sliketheytook a snapshot and turned it into 3D It’s absolutelyamazing

Y: You also have a website at https:// magnumtaofficial.com/Whatcanyourfans purchasethere?

MTA: We have exclusive apparel, tee shirts,memorabilia, autographed photos, a Magnum TA Slam Buddy, a personalized Cameoandsomuchmore.

Y:Iknowthisisahardquestiontoanswer but it is my favorite to ask. Can you share a pinchmemoment?

MTA: The pinch me moment for me is that this kid from Chesapeake, Virginia who couldn’t do not one push-up in the eighthgrade,wouldgoontoheadlineinthe Norfolk Scope, where I had watched Elvis Presley perform as a young man, to be in the main event against the World Heavyweight Champion and exceed the attendance record that Elvis was able to achieve inthesamebuilding.

When I was on Jim Ross podcast Grilling JR he said to me “The fact that all that (my wrestling career) was encapsulated in just under a seven year period of time, that in itself is just crazy.” And back then, if you gota shot at a main event within 10 years of being in the business that was considered mind boggling For most people, that’s how longittookto bein contention forthemain event,muchlessheraldedasastar Weallhavechallengesthatcanseemoverwhelming.Istillhavechallengestothisday. You really do have to take one day at a time and believe you will come out of it to the othersidebythegraceofGodbecausenone ofuscandoitonourown.Iamjustgladtobe hereandtocontinuetosharesomestories I amreallylookingforwardtoagreatVirginia ChampionshipWrestlingshowMarch18th at Hampton High School and seeing all my wrestlingfansthere.

Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist