It’s quite amazing what a person can accomplish in a short time. Just ask Terry “Magnum T.A.” Allen, whose career as a pro wrestler spanned only eight years, but left a mammoth imprint in squared circle lore. Had it not been for a tragic car accident that left him partially paralyzed in 1986, there is no telling the heights he would have reached.

The Virginia native shined as brightly as any star in the mid-Atlantic region and was thought to be the next big superstar before the term was made popular years later by WWE. He had the looks (the Magnum name was given to him because he bore a striking resemblance to Tom Selleck’s Magnum P.I. character), the size and athletic ability that promoters coveted.

Tully Blanchard and Magnum T.A. rivalry

The rare combination made him one of the biggest draws of the time and a mainstay at the top of the card. Many even speculated that Allen was the heir apparent to Ric Flair’s throne as the top talent at the time. He would even challenge the future two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee for the coveted National Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight title just months before his career came to an abrupt halt.

Former two-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion “Magnum T.A.” Terry Allen recently spoke to Chuck Carroll of CBS Baltimore:

How often are you doing these appearances?

For some reason, over these last couple years the activity level has gone up, or the demand or the ask I have for doing these things has gone up pretty linear. I don’t know if that’s partially because of WWE Network and them showing all these old things from the ’80s and what not to a new generation, that it stirs all this up or what. But I’ve made more appearances in the last year than I probably have in the last five years.

Magnum TA Terry Allen vs Tully Blanchard

You’re participating in The Crockett Cup this weekend in North Carolina. That has to be a nostalgia trip to see it being resurrected.

I obviously got a soft spot in my heart for the NWA and what Billy Corgan and these guys are doing to try to keep the history of that alive and as relevant as they can in 2019. I want to support them any way I can.

I remember when I first heard that they were trying to revive all of this. I was very skeptical, because I thought somebody’s going to try to do it in such a way that there’s just no way they’re going to be able to duplicate it. But I think they actually have a healthy approach to what they’re doing, and they’re not trying to relive or revamp what was so strong and powerful 30 years ago. They’re taking a different approach with it and still featuring the World’s Heavyweight Championship, which was so prestigious back in the day. They’re honoring the tradition. They’re not doing anything to lessen what once was, and I don’t think they have any aspirations of trying to compete on a world level with the WWE. But there’s certainly a place for it in the history of the business of wrestling. The NWA should be out there.

The Crockett Cup is being co-promoted with Ring of Honor. How familiar are you with them?

I picked up on their shows when I’ve come across it in their broadcasting, and everything I’ve seen, they have consistently evolved the indie promotions that I’ve seen. Had the best representation of the type of product that we were proud of back in the day. Their matches always seemed to be a depiction of a highly competitive contest, which is the style that I like, as opposed to some of the indie things that are just so outlandish and over the top and extreme and frankly ridiculous, kind of insult your intelligence a little bit.

What modern wrestler do you think would mesh well in the old Crockett days? The golden days as it were of that promotion.

My favorite all around guy that’s out there in the product today is Seth Rollins. He can talk for two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, whatever it needs and be in character and tell a story and has amazing athleticism and the ability to go out there and go for 10 minutes or 30 minutes or an hour. I think he would have been incredible back in the day. I would have loved to have been able to work with him. I’m saying there’s lots of people that have come over the 30 years that I would have loved to have the opportunity to get in the ring with, but of the current generation, I think he is certainly the cream of the crop, and AJ Styles as well. They’re two kind of different animals. I met Seth and talked to him, and I’m just very impressed with his overall ring skills and work ethic and everything else.