Magnum Force: The Career Demise of Magnum TA

Brian Damage

In the 1980s, there was a wrestler in NWA that was seen as a potential rival to Hulk Hogan in terms of popularity. His name, Magnum TA. That all changed on 14 October 1986, a night that would have long-term ramifications for the future of the promotion and on the life of Magnum.

It may be difficult for some to fathom, but in the mid-1980s, there was a wrestler that rivaled the growing popularity of Hulk Hogan. While never getting the publicity or the massive exposure that Hogan enjoyed with the World Wrestling Federation, a wrestler named Magnum TA, real name Terry Allen, was becoming a superstar. In fact, Magnum TA was consistently in the top three of many wrestling magazine polls for most popular pro wrestlers of that era.

When Magnum TA was on the marquee for Jim Crockett Jr’s cards, the arenas would sell out fast with thousands more being turned away. He was young, athletic, charismatic and the women loved him. He was nicknamed Magnum because the promoters felt he resembled a lot like Tom Selleck who was the star of a popular TV series at the time called ‘Magnum P.I.’ While a heartthrob to many female fans, Magnum TA was still “manly and rugged” enough to be accepted by the male audience as well.

Magnum TA had several classic battles with the likes of Tully Blanchard and the dreaded Russians of the Koloffs. He held practically every single lower tier title that Crockett promotions had. If you talked to several wrestlers who competed with and against Magnum during that time, all were convinced he was the heir apparent to becoming NWA World heavyweight champion. It made sense, his popularity was skyrocketing and was Jim Crockett’s goose that was slated to lay golden eggs.

Magnum TA was going to be the man in the National Wrestling Alliance who would successfully compete against their biggest rival,the WWF. That, however, all changed on a rainy night on October 14th, 1986 in Charlotte, North Carolina. After a match against ‘Gorgeous’ Jimmy Garvin in South Carolina, Magnum dropped his buddy and fellow wrestler Dick Murdoch off at a local bar. Magnum then drove off to go home to his wife and family.

Magnum was driving through the pouring rain in his Porsche 911 Turbo at 55 mph on a 45 mph speed limit road. He hit a large puddle of standing water and his Porsche hydroplaned into a telephone pole. His head hit the inside roof of the car breaking his C5 vertebrae. There, on a quiet, dark and rainy road, Magnum TA remained pinned in his car. Over an hour went by before paramedics and police arrived. It took them nearly another hour just to pry the driver’s side door open to get Magnum out. That was a total of two hours severely injured before he could receive a second of much needed medical care.

The prognosis for Magnum TA’s survival was dire at some points as he was in critical condition. The accident was the top news story on all the local news programs in the Carolinas and Virginia where Magnum was from. It also made headlines in local papers. It was that big of a deal at that time.

The hospital where Magnum was in ICU got over 700 calls a day from concerned fans. He received over 70,000 cards and letters and countless amounts of flowers and balloons that had to be turned away by hospital staff. Magnum TA would get out of ICU and his condition stabilized but was paralyzed from the chest down. The initial shock of the accident brought pro-wrestlers to tears with some almost breaking kayfabe wishing him a speedy recovery.

After over five months in the hospital and countless hours spent in rehab after that, Magnum TA was no longer paralyzed and could walk again. His right hand, however, was seriously compromised and had to learn to write and eat as a lefty. While both Magnum and Crockett had high hopes for a potential return to the ring, it was just not to be. His career was over.

That in turn, had long lasting affects on Jim Crockett and the NWA. Attendance for their shows began to quickly dwindle. They simply didn’t have that top babyface singles star that they once had. It perhaps changed the course of wrestling history. What if Magnum never was involved in that career ending car accident? Where would the NWA be now? This accident no doubt had a severe impact on Jim Crockett promotions to which they never fully recovered from.

Just imagine if it was Hulk Hogan in that car accident right before the big Rock N Wrestling push. Where would the WWF be right now if Hogan’s career had ended like Magnum TA’s did. It is not to say that Magnum would’ve ever reached the heights of Hogan but sadly, it is something we will never know.