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WITH THE MID-ATLANTIC FANFEST APPROACHING, A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE AMAZING MEMORIES & MOMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST

By Mike Johnson on 2016-07-27 15:28:00

With the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest coming up this August in Charlotte, NC, here's a look back at some of the great and unique moments that have populated the event since it first took place in January 2004.  I've been lucky enough (and I stress LUCKY) enough to witness these all first-hand and I can't wait to return to the Queen City to see what new memories sprout forth:

The Horsemen Reunite, All of Them.  There's only been a handful of times that the Four Horsemen have assembled together since the original core group split in 1988.  There's only been one day where all of the members of the two versions of the Horsemen that fans have proclaimed are the best version of the group have been together - and that took place at Fanfest in 2009.  Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, JJ Dillon, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham all came together for a signing and photo session that overwhelmed even the usually well regimented and organized Fanfest staff.  The line poked out of the signing room, down a hallway and seemed to stretch on for infinity.  When they were finally done, hours past their original signing time, they then retreated to a hotel room, where they continued to be overwhelmed by items sent by fans who couldn't attend.  The Four Horsemen were the symbol of excellent for great wrestling to fans in the 1980s and there was no greater proof of that than the passionate outpouring of support for the original core members that day.

A Standing Ovation for Bob Caudle.  While there have been tremendous announcers over the course of wrestling history, Bob Caudle's everyman approach to announcing and hosting, often not even knowing the finishes to the matches, have always maintained an excellent example of how wrestling should be called.  Since the first Fanfest, Caudle and his wife have been a constant, bringing sort of a grandfatherly presence to the events.  In 2007, Caudle suffered a pair of heart attacks.  When he returned to the Fanfest and was honored at their Hall of Heroes banquet by his son and David Crockett, the hundreds gathered in the room all rose, on their own, giving Caudle a long standing ovation, the lone one of the night.  Caudle, always a man who carries himself with a humble honor, called the award "his Oscar", then proceeded to do what he does best, put others over with his words - in this case, speaking lovingly about his hero, his wife.  It was an incredible moment.

One Night with Piper.  In 2011, Fanfest migrated to Atlanta and the one and only Roddy Piper appeared for his one and only Fanfest appearance.   Beyond doing a signing and photo session (complete with Piper's Pit backdrop!), Piper performed a one man show where he, in his patented freefall style, told stories about breaking into the business, traveling with Mad Dog Vachon, his ill-fated Madison Square Garden debut appearance, wrestling a bear, dealing with Mr. T and more.  It was a raucous, fun, intimate affair and one that sadly, can never be repeated.

Flair for the Gold. In 2009, it was the 25th anniversary of the very first Supershow, Starrcade '83.  In a rare Q&A setting, the man involved in that main event, then-NWA World champion Harley Race and his challenger, Ric Flair, sat down, accompanied by the domed belt they battle over in Greensboro sat down to discuss the importance and pressure of being the NWA champion, Race's first memories of Flair, Ric's first title win and loss, the cage match that made Starrcade famous, the bounty Race placed on Flair and everything else that built to the main event of what became a Thanksgiving Night tradition long before the words "Survivor Series" existed. 

The Grumpy Old Man.  If Bob Caudle is the kindly grandfather of the Fanfest, Ole Anderson is the grumpy old man yelling at you to get the hell of his lawn.  One of the toughest villains to ever grab an extremity and try to tear it off, Ole has also been known to savagely fire anyone who ever made him raise an eyebrow.  Since the advent of Fanfest in 2004, Anderson has appeared regularly, signing and taking part in a Q&A the first year that set the bar for all that followed.  Although his health has sadly forced Anderson into wheelchair, he has remained a Fanfest institution, often being found sitting on the same couch in the same corner of the lobby, where he'll share his stories and/or insults with anyone who wants to sit and chat.  If you ever want to know what's wrong with the world or wrestling, Ole will tell you...and he'll likely tell you what's wrong with YOU too!

Rock N' Roll is King.  Every year, the Fanfest features live wrestling featuring a bevy of local independents, up and coming stars from across the world and in many cases, the stars of yesteryear, who get the chance to turn back the clock and perform for an audience that very much wishes the old school was still in session today.  In some cases, like Mike Jackson, they would perform above and beyond the call of duty and wow the audience.  In other cases, like the Rock N' Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express, we saw time indeed turn back as the RNRs came to the ring to the shrieks of women in the audience (one of whom actually punched me in the arm as I clapped for the MX, true story!) as good once again battled evil.  If you ever missed the days of sitting in the audience and feeling like who won the match was as important as life or death, the closest equivalent was when these talents stepped into the ring - older, perhaps wiser, definitely a little slower, but still the masters of their domain...unless Tommy Young was the referee.  He was obviously the man in charge!

I Never Said I Quit.  In 2013, Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard, forever intertwined as the combatants in the Starrcade '85 I Quit Steel Cage match, reunited for a Q&A to discuss their memories of the feud, their respect for each other, Baby Doll, Dusty Rhodes, and more.  It was the type of unique event that was the cornerstone of Fanfest, an intimate conversation that peeled back the curtain of an era that was still quite much mired in protecting itself.  It also allowed Tully Blanchard to point out that, that night, he never actually quit! 

The Memphis Invasion.  The Charlotte Fanfest is obviously a tribute to the Mid-Atlantic region, but there have been years where other eras are celebrated.  When the show migrated to Washington, DC once, a number of Capitol Sports personalities were included.  However, in 2009, the Mid-South Coliseum and all the wonderful talents who populated that venue were celebrated as The Fargos, Jerry Jarrett, Lance Russell, Dave Brown and others were all brought in to be celebrated, to sign and take photos, and do a very unique off-the-cuff Q&A session.  In other years, Bill Dundee, Jerry Lawler and others have appeared and this year, Jimmy Valiant will be one of the featured stars. 

Cornette Unleashed.  Wrestling fans used to hate...well, detest, Jim Cornette.  Today, those same fans are enraptured by Corny and his incredible way to string letters into sentences into insults.  Every year, from the first Fanfest on, Cornette has held court and told amazing stories about battling fans, battling idiots in wrestling management, taking insane bumps, great ribs and road stories and being one of the greatest living historians in the history of pro wrestling,  Whether it was challenging a member of ICP to a fistfight the first year or ranting and raving about Vince Russo to many times to count, Cornette never ceases to make an impact and to bring the house down.  Whether it's an iPPV or a podcast or just a Q&A, the Cornette Experience is something to behold.

Heroes Honored.  Every year, the one night a year that fans think they can't miss is Wrestlemania, but to me, it's the annual Hall of Heroes banquet when stars from across the all areas and all eras are honored for what they have brought to the pro wrestling industry.  There are always wonderful speeches where former foes tout what their enemies brought not just to the ring but to life in general.  I was proud to stand witness as our own Les Thatcher was honored and there have been countless wonderful memories, including Ric Flair tearing up as he talked about how Blackjack Mulligan taught him what being a real man was all about and former AWA announcer Mick Karch's emotional tribute to the late Oliver Humperdink.  From Rip Hawk to Ted Turner to (this summer) Dusty Rhodes, Hall of Heroes has been the one night where I don't want to be anywhere but the room where it happens.

One Final Bow.  Fanfest is an incredibly special place, one that only appears once a year, but it is also, unfortunately, a place where some amazing talents and amazing people get to reunite with not just their fans, but their friends, for the final time.  As I thought back about memories of the past decade-plus of these events, I couldn't help but think about talents who are no longer with us.  I would never want to disrespect anyone by forgetting a name, but there are a bevy of names who were important to the area and who were shining stars in pro wrestling who are no longer with us.  Knowing that makes each gathering all that more special and all that more important to those who congregate in the Queen City, because one never knows where life will take them and one never knows when they, especially later in life, will cross paths with their old friends again.  We should all be thankful there is a Fanfest that makes it possible.

This August, an entirely new set of special memories will be made.  If I am you (and in this case, I really am), I would be heading to Charlotte, because who knows what life will bring and who knows what once in a lifetime memories will take place over the first weekend of August.  I don't want to ever be in a position where I regret not going and I hope you won't be either.  That's how unique The Mid-Atlantic Fanfest is.

For more on the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest, visit www.NWALegends.com.

Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com.

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