Great rasslin' and an 'A Team' passage

  • Posted: Thursday, October 7, 2010 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 1:41 p.m.
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Twelve-year-old Caleb Kennedy learns from Rick Flair how to do 'The Walk' at the TNA Show at Blackbaud Stadium Sunday night. Caleb, who has had three open heart surgeries was in the corner of his hero, Jeff Hardy, when Hardy took on A. J. Styles in a wre
Photo by Brad Nettles /Twelve-year-old Caleb Kennedy learns from Rick Flair how to do 'The Walk' at the TNA Show at Blackbaud Stadium Sunday night. Caleb, who has had three open heart surgeries was in the corner of his hero, Jeff Hardy, when Hardy took on A. J. Styles in a wre

Thumbs Up

Watching pro wrestling always makes me feel like a kid again, and Spike TV's TNA Wrestling ("Total Nonstop Action") put on a fun, old-fashioned rasslin' show last Sunday at Blackbaud Stadium.

TNA stars AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe, Beer Money and many more entertained Lowcountry fans with their trash-talking, body-slamming action, including a meet-and-greet for the more die-hard, geekier wrestling fans (like yours truly) at Blackbaud's Three Lions Pub. It was a more intimate affair than what their bigger-named competitor typically offers and everyone in attendance seemed pleased with the experience.

That said, and while I'm still a fan, much of today's wrestling product pales in comparison to what I first began enjoying at 8 years old, when in the '80s rasslin' stars like Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan, the Rock n' Roll Express, Ole Anderson and others would tear down the house every Friday night at the old Charleston County Hall downtown, or later when the shows went monthly and moved to St. Andrews High School gym.

Other than Hulk Hogan, the biggest name in wrestling of that era was unquestionably Ric Flair. Over the years, I've interviewed countless politicians, rock stars and celebrities of all types, but never really become star struck -- with the exception of the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Such was the case Sunday when I met Flair again for the umpteenth time, who at 61 years old is a household name, particularly in the Carolinas, where he is the face of both North and South Carolina's lottery. He's still in the rasslin' business, taking bumps and bruises for TNA as much as he did when he debuted four decades ago. A thumbs up to TNA Wrestling for visiting last week, giving Lowcountry fans a great show, and an even bigger thumbs up to Ric Flair for, well, just being Ric Flair.

Thumbs Down

Second only to my pro wrestling obsession, as a kid I was a big fan of "The A-Team." In the second grade, I had a deal with my parents -- as long as my grades were good I could stay up until 9 p.m. on Tuesday nights (my usual bedtime was 8 p.m.) to watch Mr. T and George Peppard fire a thousand rounds of ammunition, wreck cars and blow up stuff without anyone ever getting hurt. Last week, the creator of "The A-Team," Stephen J. Cannell passed away at age 69. Cannell was also the creator of "The Greatest American Hero," "21 Jumpstreet," "Hunter" and many other great television programs, and entertained me probably as much as Ric Flair during the '80s, albeit behind the scenes. Cannell loved it when a plan came together and he will be missed.