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Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest
August 1-4, 2013 Charlotte, North Carolina | |
Tiger Conway Jr. To Make First-Ever Appearance! |  | | Tiger Conway Jr. | Tiger Conway Jr. never forgot the advice his father gave him. "Work is like taking care of a baby. You give it tender loving care. Don't hurt that baby, and remember that the baby's going to crawl before it talks or walks."
Tiger Conway Sr. was alluding to the wrestling profession, and his words of wisdom were absorbed by a son who would learn by example and eventually follow his dad into the business. Those words also would provide added impetus for Conway, a black man, to succeed in a business that was dominated by whites during a period when segregation wasn't a distant memory.
Conway was one of wrestling's young lions when he broke into the pro ranks during the early '70s. An athlete who could move like a cat and perform high-flying maneuvers effortlessly, Conway earned main-event status because of his ability in the ring and a strong connection to his fan base.
His father had been a longtime star in his home state of Texas, but young Conway had seen his dad scratch and claw to make a decent living for his family. As a youngster he recalled his father coming home off the road, sometimes bruised and battered from a grueling match earlier that evening. But before the morning sun had time to rise, his dad was back on the clock, working a second job putting up fences. "Everything was manual labor for my father. He was a very strong man," says Conway.
His strong work ethic and family values endeared the elder Conway to some of the most respected men in the wrestling business. "That's why I think guys like Lou Thesz, Luther Lindsay and Danny Hodge were his close friends. I never heard anybody in the business say anything bad about him," says Conway.
The youngster turned down athletic scholarships from several colleges, including the University of Nebraska, to pursue pro wrestling. And he was really good at it.
Several years into his pro career, he got the call from Mid-Atlantic booker George Scott, who knew Conway's dad and had seen Tiger Jr. begin his career in Houston while Scott was working in that territory. Conway made an immediate impact in the Carolinas, which had become one of the hottest areas in the country, and never looked back.
It's one of the reasons he's excited to be making a return as a featured guest at this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest August 1-4 in Charlotte. It will be Conway's first time ever at Fanfest, and he is eagerly looking forward to the occasion.
"I'm so happy to be making the event," he says. "I really wish I would have made the others, but I believe I'm happier at this time than ever before. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the fans." |  | Incredible hand-signed 8" x 10" photos - half-price while they last at NWALegends.com! | |  | Checkout the cool video from Jack E. Jones on this weekend's event! | Stop by our NWALegends.com booth at the huge Heroes and Legends Wrestling Fanfest coming to Fort Wayne, Indiana this Saturday, March 23 for a rare opportunity to meet WWE Hall-of-Famer and three-time football All-American at Florida State University, Ron Simmons! The Warner-Robins, Georgia native will be signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans from 2-6 p.m. In addition to Simmons, you'll also see Bret Hart, "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, Demolition Ax and Smash, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Tatanka and many, many more. Everything takes place at the Lutheran Health Sportscenter in downtown Fort Wayne. | Wrestling Legends Offer Rare Training Opportunity! |  | | Dr. Tom Prichard | Another exciting addition to this year's fanfest activities is Dr. Tom Prichard's Future Wrestling Legends Training Camp, a four-day talent search for the country's top young male and female wrestling hopefuls. Prichard, a 30-year mat veteran and, since 1996, one of the most respected trainers in wrestling, will be joined by a bevy of legendary guest coaches including Les Thatcher, Jerry Brisco and Leilani Kai. More guest coaches will be announced over the coming months.
This is a very rare multi-day opportunity, providing more than 30 hours of in-ring training and locker room study. The benefit for the young wrestlers is almost 'once-in-a-lifetime.' It's a very rare opportunity to train with and have unprecedented access to so many wrestling legends at once and over multiple days.
Though the training camp is intended for experienced young wrestlers and referees, beginners and those with aspirations of possibly becoming a wrestler will have a chance to observe, as well. | Gunner To Wrestle Twice Here During Fanfest! |  | | TNA's Gunner | Impact Wrestling's Gunner, who won the inaugural NWA Future Legends Cup competition here three years ago, has been signed to wrestle on both of the live wrestling cards during this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend in Charlotte. A 30-year-old former Marine and graduate of Saint Stephens High School in Hickory, Gunner has had much success in a relatively short period of time.
A former NWA National champion, he defeated Davey Richards in the finals of the NWA Future Legends Cup competition at our 2010 fanfest weekend and wrestled for the NWA World championship before joining TNA. He's also a former TNA Television champion.
This year's fanfest weekend features two live wrestling cards, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
Our VIP "All Access" Pass includes a reserved Ringside seat for both events and early entrance, prior to non-VIPs.
More details about the live wrestling matches at fanfest will be available in the coming months. | Jerry Brisco Confirms Fanfest Appearance This August! |  | | Jerry Brisco | Some of professional wrestling's younger fans might not remember Jerry Brisco beyond his role as a talent scout for WWE, or stretching back even further, as an on-camera "stooge" for outspoken boss and chairman Vince McMahon. But Brisco didn't exactly become a Hall-of-Famer for that part of his career portfolio. Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco, younger brother of the late NWA world champion Jack Brisco, was a top-tier performer in his own right for many years before joining WWE and eventually settling into an office position. April 9 will mark Brisco's 30th anniversary with the organization. "It's hard to believe. Anybody that can handle me for 30 years, and I can handle them for 30 years, somebody's obviously doing something right."
It's been a great ride with WWE, says Brisco, who nowadays scours the landscape in search of WWE's "next big thing." But it was in the Mid-Atlantic area where Brisco made his first big splash in the wrestling business.
That's one of the reasons he's excited about his guest appearance at this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend where, in addition to signing autographs and taking photos with fans, he'll also be observing and critiquing talent at a 4-day Future Legends Training Camp run by Tom Prichard.
This will be Brisco's third Fanfest, and he is eagerly looking forward to the event. "I absolutely love them. I've seen a lot of fan events across the country, but Fanfest is the best one that I've attended. Greg Price does a tremendous job organizing and putting on these events. He runs them in a very respectable manner." | Mr. Wrestling #2 Confirms Fanfest Appearance! |  | | Mr. Wrestling II | More than three decades have passed since John Walker has heard those nightly roars from the crowd that would get his blood pumping and adrenaline flowing. Rabid fans would explode into chants of "Two! Two! Two!" as the white-masked hero set his opponent up for his signature, running "million-dollar kneelift." Nowadays, at age 79, Walker's physical feats are but a distant memory, but the cheers from those adoring fans who idolize the man known as Mr. Wrestling #2 remain golden. While Walker admits his memory might be fading, the rush he got from his days in the wrestling business will be with him until the day he dies. "You just don't forget something like that," he says. "It was a wonderful time. I wouldn't trade it for anything." Walker hopes to relive some of those magical memories as a featured guest at this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend August 1-4 at the Hilton University Place Hotel in Charlotte. That weekend, he says, can't get here soon enough. "It's fantastic. I can't wait to get there," says Walker, whose alter ego as Mr. Wrestling #2 catapulted him to the hierarchy of the profession during the '70s and early '80s. | Les Thatcher First Hall of Heroes Honoree For 2013! |  | | Les Thatcher | Wrestler, announcer, trainer, booker, promoter, producer, photographer, magazine writer, consultant. There's not many things in the wrestling business that Les Thatcher hasn't done. As the saying goes, they've saved the best for last. And in the case of Les Thatcher, that old showbiz axiom certainly rings true.
For his many contributions to the profession, Thatcher has been named as the first honoree for the 2013 Hall of Heroes. He will be honored during this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend in Charlotte August 1-4.
"It's quite an honor," says Thatcher, "because I've seen a list of the guys who preceded me."
Thatcher, though, is more than deserving to take his place among the storied Mid-Atlantic territory's greats.
"The Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, Crockett Promotions was a big part of my entire career. Out of the 20 years that I wrestled, almost nine of them were in the Carolinas," says Thatcher. | "Russian Bear" Confirms Fanfest Appearance! |  | | Ivan Koloff | Few performers have left more of a mark on Mid-Atlantic wrestling than "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff. For decades the menacing Muscovite mat terror drew the wrath of frenzied fans as he spoke in a raspy Russian voice, wore heavy stomping boots, toted his trademark Russian chain, and boasted the cross and sickle emblazoned on his ring garb. The beard, shaved dome and jagged forehead all served as a testament to his rugged brand of wrestling. Koloff will be a featured guest at this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend August 1-4 at Hilton University Place Hotel in Charlotte. He has attended a number of previous Fanfests where he is always a big favorite.
"It's always an exciting event. I still consider myself a fan," says Koloff. "I've loved wrestling since I was 8 years old. I was a fan then and still am to this day. The fans at Fanfest are the same way. They're thrilled to be able to meet some of the old-timers and fans they've met over the years. In many cases they've ended up becoming friends. It's the same with the boys. Some of the boys I haven't seen in years and years. Fanfest has made up for that. It's wonderful to see my old friends again." | Celebrating Wrestling Tradition In The Carolinas! | This summer's fanfest weekend, four huge days of fun featuring dozens of wrestling's legendary heroes and villains -- and a bevy of today's top superstars and future legends -- returns to the Hilton University Place Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stars from the glory days of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and wrestling fans from all around the world converge on the Queen City to renew old friendships, share old memories, and create new ones. This August's fanfest will be our 11th reunion since we began back on Super Bowl weekend in 2004. In those eight years, we've had fans from 48 states and 12 foreign countries take part in our yearly gathering of old-school wrestling fans. We hope you'll be part of our very special weekend! | Extended Payment Plans Now Available - Until April 1st! | You now have the option to purchase your VIP "All Access" Pass (with or without Hall of Heroes tickets,) for this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend and spread the payments out over a several-month period.
Choose two or four payments, depending on your preference. | Book Your Hotel Rooms Now! |  The Hilton University Place is the host hotel for this summer's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend. The hotel is offering a discounted $95 group rate for those that book early. Keep in mind, we have a limited number of rooms at this discounted rate, so please make your room reservations as soon as you're certain of your travel plans. The discounted $95 group rate will expire on July 22 or whenever we fill our block of rooms, whichever comes first. Remember, Charlotte is the heart of stock car country. The NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and dozens of NASCAR race shops are nearby. Charlotte's also home to Paramount's Carowinds, the Carolinas' premier theme park and family entertainment destination, including Boomerang Bay (a 20-acre splash-tacular, sun lover's paradise consisting of a 34,000 square foot wave pool, 1,000 foot long lazy river, 11 exhilarating water slides and three interactive family activity areas,) and WindSeeker, sending riders soaring 301 feet above the park at over 30 miles per hour and providing dramatic views of the greater Charlotte region. Why not make your trip to Charlotte your summer vacation and take in a little bit of everything while you're here? Visit NWALegends.com today to book your hotel rooms for this year's fanfest weekend! | Get $20 When You Fly To Fanfest on Delta Airlines! |  For those of you flying to/from Charlotte for fanfest on Delta, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines or Alitalia, we'll give you a $20 credit voucher that you may use for free fanfest merchandise while you're here! It's very simple! When you book your flight reservations online, make sure to enter our SkyBonus program code: US331078683 and it's as easy as that! If you make your reservations by phone or travel agent, you must make sure they have the same SkyBonus program code in your reservation in order for you to receive the $20 fanfest credit voucher. | Stay Connected With Us Via Social Media! |  Every day we post news, photos, and videos to our social media channels that entertain and enlighten thousands of people on the history and tradition of pro wrestling. Plus, our followers are some of the first to know about fanfest news updates, upcoming events, contests and other exclusive opportunities. Don't miss out! Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. | | | NWALegends.com & MidAtlanticLegends.com · P.O. Box 2351, Monroe, NC 28111-2351
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