Terry Allen Terrance Wayne " Terry " Allen ( June 11 , 1959 ) is a retired American professional wrestler , best known under the ring name Magnum T . A . . Professional wrestling career . Early years . Allen started wrestling in 1977 and joined the National Wrestling Alliance , where he began competing for the Championship Wrestling from Florida and the Pacific Northwest Wrestling territories . While in the CWF , Allen would win the Global Tag Team Championship on five different occasions before then moving to Mid - South Wrestling . Upon debuting in Mid - South , Allen renamed himself to Magnum T . A . and adopted a character known as the " American Heart Throb " , based on Allen ' s slight resemblance to actor Tom Selleck ' s television character Magnum , P . I . . Allen adopted the ring name after André the Giant suggested that he combine the Magnum name with the initials of his real name . After competing in Mid - South , he won the North American Heavyweight Championship , his first major title , after defeating Mr . Wrestling II on May 13 , 1984 . Magnum would hold the title for five months before he lost it to " The Cat " Ernie Ladd on October 16 . On November 22 , Magnum lost to Ladd via disqualification in a title rematch and thus , did not win the title . Jim Crockett Promotions . In 1984 , the National Wrestling Alliance ' s Jim Crockett Promotions signed Allen . After debuting , Magnum began feuding with Wahoo McDaniel and defeated him for the United States Heavyweight Championship on March 23 , 1985 . At The Great American Bash , he made his first successful title defense by defeating Kamala . He then began feuding with the Four Horsemen before feuding solely with Horsemen member Tully Blanchard and his valet Baby Doll . On September 28 , Magnum lost to the Horsemen ' s leader Ric Flair in a near - 30 minute title match for Flair ' s World Heavyweight Championship . Magnum would later lose his U . S . Title to Blanchard until Magnum regained the title in an infamous " I Quit " match at Starrcade on November 28 . In April 1986 , Magnum began feuding with Ivan Koloff , who had started proclaiming that his nephew , Nikita , would become the United States Heavyweight Champion . Jim Crockett , Jr . set up a contract signing for Magnum to defend his title against Nikita in May . At the signing , Magnum brought his mother , Marion , to the signing while Nikita brought Ivan . However , Nikita insulted Magnum ' s mother during the signing , instigating a fight . Then - president of the NWA , Bob Geigel , issued a public reprimand against Magnum for " conduct unbecoming a champion . " Magnum replied , " Reprimand this ! " while clotheslining Geigel . As a result , Magnum was stripped of his title and it was put up in a best of seven series between Magnum and Nikita . After losing the first three matches in the series in a row to Nikita , and Magnum began a comeback and won three matches to keep the series going . In the tie - breaking match on August 17 , 1986 in Charlotte , North Carolina , Nikita defeated Magnum to win the title with help from Ivan and Krusher Khruschev . Car accident and retirement . On October 14 , 1986 , Allen was driving in his Porsche in the rain and lost control , wrapping the car around a telephone pole . The accident happened on Sardis Road in Charlotte , N . C . , only a couple of miles from Allen ' s home . Initially , investigators believed he was speeding , but forensic reports showed he was driving the speed limit and he was left in his car for two hours before a witness called 911 . The accident caused his C - 4 and C - 5 vertebrae to explode , and it was doubted that he would ever walk again . Doctors at Carolinas Medical Center said that Allen ' s physical conditioning saved his life . The right side of his body was paralyzed for months , ending his in - ring career . Losing Allen as a wrestler prompted NWA booker Dusty Rhodes to turn Nikita Koloff , Allen ' s last rival prior to his accident , into a fan favorite . According to the storyline , Koloff gained respect for Magnum from their feud and wanted to take his place . This was memorialized in the spring edition of the " Wrestling ' 87 " magazine , with a large photograph of Koloff with the words " I cry for Magnum T . A . " beside him . Prior to his accident , Magnum was to win the U . S . Title for the third time before being groomed to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion . Magnum ' s first on - screen appearance following the accident was at the Crockett Cup in 1987 , where , with the aid of a cane , and two referees , Magnum walked to ringside to embrace Dusty and Nikita , who would go on to defeat Tully Blanchard and Lex Luger for the tournament championship . Magnum later worked as a commentator for the NWA and World Championship Wrestling , and also served as a manager for Rhodes , who was suspended before returning as The Midnight Rider , and Koloff . In his last angle in WCW , Magnum was attacked by his former rival Tully Blanchard , which prompted Dusty Rhodes to come to the aid of his friend . After Rhodes signed with Championship Wrestling from Florida and later the World Wrestling Federation , and Koloff signed with the American Wrestling Association , Magnum left JCP as well , although he would make sporadic reappearances with the promotion until 1993 at Slamboree . On January 14 , 2005 , Allen made his first wrestling appearance in years as a guest at the Exodus Wrestling Alliance . He would later appear for the Carolina Wrestling Association in the corner of Jason Jones during Jones ' loss to George South , Jr . on May 21 . At the event Tribute To Starrcade on November 19 , Magnum stood in Rhodes ' corner as he lost to Tully Blanchard . On June 24 , 2007 , Allen , as Magnum T . A . , made his first appearance for World Wrestling Entertainment at their Vengeance : Night of Champions pay - per - view , where he was noted as a former United States Champion . Personal life . Allen attended high school at Norfolk Collegiate School in Norfolk , Virginia . He was a member of the collegiate wrestling team and won the state championship in the 167 pound division . After graduation , he attended Norfolk ' s Old Dominion University but did not graduate . Allen , a born again Christian , runs a small commodity hedge fund and a communication towers business . He still has family residing in Chesapeake , Virginia , where they own a radio tower in the town of Great Bridge . They named the tower after their son ' s ring name , " Magnum T . A . " . In February , 2008 , Magnum ' s father had died , leaving his son to take over the family business . Allen first married a woman named Tamara . The couple divorced with Allen later marrying Broadway dancer / actress Courtney Shattuck - Blanchard , the former wife of Tully Blanchard . He and Courtney were wed in March 2005 . They currently reside in Charlotte , North Carolina with Courtney ' s children from her previous marriage : Taylor , Tanner , Tessa and Tally as well as their children together , twins Lucy and Tucker ( born October 2007 ) . Allen also has a third biological child , a son , from a previous relationship who lives nearby . Allen is also the godfather of WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes , son of his long - time friend Dusty Rhodes .