It is tough to see people we idolize or admire in pain. While the root of admiration lies in the respect one has for another person, watching them go into a tough phase in life brings stress. Unquestionably, Dale Earnhardt Jr has been an idol to many up-and-coming drivers and even people from different fields of life. But it must be intriguing to find out who were the idols for one of the best-ever drivers of the sport.

Junior is a man of many talents. The area of his interests doesn’t lie merely in NASCAR or subjects related to it. From time to time, he has made his opinion on various topics known. However, when it comes to wrestling, his inner child awakens.

Dale Earnhardt Jr professes his love for wrestling and talks about childhood heartbreak

Wrestling is one of the sports that has found a significant following in the country. Over the years, the sport has changed and has become a sport that is watched by millions across the globe. Organizations like WWE and Impact Wrestling have expanded the sport in terms of business and as a passion among youngsters. However, this development is not as new as you’d think.

Being a kid in the 80s like Dale Earnhardt Jr meant there were high chances of you getting hooked to wrestling as an entertainment sport. Some of the biggest superstars of wrestling carved a path for future generations, raking in fans with every passing day. Junior is one of those kids who looked up to the popular entities of the sport as well.

“I grew up, I’m 49 in October.” stated Earnhardt on his podcast, The Dale Jr Download.

“I grew up watching NWA on Saturday mornings. We had cartoons, and as soon as the cartoons are over, NWA comes up. Me and I had a couple of buddies that lived up the street from me like about six houses, we had paper bills. We made them ourselves. We had all the moves.” 

Wrestling around that period had a certain charm about it. Flamboyant style of fighting, flair, and flash moves captivated the audience in a way that was never seen before. One wrestler who performed in all these aspects would be the legendary Magnum T.A. However, his career was cut short by a terrible car accident in 1986 and this hurt Dale Jr a lot.

“Watched your dad wrestle at times, the four horsemen and Magnum T.A was my guy. Such a heartbreaker when he was injured but I grew up on that kind of wrestling right?” said Junior, recollecting childhood memories alongside co-host Mike Davis.

A cruel twist of fate left his favorite superstar’s career shattered by a gut-wrenching injury. Junior comes to understand it more so because of him having to retire from racing due to the aftereffects of car wrecks.

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Magnum T.A’s horrible wreck that shook Earnhardt Jr

Magnum T.A was known as Terry Wayne Allen off the stage. He was a person habituated with the factor of risk, having to face it more than often in the dangerous world of wrestling. But the car wreck came as one move of life that he would not have anticipated at all. The wreck of October 14, 1986 still lives in the back of his mind afresh as he narrates it.

“I remember it all,” said Magnum in an interview with Norfolk Navy Flagship. “It was raining really, really hard. I was driving the posted speed limit but it was too fast given the horrible weather conditions at the time. It didn’t seem to me at the time, but the fact that I hydroplaned, if I was going 15-20 miles slower it probably would not have happened.”

The accident left Magnum paralyzed and as a result, he had to call it quits from wrestling in the NWA. A former two-time winner of the United States championship, he was being prepared to be the next big thing in the world of entertainment sports. Alas, the terrible day spoiled his plans and hurt the hopes of fans like Junior across the world.

Speaking about the path of recovery from there, he added, “I tried to present a positive attitude, making the best of whatever I was able to gain back from the injury and show the people that I was not quitting the game of life. I was going to find my path and never give up. Through the grace of God, I was able to persevere and help motivate others.”

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It is fascinating to wonder what could have unfolded for the legendary wrestler, if not for the accident. Possibly, he could have garnered many more fans and captivated them with his skills, further etching his name into history.