Back in the day when wrestling was an every weekend tradition, I witnessed something that I will never forget.
It’s known as “The Baseball Bat Incident” and it was so important to my Dad and I, that we had it on VHS for years. Apparently, Dad wasn’t going to be able to watch wrestling that particular weekend and recorded the show instead. It just so happened to be when one of the wildest segments happened.
To set the stage, I am nine years old at this point. One of my favorite wrestlers, Magnum TA, had retired from being an active wrestler due to injuries sustained in a gnarly car accident that had almost taken his life two years prior.
Magnum had since returned to TV wielding his “Equalizer” which was a baseball bat that would soon be the focal point of this segment. As you can tell from the video, the fans were still staunchly behind Magnum as well.
All of this background is important because it accentuated the chaos that happened next when Tully Blanchard and James J. Dillon of Four Horsemen infamy confronted Magnum over the use of that bat while meddling in Horsemen affairs.
First thing to note here is that Tully Blanchard is the pitch-perfect wrestling villain, and it’s on full display in this moment. His delivery of the phrase “POOR MAGNUM!” will be forever etched in my brain although I am often reminded that he doesn’t repeat it the way I always think he does. It’s one “POOR MAGNUM!” where in my mind, it’s always said twice.
Sending Barry Windham out there to cool the temperature is a nice touch as it shows the stakes in play here with Magnum not being 100% (although he promised an in-ring return that was never meant to be). That moment immediately devolving into the chaotic scene it turns into is absolutely magical. Future Horsemen Windham taking that shot from Tully is the spark that ignites the powder keg, and we are off and running.
It’s hard to overstate what a wild moment it is to see Magnum get punched next. Not only that, but how things are going to escalate once “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes hits the scene.
The footage speaks for itself, of course, but nine year old me could not wrap my mind around how angry Dusty was or how badly he beat on Tully for attacking his friend.
David Crockett hitting the deck in the melee after seemingly trying to restrain Tully is wild considering he was a non-physical participant, and not even a former wrestler or anything like that.
Through all this the image seared in my brain is that can of tobacco in Dusty’s back pocket while he chokes Tully with that bat.
A righteously angry Dusty Rhodes was a scary thing, and you pair that with a Tully Blanchard who absolutely got what he deserved was chaotic wrestling magic in its purest form.
Moments like this made me a fan, and moments like that kept me a fan. Moments like that are ones I’ll always look back fondly on because “The Baseball Bat Incident” is pro-wrestling at its finest.
