[Feature Story] Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard First Draws for LCW Survival Project

The first two Legends in the LCW Survival Project 50-man Gauntlet Tournament drew their numbers this evening to determine when they will enter into the tournament.

Former LCW Universal Champion Magnum TA and former LCW International Champion Tully Blanchard, with his valet "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll, drew numbers this afternoon live on Twitter. Magnum drew number 12 and Blanchard drew number 39.

Magnum was realistic about his position in the tournament saying, "I've got a long road ahead of me on September 6th. I'm at a disadvantage not only because of my placement in the tournament, but because of the fact that I wasn't in the tournament last year, because I was the LCW Universal Champion at the time. But I'm ready to go."

It's that attitude and the hiatus of LCW Showdown that may ultimately help Magnum TA achieve victory in the 50-man gauntlet tournament despite his early draw.

"Yeah, that's a blessing, I guess," Magnum said. "The fact that we're not competing every week on LCW Showdown going into the tournament this year should help all of us. If my fellow Legends are anything like me, I know they'll be training extra hard for the tournament this year. And if I can't win the whole thing and get a shot at the LCW Universal Championship, great, but it not I'm going to try hard to at least eliminate the most guys and get a shot at the LCW International Championship."

Taking a shot at his old rival, Tully Blanchard, as he entered the studio with his valet "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll, Magnum added, "I kind of wish Tully was still the LCW International Champion 'cause I'd like to get my hands on him, and maybe that title, one more time."

Of the tournament and his draw of the number 39, which Baby Doll drew for him, Blanchard said, "This is going to be a piece of cake! 39! Seriously! You're asking me how I feel about it like I'm worried or something. Look, it's not number 49, but Baby Doll pulled a great number and I'll do just fine. This isn't my first time at the high school dance. I only have to eliminate 12 guys to become the number one contender for the LCW Universal Championship. (Stone Cold Steve) Austin had better watch his back, because I'm coming for him and that title."

What Blanchard failed to mention is his questionable track record at "the high school dance." Last year, Blanchard drew number 25 in the Survival Project, but was eliminated by Big Van Vader, already deep into his elimination streak which ended with 10 eliminations and garnered him a spot as the number one contender for the LCW International Championship.

In a bit of irony to the scenario that Blanchard set up earlier, in 2007, Blanchard entered in at number 49 and didn't prove very successful with that draw, being eliminated by none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin.

But it's not all losing and eliminations for Blanchard at the Survival Project. In 2005, Blanchard and Arn Anderson teamed to win the LCW World Tag Team Championships from Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas.

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After the drawing, we sat down with Magnum TA for our first in-depth interview since he lost the LCW Universal Championship in July at LCW Beach Brawl.

Magnum's no stranger to the tournament or drawing an early standing in the tournament as he competed in the Survival Project in 2007 and drew even worse then (but not much worse), drawing number 9.

"Yeah, in 2007 I did get a worse standing," said a modest Magnum, who actually did better than most do in the tournament, eliminating six of his fellow Legends before going to a 15-minute time limit draw with Big Van Vader. However, Magnum was unable to beat Hulk Hogan's record of seven eliminations for the evening.

Magnum, while optimistic, is also realistic about his chances of winning the tournament this year to become the number one contender for the LCW Universal Championship, a title he held proudly for almost a year, 358 days to be exact. Magnum said, "I know that my chances of winning the entire tournament are slim, especially with the number I just pulled, but the tournament is designed that way. It's made so that even if you're not the guy left standing at the end of the night, there's something for someone who shows the most heart and the most drive and shows that he wants it the most and I want. I know I want to outlast everyone else. I want to eliminate more guys than anyone else. I came close in 2007. I eliminated six guys. And if it wasn't for that draw with Vader, I would have at least tied Hogan if not been able to eliminated more and beat his record of seven that night."

When asked about being in the position of the underdog again, Magnum said, "I'm always the underdog and, honestly, that's how I like it. But I'm the underdog going into this thing, there's no doubt. Everybody's going to be watching me. Seeing if I've still got it and if I still want it. For the last year, as champion, I was put in situations where I was the underdog. There were triple threats, and fatal four ways, the war I had with Nikita (Koloff), taking on the entire Yakuza Mafia, battles with guys like Dr. Death (Steve Williams) and the Raging Bull (Manny Fernandez), and just on and on. I've been positioned as the underdog. It's almost like someone said, 'You think you can be LCW Universal Champion, well, prove it,' and I did a pretty good job of proving it. I was LCW Universal Champion longer than anybody else has ever been champion. For 358 days I proved it. And at Survival Project this year, like I said earlier, I might not win, but I'm going to prove I want it. If I can't win the whole thing and get a shot at the LCW Universal Championship, at least I can eliminate the most guys and get a shot at the LCW International Championship."

The normally reserved Magnum also had a lot to say when the name Bill Goldberg was mentioned. Magnum said of Goldberg, "What can I say, man? You know, I was screwed. I wish I could be more polite or politically correct about it or whatever, but that's pretty much how it was. I had (then-LCW Chairman of the Board) Ted Turner working against me and Turner and Goldberg had the n.W.o., doing their dirty work at Beach Brawl. If it wasn't for those guys: (Hulk) Hogan and (Scott) Hall and (Kevin) Nash, I assume it was Nash at the time, because Syxx-Pac, X-Pac, whatever the little jerk's name is wasn't a part of the equation until later. But if it wasn't for those guys attacking me at Beach Brawl, I'm pretty sure I'd still be the LCW Universal Champion right now. I beat Goldberg in April at LCW Torment. I guess Turner didn't want history to repeat itself. But at Beach Brawl, Bischoff said I wasn't medically cleared and I had to forfeit the title, but as far as I'm concerned that title should still have my name plate on it. And as for the n.W.o, I'm all right with the n.W.o. They got their receipt last Sunday night in that WarGames match and I think you'll remember that all three of them were bleeding by the end of the night. Well, Syxx-Pac bled for Nash I guess, but he'll get his too in the end. But Goldberg, man, he's still got a target on his back. I haven't forgotten him and whether it's for the title or not, at some point, I'm coming to get him. I got a little piece of him in the WarGames match, but not as much as I would have liked and next time I'd like it to be one on one."

Always an exciting, unpredictable event, this year's random drawings will continue to be brought to you live on LCW's Official Twitter account as everyday two new Legends in the tournament will draw a number to determine when they will enter the 50-man gauntlet tournament.

The gauntlet-style tournament rules are simple: 50 men compete in one on one matches, one after the other. The men who draw numbers 1 and 2 will face each other with the winner of that match going on to face number 3 and number 4 and so forth and so on until they are either eliminated by pinfall, submission, countout, or disqualification. Each match has a 15 minute time lime and if a match goes to a draw, both men are eliminated. The man who can eliminate the most men will become the number one contender for the LCW International Championship, but the man who is left standing at the end of the night, regardless of whether he enters the tournament at number 1 and eliminates 49 of his fellow Legends or if he enters at number 50 and only eliminates 1 Legend, that man will be the number one contender for the LCW Universal Championship. It's about the luck of the draw and survival.

So sign-up to follow us now as everyday at 8PM EST/5PM PST two new Legends will draw numbers at random to determine their entry into the tournament live and only on Twitter at twitter.com/lcwrestling.