I'm a lifelong wrestling fan. I started watching in the glorious 1970s and 80s, and that is the era in which Tony "Mr. USA" Atlas really made his mark. I first saw Tony wrestle in the NWA, AWA, and WCW, in tag team action with Tommy Rich and Mr. Wrestling II. He made his way to the WWF, and that's where his popularity really took off. I remember Tony when he teamed up with Rocky Johnson to defeat the Wild Samoans to win the World Tag Team Titles. You can read more about Mr. Atlas's accomplishments and his full bio at wwe.com

Tony was the first true physical specimen that I remember. Most of the wrestlers in that era were semi-physically fit, or, a huge dumpy mess. Not Mr. Atlas. As you can see from the photo above, he's a true beast. He earned the nickname "Mr. USA" from actually winning that bodybuilding title three times. Mr. Atlas is now a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, and appeared on a show in 2014 that, unfortunately, I have not seen, but my buddy Joey has, called Legend's House on the WWE Network.

Tony will be appearing at Hat City on Tap this Saturday at the Danbury Ice Arena. The event runs from 5 to 8 PM, and Tony will be there signing autographs and taking pictures for free from 6 to 8 PM. I'm sure he'll have some amazing stories, and will share some great insights about his legendary career. Get your tickets to Hat City on Tap by clicking HERE

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