WRAL's Chris Lea on Dorton Arena: The Untold History of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling

About this episode

Chris Lea discusses the history of Dorton Arena and his Emmy-winning documentary on Mid-Atlantic wrestling.

WRAL's Chris Lee on Emmy-Winning Dorton Arena Documentary "When Giants Walked Here" WATCH THE FULL DOC HERE: https://www.pbs.org/show/when-giants-walked-here/ On Bold North State Overtime on the North Carolina Sports Network, host Mike Waddell talks with WRAL weekday sports anchor and former pro wrestler Chris Lea about his North Carolina PBS documentary, "When Giants Walked Here," exploring the history and impact of Raleigh's Dorton Arena. Lea recounts how a cold email from former WRAL employee Cliff Baumgartner led to a project that grew from a planned 10-minute YouTube video into a PBS release that premiered in August 2024 and won an Emmy in February. They discuss Dorton's role in Mid-Atlantic wrestling history, including the Ric Flair vs. Buddy Landel match, Prince's concert, and how Dorton's 1984 renovations may have contributed to Roddy Piper being stabbed at the Civic Center. Lee shares his family ties to the venue and notes the film is currently available on the PBS app, with more distribution possibly coming.00:00 Dorton Arena Magic00:40 Meet Mike and Chris01:16 Making the Documentary02:25 From YouTube to Emmy03:36 Dorton Wrestling Legacy05:23 Iconic…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Waddell

Guest: Chris Lea

Topics covered

• Dorton Arena
• Mid-Atlantic wrestling
• PBS documentary
• Emmy-winning film
• Chris Lea
• sports history

Keywords

• Dorton Arena
• Chris Lea
• Mid-Atlantic wrestling
• PBS
• Emmy
• Ric Flair
• documentary
• sports history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WRAL, PBS

Books & works: When Giants Walked Here

Places: Dorton Arena, Civic Center

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