American Wrestling Association
Details
Acronym	AWA
Established	1960
Style	American Wrestling
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Founder(s)	Verne Gagne & Wally Karbo
Owner(s)	Verne Gagne
Formerly	NWA Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club

The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), becoming an independent territory in the late 1950s. Reigning NWA World Champion Pat O'Connor was declared the first AWA World Champion in May 1960, but was given a 90 day ultimatum to defend his title against Verne Gagne who was touted as the number one contender. When O'Connor failed to defend his title, it was stripped of him and awarded to Gagne on August 16, 1960. Image File history File links Awaorig. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant (French: Lets go!) Location in Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota. ... Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1926) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... Was a co-founder of the American Wrestling Association (AWA). ... Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1926) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant (French: Lets go!) Location in Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1926) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... Was a co-founder of the American Wrestling Association (AWA). ... National Wrestling Alliance logo The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA championships. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

History

Over the years, Gagne feuded against Gene Kiniski, Dr. Bill Miller, Fritz Von Erich, Dr. X (Dick Beyer under a mask), The Crusher, Ray Stevens and Nick Bockwinkel, he won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship a record ten times before retiring from full-time competition in 1981. He would go on to wrestle a few matches a year until his final match at WrestleRock 86 against Sheik Adnan El Kassey. Gene Kiniski was a professional wrestler. ... Fritz Von Erich Jack Barton Adkisson was a professional wrestler under the name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the tragically famous Von Erich wrestling family. ... Reginald Lisowski was a professional wrestler better known as The Crusher. ... This article is about the wrestler. ... Nick Bockwinkel (born December 6, 1934) is a former American professional wrestler, mainly competing in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the United States. ... The AWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... WrestleRock 86 was a professional wrestling event promoted by the American Wrestling Association. ... Adnan Al-Kaissy is a former professional wrestler and a manager best known as Billy White Wolf or General Adnan. ...

Gagne was a former amateur-wrestling champion who had earned a spot on the U.S. team at the 1948 Summer Olympics; he ran the AWA with a traditionalist sensibility, firmly believing that sound technical wrestling -- not flashy "(sports-) entertainment" -- should be the basis of a pro-wrestling company. After finally stepping aside in the early 1980s, he focused the promotion on Bockwinkel, a loyal employee of several decades who was a mat-wrestling technician like Verne had been. The Games of the XIV Olympiad were held in 1948 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. ...

But as Vince McMahon and his northeastern-based World Wrestling Federation attempted to end pro wrestling's regional era in the mid-1980s (by establishing the WWF as the dominant national promotion), Gagne made several decisions that caused his AWA to lose momentum in the emerging wrestling promotion war. Among them was overemphasizing his uncharismatic and ordinary-looking son Greg in AWA storylines (which led to speculation of nepotism by Verne within the company); but, his biggest misstep was failing to make Hulk Hogan the focus of his company when he had the chance. Starting in 1982, and accelerated by a role in the hit film Rocky 3, Hogan rapidly caught on as a babyface with AWA fans. But even as his popularity grew to unprecedented levels, Gagne refused to make him the AWA World Heavyweight Champion. He recognized Hogan's showmanship and charisma, but believed a wrestling company should be built around one of its best technical wrestlers, (e.g., himself and Bockwinkel). Gagne did not respect Hogan's wrestling talent. In an interview years later, wrestling legend Lou Thesz rated Hogan's wrestling ability as "a one or a zero" on a scale of one to ten. Hogan, in turn, rated Thesz's entertainment ability on the same scale at -7.283. Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 25, 1945) is an American wrestling promoter, occasional professional wrestler, on-screen personality, former play-by-play announcer, and film producer. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Greg Gagne (GON-ya) born July 27, 1948 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota) is a former professional wrestler and is the son of the legendary Verne Gagne. ... Terrence Terry Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... Rocky III (1982) is the third installment in the Rocky movie series, starring Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, and Talia Shire. ... In professional wrestling jargon, a face is a character who is portrayed as being moral or approving - that is, faces are good guys or crowd favorites. The vast majority of wrestling angles (or storylines) - though not all - place a heel (or bad guy) against a face. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

On two occasions, Gagne went so far as to tease AWA Title wins for Hogan, only to reneg each time via technicalities. The second such occasion was on a "Super Sunday" card in St. Paul, MN in 1983. Hogan pinned Bockwinkel, only to have the referee announce that Hogan had been retroactively disqualified for throwing the champion over the top rope a few minutes before the pinfall occurred. The crowd (which had exploded in cheers when Hogan appeared to have won) almost rioted, as an upset Hogan attacked Bockwinkel and his manager Bobby Heenan. On the DVD "The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA," it was revealed that Verne planned to have Hogan win the belt that night, but only if he would give Verne the bulk of the revenues that Hogan was earning from merchandise and his periodic main-event performances for Japanese promoters. Hogan refused, wanting a 50/50 split instead, so Verne kept the belt from him. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Frustrated by Gagne's business decisions, Hogan accepted an offer from rival promoter Vince McMahon, Jr. to wrestle for the WWF, in late 1983. By late January 1984, Hogan was made the focus of the company, its dominant heavyweight champion. He and the WWF soon became mainstream media phenomena and virtually synonymous with professional wrestling in much of the national consciousness, leaving the AWA a suddenly second-tier promotion. Hogan wasn't alone in leaving the AWA, either. Soon after him, some of the AWA's other top talent, including announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund, manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and wrestlers Adrian Adonis, Ken Patera, Jim Brunzell, and Jesse Ventura, jumped to the WWF. Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 25, 1945) is an American wrestling promoter, occasional professional wrestler, on-screen personality, former play-by-play announcer, and film producer. ... Eugene “ Mean Gene” Okerlund (born November 29, 1938 in Sisseton, South Dakota), is an American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. ... Bobby The Brain Heenan Raymond Louis Heenan (born November 1, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name of Bobby The Brain Heenan, is an American professional wrestling manager and commentator. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... December 28, 1972 - Moorhead: Dennis Stamp beat Jim Brunzell (AWA debut). ... Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos on July 15, 1951), also known as The Body, The Star, The Mind, and Governor Body, is an American politician, former professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ...

Despite the this huge talent raid, the AWA went on to have one of its most successful years in 1984 -- mainly because of the babyface turn of Jerry Blackwell, and the arrival of the phenomenally popular Road Warriors from the NWA territory in Georgia. In 1985, the AWA was able to sign cast-off WWF wrestlers like Sgt. Slaughter, Bob Backlund, and the Tonga Kid. It was also influential in Pro Wrestling USA, an attempt to co-promote with the rival National Wrestling Alliance (in the form of Jim Crockett, Jr.'s southeastern-based promotion, the home of the NWA world titles) and World Class Championship Wrestling, to establish a national presence to compete against the WWF. However, this collaboration didn't last, with Gagne accusing David Crockett of trying to sign away AWA talent backstage at Pro Wrestling USA shows. Jerry Blackwell was a professional wrestler, better known by his stage name Crusher Jerry Blackwell. ... This article is about the professional wrestling team, for otheruses see Road warrior The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team famously comprised of Michael Hawk Hegstrand and Joseph Animal Laurinaitis, though other members were added later. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Robert Remus (born August 27, 1948) is an American WWE employee, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. ... Robert Louis Backlund (b. ... Sam Fatu is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Tonga Kid. ... Pro Wrestling USA was a Professional wrestling promotion in the United States of America in the mid 1980s. ... National Wrestling Alliance logo The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA championships. ... World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), also called the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was a popular regional professional wrestling promotion run out of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. ...

Abroad, the AWA had working agreements with Japanese promotions International Pro Wrestling (1969 to 1980), then All Japan Pro Wrestling (1980 to 1988, although the relationship was strained in 1986 by the AWA Title debacle surrounding Stan Hansen), and, near the end, New Japan Pro Wrestling. It also had a brief relationship with the European promotion Catch Wrestling Association, through which its promoter, wrestler Otto Wanz, was given an AWA World Title reign. International Pro-Wrestling (国際プロレス興行;, Kokusai Puroresu Kogyo, International Wrestling Enterprise) was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1967 to 1981. ... All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) (全日本プロレス, zen nihon puroresu) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... New Japan Pro Wrestling (新日本プロレス, shin nihon puroresu) is a major professional wrestling federation in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Based out of Germany and run by legendary European champion Otto Wanz, the CWA established itself among the continent’s premier wrestling organizations while featuring a traditional brand of mat wrestling and various “Strong Man” competitions. ... Otto Wanz (b. ...

It was around that time that the AWA began airing weekly programming on ESPN, giving the promotion the national exposure already enjoyed by the WWF (on USA Network) and the NWA's Georgia/World Championship Wrestling (on TBS). ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... USA Network is a popular American cable TV network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ... TBS is an abbreviation that may refer to many different subjects: There are two television networks and one radio network commonly referred to as TBS. Tokyo Broadcasting System, a TV station in Tokyo, Japan TBS Radio & Communications, a radio station in Tokyo, Japan TBS (TV Network), US The rock/emo...

However, the AWA continued to fall behind the WWF and NWA as a major promotion, throughout 1986 and 1987. Despite this, Gagne still managed to develop legitimately strong young talent like Scott Hall; Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty (billed as "the Midnight Rockers", a clone of the NWA's popular Rock & Roll Express); Leon White (billed years later as Big Van Vader, and, simply, Vader); Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags ("the Nasty Boys"); Curt Hennig (the WWF's "Mr. Perfect"); Diamond Dallas Page and "Bad Company" (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond); and, Debra Miceli (later billed as "Madusa Miceli", "Madusa", and "Alundra Blayze"). But they too would soon be gone. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shawn Michaels. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the football player of the same name see Leon White (football player) also for The Star Wars Villan see Darth Vader. ... Leon White as Vader. ... Vader can refer to: a Polish hard rock (death metal) band, see Vader Big Van Vader, a very successful professional wrestler Darth Vader, a fictional character in the Star Wars universe This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964 in Allentown, Pennsylvania), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American former professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys. ... Jerome Saganovich, better known as Jerry Saggs, is an American former professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys. ... Page Falkenberg (born April 5, 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey) was an American professional wrestler under the name Diamond Dallas Page (or, DDP for short); the name on his current SAG and AFTRA cards is Dallas Page. ... Pat Tanaka Pat Tanaka (born Patrick Tanaka on August 5, 1963 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a professional wrestler. ... Paul Diamond Tom Boric was a professional wrestler better known as Paul Diamond. ... This article is about the professional wrestler and monster truck driver; for the ancient Greek mythological figure, see Medusa Debra Ann Miceli (born February 6, 1963 in Milan, Italy) better known as Madusa (shorthand for Made in the USA) or Alundra Blayze, is a former professional wrestler for WCW and...

During that time period, Gagne forged a relationship with Memphis based promoter Jerry Jarrett and even allowed Mid-Southern territory legend Jerry Lawler to win the AWA World Title from Curt Hennig (who was also about to depart for the WWF) in May 1988. However, that December, following a contentious and relatively unsuccessful PPV, SuperClash III, the collaborative effort was over and Lawler was stripped of the title in January 1989. Worse still, Lawler kept the AWA Title belt and continued promoting himself on the independent circuit as a World Heavyweight Champion. Lawler did this in an attempt to leverage PPV revenue from Gagne that he claimed was owed him, but Gagne eventually commissioned a new title belt of the same design. Jerry W. Jarrett (born September 4, 1942 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American promoter and professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. ... Jerry ONeil Lawler (born November 29, 1949) is an American professional wrestler and wrestling commentator, known throughout the wrestling world as The King. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working and wrestling on its RAW brand as the color commentator. ... Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003), also known by his ring name Mr. ... December 13, 1988, UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL, Attendence: 1,600 Chavo, Mando, & Hector Guerrero defeated Cactus Jack, Mike Davis, & Tommy Lane, Eric Embry pinned Jeff Jarrett to regain the WCCW Light Heavyweight Title, Jimmy Valiant pinned Wayne Bloom, Iceman Parsons pinned Brickhouse Brown to retain the WCCW Texas Title, The...

In February 1989, Larry Zbyszko, a longtime employee and Verne's son-in-law, won the vacated AWA World Title in an 18-man Battle Royal, eliminating Tom Zenk to end the match. It was also during this time that Joe Blanchard replaced Stanley Blackburn as AWA President, Eric Bischoff began to take a more active role in the company, and the Team Challenge Series concept was developed. Lawrence (Larry) Whistler (born December 5, 1953) is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. ... Tom Zenk is a former professional wrestler best known by his stage name Z-Man. ... Eric Bischoff (born May 27, 1955[1]), is a former professional wrestling promoter and on-screen personality, most known for serving as President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later on-air General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainments RAW brand. ...

The AWA would become inactive in the fall of 1990. As a result, Larry Zbyszko signed with WCW (the decendent, promotion-wise, of Jim Crockett's NWA flagship territory). As his last official act, Verne Gagne stripped the already-departed Zbyszko of the AWA World Title in December 1990. Gagne did promote a card in Rochester, MN in May 1991, featuring the return of Greg Gagne and Wahoo McDaniel against the The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom) in the main event, but he was unable to revive the promotion. However, the AWA continued re-running matches in their weekly ESPN time slot, and on their syndicated All-Star Wrestling show; plus, the company managed to release a commercial tape (Hulk Hogan Highlights) during 1991. Jim Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. ... Greg Gagne can refer to either of the following: Greg Gagne — a former major-league baseball player, most notably with the Minnesota Twins Greg Gagne — a former professional wrestler best-known for his work in the American Wrestling Association in the 1970s and 1980s This is a disambiguation page, a... Edward Wahoo McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler. ... The Beverly Brothers Mike Enos (Blake) & Wayne Bloom (Beau) The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprised of Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. ... Mean Mike Enos Mike Enos was a professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. ... Wayne Bloom Wayne Bloom was a professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. ...

The influence of Verne Gagne and the AWA as a whole in professional wrestling is immeasurable. Countless wrestlers and personalities were either trained by (e.g., Ric Flair) or received their first big breaks under Gagne, an influence that is felt to this day.

AWA Team Challenge Series

The AWA held a "Team Challenge Series" from October 1, 1989 through August 11, 1990. All of the available wrestlers were divided into three teams, "Larry's Legends", headed by Larry Zbyszko, "Slaughter's Snipers", headed by Sgt. Slaughter, and "Baron's Blitzers", headed by Baron Von Raschke. (Sgt. Slaughter left the AWA before the TCS ended, and Colonel DeBeers was named the new team captain.) Babyfaces and heels alike were assigned to teams, forcing bitter rivals to work together. The winners of Team Challenge matches would earn points for their team; at some unspecified point the highest-scoring team would share one million dollars. Some of the earlier TCS matches took place in a TV studio without an audience; the announcers claimed it was part of an effort to stop wrestlers from interfering, but it was actually due to poor ticket sales for arena shows. The remainder of the matches took place at the Rochester Civic Center, where the AWA taped live matches for its television program from 1989-1990. is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Lawrence (Larry) Whistler (born December 5, 1953) is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. ... Robert Remus (born August 27, 1948) is an American WWE employee, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. ... Baron Von Raschke James Donald Raschke (born 1940 in Omaha, Nebraska) was a professional wrestler best known as Baron Von Raschke. ... Ed Wiskowski is a retired professional wrestler who was best known as Col. ... The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. ...

The Team Challenge Series was promoted by the AWA as revolutionary, but once underway, it appeared to be little more than a long series of gimmick matches and traditional matches with gimmicky names. Rather than showcasing technical wrestling, as the AWA had done for decades, wrestlers wore football helmets and pads in matches, or fought in a "Behind the 8-Ball Battle Royal." Perennial loser Jake "The Milkman" Milliman defeated Colonel DeBeers in the "Great American Turkey Hunt," where the one who got a stuffed, uncooked turkey off of the top of a pole first would win.

The final match in the TSC was a royal rumble style battle royal featuring Brad Rheingans, The Destruction Crew, Colonel DeBeers, the Texas Hangmen, the Trooper Del Wilkes, and several others. Jake Milliman again came away with the win by eliminating DeBeers at the end, winning the Series and the supposed $1,000,000 check for Larry's Legends. The final point tally was as follows: Larry's Legends (56), Baron's Blitzers (51), Slaughter's Snipers/DeBeers' Diamondcutters (48). This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Beverly Brothers Mike Enos (Blake) & Wayne Bloom (Beau) The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprised of Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. ... Del Wilkes (born December 21, 1961 in Columbia, South Carolina) was a masked professional wrestler best known as The Patriot. ...

The TCS concept was ill-conceived and poorly presented; many wrestling fans feel that it hastened the AWA's demise. Yet elements of the series (e.g., having separate "teams" within one company, a "draft," etc.) have parallels to the brand extension (Smackdown, Raw, and the new ECW) employed by World Wrestling Entertainment. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ...

For years, Eric Bischoff was credited (or blamed) with having developed the TCS -- even cited as such in several books. However, in both his autobiography and "The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA", Bischoff denied having anything to do with it. Instead, Greg Gagne takes responsibility for coming up with the idea, and developing it with his father.

Super Cards

AWA SuperSunday, SuperClash, WrestleRock 86, SuperClash 3 date: April 24, 1983, venue: St. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... WrestleRock 86 was a professional wrestling event promoted by the American Wrestling Association. ... SuperClash III was a wrestling event at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois on 1988-12-13. ...

Notable AWA Wrestlers

Rick Martel, Adrian Adonis, Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond, Ox Baker, Red Bastien, Jerry Blackwell, Nick Bockwinkel, Bruiser Brody, Jim Brunzell, The Crusher, Col. DeBeers, Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom, Dick the Bruiser, Bobby Duncum Sr., Fabulous Freebirds, Greg Gagne, Verne Gagne, Jim Garvin, Superstar Billy Graham, Stan Hansen, Curt Hennig, Larry Hennig, Hulk Hogan, Adnan Al-Kaissie, Jerry Lawler, Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose, Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty, Blackjack Lanza, Wahoo McDaniel, Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags, John Nord, Ken Patera, Pat Patterson, Harley Race, Baron Von Raschke, Steve Regal, Dusty Rhodes & Dick Murdoch, Brad Rheingans, Billy Robinson, Buddy Rose & Doug Somers, Road Warriors, Sgt. Slaughter, Ray Stevens, Maurice Vachon, Jesse Ventura, Leon White, Larry Zbyszko, Tom Zenk, Boris Zukhov, Buck Zumhofe Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a Québécois former professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Pat Tanaka Pat Tanaka (born Patrick Tanaka on August 5, 1963 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a professional wrestler. ... Paul Diamond Tom Boric was a professional wrestler better known as Paul Diamond. ... Douglas A. Baker (April 19, 1934-)better known professionally as Ox Baker, was an American professional wrestler, best known for a finishing hold called the Heart Punch. ... Jerry Blackwell was a professional wrestler, better known by his stage name Crusher Jerry Blackwell. ... Nick Bockwinkel (born December 6, 1934) is a former American professional wrestler, mainly competing in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the United States. ... Frank Goodish (1946-1988) was a professional wrestler better known in the professional wrestling world as Bruiser Brody. ... December 28, 1972 - Moorhead: Dennis Stamp beat Jim Brunzell (AWA debut). ... Reginald Lisowski was a professional wrestler better known as The Crusher. ... Ed Wiskowski is a retired professional wrestler who was best known as Col. ... Mean Mike Enos Mike Enos was a professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. ... Wayne Bloom Wayne Bloom was a professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. ... Dick the Bruiser, Professional Wrestler DICK THE BRUISER LIVED in Indianapolis, Indiana, “the Crossroads of America,” as the Hoosiers call it. ... Bobby Duncum Sr. ... The Fabulous Freebirds were a groundbreaking professional wrestling tag-team that attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. ... Greg Gagne can refer to either of the following: Greg Gagne — a former major-league baseball player, most notably with the Minnesota Twins Greg Gagne — a former professional wrestler best-known for his work in the American Wrestling Association in the 1970s and 1980s This is a disambiguation page, a... Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1926) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... James D. Garvin (born February 5, 1950) is a retired American basketball player. ... Eldridge Wayne Coleman, better known by his ring name, Superstar Billy Graham, is a retired American professional wrestler. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003), also known by his ring name Mr. ... Larry The Axe Hennig is a retired professional wrestler and owner of Larry Hennig Realty & Auction Co. ... Terrence Terry Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie (born March 1, 1939) better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie is a former professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf or General Adnan. ... Jerry ONeil Lawler (born November 29, 1949) is an American professional wrestler and wrestling commentator, known throughout the wrestling world as The King. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working and wrestling on its RAW brand as the color commentator. ... Dennis Condrey is a professional wrestler, best known as being one half of the tag team Midnight Express. ... Randy Rose is a professional wrestler better known as Ravishing Randy Rose. ... Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shawn Michaels. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Blackjack Lanza was a professional wrestler whose real name is Jack Lanza. ... Edward Wahoo McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler. ... Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964 in Allentown, Pennsylvania), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American former professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys. ... Jerome Saganovich, better known as Jerry Saggs, is an American former professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Pierre Clemont (born January 19, 1941 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Pat Patterson. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Baron Von Raschke James Donald Raschke (born 1940- in Omaha, Nebraska) was a professional wrestler best known as Baron Von Raschke. ... Mr. ... Dusty Rhodes may refer to: Dusty Rhodes (wrestler), the stage name of Virgil Runnels, Jr. ... Dick Murdoch Dick Murdoch was a professional wrestler. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Shooter Billy Robinson in 1974. ... Playboy Buddy Rose (real name - Paul Perschmann) is an American professional wrestler // Trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the mid 70s. ... Career There are two Doug Summers one the wrestler and the other a huge gigantic Jew hat cant bend down he is so fat. ... This article is about the professional wrestling team, for otheruses see Road warrior The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team famously comprised of Michael Hawk Hegstrand and Joseph Animal Laurinaitis, though other members were added later. ... Robert Remus (born August 27, 1948) is an American WWE employee, and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Sgt. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Mad Dog Maurice Vachon Maurice Vachon (also known as Mad Dog Vachon) was a professional wrestler and is the brother of wrestlers Paul Vachon and the late Vivian Vachon. ... Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos on July 15, 1951), also known as The Body, The Star, The Mind, and Governor Body, is an American politician, former professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ... For the football player of the same name see Leon White (football player) also for The Star Wars Villan see Darth Vader. ... Lawrence (Larry) Whistler (born December 5, 1953) is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. ... Tom Zenk is a former professional wrestler best known by his stage name Z-Man. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Buck Zumhofe is a professional wrestler better known as Buck Rock n Roll Zumhofe, wrestlings self proclaimed original rock and roller. ...

Notable AWA Ladies Wrestlers

Candi Devine, Sherri Martel, Madusa Miceli, Wendi Richter Candi Devine, born Candace Rummel in Nashville, Tennessee, was a professional wrestler. ... Sherri Martel (born Sherri Russell on February 8, 1958) is an American professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name, Sensational Sherri. ... Debra Ann Miceli (born February 6, 1963 in Milan) better known as Madusa (MADe in USA) or Alundra Blayze, is a former professional wrestler for WCW and WWF. She has also recently driven the Madusa monster truck for Clear Channel Communications on Monster Jam, and will drive a truck of... Wendy Savinovich is a professional wrestler famous under the name of Wendi Richter. ...

Other AWA Personalities

Paul E. Dangerously, Al DeRusha, Paul Ellering, Bobby Heenan, Wally Karbo, Gene Okerlund, Diamond Dallas Page, Rod Trongard Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965 in Scarsdale, New York) is a professional wrestling manager, on-air talent, and former promoter. ... Paul Ellering with the Legion of Doom Paul Ellering is a well-known professional wrestling manager known for managing the Legion of Doom when they were known as The Road Warriors. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Was a co-founder of the American Wrestling Association (AWA). ... Eugene “ Mean Gene” Okerlund (born November 29, 1938 in Sisseton, South Dakota), is an American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. ... Page Falkenberg (born April 5, 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey) was an American professional wrestler under the name Diamond Dallas Page (or, DDP for short); the name on his current SAG and AFTRA cards is Dallas Page. ... Rod Trongard (1933-2005) was a Minnesota-based sports broadcaster on both radio and television in the Minneapolis-St. ...

AWA on television

AWA All-Star Wrestling
Genre	Professional wrestling
Starring	American Wrestling Association roster
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	120 minutes
Broadcast
Original run	1960 – 1990
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, AWA television production was headquartered at Minneapolis independent station WTCN-TV, then owned by Metromedia. The ring announcer was longtime St. Paul-Minneapolis sports broadcaster Marty O'Neill, who also conducted the post-match interviews. O'Neill announced the matches for the local WTCN audience. But fans watching the syndicated version of the show heard hold-by-hold commentary provided by Rodger Kent. In the mid-1970s, during a prolonged illness, O'Neill was occasionally replaced as ring announcer by program producer Al DeRusha and interviews were conducted by both Kent and Gene Okerlund. By 1979, Okerlund had permanently replaced O'Neill, who died a couple of years later, and production was transferred to Minneapolis station KMSP-TV. During the AWA's existence, it produced or had a hand in production of several TV programs: This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... See also: 1959 in television, other events of 1960, 1961 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1960-61 American network television schedule. ... The year 1990 in television involved some significant events. ... KARE (or commonly KARE 11) is a broadcast television station serving the Twin Cities market of Minnesota and western Wisconsin in the United States, with studios located in the suburb of Golden Valley. ... 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956... Eugene “ Mean Gene” Okerlund (born November 29, 1938 in Sisseton, South Dakota), is an American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. ... KMSP-TV, channel 9, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

• AWA All-Star Wrestling, the promotion's syndicated program, which aired from 1960 until 1991
• AWA Championship Wrestling, which aired on cable sports network ESPN from 1986 to 1990; it was a continuation of the earlier ESPN program Pro Wrestling USA, the co-operative venture between the AWA and several NWA affiliates (most notably Jim Crockett Promotions)
• AWA Major League Wrestling, a Canadian program produced in Winnipeg, Manitoba for that city's station, CKND, and syndicated across Canada during the 1980s.

ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Pro Wrestling USA was a Professional wrestling promotion in the United States of America in the mid 1980s. ... Jim Crockett Promotions was the name of a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... CKND is a television station which broadcasts out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. ...

AWA titles

redesigned World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) version of the AWA logo

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. ... The Omaha version of the World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by promoters in and around Omaha, Nebraska who chose to recognize Edouard Carpentier as world heavyweight champion, following his win over NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz on June 14, 1957, in Chicago due to a... The AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a championship contested for in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX. The championship was known as the NWA/UPW/ZERO-ONE International Junior Heavyweight Championship from its inception until ZERO-ONE left the NWA on October 31, 2004 and changed... The AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a title in the American Wrestling Association from 1981 until it closed in 1991. ... The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was the tag team title for the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. ... The AWA World Womens Championship was the female title in the American Wrestling Association from 1961 until 1990. ... The AWA Americas Championship was a very short-lived title in the American Wrestling Association that was created to play upon Sgt. ... The AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship was a short-lived mid-card professional wrestling title contested for in the American Wrestling Association promotion. ... The AWA Hawaiian Inter-Island Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the American Wrestling Association for use in their affiliate promotion, Hawaii Championship Wrestling. ... The AWA International Heavyweight Championship, originally known as the CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Championship (also identified in Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine as the Mid-Southern International Championship and the AWA International Championship) was a major professional wrestling title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. ... The CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship (also identified in Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine as the Mid-Southern International Tag Team Championship and the AWA International Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. ... The AWA International Television Championship was a short-lived title in the American Wrestling Association from 1987 to 1989. ... The AWA Japan Womens Championship is a womens professional wrestling title in the American Wrestling Association. ... The AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship was a title in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Wrestling Association. ... The AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship was a title in the American Wrestling Association from 1967 until 1971. ... The AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was a major title in the Tennessee area during the 1970s and 1980s. ... The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. ... The AWA United States Championship was a short-lived title in the early days of the American Wrestling Association. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 454 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (563 × 743 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/png) American Wrestling Association logo until 1991 Logo copyright World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 454 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (563 × 743 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/png) American Wrestling Association logo until 1991 Logo copyright World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ...

The AWA video library and WWE

Main article: WWE Tape Library

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) inducted Verne Gagne into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006. Verne's son Greg Gagne introduced Verne at the ceremony. Gagne's induction was part of the first two hours of the live event shown on the promotion's official website, and was not aired live on the USA Network with the latter inductions of Gene Okerlund, Eddie Guerrero (both former employees of his), and Bret Hart. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... WWE Hall of Fame logo, 2004-present. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Greg Gagne can refer to either of the following: Greg Gagne — a former major-league baseball player, most notably with the Minnesota Twins Greg Gagne — a former professional wrestler best-known for his work in the American Wrestling Association in the 1970s and 1980s This is a disambiguation page, a...

Currently, all copyrights and footage for the AWA prior to the formation of AWA Superstars of Wrestling (See below) are owned by World Wrestling Entertainment. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ...

The WWE released a DVD entitled "The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA" on November 21, 2006. The video includes a documentary on the amateur and professional career of Verne Gagne, the rise and fall of the AWA over its 30 year history, and numerous interviews and features with Gagne, Hulk Hogan, Jim Brunzell, Michael Hayes, Baron Von Raschke, Greg Gagne, Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund and Nick Bockwinkel.

However the rights to the library and the logo are being disputed by WWE and the current AWA in court.

AWA Superstars of Wrestling

See also: AWA territories AWA territories are small, independent professional wrestling promotions affiliated with AWA Superstars of Wrestling. ...

In 1996 former AWA workers Dale Gagne (actually Gagner) and Jonnie Stewart relicensed the AWA name in the state of Minnesota and the AWA opened up as an independent promotion called AWA Superstars of Wrestling. On April 4, 2005, the owners changed its history books and named Hulk Hogan a two time AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Also in 2005, Gagne began to franchise the AWA name, selling memberships to existing independent promotions around the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. Several members of the new AWA are former members of the National Wrestling Alliance. The new AWA contains a mix of both seasoned veterans in addition to younger competitors trying to make a name for themselves, sometimes wrestling as part of a development program for other wrestling organizations around the world. In late 2007 Wrestling-Radio forums become official AWA forums with exclusives Steve Corino & "Krazy K" Kirby Mack. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terrence Terry Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... National Wrestling Alliance logo The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA championships. ...

In April 26, 2007 it was revealed that the WWE has seeked legal action against Dale Gagne for the use of the AWA name, citing trademark infringement, as the WWE owns the AWA tape library.[1] April 26 is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• AWA Superstars website