American Wrestling Association: Difference between revisions

American Wrestling Association
	American Wrestling Association logo
Acronym	AWA
Founded	1960
Style	American Wrestling
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Founder(s)	Verne Gagne & Wally Karbo
Owner(s)	Verne Gagne
Parent	Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club, Inc.
Formerly	NWA American Wrestling Association
Merged with	World Wrestling Entertainment

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Revision as of 01:28, 12 January 2006

The American Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The AWA operated mainly in the midwestern United States and central Canada. Wrestling bouts were promoted in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington (Minnesota), Winnipeg, Chicago, Omaha, Milwaukee, Denver, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. From 1957 to 1991 it was owned by Verne Gagne.

History

Until the 1980s, the AWA was considered one of the top wrestling companies in the world. Verne Gagne had been its biggest star even before he took control of the company, and his position at the top only solidified with him as owner. Feuding 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 10 times before retiring from in-ring competition in 1981. Gagne was a former amateur-wrestling champion who had earned a spot on the U.S. team at the 1948 Summer Olympics, and he ran the AWA with a traditionalist sensibility, firmly believing that good wrestling, not flashy entertainment, should be the basis of a pro-wrestling company. When his career wound down, he turned the company's focus to Bockwinkel, also a skilled mat technician.

But as Vince McMahon and the northeastern-based World Wrestling Federation attempted to end pro wrestling's regional era and establish the WWF as the dominant national promotion, Gagne made several decisions that caused the AWA to lose momentum in the emerging wrestling war. Among them was overemphasizing his son Greg in AWA storylines (which led to speculation of nepotism in regards to Verne himself within the company), but his biggest misstep was his failure to make Hulk Hogan the focus of his company. Starting in 1982, Hogan rapidly caught on as a babyface with AWA fans, but even as his popularity grew to unprecedented levels, Gagne refused to give him the AWA championship. He recognized Hogan's showmanship and charisma but believed a wrestling company should be built around the best wrestler in the company, such as himself and Bockwinkel (both being great mat technicians). Gagne did not respect Hogan as a pure wrestler, and in an interview years later, rated his wrestling ability as "a one or a zero" on a scale of one to 10. On two occasions, the AWA went so far as to tease title wins for Hogan only to strip him of the championship.

Frustrated, Hogan accepted McMahon's offer to go to the WWF. Within months, he had become the focus of the company and its dominant world champion. He and the WWF soon became mainstream media phenomena and virtually synonymous with professional wrestling in much of the country, leaving the AWA a second-tier promotion. As the situation worsened, much of the AWA's other top talent, including announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund, manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and wrestlers Ken Patera, Jim Brunzell, Jesse Ventura, and Adrian Adonis, among others, also left for the WWF or for other promotions in the NWA as well.

In 1985, the AWA was able to sign wrestlers like Sgt. Slaughter, Bob Backlund, and the Tonga Kid away from the WWF and was also influential in Pro Wrestling USA, an attempt to co-promote with the NWA and establish a national presence to compete against the WWF. However, the colaborative effort didn't last beyond a year. Abroad it had working agreements with Japan-based promotions International Pro-Wrestling (1969 to 1980), then All Japan Pro Wrestling (1980 to 1988), and, near its end, New Japan Pro Wrestling. Although the relationship was strained in 1986 following the World Title debacle surrounding Stan Hansen.

The AWA continued to fall behind the WWF and NWA as a major promotion throughout 1986 and 1987, but Gagne still managed to develop legitimate young talent like Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Leon White, Brian Knobbs, Jerry Saggs, and Madusa Miceli. However, they too would soon sign with the WWF, NWA, or major Japanese promotions.

Gagne then forged a relationship with Memphis based promoter Jerry Jarrett and even allowed Mid-Southern legend Jerry Lawler to win the AWA World Title from Curt Hennig in May of 1988. But by years end, following a contentious PPV SuperClash III, and a breakdown in their business relationship, Gagne was again on his own.

File:Awa.jpg

redesigned WWE version of the AWA logo

In February 1989, Larry Zbyszko, Verne Gagne's son-in-law, won the vacated AWA World Title in an 18-man Battle Royal. It was also during this time that Joe Blanchard replaced Stanley Blackburn as AWA president and the Team Challenge Series concept was developed.

Currently, all copyrights and footage for the AWA are owned by the former WWF, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment.

AWA Superstars of Wrestling

See also: AWA territories

In 1996 former AWA road agent Dale Gagne and former AWA heel 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, and Japan. Several members of the new AWA are former members of the National Wrestling Alliance, including the Canadian Wrestling Federation, which is operated by the last NWA President, Ernie Todd. The AWA, now in it's tenth year, has produced wrestling events in over 35 states and two countries.

AWA Super Cards & PPV's

PPV: SuperClash III
Super Card: AWA's SuperSunday, SuperClash, WrestleRock '86, Rage in a Cage, Battle by the Bay, Brawl in St Paul, SuperClash 2, Rage in a Cage 2, War in the Windy City, World Tag Team Tournament, SuperClash 4, Twin Wars 90

AWA Team Challenge Series

The AWA held a "Team Challenge Series" from October 1 1989 through August 11 1990. All of the 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. Numerous well-known wrestlers, including Big Van Vader and "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr. were drafted to participate in the TCS, but never took part in any of the matches.

Many of the matches that made up the TCS were unconventional. Greco Roman Rules, Mixed Tag Team, Tag Team Elimination, even a match where the participants (Mike Enos and the Trooper Del Wilkes) wore football helmets and pads, to name a few. The most famous match of the series was a match between Jake Milliman and Col. DeBeers. Instead of a standard wrestling match, it was a "Great American Turkey Hunt" match where the one who got a stuffed, uncooked turkey off of the top of a pole first would be declared the winner. Millman took the turkey from DeBeers when the referee's back was turned and was declared the winner. The match took place in a TV studio without an audience (the announcers claimed it was in an effort to stop wrestlers from interfering, but it was actually due to poor ticket sales). The match was inducted into Wrestlecrap.

The final match in the TSC was a royal rumble style battle royal featuring Brad Rheingans, The Destruction Crew, Col. DeBeers Ed Wiskoski, the Texas Hangmen, the Trooper Del Wilkes, and others. Jake Milliman again came away with the win by eliminating DeBeers at the end, winning the Series and supposed $1,000,000 check for Larry's Legends.

The final points tally was as follows: Larry's Legends (56), Baron's Blitzers (51), Slaughter's Snipers/DeBeers' Diamondcutters (48). Sgt. Slaughter left the AWA and headed to the WWE before the TCS ended and Col. DeBeers became the new team captain. The TCS concept was not a success and many fans feel that it hastened the AWA's demise.

AWA Wrestlers

The following wrestlers were active in the AWA in the 1970s, especially in the Chicago area. These wrestlers often performed at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.

AWA Titles

External links

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ''See also: [[AWA territories]]''
-The AWA was restarted in [[1996]] under the ownership of Dale Gagne as an independent promotion called '''AWA Superstars of Wrestling'''.  Gagne claims to have purchased the rights to the AWA name from Verne Gagne.  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, and Japan.  Several members of the new AWA are former members of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]], including the [http://www.cwfwrestling.com Canadian Wrestling Federation], which is operated by the last NWA President, Ernie Todd.  Todd resigned the NWA presidency in August 2005 amid claims of racism (later retracted), and almost immediately joined the AWA.
+In [[1996]] former AWA road agent Dale Gagne and former AWA heel 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, and Japan.  Several members of the new AWA are former members of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]], including the [http://www.cwfwrestling.com Canadian Wrestling Federation], which is operated by the last NWA President, Ernie Todd.  The AWA, now in it's tenth year, has produced wrestling events in over 35 states and two countries.
 ==AWA Super Cards & PPV's==