Tag: American Wrestling Association

Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association was the governing body for Jarrett’s CWA and Dick the Bruiser’s World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis. The AWA World Heavyweight champion was the World Heavyweight champion for these territories until the AWA dissolved.

The AWA has its roots in the National Wrestling Alliance, but cards had been promoted in Minneapolis since 1933. Gagne had been an amateur wrestling champion, but politics in the NWA kept him from becoming the NWA World Heavyweight champion. Gagne bought part of the territory in 1959. In the following year, Gagne and co-owner Wally Karbo left the NWA and formed the AWA.

The AWA expanded through the 70s and 80s to include regular cards in Chicago, Omaha, Winnipeg, Las Vegas, Phoenix and other cities. This expansion was helped through the beginning of the decline of many of the western territories in the NWA.

The AWA is probably best known in the 80s as a feeder group. Gagne would get guys started and then they would jump to the WWF as McMahon was expanding into the Midwest. Notable departures include Hulk Hogan, Jim Brunzell, … When the AWA dissolved in 1991, the talent went either to the WWF or WCW (especially Gagne’s son-in-law Larry Zbyszko).

The AWA dissolved because it could not compete with the WWF. The talent that left to join WCW were those who had previously been snubbed by McMahon.

  • May 1987 Wrestling Videos

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    7/4/1987 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVcCMSzPgGM 7/4/1987 Memphis (Arena) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqMX_JbA4NI 7/4/1987 WCW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyNwo66rRuM 7/11/1987 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWrRp9SSF5g 7/11/1987 Memphis (Arena) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=turpwi4VXN4 7/11/1987 Continental https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg08ovGpmkc 7/11/1987 NWA World Wide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA2ALryFLDc 7/11/1987 WCW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLL-wUPu1V8 7/13/1987 AWA […]

  • 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    AJPW Jimmy Snuka vs Ricky Steamboat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02qG1HMWle8 AWA High Flyers vs Ray Stevens & Nick Bockwinkel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSoszUFtuIM AWA Baron von Raschke vs Big John Studd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlbCllIHa4 Harley Race vs Dick […]

  • December 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    12/3/1981 Mid-South https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F7chQElV1A 12/3/1981 AWA Nick Bockwinkel vs Sheik Adnan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QfesyK-08g 12/3/1981 AWA Ken Patera & Bobby Duncum vs Tito Santana & Buck Zumhofe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USTQMIGdYNg 12/4/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-uU5hBFQq4 12/4/1981 Manny […]

  • October 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    10/3/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwNRNmrE0Ws 10/3/1981 WWF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-WxeOozE88 10/3/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_u-itJSMrY 10/10/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy40ALd59Hw 10/10/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ0mJQidzAc 10/13/1981 WWF Tony Garea & Rick Martel vs Mr. Fuji & Masa Saito https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKCWpyB6jeY 10/17/1981 […]

  • September 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    9/4/1981 AWA Bruiser Brody vs Ken Patera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15PZmDOd0k 9/5/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFdcNOGRkjM 9/5/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0jhGV8Rqy8 9/12/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zot5S7rjOUQ 9/12/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiykOctIwiU 9/13/1981 AWA Greg Gagne vs Adrian Adonis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YKhomInpPg 9/19/1981 Memphis […]

  • August 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    8/1/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5E29q_CDO0 8/8/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y53oIREtpig 8/8/1981 AWA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC3dI8E-XH0 8/15/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFQX7FftmQY 8/15/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAIHcK63GsY 8/22/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOfjd0gPl04 8/29/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCUUpNB-tE

  • February 1981 Wrestling Videos

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    2/7/1981 Southeastern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4NdMhad-zc 2/7/1981 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyCVjLQpsnk 2/14/1981 Southeastern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpnYHPwOGBA 2/14/1981 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlj22B3c7bI 2/16/1981 AWA Nick Bockwinkel vs Verne Gagne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udn_pXQzP4Y 2/16/1981 WWF Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqcWI0VNSa4 2/21/1981 Memphis […]

  • July 1980 Wrestling Videos

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    7/5/1980 Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY0hZrrBk18 7/12/1980 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivkFnu4A-48 7/19/1980 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkWyOAfwEsA 7/18/1980 AWA Nick Bockwinkel vs Verne Gagne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39uJ3YKTuiU 7/26/1980 Georgia (part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byRdTgPp_Nc 7/26/1980 Georgia (part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaNbftBOJnE

  • May 1987 Wrestling Videos

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    5/2/1987 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N2zPrVYuI0 5/2/1987 PWTW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIK16Ol4Jfk 5/2/1987 UWF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diMbZ5jZYf8 5/2/1987 NWA Pro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKLuypKHhrc 5/2/1987 NWA World Wide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq3_XikQzG8 5/2/1987 WCW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvBtwJUZoPM 5/2/1987 AWA Sherri Martel vs Medusa Miceli https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtRGJdtNej8 5/2/1987 […]

  • April 1980 Wrestling Videos

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    4/5/1980 Memphis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYdpdaMy3I 4/5/1980 Continental https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeXlUa6GmfA 4/5/1980 Georgia (part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu76eNduVt8 4/5/1980 Georgia (part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-azofOd8ha0 4/10/1980 AWA Dino Bravo vs Jerry Blackwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbFg5Et9BLM 4/11/1980 Gino Hernandez vs Gary Young […]

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