AWA History
This series focuses on Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association, a Midwestern mainstay in the 1970s and 1980s before closing shop in early 1991. Most AWA shows took place in the Midwest, especially in Chicago, Milwaukee and in the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The AWA was also a stalwart in Winnipeg, Manitoba and had presence in markets like Denver and Salt Lake City. It was typically a wrestling-heavy territory that boasted stars like Gagne, Nick Bockwinkel, Dick the Bruiser, the Crusher (who I’ll occasionally refer to affectionately as “Da Crusher” since that’s how he said it), Billy Robinson and Rick Martel. The territory was hit hard by direct competition with Vince McMahon in the 1980s using his own former stars against him and was largely irrelevant by the end of the decade, being paid to simply fill time on ESPN.
8 topics in this forum
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American Wrestling Association Prequels #01 (1950-1952) #02 (April-October 1952) #03 (1952-1955) #04 (1955-1956) #05 (1956-1957) #06 (1958-1959) 1960s & 1970s #07 (1960-1967)
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AWA History #1 (02:37:51) Matches from 1950-1952 BONUS! VERNE GAGNE & BOBBY BRUNS vs RUDY KAY & AL WILLIAMS (05/12/1950; NWA Chicago; 00:29:48) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs BILLY GOELZ (06/21/1950; NWA Chicago; 00:18:29) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs BILLY GOELZ (10/10/1950; NWA Chicago; 00:15:13) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs MIGHTY ATLAS (11/09/1951; NWA Chicago; 00:27:40) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs RED BASTIEN (1951; NWA Chicago; 00:11:00) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs LOU THESZ (01/25/1952; NWA Chicago; 00:55:41)
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AWA History #2 (02:04:17) Matches from April-October 1952 BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs MIGHTY ATLAS (04/04/1952; NWA Chicago; 00:41:55) BONUS! REGGIE LISOWSKI & KILLER KOWALSKI & RAY GUNKEL vs DUKE KEOMUKA & GEORGE BOLLAS & MR. MOTO (05/06/1952; Southwest Sports; Dallas Sportatorium; 00:05:00) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs GREAT TOGO (05/16/1952; NWA Chicago; 00:27:57) BONUS! ED LISOWSKI & RAY GUNKEL & WHISKERS SAVAGE vs DUKE KEOMUKA & IVAN KALMIKOFF & GEORGE BOLLAS (05/20/1952; Southwest Sports; Dallas Sportatorium; 00:05:20) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs HANS SCHMIDT (06/27/1952; NWA Chicago;…
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AWA History #3 (01:58:30) Matches from 1952-1955 BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs CARL MEYER (10/31/1952; NWA Chicago; 00:10:46) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs KILLER KOWALSKI (11/26/1953; Manhattan Booking Agency; MSG; New York, NY; 00:02:51) BONUS! CRUSHER LISOWSKI & THE SHEIK vs RUDY KAY & SKY HI LEE (05/07/1954; NWA Chicago; 00:35:57) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs YUKON ERIC (01/21/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:29:13) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs DON LEO JONATHAN (04/15/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:32:42) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs IVAN RASPUTIN (06/10/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:07:01)
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AWA History #4 (02:06:02) Matches from 1955-1956 BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs DICK THE BRUISER (10/28/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:36:20) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs DICK THE BRUISER (01/27/1956; NWA Chicago; 00:31:07) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs BILL MELBY (04/06/1956; NWA Chicago; 00:24:47) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs WILBUR SNYDER (05/04/1956; NWA Chicago; 00:33:48)
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AWA History #5 (02:35:23) Matches from 1956-1957 BONUS! BOB ORTON SR. vs DICK THE BRUISER (06/01/1956; NWA Chicago; 00:16:20) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER & REGGIE LISOWSKI & STAN LISOWSKI vs VERNE GAGNE & WILBUR SNYDER & ANTONINO ROCCA (09/14/1956; NWA Chicago; 00:43:39) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs HANS SCHMIDT (03/12/1957; NWA Upstate; Buffalo Memorial Auditorium; 00:22:15) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs BILL MELBY (04/26/1957; NWA Chicago; 00:29:01) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE & WILBUR SNYDER vs CRUSHER LISOWSKI & STAN LISOWSKI (09/13/1957; NWA Chicago; 00:44:08)
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AWA History #6 (02:02:44) Matches from 1958-1959 BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs EDOUARD CARPENTIER (05/02/1958; NWA Chicago; 00:40:48) BONUS! CRUSHER LISOWSKI & STAN LISOWSKI vs BOBO BRAZIL & YUKON ERIC (05/23/1958; NWA Upstate; Buffalo Memorial Auditorium; 00:24:48) BONUS! HANS SCHMIDT & DICK THE BRUISER & HANS SCHMIDT VS NIKOLAI VOLKOFF & BORIS VOLKOFF (06/14/1958; NWA Chicago; 00:11:09) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs LEE HENNIG (10/24/1958; NWA Upstate; Buffalo Memorial Auditorium; 00:08:30) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE & WILBUR SNYDER vs DICK THE BRUISER & KARL KARLSSON (07/17/1959; NWA Chicago; 00:…
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AWA History #7 (02:02:36) Matches from 1960-1967 BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs PEPPER GOMEZ (08/13/1960; Capitol Wrestling Detroit, MI; 00:04:19) BONUS! VERNE GAGNE vs HANS SCHMIDT (1960; NWA Chicago; 00:22:15) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs MIKE GALLAGHER (01/06/1961; NWA Upstate; Buffalo Memorial Auditorium; 00:09:50) BONUS! THE CRUSHER vs JOHNNY VALENTINE (04/14/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:10:53) BONUS! THE CRUSHER vs KARL ENGSTROM (10/20/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:11:20) BONUS! DICK THE BRUISER vs DANNY DOLLY (09/1965; WWA Indianapolis, IN; 00:06:10) MAD DOG VACHON vs DANNY PLECHAS (06/01/…
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