R.I.P. "Mean" Gene Okerlund

January 2nd 2019

Not long into the new year and we lose another legend in the wrestling world, "Mean" Gene Okerlund passed away today at the age of 76.

He became somewhat of a local legend with the AWA of the late 70s and early 1980s but then he got the call to join Vince McMahon and the WWF (new WWE) and his fame skyrocketed.  Gene's reactions and facial expressions along with a razor sharp wit and glorious personality set him apart from the usual bombast of the WWE.  He was sometimes the highlight of many WWF broadcast and his "confrontations" with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan were classic banter and both had the wit and the style to keep you enthralled. 

Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, his induction video highlighted the humor, fun and just plain fun that Gene Okerlund brought to the world.

Rest In Peace Brother!

AWA World Tag Team Champions 1970s

Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson

AWA World Tag Team Champions

September 23rd 1978 - June 6th 1979

Today In Wrestling History (August 31st)

Title Changes for August 31st

1945 – Ted Cox defeats Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to win the Texas Heavyweight Championship

1950 – Don Eagle defeated Gorgeous George to win the AWA (Ohio) World Heavyweight Championship

1951 – Art Neilson & Jack Steel defeated Farmer Jones & Al Massey to win the NWA Southern (Georgia) Tag Team Championship

1968 – Jose Lothario & Joe Scarpa defeated Professor Boris Malenko & Handsome Johnny Valentine to win the NWA Southern (Florida) Tag Team Championship

1968 – Verne Gagne defeated Dr. X (Dick Beyer) to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship

1973 – Mr. Wrestling II defeated Cowboy Bill Watts to win the vacant NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship

1979 – Ole Anderson &"The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff defeat Stan "The Lariat" Hansen & "Wildfire" Tommy Rich to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship

1983 – Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Bruiser Brody to win the NWA International (Japan) Heavyweight Championship

1986 – Eddie Gilbert & Sting defeated The Fantastics to win the vacant UWF World Tag Team Championship

1987 – Jerry "The King" Lawler defeated Don Bass in a Hair vs.Title Cage match to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship for the 51st time

1987 – Ted Arcidi won a Battle Royal to win the vacant WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship

1996 – Jamie Dundee defeated Wolfie D. to win the USWA Television Championship

1997 – PG-13 defeated Steven Dunn & Flash Flanagan to win the USWA World Tag Team Championship. This would be the final reign for the championship before the USWA closed in November 1997

1997 – Kensuke Sasaki defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the NJPW IWGP Heavyweight Championship

2002 – El Dandy defeated Perro Aguayo, Jr. to win the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship

1981 Bockwinkel vs Gagne

July 18th 1981

Comiskey Park

Chicago IL

AWA World Heavyweight Title

Nick Bockwinkel

(Champion)

vs

Verne Gagne

Gagne wins the AWA World title for the 10th and final time

Today in Wrestling History (June 26th)

JUNE 26th 1983

The Sheik's Army (Ken Patera and Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell) defeat the High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) to win the AWA World Tag Team Championship in Minneapolis, MN.

Patera and Blackwell would hold the title for 315 days.

They would lose the titles on May 6th 1984 Green Bay, WI to 

The Crusher and Baron Von Raschke.

Today in Wrestling History - March 19th

March 19th 1988

Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond (Badd Company)

defeated The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannety and Shawn Michaels) in Las Vegas, NV to win the AWA World Tag Team Titles.  They held the belts until March 26th 1989. 

Kamala: Former Mid-South Wrestling Star Takes On Toughest Opponent Ever

Match of the Night (Junkyard Dog vs Dibiase)

The Mid South North American Heavyweight Title

June 23rd 1982

Shreveport, LA

Junkyard Dog

North American Heavyweight Champion

vs

Ted Dibiase

(3 time former champion)

AWA World Tag Team Champions

The Vachon Brothers, Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon and Paul "The Butcher" Vachon held the AWA World Tag Team belts for a record 623 consecutive days.
They won the belts on August 30th 1969 in Chicago when they managed to defeat the reigning champions Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher.   This ended the Bruiser and Crushers 4th stint as AWA Champions.

The Vachon Brothers held the belts until May 15th 1971 when they lost them to the team of Red Bastien and Hercules Cortez  (below) in Milwaukee, WI.

AWA World Champion - Rick Martel

AWA World Heavyweight Champion graces the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (dated Feb 1985)

April 24th 1985 

Mr. Saito

vs

Rick Martel

AWA Champion

We Love Pro Wrestling

1988

Once they were young and there was no end in sight.

Diamond Dallas Page with Curt Henning and Diamond Doll Tonya

AWA World Tag Team Title

1983 -  its the AWA Tag Team Champions, The Sheiks (Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera) managed by Sheik Adnan Al Kassie  defending against the team of Mad Dog Vachon and Dick the Bruiser.

Minneapolis Minnesota
(this is near the end but its still fun to watch to crazies like Bruiser and Vachon tag together.  What are the odds a match involving those 2 would end in a double DQ with them just beating the daylights out of Blackwell and Patera, such good stuff.

Champion vs Champion 1985

NWA vs AWA

The first ever World Title Unification Match between the NWA and AWA World Heavyweight Singles Champions

October 21st 1985

Japan

Ric Flair

NWA World Champion

vs

Rick Martel

AWA World Champion

its so nice to see champions show class and come to the ring with no loud music or explosions and not grabbing a microphone to run his mouth for 20 minutes before the match starts.

Superbrawl 1993 and 1994 - Legends Reunion

From the 1993/94/95 WCW PPV the "inductions" of wrestling legends into the "WCW Hall of Fame".  I dont know if they even have these plaques up anywhere anymore, if they ever did.  Its a shame because they were doing it right by getting "ALL" of the legends induction as soon as possible and giving them the respect they so deserved.

You cant really argue with any of the inductees of any of classes.  I was kind of surprised how nervous and sloppily Gordon Solie handled the first year...maybe he wasn't used to being live on tv in front of that size of crowd or maybe WCW just threw him out there and just wanted it fast and over.
1995 clip starts at about 3:50. This ended after 1995 when Gordon Solie resigned from WCW in protest over the induction of Angelo Poffo. Gordon felt he was unqualified for the Hall of Fame and was only inducted as a favor to one WCW top draws Randy Savage, since Angelo was his father.

Pro Wrestling This Week 11/21/1987

This was the best wrestling show ever on television. Gordon Solie gave it the credibility and of course the classic match of the week was worth it.

Vince McMahon tried to end it by stopping them from using WWF highlights but it had no effect, they covered it all.

Your Tag Team Match of The Night

AWA World Tag Team Title match

Road Warriors vs. Harley Race & Stan Hansen 

09.02.1985

Sundome, Tampa FL

Good old fashioned brawl that went all over the place
 (Gordon  Solie on the mic to make it a true classic)

"WWE Presents" - Michael "P.S." Hayes sings "Freebird Road"

really good tribute to a forgotten legend

New Stan Hansen Book

This is for the fans that love Stan "The Lariat" Hansen and his unpredictable and crazy style.  I am one that misses the "dont know what is going to happen next" style that he made famous all over the world.


This  is his story in his own words about everything you wanted to know...from Japan, to King Kong Brody to Bruno's broken neck to the AWA Title and what happened between him and Verne Gagne....good looking stuff from the all the excerpts you can read at the link post below.

Highspots is selling it...click this link.

NWA-AWA Star Wars

In February 1985 the NWA and AWA decided to join forces to put together a Super Card for the New Jersey Meadowlands.  This was, sadly, a desperate attempt to stem the tide of the WWF and Vince McMahon who was raiding the talent and the regions of the AWA and NWA.   They went to the heart of the WWF, New York City/NJ area, to try and promote themselves as a better alternative to the "cartoonish"  style the WWF had adopted in its spread across the US.

here is that first card from 1985 with the biggest names of the NWA and AWA.  Sadly this was ignored by the US wrestling press and television.  However, Japanese fans got to see the card and all the talent on display and that is why we have the japanese commentary.

Star Wars was held 3 more times with the only card to draw more than 10,000 fans was on December 29th 1985, well below the 18,500 fans for the first show.   All in all it was a money loser for both promotions and the small crowds finally convinced them to steer clear of the New York area for good.

If you notice Sgt Slaughter winning the Battle Royal in a nod to his recent departure from the WWF, they knew he still had a huge following in the NY/NJ area.

The scheduled matches

1. Ivan & Nikita Koloff beat Steve Keirn & Jimmy Valiant when Ivan pinned Valiant.
   
2. Jimmy Garvin beat AWA World Champion Rick Martel via DQ.
   
3. AWA World Tag Champs The Road Warriors beat Jerry Lawler & Baron Von Raschke when Raschke was pinned.
   
4. NWA World Champ Ric Flair pinned Harley Race (25:00).
   
5. Sgt. Slaughter won a "tag team battle royal." Slaughter's partner, Jerry Blackwell, was injured and could not compete, forcing Slaughter to wrestle alone. Also in the match were: The Road Warriors, Ivan & Nikita Koloff, Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell, Kamala & Billy Robinson, Mark & Chris Youngblood, Jerry Lawler & Baron Von Raschke, Bob Backlund & Jimmy Valiant, Mr. Saito & Masked Superstar, Nick Bockwinkel & Dory Funk Jr., Jimmy Garvin & Larry Zbyszko, and Steve Keirn & Jerry Oski.

SuperClash 1985

In September of 1985 the AWA and NWA co-promoted a "super card" from Comiskey Park in Chicago Illinois, called SuperClash.  
This was to compete with the fast growing WWF and was part of Pro Wrestling USA.

The Co Main Event was this:

AWA World Heavyweight Title

Champion Rick Martel  vs  Stan "Lariat" Hansen




NWA World Heavyweight Title

Champion "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair   vs  Magnum TA