Today in Wrestling History (August 29th)

August 29th 1982

St. Paul, MN

Otto Wanz defeats Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World Heavyweight title.

Wanz would hold the title for 41 days before losing the belt back to Bockwinkle in Chicago IL on October 9th 1982

This would be Wanz only reign with the AWA World Title.

Match of the Day

1980

Dick the Bruiser vs. Nick Bockwinkel 

Indianapolis IN

(announcer: Sam Menacker)

WWE honors the life and career of WWE Hall of Famer Nick Bockwinkel

R.I.P. Nick Bockwinkel

Nick Bockwinkel has passed away at the age of 81

One of the greatest of all time and with Ray Stevens they formed one of the best tag teams in the history of wrestling winning the AWA World Tag Team Titles on 3 occasions.
He was also one of the greatest World Heavyweight champions winning the AWA World Heavyweight Title 4 times.  He was so trusted and loved by AWA owner/promoter Verne Gagne when Stan Hansen refused to come back from Japan in 1986 to defend the title, he stripped him and handed it to Bockwinkel as a transition champion but left the title on him for 308 days.  Bockwinkel dropped the belt Curt Hennig on May 2nd 1987 at SuperClash 2 in San Francisco CA.

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

The History of the AWA World Title

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.

Your Match of the Night

From December 1983


AWA Heavyweight Title

Nick Bockwinkel (c)  vs  Mad Dog Vachon

Today in Wrestling History July 18th

1980 - Verne Gagne defeats Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Title for his tenth, and final, time in Chicago, Illinois. Gagne would retire ten months later, still the champion.



1989 - Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard defeat Demolition for the WWF World Tag Team Title in Worcester, Massachusetts, ending the first title reign for Ax & Smash. This win made Anderson & Blanchard the first duo to have held both the NWA and WWF World Tag Titles.

1993 - At Beach Blast, Ric Flair defeats Barry Windham for the NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Title in Biloxi, Mississippi. This marked Flair's tenth and final run with the NWA World Title (this was actually the revived NWA World Title, which some title histories don't count as a "World" Title). WCW would withdraw from the NWA during Flair's reign, and the title would become known as the "WCW International World Title".
Here are the full results from the Pay-per-view, which was held at the Gulf Coast Coliseum:
- WCW Television Champion Paul Orndorff defeated Ron Simmons via disqualification when Simmons threw Orndorff over the top rope.
- 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Bagwell defeated Tex Slashinger & Shanghai Pierce when Scorpio pinned Pierce after a 450 splash.
- Steven Regal defeated Erik Watts when Bill Dundee hit Watts with an umbrella, allowing Regal to roll him up for the pin.
- Johnny B. Badd defeated Maxx Payne with a flying bodypress.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Brian Pillman & Steve Austin defeated Paul Roma & Arn Anderson when Austin pinned Roma after Pillman ran in and reversed a rollup Roma had on Austin.

- Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude in an Ironman match for the held-up U.S. Title ended in a 30-minute draw with each wrestler only having one fall. Rude pinned Rhodes at the 13 minute mark, then Rhodes pinned Rude to tie it up with three minutes left. Rude continuously kicked out of Rhodes' moves until the time ran out.
- Ric Flair defeated Barry Windham to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title when Windham was pinned in a figure four while reaching for the ropes.
- Sting & Davey Boy Smith defeated Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious when Smith pinned Vader with a crucifix. This match featured the "memorable" vignettes leading up to it that included Vader & Sid hiring a midget to blow up a boat that Sting & Smith were on. No, I'm not kidding.




1999 - Balls Mahoney & Spike Dudley defeat The Dudley Boyz for the ECW World Tag Team Championship in Dayton, Ohio, ending Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von's sixth title reign.