Author Topic: AWA Thread (Read 5275 times)

mass 04 · « **on:** August 14, 2009, 10:14:13 AM »

I have been reading about the promotion and watching a lot of matches on ESPN Classic and Youtube. It's amazing how many stars they produced and the role Gagne played in developing them. What are your favorite matches and moments?

Playboy · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2009, 12:33:03 PM »

Remember a young Curt Henning fighting Stan "the Lariot" Hansen for the AWA title? Or even Starship Coyote who later became razor ramone who later used his real name scott hall? Memorable stuff... I loved watching Nick Bokwinkle wrestle.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2009, 01:25:38 PM »

I remember watching Hansen beat Martel for the title.

Bad Company, Midnight Rockers, Road Warriors.....the tag division was very good.

Playboy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2009, 01:46:52 PM »

Pretty boy Doug Summers and Playboy Buddy Rose vs the Midnight Rockers....what killer matches.

Montague · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2009, 09:04:21 PM »

I like the stories of the training those guys had to endure.
Steamboat once in a while brings up the “school,” what the rookies had to do to graduate to the next level, and the mass number of guys who either flunked or dropped out.

mass 04 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2009, 09:46:06 PM »

mass 04 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2009, 09:52:16 PM »

mass 04 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2009, 09:55:29 PM »

In German lol. best quality i could find

Playboy · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2009, 04:49:22 AM »

Quote from: Montague on August 14, 2009, 09:04:21 PM

I like the stories of the training those guys had to endure.
Steamboat once in a while brings up the “school,” what the rookies had to do to graduate to the next level, and the mass number of guys who either flunked or dropped out.

Its pretty fierce. On the Ric Flair DVD it shows actual clips of wrestlers training and jogging outside of a barn in farm country of Minnisota in the middle of the winter. Vern Gagne ran a strick camp there. Looked like somethinhg out of Rocky 4.

indie-lad · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2009, 04:57:40 AM »

The Road Warriors during the AWA years!! There was nothing like them.

Montague · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2009, 12:51:40 PM »

Quote from: Playboy on August 17, 2009, 04:49:22 AM

Its pretty fierce. On the Ric Flair DVD it shows actual clips of wrestlers training and jogging outside of a barn in farm country of Minnisota in the middle of the winter. Vern Gagne ran a strick camp there. Looked like somethinhg out of Rocky 4.

It’s too bad neither Verne nor Greg had the foresight and/or vision of Vince McMahon Jr.
Can you imagine the product they’d have had with that kind of talent?
We may still have had an AWA today.

Most of Vince’s initial roster was comprised of guys he “stole” from Verne, anyway.

Playboy · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2009, 05:20:42 AM »

Quote from: Montague on August 17, 2009, 12:51:40 PM

It’s too bad neither Verne nor Greg had the foresight and/or vision of Vince McMahon Jr.
Can you imagine the product they’d have had with that kind of talent?
We may still have had an AWA today.

Most of Vince’s initial roster was comprised of guys he “stole” from Verne, anyway.

Vince's roster consisted of guys he stole from every territory. I believe when the time comes and Vince retires, the WWE will shrink in size and the territory thing will start again.

Montague · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2009, 07:55:44 AM »

Quote from: Playboy on August 18, 2009, 05:20:42 AM

Vince's roster consisted of guys he stole from every territory. I believe when the time comes and Vince retires, the WWE will shrink in size and the territory thing will start again.

True.
It just seems as though a disproportionately higher number were "acquired" from Verne.

You don't think one of the kids will take over the WWF's reigns?

Montague · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2009, 08:39:42 AM »

Many of my fondest AWA moments involved "The Brain," whom I consider truly one of the industry's greatest WORKERS of all time.

Yes, worker.

How many other managers would get in the ring and take genuine bumps on a regular basis?
Bobby never had the physique, strength, or formal pro training, but he still worked.
A lot of his success was from wrestling like a manager and managing like a wrestler.
Oftentimes when his guy got hit, Bobby (at ringside) would sell the shot more & better than his man in the ring.

Here are some great AWA "Brain" moments:

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Montague · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2009, 08:58:22 AM »

&feature=related [/youtube]

Maybe not in AWA, but with two guys from AWA, certainly another good MG blooper – watch around 1:10:

And who better to advertise your small business beer distributor?

Playboy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2009, 05:08:22 AM »

Man, Jesse Ventura was huge back then.

Montague · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2009, 05:30:28 AM »

He had 18" arms while campaigning for gov. in '97.

Playboy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 24, 2009, 06:52:32 AM »

Some good memories here on thsi thread.

mass 04 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 24, 2009, 01:51:12 PM »

mass 04 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 24, 2009, 01:52:54 PM »

Playboy · « **Reply #20 on:** August 25, 2009, 04:59:10 AM »

Quote from: Montague on August 23, 2009, 08:39:42 AM

Many of my fondest AWA moments involved "The Brain," whom I consider truly one of the industry's greatest WORKERS of all time.

Yes, worker.

How many other managers would get in the ring and take genuine bumps on a regular basis?
Bobby never had the physique, strength, or formal pro training, but he still worked.
A lot of his success was from wrestling like a manager and managing like a wrestler.
Oftentimes when his guy got hit, Bobby (at ringside) would sell the shot more & better than his man in the ring.

Here are some great AWA "Brain" moments:

&feature=related[/youtube]

&feature=related[/youtube]

Agreed 100%. Bobby heenan was one of the greatest workers of all time. Great in every role. Wrestler, Manager and Commentator.

Montague · « **Reply #21 on:** August 25, 2009, 08:54:13 AM »

Heenan has said that he could get in a ring today with Paul Orndorf, and the two of them could draw heat working like they did 25 years ago – i.e. distracting the ref. & pulling the other guy's hair; no one would have to go through a burning table, etc.

I honestly believe they could pull it off because of who they are.
If A.J. Styles or Jeff Hardy tried doing it, the fans would fart on it because of who they are.

But I think fans who grew up in that generation would still respect those men and what they did, even if they did it today.

Playboy · « **Reply #22 on:** August 25, 2009, 11:26:31 AM »

Quote from: Montague on August 25, 2009, 08:54:13 AM

Heenan has said that he could get in a ring today with Paul Orndorf, and the two of them could draw heat working like they did 25 years ago – i.e. distracting the ref. & pulling the other guy's hair; no one would have to go through a burning table, etc.

I honestly believe they could pull it off because of who they are.
If A.J. Styles or Jeff Hardy tried doing it, the fans would fart on it because of who they are.

But I think fans who grew up in that generation would still respect those men and what they did, even if they did it today.

Back in 1986 I went to the CNE here in toronto and I was a part of 68,000 fans watching a huge house show and let me tell you. When Heenan and Orndorff came out I nevwer saw so much heat and heard so many damn boos. Wrestling certainly has changed and the bar has been raised. Now guys have to fall off ladders and land through a stack of tables to get a pop.

Montague · « **Reply #23 on:** August 25, 2009, 07:17:41 PM »

Quote from: Playboy on August 25, 2009, 11:26:31 AM

Back in 1986 I went to the CNE here in toronto and I was a part of 68,000 fans watching a huge house show and let me tell you. When Heenan and Orndorff came out I nevwer saw so much heat and heard so many damn boos. Wrestling certainly has changed and the bar has been raised. Now guys have to fall off ladders and land through a stack of tables to get a pop.

Yes.
And that’s Heenan’s argument – guys have to do that kind of stuff today because they don’t know “how” to work. Instead they rely on 30-foot falls, barbed wire and broken glass.

It makes me wonder if the BIGGEST reason much of this new style was developed was because too many guys couldn’t get over doing the conventional stuff (for whatever reason).
If you can’t set yourself apart from the crowd one way…

Playboy · « **Reply #24 on:** August 26, 2009, 06:24:32 AM »

Quote from: Montague on August 25, 2009, 07:17:41 PM

Yes.
And that’s Heenan’s argument – guys have to do that kind of stuff today because they don’t know “how” to work. Instead they rely on 30-foot falls, barbed wire and broken glass.

It makes me wonder if the BIGGEST reason much of this new style was developed was because too many guys couldn’t get over doing the conventional stuff (for whatever reason).
If you can’t set yourself apart from the crowd one way…

I hear you. I think that the fact that times have changed has really set the bar for where wrestling is at today. A true wrestling fan will be able to watch a Flair vs Steamboat match such as the battle in Chicago and be thrilled with both their performances. A guy who just started watching WWE's recent product will not understand this and will and call it a snoozefest and expect to see guys taking 30 foot falls off ladders, etc in order to entertain instead. Thats also why guys are getting hurt more, addicted to pain killers and even dying. A true Wrestling fan will appreciate the territory days of the eighties and respect the fact that over 60% of the WWE's aquired talent over the years came from these other regions and had an extensive wrestling background.