Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
As Dave Scherer reported on the main page of PWInsider.coim, former AWA World champion Nick Bockwinkel passed away overnight at the age of 80. Bockwinkel had been in declining health for some time and had made one final appearance at the Cauliflower Alley Club, which he presided over as President for many years, at their gathering earlier this year, receiving a long standing ovation from his friends and peers.
Often touted as one of the most verbose, intelligent and eloquent men in the wrestling business, Bockwinkel was well read and well spoken. Bobby Heenan, who managed him for years in the American Wrestling Association would often remark that when you asked Bockwinkel what time it was, he would then explain to you how you could build a clock.
Bockwinkel was a second generation star, broken into the business by his father Warren, who worked for a number of territories in the 1940s and 1950s and former NWA World champion Lou Thesz after a knee injury caused the end of Bockwinkel's football scholarship with The University of Oklahoma to withdraw his football scholarship.
Bockwinkel teamed with his father during the formative years, learning from veterans and mastering the in-ring work that would become the trademark of his career. He originally toured the West Coast based territories, working in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and California among other areas before landed in the AWA, the promotion that he became most synonymous with. He would also end up making TV appearances on "The Monkees" and "Hollywood Squares" among other series of that era.
Coming to the AWA promotion in the early 1970s, he was paired with ring general Ray Stevens, considered one of the best bumpers in the history of the business. Managed by Bobby Heenan, the pair would become one of the most important parts of the promotion during this era as it's top heel duo and the World Tag Team champions. The closest thing to a modern day equivalent might have been Brian Pillman and Steve Austin as the Hollywood Blondes in the 1990s WCW, two heels would could talk, bump and garner great heat.
During this time, Bockwinkel began utilizing large, long words as a way to come off as a condescending villain, feeling it would upset the blue collar wrestling audience. Years later, Bockwinkel's promos would be the inspiration for WWE star Chris Jericho doing the same during the time period Jericho was a top villain for the company and feuding with the likes of Shawn Michaels. In the book Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame - The Heels by Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson, Bockwinkel noted that he kept a little dictionary with long words until he had them and their meanings memorized and they would begin flowing to him when the AWA had promo days, requiring him to do weeks of pre-taped interviews.
Like all great tag teams, Stevens and Bockwinkel split during an interview where Heenan praised the team but never once talked about Stevens, instead praising his own work as manager and taking credit. The two feuded and it led to Bockwinkel's first run with the AWA World Heavyweight championship.
The AWA was in many ways, Verne Gagne. He was the patriarch, the booker, the owner, the founder and of course, it's top star. Gagne was the constant for much of the promotion's run and was the champion for much of it's glory era. If there was a number two to Gagne, it was Bockwinkel, who held the title numerous times but instead of Gagne facing the deadly villains of the era, Bockwinkel was the villain trying to evade the case of all of the heroes in the territory. In many ways, he had been bred for the role with the perfect trainers and great experience around the world before winning the belt at the age of 40.
It seems strange to today's audience that Bockwinkel might have have won the belt at 40 since WWE and pro wrestling today is such a youth-driven entertainment product but in 1970s professional wrestling, it was all about the idea of presenting pro wrestling as a legitimate sport with master competitors who were mental masters at the game of chess on the mat and the best athletes in the world. Gagne was always going to be the guy in the territory, but Bockwinkel was the master of all the elements that were necessary to be a top name in that time period and in front of those fans, and it was a time period where age was just a number and what you did and said mattered far more than what you looked like in HD TV.
Over the course of four reigns, Bockwinkel would be the second longest reigning AWA World champion in history, holding the belt 2,990 days. During his first reign in 1979, he actually wrestled Bob Backlund in a rare AWA vs. WWWF title vs. title match when Backlund was the WWWF champion, going to a double countout in Toronto, likely a match sent to the Toronto promoters to help the city.
Bockwinkel would lose the title back to Gagne, as always happened to anyone who won the belt in July 1980, but then something happened that would change the fabric of the AWA forever. Gagne opted to retire and instead of dropping the belt, retired as champion. The AWA then awarded the belt back to Bockwinkel, with the idea that he was the last champion and Gagne's rival. The idea was designed to make Bockwinkel hated as someone who didn't earn the title.
Bockwinkel remained the champion and was so even when it was obviously time to move it to the hottest star in the company at the time, Hulk Hogan. While WWE history is that Hogan became a huge star when he defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF title in Madison Square Garden, Hogan's appearance in "Rocky III" made him a genuine superstar and the AWA reaped the benefits. Unfortunately, the decision to have Hogan get the belt never came and when the company did a number of false finishes where Hogan would win and then have the decision reversed hurt the company...but none as much as when Hogan, tired of Gagne, was called and given a big offer by Vince McMahon and overnight, went from hot challenger in the AWA to top star in the WWF, which began gobbling up the country.
Bockwinkel, in the mean time, became something of a touring World champion as all the other promoters of note at the time tried to band together to battle the onslaught of the WWF monster. This allowed Bockwinkel, as champion, would tour all over the United States and overseas as champion. He would drop the belt to Otto Wanz, the European star and promoter before regaining it before dropping it to Japanese star Jumbo Tsuruta.
The decision was made to go with Rick Martel as the top star in the AWA, seemingly ending the Bockwinkel era, but then something funny happened. Martel had dropped the belt to Stan Hansen. The promotion decided to move the belt back to Bockwinkel, but Hansen was already advertised by All Japan Pro Wrestling for their next tour as champion. Rather then screw with Shohei Baba, who he was extremely loyal to, Hansen walked out. The AWA announced Bockwinkel as the new champion while Hansen went and toured as AWA champ, then ran the title belt over with his truck and returned it. The original belt was so damaged that the AWA had to commission a new belt. Bockwinkel ended up owning the original title and had most of the damage repaired. He would bring it with him on convention appearances after retirement and there was a big dent that was obviously visible in places.
This would actually end up being the final reign for Bockwinkel now a babyface. He was used as the springboard to move the belt to another second generation star Curt Hennig, who was aligned with Larry Zbyszko and turned heel in the match, nailing Nick with a roll of quarters handed to him by Larry Zbyszko. Henning would have a nice run as champ before dropping the belt to Jerry Lawler and moving onto the WWF where he is now forever remembered as "Mr. Perfect."
Bockwinkel would retire from the ring in the late 1980s but would come out of retirement for random appearances in Legends bout, including a draw against former NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr. at the first WVW Slamboree PPV in May 1993. He would work as an agent for the WWF as well as do commentary there and would be an on screen Commissioner for WCW in 2007, WWE inducted him into their Hall of Fame with Bobby Heenan doing the honors. Outside of wrestling, Bockwinkel worked in real estate for the some time.
Bockwinkel was also heavily involved for years with the Cauliflower Alley Club a non-profit organization that assisted former wrestlers and boxers as well as maintained the camaraderie of those in the business after they had moved on to next stage of their lives. The organization had already announced their annual Tuesday night gathering of their convention was going to be renamed the Bockwinkel Blowout.
Nick Bockwinkel was 80 years old.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
