Neither Strong Kobayashi nor The Great Kusatsu were successful in their attempts to beat Verne Gagne but the fact Gagne battled two superstars from Japan in AWA rings gave greater prestige to the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.  

Verne Gagne encountered the man who would prove to be his toughest adversary of perhaps his entire career on July 24th, 1971 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he battled Nick Bockwinkel for the very first time. Nick was the son of wrestler Warren Bockwinkel and had been competing for nearly 15 years. Bockwinkel was a brash, arrogant, smug heel who thought he was better than everyone else. He was the perfect foil for the hard working former Olympian Gagne. Bockwinkel faced Gagne several times for the AWA title during the second half of 1971 before forming a tag team with fellow villian Ray Stevens. Even though Bockwinkel and Stevens captured the AWA tag team titles from Red Bastien and the Crusher on January 20th, 1972, the feud between Gagne and Bockwinkel continued when British superstar Billy Robinson chose Gagne to be his partner against Bockwinkel and Stevens. Verne and Billy upended Nick and Ray on December 30th, 1972 in Minneapolis Minnesota to win the AWA tag team titles. 

Bockwinkel and Stevens regained the belts one week later from Robinson and Gagne. For the next several months, Bockwinkel concentrated on defending the AWA tag straps with Ray Stevens. However his feud with Verne Gagne was far from being finished. 

In early 1972, The Russian Bear Ivan Koloff emerged as the number one challenger to AWA kingpin Verne Gagne. Koloff had shocked the entire wrestling world just one year earlier by upsetting Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title. Once he finished his run with the WWWF, Ivan headed to the AWA with hopes of winning another world title belt. Koloff was given the Big K Stan Kowalski as his manager and used power moves like the bear hug and the backbreaker to make opponents submit. Ivan was a very imposing figure and the way he carried himself gave fans an inkling he might be the man to unseat Verne Gagne as AWA champion. Koloff and Gagne were matched against each other eight times during 1972 and early 1973. 

Though Verne managed to keep the AWA belt around his waist, Ivan Koloff gave the champ some of the most grueling matches of Verne's career. Superstar Billy Graham ventured to the AWA in October of 1972. Graham was unlike any other wrestler AWA fans had ever seen. Billy was extremely muscular, had blond hair, wore tie dye outfits and gave some of the wildest interviews in wrestling history. He was extremely flamboyant and referred to himself as the Superstar. Superstar Graham was an immediate sensation in the AWA feuding with the likes of the Crusher, Wahoo Mcdaniel and Billy Robinson. He used such holds as the bear hug, backbreaker and the cranium crusher to make his opponents submit. Once 1973 rolled around, Billy Graham was firmly entrenched as the top challenger to Verne Gagne. The Superstar was granted seven title shots against Gagne in 1973 and early 1974 and many people were surprised when Billy Graham didn't unseat Verne as AWA champion. Verne was getting up there in years by this point and had cut down his wrestling schedule drastically. Superstar Graham would have made an excellent choice to replace Gagne as AWA champion. The only drawback to Graham was his lack of actual wrestling ability. Superstar had charisma and was a very entertaining performer to watch. He drew fans to the arenas. However his lack of wrestling prowess prevented him from becoming AWA champion. The same thing would befall Hulk Hogan, a man who patterned his style after Superstar Graham, ten years later in the AWA.

Billy Robinson was perhaps the finest British wrestler ever to compete in the United States. Robinson was the top star in England throughout the 1960s and came over to North America in 1969. Robinson made his AWA debut in June of 1971 and was granted his first title shot against Verne Gagne on January 22nd, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois. Billy knew all sorts of suplexes and had an offensive arsenal of holds second to none. He was a huge fan favorite and with Gagne cutting back his wrestling schedule, Robinson became the top babyface in the AWA. Robinson and Gagne only faced each other twice during 1973 with Billy winning both encounters by disqualification. The feud between Gagne and Robinson didn't heat up until 1974. Billy would always be on the verge of capturing the AWA title from Verne when Gagne uncharacteristically would get himself disqualified or counted out of the ring in order to retain the AWA title. The most famous bout between Robinson and Gagne happened on September 7th, 1974 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois which saw Gagne beat Robinson by countout. Gagne and Robinson even took their feud to Tokyo, Japan and Honolulu, Hawaii. A movie called The Wrestler starring Ed Asner as an AWA promoter was produced in 1973 and released in theaters during 1974. The movie featured Gagne as a world champion wrestler named Mike Bullard trying to hold off the challenge of an impressive British newcomer known as Billy Taylor played by Robinson.

The matches between Gagne and Robinson were the finest scientific encounters ever seen in the AWA.  Verne's son Greg Gagne made his ring debut in 1973. Greg was given an undercard push and was soon teamed with another young wrestler Jim Brunzell as the High Flyers. Greg and Jim slowly worked their way up the AWA tag team ladder. The High Flyers faced their biggest test to date on August 10th, 1974 when they faced former AWA tag team champions Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens in a televised match. Bockwinkel and Stevens along with their new manager Bobby Heenan were disqualified and continued to beat up Greg and Jim after the match was over. Larry Hennig made the save preventing Nick and Ray from inflicting any more damage on the High Flyers. Many things happened as a result of this match. Larry Hennig not only formed an alliance with Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell but Verne Gagne, Hennig's longtime rival, as well. Verne began teaming with Larry Hennig in a few tag matches and with Greg and Jim in six man tag bouts against Bockwinkel, Stevens and Heenan. In a roundabout way, the match between Bockwinkel and Stevens and the High Flyers restarted the Verne Gagne vs. Nick Bockwinkel feud.

Another grappler who gave Verne Gagne many anxious moments was The Clawmaster Baron Von Raschke. Raschke was a very accomplished collegiate wrestler at the University of Nebraska who had been trained for professional wrestling by Gagne. The Baron had his first major success as a singles competitor in Indianapolis, Indiana for Dick the Bruiser's WWA during 1970 when he became that territory's heavyweight champion. 

Due to the working relationship between the AWA and the WWA in Chicago, Illinois, Von Raschke received a few title shots against Gagne in 1970. The most storied bout between Baron Von Raschke and Verne Gagne took place on August 14th, 1970 at Chicago's Comiskey Park drawing over 17,000 fans. Baron Von Raschke came to the AWA full time in 1974 and by mid 1975 was the top challenger to the AWA title. Gagne defended the AWA title against Raschke on seven occasions during 1975. 

When Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens lost the AWA tag team titles to Bruiser and Crusher on July 16th, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois, it freed up both Bockwinkel and Stevens to challenge Verne Gagne for the AWA heavyweight championship on a full time basis. Nick and Ray each received many title shots in 1975. Finally on November 8th, 1975, Nick Bockwinkel accomplished what many people thought was impossible. 

Bockwinkel defeated Verne Gagne to become the AWA heavyweight champion of the world. The match wasn't without controversy. AWA newcomer Bobby Duncum interfered causing Gagne to lose the match. Special referee Paul Perschmann (later known as Playboy Buddy Rose) came under loads of scrutiny for failing to see the outside interference. The decision stood however and Nick Bockwinkel now was the AWA kingpin.

After dropping the AWA strap to Bockwinkel, Verne Gagne became immersed in a feud with the man who cost him his title Big Bad Bobby Duncum.  Gagne challenged Bockwinkel for the AWA title several times in 1976 and faced members of the Heenan family in singles competition, tag team and 6 man tag bouts throughout 1976 and 1977. During 1978, Gagne became embroiled in a feud with AWA tag champs Ray

Stevens and Pat Patterson. Gagne teamed with his son Greg to battle Stevens and Patterson on several occasions. Greg and Verne were unable to defeat Stevens and Patterson so Verne decided drastic measures needed to be taken in order to defeat Ray and Pat. Verne Gagne shocked everyone by bringing his former nemesis Mad Dog Vachon back to the AWA to be his partner against Stevens and Patterson. Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon defeated Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson to become AWA tag team champions on June 6th, 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Over the next several months, Verne and Mad Dog faced such teams as Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Duncum, Stevens and Patterson, Duncum and Stan Hansen, Duncum and Jesse Ventura, Super Destroyer Mark II (Bob Remus aka Sgt Slaughter) and Super Destroyer Mark III (Neil Guay aka the Hangman) and finally Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis.

Verne Gagne came to the conclusion he wanted to retire as AWA Heavyweight champion. Gagne was awarded a title match against AWA champ Nick Bockwinkel on July 18th, 1980 in Chicago, Illinois at Comiskey Park. Verne used his vaunted sleeper hold to subdue Bockwinkel and regain the AWA Heavyweight title. Instead of dropping the tag straps to the top contenders, the East West Connection of Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura, Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon were stripped of the tag titles for failure to defend them against Adonis and Ventura on July 20th, 1980 in Denver Colorado. The tag titles were awarded to Adonis and Ventura by default.

Verne rarely defended the AWA title during his final stint as AWA champ.  Some wrestlers who did receive a title shot were Jesse Ventura, Nick Bockwinkel, Billy Robinson, Shohei "Giant" Baba and Jerry Blackwell. On May 10th, 1981, Verne Gagne defeated Nick Bockwinkel in a bout billed as Verne's retirement match. Verne retired as AWA champion and Bockwinkel as the top contender was awarded the AWA title. As was the case with the AWA tag team titles several months earlier, Verne Gagne refused to lose the title in the ring. These arrogant displays of Gagne's ego cheapened both the AWA tag team titles and The AWA Heavyweight championship.

Verne Gagne did come out of retirement several times. He wrestled Dick Slater and Gene Kiniski on successive nights as part of Houston Texas promoter Paul Boesch's 50 year celebration card. Verne also beat Adrian Adonis in Chicago, Illinois on November 21st, 1980 in a "retirement" match. Gagne came out of retirement twice more to team with Mad Dog Vachon against Sheik Adnan El Kaissee and Jerry Blackwell. Another time Verne teamed wit son Greg against Nick Bockwinkel and Mr Saito. Verne's final match took place on April 20th, 1986 in Minneapolis, Minnesota against Sheik Adnan El Kaissee.

NEXT MONTH:

I'll begin the wrestling career of Reggie "The Crusher" Lisowski.