Other teams Crusher and Bull battled included Shozo Strong Kobayashi and the Big K Stan Kowalski, Larry Hennig and Lars Anderson and The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Don Kent).

Red Bastien and Hercules Cortez had beaten Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon for the AWA tag team titles on May 15th, 1971 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bastien and Cortez were proving to be very capable champions until tragedy struck on July 23rd, 1971. Bastien and Cortez were driving back to Minneapolis, Minnesota from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada when their car overturned in St Cloud, Minnesota. Cortez, the driver of the car, was killed in the crash. Bastien was injured but returned to the ring in a couple of weeks. While everyone associated with the AWA mourned the untimely passing of Hercules Cortez, wrestling had to go on and Red Bastien needed a new tag team partner. A few weeks after the crash, Red chose the Crusher to be his new partner. Bastien and Crusher began defending the AWA tag team titles against such teams as Hans Schmidt and Baron Von Raschke, Larry Hennig and Lars Anderson and Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens. On January 20th, 1972, Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens defeated Red Bastien and the Crusher to capture the AWA tag team titles.

Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens becoming AWA tag team champions exemplified the changes the AWA talent roster was undergoing in 1972. Nick and Ray became the top heels in the AWA replacing Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon who left the AWA to compete in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dusty Rhodes debuted in the AWA basically taking the spot of Lars Anderson who had moved onto another promotion. Former WWWF champion Ivan Koloff also ventured to the AWA giving the promotion one of its deepest heel rosters ever. Crusher would feud with all of these men in 1972. 

As mentioned previously in this article, Crusher and Bruiser teaming together was a special occasion for fans in both the AWA and WWA. When Crusher really needed help in the AWA, he called upon Dick the Bruiser. Bruiser's appearances in the AWA were rare by 1972 so when he did appear on an AWA card, fans turned out in droves because they knew something momentous was going to happen. The same held true for the WWA, Bruiser's promotion based in Indianapolis, Indiana. When Bruiser needed assistance, he brought in the Crusher to be his partner and the fans flocked to the arenas to see Bruiser and Crusher perform. The one city that saw Crusher and Bruiser team together the most frequently was Chicago, Illinois. The AWA and the WWA would combine for shows every three weeks at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago so it wasn't unusual to see Crusher and Bruiser teaming in the Windy City several times in one calendar year.

In late 1971, Blackjack Lanza recruited Bob Windham to be his tag team partner. Windham was a former collegiate football star at West Texas State University who received tryouts with the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets. After his professional football career fizzled, Windham decided to become a professional wrestler. Bob was trained by Verne Gagne in the late 60s and spent his first few years in professional wrestling as an undercard performer and part time referee. In early 1971, Windham ventured to the WWWF where he became known as Blackjack Mulligan. Mulligan spent several months in the WWWF getting the biggest push of his career battling such stars as Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino in main event matches. Once Mulligan had gained enough seasoning in the WWWF, he was brought to the WWA to be the partner of Blackjack Lanza under the management of Pretty Boy Bobby Heenan. The Blackjacks were an instant sensation capturing the WWA tag team titles from Wilbur Snyder and Paul Christy on December 18th, 1971 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dick the Bruiser and Sailor Art Thomas began feuding with Lanza and Mulligan over the WWA tag team titles. When Thomas and Bruiser couldn't defeat the Blackjacks, Bruiser called in the Crusher to help him get the job done. The matches pitting Bruiser and Crusher against the Blackjacks were utter mayhem. Bobby Heenan, the manager of the Blackjacks, would always interfere in these bouts and took more than his share of amazing bumps and extremely bloody beatings. This feud spanned several months and ran not only in Chicago and Indianapolis but also in Detroit, Michigan where Bruiser was waging a promotional war against The Sheik (Ed Farhat). Fed up with Heenan's constant interference, Bruiser and Crusher demanded a steel cage match against the Blackjacks. Chicago promoter Bob Luce came through once again signing a cage match pitting The Blackjacks against Bruiser and Crusher to be held on September 1st, 1972 at Soldier Field. Former heavyweight boxing champion Jersey Joe Walcott was named special referee for this match and it was also announced Bobby Heenan would be inside the cage with the four combatants. Bruiser and Crusher won the violent cage match against the Blackjacks at Soldier Field in Chicago and Bobby Heenan was so bloody, battered and exhausted after the match was over that he threw up. Bruiser and Crusher would do to capture the WWA tag team titles from Lanza and Mulligan in a cage match held in Detroit, Michigan on December 2nd, 1972. The tag title change was repeated one week later in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since Crusher wasn't a full time performer in the WWA, the tag title reign was a short one as he and Bruiser dropped the WWA tag straps to Baron Von Raschke and Ernie Ladd on February 24th, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan. The title change was once again repeated in Indianapolis on March 7th, 1973. 

Dusty Rhodes was one of the most colorful characters ever in professional wrestling. Rhodes made his AWA television debut on January 8th, 1972 defeating George Gadaski. Dusty was already well established as the partner of Dick Murdoch in the Texas Outlaws from other territories but Dusty originally came to the AWA as a singles competitor. Rhodes was given a big push upon his arrival in the AWA and went over such competitors as Don Muraco, Bull Bullinski, Mad Dog Vachon and Red Bastien during his first few months in the territory. Dusty also took Lars Anderson's place as Larry Hennig's tag team partner. Rhodes met the Crusher in several singles bouts including a few saloon matches and with Hennig as his partner battled the team of Crusher and Wahoo McDaniel on several occasions. Dick Murdoch eventually joined Dusty in the AWA during the latter part of 1972 reprising the Texas Outlaws tag team. Crusher teamed with Bruiser twice against Rhodes and Murdoch in Chicago at the International Amphitheatre losing the first match by disqualification on March 9th 1973 and winning the second bout, a no disqualification match, on March 24th, 1973.

The Russian Bear Ivan Koloff made his initial AWA television appearance on October 16th, 1971 downing George Gadaski. Koloff was renowned for being the man to defeat the seemingly invincible Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title. During his first few months in the AWA, Koloff garnered victories over Sailor Art Thomas, Bull Bullinski, Billy Red Cloud, Red Bastien, Don Muraco and Cowboy Bill Watts. Ivan was managed by the Big K Stan Kowalski and used his brute strength to decimate opponents. The Crusher battled Koloff many times during 1972 and 1973 with each man scoring a number of victories. Superstar Billy Graham became Koloff's tag team partner in February of 1973 and they wrestled the Crusher and Wahoo McDaniel several times. Crusher also teamed with Ken Patera and Mad Dog Vachon against Graham and Koloff on more than a few occasions. 

Special thanks to George Lentz, the publisher of the Crusher Lisowski record book, and to Jim Melby, publisher of many AWA themed record books. Without the hard work of historians like George Lentz and Jim Melby, columns like this one would not be possible.

NEXT MONTH:  

I will continue the coverage of Crusher's wrestling career.