05/15/78 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel no contest Jim Brunzell - This match was a continuation of the Bockwinkel/High Flyers feud and was one of the few matches in Toronto where Bobby Heenan appeared as Nick's manager. Most times in Toronto when Bockwinkel wrestled, Heenan was not in his corner. This card also featured WWWF champion Bob Backlund winning by countout over former champ Superstar Billy Graham.

06/25/78 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Rufus R Jones - Rufus R Jones was a very charismatic heavy set black wrestler known as the Freight Train. Sometimes it was difficult to understand Jones on interviews but that didn't stop him from being extremely popular with the fans. Rufus R Jones debuted in the AWA during early 1978 and received several title shots against Bockwinkel later that summer. On the same card where Bockwinkel beat Rufus R Jones, WWWF champion Bob Backlund pinned Ken Patera.

07/16/78 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Angelo Mosca - Angelo Mosca was a huge star in the Canadian Football League and was billed as King Kong Mosca in the AWA. Mosca made his AWA debut in early 1977. His most memorable AWA feuds were against Larry Hennig, High Chief Peter Maivia, Dick the Bruiser and the Crusher. Mosca was kept apart from Bockwinkel in the AWA but was given a title shot in Toronto where Mosca was very well known because of his Canadian Football League exploits. Also on the bill of the Mosca/Bockwinkel encounter was a bout between WWWF champion Bob Backlund and Super Billy Graham which saw Graham win by countout. It was becoming apparent Toronto promoter Frank Tunney was building towards a Bockwinkel/Backlund AWA vs. WWWF title showdown.

09/10/78 Toronto

Andre the Giant beat AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel by countout - Angelo Mosca, who had his foot on the ropes when Bockwinkel pinned him on the July 16th card, was scheduled to receive a rematch against Bockwinkel but no showed the card and was replaced in the main event against Nick by Andre the Giant. WWWF champion Bob Backlund worked on this card as well pinning Gorilla Monsoon.

01/14/79 Toronto

Dino Bravo beat AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel by DQ - Dino was the reigning Canadian heavyweight champion having beaten Gene Kiniski in a tournament final the month before and was a huge fan favorite in Toronto.

Bravo possessed an excellent dropkick and often used the airplane spin as his finisher. Bravo's disqualification victory over Bockwinkel gave instant credibility to the Canadian heavyweight championship.

This match was a forerunner of things to come in the midwest as Dino made his AWA debut in October of 1979 and battled Nick several times in 1980.

02/04/79 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Tiger Jeet Singh by DQ in 20:01 - Tiger Jeet Singh was a legend in Toronto having gained his fame in the early to mid 70s by warring with the Sheik. Despite his wild style, Tiger was a fan favorite playing to the large Sikh community west of Toronto. Bockwinkel heeled it up in this match getting himself disqualified in order to retain his title.

03/04/79 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Billy Robinson in 20:18 - Bockwinkel and Robinson had been adversaries for several years and this match treated Toronto fans to the wrestling excellence that a bout between Nick and Billy could provide.

03/25/79 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel and WWWF champion Bob Backlund battled to a double countout in a title vs. title unification match at 39:10 - This was the match Frank Tunney had been building to for several months.

The longtime AWA champion and consummate veteran Bockwinkel against the newly crowned WWWF champion and All American boy Bob Backlund. It was a dream matchup that didn't disappoint anyone. Both men traded holds for several minutes keeping it clean feeling each other out. Bockwinkel resorted to a few villainous tactics which got under the skin of Backlund. Nick then took the action to the arena floor and both men were counted out of the ring after a little more than 39 minutes of non stop action.

09/23/79 Toronto

Canadian heavyweight champion Dewey Robertson defeated Nick Bockwinkel in 25:32 - Dino Bravo had been stripped of the Canadian Heavyweight championship by Toronto promoter Frank Tunney for missing a title defense against Ken Patera on August 19th, 1979. A tournament to crown a new Canadian heavyweight champion was held in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens on September 9th, 1979. Longtime Toronto favorite Dewey Robertson became the new Canadian heavyweight champion by defeating Greg Valentine in the tournament finals. In order to add legitimacy to Robertson's newly won title, a match between Dewey and Nick Bockwinkel was signed for the September 23rd Toronto card. Bockwinkel's AWA title was not at stake. Instead Dewey Robertson was defending the Canadian heavyweight title against Bockwinkel. Robertson emerged victorious in the match making Nick submit to the figure four leg lock in slightly over 25 minutes.

10/15/79 Toronto

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel and Dewey Robertson fought to a draw - As a result of Robertson's victory over Bockwinkel on September 23rd, Dewey was granted an AWA title shot against Nick on the October 15th card at Maple Leaf Gardens.  Robertson and Bockwinkel engaged in an incredible battle ending in a time limit draw which saw Dewey just about to pin Nick as time expired.  This was Nick's last match in Toronto for quite awhile. He would return for a few bouts in April and May of 1982.

Bockwinkel's tenure in Toronto during the late 70s was a plus for all parties involved. The fans in Toronto were treated to one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and were the only city in the world to see AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel battle WWWF champion Bob Backlund in a title vs. title bout. Bockwinkel received wonderful paydays from Toronto promoter Frank Tunney and added prestige to the AWA heavyweight championship by defending it in another country. 

Canadian stars like Dino Bravo, Angelo Mosca and Dewey Robertson all benefited by working with Nick. 

Bockwinkel made them look like a million bucks and added legitimacy to the Canadian Heavyweight title which was first held by Dino Bravo then by Dewey Robertson.

Special thanks to Andrew Calvert, the Maple Leaf Wrestling columnist for Kayfabe Memories. Without Andrew's help, there's no way I could have done this column. Please be sure to read Andrew's columns on Maple Leaf Wrestling in the regional section of the Kayfabe Memories website.

One final comment. This month's column was a little different than the one's I've done in the past. In future installments on the career of Nick Bockwinkel, I'm wondering if you the reader would like to see another column devoted to Nick's AWA title defenses in a territory other than the AWA. Memphis, Houston or Jim Crockett Promotions for instance. Please let me know at jcz64@yahoo.com.

NEXT MONTH:

I'll continue to cover the first AWA heavyweight title reign of Nick Bockwinkel.