Six-to-nine months for a tournament? That sounds ridiculous. You know what would have been a better idea than just handing the title to Bockwinkel? Schedule a one-night, eight-person tournament at either the Met Center or Metropolitan Stadium and having Bockwinkel win the title there.
Why cash in on a huge one night tournament or a big time match that would have been shown on the news when you can give the belt on a silver platter to the #1 contender who had previously lost his match to the then 55 years old champion? That was dumb!
As Mean Gene Okerlund so eloquently stated that these are the "Executive Offices of The AWA".. So why does that phone look like one I can pick up at the local garage sale for 75 cents?
As a youngster years ago, I didn't even know if Stanley Blackburn was a real person. I thought maybe he was like Larry Mondello's dad on "Leave it to Beaver", where they sometimes referred to him but no one ever actually played the guy.
best looking belt of all federations. As I best recall, it says, "American Wrestling Association' on the belt. But was there some sort of copyright issue or something? Why was it blurred out?
This is when Verne started getting out of touch with the business. First, here the handover to Nick. Then a payoff from Otto Wanz to Vern for a quick title run. Hulkster not getting the AWA belt. I respect Vern for training the best wrestlers on the planet, but his later decisions in the business costed him.
You’re half right. Yes, Hanson did run over the AWA belt, but that happened several years after this happened. The belt we see here is the belt Stan Hanson eventually ran over.
Not really, when the WWF belt was held up Tunney actually had a tournament. And it was a one night tournament not 6 to 9 months. Heck, he had an I-C title tourney that only lasted a few weeks.
Verne, in his usual wisdom, left bags of money on the table. A one-night tournament(plus maybe The High Flyers vs Adonis/Ventura in a cage) for the vacant title Memorial Day weekend probably could've drawn 30K+ to the Vikings stadium. But no, just do a 3 minute segment on tv and put all the heat on Stanley Blackburn and the promotion itself as usual. At least Jack Tunney and Mushnick/Crockett had some logic in their (kayfabe) decisions.
Like I just posted before.Nick Bockwinkle was handed the belt TWICE on a sliver platter. Do you ever see this happen in real sports like Boxing? No! You know that sport is real.They do hit each other in that sport. In all the years Nick Bockwinkle has wrestled,he came out to be lucky. He is the only wrestler I know of that gotten the belt without working up a sweat.
Ken Norton was also awarded the WBC heavyweight title in 1978 after Leon Spinks refused to make a mandatory title defense against Norton. He instead took a rematch against Muhammad Ali. Norton was awarded the title after beating Jimmy Young in 1977 to determine the WBC #1 contender.
A tournament would not have taken 6-9 months. Awarding the belt back to Bockwinkel was not a creative idea to crown a new champion. They wasted a good opportunity to make it interesting! They could've had Bockwinkel and the #2 contender for the title during that time to have a match for the belt, or a tournament (4-6 weeks at the longest), or a battle royal like they did later in 1989 when Jerry Lawler was stripped of the title.
Cmon man! the AWA went out of business because Mene Gene was getting bald. They needed a full-time full-headed master of the mic. That is why Mene Gene went to the WWF.
Six-to-nine months for a tournament? That sounds ridiculous. You know what would have been a better idea than just handing the title to Bockwinkel? Schedule a one-night, eight-person tournament at either the Met Center or Metropolitan Stadium and having Bockwinkel win the title there.
If Verne would of just put Nick over for the belt.Its weird bockwinkle was handed the belt twice
They knew I’d win the tournament
Why cash in on a huge one night tournament or a big time match that would have been shown on the news when you can give the belt on a silver platter to the #1 contender who had previously lost his match to the then 55 years old champion?
That was dumb!
LEGENDS
As Mean Gene Okerlund so eloquently stated that these are the "Executive Offices of The AWA".. So why does that phone look like one I can pick up at the local garage sale for 75 cents?
I guess what Heenan always said about them was right.
As a youngster years ago, I didn't even know if Stanley Blackburn was a real person. I thought maybe he was like Larry Mondello's dad on "Leave it to Beaver", where they sometimes referred to him but no one ever actually played the guy.
best looking belt of all federations. As I best recall, it says, "American Wrestling Association' on the belt. But was there some sort of copyright issue or something? Why was it blurred out?
The seeds of their demise continue to be sewn
This is when Verne started getting out of touch with the business. First, here the handover to Nick. Then a payoff from Otto Wanz to Vern for a quick title run. Hulkster not getting the AWA belt. I respect Vern for training the best wrestlers on the planet, but his later decisions in the business costed him.
This seems like the organization had plans to draw heat to themselves for some reason
This is the new belt, the first belt that Hanson ran over with his truck was made by convicts. True Story.
This was about 5 years BEFORE Hansen ran over the belt brah
You’re half right. Yes, Hanson did run over the AWA belt, but that happened several years after this happened. The belt we see here is the belt Stan Hanson eventually ran over.
Stanley Blackburn was the AWA Jack Tunney
Lol
Not really, when the WWF belt was held up Tunney actually had a tournament. And it was a one night tournament not 6 to 9 months. Heck, he had an I-C title tourney that only lasted a few weeks.
Verne, in his usual wisdom, left bags of money on the table. A one-night tournament(plus maybe The High Flyers vs Adonis/Ventura in a cage) for the vacant title Memorial Day weekend probably could've drawn 30K+ to the Vikings stadium. But no, just do a 3 minute segment on tv and put all the heat on Stanley Blackburn and the promotion itself as usual. At least Jack Tunney and Mushnick/Crockett had some logic in their (kayfabe) decisions.
Probably the reason the AWA went out of business.
Like I just posted before.Nick Bockwinkle was handed the belt TWICE on a sliver platter. Do you ever see this happen in real sports like Boxing? No! You know that sport is real.They do hit each other in that sport. In all the years Nick Bockwinkle has wrestled,he came out to be lucky. He is the only wrestler I know of that gotten the belt without working up a sweat.
Um Boxing titles HAVE been handed to people. Look up Lennox Lewis WBC title in 1992/1993ish...after Bowe trashed it.
Ken Norton was also awarded the WBC heavyweight title in 1978 after Leon Spinks refused to make a mandatory title defense against Norton. He instead took a rematch against Muhammad Ali. Norton was awarded the title after beating Jimmy Young in 1977 to determine the WBC #1 contender.
Stanley Blackburn does exist!
Stanley was only a friend of the Funks, which backfired on Bockwinkel and Heenan in 84.
You mean they couldn’t have said Bockwinkle won in a tournament in Rio Dej Inero like Pat Patterson did with WWF international title? 😜😂
A tournament would not have taken 6-9 months. Awarding the belt back to Bockwinkel was not a creative idea to crown a new champion. They wasted a good opportunity to make it interesting! They could've had Bockwinkel and the #2 contender for the title during that time to have a match for the belt, or a tournament (4-6 weeks at the longest), or a battle royal like they did later in 1989 when Jerry Lawler was stripped of the title.
LOL. 6 months for a tournament. Southwest Championship Wrestling put tournaments together in 2 weeks when belts were suddenly vacated.
6 to 9 months to hold a tournament with hundreds of participants. Give me a freaking break.
The AWA seemed a bit screwy.
Nick Bockwinkel was Verne's boy toy
Bullshit that's why they went outta business evolve Verne ijs🙏🏾🌪️‼️
Cmon man! the AWA went out of business because Mene Gene was getting bald. They needed a full-time full-headed master of the mic. That is why Mene Gene went to the WWF.
He was a joke
Mean Gene is highly respected.