Spectacular Legacy of the AWA

[DiBiase is Good]

So I watched this dvd today. I don't know how many of you have got this one, but I was a bit disappointed with it.

Some random observations.....

1. Nick Bockwinkel seems like one of the most genuine, level-headed retired wrestlers around.
2. While Verne Gagne did indeed start the careers of many wrestlers, he was also his own biggest fan.
3. Greg Gagne is so far up his fathers arsehole it's funny. And his own for that matter.
4. Baron Van Raschke rules!!!!

Although this was one of the least pro-WWE dvd's they have made, I genuinely was disappointed with this one. Verne Gagne's place in wrestling history is very important and one that deserved telling. But seriously, did we need his son telling us how great his dad was every time he opens his mouth?
Anyone else got this dvd?

[maskedgrappler]

Yeah. I found it funny near the end when Verne was saying how he used to blame Vince for putting him out of business but he's over it now, and you could just see him fuming inside like he just wanted to jump up and kill someone.

[captaineasychord]

I don't understand how a promotion with 30 years of history doesn't even get two hours to tell their story, but ECW, with barely seven years in existence gets nearly three hours for their feature documentary. Seems a little out of whack to me, and I'm a much bigger ECW fan than I am an AWA fan. My memories of AWA are limited to what I can recall of watching it on ESPN when I was around 7 or 8 years old.

[Harmonica]

I got the DVD for Christmas. Mad Dog Vachon rocks especially with his casket making

[voiceboxisback]

dibiaseisgood said:

So I watched this dvd today. I don't know how many of you have got this one, but I was a bit disappointed with it.

Some random observations.....

1. Nick Bockwinkel seems like one of the most genuine, level-headed retired wrestlers around.
2. While Verne Gagne did indeed start the careers of many wrestlers, he was also his own biggest fan.
3. Greg Gagne is so far up his fathers arsehole it's funny. And his own for that matter.
4. Baron Van Raschke rules!!!!

Although this was one of the least pro-WWE dvd's they have made, I genuinely was disappointed with this one. Verne Gagne's place in wrestling history is very important and one that deserved telling. But seriously, did we need his son telling us how great his dad was every time he opens his mouth?
Anyone else got this dvd?

I didn't buy it, I dl'd it of pwtorrents, and burnt it onto a dvd, so technically I guess I have it. I loved it personally, but yeah, Greg loved to give him and his dad verbal BJs, but they were right about Verne's great impact on this business

[Sad sack ass fruitbooty]

dibiaseisgood said:

4. Baron Van Raschke rules!!!!

AND THATS ALL THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW!!!

[heyguesswhatidid]

I loved the DVD, but it's not repeat viewing material like The Rise and Fall of ECW or anything.

[Watts]

I got it for Christmas.

It was repeat viewing for me.... but that's largely because I used to watch AWA back in the mid to late 80s on ESPN after school.... I actually have memories of some of the clips and wrestlers in AWA..

I thought the DVD was good... it was sad to see how Verne Gagne (like Fritz Von Erich) drive his promotion into the ground... he was too old school for the times, much like Fritz was in respect to WCCW..

The AWA... I will say, they had some PURE, GREAT wrestling... may have lacked showbiz and polish, but they sure had great "wrestling".

[vrjustin01]

Bockwinkle was one of the greatest of all time. I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves. He was the Harley Race of AWA.

Best wrestlign around. Billy Robinson? C'mon now, none better.

[darthpipes]

vrjustin01 said:

Bockwinkle was one of the greatest of all time. I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves. He was the Harley Race of AWA.

Best wrestlign around. Billy Robinson? C'mon now, none better.

I agree. Great wrestler who was awesome on the mic. His comments on the AWA DVD are great and he's not an ego-maniac. He even says on the disc it's too bad that Hogan didn't get the title in 1983. I hope to one day see his one-hour draw with Curt Hennig.

Billy Robinson was pretty damn innovative with his wrestling. Would have loved to have seen a match between him and Angle.

[MichaelRBoh]

i really liked it. it was cool seeing the awa since i hadn't seen much of it before other then a few matches with hbk in them. really the list of names they developed was impressive. i liked seeing the jessie ventura promos on there.

[lovingway]

I thought Greg seemed a little bitter, especially when he mentioned how he could of went to the WWF and when, apparently, had to file for bankruptcy

I actually love this DVD. I just really liked the stories and was intrigued by it because I didn't know that much about the company. I cannot wait for the WCCW DVD since I watched that religiously as a kid

And I loved the Bockwinkle comment about Thesz

[Jiren]

i thought it was interesting because i knew nothing about AWA

[kswolf]

Is it true that all of the matches are heavily clipped? I was considering a purchase until I heard that rumor.

[Watts]

lovingway said:

I thought Greg seemed a little bitter, especially when he mentioned how he could of went to the WWF and when, apparently, had to file for bankruptcy

I actually love this DVD. I just really liked the stories and was intrigued by it because I didn't know that much about the company. I cannot wait for the WCCW DVD since I watched that religiously as a kid

And I loved the Bockwinkle comment about Thesz

I'd go ahead and buy the WCCW DVD that is already out... and not wait for the watered-down, over-produced version WWE will release....

[The Boss]

kswolf said:

Is it true that all of the matches are heavily clipped? I was considering a purchase until I heard that rumor.

Sadly yes. Although there are a few shown in their entirety. Curt Hennig win the AWA World title. Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Eric and a tag team cage match featuring the Midnight Rockers vs "Playboy" Buddy Rose and Doug Sommers / Sensational Sherri Martel. And they also happen to be the best ones on the DVD. Hmmm. Maybe the WWF clipped the matches so they wouldn't outshine WWF product. I was particularly surprised that HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S AWA World title victory was clipped especially the chaos after the match.

As far as the first disk goes, I think the WWF did a wonderful job. While I agree that it deserved much more time, they were at least quite faithful to the truth and did not try to rewrite history as the WWF often does.

When I listened to Gagne talk about the way Vince stole all of his stars in the 80's I was quickly reminded at how Vince himself cried fowl when WCW stole the WWF's stars in the 90s. It almost made me wish that WCW had driven McMahon out of business. It would have been poetic justice for him to fall to the same tactics that he himself had used.

One omission that really surprised me was the WWF/AWA title unification match between WWF World champion Bob Backlund and AWA World champion Nick Bockwinkle. They wrestled to an hour draw. It was a historical event as it was the one and only attempt to unify these titles. You would think they would have at least mentioned it.

[darthpipes]

theboss said:

kswolf said:

Is it true that all of the matches are heavily clipped? I was considering a purchase until I heard that rumor.

Sadly yes. Although there are a few shown in their entirety. Curt Hennig win the AWA World title. Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Eric and a tag team cage match featuring the Midnight Rockers vs "Playboy" Buddy Rose and Doug Sommers / Sensational Sherri Martel. And they also happen to be the best ones on the DVD. Hmmm. Maybe the WWF clipped the matches so they wouldn't outshine WWF product. I was particularly surprised that HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S AWA World title victory was clipped especially the chaos after the match.

As far as the first disk goes, I think the WWF did a wonderful job. While I agree that it deserved much more time, they were at least quite faithful to the truth and did not try to rewrite history as the WWF often does.

When I listened to Gagne talk about the way Vince stole all of his stars in the 80's I was quickly reminded at how Vince himself cried fowl when WCW stole the WWF's stars in the 90s. It almost made me wish that WCW had driven McMahon out of business. It would have been poetic justice for him to fall to the same tactics that he himself had used.

One omission that really surprised me was the WWF/AWA title unification match between WWF World champion Bob Backlund and AWA World champion Nick Bockwinkle. They wrestled to an hour draw. It was a historical event as it was the one and only attempt to unify these titles. You would think they would have at least mentioned it.

I have no problem with Vince's tactics during this era. He was a businessman trying to number one. But as you pointed out, it's the hypocracy and the revisionist history. He needs to be called out on it.

I don't think the Backlund/Bockwinkel match exsists on film but I agree, it did warrent a mention.

[Crappler El 0 M]

Well, I enjoyed it mostly because I enjoyed hearing from Bockwinkel, the Baron, and Larry Hennig. I guess there was some revisionist history to it, but to me it was more like leaving out the bulk of the middle years of the company's history. Some of the best things on the whole set are the disc 1 extra stories from Bockwinkel, Bishoff, Brunzell, etc. I enjoyed many of the matches, though I would have liked a Rick Martel match. Also, I would have liked a little better treatment of Bruiser Brody. If memory serves, Heenan or someone kind of scoffs at the idea of Brody as a major star of a promotion.

I believe the clipped matches could be the only portions of the matches on tape.

[Deleted]

Clipping matches was standard practice in the old days. Airtime and video tape were precious. AWA, Stampede, Championship Wrestling from Florida all did this.

[Hiroshi Hase]

Wasn't there a unification match with AWA Champ Rick Martel and Ric Flair the NWA Champ sometime in 1985?