Brody and Friends talk about the AWA (Brody has no friends)

[Valeyard]

I always wondered why Backlund never went to the AWA because was absolutely the perfect fit. And I like me some Rheingans and always have been sorta bummed he never was a bigger star. Duggan is also exactly the right choice to where I'm very surprised it never happened.

I also think someone like Chris Adams might've worked relatively well. Could be pretty boy face, could be an alright shithead heel, always worked his ass off.

Was Bret available yet? I don't know if he was ready for the spot but he definitely would've fit right in.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I feel we discussed this a few pages ago but wasn't Bruno Sammartino rumored to be an option for an AWA and that's why WWF brought him (and David back) out of nowhere in the Fall of '84? Not a lot of life left in his career but at 49 years old ATT, he would've been right age to be AWA World Champion. And unlike Backlund, the Northeast audiences hadn't lost any of their fondness for him.

There is speculation because Verne brought in Larry, was courting David and there was some other connective tissue which I do not recall. (I'd have to dig in my notes later). Bruno would not have wanted the belt, as he didn't even want to come back for Vince in 85, despite his mass appeal in the East coast,
Supposedly Bruno tried to leave WWWF after his first title run and worked for the WWA w/ Bruiser and didn't get over to any great extent since his ethnic stuff didn't play in Indianapolis.
Bruno didn't even want to come back for the 74-77 run but he failed at several restaurants and some other business he tried and needed the cash inflow. (Much like Thesz in the late 70s who was too old for a major spot so he had to work the Gulus loop, which still boggles my mind. Thesz also had made bad $$$ choices)
--
RE: Bret - Bret got 3 title shots in 1983 in Stampede (IIRC the weekend research) but he was fairly small and a self admitted horrible promo. The WWF roids filled Bret in nicely by the late 80s. He would have had some bangers with Bucky Rapeoffe, Steve O and Steve Regal for Verne though!
Bret was also an Inoki guy, so maybe you just wind up with a Hogan issue where the Japan promoter is dictating your American business choices. That's not to say Baba wouldn't want Hart, but IDK what kind of binding ties Hart/Inoki had.

Heel Adams w/ Billy Robinson as his manager/partner.mentor is intriguing. A little slim, but he worked at least 1 Twin Cities match vs Jim Garvin based off their WCCW feud IIRC. It was a one off. Probably mixed with the politics of Verne and WCCW both being tied to St Louis

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1554585370980925441

I love that the AWA jobbers tried to do bar shows. And gimmicked the hell out of it.
$3 and $5 admission for a 15K battle royal.... in a bar...

Plus a freaking barbed wire match! And a Tuxedo match. The Tux probably cost more than the show's gross.

 

[BruiserBrody]

This interview was actually entertaining. Mike has a good personality and had some fun stories.
Rapey Zumhoffe showed up at an indy show needing to bathe as he hadn't been able to shower for whatever reason, so Mike had to find a garden hose to use. Later that same night Buck went into the audience with zeroxed pics of Hulk Hogan and tried to get people to buy a copy as he screamed "I need gas money!"
-
Brad Rheingans was training Vader and Leon decided to shoot on Brad a little bit, so Brad put him in his place by suplexing him out of the ring and then shoving Vader in a port-a-potty.

Mike's first 2 TV matches were vs Saito and Hogan. Hogan pinned him with him with the 12 inch Hulkster in his face.

Paul Heyman would come back from Greg Gagne's TV booking meetings (w/ the roster) and complain that "They won't listen to my ideas!"

Jobbers got 150 bucks for TV squashes. That was regardless if you got 1 match or 3 matches.
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Jake "The Milkman" Milliman was a shoot farmer! I love him even more now.

Bockwinkel worked "snug". Never hurt you, but you knew you were in a match. (That adds up with the recent Bock shoot I shared in this thread where Bock spoke with glee over being able to stiff Crusher and Bruiser back for their rough work.

Mike speaks of how surreal it was to have the Invader 1 talking over a match with him in the same Puerto Rican shower that Invader had killed Brody in a few years earlier. .

The Hangmen were under WCW contract and were told to get a non mask gimmick (Disorderly Conduct) in order to be able to get squashed under different names on one taping.
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There was an eye rolling bit where Mick spoke of famous masked men in history and how it had gone by the wayside before the Texas Hangmen brought it back en vouge.

 

[AA484]

I always wondered why Backlund never went to the AWA because was absolutely the perfect fit. And I like me some Rheingans and always have been sorta bummed he never was a bigger star. Duggan is also exactly the right choice to where I'm very surprised it never happened.

I also think someone like Chris Adams might've worked relatively well. Could be pretty boy face, could be an alright shithead heel, always worked his ass off.

Was Bret available yet? I don't know if he was ready for the spot but he definitely would've fit right in.

Late to this reply, but Backlund did have a very brief run in the AWA, post-WWF. Maybe 6 months. He wrestled Zbyszko on TV a couple of times, but that was it. He also had a couple of matches with Martel for the belt, which -- as far as I know -- were not filmed.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Late to this reply, but Backlund did have a very brief run in the AWA, post-WWF. Maybe 6 months. He wrestled Zbyszko on TV a couple of times, but that was it. He also had a couple of matches with Martel for the belt, which -- as far as I know -- were not filmed.

Yup, covered it in an above post. He was supposed to get the Americas title but didn't get over.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I forgot Texas Hangmen were Disorderly Conduct. I might have to listen to that podcast.

I'm kind of surprised that no one has done a jobbers based podcast.

 

[Valeyard]

I don't know why but I loved the Hangmen.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1561542198641958912

@BruiserBrody :

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1562041460790382592

Kind of shitty to plug "The Sheik" when it's Adnan.
Souice vs Robinson may have been interesting. Souice was a NCAA star who got some early 80s work in AWA and WWF.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1562172188748353536

Christmas has come four months early for @BruiserBrody .

 

[BruiserBrody]

"My dad trained 144 guys and only 2 of them did not become main eventers" - Greg Gagne on this week's "Bumps and Thumps" plugging the old school toy line that will start in Sept. (If their business model includes guys like the Mulkeys as stated....uhhhh...good luck)
---
Schire left the podcast due to a few reasons: He didn't like the time constraints on the pod, didn't like being given "home work" to prep for the pod, didn't want to talk about anything after 1985 and the host Chris Tubbs balled him and Mick out at least once over their banter.

They had recently planned to have Mr Kennedy on to discus his training school compared to the old days and Schire dropped out 3 hours before they were to tape it. Then George went off on Facebook over modern era (again post 85) fans and Tubbs thought it was a personal shot and told Schire to "fuck off".

--
Verne apparently may not have used Lanny Poffo or Macho Man due to Angelo working outlaw vs Verne in the 70s.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Verne apparently may not have used Lanny Poffo or Macho Man due to Angelo working outlaw vs Verne in the 70s.

UWA Inc. presents ICW (Poffo) - The Clawmaster's Archives - Sports And Wrestling - WowBB Forums

sportsandwrestling.mywowbb.com

For a time in 1981-82; Angelo Poffo's ICW show was syndicated in Northeast Wisconsin, airing tapes of their studio matches that appeared to be taped from 1980 based on the events and timelines that have surfaced in the promotion's history. A skeleton crew of ICW remnants used the shows as a basis for co-promoting in the state with smaller groups like the UWA, Inc. which I believe was Albert Patterson's company based out of Milwaukee (Patterson later would be in a lawsuit challenging Titan Sports over their use of the name "Superstars of Wrestling"). Here, "King Kong Patterson" shows up in the results along with Milwaukee-area guys used for AWA TV enhancement. It's among my group of AWA results, so I am taking a break to list it here. Not sure of the venue in Oshkosh they ran, however.


Randy Savage won a battle royal for "$10,000"
Order of elimination: 1-Destroyer #2 2-Destroyer #1 3-Jimmy "The Animal" Fox 4-Juan Zapata 5-The Miser (Angelo Poffo) 6-Cesar Pabon 7-The Great Abdul 8-Sailor Art Thomas 9-Indian Pete 10-Nature Boy Hanson 11-Armando Rodriguez 12-King Kong Patterson WINNER-Randy Savage

(billed as battle royal entrants who did not appear include Jimi Ray and Frankie Adonis)

ICW Champion Randy Savage beat King Kong Patterson
Sailor Art Thomas beat The Miser by submission
Armando Rodriguez & Cesar Pabon beat The Destroyers (2-0)
Juan Zapata beat Jimmy "The Animal Foxx" by DQ
Nature Boy Hanson and Fred Steel (sub for Jeff May) beat The Great Abdul and Freddy Faulk (sub for Frankie Adonis)
Bobo Murdock (sub for Steve Cooper) drew Indian Pete

Blows my mind that Macho Man worked outlaw in freaking Oshkosh! An hour or so outside GB.

 

[BruiserBrody]

In a bizarre coincidence I am listening to Bix and Kris Zellner's "Titangate" special series and they just mentioned the WI house shows Macho Man appeared on and how the promoter sued Vince over the "Superstars of Wrestling" trademark and was awarded 100K.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1564208117805719553

Verne was already promoting AWA for a 1 1/2 at this point so I think this is technically competition, but I didn't cross check the promoters. I'm not sure when Verne claimed Milwaukee/Green Bay/WI in general in his loop.

AWA needed a Mussolini loving heel for Bruno to thump. Hard boiled Haggerty I'm looking at you...

 

[alkeiper]

Post WWII had an almost comical number of fake Nazis and Japanese (usually Japanese American) heels to concur. I’m not sure there was ever an Italian fascist heel.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Post WWII had an almost comical number of fake Nazis and Japanese (usually Japanese American) heels to concur. I’m not sure there was ever an Italian fascist heel.

Italy turned babyface by the end of WW2 so they probably get a pass.
---
The AWA's sister promotion chimes in:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1564635433060950016

 

[alkeiper]

Bobo Brazil was 59. I'm surprised Dick the Bruiser was only 54. Their third best wrestler, Jerry Valiant, would get his biggest career exposure the next year jobbing to Uncle Elmer in less than one minute on SNME. A promotion like that could survive only because of either monopolistic practices or because no one else felt like driving to Indianapolis.

 

[Valeyard]

Stormy Granzig was everything.

 

[alkeiper]

Stormy Granzig is the neighbor you had in your first apartment who doesn't work a 9-5 job, chainsmokes and emigrated with his family to the United States in 1946.

 

[Valeyard]

A Yankee cap away from being the best supporting character in any life.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1564718956971261957

You know Apter spared no expense getting Steve O to pen his commentary.

Honestly, I'm not sure what this is even about. Larry was new to the area and about the 8th ranked heel at the time, doing jobs for others from what I recall of this era of results. A year or so later he is at least buddied up with Bockwinkel as part of the Gagne feud.

 

[alkeiper]

STEVE O'S ANALYSIS: LARRY ZBYSZKO CAN NOT BE STOPPED FROM WRITING OUT HIS FULL LAST NAME

 

[Valeyard]

History is worse for no one booking Steve O and Barry O as the O Boys.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1557921479643303936

This is a neat find. WLUK is now the FOX affiliate here (stationed litterally in the shadow of Lambeau) but from what I can see online was the ABC affiliate when it aired the AWA.

I know by 1988 the AWA was being shown locally on Ch. 32, which was home to the brand new Fox channel.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I finally listened to Brisco/Bradshaw interview Groovy Greg.

He hit on the classic that AWA had a CBS network deal and they had planned to have Hogan beat Bock on that special. Gagne told Hogan years later and Hogan told him he'd never have left had he known that.

His best whopper was that when he worked for WCW w/ ATM Eric he brokered the Hogan deal, then Gagne told a big wig that they should sign Alex Karelin, the Russian Olympic monster to build him up for a PPV in Russia vs Hogan. Eric was pissed Greg jumped rank and fired Gagne.

Greg still watches RAW/SD, which surprised me. He actually put over a recent Sheamus/McIntyre and Usos/____ vs Riddle/Street Profits match.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1566764606030315520

More outlaw/indy shows in Verne's heartland!

200 year old Bruiser teaming with SILO SAM! Yikes!!

Sam did the AWA battle royal tour in either 86 or 87

IIRC Bruiser's last shot with Verne was Feb 87 when they also brought back Billy Robinson for the closing of a historic Twin Cities arena. WWF countered that show by bringing back Mad Dog Vachon for an "appreciation" night.

 

[AA484]

Random observation: out of the "big four" territories during the 80s (not counting WWF or Crockett), AWA has to be the worst represented as far as existing television, correct? Mid-South and Texas/WCCW are pretty complete on the Network, while Memphis is pretty good, excepting a few gaps in the early 80s. But AWA seems to have huge gaps and the Network really hasn't even attempted to upload their weekly TV. This leads me to believe that one of two things is happening:

1. What they have is pretty disorganized and would take a lot of time to sort chronologically
2. They actually don't have a ton of original TV to begin with

 

[alkeiper]

According to this source, Silo Sam no showed and Frankie DeFalco took his place. Shame, Sam has got to be one of the worst wrestlers ever put in the ring but actual footage of his wrestling is virtually non-existent. If you offer me a choice between generic jobber and worst freak show of all time, I know what I’m choosing.

 

[snuffbox]

Random observation: out of the "big four" territories during the 80s (not counting WWF or Crockett), AWA has to be the worst represented as far as existing television, correct? Mid-South and Texas/WCCW are pretty complete on the Network, while Memphis is pretty good, excepting a few gaps in the early 80s. But AWA seems to have huge gaps and the Network really hasn't even attempted to upload their weekly TV. This leads me to believe that one of two things is happening:

1. What they have is pretty disorganized and would take a lot of time to sort chronologically
2. They actually don't have a ton of original TV to begin with

I don't think it's the 2nd reason. In the 70s (and I think parts of the 60s and early 80s) they were doing regular tapings in Minneapolis, Davenport IA, and other cities. Along with the flagship show, All Star Wrestling, they did a lot of local market stuff. That was one of the big reasons McMahon poached Okerlund...Mean Gene could sell anything and those localized promos helped drive the quick expansion. There was also a Chicago-specific show that can, sometimes, be found on Youtube.

What is there is probably disorganized and there hasn't seemed to be as much interest in doing that since the heyday of Hidden Gems and the end of DVDs. I don't know how much of the ESPN stuff the WWE got with the library; before it became mostly a clip show at the end, they were still doing tapings throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and in Las Vegas. And I think a lot of their 60s-early 80s footage got lost the same as so much else: with limited budgets, lacking concerns for posterity, etc, stuff got lost, ruined, and recorded over.