To follow up on that note, in looking at the database I saw a surprising number of events from 91 to 95, just general spot shows in MN here, mostly appearing to be at casinos. I wonder if this was Verne/Greg promoted and booked shows or was someone else managing those ones.
I am betting it was maybe Dale Gagner (who I think MIGHT be related to the Gagne's? He changed his name to Gagne at some point). He ended up "purchasing" the AWA sometime late 90s, I think? I put that in quotes because it was a fucking joke, WWE really was the true owner, and he got sued at some point to stop using any AWA referencing. I actually worked with him a few times in the 2000s as I ran a local arts and entertainment magazine in southern Minnesota at the time, and being the fan that I am, ran some wrestling promotions in there (even had an issue with HHH on the cover in his post-water spit pose). One was an AWA Superstars show in Rochester in, I think 2006 or so that had a better than I expected turnout, and then a few years later, Gagner referred me to speak with the guy who ran AWA Rush, which was a regional territory that did mostly shows in the southern Minnesota area. Gagner tried an approach worldwide and then regionally to basically do something similar to how Marquez would do his Championship Wrestling brand. From my discussions with him, Dale reminded me so much of Scott D'Amore and had the look down too.
What was so fun about the AWA Rush experience was that I booked the group to do an outdoor show literally right outside my apartment in an area of the city I still live in. The magazine I ran and some other partners all decided to put on an outdoor summer festival in where I reside (and still do) where basically a 4 block section of the city had the road closed so we could put attractions right on the street. Mostly food vendors, music stages, but my most memorable area was the wrestling ring they put outside my place and that event, basically a new match on the top of each hour for 6 hours, and the workers all hung out and used my apartment for their backstage/locker room. Most notable of this group was Ariya Daviari (just getting his feet wet) and a Kamala Jr, who claimed up and down to me that he was related to the actual Kamala (I feel like he was kayfabing me to no end).
