Nick Bockwinkel
Nicholas Warren Bockwinkel ( born December 6, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri ) is a former American professional wrestler, who is considered one of the most respected and well-known in recent years. He was for years the top star and champion of the American Wrestling Association and is currently a member of the Hall of Fame of the WWE, the wrestling Observer Newsletter, as well as the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Bockwinkel has been married since the early 1970s and has children.
Career
Bockwinkel tried first at Oklahoma State University as an American football player, but switched after a knee injury for wrestling. His father, Warren Bockwinkel, who was also a wrestler trained him. He made his debut in 1954. Having worked a lot in the Pacific Northwest in the early years, he was allowed in 1970 to win Georgia Heavyweight Title one of the most prestigious regional titles at that time.
Bockwinkel moved in the early 1970s for the American Wrestling Association. There he formed with Ray Stevens a successful heel tag team. Under their manager Bobby Heenan they could save three times the AWA World Tag Team Championships. They fehdeten with tag team legends like Crusher Lisowski & Dick the Bruiser, the Vachon brothers or Verne Gagne & Billy Robinson.
On November 8, 1975 Bockwinkel was first AWA World Heavyweight Champion, after he had held the title before 2624 days continuously Verne Gagne, could defeat. Until his retirement in late 1987 Bockwinkel remained a figurehead of the AWA and feuded among others with Gagne, Jerry Lawler, Hulk Hogan and Otto Wanz.
In 1993 he rose again for legend fighting in the ring, and then mimed to the Commissioner at World Championship Wrestling shows, In 1995 he took at the Great American Bash in a promo forgot the name of the show and was fired.