Throwback Thursday: The AWA Title
Going through some old pictures on my dying computer, I saw this picture taken minutes after winning the “AWA” World heavyweight championship in 2005.
I used quotes around the AWA because decade plus debate over the legitimacy of Dale Gagne’s to the AWA.
A lot of people know about the lawsuit to stop Dale from using the AWA name, but this is not what this story is about. This story is about the people that did their best to bring back the AWA name and their belief in it.
In 2004, 01Max (formerly ZERO-ONE and now ZERO1…that is another story of its own.) had just lost their affiliate NWA membership, but wanted a sanctioning body.
Since 2001, Antonio Inoki had been the promoter of record with the National Wrestling Alliance and had given Shinya Hashimoto permission to use it for his new ZERO-ONE company. In 2004, Hashimoto had left ZERO-ONE and the company became 01Max.
My boss, Mr. Nakamura and I were thinking of ideas in the Tokyo office one day and I had remembered that Dale Gagne was running AWA shows in the States. I contacted Dale with the idea of doing something together with our office and his. Timing was perfect because he had mentioned about expanding his AWA and offering memberships like the NWA had done. We immediately joined up and plans were made to create a new AWA World heavyweight champion. I can’t remember who Dale’s champion was at the time or the title had already been vacant, but it was agreed that we (01Max) could host the title match. The only “demand” that the Japanese office had was that the title belt would be in the classic “inmate” style and not the one that he had made a few years before.
In January of 2005, Takao Omori, a student of former AWA World champion Jumbo Tsuruta defeated me in the finals of the tournament in Tokyo to become the first of this generations AWA champions. The match and title got a lot of press in the Japanese magazines and it was the kick that 01Max needed at the time.
Although it was not my call, Dale agreed on the Japanese office determining the initial champion as long as I would have a run with the title. He wanted to have an American based champion for the US affiliates and I would eventually lose the title again in Japan.
Bay City, Michigan was the spot picked for the title switch from Omori to me. With Ricky Landell in my corner and “Jump” from Van Halen as my ring music (the company didn’t have anyones music), I fought from underneath and won the title.
I was proud. As a Winnipeg-born, American-raised wrestler, I loved reading about the AWA as a kid. In fact, and if you go back to my picture with Hulk Hogan, the first live show I ever saw was an AWA show in Winnipeg in 1983.
For six months, I traveled the world, like I did when I was the NWA World’s champion, and did my very best to bring back legitimacy to the AWA World title. I defended the title not only in the United States, but Canada, United Kingdom, and Japan. The title meant a lot to me.
In January of 2006, with Nick Bockwinkel at ringside, I lost the title to Shinjiro Otani. Otani, a lifelong wrestling fan, was so excited after the match that he hugged me for five minutes. He believed in the title.
I got a quick second run as champion in 2007, more as a transitional placeholder, after I defeated Ric Converse and then lost the title to Takao Omori.
Eventually, like the NWA, the AWA system of affiliates failed. Too much in the way of “rasslin politics” by a handful of promoters that had no clue. Add that and the lawsuit, Dale quietly started promoting shows under the Wrestling Superstars Live banner.
A lot has been written about Dale Gagne over the years, but I will go on record that Dale was nothing but professional with me. He never screwed me on money or bookings. Never gave me false hope or empty promises. Always put me up in above average hotels and required his affiliates to follow suit. It was the treatment I hoped for when I was NWA World’s champion.
Dale was also tough on me and Ricky Landell. He trusted us, but wanted us to be leaders on his shows. When Ricky and I made a bid to become AWA World tag team champions, he said no. He told us that we had to prove ourselves. He believed in his AWA. I respected that.
“Wrestling history books” will deny Omori, Otani, Converse, Landell, Tanaka, and myself the same recognition that Gagne, Vachon, Bockwinkel, and Fritz Von Erich got as AWA champion. But its okay.
We were all proud to hold the “inmate” title belt. Legit or not. For those few years, it was legit to us.
Until next time.
16March
2018
2018
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