Greg Gagne: Shooter

Second generation pro-wrestlers have been around since….well, the second generation of pro-wrestling. You look at the list of successful second gen’s and the list is staggering. I could go on for days about Curt Hennig, Eddie Gilbert, Barry Windham, Bret and Owen Hart, Goldust and Cody Rhodes, Dory and Terry Funk, Negro Casas, The Von Erich’s, and all of the Armstrong’s. And don’t even get me started on the third generation talent. Just awesome.

Growing up in “the biz” gives you advantages that “outsiders”, like myself, didn’t have. For example, my 22 year old son Colby Corino, wanted to be a wrestler since he was a baby. He studied it. He trained with the best, and that is why he is so good at 22, while I was still trying to figure out how to tie my boots at 22.

But this story is about a second generation wrestler that Internet fans really never gave his just due. This is a story of a man with a Sleeperhold so dreaded that a former ECW and NWA World heavyweight champion literally couldn’t breathe.

That man: GREG GAGNE

One thing I left out about being a second generation wrestler is that if your father owned/ran/booked a promotion, there was a certain scrutiny. “Oh this guy is only getting pushed because his old man has the book.” I think that reputation comes from the late 1970’s second generation wrestler, George Gulas, son of Nashville promoter Nick Gulas. George wasn’t the most gifted pro-wrestler and truth be told, he probably didn’t get much help in getting better. It was a different time when wrestlers thought of themselves more than not. In 1992, Bill Watts pushed his son, Erik, in WCW when he wasn’t ready and there was a backlash that Erik never outgrew. It’s a shame because when I was teaming with him for Dusty Rhodes’ Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, he was really good.

Greg Gagne had a stigma to him also. And it was so undeserved. Greg’s father, Verne Gagne, was one of the first television wrestling stars in 1950’s and went on to run the Minnesota territory and become a 9-time AWA World heavyweight champion. Verne was a big money draw and protected himself very well in the AWA. He was a star.

Greg didn’t have the big build of wrestlers in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was tall and lean. But, he was a great athlete. He played football at the University of Minnesota and University of Wyoming. After college, he started wrestling in 1972. Fans seem to forget that he didn’t win his first title until 1977, when him and Jim Brunzell won the AWA World tag team championship as The High Flyers. Fans LOVED them. Gagne, although thinner, was believable. He sold great as a babyface, fought from underneath, and laid it in on that comeback. Watch any AWA video from 1976-1986 and the fans believed in him.

I believe that it was always that belief that Verne would put the World title on him that hardcore fans held a strange grudge against him. In 2006, while on tour in Japan, Nick Bockwinkel told me that Verne was never going to put the World title on him because, although he knew he would be a good champion, he only wanted “one Gagne” being the World heavyweight champion. Greg was always designed to be a supporting babyface.

For me, as a fan, I liked Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell. I was lucky to see them live in 1983 in Winnipeg.

Fast forward to 2015. Greg Gagne is a guest at Frankie DeFalco’s Brew City Wrestling live event in Milwaukee with Jim Brunzell. Every year, Frankie likes to bring the legends of wrestling (mostly AWA due to the area) in and sign autographs. There is generally 1500 fans that could care less about wrestling, but like to watch the action. It’s hard to get a reaction from them, but its still a fan show. I think one time I heard Ricky Morton breathe in the ring.

I am wrestling Tito Santana. WWE Hall of Famer. Former WWF Intercontinental champion. I knew him. He knows NOTHING about me. Like “hey, are you local?” type of vibe. And by vibe, he really asked me. It was going to be one of those matches.

Side note: If I ever did this to any young (or old) independent wrestler when I was working, please accept my apology. I didn’t realize how di*kish it came off until Tito said it.

Match is going fine. Tito is calling everything. Like its my first day in the business. Once again, see above. I finally clamp a hold on and say “I GOT THIS TITO SANTANA!” and took over calling the match. Now, Tito didn’t want to hit the Flying Forearm for the finisher. I don’t know why. And as a jobber to the stars, I feel it is my call on what famous finisher I am taking…and eventually writing about. He wants a Schoolboy. Pfft. So I kicked out. Oops. He ends up hitting the forearm. People react accordingly. He leaves.

But that is where the fun begins. As a glory hog of heel heat, I decide to soak in the local boos and look at Greg Gagne, who is sitting at the table. I call him out. I figure I would try my luck with another legend.

At first, when Frankie mentioned to Greg about doing something in the ring, he said no. Basically the old “I’m done wrestling, blah blah blah”. Same stuff I say to Steve Cutler on a daily basis.

I say the magic word. I can’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it wasn’t nice. Greg gets up and I know we are going to get it on. Greg says “get on me” as he slides in the ring. BROTHERRRR, I know how this works. I’m on him like white on rice…or if you are watching your weight, brown on rice…Greg fires back. He’s 1982 Greg Gagne again. He whips me off to the corner and I know this sequence: Backdrop, Dropkick, and Sleeper. Come on man, I’m a fan.

Another side note: If you watch the 1974 movie “The Wrestler” with Verne Gagne, the last scene (Spoiler Alert) is Verne hitting Billy Robinson with a Dropkick. If you think that is a weak way to end a movie, you have never been hit with a Dropkick from a Gagne. OUCH!

Back to the action…Backdrop, Dropkick that probably concussed me twice, and then he slaps on the Gagne Sleeper Hold. And when I saw slaps it on, he literally goes all UFC and clamps it on. And I’m going out. For real. I even have a moment of clarity where I start regretting every heel promo I ever shot on a legend. When he finally releases me and I come to, my first thought was “I hope I didn’t poop myself.”. Second thought: GREG GAGNE JUST SHOT ON ME!