EDITOR’S NOTE: Brian Ferguson’s book on Verne Gagne, VERNE: Inside & Outside the Ropes, has just been published. It is the first book for the long-time host of the Bumps & Thumps podcast. SlamWrestling.net is pleased to be able to share an excerpt from the book:
Chapter 36: Going his own way
From 1957 to 1959, Verne Gagne was the hottest professional wrestler in the world and should have been at the pinnacle of his career. He was earning more than $150,000 a year, enjoyed his profession, had the opportunity to fly home frequently to be with his family, and commanded the respect of fans and most of his peers. However, Gagne grew increasingly frustrated with the “good old boys” of the NWA for not allowing him to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. While some promoters, mainly from the Midwest, supported Gagne’s bid for the championship, it never materialized due to Lou Thesz’s influence and control over the NWA.
Aware of this barrier, Gagne learned that Dennis Stecher was interested in moving away from professional wrestling to focus on other business ventures. In 1959, he approached Stecher and offered to purchase Stecher’s holdings in the Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club. After finalizing the details, Stecher agreed to sell to Gagne, making him the majority owner of the organization. Wally Karbo owned one-third of the company and served as the public-facing promoter, while Gagne operated behind the scenes and remained the star attraction. It was not uncommon for the star wrestler to also serve as the actual promoter of the organization, with another figurehead as the “promoter.”
Stars like Fritz Von Erich of Dallas, Dick the Bruiser in Indianapolis, and the Sheik in Detroit were associated with the promotion. Gagne and Karbo rebranded the promotion as the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA), later renamed the American Wrestling Association.
The name “AWA” had originally been used by Boston promoter Paul Bowser from the late 1920s until the mid-1950s and briefly by Chicago promoter Leonard Schwartz.
In March 1960, the AWA took immediate action along with other Midwestern promoters, demanding that NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor defend his title against the No. 1 contender, Verne Gagne. However, their demand was ignored. By May 1960, Wally Karbo of the AWA and the other Midwestern promotions issued an ultimatum to the NWA. They stated that unless Pat O’Connor defended his world title against Verne Gagne within 90 days, the AWA and other Midwestern promoters would cease to recognize the NWA world title. The AWA heavily promoted the challenge every week on their television program and in their written programs.
The challenge went unanswered, and on August 16, 1960, Verne Gagne was awarded and recognized as the first AWA World Heavyweight Champion. In reality, there was never any intention for Pat O’Connor to defend the world title against Gagne, as the challenge was purely for storyline purposes. From 1953 to 1956, the NWA came under federal investigation for operating as an illegal monopoly that blocked competition, violating the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. As a result, the NWA agreed to revise its by-laws to prohibit blacklisting or obstructing wrestlers or promoters from working. The NWA chose to relinquish control over Minneapolis, believing that the AWA would fail and go out of business within a few years. However, the NWA faced a rude awakening as Gagne and Karbo’s promotion thrived.
RELATED LINKS
- Buy VERNE: Inside & Outside the Ropes at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca
- SlamWrestling Master Book List
- Verne Gagne, Greg Gagne and AWA story archive
Brian Ferguson is a long-time fan of the AWA, and the host of the Bumps & Thumps podcast, where he dives deep into looking at the stars, jobbers, managers and promoters of pro wrestling from the past and present. They also discuss the contributions from the locker room of yesteryear who paved the way for success and wealth for the wrestling superstars of today. You can find Bumps & Thumps where you find all your podcasts. He also wrote a piece for SlamWrestling.net in April 2022: Guest column: My first Wrestlecon.
