Four-time AWA (American Wrestling Association) World Heavyweight champion Nick Bockwinkel was staying in Tokyo, Japan from April 12-15, 2000. He came for a new independent office named JPWA (Japan Pro Wrestling Association). Nick, 65 years old, lives in Minnesota and enjoys playing golf with his wife now. He is very intelligent, and he can discuss almost anything, including current wrestling topics. Nick, the son of Warren Bockwinkel, was born on December 6, 1934, and debuted as a professional wrestler against Lou Thesz, when Nick was 16 years old, in Santa Monica, California in 1951. He came to Japan for the first time for the old JWA (Nippon Pro Wrestling) from July 14 to September 4, 1964 with The Spoiler (Vincent Bagala), Johnny Barend & Magnificent Maurice, and King Tobby Thomas. Nick and Big John Quinn appeared in the JWA's NWA Tag Team League Tournament from September 25 to November 25, 1970, with Antonio Inoki & Kantaro Hoshino, Giant Baba & Mitsu Hirai, Kintaro Ohki (Kim ILL) & Kotetsu Yamamoto, Michiaki Yoshimura & Great Kojika, Ernie Ladd & Rocky Johnson, Lars Anderson & Bob Roop, and Cowboy Frankie Laine & Bad Rartel. Nick & Quinn vs. Inoki & Hoshino at Taito Ward Gym in Tokyo on November 5, 1970 was one of the greatest tag team matches in Japanese wrestling history. Nick beat Verne Gagne to win the AWA World title in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 8, 1975, and he and Ray Stevens held the AWA World Tag Team title a total of three times.
The AWA and Isao Yoshihara's IWE (International Wrestling Enterprise) in Japan had a strong relationship in the 1970's. Their relationship started when Verne Gagne came to Japan for the first time from February 3-9, 1970 ("Yoshiwara" is incorrect). The AWA sent a lot of their stars to the IWE in the early 1970s, such as Verne Gagne, Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski, the Vachon Brothers, Bill Robinson, Wahoo McDaniel, Baron Von Raschke, Superstar Billy Graham, The Outlaws (Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes), Andre the Giant, Larry Hennig, Red Bastien, Blackjack Lanza, Bob Windham (Blackjack Mulligan), the Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts), Bobby Heenan, Ric Flair (1973), and many more.
The AWA and Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling started a relationship at the end of 1975. Jumbo Tsuruta became the first Japanese AWA World Heavyweight champion ever in history at Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) in Tokyo on February 23, 1984. All Japan held the first and only NWA and AWA World Heavyweight double title match ever in history between Ric Flair and Rick Martel at Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) in Tokyo on October 12, 1985.
View From The Rising Sun (#71) will put together the AWA's history in Japan from the 1970's to 1990's.
Verne Gagne beat Dr. X (Dick Beyer) to become the 17th AWA World Heavyweight champion in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 31, 1968.
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon & Paul "Butcher" Vachon beat Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski to become the 23rd AWA World Tag Team champions in Chicago, Illinois on August 30, 1969.
February 5, 1970---Osaka Furitsu (Prefectural) Gym (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne drew Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi (1-1)
(1) Gagne beat Kobayashi (24:10)
(2) Kobayashi beat Gagne (9:15)
(3) 6:42 double countout---Gagne kept the title
February 6, 1970---Tokyo Gym (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne beat Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi (2-1)
(1) Gagne beat Kobayashi (22:18)
(2) Kobayashi beat Gagne (9:13)
(3) Gagne beat Kobayashi (4:20)---Gagne kept the title
February 9, 1970---Morioka City Gym, Iwate (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne beat Great Kusatsu (2-1)
(1) Gagne beat Kusatsu (7:37)
(2) 16:13 double countout ---Gagne kept the title
March 1, 1971---Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Sendai (IWE)
AWA World Tag Team title match
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon & Paul "Butcher" Vachon beat Thunder Sugiyama & Great Kusatsu (2-1)
(1) Kusatsu beat Butcher (10:41)
(2) Mad Dog beat Sugiyama (4:57)
(3) Mad Dog beat Kusatsu (2:20)---Vachon Brothers kept the title
March 2, 1971---Tokyo Gym (IWE)
AWA World Tag Team title match
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon & Paul "Butcher" Vachon beat Thunder Sugiyama & Great Kusatsu (2-1)
(1) Mad Dog beat Sugiyama (9:08)
(2) Sugiyama beat Mad Dog (4:02)
(3) Vachon Brothers beat Sugiyama & Kusatsu (4:23 disqualification)---Vachon Brothers kept the title
October 27, 1971---Morioka City Gym, Iwate (IWE)
AWA Mid West US Tag Team title match
Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts) beat Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi & Animal Hamaguchi
(1) Roberts beat Kobayashi (19:42)
(2) Kobayashi beat Roberts (9:56)
(3) Brown beat Hamaguchi (5:52)
Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis had promoted the WWA (World Wrestling Association), which affiliated with the AWA in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan in those days. Bruiser and Crusher Lisowski came to the IWE in Japan as the WWA World Tag Team champions. Actually, they beat Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan to win the WWA World Tag Team title in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 1972 after the Japan tour.
November 27, 1972---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya (IWE)
WWA World Tag Team title match / Cage Death match
Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski drew Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi & Great Kusatsu (16:00 No Contest)---They had one of the worst riots in Japanese wrestling history.
November 29, 1972---Tokyo Gym (IWE)
WWA World Tag Team title match
Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski beat Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi & Mighty Inoue (2-1)
(1) Crusher beat Inoue (1:23)
(2) Inoue beat Bruiser (15:43)
(3) Bruiser beat Inoue (1:01)---Bruiser & Crusher kept the title
November 30, 1972---Ibaraki Prefectural Sports Center, Mito (IWE)
WWA / IWA World Tag Team double title match
Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi & Great Kusatsu beat Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski (2-1)
(1) 12:41 double countout
(2) 5:04 Kobayashi & Kusatsu beat Bruiser & Crusher (5:04 disqualification)---Both champions kept the title
September 23, 1973---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi beat Verne Gagne (34:20 disqualification)
September 27, 1973---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne beat Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi (21:11)
Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat Crusher Lisowski & Bill Robinson to become the 28th AWA World Tag Team champions in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on October 24, 1974.
November 20, 1974---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne drew Bill Robinson (1-1)
(1) Gagne beat Robinson (20:48)
(2) Robinson beat Gagne (15:21)
(3) 9:35 double countout---Gagne kept the title
November 21, 1974---Osaka Furitsu (Prefectural) Gym (IWE)
AWA / IWA World Heavyweight double title match
Verne Gagne drew Mighty Inoue (1-1)
(1) Gagne beat Mighty Inoue (17:17)
(2) Inoue beat Gagne (4:55)
(3) 8:59 double countout---Gagne kept the title
November 20, 1974---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (IWE)
AWA / IWA World Tag Team double title match
Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens drew Rusher Kimura & Great Kusatsu
(1) Kimura beat Nick (14:22)
(2) Nick beat Kimura (7:19)
(3) Nick & Ray beat Kimura & Kusatsu (7:19 disqualification)---Both champions kept the title
Nick Bockwinkel beat Verne Gagne to become the 18th AWA World champion in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 8, 1975.
Nick Bockwinkel & Blackjack Lanza appear in All Japan's Real World Tag Team League Round Robin Tournament from December 1 to December 15, 1978, with Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta, Dory & Terry Funk, Bill Robinson & Wild Angus, Abdullah the Butcher & The Sheik, and Kintaro Ohki (Kim ILL) & Kim Duk.
February 14, 1979---NBC Center, Honolulu, Hawaii (Ed Francis & Lord Blears, promoters)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (2-1)
(1) Nick beat Tsuruta (31:28)
(2) Tsuruta beat Nick (4:55 disqualification)---Nick kept the title
October 5, 1979---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (IWE)
AWA / IWA World Heavyweight double title match
Rusher Kimura beat Nick Bockwinkel (16:30 disqualification)---Both Nick and Kimura kept the title
March 31, 1980---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (IWE)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel drew Kintaro Ohki (Kim ILL) (1-1)
(1) Nick beat Ohki (10:20)
(2) Ohki beat Nick (6:34)
(3) 2:09 double countout
June 22, 1980---Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (20:05 disqualification)---Nick kept the title
Verne Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel to become the 19th AWA World champion in Chicago, Illinois on July 18, 1980.
Nick Bockwinkel & Jim Brunzell appeared in All Japan's Real World Tag Team League Round Robin Tournament from November 28 to December 11, 1980, with Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta, Dory & Terry Funk, Abdullah the Butcher & Killer Tor Kamata, Dick Slater & Ricky Steamboat, Bill Robinson & Les Thornton, and The Sheik & Great Mephisto.
January 18, 1981---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World / PWF Heavyweight title match
Verne Gagne drew Giant Baba (1-1)
(1) Gagne beat Baba (14:55)
(2) Baba beat Gagne (3:58)
(3) 5:24 double countout---Both Baba and Gagne kept the title
Nick Bockwinkel was awarded the AWA World title on May 19, 1981, when Verne Gagne retired.
High Flyers (Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell) beat East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura) to become the 35th AWA World Tag Team champions in Green Bay, Wisconsin on June 14, 1981.
February 4, 1982---Tokyo Gym (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel drew Jumbo Tsuruta (18:44 double countout)---Nick kept the title
June 8, 1982---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World Tag Team title match
High Flyers (Greg Gagne Jim Brunzell) beat Ricky Steamboat & Atsushi Onita (15:12 Brunzell beat Onita)
July 23, 1982---Chitose City Sports Center, Hokkaido (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (29:24 disqualification)---Nick kept the title
Otto Wanz beat Nick Bockwinkel to become the 21st AWA World champion in St. Paul, Minnesota on August 29, 1982.
Nick Bockwinkel beat Otto Wanz to became the 22nd AWA World champion in Chicago, Illinois on October 9, 1982.
February 23, 1984---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World / International Heavyweight double title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (32:00)---Tsuruta became the 23rd AWA champion
February 26, 1984---Osaka Furitsu (Prefectural) Gym (All Japan)
AWA World / International Heavyweight double title match
Jumbo Tsuruta drew Nick Bockwinkel (28:09 double countout)---Tsuruta kept both titles
March 4, 1984---Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Blackjack Lanza (14:32)---Tsuruta kept the title
March 11, 1984---Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bill Robinson (19:47)---Tsuruta kept the title
March 15, 1984---Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Jim Brunzell (15:59)---Tsuruta kept the title
March 24, 1984---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (22:05 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
April 19, 1984---Koriyama City Gym, Fukushima (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Greg Gagne (23:27)---Tsuruta kept the title
April 26, 1984---Omiya Skate Center, Saitama (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Jim Brunzell (14:40)---Tsuruta kept the title
April 28, 1984---Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (18:12 double countout)---Tsuruta kept the title
April 29, 1984---Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (10:52 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 2, 1984---Rochester, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Baron Von Raschke beat Jumbo Tsuruta (16:13 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 4, 1984---Municipal Auditorium, Denver, Colorado
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (15:01 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 5, 1984---Boylan Catholic High School Gym, Rockford, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bill Robinson (25:10)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 6, 1984---Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (21:37 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 7, 1984---Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (17:02 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 10, 1984---Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Greg Gagne beat Jumbo Tsuruta (15:13 disqualification)---Tsuruta kept the title
May 11, 1984---Municipal Auditorium, Milwaukee
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Blackjack Mulligan (13:15 countout)
May 13, 1984---Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Rick Martel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (22:24)---Martel became the 24th champion
July 31, 1984---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Rick Martel drew Jumbo Tsuruta (19:27 double countout)---Martel kept the title
The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) beat Crusher Lisowski & Baron Von Raschke to become the 38th AWA World Tag Team champions in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 30, 1984.
October 11, 1984---Osaka Furitsu (Prefectural) Gym (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Rick Martel (22:42 countout)---Martel kept the title
Nick Bockwinkel & Harley Race appeared in All Japan's Real World Tag Team League Round Robin Tournament from November 22 to December 12, 1984, with Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu, Stan Hansen & Bruiser Brody, Dory & Terry Funk, British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith), Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura, One Man Gang & Goro Tsurumi, and Tiger Jeet Singh & Mike Shaw.
March 14, 1985---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya (All Japan)
AWA World Tag Team title match
The Road Warriors beat Riki Choshu & Killer Khan (5:30 double countout)---Road Warriors kept the title
October 21, 1985---Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo (All Japan)
NWA / AWA World Heavyweight double title match
Ric Flair drew Rick Martel (34:03 double countout)---Both Flair and Martel kept the title
Nick Bockwinkel & Curt Hennig appeared in All Japan's Real World Tag Team League Round Robin Tournament from November 23 to December 12, 1985, with Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase, Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu, Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu, Giant Baba & Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race & Jesse Barr, British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith), and Rusher Kimura & Ashura Hara.
Stan Hansen beat Rick Martel to become the 25th AWA World champion in East Rutherford, New Jersey on December 29, 1985.
March 29, 1986---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World / PWF / International Heavyweight triple title match
Stan Hansen drew Jumbo Tsuruta (8:45 double countout)---Hansen kept the title
April 5, 1986---Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa (All Japan)
AWA World / PWF Heavyweight double title match
Riki Choshu beat Stan Hansen (18:27 disqualification)---Hansen kept the title
April 19, 1986---Hyogo Prefectural Bunka Gym, Kobe (All Japan)
AWA World / International Heavyweight double title match
Stan Hansen drew Jumbo Tsuruta (16:52 double countout)---Hansen kept the title
April 26, 1986---Omiya Skate Center, Saitama (All Japan)
AWA World / PWF Heavyweight double title match
Stan Hansen drew Riki Choshu (16:36 double countout)---Hansen kept the title
Nick Bockwinkel was awarded the AWA World title when Stan Hansen left the promotion after not appearing for their match in Denver, Colorado on June 28, 1986. But, Hansen wrestled for All Japan from July 4 to July 31 and defended the title.
July 26, 1986---Ishikawa Prefectural Industrial Hall, Kanazawa (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Stan Hansen beat Gen-ichiro Tenryu (12:08 double countout)
July 31, 1986---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World / International Heavyweight double title match
Stan Hansen beat Jumbo Tsuruta (16:27)---Hansen became the 15th International champion
Curt Hennig beat Nick Bockwinkel to become the 27th AWA World champion at "SuperClash II" at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California on May 2, 1987.
January 2, 1988---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (All Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa) beat Curt Hennig (11:22)---Hennig kept the title
Jerry Lawler beat Curt Hennig to become the 28th AWA World champion at Mid South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on May 9, 1988.
October 17, 1988---Mid South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee (CWA)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jerry Lawler beat Tatsumi Fujinami (35:20 disqualification)---Lawler kept the title
Jerry Lawler beat Kerry Von Erich to win the WCWA World title at "SuperClash III" (PPV) at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois on December 13, 1988, and he became the Unified World Heavyweight Champion.
Jerry Lawler was stripped of the AWA World title on January 20, 1989, when the CWA split with the AWA.
Larry Zbyszko won a battle royal to become the 29th AWA World champion at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 7, 1989.
February 22, 1990---Tokyo Dome (New Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Masa Saito beat Larry Zbyszko (14:29)---Saito became the 30th champion
March 22, 1990---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya (New Japan)
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Masa Saito beat Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow (12:33)---Saito kept the title
April 8, 1990---Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
SuperClash IV
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Larry Zbyszko beat Masa Saito (17:05)---Zbyszko became the 40th champion
The Trooper (Del Wilkes / The Patriot) & D.J. Peterson beat Destruction Crew to become the 52nd (and last) AWA World Tag Team champions in Rochester, Minnesota on August 11, 1990.
Larry Zbyszko was stripped of the AWA World title on December 12, 1990, when Zbyszko left the AWA for WCW.
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