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“This is the story of the AWA, one of the greatest wrestling organizations ever.  Some say it was good, others say it was great, I say it was spectacular”. When wrestling legend Verne Gagne speaks about his creation the American Wrestling Association (AWA) you can sense the pride he still feels for his former promotion.   Thanks to the Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, a two disc DVD set from WWE Home Video, you can understand why.  .  Unlike the Rise and Fall of ECW or the Monday Night War, this bittersweet recollection of a once great promotion offers a balanced look at one of the many promotions that went out of business after the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) went national during the mid 1980’s.

Verne Gagne is given an opportunity to set the record straight-and he does!

 Truth be told, I never was a big fan of the AWA.  Like many fans that grew up in the days before cable television enabled fans to see more than one promotion, the AWA simply wasn’t run in my area.  When I finally had access to the AWA, the promotion had passed its prime and it was on the downward spiral.  By the time me and my friends had access to the AWA, we affectionately called it Assholes Wrestling Assholes due to the lack of big-name stars seen in the NWA and WWF as well as its low-rent production values.

For others who watched the AWA during its dying days, this DVD does much to rehabilitate the AWA name and restore it to the glory it truly deserves.  Once upon a time, three promotions ruled across the United States and Canada; the WWWF, NWA, and AWA.  As the DVD makes clear, the AWA was once a crown jewel in the wrestling world, doing strong business throughout middle America and reaching out into Canada and other portions of the U.S.  For many wrestlers, the AWA was the place to be as it offered one of the easiest (if not easiest) work schedules for wrestlers.  As a result, Gagne’s AWA boasted top talent from across the U.S. and Canada.

Superstar Billy Graham makes a splash in the AWA

Reaching back into the days when the NWA controlled the wrestling world with an iron fist, the DVD recalls Verne Gagne’s amazing legacy as a wrestler.  Working during the golden age of wrestling on the Dumont Network (the Fox Network of its time minus the sleaze), Gagne was one of wrestling’s biggest stars performing on national television and earning endorsement deals normally reserved for baseball or football players (although it should be noted that Gagne was not the only wrestler who enjoyed mainstream publicity during wrestling’s heyday in the 50’s).  It also showcases his ability in the ring, establishing Gagne’s credentials as a true superstar both in terms of in-ring ability and charisma.  As the documentary explains, Gagne may have booked himself as champion but it was his hard work and talent that brought the fans in to see him defend the title time and time again.

The documentary traces the AWA’s earliest days back to when Verne Gagne launched his own promotion after it became clear the NWA was never going to give him the world championship due to politics.  Anyone familiar with the history of wrestling at the time knows that Gagne’s actions were as ballsy as you can get.  The NWA was the mafia of professional wrestling and while there are no confirmed deaths of wrestlers who crossed the NWA, there are plenty of confirmed deaths of promotions that tried to compete with the wrestling juggernaut.  Verne Gagne succeeded where others had failed and his success undoubtedly inspired Vince McMahon Sr. to break out on his own with his own promotion the WWWF.

Bobby Heenan in all his glory, one of many stars that were made in the AWA

From there, the DVD recalls the glory days of the AWA, a time when it rivaled Madison Square Garden as the “Mecca of Professional Wrestling”.  AWA fans enjoyed seeing some of the biggest names in professional wrestling from within and without the promotion:  The Crusher, Baron Von Raschke, The Texas Outlaws, Superstar Billy Graham, Billy Robinson, Don Muraco, Crusher Blackwell, Pedro Morales, the (Midnight) Rockers, Curt Hennig, and Ric Flair are just some of the many stars who appeared in the AWA.

Verne Gagne training his students at the AWA camp.

More importantly, the AWA gave many young wrestlers a chance to learn their trade and develop into true stars.  In addition to promoting wrestling, Verne Gagne ran a training camp that produced some of the biggest names in wrestling history (Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Ken Patera, to name a few) While the Spectacular Legacy of the AWA goes a tad bit overboard in naming the many stars to train with Gagne, you can’t argue with the number of wrestlers who got their first big break in Gagne’s promotion and went on greatness.

In the end though, the AWA fell victim to the same complacency that other promotions faced when Vince McMahon Jr. decided to take the WWF national.  Gagne had grown too comfortable without competition and by the time he realized Vince Jr. wasn’t playing by the old rules, too many battles had been lost.  Star after star left the AWA for the financial security of the WWF, devastating Gagne’s roster.  Eerily prophetic of Paul Heyman’s experience ten years later, Gagne created star after star only to watch them leave him for bigger fame and bigger paychecks.  Gagne refused to quit however and as the documentary unfolds, you see Gagne throw everything he had into his promotion, desperate to keep it alive.  Whether it was collaborating with former rivals such as the NWA (to launch the short-lived Pro Wrestling USA show) or signing talent of his own (the Road Warriors being one of the biggest acquisitions in AWA history), Gagne fought the good fight and fought it to the end.  The end finally came when Gagne lost an eminent domain suit, depriving him of the land he had used as collateral for obtaining loans to float the AWA. After a spirited battle, the AWA was no more.

The DVD traces Gagne’s battle with McMahon, offering perspectives not only from Gagne and his crew (including former AWA announcer turned wunderkind Eric Bischoff) but from the men and women who left his company to work for the WWF.  A surprisingly gracious (but equally frank) Vince McMahon shares his own account of what happened to the AWA, rounding out the very deep array of talent who give their accounts of what happened to the AWA. 

"Mean" Gene explain$ why he left the AWA for the WWF

Critics are already proclaiming this the most even-handed WWE documentary to come out of Titan Tower and there’s certainly evidence to support this claim.  Besides the many different people interviewed here, there is an atmosphere of honesty throughout the DVD.  Like the old saying goes, there are three sides to every story-yours, mine, and the truth.  Unlike most WWE DVD’s, this one lets the fans pass judgment rather than having “the facts” shoved down their throats.  While longtime fans may be skeptical, there are two key moments that illustrate the documentary’s refreshing candor:  First, a discussion about why Hulk Hogan wasn’t given the AWA World Championship (Hogan says it was about money while Verne Gagne says Hogan wasn’t ready yet to run with the title) and second, a debate about whether Vince McMahon’s signing away of top AWA talent was done in a way that left Gagne high and dry (basically, bailing on him without any notice).

Hulk Hogan details why he left the AWA for the WWF

While the documentary piece includes a lot of pleasant memories from those involved in the AWA, the DVD is far from a mutual admiration society.  Guys like Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler share their frustrations working with Gagne including beefs over sharing merchandise sales as well as flat-out not getting paid.  Thankfully, most of the negative comments are balanced by Gagne getting his chance to talk about them so the DVD feels nothing like the hatchet job of some WWE releases.

The King talks about working for Gagne in the AWA's last days

As you’d expect from the wizards at WWE Home Video, the DVD has its own style both in terms of the production as well as the DVD title.  The music and pictures really take you back to that magical era of wrestlers battling it out in smoke-filled rooms in a time when there was serious doubt as to whether or not professional wrestling was “fixed”.  As usual, the WWE production team deserves tremendous credit for capturing the feel of the subject matter and instilling it in this DVD.

The DVD extras are a real treat

Match wise, the DVD delivers a varied assortment from the AWA’s history.  There’s plenty of good stuff to be found here match-wise but not all that there should be.  Curiously absent are matches featuring AWA mainstays such as the Bruiser and the Crusher (while the Crusher does appear in a six man match, there’s nothing of his legendary team with the Bruiser)., the Blackjacks, or “Mad Dog” and “Butcher” Vachon An extra disc would definitely have rounded out this DVD set a lot better. 

A classic promo involving "Mad Dog" Vachon and "Mean Gene" Okerlund

The extras are a real treat too.  There are road stories, memories of the federation, and classic interviews from the AWA (unfortunately only enough to whet your appetite).  Listening to the former AWA stars (including the eloquent Nick Bockwinkel, a former guest at Radio Free Insanity) you realize how much the promotion meant to them as well as what made it so special for a generation of fans. 

The always classy Nick Bockwinkel remembers the AWA well

AWA fans looking for detailed biographies on their favorite AWA stars such as the Crusher, Baron Von Raschke, Ray Stevens, or Nick Bockwinkel need look elsewhere.  While the DVD covers most of the big names in the AWA, it is more about the organization the AWA and its impact on wrestling (hence the DVD’s title) than about the individuals who wrestled there.  This doesn’t take away from the viewer’s enjoyment of the documentary.  Rather, it whets their appetite for a sequel production on the AWA.

While the pain of the Monday Night War makes it too soon for a similar piece on WCW, it’s good to see Vince McMahon treating the history of wrestling with some respect rather than revisionism.  As it’s been said many times before, like it or not, Vince McMahon is in many respects the caretaker of wrestling’s history.   He owns most of the footage in North America and his is the loudest voice as well.  The tale of the AWA is one that could have gone buried on a shelf somewhere but the WWE did the right thing by doing its part to keep the memory of the AWA alive with this exceptional documentary.  Vince McMahon gets his fair share of brickbats but in this case, he’s earned some major bouquets.

With so many new DVD releases, it would be easy to overlook this gem.  Don’t.  The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA is a must-have for all wrestling fans.  If you were a diehard AWA fan or you never heard of them, you will enjoy both the documentary and the matches featured on this new release.  Take a very enjoyable trip down memory lane and experience the magic of a promotion whose impact on the sport will never be forgotten.