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Nick Bockwinkel was a second-generation professional wrestler, mainly competing in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the United States. He held their version of the World Heavyweight Title 6 times.

Wrestling Career

Bockwinkel was trained as a pro-wrestler by his father, Warren Bockwinkel, who was a wrestler himself, and the great Lou Thesz.

Bockwinkel began his career in the mid-1950's, after a knee injury forced the University of Oklahoma to withdraw his football scholarship. After training to become a wrestler, Nick teamed with his father, Warren, who was a regional star in the 1940's. Despite this, it would be many years before Nick achieved true success in wrestling. He captured his first major Title in 1970, at the age of 36, defeating Assassin #1 for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Georgia Heavyweight Title. Bockwinkel soon found his way to the AWA, where he formed one of the most successful tandems in wrestling history with Ray Stevens, and manager, Bobby Heenan. Together, they captured the AWA World Tag Team Title on three separate occasions, the first coming in 1972.

By 1975, Bockwinkel had become one of the biggest stars in the AWA, and captured his first of many AWA World Heavyweight Championships, at the age of 40, ending Verne Gagne's seven year reign. Unlike most wrestlers, who peak in their early thirties, Bockwinkel reached his peak, both professionally and in ability, well into his forties. As AWA Champion, Bockwinkel had notable feuds with the likes of Billy Robinson, Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher, Mad Dog Vachon, Jerry Lawler, and most famously, Verne Gagne and Hulk Hogan. He last held the Title in 1987, at the age of 51, dropping the championship to another second generation wrestler, Curt Hennig, in controversial fashion.

Bockwinkel retired in 1987, ending a career that spanned four decades.

Bockwinkel was considered by his peers and many industry experts to be an excellent wrestler, known for his exceptional technical ability and ring psychology. He was also known for his calm, articulate promos, which distinguished him from many of his contemporaries. Larry Zbyszko once commented that "if you asked Bockwinkel for the time, he'd tell you how to build a watch".

Bockwinkel returned to the ring in 1993 at "Slamboree: A Legend's Reunion". The card was promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), but featured veteran wrestlers from all over the country. Bockwinkel wrestled former National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Champion Dory Funk, Jr. to a time limit draw as part of the undercard.

Post-Wrestling Career

Bockwinkel worked as a road agent for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the late 80's. In 1994, Bockwinkel became the onscreen commissioner of World Championship Wrestling.

In 2000, he and Yoshiaki Fujiwara were the commissioners for a short-lived shoot style promotion, the Japan Pro Wrestling Association, but as the shoot-style market in Japan had been low since the collapse of UWF International, the wrestlers on it moved to other promotions. Bockwinkel is currently the Vice-President of the Cauliflower Alley club, as well as the onscreen General Manager for AWA Superstars.

Profile

Championships and accomplishments

Trivia

  • In 1968, Bockwinkel appeared as a contestant on a prime-time version of the NBC game show Hollywood Squares.
  • Bockwinkel has the distinction of being involved in the first ever AWA vs World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) World Title Unification match, wrestling WWWF Titleist, Bob Backlund, to a double count-out, on March 25, 1979.

American professional wrestlers | AWA alumni | Professional wrestling executives | 1934 births | Living people | People from Los Angeles | Professional wrestling announcers

ニック・ボックウィンクル

 

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