What wrestling still should be, much respect for both men
@catyear756 жыл бұрын
The greatest of all AWA World Champions Vs the greatest NWA World Champion of all time ! This match more than lived up to the hype !
@Kfowlkes096 жыл бұрын
Huh, I didn't know this was Verne Gagne vs Lou Thesz.
@mikethomas52315 жыл бұрын
@@Kfowlkes09 👎👎
@preachinoldschool57265 жыл бұрын
Flair...better than Harley Race? C'mon!
@MrSmitty10744 жыл бұрын
@@preachinoldschool5726 A lot of people said that Flair wrestled the same match. Race was better than Flair.
@MrSmitty10744 жыл бұрын
@Paul Wilson The flip in the corner and go to the top turnbuckle was so funny. LOL
@VolumedMusicMan5 жыл бұрын
Nick was trained by Lou Thesz, Flair by Vern Gagne. The great tradition was passed down!
@stevenjoyal65653 жыл бұрын
Nick really passed a lot along to Flair, as well.
@furnitureconsortium3 жыл бұрын
@@gopherstate777 eh, just a few small things....you have to remember, Nick had most of his training by his father Warren Bockwinkel and Lou Thesz also trained him a little bit. Bock started in the business a lot earlier than people think....1957 or 1958, somewhere around there. I don't think he went to Minneapolis until the mid 1960's. It's obvious that Verne trusted Nick completely to have Nick hold the belt for five years in the late 70's. Nick was beyond loyal to Verne all of those years. That loyalty was borne out of how Verne used Nick as his ultimate foil against him, ensuring Nick got paid top-draw money. The schedule also played a big part of Nick not wanting to go anywhere else....think about it, Bock made killer money, only had to work nine months out of the year and Verne still let him do shots for other promoters from time to time. You can definitely say that Verne tried to mess around with Hogan (playing games on "maybe" giving him a run with the belt, etc.) but Verne never did that with Bock, there was too much respect there.
@billnelson85173 жыл бұрын
Gagne NEVER taught Flair to act like a jerk!
@dantecarroll24352 жыл бұрын
@@billnelson8517 true
@jdbankshot2 жыл бұрын
@@furnitureconsortium absolutely fantastic comment. hit every nail on the head. having warren as your pops is like having verne, stu hart, larry hennig, or johnny valentine as your trainer. i remember nick coming to montreal in 85-86 for matches against martel. great times. thanks again 4 your comment, take care.
@bigjoe41107 жыл бұрын
Two masters who could either brawl or give you a scientific match.
@suzannewillis8174 жыл бұрын
NOT bad at all when you can do a little bit of everything.
@libra42ful4 жыл бұрын
@@suzannewillis817 ...and even better when they did BOTH in the same match....these two knew how to keep us on "edge" the whole match....
@jasondelvaux30364 жыл бұрын
The two best ring psychologists of all time in pro-wrestling. And the best on the mic.
@billnelson85173 жыл бұрын
Sorry but the best ever on the mic was Ernie Ladd hands down!
@gopherstate777 Жыл бұрын
@@billnelson8517 Mumbles Ernie my brother? Never heard that one before. Thunderbolt Patterson was better on the mic and inspired Dusty Rhode's funky speech patterns as well as a healthy dose of Superstar Billy Graham.
@VolumedMusicMan5 жыл бұрын
I grew up with these guys I miss them dearly in their prime and that era as well... Thanks Nick and Ric for the memories👏!
@badmonkey22224 жыл бұрын
This for all you young ones is what you call working a match, real technical wrestling, not the flying trapeze show of today, this is two of the best to ever strap on a pair of wrestling boots.
@michaelrubin9547 Жыл бұрын
it's a semi shoot
@ianburton60718 жыл бұрын
This is the professional wrestling that I grew up watching. Two of the all-time great pro wrestlers in the same ring. A treat to watch. Thanks for posting.
@Kfowlkes098 жыл бұрын
Lucky you. I grew up watching Hogan, Sting, Austin, and Rock so I suppose I lucked out in a way as well.
@libra42ful7 жыл бұрын
Ian Burton I jacked to it too, growing up, lol, and I agree, 2 of the best, but I favor Bock, he just made me want to watch him beat on somebody, loved his jobber squashes
@cretinousjester34756 жыл бұрын
Wrestling Scholar Bernkastel: Hey those guys were great too. When you list the top 100 wrestlers of all time, all of those guys you named plus Flair and Bockwinkel are gonna be on that list. Everyone of them at some point was a World....Heavyweight.....Champion. Regardless of what they were really like, they are owed that much respect. The crowd reactions alone tell the story.
@connerhuston26136 жыл бұрын
Agreed!
@peterscott61034 жыл бұрын
I was in attendance at this event, thanks for the memory 👍
@michaelpalermo3542 жыл бұрын
Do you remember if this was promoted as part of a Pro Wrestling USA card?
@jeremyrieger37334 жыл бұрын
I can’t believe I found this match! I was at this event! I would have been 9 years old.😊
@juniorsandoval96244 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkle being cheered as babyface is something very rare. This match is true pro wrestling
@nomaamguyplusseinfeldandco28702 жыл бұрын
It shows how great of a heel Flair is when he's booed against another great heel wrestler like Bockwinkel.
@travismcdonald65762 жыл бұрын
Winnipeg was AWA country at this point, so Bockwinkle had that advantage. He may have already turned babyface at this point as well.
@davidwesley2525 Жыл бұрын
@@nomaamguyplusseinfeldandco2870 another great heel was Glamor Queen GORGEOUS GEORGE. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
@rowds Жыл бұрын
@@travismcdonald6576 Bockwinkel turned babyface in October of 85
@thomasfoss9963 Жыл бұрын
The Nature Boy and Bockwinkle were pretty evenly matched----- This was a great match!!!!!
@tgzaks75274 жыл бұрын
Are we really ignoring the fact that a young Scott Hall is on commentary?
@mattlaw85335 жыл бұрын
Two of the best technicians ever!!!!!
@akung946026 жыл бұрын
Vince r u watching? This is what professional wrestling should be! Smack down and Raw is a joke compared to this! Ric and Nick in their prime.
@johndeagle43895 жыл бұрын
Where is the AWA now?
@themightythor19744 жыл бұрын
It’s funny that you say Nick was in his prime, Bockwinkel was either 50 or more at the time and he was still a top tier wrestler.
@maxxdahl60624 жыл бұрын
@@johndeagle4389 I'd rather have it than WWE right now.
@DeeEllEff4 жыл бұрын
Nick probably past his prime and yet still taking a much younger World Champion right up to and past his limit. BAM!
@badmonkey22224 жыл бұрын
I quit watching Vince's circus about 10 years ago because that's what it's become, you dont see 45 min matches anymore that's a thing of the past unites it's a ppv, and even then its just huge roid freaks doing dives off 40ft ladders, or some crazy flipping crap, the days of technical wrestling and 2 guys simply beating the shit out of each other are long gone, wwe now is a joke.
@johnhoffmann23112 жыл бұрын
Now this is a wrestling match.Flair being my favorite wrestler,but grew up watching AWA and thoroughly familiar with Nick Bockwinkle this is a dream match,the thought of seeing these two wrestle each other never accord to me,wow, totally enjoyable!!!!!
@dansomman1896 Жыл бұрын
Yeah thanks for KZfaq being invented
@stevedrouillard1585 Жыл бұрын
Wow that is almost exactly what I was about to post. My favorites were Arn and Ole, but 4 horsemen for life. Arn, Ole, Tully and Ric the OG
@craigdavis42654 жыл бұрын
R.I.P. Mister Nick Bockwinkel!!!🏆🏆🏆💗💗💗🙏🙏🙏
@matiaseleazaralvarez98418 жыл бұрын
amazing match.Both were the best of their era.
@shaunieinthewrasslin2877 Жыл бұрын
Man both men killed it! Great stuff, and the fact both looked great and Nick was so much older then Flair here, shows how timeless the presence and ability of Bockwinkle was
@stephenspilker93343 жыл бұрын
it's sad most of these guy's have passed now, i had so much fun watching the awa when i was a kid.
@Marcus-lq9yj Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for putting this video up. One thing I will say, this was and is entertainment extraordinare! Good stuff!
@jarmaincharleston74055 жыл бұрын
They made it look like a athletic contest kudos to both men
@constipatedinsincity44245 жыл бұрын
2 years late but still great! That was the cover for Wrestling Illustrated. Mr. Nick Bockwinkel was a real gentleman. An individual who you can be proud to have as World Champion!
@joesalyers2 жыл бұрын
Scott Hall on commentary this is the first time I ever heard him call a match.
@CarterJ9 Жыл бұрын
Can't believe how far I had to scroll before the first comment recognizing this lol
@joesalyers Жыл бұрын
@@CarterJ9 Yea KZfaq hates me LOL
@johndemeen5575 Жыл бұрын
A million thanks for these great memories. Thanks from St. Paul Minnesota.
@kurtboyer2992 жыл бұрын
Scott Hall on color commentary makes this one of the best rasslin vids on YT
@larrypeiser77685 жыл бұрын
No 2 wrestlers ever were better at making an average guy look like a legitimate contender. It must have been a pleasure for them to work together. Easy to make the other look great.
@paulbookwood64102 жыл бұрын
They really worked well together. That was a great exhibition of professional wrestling! 😎👍
@84slaughter7 жыл бұрын
Nick Bockwinkle Is Sadly So Underrated!
@libra42ful7 жыл бұрын
Brian Long all Nick needed was a fly-front opening on his trunks and they would of looked exactly like a pair tighty whities.....bet that would of sold tickets!
@Kfowlkes097 жыл бұрын
Did you just try to say that Bock had no charisma? LOL to that.
@TheLeroyMoon7 жыл бұрын
JC1990wm -- Your standards are wonky. Nick looked incredible here for a 51 year old man, especially one who: kept his schedule, paid his own healthcare out of pocket, took care of his family, and kept himself clear of trouble. Watch his old promos, and in them you'll hear the same charisma as Paul Orndorff, Jim Cornette or Rick Rude, among others. Watch his old matches, and you'll see how much he shared in common with: Lou Thesz, Dory Funk, Jack Brisco, Billy Robinson, Antonio Inoki and other "average" wrestlers of "limited skill." During his time, he was exactly what people wanted a champion wrestler/heel to be.
@libra42ful7 жыл бұрын
TheLeroyMoon I agree, and Nick was very "enjoyable" to watch wrestle, his early stuff is quite entrancing, his in ring cocky, almost sniveling bully like demeanor later on was, well, satisfying as hell to watch, and his jobber squash matches....cherishable....I can't, at my age of 48, even imagine pro wrestling without Nick Bockwinkel, its unimaginable
@allencollamore80527 жыл бұрын
absolutely agree!!!!
@HBO1984.4 жыл бұрын
Wow that move at 00:48 was pretty swift for an old guy like Bockwinkle! Two of my top 3 of all time going at it. The third being Harley Race.
@JayMil3656 жыл бұрын
Was lucky enough to be at this match, great seeing it again
@dbsommers15 жыл бұрын
Nick might have been past his prime but he still had it.
@richardbain87468 жыл бұрын
2 of the all time greats thanks for posting this match!
@TheEnzyme945 жыл бұрын
Wow! This is the defenition of DREAM match! Nick Backwinkel, Ric Flair these two are untouchable! You could argue that Backwinkel was Ric Flair 20 years before the Naich! What a match, they totally delivered!
@ChannoBonanno2 жыл бұрын
Goes without saying, these are two of the greatest to ever lace em up. Cool to hear a young Scott Hall at the announcers table.
@cymandeh4 жыл бұрын
at this age, nick can still go AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ylatupa3 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkel was flair before flair and the million dollar man before the million dollar man
@CHRISMED2 Жыл бұрын
these two legends should have had way more matches with each other. This was awesome !!!
@justafanofnerdculture7602 Жыл бұрын
I agree wholeheartedly! I really, really enjoyed watching this one. The chemistry these two legends had with each other was amazing.
@markedly10135 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkel should have been number one everywhere.
@farscape17146 жыл бұрын
That was one of the best matches ive ever seen. Thanks for the upload.
@stevedrums16752 жыл бұрын
I remember reading about this bout in Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
@lamontricks10743 жыл бұрын
Great match between 2 World Champions 2 legends.
@KEICRUMBIE6 жыл бұрын
Classic. It doesn't get any better than two of the greatest world champions in wrestling history, going against each other. Bockwinkel needs to be mentioned more when wrestling is being talked about. When you talk about champions, Bockwinkel should be mentioned just as much as Flair.
@billnelson85173 жыл бұрын
The GREATEST World Champion of them all was Bruno Sammartino! Flair couldn't carry his jock strap.
@rsuriyop Жыл бұрын
@@billnelson8517 Since you brought it up, it's a damn shame that a Sammartino vs Bockwinkel fight was somehow never made. They were both around the same age and wrestled for over 30 yrs.
@BOOGE647 жыл бұрын
The two masters of their craft.
@mlobeatsfcp6 жыл бұрын
Nick was the second best wrestler of his era....Ric flair and Bockwinkel made me believe they was the champions of the world
@Michael_Chandler_Keaton3 жыл бұрын
Number 2 and 3 respectively. After Harley Race.
@jasongaylor22322 жыл бұрын
@@Michael_Chandler_Keaton Race said that Flair is the greatest ever.
@misane22123 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkle and Flair imagine how much money they would've made today two great personalities
@paullindstrom76356 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkel was once offered the job of NWA champion but declined it in order to have more family time. Had he accepted he would be regarded as one of the best ever, if he is not already. He was a very polite and nice type in person away from the cameras also.
@nassermj76714 жыл бұрын
Yep old fashioned gent. Almost my dad's age. RIP champ - and rest!
@Tracey-jy6te3 ай бұрын
Bockwinkle was one the greatest wrestler of all time.
@bobofwinnipeg94552 жыл бұрын
30 minutes at Winnipeg arena made me fans is both these men. Best wrestling card ever. Bob Baklund walking around shaking hands. Nice night.
@coolguy2986 ай бұрын
Any idea where to get the match.
@CuteLesbo695 жыл бұрын
I would have loved to see Bockwinkle get a run with the NWA title, even a short run.
@Ijustinsultedyou4 жыл бұрын
Kevin Lake he was to loyal to the AWA. The million dollar man gimmick was pitched to him first by Vince McMahon but Nick turned it down.
@zman83402 жыл бұрын
@@Ijustinsultedyou Ted was fantastic but my god imagine Nick with that angle .
@largelester Жыл бұрын
Too old, but he would have made a fine Horseman.
@jeffrobodeenyehcmon5925 Жыл бұрын
This is one of my favorite matches! They are so similar to each other. Bockwinkle is just a little more classy. I love em both!! Whooooo!!
@jameslott46066 жыл бұрын
a great match between two legendary champions
@rafeeqturner14582 жыл бұрын
Two great in ring generals, that understand the art of in ring storytelling. Their chemistry is anazing
@emptyhand7772 жыл бұрын
Bockwinckel is 51 years old, Flair is 36.
@redrayman6 жыл бұрын
I was there it was a great nite of wrestling. I had season tickets since the 70’s.
@d820m2 жыл бұрын
Bockwinkle wrestled for Don Owen in Portland for a bit early in his career..(was Pacific Northwest champ a couple of times)
@LestatandBerial4 ай бұрын
Now I’m imagining Flair and Bockwinkle as a heel tag team with Bobby Heenan as their manager. Between the three men, the promos, the charisma, the work rate, all of it would have been unmatchable. I want to alternate universe where that happened
@magicbus635 жыл бұрын
My Dream Match Ric Flair&Arn Anderson Vs Nick Bockwinkel&Ray Stevens
@SuperMarioJamesSMJ5 жыл бұрын
Remember Bockwinkle is in his late 40s....such a great performer....they both were outstanding here...
@andrewnelson33794 жыл бұрын
Nick was 51 here. He was in remarkable shape.
@billshamrock4494 жыл бұрын
Back in the days guys could go into their 50s they didn't need to abuse their body to entertain
@brandonlamontagne20754 жыл бұрын
nick bockwinkle was not a muscular guy but he was one hell of a worker and he had bobby heenan in his corner he couldn't go wrong.
@neilgoldring48325 жыл бұрын
I grew up in Winnipeg, I was 7 when this happened! I lived 5-10 minutes from the old arena. I was just starting my crippling Wrestling addiction around then!!!! 😀
@delmerjunior4 жыл бұрын
Two of the sport's greatest legends!!!😎
@paulweston84085 жыл бұрын
Two of the best ever!
@princeofcupspoc90735 жыл бұрын
I think Flair is calling the match. It's fun to see Bockwinkle wrestling "NWA style."
@markgrossmann3363 жыл бұрын
Nick could wrestle any style. He was a all time great in the ring
@moriordan853 жыл бұрын
Heel always called the match back then, it bockwinkle is being cheered
@rolltide95473 жыл бұрын
Great chain wrestling.
@madmantrader3 жыл бұрын
I was at this match..it was great and a great card!!
@robertcoggeshall3071 Жыл бұрын
When and where did this match take place?
@madmantrader Жыл бұрын
@@robertcoggeshall3071 Jan 16, 1986 in Winnipeg manitoba
@robertcoggeshall3071 Жыл бұрын
@@madmantrader cool. I was at first Hogan and flair match at msg.
@detangojet3 ай бұрын
Bockwinkle is incredibly underrated in my opinion. When wrestling blew up in the 80’s, he was a bit old but still very capable.
@VolumedMusicMan8 жыл бұрын
Enter Bobby Heenan and the AWA title, this would've been a promoters dream match!
@Sargebri7 жыл бұрын
Interestingly, in 1969 Bockwinkle was a top contender for the NWA title and from what I heard had some classics against Dory Funk. However, as his career went on when he was suggested for a run with the NWA belt he would decline due to the fact that he didn't want to be away from his family for extended periods of time. Also, Flair began his career in the AWA and was there until about 74 when Verne sent him to the Carolinas where he became a star.
@VolumedMusicMan11 ай бұрын
Eddie Graham and then Fritz Von Erich twice offered the NWA belt to Nick. He refused it..
@davidporfirio183 жыл бұрын
2 masters of their craft in this classic
@kevinaraujo49457 жыл бұрын
flair is a living legend alot of people hate on him but he was great worker who wrestled hour matches
@rolltide95473 жыл бұрын
Flair is the GOAT.
@bryannevers4679 Жыл бұрын
100% correct.
@terrywiebe56165 жыл бұрын
AWA at the Winnipeg Arena!!!
@denniswilliams847 жыл бұрын
I was so drunk at the match I all most got kicked out of the arena that night ,great match
@redrayman6 жыл бұрын
Dennis Williams me too!!!
@bumblebeemoi7 жыл бұрын
If this match was 1986, Nick was 52!
@larrypeiser77685 жыл бұрын
Yes I think Nick a little past his prime but could still go with Flair or Hennig. Would like to have seen this in 81-82 maybe.
@ianisaac25015 жыл бұрын
This is professional wrestling at it's finest
@scottnewman20822 жыл бұрын
Everyone says Flair wrestled the same match. He wrestled almost every night for 30 years. You didn't see him wrestle every match or even 50% of his matches. Maybe he did what was comfortable in alot of his matches because he wrestled different cities every night. He wrestled alit if tag matches, cage matches, etc. They were not all the same
@finsfan13762 жыл бұрын
I mean if you look at wrestlers like Brett Hart,Hogan,Harley Race, Steve Austin, The Rock, Cena and so many others they all actually wrestled the same matches. I think Flair just gets roasted more for whatever reason. Still think his matches with Steamboat were the best I've seen.
@emperortrevornorton31193 жыл бұрын
Happiness gratitude and greatness amazing nothing else
@punkslapper45957 жыл бұрын
Scott Hall doing commentary?
@Sargebri7 жыл бұрын
Yup. In fact, "Killer" Ken Resnick mentions his name a few times.
@zappasmustache6 жыл бұрын
Whoa. Good catch!
@kevins42225 жыл бұрын
Wow awesome! He didn’t do a half bad job either
@VinnyXwolf5 жыл бұрын
and two days later Big Scott Hall and Curt Hennig became Tag Champs when Mr. Electricity Steve Regal (not Lord Steven Regal) left the AWA.)
@1spizzle4 жыл бұрын
First time ever seeing this two great bad guys.
@bryannevers46793 жыл бұрын
Great classic match between 2 ring masters.
@kennethjohnson5179 Жыл бұрын
Nick was man when I was growing up. Classic match.
@jvinson4 жыл бұрын
Ric has a basic match that he could put any opponent in and they would look good. This was necessary for wrestling in different promotions/territories. The reason you notice it is because once wrestling hit mainstream tv VIA cable you could see it's the same match. But most wrestlers did the same thing. Flairs PPV matches were usually different though.
@fttime97463 жыл бұрын
Wow these guys are great champion vs champion dig it brother 👍👍
@quadraticresidue5 ай бұрын
Two absolute legends in the ring. Bronco Lubich was supposed to officiate this match but he got hold of some bad shellfish that day at lunch and was unable to answer the bell so to speak.
@Batman-wv5ng6 жыл бұрын
Nick was great wrestler .
@misane22123 жыл бұрын
This is a classic wow 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@isaiahmarquez97176 ай бұрын
Wow! I never knew Flair and Bockwinkle tied it up! How did I ever miss this???
@kalschmunck81492 жыл бұрын
Nick was great, he had matches around the world and as for the NWA , Nick wrestled Harley Race to a 60 minute draw, after having already wrestled. I can't remember the wrestler was that didn't show up for the match with Harley Race. The promoter got Bockwinkle to wrestle Race, so the wrestling fans wouldn't be disappointed.
@ryann86805 жыл бұрын
AWA vs NWA was the best...this match is ten times better than ANYTHING wrestlemania threw up
@laurenceamspoker67394 жыл бұрын
The headline in one of the apter mags after this match occurred in 1986 was four years too late but still great.
@TheLSK3 жыл бұрын
I wished I had seen this. I didn't even know they had a match. Two of the cream of the crop. Match should've been title "The irresisdable force meets the immovable object"
@thillwl3 жыл бұрын
THIS is wrestling.
@CertifiedHuSTLer Жыл бұрын
I love u for this!
@christopherbako3 жыл бұрын
Please Watch this start to finish...beautiful Story.😀
@bishopaz6 жыл бұрын
I don't watch todays wwe matches. The old matches posted here on KZfaq are superior
@suzannewillis8174 жыл бұрын
👍👍👍👍
@davidloman7474 Жыл бұрын
The GOAT vs Nick Bockwinkle. Nick had the AWA belt for years and was a great in ring performer and a pretty good promo guy. I wonder why he isn't talked about as one of the greatest of all time. His name is usually left out of that conversation
@Theemysteryman8 ай бұрын
Kid in the crowd: " Daddys playing ruff again in his underwear" 😂
@gp56765 жыл бұрын
most guys worked the same match every night of the week in those days - Flair would only be seen a few times per year wherever he was so it never got old
@dereklarner62983 жыл бұрын
But didn’t Flair’s heavy travel schedule mean that he made his way around the territories somewhat frequently?
@magicbus635 жыл бұрын
My Dream Match Bockwinkel&Stevens Vs Ric Flair&Arn Anderson
@jermaineperry75276 жыл бұрын
One great all time pro wrestling classic old school entertaining tough smart skilled dream match video
@renecruz38106 жыл бұрын
I saw Ric Flair at the Cow Palace in the 70's & 80's!
@mkl628 жыл бұрын
In 1979, a new pro wrestling publication hit newsstands and magazine racks across the nation. It was Pro Wrestling Illustrated. When the first issue went to press, Nick Bockwinkel was ranked at #6 in the Most Hated Wrestler category and was the American Wrestling Association (AWA) World's Heavyweight Champion. Ric Flair was ranked at #3 in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and was #1 in the Most Hated Wrestler category.
@thedoncrazephaze53758 жыл бұрын
awesome stats, good job
@nellbowie79868 жыл бұрын
That hated list is not accurate. Even though Flair was a heel most of the time he was never the most hated
@chriswade6096 жыл бұрын
Nell Bowie Wrong. Flair was often #1 most hated in PWI ratings. There were even times when he was tops in Most Popular AND the Most Hated in the same issue based on fan mail to the magazine.