When I was 5 years old the Crusher came to our local Target store on South 27th Street and Layton Ave. Long since gone now. But back then Target was on the Southern side of Layton and K-Mart was on the North side of Layton. You could pop out the side of one and go to the other quick and easy. This "event" was in 1973-74. It was a photograph opportunity for kids to get a photo with the Crusher. Now I'm now 55. I have a terminal illness so if my recollection(dates, etc) are off I apologize. The Crusher was a awesome guy, and EXTREMELY GENTLE WITH KIDS. I was told I was terrified of him at first. He was a big loud guy to a 5 year old. But he took me aside and apparently quietly and gently talked to me about me getting a picture.📸 Before long we were buddies and up on his shoulder I went! 📸Snap📸photo📸done. He was not only my favorite wrestler but he showed me that big and loud wasn't scary and mean. He was my hero!

Two of the best, ever! Great memories!

Da Crusher was my all time favorite wrestler as a kid. Thanks for sharing this video.

I love these old clips. And I love how the huge sold out crowds bought in to the matches so enthusiastically back then.

40 yrs ago this was my childhood hero. God where has the time gone? Im an old man now

Heel and babyface. Simple believable bumps. Clean finish. I miss "real" wrestling.

Awa has been the best territory of all wrestling the best wrestlers and the best cage matches of all

The Crusher used to live six blocks from our house, and I'd see him at the gas station, Andrea's Restaurant, and Pick n Save grocery store. Today he is buried in the cemetery at the corner. Sure miss that guy.

Great Matches at the Civic Center, That was fun to watch matches in that building. The old auditorium also was great.

Da Crusher is the ultimate blue-collar guy.

40 years ago, a cage match was considered the most brutal kind of match. Today, 40 years later, there are matches with baseball bats, barbed wire, broken glass, and fire...40 years from now, what're they going to do, have wrestlers walk into the ring carrying knives and guns? Dismemberment matches? Cannibal matches? Hard to see how things can get much more extreme in the future..real violence and killing like Ancient Rome?

Nicholas electing not to cushion the G force of Crusher's humanoid tactics with his digits. 2 Legends.

I lived in SE WI as a kid, and the Crusher was my hero. I thought it was amazing a guy on TV talked about places I had been too! Lol It was an unofficial “rule”, that if Crusher was on TV when someone was switching channels, they had to yell for me so I could watch until his part was over.

Yes, I saw Nick Bockwinkel doing the dirty trick of biting The Crusher's forehead. Well, it doesn't stop me from liking him still, though. Thanks for sharing the video.

Blood is the greatest gimmick....after ECW the blood became too common and became a staple instead of a primary reason to put on a show

At 4:16 in the front row, you can see the guy in the red jacket wiping the sweat and/or blood off his coat, right after Crusher threw Bockwinkel into the cage. Classic!

The Crusher knew how to work up a match in an interview. I hope there are a few hidden matches out there that come about.

This match took place on February 3, 1980. Lord Alfred Hayes sent Bobbie Heenan airborne into the cage prior to the match. In 1979 Heenan was in Atlanta…

The Crusher did not even need his bollo punch!

I'd have loved to have a pitcher with Da Crusher. Both men are tremendous rasslers but IMHO Da Crusher was on whole other level.

Da Crusher is grating Bockwinkle’s head into the mesh like a nutmeg. 😂

AWA GREAT WRESTLING Which doesn’t exist anymore

Bockwinkel favorite wrestler

The good ole days before wrestling was turned into a cartoon performance.

Grating like a nutmeg, lol

Is that Roger Kent?

Love The Crusher!

Da Crusher!

I was at this match. There's nothing like being there in person.

I went to high school with his nephew

Good stuff

For a second I thought Bockwinkel picked up Crusher's blade

Good old school cage matches. WWE could bring this type of cage match back. They should. Over the top both feet hit the floor to win. No pinfall no submission no cage door. Lights down and only over the cage. These could be epic pay per view matches. They don't need to blade to make it work. No more blood in the WWE..I guess....but this would be a nice match to bring back for the older fans and show the younger generation what we use to have.

Yeah dude 😎 good match 👍 What is up? Man on man action 🔥 R U man enough?

Was this a non title match ?

What an era!!!! So sad to see our once great country become what it is. When men were men!

When people believed.

I like AWA but they had the worst announcer… i have to put on mute

OOOOOOOH!

My dad the ref.

He thinks Bockwinkle is cut also, you think, LOL

Regretfully, Bockwinkel didn't lose this one. Crusher was disqualified for jumping off the top rope. The news came in the morning edition of the paper formerly known as the Minneapolis Tribune.

All fake wrestling 😅