If you are an old time wrestling fan like me, and you happen to catch the AWA on ESPN Classic, you are brought back to a better time. I very much enjoyed my time in the AWA. For the most part, once Greg Gagne took the word of Nick Bockwinkel that I was not the guy he suspected of getting drugs for the guys and he extended his hand and said "welcome to the company", all was good. I don’t know how that story got started but I was made aware of it in the Meadowlands Arena by Afa “The Wild Samoan #1”. I had walked into the dressing room during one of the big shows that the AWA promoted in conjunction with the NWA. I had then left for a few minutes and when I walked back in Afa asked me in front of everyone "man why does Verne think that you’re dealing drugs?" I said, "you’re crazy" but he said "I’m telling you that’s what Verne was asking about." It was an absurd statement everyone knew that I not only didn’t deal drugs, but I never used them and still don't to this day. I have never had any alcohol. I understand that’s one of the things that Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Hart and I have in common. So I wasn’t all that surprised when Greg Gagne threw me out of the dressing room in Denver and I had to go to my old pal Jimmy Snuka, who was laughing about it but knew that it was a crazy thing. He is the one who sent me to Nick Bockwinkel and luckily his word was good enough for Greg. He gave me a tryout in one match. When I got back to the dressing room he asked me to please hang around and work the main event. I found out from Col DeBeers that him and Snuka went to Greg and asked that I be used in the main event which was their match. They had a coal miners’ glove match and were afraid the local ref’s couldn’t handle it. I found out later from Nick that Denver had historically has the worst wrestling referee’s in the country so I was really a blessing to the boys.
The coal miner’s glove match was an eye opening experience for me. In those days Snuka was still considered unbeatable and the Colonel was going to go over in a screw job finish that I had to be sure not to see. When we did the finish Snuka was “out cold”. Well the arena went dead silent. I would say it was equivalent to what I was told that Madison Square Garden was like when Ivan Koloff beat Bruno Sammartino for the title. I didn’t think much of it, but when I got in the back and talked about it the guys said those people were one step away from rioting. It was bad heat and I didn’t like thinking about it. I can tell you that Greg came to Col. DeBeers and said the finish would have to be changed after that night. It was my only real moment like that. I had one that came close when Nikita Koloff agreed to put over The Russian Assassins in tag matches. It was close but it wasn’t like what happened in Denver that night.
I can tell you that the Gagne’s always paid me well. I used to hang out with girl wrestlers a lot around WWF in the early days and they had always told me they would rather work for the Gagne’s instead of the McMahons because of better pay offs. They were definitely right and I was glad they were. I have almost all good memories of my matches with those guys and doing the TV’s. I remember one time going to Verne and saying we aren’t getting the signals in the ring. He said "who is supposed to be giving them" and I said "you are". He said "I am?" I said "yeah". He said "well no one told me". It was great times for sure we got through it anyway.
One time Nick was commentating and giving the signals but I wasn’t paying any attention and Dangerously jumped on the apron and said "Nick is going to poke a hole in his head with that pencil if you don’t go home". I was lucky enough to work with Sean Michaels and Marty Jannetty when they were working Buddy Rose and Doug Somers. I loved working with these guys. What great matches that they had. I thought Rose and Somers were a great team and they were classic heels and cowards. It was clear that Sean and Marty were a great team. I didn’t predict Sean would reach the heights that he has now, but he was a natural in the ring. I have always been a fan of tag team wrestling. I enjoyed everything about them and if worked properly they can really tear a crowd down. It was just a great time in a fun company for me. I owed a lot to Ray Stevens. He gave me my chance and the guys took to me well and I took well to them.
I knew of two guys in the business, though I am sure there were more but I knew of two, that wrote down every match they ever had. They were Tommy Angel and George South. I used to laugh at those guys but they were right. I wish now that I had followed their lead and done that. I wouldn’t be struggling like I do at times now to remember some of the matches I participated in.
I will tell you the story next week of the Zbyszko and Bockwinkel angle that we did at the Showboat that aired about a week or so ago.
This photo was taken by me in ninenteen eight seven at the home of Afa "The Wild Samoan #1. We were all at a birthday party for Afa Jr. who is currently at the WWE developmental camp. This of course was Hulk and Linda in happier times than we are all currently reading about. It was a really fun day it was great to see Hulk relax all day especially at that time where rest was not something he was able to get alot of.
