[Nick Bockwinkel GALLERY]
Check out Nick Bockwinkel’s WWE Alumni profile here!
Title History
- NWA (San Francisco) world tag team titles w/Ramon Torres defeating Hans Hermann and Art Neilson (April 28, 1958);
- NWA (San Francisco) world tag team titles w/Ramon Torres defeating Hombre Montana and Tiny Mills (July 14, 1958);
- NWA Pacific Northwest heavyweight title defeating Tony Borne (October 30, 1963);
- NWA Pacific Northwest tag team titles w/Nick Kozak defeating The Destroyer and Art Michalik (March 18, 1964);
- NWA Pacific Northwest tag team titles w/Nick Kozak defeating The Destroyer and Dan Manoukian (April 22, 1964);
- NWA Pacific Northwest heavyweight title defeating The Destroyer (May 22, 1964);
- NWA Pacific Northwest tag team titles w/Buddy Mareno (Omar Atlas) -replaces injured Nick Kozak- (1964);
- NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Barend (November 25, 1964);
- (Amarillo) world tag team titles w/Ricky Romero defeating Kurt and Karl Von Brauner (November 15, 1967);
- (Texas) world tag team titles w/Ricky Romero defeating Kurt and Karl Von Brauner (April 25, 1968);
- NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Barend (December 25, 1968);
- NWA Georgia Television title defeating Joe Scarpa (January 30, 1970);
- NWA Georgia Television title defeating El Mongol (March 2, 1970);
- NWA Georgia heavyweight title defeating Assassin #1 (Tom Renesto) (April 17, 1970);
- NWA Georgia Television title defeating Joe Scarpa (June 5, 1970);
- NWA Georgia heavyweight title defeating Paul DeMarco (July 24, 1970);
- AWA world tag team titles w/Ray Stevens defeating Red Bastien and Crusher Lisowski (January 20, 1972);
- NWA (Florida) tag team titles w/Ray Stevens defeating Hiro Matsuda and Tim Woods (July 20, 1972);
- AWA world tag team titles w/Ray Stevens defeating Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson (January 6, 1973);
- AWA world tag team titles w/Ray Stevens defeating Crusher Lisowski and Billy Robinson (October 24, 1974);
- AWA world heavyweight title defeating Verne Gagne (November 8, 1975);
- AWA world heavyweight title defeating Verne Gagne (May 19, 1981);
- AWA world heavyweight title -Awarded- (April 24, 1982);
- AWA world heavyweight title defeating Otto Wanz (October 9, 1982);
- AWA (Tennessee) Southern heavyweight title defeating Jerry “The King” Lawler (October 11, 1982);
- AWA world heavyweight title -Awarded when Stan Hansen vacated title- (June 28, 1982);
- World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (1994);
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Inductee (1996);
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (2003);
- Iron Mike award presented by the Cauliflower Alley Club, 2009;
Career Highlights
In The Beginning:
- Nick Bockwinkel teamed with his famous father Warren Bockwinkel during the early stages of his career.
- Nick Bockwinkel made a guest appearance on the TV shows “The Monkees” and “Hollywood Squares”.
Georgia Championship Wrestling:
- 1969: Nick Bockwinkel debuted at an Atlanta house show defeating Billy Spears.
- 1969: Nick Bockwinkel debuted on Atlanta Television beating Roberto Soto.
- October 1969: Nick Bockwinkel won his first main event in Atlanta taking a bloody semi-final from Louis Tillet.
- 1970: Nick Bockwinkel defeated Joe Scarpa in 5 minute overtime to capture the Georgia Television title.
- 1970: El Mongol defeated Nick Bockwinkel in a 5 minute overtime to capture the Georgia Television title.
- ~~~The TV title was held up due to Bockwinkel’s allegations that Mongol used illegal karate to win the title.
- 1970: Nick Bockwinkel defeated El Mongol to recapture the vacated Georgia Television title.
- 1970: Bobby Shane defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the Georgia Television title.
- 1970: Nick Bockwinkel defeated The Assassin (Tom Renesto) for the Georgia heavyweight title.
- 1970: Nick Bockwinkel defeated Buddy Colt in defense of the GA heavyweight title reversing Colts cradle.
- ~~~One week later, Bockwinkel lost the Georgia Heavyweight Title to Buddy Colt in a major upset.
American Wrestling Association:
- Nick Bockwinkel’s star started to truly shine when he joined Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.
- Nick Bockwinkel formed a devastating team with Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, managed by “Pretty Boy” Bobby Heenan.
- ~~~Nick/Ray won the AWA World Tag Team Championships on three separate occasions between 1971-1975.
- ~~~Nick/Ray defeated teams like Bruiser/Crusher, Gagne/Robinson, The Vachons and many others.
- November 8, 1975: Nick Bockwinkel won the AWA World championship by ending Verne Gagne’s record 7-year title run.
- June 25, 1976 – AWA Chicago Stadium: Nick Bockwinkel and Verne Gagne fought to a NO CONTEST in an AWA title match.
- Nick Bockwinkel also made history by putting his title on the line in the first-ever AWA vs. WWF title unification match.
- ~~~Nick Bockwinkel faced WWWF Champion Bob Backlund in a classic match ending in a 1-hour draw.
- July 19, 1980: Verne Gagne defeated Nick Bockwinkel to recapture the AWA world heavyweight title.
- May 19, 1981: The AWA awarded its World title back to Nick Bockwinkel, who was the #1 contender when Gagne retired.
- August 8, 1982: Otto Wanz defeated Nick Bockwinkel to capture the AWA World title in a major upset!
- November 1982: Nick Bockwinkel defeated Otto Wanz to reclaim his AWA world heavyweight title.
- February 22, 1984, in Tokyo: Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World title.
- September 28, 1985 – AWA SuperClash: Greg Gagne/Scott Hall/Curt Hennig beat Ray Stevens/Nick Bockwinkel/Larry Zbysko.
- 1986: Nick Bockwinkel turned fan favorite and challenged AWA World Champion Stan Hansen to a match.
- April 20, 1986 – AWA WrestleRock: Stan Hansen defeated Nick Bockwinkel by Disqualification to retain the AWA World title.
- ~~~When Stan Hansen was informed that he would be dropping the title that night to Bockwinkel, he walked out of the arena.
- ~~~Stan Hansen was stripped and the belt was awarded to none other than Nick Bockwinkel!
- November 16, 1987 – House Show: Nick Bockwinkel was in a legends battle royal won by Lou Thesz.
- 1987: Curt Hennig defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World title, and end the ‘old-timers’ mystic of that title.
Retirement:
- Nick Bockwinkdel also had a speaking part on the hit Television series Hawaii Five-O.
- December 26, 1990 – NJPW: Masa Saito defeated Nick Bockwinkel.
- May 8, 1992 – UWF: Bill Robinson vs. Nick Bockwinkel ended in a time limit draw.
- May 23, 1993 – Slamboree: Dory Funk Jr. vs. Nick Bockwinkel in a legends match ended in a time limit draw.
- 1994: Nick Bockwinkel was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame and briefly acted as “on-air” WCW Commissioner.
- Nick Bockwinkel will be best remembered as one of the greatest “heel” World Champions of all-time.
- Nick Bockwinkel is now retired, more or less, but is very active with the Cauliflower Ally Club.
- May 19, 2006 – World of Hurt Wrestling: Nick Bockwinkel, Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah were all there as guests//
- March 5, 2007 – RAW: The legendary Nick Bockwinkel will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 2007!
- March 31, 2007 – Hall of Fame: Nick Bockwinkel was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
- April 1, 2007 – WrestleMania 23: Nick Bockwinkel and the other HOF inductees were introduced to the audience at Fords Field.
- March 29, 2010 – RAW: Christian defeated Ted DiBiase Jr. in a Legends Lumberjack match.
- ~~~Lumberjacks: “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, IRS (Mike Rotundo), Arn Anderson, Pat Patterson, Tony Garea.
- ~~~Lumberjacks: Rowdy Roddy Piper, Nick Bockwinkel, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Jerry “The King” Lawler .
- Nick Bockwinkel passed away on November 14, 2015, due to declining health.
Robert L. Howell wrote: Nick Bockwinkel and Paul Demarco formed a remarkably well-oiled team debuting on Atlanta Wrestling TV program destroying Jim Wilson and Bob Armstrong. Bick and Paul went on to defeat Alberto Torres and The Professional. drew with The Professional and The Challenger. won by DQ against Joe Scarpa and The Professional and eventually lost the 1st round of the Georgia Tag Team tournament to The Professional and The unmasked Challenger Bobby Shane. Their swan song was a defeat by The Professional and El Mongol who demolished Bockwinkels leg in order to avenge Nicks injuring Mongol the night before with a figure four leglock. Mongol was bandaged but half crabbed Nick into Submission. Nick had bragged before the match over being the only man to make El Mongol concede. Bockwinkel and Demarco replaced The Assassins who were on suspension in Japan at the time as the #1 Georgia heel tag team. They were described by announcer Ed Capral as working like a machine.
1970: Nick Bockwinkel defended the GA TV title against Assassin II (Hamilton) on Atlanta Wrestling TV. The Assiasins pulled a switch and Hamilton won the title. This match was an exchange for Assassin 1 (Renesto) defending The GA Heavyweight Title against Bockwinkel the next week. Nick won the title and had the TV title returned when the NWA reviewed the tape thus becoming the only man to ever hold both titles at once. A record no one broke.
In 1970 on Atlanta Wrestling TV: Bockwinkel survived a wild attack form the bell and a backslide to slam Armstrongs throat into the ropes and follow with a back and under suplex to win. Then in 1972 at the Atlanta City Auditorium: Armstrong and Bockwinkel went over 45 minutes in one of the best main events in Atlanta history when Armstrong electrified the crowd nailing Bockwinkel with an Elbow Smash off the second turnbuckle to win. In a rematch Bockwinkel was DQed.
The July 24, 1970, match in which Bockwinkel won the GA title was the result of a split decision in a prior match in which one referee had declared Bockwinkel the winner and another Demarco. Demarco had won a tournament on Atlanta TV beating Bobby Shane and El Mongol (Mongol by refs decision) to win a shot at Nicks TV title Nick wanted the match to be at The City Auditorium where it would draw a big crowd and the match was set for a GA Heavyweight title match. Another match between Nick and Paul resulted in Nick either jumping or being thrown over the top rope resulting in another disputed decision. on the 24th with the title held up Nick won and settled the matter but his team with Demarco was no more.