Nick Bockwinkel

Real name: Nick Warren Bockwinkel
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 241 lbs.
Date of birth: December 6, 1934
Date of death: November 14, 2015
From: Los Angeles, CA
Pro debut: 1954
Trained by: Warren Bockwinkel & Lou Thesz
Finishing move: Figure Four Leglock

Biography

– Bockwinkel claimed two Beat the Champ International Television titles in 1955.
– On December 23, 1960 in Long Beach, CA, Bockwinkel and Lord James Blears defeated Stan Holek and the Preacher for the WWA International Television Tag Team title.
– Bockwinkel and Edouard Carpentier defeated Holek and the Preacher for the WWA International Tag Team title on January 4, 1961.
– On October 30, 1963, Bockwinkel defeated Tony Borne in Salem, OR for the NWA Pacific Northwest title.
– Bockwinkel and Nick Kozak defeated Art Michalik and the Destroyer on March 18, 1964 to capture the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team title.
– Bockwinkel and Kozak defeated the Destroyer and Dan Manoukian on April 22, 1964 to regain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team title. Bockwinkel and Buddy Mareno teamed up to win the Pacific Northwest Tag Team title when Kozak was injured.
– On May 22, 1964, Bockwinkel defeated the Destroyer in Portland, OR for the NWA Pacific Northwest title.
– On December 19, 1969, Bockwinkel helped the Assassins capture the NWA Georgia Tag Team by winning a six man tag match over Ray Gunkel, Bobby Fuller, and the Professional.
– Bockwinkel defeated Assassin #1 on April 17, 1970 in Atlanta, GA to capture the NWA Georgia Heavyweight title.
– One week after losing the Georgia title, Bockwinkel regained it on July 24, 1970 from Paul DeMarco.
– With manager “Pretty Boy” Bobby Heenan in their corners, Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens defeated Red Bastien and Crusher Lisowski for the AWA World Tag Team title on January 20, 1972 in Denver, CO.
– On September 1, 1972, Bockwinkel and Stevens defeated Billy Robinson and Wilbur Snyder in Chicago, IL.
– Bockwinkel and Stevens regained the AWA Tag Team belts on January 6, 1973 in St. Paul, MN.
– On October 24, 1974, Bockwinkel and Stevens defeated Lisowski and Bill Robinson in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the AWA Tag Team title.
– Bockwinkel, still under the tutelage of Heenan, defeated Verne Gagne on November 8, 1975 to capture the AWA World Heavyweight title. The victory ended Gagne’s seven year reign as champion.
– Bockwinkel battled then WWF champion Bob Backlund to a double count out on March 25, 1979 in Toronto, Ontario.
– On May 19, 1981, Bockwinkel was awarded the AWA title when Gagne announces his retirement.
– On October 9, 1982, Bockwinkel defeated Otto Wanz in Chicago, IL to regain the AWA title.
– Bockwinkel pinned Jerry “The King” Lawler on October 11, 1982 in Memphis, TN for the NWA/AWA Southern title.
– Bockwinkel and Hennig beat Isamu Teranishi and Masanobu Kurisu on December 12, 1985 in Tokyo, Japan.
– On April 28, 1986, Bockwinkel beat Larry Zbysko in a “Texas death” match in East Rutherford, NJ.
– On June 28, 1986, Bockwinkel is awarded the AWA title when champion Stan Hansen fails to appear for a scheduled title defense in Denver.
– Bockwinkel, Dick Slater, and Austin Idol beat Masanobu Fuchi, Akio Sato, and Samson Fuyuki on August 31, 1987.
– In 1994, Bockwinkel had a stint as WCW commissioner.
– On May 17, 2003, Bockwinkel was elected to the professional wrestling hall of fame in Schenectady, NY.
– On January 22, 2006, Bockwinkel served as the special guest referee for the Shinjiro Otani-Steve Corino match at the Korakuen Hall.
– Bobby Heenan inducted Bockwinkel into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31, 2007 in Detroit, MI.
– On December 31, 2015, Bockwinkel was voted into the GERWECK.NET Hall of Fame.