The Territory Photo Albums--AWA 1974

Who doesn't love looking through the old territory photo albums? Even non-collecting wrestling fans get a kick out of them. They're a time capsule of a particular promotion and are usually from a golden era. If business was down and the stars weren't exactly top notch the promoters probably weren't going to spend a lot of money to advertise that fact. As I said in the first installment of this feature many years ago, you didn't have the Internet where you could fly to any promotion's website or app and instantly view the current roster, alumni, Hall of Fame, etc. So what did you do? You spent a couple bucks and bought a photo album if your area was lucky enough to have one.

Being one of the premiere wrestling promotions in the country, the American Wrestling Association had many photo albums. In this case, way back in 1974, it's a yearbook. I've long wanted this particular publication and the price is usually fairly high when it comes up. I've not only been on an AWA "kick" as of late, but I happened upon a small but amazing collection chock full of items from both this promotion and "nearby" Central States. I'm sure we'll be seeing much more from that lot both here on the blog and on the associated social media pages. I must say that I'm particularly thrilled over the inclusion of a side of a popcorn box that was used for collecting autographs. It really isn't even the autographs that are as exciting to me as it being an actual piece of a popcorn box from a nearly fifty-year-old wrestling show. If you wouldn't be feeling the same, get off of this blog now.

Kidding, of course! We've got 1974 to go back to here. If you've already browsed through the photos or own this book yourself, you may notice the resemblance to the 1976 World Wide Wrestling Federation Championship Wrestling Yearbook. That yearbook was also published by the team of Gary Halvorson and Gary Juster and is very similar in feel and format. Juster, of course, is best remembered for his involvement in World Championship Wrestling in the early '90s and was still around the wrestling business within the last few years. Seeing as that the WWWF version was listed as being published in St. Paul, Minnesota, one has to wonder if Vince McMahon or another WWWF promoter saw this AWA work and decided that they wanted to commission one for themselves.

The table of contents for this AWA yearbook lists Verne Gagne, The Crusher, Billy Robinson, Billy "Superstar" Graham, Nick Bockwinkel, Ray Stevens, Bobby Heenan, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, Ivan Putski, Baron Von Raschke and Horst Hoffman, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell, Dick The Bruiser, Buddy Wolff, Geoff Portz, Chris Taylor, Andre The Giant, and Nikolai Volkoff among the top wrestlers. Of course there are also a few pages with additional wrestlers as well as other dignitaries. In showing how everyone wanted to stay "fresh" in those days, several of the stars featured would end up in the WWWF version two years later. 

It's no surprise our cover boy is Verne Gagne himself. I've said it many times, but I still can't believe that we didn't get a Remco Verne figure. Nonetheless, here he is demonstrating his pure wrestling prowess on Billy Robinson and featuring in the first, and biggest, bio. Son Greg is on the inside cover. I don't agree with the hate that Greg gets, but it's just simply telling that he's right there. While you might've guessed Robinson as the second bio, you would be wrong. He came in third right behind The Crusher. Even as he was getting up in age, I'm sure that Reggie "Crusher" Lisowski was still a top drawing card in the region, especially in Milwaukee. Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

We get a look at Billy Graham (when "Superstar" got middle billing) and then arrive upon the man that I, personally, connect most closely with the AWA, the one and only Nick Bockwinkel. He may have been the classiest champion that there ever was, but you could also argue that he was the classiest heel, too. While I'm sure that Nick Aldis in our modern era is mostly trying to emulate Ric Flair, he actually comes across much more in the style of Bockwinkel as far as promos and presentation. Nevertheless, both in and out of the ring Bockwinkel is unmatched. 

While they don't have the bios that the "home based" AWA talent gets, Andre the Giant and Nikolai Volkoff share a featured page that obviously points out their importance. With Andre it was no secret. Looking through AWA results of the era you can see the many tours that Andre did throughout the Midwest, often competing in a battle royal or helping dispose of the most dastardly AWA heels. Volkoff was likely coming in from the WWWF, as he's pictured with a nice head of hair and "Classy" Freddie Blassie who would not have made the trip, being a WWWF lifer at that point.

There are two full pages of smaller pictures displaying "More Wrestling Stars." It's sort of surprising to see Dusty Rhodes here instead of getting a full profile, though this would be right when he was becoming "The American Dream" in Florida. We do get to see a photo that I have never seen before of young "Rick Flair," probably not too far removed from the days when he yearned to be known as "Rambling" Ricky Rhodes. We also get to see Rene Goulet, Red Bastien, Larry Heiniemi (Lars Anderson), Khosrow Ali Vaziri (The Iron Sheik), and a young, slim, dark haired grappler named Paul Perschman who would later be immortalized in plastic by the AWA as "Playboy" Buddy Rose. Interestingly we also get a photo of "Odd Job," labeled as such. This is obviously actor Harold Sakata who played the famous James Bond villain, but I wasn't aware that he actually wrestled under the character name. Rather I recall him being billed in the ring as Tosh Togo.

After the wrestlers we get a full page dedicated to promoter Wally Karbo (who Bobby Heenan had a million stories about) and a subsequent page with other AWA officials. Stanley Blackburn, Bob Luce, Al DeRusha, Lord James"Tally Ho" Blears and Ed Francis are a few of the more familiar names. We end the publication with a profile on longtime AWA broadcaster Marty O'Neill and two unsurprising ads. The first is for the publications produced by "The Wrestling News." Although the ordering address is in New York, these publications were largely produced out of the AWA territory and always seemed to have a large focus on that area. Last but not least is an ad for the film "The Wrestler." This is, of course, the 1974 version which co-starred Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson. It's worth going out of your way to see, is widely available, and the bar fight featuring The Texas Outlaws (Rhodes and Dick Murdoch) is a real highlight. And there's Harold Sakata again looking a lot like Odd Job.

Did I say how much I love these old books? I know that I'm not the only one. I can't cram all of the pictures into one blog entry, but I do try to feature enough to convey the look and feel. If you want to see more, give us a follow over on Instagram (@jws_wrestling_memorabilia) where I just recently posted a brief tour of this yearbook with photos you did not see here including Wahoo McDaniel, Vivian Vachon, Ken Patera, Wilbur Snyder, and one of my off-beat favorites from the era, Bull Bullinski. If there was ever a wrestler of the '70s, it's Bull.

While Ron Trongard wasn't in this particular AWA publication, can't you just hear him? "From coast to coast, continent to continent, border to border, it's the A-DOUBLE-YEW-A!"

Shake It Up!

Bobbleheads. Nodders. Whatever you want to call them, it's hard to imagine a brand in sports or entertainment that hasn't seen a few created in the images of their respective stars. Pro wrestling is no different. While WWE has had their share of these collectibles over the years, it's a few that were outside of that famous marketing machine that are most interesting. Some collectors may not even realize that a few of these exist...

Where else would we start on this blog than with The American Dream? Yes, Dusty Rhodes has a Bobblehead. This particular doll was a promotional item at a Florida Championship Wrestling event in Punta Gorda, FL on July 30, 2010. The Dream was in attendance that night and thus many of these are signed on the base. FCW would, of course, later morph into NXT where it is well known that Rhodes played a big part in the training of the future stars there.

The early days of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling saw a variety of stars pass through the TNA rings. One of those was D'Lo Brown. If anyone was made to be a Bobblehead, it's the former Nation of Domination standout. After all, his head bobbing back and forth became a trademark. This Bobblehead was available exclusively through TNA and provides possibly the best likeness of any D'Lo figure to date.

Roll out the barrel, The Crusher is here. Though he has yet to have an actual action figure, The Crusher received a Bobblehead in his famed hometown of Milwaukee. On February 21, 2016, the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team gave away these Bobbleheads to the first 5,000 fans at the game. Lee Jeans was a sponsor, which is prominently featured on the base as is Da Crusha's trademark beer barrel. The dollies had to be going wild over this one.

The latest Bobblehead to be featured here was a giveaway on August 26, 2017 at a Gwinnett Braves baseball game. The subject? Their play-by-play announcer Tony Schiavone. Of course, wrestling fans remember him fondly for his work in Jim Crockett Promotions, the WWF, and WCW. Along with his dog, Bug, Tony sees his first representation as a figure here. Only 2,500 fans received this doll at Coolray Field on what might have been the greatest night in the history of Bobbleheads...

Announcers. Legends. European Champions. You never know just who in wrestling will receive a Bobblehead next. They're great collectibles that fit well in any collection...and cause a whole lotta shakin' goin' on!

The 2016 J\/\/ Awards

More anticipated than the Oscars, the Emmys, and even the Country Music Awards, it's The 2016 J\/\/ Awards featuring "The Joshie!" Each year we celebrate the best in wrestling memorabilia and memories in five different categories. The design of "The Joshie" itself changes every year, as well, utilizing a classic wrestling figure from the past with a "J\/\/" twist. I think that last year's change was lost on a few readers (yes, that was my face under the Doink "paint"), but there's no doubt about the 2016 version, that's Joshie McMahon. Stand back! Without further ado, let's hand out those awards...

 2016 Best Figure

Mattel's WWE Hall of Fame Dusty Rhodes wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Figure. In a year that saw some absolutely amazing figures, firsts, and a lot of items that we never thought possible, Dusty takes the crown. Fitting, seeing as that the figure, packaged exclusively with a WCW ring for Target, includes Mattel's version of "Big Gold." The company could have easily cheaped out in many ways on Big Dust, but they didn't. Instead, a pretty cool re-styled ring came packed with an all-new Dusty. That, my friends, is The American Dream!

2016 Best Buy (Non-Figure)

Topps WWE Heritage 2016 Trading Cards win "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Buy. The Heritage cards returned in 2015 for the first time since 2012, but the comeback fell a bit short of my expectations. For a myriad of reasons, I just didn't get exactly what I was hoping for. The 2016 edition changed that. In addition to the great design, we received some very cool subsets and stars who had never before been included in a Heritage set. The classic cardboard of wrestling was back in full force in 2016. This award celebrates that.

2016 Best Product Line

Mattel wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Product Line. Once again Mattel takes home this award, and for good reason. In the 2016 wrestling world there really isn't any company that matches the volume that Mattel produces. Is it all great? No, but the good outweighs the bad with some tremendous entries. The speed in which new characters are getting figures has greatly improved, much to the chagrin of wallets everywhere. Will 2017 see another award winning year for Mattel? It's a great possibility.

2016 Future Holy Grail

The Crusher Bobblehead wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Future Holy Grail. In February the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team gave this item away as a game promotion. It's the first figure representation of The Crusher. It's a cross-collectible for both wrestling and bobblehead doll collectors alike. It's also likely one of the last pieces of merchandise that we'll see featuring the beer-chugging, polka-dancing, Milwaukee native. It hasn't completely disappeared from the secondary market, either, so get one off of that famous Internet auction site while the prices are still decent. The fact that the doll is standing on a beer barrel makes it all the cooler.

2016 Thanks For The Memories Award

2016 Thanks For The Memories Nominee: Chyna. This award was not conceived as a memorial, but it has become one since 2014. A lot of people dismissed Chyna for some of her behavior after her WWF career, but she was so much more than that (no pun intended). At times it's easy to forget just how big of a star she was during her tenure. Even in her non-speaking "bodyguard" days, she just stood out. I prefer to remember that, as well as how nice she was to her fans any time that I was around her. In an era that I don't always look back so fondly upon, she is still a shining star.

Well, you may not get the Slammys this year, but there are "The Joshies." It's still not too late to pick up a great wrestling gift for the favorite fan in your life. And as for that doll that's hanging around shelves everywhere doing silly things? Not here...

AWA Meets The Press

Thanksgiving was a wrestling tradition long before the advent of Starrcade or Survivor Series.  Nearly every territory had a huge "Turkey Day" card, or sometimes multiple cards, each year.  What would be better than to finish up your feast and head on over to the matches?  One of those territories was Verne Gagne's AWA.  With its roots in the early days of television, by the 1980's the AWA's reach still spanned far and wide.  Although a few years away from its big tv deal with then-upstart ESPN, the AWA produced a press kit in 1982 to try and further its audience and maybe even go national before the WWF.

I'm a huge fan of the various press kits that have come out of the wrestling business over the years.  They're a largely untapped type of memorabilia as far as wrestling goes.  They could be described as almost a time capsule of wrestling in that you never know when you'll discover one and just exactly what you'll find inside.  Vince McMahon obviously had the marketing vision to produce various press kits for WrestleMania and other ventures, but who would've thought that Verne did the same a few years earlier?

Red, white, and blue were the standard pattern of colors on the well-remembered American Wrestling Association logo, and those hues carry over throughout this tri-fold folder.  To say that this AWA press kit rivaled the later WWF press kits in style wouldn't be a stretch of a statement.  The folder is handsomely printed and, in appearance, would make anyone think that AWA All-Star Wrestling was the top wrestling company in the world.  Some of the verbiage inside, however, might make help convince them otherwise.

On the inside is a mix of information obviously designed to sell the AWA to television stations.  The list of biggest wrestling crowds of all-time shows the top two most-attended cards as being at Shea Stadium and Madison Square Garden.  With the press kit listing elsewhere where AWA matches were promoted, it wouldn't be hard for a station manager to figure out that these two top cards had nothing to do with the American Wrestling Association.  Elsewhere, a "quote" attributed to a tv station manager claims that "The wrestling crowd is a spending crowd.  But then, any sports crowd is a spending crowd."  The AWA couldn't come up with a more positive sounding quote than that?

In other areas the company did a better job of self-promotion.  Of course, Mr. Gagne is pictured as are other familiar AWA office faces of the time such as Stanley Blackburn, Wally Karbo, Al DeRusha, Rodger Kent, and our own close, personal, longtime friend, Gene Okerlund.  There's even a small and interesting "ad" of sorts promoting wrestling magazines.  Shown are titles from Stanley Weston (The Wrestler), Norman Kietzer (Wrestling News), and Japan.  For some unknown reason, Sports Illustrated is pictured in the collage as well.

In the middle of the folder are several pull-out sheets.  The first is a list of "Consistent advertisers on TV wrestling."  Every type of business from wines and dog food to ice rinks and loan companies are listed.  It seems as if someone in the AWA offices grabbed a Minneapolis phone book and picked out any type of business that could be found.  Behind this list are some great photo sheets titled "Star Power in the AWA."  Most feature several wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan (in a shot as Thunderlips), Billy Robinson, Jesse Ventura, Tito Santana, The Crusher, and Baron Von Raschke.  Being the "Eighth Wonder of the World," Andre the Giant gets his own sheet all to himself.

Two other photo sheets are included, titled "When The Little People Come To Town" and "Equal Opportunity Wrestling."  These showcase midget wrestlers and female wrestlers, respectively.  The women's sheet features a great shot of Wendi Richter and Joyce Grable with the famous Fabulous Moolah-owned Ladies Tag Team Championship belts.  Wendi looks a tad heavier than in her well-remembered WWF days just a few short years later.

As mentioned above, you never quite know what you're going to find when you unearth a wrestling press kit.  Behind the pullout sheets in this one lay an original AWA one-of-a-kind.  On a folded piece of yellow legal sized paper is what appears to be the 1984, 1985, and 1986 payoff sheet for the ring announcer at the St. Paul Civic Center.  June through October of 1984 is typed out while the rest is hand written.  It is interesting to see how the payoffs went up for large shows such as holiday events and WrestleRock.  It's always cool when something that was never meant to be saved ends up materializing after being literally stuffed away.

Items like these are why I love the world of wrestling memorabilia.  Being a sort of "wild west" industry as it was even sometime after the WWF went national, you just never know what you're going to stumble upon.  No one has a complete listing of everything that's out there, and who would really want one?  It would kill the fun of collectors coming together to show what they have, and what has yet to be discovered in an old attic or basement.