Verne Gagne

Verne Gagne (born February 26, 1926) is a former Italian-American professional wrestler, trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association (AWA), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout the Midwestern United States and Manitoba, Canada for many years. He remained in this position until 1991, when the company folded. His son Greg also wrestled professionally.

Pre-AWA career
Verne Gagne grew up on a farm in Minnesota. He left home at the age of 14 after his mother died. Verne went to Robbinsdale High School and excelled in football, baseball and wrestling, winning district, regional and state championships in high school wrestling, as well as being named to the All-State Football Team. In 1943, Verne was recruited to play football at the University of Minnesota, where he was named to the All-Conference Team. After one year of college, he enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Gagne chose to return to the University of Minnesota, where he enjoyed a successful amateur wrestling career that saw him capture two NCAA titles, as well as being an alternate for the U.S freestyle wrestling team at the 1948 Olympic Games; he later said that he might have wrestled in the Olympics, but his coaches had discovered that he had earned money winning a wrestling match at a carnival, thus putting his amateur standing in question. Verne joined the NFL soon after by being drafted in the 16th round (145th pick) of the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

In 1949, Verne decided to wrestle professionally, starting his career in Texas. In his debut, he defeated Abe Kashey, with former World Heavyweight boxing Champion Jack Dempsey as the referee. In 1950, Gagne captured the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title. In 1953, Gagne won the Chicago version of the NWA United States Championship. Verne became one of the most well-known stars in wrestling during the golden age of television, thanks to his exposure on the Dumont Network, where he wowed audiences with his technical prowess. He was rumored to be one of the highest paid wrestlers during the 1950s, reportedly earning a hundred thousand dollars a year.

Vern Gagne and his supporters lobbied for him to become NWA World Champion in the 1950s but this did not happen for various reasons due to the politics of the NWA. Gagne was eventually recognized as NWA Champion by some NWA territories through a series of events that occurred in the late 1950s. On June 14, 1957, Edouard Carpentier defeated NWA Champion Lou Thesz in Chicago. The NWA later overruled the decision of the referee in Chicago and gave the title back to Thesz. However, certain wrestling territories of the NWA including Nebraska refused to go along with the decision and continued to recognize Carpentier. Carpentier lost his title to Verne Gagne in Omaha in August 1958 making Verne Gagne the recognized NWA World Champion in the NWA territories that had recognized Carpentier. Gagne held this disputed version of the NWA World title until the formation of the AWA in 1960.

AWA
In 1960, Gagne formed his own promotion, the AWA, instantly becoming its top star. That same year, Gagne was awarded the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, after Pat O'Connor failed to defend the title against the number one contender, Gagne. O'Connor had been the reigning NWA World champion and was advised by the new AWA to grant Gagne a title match within 90 days or else the AWA would declare Gagne the new AWA World champion. Verne would go on to become a ten-time AWA World Champion, a record for the promotion. He also had one of the longest World title reigns in wrestling history, holding the AWA World title from August 31, 1968 until November 8, 1975, a total of 7 years, when he finally lost the belt to Nick Bockwinkel. As well as being the company's owner, Gagne would also train wrestlers from his farm in Chanhassen as well.

Notable fueds
Some of Gagne's biggest feuds were against Gene Kiniski, Dr. Bill Miller (under a mask both as Dr. X and then Mr. M), Fritz Von Erich, Dr. X (Dick Beyer), The Crusher (Reggie Lisowski), Ray Stevens, Mad Dog Vachon and Nick Bockwinkel. He always wrestled as a face, and utilized the sleeper hold as his finisher.

Stars trained by Gagne
Despite already wrestling full-time and running one of the biggest promotions in North America, Gagne operated a training school that produced such stars as Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Curt Hennig, Gene Anderson, Larry Heiniemi (Lars Anderson), Alan "Rock" Rogowski (Ole Anderson), Ken Patera, Chris Taylor, Baron Von Raschke, Black Jack Lanza, "Bulldog" Bob Brown, Jim Brunzell, his son Greg Gagne, John Nord (The Barbarian), and more. Verne retired from in ring competition in 1981 as the AWA World Champion, becoming one of the few wrestlers to retire as a World titlist.

Dealings with Hulk Hogan
As promoter of the AWA, Gagne was known for putting on an "old school" show. He sought out wrestlers with amateur backgrounds over the hulking brutes who dominated wrestling in the 1980s. This led to a problem with his biggest draw, Hulk Hogan, whom Gagne felt was not championship material, due to the fact that Hogan was a powerhouse wrestler and not a technical wrestler. Eventually Gagne settled with making Hogan his champion, but only under the condition that he receive a percentage of Hogan's earnings from Japan; Hogan refused.

In late 1983, Hogan accepted an offer from Vincent K. McMahon to go to the WWF. Allegedly, Gagne offered The Iron Sheik $100,000 to break Hogan's leg during their World Title Match, with the intention that he return to the AWA with the belt. Supposedly Sheik refused the offer and informed Hogan, the McMahons, and Pat Patterson about the planned double cross, and Hulkamania was born. However Gagne claims the deal was never made.

Demise of the AWA
What followed was a purge of stars from various territories and promotions, including Gagne's AWA, by Vince McMahon, who wished to take his WWF "national", and do away with the traditional territorial system that dominated the North American pro wrestling landscape for years. The AWA suffered perhaps the most damage, losing nearly every one of its top stars in the mid to late 1980s. By 1991, the damage had been done, and the AWA shut down, after 30 years.

WWE Hall of Fame
In April 2006, Verne Gagne was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his son, Greg Gagne.

Amateur wrestling

 * Amateur Athletic Union
 * 1942 Northwestern AAU Championship
 * 1948 National AAU Championship
 * 1949 National AAU Championship
 * Big Ten Conference
 * 1944 Big Ten Conference Championship
 * 1947 Big Ten Conference Championship
 * 1948 Big Ten Conference Championship
 * '''Minnesota State High School League
 * 1943 Minnesota State Championship
 * National Collegiate Athletic Association
 * 1948 NCAA Championship
 * 1949 NCAA Championship
 * Olympic Games
 * Member of 1948 United States Olympic Team

Professional wrestling

 * International Pro Wrestling
 * IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)


 * NWA Chicago
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) (2 time) (First)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version) (1 time) - with Edouard Carpentier


 * NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club | American Wrestling Association
 * AWA World Heavyweight Championship (10 times)
 * AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) (5 times)
 * AWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Moose Evans (1), The Crusher (1), Don Leo Jonathan (1), Billy Robinson (1), and Mad Dog Vachon (1)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) (4 times) - with Bronko Nagurski (1), Leo Nomellini (2), and Butch Levy (1)


 * NWA Tri-State
 * NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)


 * Southwest Sports, Inc.
 * NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (1 time) - with Wilbur Snyder


 * World Championship Wrestling
 * WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1993)


 * World Wrestling Entertainment
 * WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)


 * Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
 * (Class of 2004)


 * Pro Wrestling Illustrated
 * Editor's Award in 1986.
 * PWI ranked him # 158 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.


 * Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
 * Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Training career
Verne trained or helped train 93 wrestlers, including:
 * Ric Flair
 * Gene Anderson
 * Ole Anderson
 * Lars Anderson
 * Ricky Steamboat
 * Curt Hennig
 * Bob Backlund
 * Iron Sheik
 * Paul Ellering
 * Jim Brunzell
 * Greg Gagne
 * Blackjack Mulligan
 * Brian Knobbs
 * Jerry Sags
 * Scott Norton
 * Ken Patera
 * Larry Hennig
 * Jimmy Valiant
 * Baron Von Raschke
 * Brad Rheingans
 * Buddy Rose
 * Sgt. Slaughter
 * John Nord
 * Jimmy Snuka
 * Bill Irwin
 * Scott Irwin
 * Bob Brown

Personal life
Gagne married his wife Mary Gagne (1926-2001) in 1947. They have two children: Kathy and Greg. Kathy was once married to Larry Zbyszko. In 2006, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Greg Gagne.

Verne was the star of the 1974 movie, The Wrestler.

External link

 * Verne Gagne at Online World of Wrestling