Nick Bockwinkel

Born: 1934-12-06

Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the '70s and '80s. The son of wrestler Warren Bockwinkel, Nick had a lengthy professional wrestling career with matches in 34 consecutive years (1954-1987). Debuting in 1954, Bockwinkel spent the first half of his career as a journeyman, playing the babyface (good guy), wrestling primarily in territories based in California and Hawaii with stints in Texas, Georgia, and the Pacific Northwest as well as Canada and Australia. In 1970, he joined the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based AWA, where he would be based for the remainder of his career. Bockwinkel held the AWA World Tag Team Championship three times (with partner Ray "The Crippler" Stevens and managed by Bobby Heenan) then the AWA World Heavyweight Championship four times before retiring in 1987. In 1986, before retirement, Bockwinkel had a classic 1-hour draw against Curt Hennig on ESPN's AWA Championship Wrestling. He worked briefly for WWE in 1987 as a color commentator and with WCW as commissioner. Bockwinkel was recognized for his exceptional technical wrestling ability, mastery of in-ring psychology, and even-toned, articulate promos. Professional wrestling historian Tim Hornbaker described him as "the definitive heavyweight champion heel of the 1970s", while historian Scott Beekman described him as "the most successful heel champion in wrestling history". Bockwinkel was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2003, the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007, the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009, and the National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2016!


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The Wrestler

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 1974-04-28

Frank Bass (Ed Asner) is an honest guy trying to make a living in the cut throat world of...

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WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 2006-10-17

The best and most memorable matches from Hulk Hogan's career.

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WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 2010-12-07

.A countdown of the greatest superstars in WWE History. From Hulk Hogan to Randy Savage to The...

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The Life And Times of Paul Boesch

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 1994-04-01

Documentary on legendary Houston Wrestling Promoter Paul Boesch produced and aired in 1994 on...

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WWE: Allied Powers - The World's Greatest Tag Teams

as Himself
Released: 2009-01-01

Throughout the decades, fans of sports entertainment have long enjoyed the controlled chaos of...

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WCW Slamboree 1993

as Himself
Released: 1993-05-23

Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion was the first annual Slamboree professional wrestling...

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WWE: The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History

as uncredited
Released: 2013-05-28

WWE Superstars clash year-round with championships, glory, and personal pride on the line. But...

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WWE Hall of Fame 2007

as Himself
Released: 2007-03-31

The class of 2007 takes their rightful place in the Hall of Fame, during Wrestlemania 23...

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AWA SuperClash II

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 1987-05-02

SuperClash II was the second SuperClash professional wrestling event produced by American...

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WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA

as Self
Released: 2006-01-01

The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA.

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AWA: SuperClash '85

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 1985-09-25

SuperClash '85 – The Night of Champions was the first SuperClash professional wrestling...

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AWA: WrestleRock '86

as Himself
Released: 1986-04-20

The AWA supercard was broadcast from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on April 20, 1986. It was...

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AWA: Brawl in St. Paul

as Himself
Released: 1986-12-25

It's Christmas chaos in The St. Paul Civic Center with an all-star card!

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AWA Wrestling For a Cure

as Himself
Released: 1985-08-16

The Biggest stars of the mat game converge in Boston to help The Muscular Dystrophy Association!

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AWA Super Sunday

as Nick Bockwinkel
Released: 1983-04-24

American Wrestling Association supercard on April 24th, 1983.

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AWA Christmas Night 1983

as uncredited
Released: 1983-12-25

The American Wrestling Association is live from the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul,...

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Hawaii Five-O

as Harry
First aired: 1968-09-20

Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and...

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