AWA All-Star Wrestling

“AWA All-Star Wrestling” was a professional wrestling organization better known as the “American Wrestling Association”. Former amateur wrestling champion Vern Gagne won the then NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) World Championship from Edouard Carpentier in Omaha, Nebraska in August 1958. Some of the NWA territories refused to recognize Carpentier’s world title win over Lou Thesz in Chicago and overturned the win giving Thesz back the title there then was 2 major wrestling superstars that laid claim to the title. In early 1960 Vern after losing an appeal to the major branches of the NWA to have a unification title match between he and Lou decided to start his own wrestling organization. This new organization was headquartered out of Gagne’s home state of Minnesota. He was able to garner a major syndicated television deal and by late 1960 began airing “AWA All-Star Wrestling”. This became a very popular wrestling program throughout North America and Canada being aired every Monday nights at 8PM in most major markets.

In the 1980’s having renamed from the WWWF the WWF now known as the WWE was gaining momentum and stealing most of Vern’s big stars left and right. This began a slow spiraling effect to the weekly program with lesser known talent the home audience quickly became disinterested. It remained on the air until early 1991 which was an unprecedented continuous showing of a wrestling program never having changed its’ name one time.