This is Professional Wrestling at its absolute best. Doesn't get any better than this. Along with Lou Thesz, these two men are the greatest champs the business has ever seen. They exuded class. I wish Bockwinkel would have went to Crockett's NWA and we possibly could have had one of the greatest feuds ever leading up to a historic match at "Starrcade". It's a shame that it never happened. Nick didn't like moving and was content in the AWA. Does this match from Canada exist in its complete form?
I....LOVE... THIS....MATCH!!!! Though their styles are different they were both supremely gifted performers and complemented each other perfectly. I love when Nick slaps Flair during his figure four... Flair's screams are magnificent.
Boy, ... I woud´ve loved to seeBockwinkle against Savage or Steamboat, maybe Brett Hart. Had he been younger he would have been a top draw in the late 80´s or Wrestlemania 3 era. Fantastic worker.
Two of the greatest right here. These men exemplified the classy, intelligent, well spoken champion. I always wished that Bockwinkle would have went to the NWA and I would have gotten to see this match at a big pay-per-view like "Starrcade". Too bad that Nick was just content staying in the AWA. However, thankfully we have this one professionally filmed match between the two. Hopefully, the WWE will release another Flair set and will include this match in its entirety.
@mkl62 This was just a few months before Bockwinkle was awarded his fourth world title after Stan Hansen walked out on the company. Ironically, the last title reign for Bockwinkle was as a babyface.
@Sargebri I have often wondered why Stan Hansen did what he did. I think that he didn't like the politics of the wrestling business. In WCW, he refused to go along with those Desparado skits.
@mkl62 What happened was was that prior to that night, Hansen had agreed to go to Japan to participate in a tour with All Japan and he promised Baba that he would defend the AWA belt on the tour. However, Verne Gagne wanted Hansen to drop the belt to Bockwinkle before he left for Japan. Hansen was very loyal to Baba and pretty much told Gagne to go F himself and as a result he was stripped of the championship. However, when he did the tour he still had possesion of the belt.
@Sargebri Sort of a pre-cursor to what Ric Flair did with the WCW Belt when he went to WWE. The belt that Lex Luger beat Barry Windham for was a remodeled version of the Western States Heritage Belt. They just plastered WCW over Western States. Real cheap, Mr. Herd.
@mkl62 Actually, Flair just took the belt. The ironic thing was that when he left WCW and was stripped of that championship, he still was recognized as champion by what was left of the NWA at that point in time. It wasn't until Flair wrestled his first match in the WWF that the NWA stripped him of that title as well.
@Sargebri I will always feel that this is what eventually hurt the AWA. Most fans would rather see a belt change hands in the ring instead of in the office. Ditto with Ric Flair. I know that the Charlotte Observer newspaper called for a boycott of WCW after the Herd fiasco.
@mkl62 Also, when Hansen returned from Japan, he took the belt, threw it on the ground and rolled over it several times with his pickup. He then returned the damaged belt to Gagne.
I know that Nick Boclwinkel and Blackjack Lanza took on Tor Kamata and Abullah The Butcher in Japan in a tag team match but did Nick ever wrestle either in a sungles match!
On my BEST EVER ON THE MIC, I ranked Ric Flair first just ahead of The Rock, Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham. Nick Bockwinkel I had him ranked 11th. Flair's and Bockwinkel's promos never ever disappoint.
What sucks is I got into wrestling around this time and went to my first WWF card at the Winnipeg Arena in November 1986 (Hogan vs Orndorff), and totally missed out on this card months earlier. I had no idea Flair wrestled Bockwinkel here.
Didn't Flair cut a really good promo for this match? I know that clips of it are part of the "Custom Made" video here on YouTube but I thought the promo in it's entirety was on here as well.
Bockwinkle, and Flair two of the best that were ever in the business. Not only were they great in the ring, They were also two of the best during interviews as well.
A lot of wrestlers were considered for the title but most of them turned it down because of the insane travel schedule which had very little time off. There is a web site that has a record of NWA world title matches from the 1940s to the present day and it is absolutely insane.
Yep. I still feel that "Tricky Nick" would have made a great champ. Anyone who can make Hulk Hogan look great should have gotten that belt for that alone.
Interestingly, Bockwinkel was on the short list of guys to get the NWA championship. However, he never wanted it because he didn't like to travel too much. That's why he stayed in the AWA.
That would be interesting, that's a lot of ego in one place. If it were early in his career I can Flair getting pinned, but what would be more likely would be a schmoz
The problem with Bockwinkle was the fact that he never wanted anyone above him. He held Hulkamania back until Hogan jumped back to WWF. The Gange's sucked too.
Verne didn't exactly get rid of Hogan. Vince offered Hogan a better deal and Hogan jumped ship. As in any job if another company offers you a better deal you take it.
@DotDotkins : well, he didn't finish up, he just left. He was booked around the horn, and left Verne high and dry, even though Greg tried to get him to honor his commitments...
Hogan also stated on the AWA DVD that he came up with the idea of selling t-shirts and when Hulk went to Japan, Verne was still selling them and not giving him his cut because he wasn't around.
Interestingly, Bockwinkel was often touted for the NWA championship. However, Bockwinkel didn't like the travel demands so he kept on refusing. He would have made a great champion due to the fact that he could make an opponent look good. In fact, he made that big goof Hulk Hogan look almost like Lou Thesz.
HHH is the best wrestler ever and could take any of these guys! John Cena 4-life!!!...............I'm so just fucking kidding....i wish we could get this kind of wrestling today :*(
ACtually, Bockwinkel was not a world champion here as he was between his AWA World title runs. This belt was strickly for Flair's NWA World title belt.
Flair and Anderson would crush them at about the 20-minute mark. Now some delusional is gonna swear on Bibles that Bockwinkel and Stevens could have taken them.
Fantasy match-up here...I guess at the time this was the only ending they could come up with to save face on both men, but I wish they could've at least had a winner-
Eventually, one will have to turn face, though. Heenan would have to pick a side. The reason I say this, is becasue those two would have to wrestle each other at some point. It would be hard to pass by these two facing each other. Just imaging the matches, the promos, the crowds and the sells of these two. Both inside and outside the ring. lol It would be a huge draw. Do you agree?
A classic match right here; both men have tremendous technical wrestling talent. Both hard working in the ring, you don't see matches like this anymore. Bockwinkle, Zabysco, Flair, Race, Brisco, Stevens, I can go on and on.
Just do a search, there are a few Bockwinkel and Stevens tag matches, and they are a forgotton real wraslin Legend tag team, thanks for this great match being posted,
Great match with 2 Hall of Fame wrestlers.Was this a title vs. title match?Or was either the NWA or AWA title up for grabs?strange to see Bockwinkle as the face in this match-ide almost forgotten his run as a face in the mid-80s-what a great ''intelligent''heel Nick was.I think i liked him best as part of one of the greatest heel tag teams of all time with partner Ray Stevens.Any video of the Bockwinkle-Stevens team from the 70s around?
I had read in PWI about Flair defending the NWA belt against Bockwinkel not too long after Bockwinkel turned face. Great match, glad I finally got to see it. Did Bockwinkel get other title shots against Flair during this face run? Thanks for posting this match.
Thanks for posting. This is my dream match up. Everything has already been said about Flair but IMO Bockwinkel is soooo underrated but I do not understand why.
Both men were amazing champions. If Nick Bockwinkle didn't invent the arrogant heel, he perfected him. Flair is simply the best ever. What's even more fun is when you watch these vintage matches, you can see that as great as they were on the stick, both men were GREAT workers. And whoever said that Ric Flair could wrestle a guy from bum fights and make him look like the WWE champ was 100% right.
i have been looking for this match for a long time! flair and bockwinkel were two of my favorite wrestlers growing up and this is the only match that i am aware of that they wrestled each other. i always thought this would be a very interesting match because both wrestlers in my opinion had very simalar styles.
This was held in Winnipeg, CANADA which was an AWA city at the time, strangely this was the last AWA card in Winnipeg before the local promoters switched to the WWF. Only the NWA world title was on the line in this match as Bockwinkel did not hold the AWA title at the time.
Thank you so much. These guys are my two favorite wrestlers of all time and guys I try to copy at every chance. Any possibility you could post the entire match?
I dont even see how people can call this professional wresting, its all fake and everybody knows it
MrMegaWarrior 3 weeks ago
@MrMegaWarrior Yes it's fake and everyone knows it, so what's your point?
DotDotkins 3 weeks ago 2
This is Professional Wrestling at its absolute best. Doesn't get any better than this. Along with Lou Thesz, these two men are the greatest champs the business has ever seen. They exuded class. I wish Bockwinkel would have went to Crockett's NWA and we possibly could have had one of the greatest feuds ever leading up to a historic match at "Starrcade". It's a shame that it never happened. Nick didn't like moving and was content in the AWA. Does this match from Canada exist in its complete form?
MetalheadJay78 2 months ago
classic
stepsman2010 2 months ago
I....LOVE... THIS....MATCH!!!! Though their styles are different they were both supremely gifted performers and complemented each other perfectly. I love when Nick slaps Flair during his figure four... Flair's screams are magnificent.
jackbox1971 3 months ago
This was the Day i was Born.
slasher445 4 months ago
Is this a double title match?
JohnBlack2345 4 months ago
@JohnBlack2345 Only Flair's NWA title was up for grabs, Stan Hanson held the AWA title at the time.
DotDotkins 4 months ago
Lellends men my favorite is the natural boy rick flair
13fredy13 5 months ago
Lovin' Scott Hall on commentary!
IllegalForeignObject 5 months ago 2
Two of the best ever, two of rhe classiest men in the history of wrestling! This one is a gem!
rudymartinez 7 months ago
Damit did it have to end in a count out !!!!1
thanhbites 8 months ago
How long was this match!
styx4ever1963 8 months ago
is this the famous match from quebec?
needaid21 8 months ago
@needaid21 No, it's the famous match from Winnipeg
DotDotkins 8 months ago 2
@DotDotkins wheres the first half?
needaid21 8 months ago
@DotDotkins That's the place where Chris Jericho is not originally from?
RPenta 5 months ago 2
@needaid21 no WPG
ceeraydeefer1 2 months ago
Great matchup, the best WCW Wrestler ever in Ric Flair against perhaps the best AWA Wrestler in Nick Bockwinkle.
FRSDailyTimes 9 months ago
Weak Ending. A typical "non-ending" of the era, where no one wins or loses.
Raddlesby 9 months ago
Ric Flair was the NWA World's Heavyweight Champion on August 22, 1986.
mkl62 9 months ago
Scott Hall on color commentary. Good stuff. Lovin' it.
slimmsayton 9 months ago
ric flair has been wrestling the same match with the same spots his entire 30 year career. what a joke.
Swervli 10 months ago
Boy, ... I woud´ve loved to seeBockwinkle against Savage or Steamboat, maybe Brett Hart. Had he been younger he would have been a top draw in the late 80´s or Wrestlemania 3 era. Fantastic worker.
hoghash78 11 months ago
@hoghash78 there is a bockwinkle vs hart vid on youtube: /watch?v=XNp1xkXEP60
TheBigBadWoIf 9 months ago
@TheBigBadWoIf Thanks wolf.
hoghash78 9 months ago
While it was never "real" this era was by far the best. These guys were amazing.
br549sample 1 year ago
What a gorgeous match . This is real wrestling . 2 wwe hall of famers in one great match. 5 stars classic .
thanhbites 1 year ago 2
Damn it, Nick! Hook the leg!!!
athomasait 1 year ago 2
@athomasait I can practically hear Bobby Heenan screaming that from ringside.
JasonL77 1 year ago
@JasonL77 No doubt! Nick would have been the man in any organization. He's one of the all-time greats.
athomasait 11 months ago 2
great match
kevinhardy 1 year ago
Both these guys were fantastic. Both were also known as rulebreakers.
donn409 1 year ago
Two of the greatest right here. These men exemplified the classy, intelligent, well spoken champion. I always wished that Bockwinkle would have went to the NWA and I would have gotten to see this match at a big pay-per-view like "Starrcade". Too bad that Nick was just content staying in the AWA. However, thankfully we have this one professionally filmed match between the two. Hopefully, the WWE will release another Flair set and will include this match in its entirety.
MetalheadJay78 1 year ago
Nick Bockwinkel was the AWA World's Heavyweight Champion on March 21, 1987.
mkl62 1 year ago
@mkl62 This was just a few months before Bockwinkle was awarded his fourth world title after Stan Hansen walked out on the company. Ironically, the last title reign for Bockwinkle was as a babyface.
Sargebri 1 year ago
@Sargebri I have often wondered why Stan Hansen did what he did. I think that he didn't like the politics of the wrestling business. In WCW, he refused to go along with those Desparado skits.
mkl62 1 year ago
@mkl62 What happened was was that prior to that night, Hansen had agreed to go to Japan to participate in a tour with All Japan and he promised Baba that he would defend the AWA belt on the tour. However, Verne Gagne wanted Hansen to drop the belt to Bockwinkle before he left for Japan. Hansen was very loyal to Baba and pretty much told Gagne to go F himself and as a result he was stripped of the championship. However, when he did the tour he still had possesion of the belt.
Sargebri 1 year ago
@Sargebri Sort of a pre-cursor to what Ric Flair did with the WCW Belt when he went to WWE. The belt that Lex Luger beat Barry Windham for was a remodeled version of the Western States Heritage Belt. They just plastered WCW over Western States. Real cheap, Mr. Herd.
mkl62 1 year ago
@mkl62 Actually, Flair just took the belt. The ironic thing was that when he left WCW and was stripped of that championship, he still was recognized as champion by what was left of the NWA at that point in time. It wasn't until Flair wrestled his first match in the WWF that the NWA stripped him of that title as well.
Sargebri 1 year ago
@Sargebri I will always feel that this is what eventually hurt the AWA. Most fans would rather see a belt change hands in the ring instead of in the office. Ditto with Ric Flair. I know that the Charlotte Observer newspaper called for a boycott of WCW after the Herd fiasco.
mkl62 1 year ago
@mkl62 thanks for being a real fan.
SilverStars1018 1 year ago
@mkl62 thanks for being a real fan.
SilverStars1018 1 year ago
@mkl62 Also, when Hansen returned from Japan, he took the belt, threw it on the ground and rolled over it several times with his pickup. He then returned the damaged belt to Gagne.
Sargebri 1 year ago
When did the NWA first start defending the title in Japan
styx4ever1963 1 year ago
@styx4ever1963 the 1950s when Lou Thesz wrestled Rikidozan, the father of puroseau
ZenPimps 1 year ago
I know that Nick Boclwinkel and Blackjack Lanza took on Tor Kamata and Abullah The Butcher in Japan in a tag team match but did Nick ever wrestle either in a sungles match!
styx4ever1963 1 year ago
On my BEST EVER ON THE MIC, I ranked Ric Flair first just ahead of The Rock, Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham. Nick Bockwinkel I had him ranked 11th. Flair's and Bockwinkel's promos never ever disappoint.
TheLuscious 1 year ago
another bogus ending.......
FriedSpamable 1 year ago
What sucks is I got into wrestling around this time and went to my first WWF card at the Winnipeg Arena in November 1986 (Hogan vs Orndorff), and totally missed out on this card months earlier. I had no idea Flair wrestled Bockwinkel here.
markallenkellner 1 year ago
flaire looks the same today except for the hair
ylatupa 1 year ago
wow....My dream match.....thanks for the video. it's awesome....
JonathanVonErich 1 year ago
wow ric flair vs nick bockwinkel this is a classic encounter
southsidedamu 1 year ago
I Always Wanted To See Nick wrestle Jack Brisco
styx4ever1963 1 year ago
Didn't Flair cut a really good promo for this match? I know that clips of it are part of the "Custom Made" video here on YouTube but I thought the promo in it's entirety was on here as well.
kaneohe47 1 year ago
Razor Ramon on Color!
BIGCHILL3993 1 year ago
Two of the greatest wrestlers of all time in the greatest match our fair city ever saw!
WatchVenusSpa 1 year ago
hogan saided verne tried to take 50% of his japan money and leaded to hogan go to wwe
beardogg2002 2 years ago
classic wrestling...never see classic stuff again nowadays.
Bertminator 2 years ago 2
Bockwinkle, and Flair two of the best that were ever in the business. Not only were they great in the ring, They were also two of the best during interviews as well.
RS1963 2 years ago 15
Bockwinkle was great and no somewhat forgotten and underappreciated; Flair was overrated; not as overrated as Trish Stratus but still overrated.
RPenta 2 years ago
Thanks for adding this. I didn't realize these two ever faced each other. It's a shame many wrestling fans don't seem to know Nick Bockwinkle today.
hootie1sr 2 years ago 6
@hootie1sr Nick retired just as wrestling was taking off, and never had a national stage like the WWF or JCP/WCW
Dudeamis 2 months ago
This is one of the best matches in the history of the Squared Circle
Airsoftcleaner 2 years ago 2
I heard that Bruno Sammartino was offered the title but turned it down for the same reasons that Bockwinkel did.
DotDotkins 2 years ago
A lot of wrestlers were considered for the title but most of them turned it down because of the insane travel schedule which had very little time off. There is a web site that has a record of NWA world title matches from the 1940s to the present day and it is absolutely insane.
DotDotkins 2 years ago
Yep. I still feel that "Tricky Nick" would have made a great champ. Anyone who can make Hulk Hogan look great should have gotten that belt for that alone.
Sargebri 2 years ago
"Tricky Nick" vs Slick Ric
Airsoftcleaner 2 years ago
great match
kevinhardy 2 years ago
Interestingly, Bockwinkel was on the short list of guys to get the NWA championship. However, he never wanted it because he didn't like to travel too much. That's why he stayed in the AWA.
Sargebri 2 years ago
I never could stand this announcer! He should never have been calling a AWA match!
styx4ever1963 2 years ago
is this the match flair was hyping in the custom made video by poodleface
dogbluerocky 2 years ago
Bockwinkel was a true, best in the business, technical wrestler. No question about it. He was just too damn old.
Buckeyecat2002 2 years ago
Old, but he could keep up with the best of them!
rockabillysilly 2 years ago
I would have loved to see Bockwinkel take on Harley Race! That would be a classic!
styx4ever1963 2 years ago 4
Who woul win this tag match! Bockwinkel&Flair vs Race&Billy Graham
styx4ever1963 2 years ago
See I would book Bockwinkle & Race (since they have history teaming) vs Flair & Anderson in a main event. talk about that match up!
thebigandgreat1 2 years ago
That would be a alltime classic match!
styx4ever1963 2 years ago 3
That would be interesting, that's a lot of ego in one place. If it were early in his career I can Flair getting pinned, but what would be more likely would be a schmoz
with them all turning on each other.
slydewinder01 2 years ago
I don't know but that would be a hell of a match
Airsoftcleaner 2 years ago
The problem with Bockwinkle was the fact that he never wanted anyone above him. He held Hulkamania back until Hogan jumped back to WWF. The Gange's sucked too.
thomasegunnz 2 years ago
It wasn't Bockwinkel, it was Verne. Even in a interview years later, Bockwinkel said that getting rid of Hogan, was a great mistake.
lettersfromaboy 2 years ago
Verne didn't exactly get rid of Hogan. Vince offered Hogan a better deal and Hogan jumped ship. As in any job if another company offers you a better deal you take it.
DotDotkins 2 years ago
@DotDotkins : well, he didn't finish up, he just left. He was booked around the horn, and left Verne high and dry, even though Greg tried to get him to honor his commitments...
DeepSouthWrestling1 1 year ago
@DotDotkins
Hogan also stated on the AWA DVD that he came up with the idea of selling t-shirts and when Hulk went to Japan, Verne was still selling them and not giving him his cut because he wasn't around.
yardape99 1 year ago
nothing better than an old school classic.
YankeesFlair 2 years ago 3
Interestingly, Bockwinkel was often touted for the NWA championship. However, Bockwinkel didn't like the travel demands so he kept on refusing. He would have made a great champion due to the fact that he could make an opponent look good. In fact, he made that big goof Hulk Hogan look almost like Lou Thesz.
Sargebri 2 years ago 3
Two of the GREATEST of all time on the "stick" and on the mat !!! Thanks for the video !
ROEU812 2 years ago 7
scott hall is giving good commentary
pazios2002 2 years ago
wooooooooooooooooooo! :)
shingaki777 2 years ago
HHH is the best wrestler ever and could take any of these guys! John Cena 4-life!!!...............I'm so just fucking kidding....i wish we could get this kind of wrestling today :*(
DeathAdder83 2 years ago 2
Kato Kaelin was the ref.
Chrisdrumz 2 years ago
@Chrisdrumz
His 3rd cousin Buddy Lane actually reffed.
tomtrh 1 year ago
2 guys who are so good they could make you BELIEVE it.
Chrisdrumz 2 years ago 2
Love the lame quick 10 count. Typical though for world title vs world title. Least I am assuming that is the case.
buck2239 2 years ago
ACtually, Bockwinkel was not a world champion here as he was between his AWA World title runs. This belt was strickly for Flair's NWA World title belt.
Lfdjake91 2 years ago 3
If Flair's Figure Four is so good how come it is always reversed by everybody?
tomwalker389 2 years ago
Because it's planned that way & in any event technicly it's the real/original "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers figure four.
armandroh666 2 years ago
Would love to see Bockwinkel&Stevens vs Flair&Anderson
styx4ever1963 2 years ago 2
Yeah with Heenan and JJ Dillan
buck2239 2 years ago
2 Great Managers,Wich managed 2 wrestlers I always wanted to see Square off and That is Paul Orndorff vs Tully Blanchard
Airsoftcleaner 2 years ago 2
@Airsoftcleaner Yeah, I don't think I ever recalled Orndorff and Blanchard wrestling one another.
Koolazzmike 1 year ago
@Koolazzmike Excactly,Thats why I always wanted to see them go up againist each other and they were very similar in a lot of ways.
Airsoftcleaner 1 year ago
Flair and Anderson would crush them at about the 20-minute mark. Now some delusional is gonna swear on Bibles that Bockwinkel and Stevens could have taken them.
TheLuscious 2 years ago
I would say a younger Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens could have
Airsoftcleaner 2 years ago
@TheLuscious With Bobby the Brain at ringside? Absolutely.
MattAmazo 1 year ago
Now this is classic wrestling!
styx4ever1963 2 years ago
Fantasy match-up here...I guess at the time this was the only ending they could come up with to save face on both men, but I wish they could've at least had a winner-
Mp25DIII 2 years ago
Would love to see Bokwinkel vs Flair both in there prime around 1982
StacyKeiblerFan1 2 years ago
This is one of the best match-ups and matches I've ever seen.
Tiderolls67 2 years ago
I would love to see Flair&Bockwinkel vs Race&Funk
styx4ever1963 2 years ago 3
Flair and Bockwinkel are two of the Greats.
RevDarkehorse 2 years ago
Scott Hall on commentary??? Awesome.
DVROFFMAN 2 years ago
It sounds like Hall.
NAYellowjackets 2 years ago
Can y imagine Bockwinkel and Flair as a tag team with Heenan! LMAO!
VolumedMusicMan 2 years ago 5
Unstoppable...
marcntexas 2 years ago
Eventually, one will have to turn face, though. Heenan would have to pick a side. The reason I say this, is becasue those two would have to wrestle each other at some point. It would be hard to pass by these two facing each other. Just imaging the matches, the promos, the crowds and the sells of these two. Both inside and outside the ring. lol It would be a huge draw. Do you agree?
lettersfromaboy 2 years ago 3
I could see Bockwinkel as a face turn. Heenan going for the younger champion Flair, and Nick feeling betrayed by Heenan.
VolumedMusicMan 2 years ago 2
this match should've been made title vs. title back in the day. Throw in Bobby Heenan as well for Nick. Have them wrestle as both heels!
VolumedMusicMan 2 years ago 4
Well lemme tellya brudder!! Slick Ric was and still IS the best thing going today!! Now can you dig dat????
Suckaaaaaaaaaaaa!! fUCK hOGAN!!
kdogg7399 2 years ago 3
scott hall doing commentary...
JoeyPencils 2 years ago
A classic match right here; both men have tremendous technical wrestling talent. Both hard working in the ring, you don't see matches like this anymore. Bockwinkle, Zabysco, Flair, Race, Brisco, Stevens, I can go on and on.
Letalone 2 years ago
*zbyszko; my bad
Letalone 2 years ago
Would love to see Rick Flair&Billy Graham vs Nick Bockwinkel&Harley Race
styx4ever1963 2 years ago
Just do a search, there are a few Bockwinkel and Stevens tag matches, and they are a forgotton real wraslin Legend tag team, thanks for this great match being posted,
littlenipper8u 2 years ago
Great match with 2 Hall of Fame wrestlers.Was this a title vs. title match?Or was either the NWA or AWA title up for grabs?strange to see Bockwinkle as the face in this match-ide almost forgotten his run as a face in the mid-80s-what a great ''intelligent''heel Nick was.I think i liked him best as part of one of the greatest heel tag teams of all time with partner Ray Stevens.Any video of the Bockwinkle-Stevens team from the 70s around?
rodblackwood 2 years ago
I was there as well. One of the all time great matches and far and away the best match ever in Winnipeg.
ringrope 3 years ago
would have liked to see them battle in 81 or 82
eddievanhalen1 3 years ago
I had read in PWI about Flair defending the NWA belt against Bockwinkel not too long after Bockwinkel turned face. Great match, glad I finally got to see it. Did Bockwinkel get other title shots against Flair during this face run? Thanks for posting this match.
RonMexico2K7 3 years ago 2
Thanks for posting. This is my dream match up. Everything has already been said about Flair but IMO Bockwinkel is soooo underrated but I do not understand why.
JohnnySaints 3 years ago 4
Both men were amazing champions. If Nick Bockwinkle didn't invent the arrogant heel, he perfected him. Flair is simply the best ever. What's even more fun is when you watch these vintage matches, you can see that as great as they were on the stick, both men were GREAT workers. And whoever said that Ric Flair could wrestle a guy from bum fights and make him look like the WWE champ was 100% right.
sspaay 3 years ago 11
I was there too! WHAT A MATCH!!!
tomtrh 3 years ago
i have been looking for this match for a long time! flair and bockwinkel were two of my favorite wrestlers growing up and this is the only match that i am aware of that they wrestled each other. i always thought this would be a very interesting match because both wrestlers in my opinion had very simalar styles.
ILOVELECHON 3 years ago
Oh cool. I was at this event at the Winnipeg area at the time. Thanks for posting this
:)
morecoffeeplz 3 years ago
why didnt razor jump in
Budsmoker72 3 years ago
Damn this is a priceless classic!
lasprince 3 years ago
This was held in Winnipeg, CANADA which was an AWA city at the time, strangely this was the last AWA card in Winnipeg before the local promoters switched to the WWF. Only the NWA world title was on the line in this match as Bockwinkel did not hold the AWA title at the time.
DotDotkins 3 years ago
How did you come across this gem, Dot?
Thank you very much for posting this!!! I was there that night and simply it was the greatest match I've ever seen.
tomtrh 3 years ago
Great post!
redwonder 3 years ago
January 16, 1986 at the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, CANADA
DotDotkins 3 years ago
Was the referee Larry Lisowski?
tansu2 3 years ago
The referee was Buddy Lane, real name Dave Kochen, he was also a wrestler.
DotDotkins 3 years ago
DotDotkins. Thank you.
tansu2 1 year ago
They should've had more matches together! Think of how many arenas they would've sold out!
VolumedMusicMan 3 years ago
Thank you so much. These guys are my two favorite wrestlers of all time and guys I try to copy at every chance. Any possibility you could post the entire match?
Thanks.
MarvelousMatt 3 years ago
If I had the entire match I would post it.
DotDotkins 3 years ago
who was doing play by play on this video
nwapro1 3 years ago
Ken Resnick did play by play and Scott Hall did the color commentary.
DotDotkins 3 years ago
2 of the absolute best not just of their eras,but of any era,and in their primes!!
What a great clip for oldschool fans to watch.Thanks so much for sharing this!!
stupidazhole 3 years ago 2
wow what a match thanks alot,i wish it would have went to a hour draw but it was great to watch.
jerryleebrock 3 years ago
Dream Match!
doscaras7 3 years ago
Unbelieveable~Thank you for this incredible dream match up!
sondog42 3 years ago 3