AWA Title Match 1of2 Stan Hansen(c) vs Leon White 4.8.1986

[ktl2828]

Did Stan Hansen invent the clotheslines?

[Derby14]

For a little perspective as far as timing goes...this is the day after Wrestlemania 2...

[acedast]

it's time...it's time...it's baby bull time!....doesn't have the same ring to it!

[geminihawg]

Vader with hair

[cashpresley]

i didnt even recognize Vader here.

[kaar20]

i would love to see niedhart and leon white team up

[Hurricane32]

Stan Hansen won multiple world titles and is among the most respected and feared (if not the most respected and feared) foreigners ever to step into a ring in Japan, his style, look and moves have been copied by many many wrestlers how the hell can you say he was "no good"

[1KOOLROCKNDAN]

AWA was desperate to make this a main event neither one of these guys were no good thats why they stayed in japan all those years

[Mistertbones]

Vader did Moonsaults, and Stan was a very good wrestler!

[JPThunder01]

Pretty impressive cartwheel by White at 3:39.. you knew the talent was there, he just needed the right look and gimmick.

[BrickhouseB2]

Clearly Vader's 450 plus weight was kayfabe! He's 375 here. He never weighed more than 415 in his NJPW/WCW/WWF prime.

However in this decade he HAS blown up to a sloppy & sad looking 450 plus! He used to be great though.

[wabankik]

Hansen abandonded that title,it had little or no concept,went off to look for better compitition

[Germany1111]

Yeah, the AWA wanted a piece of his money from Japanese bookings, so he ran over that specific belt with his truck [breaking it down the middle of the front] and mailed it back.

[larosenoire1]

The way they made it sound.. That Verne had stripped him of the title. Something about not showing up for events.. I just saw it as a tragic sad mistake. And that Hansen is still the AWA world champion. Since he never lost it in a match.

[Germany1111]

That was partially true...Verne wasn't paying him as much as All-Japan, and he didn't want to drop it to Bockwinkel, so he just didn't come back from Japan to his AWA dates. It was a mistake even giving him an American title, his heart was in Japan and he was known to follow money, with no particular loyalty to any promotion. It would be like putting a belt on Bruiser Brody or Abdullah the Butcher.

[larosenoire1]

Well according to some resources.. Japan had set up opponents for Hansens awa title.. But Verne wanted him to lose the belt. Where as Japan didn't.. I just think both sides could have handled it better. But regardless Hansen was stripped of the title. Hansen ran over it with his truck.. The rest is history. But in my eyes he never lost the title. But it doesn;t matter since AWa is out of business. Unless what I heard is true.. And that is another Gagne had restarted it.

[Germany1111]

A dude who worked for Verne in the very last days of the AWA in some minor role has in recent years, tried to start his own version of the AWA, claiming direct connection with the original. Dale Gagner [NOT Gagne, he is no relation to the Gagnes but drops the r to add fake legitimacy to his company] restarted the AWA, but was later sued by the McMahons, who own the AWA's intellectual property. He had to call it 'AWA Superstars', and resorted to licensing the AWA name to territories like the NWA.

[RSXemperor]

It wasn't just money to be fair to Stan. He was a life-long friend of Giant Baba (Baba was one of the few guys that Hansen and Brody sold for because they respected him and he was the boss) worked in All-Japan's front office until he was essentially forced out by Baba's widow. His loyalty to Japan also came from the fact American wrestling had become too political which Brody admitted and his wife and son are of Japanese heritage and he made a life there.

[Germany1111]

I can believe that 100%. Being military, I have plenty of friends who've lived there, they say that for some Americans it can easily become a permanent home. He was right about the political nature of American wrestling, especially at that time. The AWA belt was losing status by this time anyway.

[RevDarkehorse]

Watching these AWA matches makes me understand why the company folded. You can hear the people yell "boring", and this is a Title match.

[brnleague99]

Two of the stiffest wrestlers to ever exist. They beat the hell out of each other every time they squared off.

[RoderickStrong]

Wow: A young Vader

[larosenoire1]

Yeah. Isn;t it awesome to see him preVader? And to think they would end up feuding in Japan.

[prairiesix]

Leon White: VADER!!