10 Amazing Wrestling Feuds With AWFUL Endings
3. Hulk Hogan Vs. Nick Bockwinkel (AWA)
It's important to roll with the times.
AWA owner Verne Gagne was an all-time great in the business; a top-notch NCAA amateur wrestler who hit the big bucks when he transitioned into professional wrestling. Gagne was a stickler for old -chool, technical wrestling. Babyface sensation Hulk Hogan was not.
Coming off his famous cameo in Rocky III, Hogan was hitting it big in the AWA and New Japan by 1983. His wild, larger than life promos, gargantuan physique and great showmanship left many believing him to be the next big thing. The ace of AWA at the time was Nick Bockwinkel, a master heel nearing 50. Despite Bockwinkel's exceptional workrate and longevity, it was clear audiences wanted something new. They wanted Hulkamania.
They clashed in a heated title bout where Hogan picked up the win to a booming reception. Gagne had the biggest star of the 80s in the palm of his hand but ultimately chickened out of letting him be front and centre. The decision was reversed at Super Sunday and the status quo was restored with Bockwinkel back in the driver's seat as champ.
It was a dispiriting and just plain annoying conclusion to a hot, intergenerational angle. A glimmer of hope came later that year when Gagne finally offered Hogan a proper reign. When Hogan realised it came with the condition he hand over a large fraction of his merchandising and New Japan royalties to Gagne, he packed up and moved to WWF. The Bockwinkel vs. Hogan feud was forever left on a bum note with AWA eventually going out of business.