10 Best Late Career Runs In Wrestling History
6. Nick Bockwinkel (1975-1987)
He might be a WWE Hall of Famer, but Nick Bockwinkel never had a significant run with the company, and is far better known for his exploits outside the McMahon wrestling empire. Starting his career in 1955, it took a while for the Lou Thesz-trained athlete to really get going, but things started gathering pace when he joined the American Wrestling Association in 1970, and became their champion five years later.
Primarily a tag team wrestler beforehand, Bockwinkel was in his late 30s by the time the AWA started to elevate him, and 40 when he won his first title. Incredibly, Bock held the belt for five years, defending it against the likes of Tito Santana, Hulk Hogan, and Jerry Lawler, before dropping it to Verne Gagne in 1980.
Bockwinkel regained the belt and held it for another 18 months, and when he eventually retired in 1987, he was a four-time champion. Nick’s last championship match came when he was 52 years old, and while much of his work has been lost to time, he was regarded as one of the best wrestlers on the planet right up to the day he finally walked away.