10 Wrestlers Who Remained Great Past 45
4. Nick Bockwinkel
This AWA legend was widely lauded for his masterful technical wrestling prowess, his in ring psychology and above all, his articulate, wordy heel promos. An inductee of both the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and WWE Hall of Fames, Bockwinkel held the AWA Heavyweight Championship four times. Bockwinkel began his AWA tenure in 1970 and remained a headlining act with the promotion through his retirement in 1987.
Bockwinkel’s longevity between the ropes has been acknowledged and praised by many in the industry and his promos have influenced a whole generation of heels. Noting how irritating fans found his obscure word laden promos, Bockwinkel began carrying a thesaurus on the road, ensuring his promos were as difficult to follow as possible in service of his obnoxiously intellectual persona.
A notoriously underhanded champion, Bockwinkel’s cheating antics frequently infuriated crowds well into his 40s. Among the many controversies was his infamous feud with a young Hulk Hogan in 1982. Losing to the Hulkster at 48 years of age, Bockwinkel had AWA President Stanley Blackburn reverse the decision so he could regain the title without even wrestling a rematch.
The charismatic super heel never missed a step as he moved into his 50s and remained a successful, top of the card fixture throughout his career.