VERNE GAGNE, RIP
I was sad to hear about Verne Gagne passing. I had no dealings with Gagne, and only limited exposure to his product, or him as a performer. But Gagne was a true wrestling legend. He built his rep on credibility. Credibility was important then.
It’s still important now. Credibility has made Brock Lesnar the hottest commodity in fake wrestling today, even if WWE hates to admit it.
Gagne’s American Wrestling Association was one of the last companies killed by Vince McMahon, staying alive from 1985-90 based on its ESPN time slot and little else. It would be easy to list mistakes Gagne made as WWE overwhelmed his promotion. But every regional promoter made most of the same mistakes.
Gagne might have been able to keep Hulk Hogan had he given him the AWA title and not tried to strong-arm him financially for part of Hogan’s New Japan income. That was Gagne’s biggest error.
Well, that and pushing his son, Greg. And then his son-in-law, Larry Zbyszko. But, again, that’s what wrestling promoters do.
The best thing about Verne Gagne was Nick Bockwinkel. Anybody who saw those two work and feud know exactly what I mean. When I was younger and got an AWA tape, I fast-forwarded to segments involving Bockwinkel. Amazing on-screen persona. I worked with Bockwinkel very briefly in WCW. It was an honor.
As a trainer, Gagne was sadistic and bullying. But he was hardly alone in that regard. That was thought to be the way to do it. He trained Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. Great matches. He trained The Iron Sheik. Great Twitter.
All the heroes are dying. I wonder if, say, Seth Rollins will be mourned many years from now like Gagne is today. I doubt it. In today’s fast-food wrestling, it’s tougher to become truly iconic. Make no mistake, Gagne was iconic. He mattered a lot more to his fans than any wrestler does today.
That’s because Gagne was real. What you saw, was what you got. Today’s wrestlers are just someone reciting a script.
Verne Gagne, RIP.
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkMaddenX
