It's Episode 64 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show. Today, I’m thrilled to be joined once again by the one and only Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel analyst and special AWA Historian George Schire. We’re stepping back into the Time Tunnel to review the American Wrestling Association in 1976 — a pivotal year in one of wrestling’s most iconic territories.

In this episode, George and I break down the major storylines, title scenes, and larger-than-life personalities that defined AWA that year. Nick Bockwinkel was firmly entrenched as the AWA World Heavyweight Champion after dethroning Verne Gagne late in 1975. He carried the promotion with technical mastery and arrogant heel brilliance, defending against top challengers while drawing huge crowds. We talk about his key programs, including those tense encounters with Verne Gagne himself — most notably their big draw in Chicago that kept the title scene sizzling.

The tag team division was on fire too. We cover Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza capturing the AWA World Tag Team Titles from the legendary duo of The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser in July. That heel team, backed by Bobby Heenan, brought serious heat and power. Meanwhile, the Bruiser and Crusher remained massive fan favorites and kept the rivalries boiling all year long.

We also dive into other standout names and moments: the rising roles of guys like Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell, appearances and impacts from stars like Billy Robinson, Ray Stevens’ memorable face turn, and even special attractions like Muhammad Ali’s involvement in AWA rings earlier that year to build his Inoki bout. George brings his unmatched knowledge and personal insights from following the territory for decades, painting a full picture of how Verne Gagne’s AWA balanced athleticism, rugged brawling, and strong regional storytelling in the heart of the Midwest.

If you love classic territory wrestling — with its blood feuds, scientific matches, wild crowds in places like Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities — this one’s for you. George Schire delivers the history like no one else can.Tune in now to Episode 64 and join us as we travel through the Time Tunnel back to AWA 1976. Let’s relive the glory days together!

And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the show.

• (00:00:02) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel: The AWA
• (00:08:00) - Grizzly Up Soap Company
• (00:09:23) - George Shire On The American Wrestling Association
• (00:10:42) - Nick Bockwinkle on His Golden Age of Wrestling
• (00:14:28) - The AWA World Championship Change Hands
• (00:22:38) - Larry Hennig on His Impact
• (00:31:06) - Tony Jones on The NWA's Last Great Champion
• (00:34:13) - Bob Backlund vs Steve Khosrow
• (00:42:58) - Andre vs Andre in the AWA
• (00:49:25) - The Valiants Should Have Won the AWA Championship
• (00:56:13) - Using Wilbur Snyder in the AWA
• (01:03:36) - Andre vs Nick Booker in Chicago
• (01:10:39) - Bobby Duncomb in Verne's Match
• (01:11:45) - Blackjack Lanza
• (01:17:08) - AWA Wrestling's Strong Year in 1976
• (01:19:32) - San Francisco's financial success in the 1980s
• (01:25:50) - Adam Superstar on His AWA Tag Team
• (01:29:26) - The Wrestling Hall of Fame
• (01:34:10) - Greg Klein at the WWE Hall of Fame
• (01:34:52) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel: The AWA

Episode 63 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel is live right now!I’m joined today by Gulf Coast Wrestling Historian Michael Norris, who literally grew up in the territory and even laced up the boots and worked as a wrestler there himself. Nobody knows 1976 Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling like Michael does, and he brings the stories, the details, and the memories straight from the locker room.

We go month-by-month through one of the wildest years in the territory’s history: the explosive return of Cowboy Bob Kelly, the comeback of Eddie Sullivan, the power of Rip Tyler, the electricity of Sweet Daddy Watts, and a whole lot more. Plus, we take a deep dive into the famous (and still talked-about) shoot incident between The Poffo Brothers and the Original British Bulldogs—Heath & Foley—that went down right in front of the fans.If you love old-school Southern territory wrestling with real heat, real angles, and real characters, this episode is loaded.

Tune in this week to the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show as I sit down with the phenomenal historian, Michael Norris for a complete 1976 GCCW time capsule – the wrestlers, the feuds, the angles, the matches, and the Bicentennial spirit that made it all unforgettable.

Let’s take the ride back through the Time Tunnel together.

• (00:00:02) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel
• (00:01:00) - St. Louis Wrestling Fan Fest 4
• (00:06:52) - Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
• (00:09:37) - 1976 Gulf Coast Wrestling
• (00:11:38) - Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
• (00:20:01) - Gulf Coast Wrestling: The 60s
• (00:29:10) - Lee Jones picked up Selma and Montgomery
• (00:33:18) - WWE on Channel 3 in Pensacola
• (00:42:23) - Randy and Lanny Poffo Tag Team
• (00:47:07) - The Pothos vs The British Bulldogs
• (00:54:32) - John Foley on Training Carl Gotch
• (00:58:48) - Eddie Sullivan
• (01:05:17) - Rip and Eddie the Mask Man
• (01:11:01) - Terry Funk vs Dusty Rhodes in Georgia
• (01:18:35) - Dutch Mantel vs Rip Steinborn
• (01:25:59) - Jerry Miller Killed In A Car Crash
• (01:31:22) - Bob Ellis Was Called Sweet Daddy Banks
• (01:36:50) - Abdullah the Butcher in 73
• (01:38:10) - Sweet Daddy Banks vs Levi Banks
• (01:43:38) - Bootlegger on Selma, Alabama
• (01:51:01) - Ken Lucas Left NWA Gulf Coast
• (01:54:49) - Jim Barnett Bought the Gulf Coast Wrestling
• (02:02:33) - Dothan's TV show
• (02:03:04) - Bob Jones on Lee Levi and the Gulf Coast
• (02:09:05) - Gulf Coast Legends
• (02:11:14) - Grizzly Up Soap
• (02:15:09) - Tony Richards

This week, we’re firing up the Time Tunnel and heading straight into the heart of the Carolinas and Virginia territory for a full-hour celebration of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1976 – America’s Bicentennial year, when the red, white, and blue was flying high and the squared circle in the Mid-Atlantic was on absolute fire. Joining me is one of the sharpest wrestling historians around when it comes to the JCP territory: Todd Goss!Todd knows this era inside and out – the arenas, the angles, the promos, the blood, the sweat, and the unforgettable crowds that packed the Greensboro Coliseum, Charlotte Coliseum, Richmond Coliseum, and every armory in between. We’re going to flashback to a year that helped shape the future of the business, when a young “Nature Boy” Ric Flair was just beginning to strut his stuff and legends like Wahoo McDaniel were proving why they were must-see TV every Saturday afternoon.The Major Wrestlers Who Defined JCP 1976

• Ric Flair: Still early in his “Nature Boy” journey but already a heat magnet and multiple-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion. Flair was trading the title back and forth with Wahoo in one of the greatest rivalries the territory ever saw.
• Wahoo McDaniel: The ultimate babyface hero – tough, no-nonsense, and ready to chop anyone in half. Wahoo held the Mid-Atlantic title multiple times in ’76 and was the man the fans rallied behind
• Gene & Ole Anderson (The Minnesota Wrecking Crew): Arguably the greatest tag team of the era. They were NWA World Tag Team Champions for much of the year, defending against all comers with their signature roughhouse style.
• Dino Bravo & Tim Woods (Mr. Wrestling): The duo that actually dethroned the Andersons for the World Tag titles in a huge upset before the epic back-and-forth began.
• Blackjack Mulligan: The dominant NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, running roughshod over challengers like Paul Jones and Rufus R. “Freight Train” Jones.
• Angelo Mosca: Long-reigning Mid-Atlantic TV Champion who brought the chaos.
• Rufus R. Jones: The beloved “Freight Train” who was right in the middle of the hottest six-man tag wars.
• Plus newcomers who would become huge: Greg Valentine (billed as Johnny Valentine’s “brother,” already breaking boards with that bionic elbow) and the mysterious Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) debuting late in the year.

We’re talking blood feuds, lumberjack matches, hair-vs-hair stipulations, and the kind of old-school heat that made JCP one of the hottest territories in the entire NWA. Todd and I will break down the big matches, the TV angles that hooked the fans every week on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, and how 1976 set the stage for the explosive growth that would come later in the decade.Whether you lived through these Saturday afternoon TV tapings or you’re discovering this era for the first time, this episode is a must-listen for any fan who loves real territorial wrestling history.Tune in this week to the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show as I sit down with Todd Goss for a complete 1976 JCP time capsule – the wrestlers, the feuds, the angles, the matches, and the Bicentennial spirit that made it all unforgettable.Let’s take the ride back through the Time Tunnel together.

• (00:00:02) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Podcast
• (00:01:34) - Fighting Legends: Jim Laundis and More
• (00:04:32) - WWE Championship Wrestling
• (00:10:09) - Paul Jones vs Terry Funk
• (00:16:26) - George Scott vs Rich Homie
• (00:22:31) - Interview
• (00:23:58) - Was Jack Briscoe the First NWA Champion to Wrestle on
• (00:25:48) - Dusty Had Trouble Getting Over In The Crockett territory
• (00:28:30) - The IWA Was A Different Kind Of Wrestling
• (00:34:57) - Charlie Babb on The IWA
• (00:41:17) - Chris Blackwell in the Minneapolis
• (00:41:56) - Ali Anoki vs Rocky Marciano
• (00:43:18) - The Murnick Family
• (00:47:03) - Andre the Giant vs Blackjack Mulligan
• (00:52:12) - The Mass Superstar in WWE
• (00:54:40) - Greg Valentine Worked For The IWA In Florida (2008)
• (01:00:56) - Ruffien Flair vs Paul Jones
• (01:02:17) - Mr. Wrestling vs Rick Valentine
• (01:07:04) - Terry Briscoe on The IWA World Championship Match
• (01:12:26) - Former WWE World Champion Harley Harley on His Time as Champion
• (01:16:29) - Jack Briscoe vs Nick Bachwinkle
• (01:19:55) - Jim Crockett Promotions: A Good Year
• (01:22:24) - Tony Atlas on His Career
• (01:24:42) - TRAVEL THROUGH THE TIME TUNELESS
• (01:27:41) - Deadly Weapon Soap