PDA

View Full Version : Verne Gagne (1926-2015)



The Law
April 27th, 2015, 11:24 PM
Dead at the age of 89, according to Twitter. Health had gone downhill in recent years as he was suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia.

Legendary wrestler and promoter. The AWA was a massive and hugely successful territory for a long time. He was typical of the time: great legitimate athlete (All Big Ten football player at Minnesota, alternate on the 1948 U.S. Olympic wrestling team) turned professional wrestler. He brought a credibility and legitimacy to the sport of professional wrestling. He was a huge star in the 1950s on the nationally televised wrestling shows on the Dumont Network. Rumor was he was clearing six figures back then (the equivalent nearly $900,000 today).

He was the anchor and top star of the AWA for nearly 20 years. He was AWA Champion for over seven years, one of the longest world title reigns in wrestling history. Unfortunately, he seems mostly remembered today as the guy who wouldn't put the title on Hulk Hogan. While that was probably the biggest mistake he made in his career as a wrestler or promoter, it shouldn't overshadow the rest of his accomplishments.

Some of the wrestlers he had a hand in training: Ric Flair, Undertaker, Bob Backlund, Iron Sheik, Ole Anderson, Gene Anderson, Baron von Raschke, Jimmy Snuka, Bill Irwin, Buddy Rose, Sgt. Slaughter, Blackjack Mulligan, Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Valient, Larry Hennig, Ken Patera, and many others.

He was a Hall of Fame caliber wrestler, promoter, and trainer. That's a legacy that will live forever.

One of the last true grapplers no longer with us. At least unlike too many other wrestlers he was able to live and long and full life.

Rancid_Planet
April 27th, 2015, 11:26 PM
A true legend and one of the last of his kind.

Caito
April 27th, 2015, 11:46 PM
True shame. May his soul be blessed and may his family find comfort in each other and whatever their belief system may be.

Judas Iscariot
April 28th, 2015, 3:21 AM
89 is a hell of an age to go no matter what your profession, though it's a shame about his last several years likely resulting from his.

May we all be so lucky to last that long and leave something behind, though.

Hero!
April 28th, 2015, 9:41 AM
He was gone a long time ago. His body finally giving out is more of a formality at this point.

Donald
April 28th, 2015, 9:50 AM
Didn't he kill someone due to his Alazheimer's? That's pretty sad to hear about. RIP to one of the greats.

Nash Diesel
April 28th, 2015, 10:33 AM
I met Verne Gagne and Lou Thesz when they opened the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Newton, IA (it's now located in Waterloo, IA). Dan Gable was also there and my grandparents who took me when I was probably 13-14, they were like "Go talk to Dan Gable" and I'm like naw I'm going to talk to the older guys off to the side. At the time the pro wrestling wing wasn't anything spectacular so a lot of people there were there to see Dan Gable and I think it made Gagne and Thesz happy that a young teen knew who they were. Thesz v. Chono was still fresh in my mind and I knew Gagne obviously from AWA being shown on ESPN. It was awesome.

Rancid_Planet
April 28th, 2015, 12:06 PM
I used to rush home from school to catch those AWA episodes on ESPN. :yes:

America.

Nash Diesel
April 28th, 2015, 12:50 PM
I used to rush home from school to catch those AWA episodes on ESPN. :yes:

America.

Yep. AWA and GWF. I'd always be pissed if my mom was late getting me from school because it aired from 3pm-4pm so I already missed a half hour and then if she didn't get there in time I'd see like the last 2 minutes lol.

Rancid_Planet
April 28th, 2015, 12:57 PM
I think I learned to program the family vcr simply because of AWA in the afternoons. I know I watched some GWF but I have a lot more memories of AWA. DDP as a valet. Giant mustached Scott Hall. Eric Bischoff's shitty announcing. Paul Heyman and a cell phone the size of a fucking Buick.

Caito
April 28th, 2015, 1:17 PM
I loved that cell phone. Awesome weapon too, especially in a WarGames match.

Hero!
April 29th, 2015, 11:05 AM
OK, so, after Bill posted that video of Verne vs Red Bastein, I ended up watching several Verne matches from the 50's and they were fucking EXCELLENT. I wanna give some Verne AWA stuff a watch and could use some recommendations.

GO.

The Electrifying One
April 29th, 2015, 7:33 PM
He killed someone? Enlighten me

Hero!
April 29th, 2015, 7:42 PM
In 2009, he bodyslammed one of the other old guys at the retirement home and killed him. He was never charged due to the dementia and alzheimers.

The Electrifying One
April 30th, 2015, 11:46 AM
Are you actually being serious? Or is this a hilarious forum gag

The Law
May 1st, 2015, 7:24 PM
I don't think he body slammed him, it sounded more like a shove. It was another guy at the nursing home he was in. The guy was 97 years old. Gagne threw him to the ground and the guy broke his hip. A month later he died from complications in surgery. It was ruled a homicide but they didn't press charges because he was mentally deficient.

Sad and crazy story. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006, and this was only three years after that.

The Law
May 3rd, 2015, 10:51 PM
Great obituary in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/01/sports/verne-gagne-wrestler-who-grappled-through-two-eras-dies-at-89.html?ref=sports&_r=0