Nick Bockwinkel

The son of a professional wrestler (Warren Bockwinkel), it was only natural for Nick Bockwinkel to follow in his father's profession. Bockwinkel wrestled for several years in various regions, but gained his greatest fame in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). He and tag-team partner Ray "The Crippler" Stevens were three time AWA Tag-Team Champions in the 1970s for Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's "Family." Tag-team wrestling wasn't Bockwinkel's only forte though, as he won the AWA Heavyweight Championship, by defeating Verne Gagne in 1975. Bockwinkel's first reign as champ lasted nearly five years before he lost to Gagne in 1980. He later won the AWA title three more times with his last reign ending for good in 1987, at the age of 53. He wrestled sporadically after that, and later resurfaced as a wrestling commentator for the AWA, and also was named a chief executive with Ted Turner's WCW in the 1990s.