Stan Hansen had a great 28 year career with plenty of championship reigns throughout his run, but it’s what he did when he lost to Nick Bockwinkel that makes This Day in Wrestling History one to remember.
During the 1980s, professional wrestling was still operating in a territory system with clearly established boundaries and each promotion having their own championships.
The AWA was one of the largest promotion in the United States at the time, and Hansen was their current reigning champion when the decision was made for him to drop the AWA World Heavyweight Championship to Bockwinkel.
No promotion
By the time the decision was given on June 29, 1986, Hansen was allegedly already upset with the way he was being booked with squash matches.
So, he was understandably upset at being told to drop the belt when he felt he wasn’t being promoted right.
In fact, it’s been said he never cared about being champion but that he only wanted to work with others that would make him money.
As a result of all of this, Hansen reportedly confronted the promoter and then left the arena with the AWA title and headed to All Japan Pro Wrestling.
There, Giant Baba booked him on a tour as AWA world champion as had been done previously, so he defended the title there since he and Baba already had a deal in place that he’d do so.
Stripped and returned
Verne Gagne and the AWA wasted no time in stripping Hansen of the title for not appearing in Denver to drop the belt.
Bockwinkel began his fourth AWA championship run using a tag team championship belt as a placeholder until the actual belt was returned by Hansen.
It’s been reported that when the AWA threatened legal action, Hansen ran over the belt with a pickup truck or tractor before returning it in mangled condition.
Both parties eventually went on and the AWA even had a new belt made to replace the one Hansen mangled.
But while Hansen went on to be remembered as arguably the most popular westerner in All Japan, the WWE eventually bought AWA and the territory system in the US started to come to an end.
This Day in Wrestling History stands out for several reasons, one of which is the pride and ego that’s prevalent in any business endeavor. And it makes for an entertaining story.
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