I think the words "cartoonish" and "charismatic" have been blurred together falsely. There is a distinct difference. Hogan has always been charismatic, no matter where he was... it's just one of his personality traits.
If by cartoonish you mean marketed toward kids and merchandise, then you're talking about a part of Hogan that really didn't exist until the very end of his AWA run (after Rocky III came out), and certainly wasn't a big deal until McMahon placed him at the top of the WWF.
The quote was "Actually it was becaused Hogan was a brawler and the AWA was a promotion based on mat wrestling, Hogan didn't fit the mold of what Gagne felt the AWA Champion should be."
I never claimed that the fellows I listed were champions... just that they were brawlers who not only fit the mold of the AWA, but pretty much are all major parts of the AWA's legacy.... period.
In any case, Hogan left the AWA because Gagne wouldn't give him a piece of any merchandising. That's it. Any fool could see that if he stayed in the AWA, he would have won the gold. I don't care how set in one's ways a promoter is, Hogan=money and would have made the AWA a very, very rich company as champ if he stayed. The Torch just ran a long series of interview segments with Jim Brunzell who talked all about it.
"Hansen also didn't win the title until 1985, a good while after Hogan left, and history proved putting the AWA title on him was a colossally stupid thing to do."
History proved this? Nonsense. By the time Hansen showed up, the AWA was already beginning it's slow death.
I'd sell my soul for a porn star, preferably one with a vagina.
>>Hogan left the AWA because Gagne wouldn't give him a piece of any merchandising. That's it.<<
I'm pretty sure you're correct about the merchandising. I'm also reasonably sure neither of us were there, so we ought not state these things as fact without proper accreditation.
Additionally, I'm FAIRLY sure merchandising alone probably was not "it" (as in "That's it," the one and only factor in Hogan leaving the AWA.) While a major negotiating point, I bet merchandising was only part of the problem, even if it was the biggest part.
Lastly, I'm ABSOLUTELY sure we've taken this thread way beyond its original subject matter.
Well, if by "sucks" you mean "finally realized his own personal site didn't get enough traffic to justify it's existence," then yes. Although, I bothered to read his letters column, and he was *gasp* resonable and sounded pretty intelligent/non-rantish and hate filled for a change. Yeah, I was pretty weirded out.
This isn't Moscow, this isn't Tokyo, We are Invincible!
The great thing about the AWA was that it had amazing technicians like Wilbur Snyder, Nick Bockwinkel and Verne Gagne as well as tremendous brawlers like the Crusher, Dick the Brusier, Mad Dog Vachon, Bobo Brazil and Baron von Rasche. But the AWA title was held by either Verne Gagne or Nick Bockwinkel from 1967 until 1984 (How many WWF Heavywieght Title changes have there been in the last calender year?). The lone exception was German Champion Otto Wanz (also a European promoter Verne was working with). They put the strap on Wanz in August 1982, and he was a huge, totally over monster face. People loved this guy (or just hated Bockwinkel--the greatest heel in modern wrestling) and my brother, dad and I were at the Chicago Ampitheatre for the rematch in October 1982. This is when the AWA used to draw 10,000-17,000 in Chicago (Bob Luce promoter) and the house was packed. Heenan used to manage Bockwinkel and draw a ton of heat. The place was going crazy with a ton of false finishes. When Bockwinkel got the pin under "suspicous circumstances", my dad turned to us and yelled "There's going to be a riot, let's get the hell out of here." Sure enough, beer bottles and punches began to fly and multiple arrests were made, the AWA at its finest. Hogan had some great matches with Bockwinkel, but Verne never put him over. Being a huge Bockwinkel mark, I couldn't complain, but Hogan left for greener pastures.
(edited by NickBockwinkelFan on 20.4.02 0214)
"Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!"
--Life Lessons from the "Tao of Bobby the Brain Heenan" Uncensored 2000 preview
You know, while you're reading old threads and responding to them, perhaps you should also read the thread about ettiqute - especially the part about NOT POSTING TO THREADS THAT ARE MORE THAN A WEEK* OLD, YOU MORON.
* - or sometimes two or sometimes a topic that only really ever needs one thread, but I think Scott has managed to get new ones started before.
Even more so, you didn't actually ADD ANYTHING, you're just acting like a GAWKER with some sort of loud speaker - "HEY, LOOK AT THAT ACCIDENT! IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING, WASN'T? NOW, WATCH AS I WAVE MY HEADS AND DANCE FUNNY TO GET EVEN MORE ATTENTION FOR NO REASON. LALALALALALA!"
NOTE TO WORLD: If you ever find youself desiring to make a post in the "This thread is good/bad/GAY" familia, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. If it's good, you're slowing it down and taking it off topic. If it's bad, people probably don't need you to clue them in, and another post is just going to attract unwanted attention - best of just getting away to it rather then ADDING TO THE MESS.
What you did right here? That's ADDING TO THE MESS. And so, I unfortunatly can not take my moron comment back.