History YMMV / AmericanWrestlingAssociation

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Wrestling/BobbyHeenan jokingly referring to the AWA as "Alzheimer's Wrestling Association" due to the fact that so many of their main eventers were over the hill is less funny now when you realize that most of those main event wrestlers, including owner Verne Gagne, would eventually develop Alzheimer's Disease later in life.

* DorkAge:
** The Team Challenge Series. Ridiculous gimmick matches such as the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Turkey On A Pole Match"]], laughable production values (the infamous "Pink Room of Doom"), and a roster that was composed of only the true loyalists or people who couldn't find work with WCW or the WWF. Even former reliable stars such as Wrestling/SgtSlaughter left the company during this time, making the roster thinner than ever.
** The final year of operations for the AWA in 1991 was so lean on talent that they resorted to replaying old matches from their archives to fill ''All Star Wrestling''. The final episode had a Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne match from 1973 as its main event, since there was no one on their roster left who could reliably draw at that point. This also had the effect of making matches they were producing sound extra ridiculous, like when Buck Zumhofe put up his percentage of gate receipts as a stipulation in a light-heavyweight title match. Everyone who knew even the slightest bit about the AWA's fortunes realized that amount was rather minuscule.

** The final year of operations for the AWA in 1991 was so lean on talent that they resorted to replaying old matches from their archives to fill ''All Star Wrestling''. The final episode had a Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne match from 1973 as its main event, since there was no one on their roster left who could reliably draw at that point.

** The Team Challenge Series. Ridiculous gimmick matches such as the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Turkey On A Pole Match"]], laughable production values (the infamous "Pink Room of Doom"), and a roster that was composed of only the true loyalists or people who couldn't find work with WCW or the WWF. Even former reliable stars such as Wrestling/SergeantSlaughter left the company during this time, making the roster thinner than ever.

** The Team Challenge Series. Ridiculous gimmick matches such as the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Turkey On A Pole Match"]], laughable production values (the infamous "Pink Room of Doom"), and a roster that was composed of only the true loyalists or people who couldn't find work with WCW or the WWF).
** The final year of operations was so lean on talent the AWA resorted to replaying old matches from their archives to fill ''All Star Wrestling''. The final episode had a Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne match from 1973 as its main event, since there was no one on their roster left who could reliably draw at that point.

** The Team Challenge Series. Ridiculous gimmick matches such as the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Turkey On A Pole Match"]], laughable production values (the infamous "Pink Room of Doom"), and a roster that was composed only the true loyalists or people who couldn't find work with WCW or the WWF).

* DorkAge: The Team Challenge Series.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Afrer Hulk Hogan's departure, there were two baby faces who allowed the AWA to remain competitive on a national scale. [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Hawk and Animal]].

** Two words... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnB7OLHNwM WrestleRock Rumble]]
** A better example of never living it down would be the big pink room. In October 1989 the AWA learned that their usual arena [[note]](The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.)[[/note]] had been double booked for the second taping and they had to scramble to find an alternative. The AWA quickly booked a local tv studio and had filmed two weeks of matches there. They spliced the footage together with matches from the first taping, and aired them as one show. The result was that for one month the AWA had half their matches taking place in an empty pink room. The reason given on TV for this change was they wanted to prevent run-ins. However several people seem to believe that all the AWA's last year was taped in the pink room, and they did it because attendance had gotten too low to run arena shows. However, due to redubbing and the utter disorganization associated with the TCS, there were TV shows with matches held in regular arenas with the announcers talking about the pink room matches.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Wrestling/BobbyHeenan jokingly referring to the AWA as "Alzheimer's Wrestling Association" due to the fact that so many of their main eventers were over the hill. Less funny now when you realize that most of those main event wrestlers, including owner Verne Gagne, would eventually develop Alzheimer's Disease later in life.
* NeverLiveItDown: Two words... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnB7OLHNwM WrestleRock Rumble]]

* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin or [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] there was [[Wrestling/TheCrusher Da Crusher]], a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings. His tag team partner Wrestling/DickTheBruiser had these traits as well, but his background as a former Green Bay Packers lineman was played up just as much.

* HarsherInHindsight: Wrestling/BobbyHeenan jokingly referring to the AWA as "Alzheimer's Wrestling Association" due to the fact that so many of their main eventers were over the hill. Less funny now when you realize that most of those main event wrestlers, including owner Verne Gagne, would eventually develop Alzheimer's Disease later in life.

** There was also Badd Company using (what else?) "Bad Company" by Bad Company.

* NeverLiveItDown:
** Two words... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnB7OLHNwM Wrestlerock Rumble]]

* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin or [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] there was [[Wrestling/TheCrusher Da Crusher]], a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings. His tag team partner Wrestling/DickTheBruiser had these traits as well, but his background as a former Green Bay Packers linesman was played up just as much.
* XPacHeat: Many AWA fans would argue that this should be called Greg Gagne Heat. He wasn't helped by his father Verne creating the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-tv.html AWA International Television Title]] just for him. In fact, Ronnie Garvin, who had been ''booed'' as a {{Face}} against '''Wrestling/RicFlair''' at ''[[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]] Starrcade '87'', was ''cheered'' as a ''{{Heel}}'' a year later against Greg in their match at the AWA's lone [=PPV=], ''[=SuperClash=] III'', and ''both'' shows had been held in the ''same town'', Chicago, IL.

* [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Crowning Music of Awesome]]: "Eye Of The Tiger" was Hulk Hogan's entrance music during his AWA run. Notable for being one of the first, if not the first wrestler in AWA to use entrance music.

* DorkAge: The Team Challenge Series

* NeverLiveItDown[=/=]SnarkBait: Two words... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnB7OLHNwM Wrestlerock Rumble]]
** A better example of never living it down would be the big pink room. In October 1989 the AWA learned that their usual arena [[note]](The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.)[[/note]] had been double booked for the second taping and they had to scramble to find an alternative. The AWA quickly booked a local tv studio and had filmed two weeks of matches there. They spliced the footage together with matches from the first taping, and aired them as one show. The result was that for one month the AWA had half their matches taking place in an empty pink room. The reason given on TV for this change was they wanted to prevent run-ins. However several people seem to believe that all the AWA's last year was taped in the pink room, and they did it because attendance had gotten too low to run arena shows.
** However, due to redubbing and the utter disorganization associated with the TCS, there were TV shows with matches held in regular arenas with the announcers talking about the pink room matches.
* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin or [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] there was [[Wrestling/TheCrusher Da Crusher]], a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings.
** His tag team partner Wrestling/DickTheBruiser had these traits as well, but his background as a former Green Bay Packers linesman was played up just as much.
* XPacHeat: Many AWA fans would argue that this should be called Greg Gagne Heat.
** Believe it or not, Gagne was actually a rather popular wrestler up until 1983 or so, when he was eclipsed by the steroid guys. Before then, general consensus was that the still-active Verne was actually holding him back.
** He wasn't helped by Verne creating the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-tv.html AWA International Television Title]] just for him. In fact, Ronnie Garvin, who had been ''booed'' as a {{Face}} against '''Wrestling/RicFlair''' at ''[[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]] Starrcade '87'', was ''cheered'' as a ''{{Heel}}'' a year later against Greg in their match at the AWA's lone [=PPV=], ''[=SuperClash=] III'', and ''both'' shows had been held in the ''same town'', Chicago, IL.

* HarsherInHindsight: Bobby Heenan jokingly referring to the AWA as "Alzheimer's Wrestling Association" due to the fact that so many of their main eventers were over the hill. Less funny now when you realize that most of those main eventers, including owner Verne Gagne, would eventually develop Alzheimer's Disease later in life.

** A better example of never living it down would be the big pink room. In October 1989 the AWA learned that their usual arena [[hottip:*: (The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.)]] had been double booked for the second taping and they had to scramble to find an alternative. The AWA quickly booked a local tv studio and had filmed two weeks of matches there. They spliced the footage together with matches from the first taping, and aired them as one show. The result was that for one month the AWA had half their matches taking place in an empty pink room. The reason given on TV for this change was they wanted to prevent run-ins. However several people seem to believe that all the AWA's last year was taped in the pink room, and they did it because attendance had gotten too low to run arena shows.

* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin or [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] there was Da Crusher, a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings.

** His tag team partner Dick The Bruiser had these traits as well, but his background as a former Green Bay Packers linesman was played up just as much.

* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin or [[Characters/{{ECW}} The Sandman]] there was Da Crusher, a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings.

** A better example of never living it down would be the big pink room. In October 1989 the AWA learned that their usual arena [[hottip:*: (The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.)]] had been double booked for the second taping and they had to scramble to find an alternative. The AWA quickly booked a local tv studio and had filmed two weeks of matches there. They spliced the footage together with matches from the first taping, and aired them as one show. The result was that for one month the AWA had half their matches taking place in an empty pink room. The reason given on TV for this change was they wanted to prevent run-ins. However several people seem to believe that all the AWA's last year was taped in the pink room, and they did it because attendance had gotten to low to run arena shows.

** He wasn't helped by Verne creating the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-tv.html AWA International Television Title]] just for him. In fact, Ronnie Garvin, who had been ''booed'' as a {{Face}} against '''Wrestling/RicFlair''' at ''[[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]] Starrcade '87'', was ''cheered'' as a ''{{Heel}}'' a year later against Greg in their match at the AWA's lone [=PPV=], [=SuperClash=] III, and ''both'' shows had been held in the ''same town'', Chicago, IL.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: "Eye Of The Tiger" was Hulk Hogan's entrance music during his AWA run. Notable for being one of the first, if not the first wrestler in AWA to use entrance music.

** A better example of never living it down would be the big pink room. In October 1989 the AWA learned that their usual arena the [[hottip:*: (The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.)]] had been double booked for the second taping and they had to scramble to find an alternative. The AWA quickly booked a local tv studio and had filmed two weeks of matches there. They spliced the footage together with matches from the first taping, and aired them as one show. The result was that for one month the AWA had half their matches taking place in an empty pink room. The reason given on TV for this change was they wanted to prevent run-ins. However several people seem to believe that all the AWA’s last year was taped in the pink room, and they did it because attendance had gotten to low to run arena shows.

* OlderThanTheyThink[=/=]UrExample: Long before StoneColdSteveAustin or [[{{ECW}} The Sandman]] there was Da Crusher, a smack talking, beer-swilling, blue-collar brawler who was fond of [[WildCard using heel tactics]] despite his face leanings.

** Believe it or not, Gagne was actually a rather popular wrestler up until 1983 or so, when he was eclipsed by the steroid guys. Before then, general consensus was that the still-active Verne was actually holding him back.