Re-living the spectacular legacy

After much anticipation, "The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA" is now available from WWE Home Video. The two-disc release chronicles the rise and fall of the American Wrestling Association, one of WWE's main competitors before the promotion's demise in 1990.

The list of AWA alumni reads like a who's who of sports-entertainment; from Hall of Famers like Hulk Hogan, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, "Mean" Gene Okerlund and AWA owner Verne Gagne, to beloved Superstars such as The Road Warriors, Shawn Michaels and RAW color commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler, many Legends passed through the AWA at some point.

Sgt. Slaughter is another Hall of Famer who passed through the AWA. A former AWA Americas Champion and team captain in the Team Challenge Series, Slaughter was able to fulfill his childhood dream by competing in the AWA.

"When I was young, the AWA promoted in my home state of Minnesota. I remember waking up one night and hearing a commotion in the living room, so I went out there and saw all the men watching the AWA on television," Slaughter recalled. "So after a while, I'd stay up late on Saturday nights and sneak out there to watch, and it became a childhood dream to be a professional wrestler someday. The AWA helped make that happen for me. At one time, it was the place everyone wanted to be."

Because of that legacy, Sarge told WWE.com that he can't wait to get a copy.

"If you're really a true fan, I encourage you to pick up the AWA DVD. You'll see a lot of the stars today in their early years. I'm looking forward to seeing it myself."

Jerry Lawler was no stranger to AWA success either. Twenty years ago, Lawler's promotion in Memphis formed an alliance with the AWA, and "The King" held the AWA Championship for nearly a year.

"Down in Memphis we recognized the AWA World Champion, and in 1988 I beat Curt Hennig for the AWA World Title in Memphis at the Mid-South Coliseum," Lawler proudly remembered. "It was the first time fans in Memphis had seen a World Title change hands live. We even went on to do the SuperClash pay-per-view with the AWA and WCCW (World Class Championship Wrestling) as well. Unfortunately, AWA went out of business soon after, but the alliance worked really well for us for a long time."

Like Slaughter, Lawler encourages everyone to pick up a copy of "The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA."

"From the 1960s through the 1980s, the AWA was one of the three major organizations in the business. Verne Gagne had a tremendous amount of talent in the AWA at various times. But what's great about this DVD is that it's very informative; there's a lot of history to be told. Plus, it's loaded with a lot of behind-the-scenes info that fans aren't usually privy to; a lot is exposed that's very interesting."

 

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