A former football player and 16th round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1947, the wrestling world owes then Bears owner George Halas a debt of gratitude. While Gagne was a collegiate champion both in-state at Minnesota and nationally, Gagne was a wrestler who was pursuing a career as a football player. However, Halas made Gagne choose between the two, perhaps believing he'ld wind up choosing football. Be it love of the sport or simply the money, Gagne, by his own admission and his son Greg's confirmation, chose wrestling because it paid more than football. And it's in that choice by Gagne that wrestling is the sport it is today, and for the launching of the careers of some of the most prestigious grapplers of all time.
Before becoming a booker/owner/trainer, Gagne was one of the biggest stars ever to set foot in the National Wrestling Alliance. He rose quickly through the ranks of the NWA and while he never officially won its highest honor, Gagne was one of the most respected wrestlers of the 50s due to his technical wrestling expertise. Backstage politics prevented Gagne from a universal recognized reign, but by 1960, Gagne had become wealthy enough that he broke away from the NWA and formed the American Wrestling Association, through which his greatest accolades arose.
Upon forming the AWA in 1960, Gagne wore several hats within the promotion. His number of title reigns is disputed, as some say he's a 9-time AWA champion, while others recognize him as having won 10. Regardless of number, Gagne became the biggest star in the history of the company. Gagne also holds one of the longest title reigns in the history of any wrestling company, holding the AWA title for over 7 years. As the NWA owner and booker alike, Gagne favored technical prowess over the bodybuilding physique, and it shows in the wrestler's that he trained. Gagne can count Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, the Iron Sheik, Bob Backlund and Curt Hennig as just some of the Hall of Famer's whose careers he was responsible for launching. Further, it was the exposure Hulk Hogan and The Road Warriors received while in the AWA that lead to their future success.
Wrestler, promoter, booker and owner. There are few men in the history of wrestling as influential as Verne Gagne, and perhaps none as responsible for launching the careers of some of the greatest wrestling legends of all time. Gagne joined the WCW Hall of Fame in 1993, the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2006. Now, Gagne enters the Wrestlezone Hall of Fame as the second member of its summer class.
The Wrestlezone Hall of Fame is pleased and honored to welcome Verne Gagne into its Hall of Fame class of 2013!
