Long before Vince McMahon ruled the wrestling world, there existed a promotion out of Minneapolis called the American Wrestling Association.
As wholesome as apple pie, the AWA was family-owned and -run. It helped power the industry for two decades, until McMahon recognized the effervescence of the AWA roster and made it a point of emphasis to acquire as much of its talent as possible.
No different from Red Auerbach without Bill Russell, or Bill Belichick sans Tom Brady, there is no way McMahon would have created his empire in the 1980s without the phenomenon of Hulkamania. Hulk Hogan, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan were all proud products of the AWA who later went on to global prominence in the World Wrestling Federation.
