Nick Bockwinkel
Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel (December 6, 1934 – November 14, 2015) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the 1970s and 1980s.
| Nick Bockwinkel | |
|---|---|
Bockwinkel in 1982. | |
| Birth name | Nicholas Warren Francis Bockwinkel |
| Born | December 6, 1934 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2015 (aged 80) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Tranchitella
(m. 1957; div. 1967)Darlene Bockwinkel, née Hampp
(m. 1972) |
| Children | 2 |
| Family | Warren Bockwinkel (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dick Warren Nick Bock Nick Bockwinkel Nicky Bockwinkel Nick Warren The Phantom Roy Diamond |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Billed from | Beverly Hills, California St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Warren Bockwinkel Lou Thesz |
| Debut | 1954 |
| Retired | May 25, 1993 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1958–1960 |
Nick Bockwinkel | |
|---|---|
| 5th President of the Cauliflower Alley Club | |
| In office 2007–2014 | |
| Preceded by | Red Bastien |
| Succeeded by | B. Brian Blair |
Bockwinkel had a lengthy professional wrestling career with matches in 34 consecutive years. Debuting in 1954, Bockwinkel spent the first half of his career as a journeyman babyface, wrestling primarily in California and Hawaii with stints in Texas, Georgia, and the Pacific Northwest as well as excursions to Canada and Australia. In 1970, he joined the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based AWA, where he would be based for the remainder of his career. Swiftly rising to prominence as a main event heel, Bockwinkel held the AWA World Tag Team Championship three times then the AWA World Heavyweight Championship four times before retiring in 1987.
Bockwinkel was recognized for his exceptional technical wrestling ability, mastery of in-ring psychology, and even-toned, articulate promos. Professional wrestling historian Tim Hornbaker described him as "the definitive heavyweight champion heel of the 1970s", while historian Scott Beekman described him as "the most successful heel champion in wrestling history". Bockwinkel was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2003, the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2007, the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009, and the National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2016.