Greg Gagne Claims Only One Star Left AWA For WWE In 'The Right Way’
Many stars left AWA for WWE in the 1980s, but Greg Gagne says only one did it in the right way
Oct 24, 2022
When Vince McMahon Jr. took WWE national in the 1980s, he poached the best talents from all the territories across the United States, with several of his biggest stars defecting from big rival the AWA.
However, out of all those who left AWA for the bright lights of ‘New York’, only one did it ‘the right away’, that’s according to former AWA star Greg Gagne who said the following on Busted Open Radio:
"Bobby Heenan. Bobby Heenan came in, and he told Verne [Gagne], he said, 'Verne, here's the deal. I'll fulfil all my dates with you, but I've got a great opportunity with New York.' And Verne shook hands with him and said, 'Bobby, I appreciate you coming to us and doing it like that.' He fulfilled his commitments, and he was the only one who did that, besides me,” said Gagne.
Heenan would bring the idea of the ‘Heenan Family’ over to WWE from AWA, whilst other AWA stars like Hulk Hogan, ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund, Curt Hennig, Rick Martel, and later The Rockers Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty would depart Gagne’s territory for WWE.
H/T: Wrestling Inc.
