Nick Bockwinkel
| Nick Bockwinkel | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
| Family |
|
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dick Warren Nick Bockwinkel The Sensational White Phantom |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | Beverly Hills, California |
| Trained by |
Warren Bockwinkel Lou Thesz |
| Debut | 1955 |
| Retired | 1987 |
Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel (December 6, 1934 – November 14, 2015) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association (AWA) from 1970 to 1987, where he held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on four occasions and the AWA World Tag Team Championship on three.
Bockwinkel was recognised for his exceptional technical wrestling ability and mastery of in-ring psychology. He was also known for his even-toned, articulate promos, which distinguished him from many of his contemporaries. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Bockwinkel was born to Warren Bockwinkel – himself a professional wrestler – and Helen (née Crnkovich) Bockwinkel in St. Louis, Missouri on December 6, 1934. He attended the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship, playing for the Oklahoma Sooners until sustaining a knee injury that ended his football career and cost him his scholarship.
Bockwinkel was trained to wrestle by his father and Lou Thesz, debuting in 1955.
When he was first breaking into the business, Bockwinkel served as the driver for Yukon Eric, taking him to various cities throughout the Eastern and Northeastern United States. He later commented that the experience, "was so smart. [...] Lots of ways to learn about this business." After training to become a professional wrestler with his father Warren, a regional star in the 1940s, and Lou Thesz, he spent the early years of his career as part of a tag team with his father. At the age of 16, he had his debut match against Thesz. He won his first major singles title in 1963, defeating Tony Borne for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. He also held several singles and tag team titles in Hawaii and California.
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