Robbinsdale, Minnesota- The Pro Wrestling Hotbed Quiz

Answer: Verne Gagne

Verne Gagne was a successful football player and amateur wrestler. Verne Gagne was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1947 NFL Draft. Verne Gagne was an alternate on the United States freestyle wrestling team at the 1948 Olympic Games.

Verne Gagne stated his career as a pro wrestler in 1949. Verne Gagne formed the AWA in 1960 and ran the promotion until its closure in 1991. Verne Gagne won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on ten occasions.

Answer: Curt Hennig

Curt "Mr Perfect" Hennig wrestled in AWA, WWE and WCW. Curt Hennig was a member of such factions as the Diamond Exchange, the Heenan Family, the Four Horsemen, the nWo and the West Texas Rednecks. This highly decorated champion held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship and WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.

Answer: Rick Rude

"Ravishing" Rick Rude won championships in WWE, WCW and several NWA territories during his career. Rude was managed by Bobby "the Brain" Heenan from 1987 through 1990 in WWE. In 1987, Rude won the prestigious Jesse "The Body" Slammy Award. On November 17, 1997, Rude appeared on both WWE's "Raw Is War" and WCW's "Monday Nitro".

Answer: John Nord

John Nord competed as The Berzerker in WWE, as Yukon John in the AWA and as Nord the Barbarian in various other wrestling promotions. John Nord has teamed with Bruiser Brody, Scott Norton, The Grappler and Barry Darsow. As The Berzerker in WWE, Nord was managed by Mr. Fuji.

Answer: Tom Zenk

Tom Zenk competed in AWA, NWA, AJPW, WWE and WCW during his career. In WCW, Zenk took the moniker "the Z Man". He also won the WCW World Television Championship and World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Zenk won the NWA United States Tag Team Championship with Brian Pillman.

At WWE's 1987 "Wrestlemania III" event, Zenk and Rick Martel competed as the tag team Can-Am Connection against Don Muraco and Bob Orton, Jr.

Answer: Nikita Koloff

Nikita Koloff began his career in a tag team with his "uncle" Ivan Koloff. In 1986 in NWA, Nikita Koloff had a lengthy singles feud with Magnum T.A. Dusty Rhodes recruited Nikita Koloff to participate in Rhodes' feud with the Four Horsemen. Rhodes, Koloff and The Road Warriors would fight many WarGames matches as part of this feud in 1987 and 1988.

Answer: Gene Okerlund

"Mean" Gene Okerlund conducted interviews of pro wrestlers in various promotions. Gene Okerlund was given the nickname "Mean Gene" by Jesse "the Body" Ventura. Gene Okerlund wrestled a match in the WWE in 1984 and two matches in WCW in 2000.

Answer: Barry Darsow

Barry Darsow began his pro wrestling career in 1983 in Hawaii under the gimmick Tsar Mongo. Barry Darsow had his greatest career success in WWE as Smash on the tag team Demolition. Barry Darsow also competed as Repo Man in WWE, as Krusher Khruschev in NWA and as The Blacktop Bully in WCW.

Answer: Greg Gagne

Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell competed as a tag team known as The High Flyers in AWA. After the team split, Greg Gagne began a singles career in AWA. Greg Gagne Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie's stable as well as Curt Hennig, Ron Garvin and Larry Zbyszko.

Answer: Larry Hennig

"Pretty Boy" Larry Hennig and "Handsome" Harley Race formed a successful tag team in the 1960s. The team won championships in AWA and Australia's IWA.

In 1974, Hennig returned to AWA as a singles wrestler under the moniker Larry "the Axe" Hennig. Hennig retired from pro wrestling in 1985. Hennig's son Curt "Mr Perfect" Hennig and grandson Joe "Curtis Axel" Hennig were successful pro wrestlers.