Breaking News: Hall of Fame Wrestler & Legendary Promoter Verne Gagne Passes Away

Verne Gagne Illegal Foreign ObjectWe are saddened to bring you the news that pro wrestling legend Verne Gagne has passed away. The news broke late Monday night online, and was quickly confirmed by various members of WWE staff, including Triple H. He was 89. 

Verne was a natural athlete his entire life, capturing state and regional championships in amateur wrestling while in high school, and was recruited by the University of Minnesota to play big-ten football. He also captured multiple NCAA wrestling titles and was selected as an alternate by the 1948 Olympic U.S. freestyle wrestling team. 

His pro wrestling career began in 1949, and he quickly rose to prominence as one of the biggest NWA stars and greatest technical wrestlers of the 1950’s. Gagne founded the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1960, setting himself up as the top star and winning its biggest prize – the AWA World Heaavyweight Championship – a record ten times, for a total of 4,677 days over the course of 20 years. 

Verne was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1993 alongside Lou Thesz, Eddie Graham and Mr. Wrestling II. He was inducing into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 1996 as one of the inaugural names, and into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. His son Greg Gagne accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, alongside Tony Atlas, Sensational Sherri, Gene Okerlund, Bret Hart and the late Eddie Guerrero. 

Gagne’s legacy lives on in the dozens of legendary wrestlers he trained, or helped train, including the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Ole Anderson, Bob Backlund and Blackjack Mulligan.

Our thoughts are prayers are with the family and friends of the great Verne Gagne.

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