The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was ON THE LINE on this day in 1987! | WWE Network

On July 20, 1987 AWA Championship Wrestling aired on ESPN from the Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, AWA World Heavyweight Champion Curt Hennig faces Greg Gagne. Commentary is handled by Rod Trongard and Ray “The Crippler” Stevens. Before the match gets underway, Larry Zbyszko demands to face the winner of the match. In September 1985, the AWA began airing weekly programming on ESPN, giving the promotion the national exposure until the AWA lost its contract with E

The Road Warriors take on the Fabulous Freebirds in a championship tag team match from AWA Superclash '85 available on WWE 24/7 Classics On Demand. For ordering information, please visit http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe247/ | WWE

On May 9, 1988 Jerry “The King” Lawler becomes the new AWA World Heavyweight Champion with a win over Curt Hennig in a career vs. title match in front of 8,000 fans at the CWA Memphis Show held at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. Jackie Fargo was the special guest referee for the match. The win ended Hennig’s 373 day title reign and marked Lawler’s first and only AWA World Heavyweight Championship reign. Lawler later defeated Kerry Von Erich on December 13, 1988, in Chicago to win t