![]() ![]() In 1985, the American Wrestling Association (AWA) staged three shows in Anchorage, the first major, modern wrestling promotion to tour here. Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, among many more, were television, cartoon and merchandise superstars. Leading the way was Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), with its roster of massive and easily distinguished heroes and villains. By the mid-1980s, it reached a new height within the mainstream. In the subsequent decades, the popularity of wrestling waxed and waned across the country. When rheumatism forced him to seek treatment in Seattle, best wishes were addressed to Young Viking. As in, when he opened a pool hall, it was Young Viking listed as the proprietor. Residents almost exclusively referred to him by his wrestling name. His real name was Savan “Swan” Challstorp, but locals maintained the in-universe fiction of wrestling, or kayfabe. The sport was especially popular in those early, muddy years, and the first local star was Young Viking. Wrestling in Anchorage dates back to the town’s 1915 founding. It is the last holy grail of lost wrestling matches, and one of you reading this might hold the key to unearthing it. For more than 30 years, that match has existed only in cherished memories and legend. What if one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time happened not in New York, Atlanta, Memphis or any of the sport’s traditional hotbeds, but Anchorage? There was no title on the line, only a technical masterclass from two of the most gifted wrestlers ever, each part of a multigenerational tradition of excellence. Have a question about Anchorage history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story. Part of a continuing weekly series on local history by local historian David Reamer. (Photo byInFlamester20 via Creative Commons) Perfect and Bret “The Hitman” Hart in Anchorage as a WWF holy grail, but no recording has ever surfaced. Super fans regard a 1989 match between Mr. Perfect,” aka Curt Hennig, celebrating after an April 15, 1991, victory in Omaha, Nebraska. Updated: DecemPublished: December 28, 2020 ![]()
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