The Forgotten Indiana Wrestling Promotion A WWE Hall Of Famer Launched

For 25 years, beginning in 1964, William Fritz Afflis Jr. (AKA Dick the Bruiser) operated the World Wrestling Association out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Though the promotion isn't as widely remembered as its partner, Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, the WWA was still responsible for helping develop some major names in the world of pro wrestling.

It all began when, after a few years in the NFL, future WWE Hall of Famer Dick the Bruiser entered the wrestling business in 1954 at the age of 25. A native of Indiana, Afflis made a name for himself in the midwest, with the cities of Chicago, Illinois, and Detroit, Michigan, becoming hotspots for the performer. As he was coming up in the industry, Afflis caught the eye of Gagne, a wrestler and promoter who helped show him the ropes.

A decade into his career, after developing a fierce reputation, Afflis made the decision to get into promoting as well as wrestling. He and tag team partner Wilbur Snyder purchased the Indianapolis affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance from previous owner Jim Barnett, and the WWA was born.

It wasn't long after taking the promotion over that Afflis and Snyder decided to begin growing the operation. They soon bought out a competing promotion in nearby Chicago, and an agreement with Gagne's popular AWA in Minnesota brought an influx of talent for the WWA to utilize. Dick the Bruiser and Snyder also had prominent followings of their own, helping the promotion become a regional success.

Not long after the WWA got up and running, Bobby Heenan got his start in the industry there. Along with his own in-ring career, Heenan managed wrestlers like The Blackjacks and Angelo Poffo, father to "Macho Man" Randy Savage. As most wrestling fans will know, Heenan eventually went on to a massively successful career in Vince McMahon's WWF (known today as WWE).

After Heenan, the biggest name to originate out of the WWA was Scott Steiner, who debuted there in 1986. Steiner went on to find success with both WWE and WCW in the years that followed. Additionally, many notable wrestlers traveled through the WWA over the years, from Harley Race to Bruiser Brody.

The 1980s were a time of massive change in the industry, with McMahon waging war against the old territory system to ensure the WWF was as dominant as possible. For years, Dick the Bruiser pushed forward and kept running the WWA, but it could not last forever. In 1989, Afflis and Snyder ceased operating the WWA, as both men were advancing in age and many of the wrestling territories around the country had either been bought out or shut down.

Just a few short years after shuttering the promotion, Afflis and Snyder died, both at the age of 62. The legacy of Dick the Bruiser has lived on, leading to his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. As for Snyder, his name never reached the same level of recognition as his business partner, but his impact on the industry has been felt for many years and will continue on through those he trained and influenced.