THE AWA'S BITTEREST FEUD EVER...

No rivalry in the 30-year history of the American Wrestling Association drew more fans, more money and more blood than the bitter contests between The Crusher and Mad Dog Vachon.

Though the roots of the their feud reached back to the mid-1960's - including an exchange of the AWA World's Heavyweight Championship - it was only after Mad Dog injured The Crusher in an August 1969 Chicago match that their hatred for one another reached fever pitch. The injury sidelined The Crusher for 4 months as well as costing him and Dick the Bruiser the AWA World's Tag Team Championship.

When Crusher returned in January 1970, he sent Mad Dog to the hospital with a wound to the head that required 23 stitches. The feud intensified, culminating in a long series of brutal matches that drew record crowds throughout the land. The following is a pictoral history of some of those classic brawls.