# List of American Wrestling Association attendance records

This is a list of American Wrestling Association attendance records. Established as the Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club by Tony Stecher in 1933, it was among the first professional wrestling promotions in the United States. A founding member of the National Wrestling Alliance in 1948, Stecher controlled the NWA's "Minneapolis wrestling territory" which included much of the Great Lakes and Upper Midwestern United States. In 1959, Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo took control of the company and left the NWA the following year. The company was subsequently renamed the American Wrestling Association. With Gagne promoted as a legitimate rival to the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, the AWA closely matched the NWA in terms of attendances. In its heyday, the AWA was able to hold "stadium show" supercards at Comiskey Park, the International Amphitheater, Rosemont Horizon, Soldier Field and other major venues.
The AWA was considered one of the "Big Three", along with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Wide Wrestling Federation, during the "Territory-era" (1940s–1980s). Although its success continued into the early part of the 1980s wrestling boom, peaking with 23,000 fans at WrestleRock '86, the promotion was unable to compete against the national expansion of Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation, and eventually went bankrupt in 1991.

## Events and attendances

| Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| AWA | WrestleRock '86 April 20, 1986 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 23,000 | The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin) in a Steel Cage match |
| AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Baron Von Raschke August 14, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 21,000 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Baron Von Raschke in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | SuperClash September 28, 1985 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 20,347 | Rick Martel (c) vs. Stan Hansen for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | 20-Man Battle Royal October 23, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 19,120 | 20-man Battle Royal match |
| AWA | The Crusher & Greg Gagne vs. Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey & Jerry Blackwell March 25, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 19,000 | The Crusher and Greg Gagne vs. Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey and Jerry Blackwell in a Steel Cage match |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Hulk Hogan April 18, 1982 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 18,969 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Hulk Hogan & The High Flyers vs. Crusher Blackwell, Ken Patera & Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey November 4, 1983 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 18,500 | Hulk Hogan and The High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) vs. Crusher Blackwell, Ken Patera and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey |
| AWA | Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Blackjack Lanza March 4, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 18,000 | Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Blackjack Lanza for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Mad Dog Vachon December 25, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,857 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Mad Dog Vachon for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell August 17, 1980 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,000 | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Lights Out match |
| AWA | Baron Von Raschke, Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. Masa Saito, Jesse Ventura & Jerry Blackwell April 29, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 17,000 | Baron Von Raschke, Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher vs. Masa Saito, Jesse Ventura and Jerry Blackwell in a Steel Cage match |
| AWA | Tony Atlas vs. Masa Saito October 21, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,000 | Tony Atlas vs. Masa Saito |
| AWA | Rick Martel vs. Billy Robinson November 22, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 16,000 | Rick Martel (c) vs. Billy Robinson for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Verne Gagne Retirement Show (Day 1) May 10, 1981 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 15,780 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher August 27, 1976 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 15,000 | Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher in a Steel Cage match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Hulk Hogan June 20, 1982 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 15,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Brad Rheingans September 25, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 15,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Brad Rheingans for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Blackjacks vs. Ken Patera, Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey April 1, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 14,250 | Dick the Bruiser and The Blackjacks (Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza) vs. Ken Patera, Jerry Blackwell and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Wahoo McDaniel June 26, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 14,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Wahoo McDaniel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell February 26, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 14,000 | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell in a No Disqualification match |
| AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Mad Dog Vachon November 24, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 13,163 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Mad Dog Vachon for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Rick Martel vs. Jim Garvin December 25, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 13,000 | Rick Martel (c) vs. Jim Garvin for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | Jerry Blackwell & The Road Warriors vs. The Fabulous Freebirds January 10, 1986 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 13,000 | Jerry Blackwell and The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts) in a Steel Cage match |
| AWA | André the Giant and Ray Stevens vs. The Heenan Family October 21, 1982 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Winnipeg Arena | 12,512 | André the Giant and Ray Stevens defeated The Heenan Family (Ken Patera and Bobby Heenan) |
| AWA / JCP | Rick Martel vs. Kamala November 24, 1985 | Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Civic Center | 12,500 | Rick Martel vs. Kamala for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| AWA | The Crusher vs. Angelo Mosca April 1, 1978 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | MECCA Arena | 12,308 | The Crusher vs. Angelo Mosca in a Steel Cage match |

## Historical

Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1930s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Ray Steele March 19, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 10,000 | Jim Londos (c) vs. Ray Steele for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 1. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Ray Steele April 30, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 10,000 | Jim Londos (c) vs. Ray Steele for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 1. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Dick Raines April 20, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 10,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Dick Raines |
| 2. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Hans Kaempfer June 7, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,041 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Hans Kaempfer for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 2. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Gino Vagnone July 12, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,041 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Gino Vagnone for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 3. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Otto Kuss July 11, 1937 | Waterloo, Iowa | Electric Park Arena | 9,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Otto Kuss for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 4. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Abe Kashey March 6, 1934 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,500 | Jim Londos (c) vs. Abe Kashey for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 4. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Farmer Tobin June 30, 1936 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,500 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Farmer Tobin |
| 5. | MBWC | Pat O'Shocker vs. Abe Kashey January 29, 1934 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Pat O'Shocker vs. Abe Kashey |
| 5. | MBWC | Abe Kashey vs. Charley Retzlaff October 9, 1934 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Abe Kashey vs. Charley Retzlaff in a Boxer vs. Wrestler match with special referee Jack Dempsey |
| 5. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Abe Coleman January 22, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Jim Londos (c) vs. Abe Coleman for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 5. | MBWC | Dean Detton vs. Bronko Nagurski June 29, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Dean Detton (c) vs. Bronko Nagurski for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 5. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Dick Raines September 7, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Dick Raines |
| 6. | MBWC | Ray Steele vs. Ed Lewis April 2, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 7,000 | Ray Steele vs. Ed "Strangler" Lewis |
| 6. | MBWC | Danno O'Mahoney vs. Ray Steele September 17, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 7,000 | Danno O'Mahoney (c) vs. Ray Steele for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 6. | MBWC | Hans Kaempfer vs. Dick Raines June 8, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 7,000 | Hans Kaempfer vs. Dick Raines |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Paul Jones February 1, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 7,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Paul Jones for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Abe Coleman March 5, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,500 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Abe Coleman |
| 8. | MBWC | Danno O'Mahoney vs. Paul Jones November 11, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Danno O'Mahoney (c) vs. Paul Jones for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 8. | MBWC | Lou Plummer vs. Frank Speer January 13, 1936 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Lou Plummer vs. Frank Speer |
| 8. | MBWC | Lou Plummer vs. Farmer Tobin March 3, 1936 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Lou Plummer vs. Farmer Tobin |
| 8. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ray Steele January 4, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Ray Steele for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 8. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Ray Steele March 22, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Jim Londos vs. Ray Steele |
| 8. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ali Baba May 9, 1939 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ali Baba |
| 8. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Chief Saunooke October 10, 1939 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Chief Saunooke for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 9. | FKE / MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Fritz Von Schacht February 8, 1938 | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago Stadium | 5,081 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Fritz Von Schacht for the World Heavyweight Championship |
| 10. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Joe Cox June 13, 1933 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Jim Londos vs. Joe Cox |
| 10. | MBWC | Milo Steinborn vs. George Koverly July 22, 1934 | Waterloo, Iowa | Electric Park Arena | 5,000 | Milo Steinborn vs. George Koverly |
| 10. | MBWC | Abe Coleman vs. Abe Kashey January 8, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Abe Coleman vs. Abe Kashey |
| 10. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Plummer June 18, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Plummer |
| 10. | MBWC | Danno O'Mahoney vs. Lou Plummer July 16, 1935 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Danno O'Mahoney (c) vs. Lou Plummer for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 10. | MBWC | Lou Plummer vs. Otto Kuss January 7, 1936 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Lou Plummer vs. Otto Kuss |
| 10. | MBWC | Jim Londos vs. Cliff Olson February 18, 1936 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Jim Londos vs. Cliff Olson |
| 10. | MBWC | Farmer Tobin vs. Dick Raines February 9, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Farmer Tobin vs. Dick Raines |
| 10. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ed Lewis May 25, 1937 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ed "Strangler" Lewis |
| 10. | MBWC | Hans Kaempfer vs. Chief Little Wolf April 26, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Hans Kaempfer vs. Chief Little Wolf |
| 10. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Hans Kaempfer November 29, 1938 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Hans Kaempfer |
| 10. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Dick Raines June 28, 1939 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Dick Raines for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1940s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | MBWC | Ray Steele vs. Bronko Nagurski March 11, 1941 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,000 | Ray Steele (c) vs. Bronko Nagurski for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 2. | MBWC | Sandor Szabo vs. Cliff Gustafson July 1, 1941 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 7,000 | Sandor Szabo (c) vs. Cliff Gustafson for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 3. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Cliff Gustafson January 27, 1942 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,500 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Cliff Gustafson |
| 4. | MBWC | Cliff Gustafson vs. Abe Kashey May 29, 1945 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 6,000 | Cliff Gustafson vs. Abe Kashey |
| 5. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Bob Wagner November 29, 1949 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,326 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Bob Wagner |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ernie Dusek January 9, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Ernie Dusek for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Danno O'Mahoney February 6, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski (c) vs. Danno O'Mahoney for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ed Virag April 30, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ed Virag |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Thesz May 7, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Thesz |
| 6. | MBWC | The French Angel vs. Alf Johnson June 7, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | The French Angel vs. Alf Johnson |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Sandor Szabo May 26, 1942 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Sandor Szabo |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Steve Casey January 20, 1948 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Steve Casey |
| 6. | MBWC | George Gordienko vs. Mike Browning February 3, 1948 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | George Gordienko vs. Mike Browning |
| 6. | MBWC | Orville Brown vs. Bronko Nagurski June 14, 1949 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 5,000 | Orville Brown (c) vs. Bronko Nagurski for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Bill Longson December 27, 1949 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,623 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Bill Longson |
| 8. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ray Steele June 5, 1945 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,500 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Ray Steele |
| 9. | MBWC | Midwest Wrestling tournament February 20, 1940 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,000 | 16-man Midwest Wrestling tournament |
| 9. | MBWC | Sandor Szabo vs. Billy Bartush April 28, 1942 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,000 | Sandor Szabo vs. Billy Bartush |
| 9. | MBWC | George Gordienko vs. Dave Levin January 6, 1948 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,000 | George Gordienko vs. Dave Levin |
| 10. | MBWC | Steve Kozak vs. Joe Pazandak November 21, 1946 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Civic Auditorium | 3,800 | Steve Kozak vs. Joe Pazandak |
Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1950s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | MBWC | Abe Kashey vs. Dick Raines March 23, 1954 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,990 | Abe Kashey vs. Dick Raines with special referee Joe Louis |
| 2. | MBWC | Yukon Eric vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty July 14, 1953 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,641 | Yukon Eric vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty |
| 3. | MBWC | Tiny Mills vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty October 28, 1952 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,400 | Tiny Mills vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty |
| 3. | MBWC | Yukon Eric vs. Ski Hi Lee May 5, 1953 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,400 | Yukon Eric vs. Ski Hi Lee |
| 4. | MBWC | The Kalmikoffs vs. Lord Layton & Bobby Managoff March 6, 1956 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,250 | The Kalmikoffs (Ivan Kalmikoff and Karol Kalmikoff) vs. Lord Layton and Bobby Managoff |
| 5. | MBWC | Ike Eakins vs Hard Boiled Haggerty March 17, 1953 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Armory | 9,238 | Ike Eakins vs Hard Boiled Haggerty |
| 6. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Thesz June 26, 1951 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,146 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Lou Thesz |
| 7. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty August 19, 1952 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,120 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Hard Boiled Haggerty |
| 8. | MBWC | Verne Gagne & Paul Baillargeon vs. Tiny Mills & Dick Raines July 22, 1952 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,000 | Verne Gagne and Paul Baillargeon vs. Tiny Mills and Dick Raines in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match |
| 9. | MBWC | Butch Levy vs. Dick Raines January 31, 1950 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,934 | Butch Levy vs. Dick Raines with special referee Jack Dempsey |
| 10. | MBWC | Bronko Nagurski vs. Wladek Kowalski May 2, 1950 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 8,917 | Bronko Nagurski vs. Wladek Kowalski |
Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1960s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Blackjack Lanza July 27, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 12,108 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Blackjack Lanza for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 2. | AWA | Larry Hennig & Harley Race vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher April 15, 1967 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 11,425 | Larry Hennig and Harley Race (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 3. | AWA | Lars Anderson vs. Bill Watts April 10, 1969 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 11,308 | Lars Anderson vs. Bill Watts |
| 4. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. Larry Hennig & Harley Race January 17, 1965 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Auditorium | 10,993 | Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher (c) vs. Larry Hennig and Harley Race in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 5. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Verne Gagne February 15, 1963 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Auditorium | 10,802 | The Crusher vs. Verne Gagne in a Death match |
| 6. | AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Gene Kiniski November 24, 1960 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Auditorium | 10,661 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Gene Kiniski for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & Bobby Heenan vs. The Chain Gang June 21, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | Dick the Bruiser and Bobby Heenan vs. The Chain Gang (Frank Dillinger and Jack Dillinger) in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match |
| 7. | AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Bill Watts July 26, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Bill Watts in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. The Vachons August 30, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher (c) vs. The Vachons (Mad Dog Vachon and Butcher Vachon) in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 7. | AWA | The Vachons vs. Pat O'Connor & Wilbur Snyder September 13, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheatre | 10,000 | The Vachons (Mad Dog Vachon and Butcher Vachon) vs. Pat O'Connor and Wilbur Snyder in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match |
| 7. | AWA | The Vachons vs. Edouard Carpentier & Wilbur Snyder September 27, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheatre | 10,000 | The Vachons (Butcher Vachon and Mad Dog Vachon) (c) vs. Edouard Carpentier and Wilbur Snyder in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 7. | AWA | The Vachons vs. Red Bastien & Billy Red Lyons October 11, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | The Vachons (Mad Dog Vachon and Butcher Vachon) (c) vs. Red Bastien and Billy Red Lyons in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 7. | AWA | The Vachons vs. Red Bastien & Billy Red Lyons November 8, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | The Vachons (Mad Dog Vachon and Butcher Vachon) (c) vs. Red Bastien and Billy Red Lyons in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 7. | AWA | 12-man Battle Royal November 22, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 10,000 | 12-man Battle Royal |
| 8. | AWA | Larry Hennig & Harley Race vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher March 11, 1967 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 9,812 | Larry Hennig and Harley Race (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 9. | AWA | Mad Dog Vachon vs. Verne Gagne June 26, 1965 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minneapolis Auditorium | 9,713 | Mad Dog Vachon (c) vs. Verne Gagne in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 10. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. The Vachons July 12, 1969 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 9,512 | Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher (c) vs. The Vachons (Mad Dog Vachon and Butcher Vachon) in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1970s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Baron Von Raschke August 14, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 21,000 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Baron Von Raschke in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 2. | AWA | Verne Gagne vs. Billy Robinson September 7, 1974 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 18,000 | Verne Gagne (c) vs. Billy Robinson for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 3. | AWA | Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher August 27, 1976 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 15,000 | Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher in a Steel Cage match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 4. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Angelo Mosca April 1, 1978 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | MECCA Arena | 12,308 | The Crusher vs. Angelo Mosca in a Steel Cage match |
| 5. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Nick Bockwinkel October 9, 1971 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 12,300 | The Crusher vs. Nick Bockwinkel |
| 5. | AWA | The Crusher & Mad Dog Vachon vs. Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff September 29, 1973 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 12,300 | The Crusher and Mad Dog Vachon vs. Billy Graham and Ivan Koloff in a Steel Cage match |
| 6. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Mad Dog Vachon June 13, 1970 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 12,076 | The Crusher vs. Mad Dog Vachon in a Steel Cage match |
| 7. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Dusty Rhodes June 17, 1972 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 12,062 | The Crusher vs. Dusty Rhodes in a Saloon match |
| 8. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. The Chain Gang June 2, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 12,000 | Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher vs. The Chain Gang (Jim Dillinger and Jack Dillinger) in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match |
| 8. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. The Blackjacks September 1, 1972 | Chicago, Illinois | Soldier Field | 12,000 | Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher vs. The Blackjacks (Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza) in a Steel Cage match with special referee Jersey Joe Walcott |
| 8. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher August 16, 1975 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 12,000 | Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 8. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne December 3, 1977 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 12,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Verne Gagne for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 9. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens vs. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher August 19, 1972 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 11,951 | Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens (c) vs. Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 10. | AWA | André the Giant & The High Flyers vs. The Heenan Family March 18, 1976 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Winnipeg Arena | 11,500 | André the Giant and The High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) vs. The Heenan Family (Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Duncum and Bobby Heenan) |
| 10. | AWA | Dick the Bruiser vs. Ernie Ladd March 11, 1978 | Chicago, Illinois | International Amphitheater | 11,500 | Dick the Bruiser vs. Ernie Ladd in a Texas Death match |
Top 10 most-attended shows in the 1980s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | AWA | WrestleRock 86 April 20, 1986 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 23,000 | The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin) in a Steel Cage match |
| 2. | AWA | SuperClash September 28, 1985 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 20,347 | Rick Martel (c) vs. Stan Hansen for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 3. | AWA | The Road Warriors vs. The Crusher & Stan Lane August 30, 1984 | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 20,000 | The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal) (c) vs. The Crusher and Stan Lane for the AWA World Tag Team Championship |
| 3. | AWA | AWA Super Sunday April 24, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 20,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 3. | AWA | 20-Man Battle Royal October 23, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 19,120 | 20-man Battle Royal match |
| 4. | AWA | The Crusher & Greg Gagne vs. Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey & Jerry Blackwell March 25, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 19,000 | The Crusher and Greg Gagne vs. Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey and Jerry Blackwell in a Steel Cage match |
| 5. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Hulk Hogan April 18, 1982 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 18,969 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Hulk Hogan for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 6. | AWA | Hulk Hogan & The High Flyers vs. Crusher Blackwell, Ken Patera & Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey November 4, 1983 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 18,500 | Hulk Hogan and The High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) vs. Crusher Blackwell, Ken Patera and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey |
| 7. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Rick Martel November 25, 1982 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 18,000 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Rick Martel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | AWA | Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Blackjack Lanza March 4, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 18,000 | Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Blackjack Lanza for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 7. | AWA | The Crusher & Baron Von Raschke vs Mr. Saito & Jesse Ventura April 1, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 18,000 | The Crusher and Baron Von Raschke vs Mr. Saito and Jesse Ventura |
| 8. | AWA | Nick Bockwinkel vs. Mad Dog Vachon December 25, 1983 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,857 | Nick Bockwinkel (c) vs. Mad Dog Vachon for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 9. | AWA | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell August 17, 1980 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,000 | The Crusher vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Lights Out match |
| 9. | AWA | Baron Von Raschke, Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher vs. Masa Saito, Jesse Ventura & Jerry Blackwell April 29, 1984 | Rosemont, Illinois | Rosemont Horizon | 17,000 | Baron Von Raschke, Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher vs. Masa Saito, Jesse Ventura and Jerry Blackwell in a Steel Cage match |
| 9. | AWA | Tony Atlas vs. Masa Saito October 21, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 17,000 | Tony Atlas vs. Masa Saito |
| 10. | AWA | Rick Martel vs. Billy Robinson November 22, 1984 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 16,000 | Rick Martel (c) vs. Billy Robinson for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship |
Top 5 most-attended shows in the 1990s :
| No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) |
| 1. | AWA / NWA | Twin Wars '90 May 5, 1990 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 4,000 | Larry Zbyszko vs. Nikita Koloff for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship with special guest referee Nick Bockwinkel |
| 2. | AWA | SuperClash IV April 8, 1990 | St. Paul, Minnesota | St. Paul Civic Center | 2,000 | Mr. Saito (c) vs. Larry Zbyszko for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship with special guest referee Nick Bockwinkel |
| 3. | AWA | All Star Wrestling January 22, 1994 | Red Wing, Minnesota | Treasure Island Resort & Casino | 700 | Larry Zbyszko vs. Repo Man |
| 4. | AWA | Wahoo McDaniel & Greg Gagne vs. The Destruction Crew May 3, 1991 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Bloomington Kennedy High School | 650 | Wahoo McDaniel and Greg Gagne vs. The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom) |
| 5. | AWA | Wahoo McDaniel & Baron Von Raschke vs. The Destruction Crew May 2, 1991 | Bemidji, Minnesota | | 450 | Wahoo McDaniel and Baron Von Raschke vs. The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom) |

## Footnotes

* ↑ The event took place after a Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays baseball game.