With Wahoo McDaniel, defeated the Nasty Boys; singles victories over Mike Smith and the Nomad.
A career in motion
In January 1988 Tom Zenk returned to Verne Gagne’s AWA. The move came five months after Zenk’s departure from the WWF, and before the next major phase of his career in WCW. It placed him inside a promotion that was balancing its celebrated past against a rapidly changing wrestling business. He stayed barely two months.
After a European tour in April and May 1988, All Japan tours in the fall, and independent dates through the remainder of the year, Zenk returned to the AWA from January–May 1989 for cards in Winnipeg, St. Paul and across the upper Midwest—at one point entering the battle royal that crowned Larry Zbyszko AWA World Heavyweight Champion—before departing for WCW.
1988
The first return
Television, veterans and a difficult choice
Zenk entered an AWA roster built around Curt Hennig, Greg Gagne, the Midnight Rockers and veteran names including Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Robinson.
At the 15 January television taping in Minot, Zenk teamed with Wahoo McDaniel to defeat the Nasty Boys and also recorded singles wins over Mike Smith and the Nomad. Two days later in Oshkosh he partnered Alan West against Nick Kiniski and Kevin Kelly; on 23 January in Tomah, he defeated Soldat Ustinov.
The most historically charged appearance came on 4 February at the Minneapolis Auditorium’s final AWA card. Billed as a nostalgia night before the arena’s closure, the show drew 1,700. Zenk wrestled British technician Billy Robinson to a draw—a pairing the contemporary Wrestling Observer Newsletter questioned, since Robinson controlled much of the match despite Zenk being positioned as a potential challenger to Hennig.
Contemporary reports said Zenk left the AWA in February 1988 after declining a proposed television angle without a financial guarantee. The break was brief in the wider arc of his career—he soon moved through Europe and Japan, and would be back in the AWA orbit the following year.
Defeated Soldat Ustinov on a card headlined by AWA Champion Curt Hennig.
Drew Billy Robinson on the final AWA card staged at the Minneapolis Auditorium.
22
April–May 1988
Twenty-two towns across Europe
“Superstars of Wrestling” carried Zenk through Geneva, Zurich, Bern, Basel, Vienna and other European markets before the tour unravelled over money.
The tour was promoted as Die Besten Catcher aus USA and originally planned a “Beauty and the Beast” program between Zenk and Kamala. When Kamala became unavailable, Afa of the Samoans replaced him. Other talent included Derrick Dukes, the Terminators, Wendy Richter, Bambi, Peggy Lee Leather and Luna.
Audiences were generally poor, apart from Germany, with relations deteriorating as promoters became evasive over pay. Zenk asked for his final week’s money in advance and, ticket and passport in hand, left for Munich airport and New York.
From 20 August to 9 September Zenk toured All Japan Pro Wrestling’s Summer Action Series II, often alongside John Laurinaitis—maintaining his Japanese connection.
1989
Zenk vs Zbyszko
A title chase in the AWA’s late period
The second return to AWA in January 1989 placed Zenk higher on cards, opposite Col. DeBeers, Badd Company, Paul Diamond and new champion Larry Zbyszko.
On 2 February in Winnipeg, Zenk substituted for Don Muraco against Col. DeBeers and lost by disqualification. Five days later at the St. Paul Civic Center, he was part of the battle royal for the vacant AWA championship. Zbyszko eliminated Zenk to win the title. Later that night Zenk teamed with Wahoo McDaniel to defeat Manny Fernandez and Zbyszko, and with Ken Patera against tag champions Badd Company.
The schedule continued through Pittsburgh, Marshfield, Rochester, St. Paul and Ontario. Zenk teamed with Greg Gagne against Badd Company, defeated Paul Diamond, and repeatedly crossed paths with Zbyszko. His 14 May match in Sault Ste. Marie ended in a disqualification victory over the champion.
Faced Col. DeBeers as a substitute for Don Muraco.
Eliminated by Larry Zbyszko in the battle royal for the AWA title; wrestled twice more on the card.
Defeated AWA Champion Larry Zbyszko by disqualification.
AWA
The program
Zenk versus Zbyszko
Magazine coverage presented Zenk as a determined challenger closing in on Zbyszko’s AWA title.
Read more contemporary magazine coverage of the Zenk–Zbyszko title match.
MAY
The regional circuit
From breakfast cereal to a charity card
Zenk’s 1989 work was unusually broad, from corporate entertainment to Wrestle for Shelter.
At the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis on 1 May, AWA wrestlers performed for a Kellogg’s sales and marketing event. Zenk and Greg Gagne became “The Sales and Marketing Team” and defeated Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond as “The Mills Brothers.” Five days later in Rochester, Zenk substituted for Don Muraco and defeated Diamond before 1,500 spectators.
On 13 May at the North End Depot in St. Paul, Zenk and Ken Patera beat Soldat Ustinov and Terminator Riggs. At Loring Park on 24 June, he defeated the 365-pound Russian Brute on a charity “Rock ’n’ Wrestle” card refereed by Eddie Sharkey and attended by a reported 3,500.
The next arena
NWA or Japan?
By the summer of 1989, Zenk’s future was being debated in the wrestling press.
Matwatch reported that the NWA had offered him “a nice financial figure,” while his All Japan commitments remained lucrative. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in June that Zenk, Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond had left the AWA and that Zenk would concentrate on Japan and selected independent dates.
After the All Japan Summer Action Series, the Miami Herald confirmed his scheduled NWA debut at Clash of the Champions on 12 September 1989. The AWA return had closed; the next chapter would begin under a mask as “Mr. Z.”