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The history of Professional wrestling in Canada dates back to the founding of Maple Leaf Wrestling, which opened in 1930 and was the first known professional wrestling company in the country. [1] Many Canadian wrestlers including Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Edge, Chris Jericho, and Kenny Omega have gone on to achieve worldwide success.
Culturally, Canadian wrestling has been an overspill of American wrestling with a generally similar ring style and business methodology. Four major NWA territories were based out of Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver each (with a lesser fifth booking office in Moncton). By the mid 1980s, Titan Sports, the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation, had bought out the first three territories (although Calgary was later sold back to its previous owner) and the fourth was in terminal decline. Montreal and Toronto would become major WWF cities, both hosting pay per view events for the company in the 1990s and 2000s.
Canada is an English/French bilingual country [5] and French is the dominant language in Quebec, home of the old Grand Prix Wrestling and Lutte Internationale promotions. Accordingly this territory used both languages with dual language ring announcements, [6] separate English and French commented broadcasts and either language used for promotional interviews. This tradition was continued later by the WWF on Canadian television with its French language segment Le Brunch de Pat hosted in French by veteran wrestler Pat Patterson either translating interviews from English speaking guests or else conversing in French with Francophone wrestlers. [7]
Many professional wrestling terms used in Quebec French differ radically from those used in professional wrestling in France, such as for example tag team wrestling which is called "combat d'Equippe" in Quebec [6] but "Catch á Quatre" in France. [8] or the falls of a Best of three falls match which are challed "Chutes" in Quebec and "Manches" in France. This extends even to the point of using different terms - "lutte" versus "catch" - for professional wrestling itself.
Note: † denotes wrestler is deceased
The Quebecers were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from in between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1998 who consisted of Quebecer Jacques and Quebecer Pierre. They also worked as The Amazing French-Canadians in World Championship Wrestling under their given names from 1996 to 1997.
Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a Canadian former professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation. He began his career under his real name as half of the tag team The Fabulous Rougeaus with his brother Raymond Rougeau. In 1991, he began a singles career as the Mountie, winning the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship once. In 1993, he formed three time WWF Tag Team Championship winning tag team The Quebecers with Pierre Ouellet.
Raymond Rougeau is a Canadian politician, former professional wrestler and French language commentator. He most notably worked for the World Wrestling Federation between 1986 and 2002, firstly as one of The Fabulous Rougeaus, and has been the mayor of Rawdon, Quebec, since 2021.
Adolfo Bresciano, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo, was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter.
Richard Vigneault is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, Rick "The Model" Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. Championships held by Martel over the course of his career include the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, WCW World Television Championship, and WWF World Tag Team Championship.
Pat Patterson was a Canadian-American professional wrestler and producer, widely known for his long tenure in the professional wrestling promotion WWE, first as a wrestler, then as a creative consultant and producer ("booker"). He is recognized by the company as their first Intercontinental Champion and creator of the Royal Rumble match. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1996.
Carl Ouellet is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, PCO. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is the TNA Digital Media Champion and Canadian International Heavyweight Champion, both in his first reign.
Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Mad Dog Vachon. He was the older brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon.
The Fabulous Rougeaus was the professional wrestling tag team of real-life brothers Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, best known from their time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1986 to 1990.
Jacques Rougeau Sr. was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was the father of wrestlers Jacques Rougeau, Armand Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau.
Jean Gagné was a French–Canadian professional wrestler and manager, best known under the ring name Frenchy Martin. During his World Wrestling Federation heyday in the 1980s as the manager of Canadian wrestler Dino Bravo, he was known for his trademark sign that read "USA is not OK". Gagné, however, began his career in Canada, primarily in Stampede Wrestling, and in Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council. In 1990, Gagné left the WWF and retired from professional wrestling.
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a French and Canadian professional wrestler, gymnast, and member of the French Resistance during World War II, known by his ring name, Édouard Carpentier.
Louis Gino Acocella, better known by his ring name Gino Brito, is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and promoter. He was most popular in Montreal. As Louis Cerdan, he was a WWWF Tag Team Champion with fellow Italian-Canadian wrestler Tony Parisi. He trained another Italian-Canadian wrestler, Dino Bravo.
The Rougeau wrestling family is a family of French Canadian professional wrestlers, with the first Rougeau member taking up wrestling in the 1940s. So far four generations of the family have been involved in professional wrestling starting with Eddie Auger, followed into the sport by his nephews Johnny and Jacques Rougeau Sr. in the 1950s. Three of Jacques' sons following him into professional wrestling Jacques Jr., Raymond, and Armand. Jacques ' eldest daughter, Joanne Rougeau, worked as a wrestling promoter for the World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 2000. Jean-Jacques and Cedric, both sons of Jacques Rougeau Jr., represent the fourth generation.
Michel Lamarche was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ringnames Alexis Smirnoff and Michel "Justice" Dubois, who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, including the Mid-South, Central States, Georgia and San Francisco territories, as well as brief stints in International Wrestling Enterprise, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 1980s.
Gilles Poisson is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, known by his ring name Pierre or Gilles "The Fish" Poisson, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association, International Wrestling, Grand Prix Wrestling, Maple Leaf Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s.
Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc.
Lutte Internationale was a professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal from 1980 until 1987. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac. Lutte Internationale succeeded All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling as Quebec's top wrestling promotion for most of the 1980s.
Richard Charland is a Canadian professional wrestler.
Nelson Veilleux is a retired Canadian professional wrestler who spent his career in Quebec, New Brunswick, England and the World Wrestling Federation.
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