Stephen Petitpas

Last updated
Stephen Petitpas
Born (1957-11-14) November 14, 1957 (age 66)
Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany [1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Canadian Lumberjack [1]
Sheik Ali [1]
Stephen Petitpas [1]
Steven Pearsay [1]
Billed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm) [1]
Billed weight275 lb (125 kg) [1]
Trained by Emile Dupree [2]
Debut1974 [1]
Retired1995 [1]

Stephen Petitpas (born November 14, 1957) is a Canadian professional wrestler.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Petitpas was born in Soest, Germany. [1] He grew up in a French household in Shediac, New Brunswick. Petitpas lived in a small Acadian house with a professional wrestler, Emile Duprée, living across the street. Petitpas would watch Duprée train in his backyard. By the time he was thirteen and fourteen, Petitpas was putting up the ring for Duprée. By the age of 15 he was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds. Petitpas refereed some matches for Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling (AGPW), Duprée's wrestling promotion. When some wrestlers quit AGPW, Petitpas became involved as a wrestler at Duprée's invitation. While in the Maritimes, Petitpas always wrestled as a face (fan favorite). [3]

Petitpas traveled around the world to compete during his career, including wrestling tours of Germany, Japan, and India. He had five matches against Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship but was unable to win the title belt. [3] In AGPW, Petitpas held several titles, including the AGPW International Heavyweight Championship, which he won in 1985 by defeating Super Destroyer. [4] He also won the AGPW Maritimes Heavyweight Championship on two occasions, winning the inaugural title and later defeating Super Destroyer to regain the belt. [5]

Wrestling in the Montreal-based Lutte Internationale, Petitpas competed under the ring name Sheik Ali. He portrayed a heel (villain) character and was managed by Eddie "The Brain" Creatchman and "Pretty Boy" Floyd Creatchman. He competed against such wrestlers as Rick Martel, Dino Bravo, and Abdullah the Butcher. He was given an opportunity to compete for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) but did not get to wrestle in any of the matches because Martel, who ran Lutte International, became concerned about how they would impact Petitpas's schedule and status in Lutte International. [3] While competing for the company, Petitpas teamed with Richard Charland in 1986 to win the Canadian International Tag Team Championship by defeating Dan Kroffat and Tom Zenk. [6]

When Duprée decided to stop promoting shows, he sold AGPW to Petitpas and Leo Burke. In 1988 and 1989, he ran shows in addition to operating the Atlantic Wrestling School. His most famous trainee at the school was Robert Maillet, who went on to wrestle in the WWF as Kurrgan. Petitpas found it difficult to compete with the WWF in the Maritimes and ultimately closed his promotion. [3]

Canadian wrestler Buddy Lane has called Petitpas's career "the biggest waste of talent ever" in wrestling, as Petitpas was given opportunities to wrestle for larger companies but chose to remain in the Maritimes. [3] He has three children, a daughter and two sons.

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Duprée</span> Canadian professional wrestler

René Goguen, better known by his ring name René Duprée is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah where he is a former two-time GHC Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Rougeau</span> Canadian professional wrestler

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanny Poffo</span> Canadian-American wrestler (1954–2023)

Lanny Mark Poffo better known by his ring names "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and the Genius, was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, and actor. Poffo was a second generation professional wrestler, his father being Angelo Poffo. His brother Macho Man Randy Savage was also a professional wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Bravo</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1948–1993)

Adolfo Bresciano was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo.

Armand Rougeau is a Canadian former professional wrestler. He is the son of Jacques Rougeau, Sr. and brother of former World Wrestling Federation (WWF) wrestlers Jacques Rougeau, Jr. and Raymond Rougeau. He performed in Canada before he was hired by the WWF. An injury forced him out of the ring for several years. He has wrestled occasional matches and worked as an auto mechanic since retiring from wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moondog King</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1949 – 2005)

Edward John White was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Sailor White and as Moondog King of The Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s. White won championships in Canada and around the globe. He also wrestled in South Africa as Big John Strongbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frenchy Martin</span> Canadian professional wrestler and manager

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Schultz (professional wrestler)</span> American professional and Olympic wrestler (born 1955)

David Schultz is an American retired professional wrestler. He competed in North American regional promotions Stampede Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance, and the American Wrestling Association in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During his short stint in the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, he gained notoriety by assaulting 20/20 reporter John Stossel during a report on the legitimacy of professional wrestling.

Léonce Cormier is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council (WWC) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in New Zealand. In Canada, where he spent the majority of his career, Cormier used the ring name Leo Burke. In the United States, however, he competed as Tommy Martin.

Ángel Acevedo is a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler known by his ring name The Cuban Assassin and for his appearances with Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, World Wrestling Council and Stampede Wrestling. Ángel Acevedo is a permanent resident of Canada and resides in Calgary, Alberta. Acevedo's son, Richie Acevedo, was also a wrestler for many years but retired in 2009. Acevedo allowed Fidel Sierra to use the Cuban Assassin name as well, as long as he did not use it in Japan, which has led to some mistakenly crediting Acevedo and Sierra with championships they did not win.

Grand Prix Wrestling (GPW) was a professional wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. It toured parts of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. It has no connection with Paul Vachon's Grand Prix Wrestling promotion of Montreal in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Brown (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1938 – 1997)

Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gino Brito</span> Canadian professional wrestler

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Karl Krupp</span> Dutch-Canadian professional wrestler

George Momberg, better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Kay</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1950–2020)

Romeo Cormier was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by the ring name Bobby Kay. He was a member of the Cormier wrestling family, a group of four brothers who were all successful professional wrestlers. He worked in Canada and the United States from 1967 to the mid-1980s, briefly owning and operating part of the Eastern Sports Association. After retiring from wrestling, he performed country music professionally before taking a job with Loblaws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry Brown (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1958 – 2009)

Kerry Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler. Brown was best known for working in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s under his real name, but also wrestled in Puerto Rico, Montreal and the Maritimes using the ring name Rick Valentine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutte Internationale</span> Canadian professional wrestling promotion

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Charland</span>

Richard Charland is a Canadian professional wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brody Steele</span> Canadian professional wrestler (born 1967)

Peter Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known as his ring name, Brody Steele. Steele starred as one of the four leading characters in the Wrestling Reality documentary-reality television series that aired on the Fight Network in Canada.

Dennis Baldrock, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He wrestled under the ring name, No Class Bobby Bass where he spent most of his career in the Maritimes for Grand Prix Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling in Calgary.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stephen Petitpas". Cagematch.net. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pat Laprade; Bertrand Hébert (2013). Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs: The Untold Story of How Montreal Shaped the World of Wrestling. ECW Press. pp. 1, 990. ISBN   978-1-77090-296-1.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Oliver, Greg. "Canadian Hall of Fame: Big Stephen Petitpas". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2009-12-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. 1 2 "Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling International Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  5. 1 2 "Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling Maritimes Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  6. 1 2 "International Wrestling International Tag Team Title (Montreal)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-11.