Maurice Vachon

Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon was born on September 14, 1929. His godfather was Maurice Picard, his uncle and the godmother was Victoria Ouellet, his maternal grandmother; he was the second of 13 children of Montreal policeman Ferdinand Vachon and Marguerite Picard. Vachon ultimately finished in seventh place at 174 pounds after losing to eventual silver medalist Adil Candemir of Turkey. Moreover, it was at the 1948 Olympics where Vachon first encountered an American Greco-Roman competitor named Verne Gagne. He rebounded to win the gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games in New Zealand. He then spent several years working as a bouncer at a Montreal nightclub, where he gained a reputation of being willing to fight anyone, before he was encouraged to join the pro wrestling circuit in 1951. ==Professional wrestling career==

Early career (1950–1955) Vachon debuted as a junior heavyweight for Ontario booker Larry Kasaboski's Northland Wrestling Enterprises (NWE) promotion. In his first pro year, he won a tournament in Sudbury to become the initial NWE North American Junior Heavyweight Championship. He soon encountered a roadblock when powerful Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn hesitated to use him for fear that he would dethrone Yvon Robert, who was still his top draw. The unlikely partners made for an impressive tag team, and on June 6, 1979, they beat Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens to capture the AWA tag titles, which they held for over a year before losing to Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis. In a Winnipeg steel cage rematch on November 14, Markoff was neutralized, handcuffed to Vachon. Vachon received a retirement show in his native Montreal in September 1986, and he left the sport as one its most beloved babyfaces after spending almost his entire career as a sadistic heel. His innovative portrayal of a snarling, bloodthirsty monster inspired a myriad of future "psychotic" wrestlers. WWE wrote: "In later years, Mad Dog's legacy was carried on by his niece, the memorably twisted Luna Vachon, and notable brawlers who adopted Vachon's wild ring style like Bruiser Brody and George "The Animal" Steele." ==Influence==

Vachon was known for his wild personality and uncontrollable character, as well as his unique interview style. "He was the first wrestler to understand the power of television. He was the first wrestler to speak to the camera. That was never done before." said Yves Theriault, who directed a documentary on Vachon in 2009. Vachon was also very influential in his home province of Quebec. Pat LaPrade, author of the Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs, a book on Quebec wrestling history, considers Vachon one of the two most important Quebec wrestlers along with Yvon Robert. He added, "[Vachon is] the best-known Quebec wrestler outside of Quebec. A legend." In the book The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, author Greg Oliver ranks Vachon fourth amongst Canadian wrestlers, behind Whipper Billy Watson, Yvon Robert and Killer Kowalski. Vachon was also included in Oliver's book on villainous wrestlers and was ranked fourth. ==Retirement and personal life==

Upon retiring, Vachon settled in Carter Lake, Iowa with his third wife Kathy Joe. Tragedy struck in 1987 when Vachon was struck by a hit-and-run driver, resulting in the amputation of one of his legs. It was later revealed that he had been struck by a developmentally disabled male driving the country roads looking for cans to recycle while Vachon was out for a morning jog. The man apparently had no insurance and was never charged. by Shawn Michaels. In addition, he and longtime rival The Crusher made an appearance at the 1998 Over the Edge pay-per-view, in a segment where the two legends were mocked by Jerry Lawler, including Lawler trying to steal the artificial leg. Crusher and Mad Dog then punched Lawler out of the ring. He had knee surgery in 2008. On March 27, 2010, he was inducted into the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was the first inductee into the Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. ==Death==

Vachon, who in his last years had diabetes and used a wheelchair, died in his sleep on November 21, 2013, at the age of 84. He had six children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. On November 28, 2018, Vachon was posthumously inducted into the Omaha Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame at the PWP Live "Wrestlerama" event at The Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha. ==Championships and accomplishments==

• American Wrestling Association • AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Bob Orton (2) and Paul Vachon (1) • AWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times) • Central States Wrestling • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States Version) (1 time) - with Baron von Raschke • IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ivan Koloff • Mid-South Sports • NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia Version) (1 time) - with Paul Vachon • Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame • Inaugural Class Inductee (2018) • Northland Wrestling Enterprises • North American Junior Heavyweight Championship (Ontario version) • Pacific Northwest Wrestling • NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (6 times) • Pro Wrestling Illustrated • Ranked No. 166 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003 • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum • (Class of 2004) - with Paul Vachon • Quebec Sports Hall of Fame • Class of 2009 • Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter • Tag Team of the Year (1962) with Fritz Von Goering • Wrestler of the Year (1963) • NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Pierre LaSalle (1), Paul Vachon (1), and Duke Keomuka (1) • Stampede Wrestling • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (3 times) - with Paul Vachon • NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (2 times) - with Paul Vachon • World Wrestling Entertainment • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2010) • Wrestling Observer Newsletter • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) ==References==