Canadian pro wrestling history biography

  • Canadian wrestling federation
  • Canadian pro wrestlers
  • Maple leaf pro wrestling

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    Originally written for the program for the "Titans In Toronto" Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Dinner 
    -held September 18, 2004.

    This year marks the 75th anniversary of the launch of weekly professional wrestling shows in Toronto in 1929, and the city's wrestling heritage extends many years earlier.

    The most famous wrestler of the 19th century, William Muldoon, made a stop in Toronto in 1883 and in the years immediately following the turn of the century, some of the biggest names in the business made appearances in the city. Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, Stanislaus Zbyszko, and women's champion Cora Livingstone all wrestled more than once in Toronto.

    Mickailoff turns Toronto into a wrestling city
    But while modern era fans know Toronto as one of the world's top cities for professional wrestling, it wasn't always that way. Despite these occasional visits by all-time legends, the sport had largely been a minor attraction in the city until promoter Ivan Mickailoff boldly mo
  • canadian pro wrestling history biography

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    Introduction
    The Territory
    Origins of professional wrestling in western Canada

    Promotion/Promoter profiles 1930–1934 – Emil Klank
    1930–1938 – Tillicum Athletic Club (Fred Richardson)
    1931–1940 – Josef Zabaw
    1932–1933 – A.E. Chilton
    1933 – Ivan Mickailoff
    1934–1937 – George Fitch
    1935–1938 – Kamloops Athletic Association (Bob Watson; Art Sanderson)
    1937–1947 – Big Time Wrestling (Percy Hicks; Jack Whelan)
    1938–1948 – Darby Melnick
    1941–1945 – Vancouver Wrestling Club (Harry Miller/Jack Whelan)
    1944–1947 – Pender Wrestling Club (Sam Nolan/Jack Keeling)
    1946–1966 – Alex Turk Promotions
    1948 – 1952 – Larry Tillman
    1948–1989 – Stampede Wrestling (Stu Hart)
    1940s–1957 – Crescent Boxing & Wrestling Club (Bill Runner)
    1948 – Northwestern Boxing & Wrestling Club (Antonios Evans)
    1949–1968 – Cliff Parker/Rod Fenton
    1950–1952 – Olympia Wrestling Club (Al Tomko)
    1952–1968 – Madison Boxing & Wrestling Club (G. Mackie/ A. Tummon)
    1954–1958 – Brooklands Wrestling

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    Professional wrestling in Canada

    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