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.

Notable promotions

NWA Territories era

Independents

Bilinguality

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.

Canadian wrestlers overseas

Note: † denotes wrestler is deceased

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jun 30, foxsports; ET, 2017 at 10:28p (2016-11-17). "WWE's 10 Greatest Canadian Wrestlers of All Time". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2019-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Guest column: Smash Wrestling's growth has been a wild ride".
  3. ↑ "Deals: DHX, Super Channel, Fight Network".
  4. ↑ "Preview: The Summit: SHIMMER, Smash, RISE, Femme Fatales (8/10/19)". 8 August 2019.
  5. ↑ Toolkit, Web Experience (30 March 2014). "Canada's official languages and you". www.clo-ocol.gc.ca.
  6. 1 2 37:20 "C'est un combat d'equippe- a tag team match" French/English bilingual ring announcement by MC, International Grand Prix Wrestling May 1974
  7. ↑ "Le Brunch de Pat" segment with Andre the Giant, WWF television 1986
  8. ↑ "Un grande combat de Catch a Quatre" - commentary at 0:24 by Daniel Cazal, Le Catch, Jean Corne & René Caballe vs Jacky Richard & Guy Renault, transmitted on Antenne 2, France, October 12, 1981
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