Lutte Internationale ( French pronunciation: [lyt ɛ̃tɛʁnɑsjɔnal] ; "International Wrestling") 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 (VAlois, ROUSSimoff, and ACcocella Promotions). Lutte Internationale succeeded All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling as Quebec's top wrestling promotion for most of the 1980s.
109-1030: Professional wrestling tag team championship [REDACTED] This article does not cite any sources . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . Find sources: "Canadian International Tag Team Championship" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( May 2019 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Canadian International Tag Team Championship Details Promotion Lutte Internationale Date established September 1976 Date retired 1987 Statistics First champion(s) Dominic DeNucci and Nick DeCarlo Final champion(s) Richard Charland and Chuck Simms Most reigns Gino Brito and Tony Parisi Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau Jr. (4 reigns) The Canadian International Tag Team Championship
218-493: A No Holds Barred match . When Patterson's film did not develop properly, Kane turned on the Faction. On June 19, 2000, Patterson helped Brisco win the perpetually contested WWF Hardcore Championship from Crash Holly but during the victory celebration turned on his ally, blinding him with champagne and then breaking a second bottle over Brisco's head, and pinning the (kayfabe) unconscious champion. Brisco pursued Patterson into
327-629: A Russian Chain match in 1981. On July 26, 1982, Lutte Internationale premiered at the Montreal Forum bringing pro wrestling back to the venue after a six-year absence. Nick Bockwinkel defended the AWA World Heavyweight Championship against Tony Parisi at the Paul Sauvé Arena a year later; At the height of its popularity, the promotion held events that sometimes drew over 10,000 fans in attendance. Although never holding
436-422: A cyst from his coronary artery . In October, Patterson recovered from his operation and was released from the hospital. He legally changed his name to Pat Patterson in 2008. Patterson died of liver failure caused by a blood clot at a Miami, Florida , hospital on December 2, 2020. He was 79 years old. Many figures in the wrestling world paid their respects to Patterson, as both an in-ring performer and as
545-720: A tag team with Ray Stevens , the Blond Bombers . The duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in 1965 and again in 1967. The Blonde Bombers were described by Bret Hart as "considered by many to be the best tag team of the 1970s". In 1968, Patterson wrestled for NWA Western States Wrestling in Amarillo, Texas as Lord Patrick Patterson, winning the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship and NWA Brass Knuckles Championship . In
654-817: A battle royal in Montreal on February 24, 1987. He also appeared in a battle royal at a house show in Buffalo, New York on December 27. Patterson made a handful of additional appearances in Montreal in 1987, wrestling as a heel (while remaining a face or neutral backstage official in the United States and elsewhere in Canada). His most notable appearance was a win over the up-and-coming Brutus Beefcake on August 10 in Montreal His final match would come three weeks later again in Montreal as he fell in defeat to Beefcake and subsequently received
763-641: A compromise with the WWF in mid-1985. In exchange for giving the WWF exclusive rights to Le Colisée in Quebec City, McMahon agreed to a co-promotional deal with Lutte Internationale for a series of interpromotional shows at the Montreal Forum. The "Quebec vs. WWF" bouts would take place in Lutte's wrestling ring. The Quebec wrestlers were to appear in the main event on four out of the six shows and guaranteed clean victories over
872-594: A decade before the city had a viable " indy scene ". Both Grand Prix and Lutte Internationale were profiled in the 2013 documentary The Golden Age of Quebec Wrestling . Joe Babinsack of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reminded fans of their contributions to the Canadian and U.S. wrestling industry. Lutte Internationale's video library is one of the few not owned by World Wrestling Entertainment . According to wrestling historian Patric Laprade, its footage
981-555: A face commentator when partnered with Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon , he hosted a heel interview segment for French WWF broadcasts known as "Le Brunch de Pat", where he would politely ask questions in English but furtively mock his face guests in French . Patterson was on commentary with Monsoon when The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund for the world heavyweight championship, as well as for when Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik about
1090-493: A green card in 1971, the journalist's dossier of Freedom of Information responses showed nothing further until his successful naturalization in 2002. Patterson's longtime partner was Louie Dondero. Patterson said on WWE Legends' House he and Dondero were together for 40 years. Dondero died of a heart attack on June 28, 1998, the same night as King of the Ring . In August 2006, Patterson underwent emergency heart surgery to remove
1199-456: A haircut with Mr. T as the referee. He began working backstage as a road agent and right-hand man to WWF promoter Vince McMahon, and is credited with inventing and booking the Royal Rumble match. In the late 1990s, he also worked in the talent-relations department. After his retirement, Patterson also worked as a WWF referee. He was selected as the in-ring referee for the main event at
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#17328591833101308-467: A home in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s wrestling boom, however, the close of Lutte Internationale meant that aspiring wrestlers had nowhere to hone their craft. A few independent promotions attempted to run in Montreal during the 1990s, the most successful being Northern Championship Wrestling (1996–) and International Wrestling Syndicate (1998–), but it would be nearly
1417-1617: A match that involved his brother Bill and Danny “Bull” Johnson facing Tom Zenk and Dan Kroffat. The titles would be held up pending rematch. 29 Dan Kroffat and Tom Zenk August 12, 1986 IW show N/A 1 62 Defeat Bill Irwin and Danny Johnson in a rematch. 30 Richard Charland and Sheik Ali October 13, 1986 IW show Montreal, QC 1 118 31 Dan Kroffat and Armand Rougeau February 8, 1987 IW show Montreal, QC 1 64 32 Richard Charland and Chuck Simms April 13, 1987 IW show Montreal, QC 1 N/A — Deactivated 1987 — — — — Promotion closes External links [ edit ] Canadian International Tag Team title history Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_International_Tag_Team_Championship&oldid=1214850158 " Categories : Tag team wrestling championships Canadian professional wrestling championships Professional wrestling in Montreal Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles lacking sources from May 2019 All articles lacking sources Lutte Internationale It
1526-534: A month later. Patterson was also calling the action when Jimmy Snuka jumped off the steel cage and splashed Don Muraco in Madison Square Garden in 1983. Patterson retired from wrestling in 1985. Although retired, Patterson continued to occasionally wrestle. On January 26, 1985, he wrestled Nikolai Volkoff in a losing effort in a house show in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following month, he teamed with Andre
1635-536: A muscular build that was very much in vogue during the 1980s wrestling boom. Lutte decided to revive Eddie Quinn 's popular "Le Merveille Masquee" (Masked Marvel) gimmick as a vehicle to introduce Poirier to the fans. The plan was for him to wrestle for a few months before being unmasked and then compete under his own name as an established star. Poirier was successful in limited television appearances and his distinct look set him apart from average preliminary wrestlers . His performance failed to improve as time went on. As
1744-987: A non-title bout. This was done without the approval of WCW President Eric Bischoff , as Hogan enjoyed full creative control over his in-ring character, and a return bout was teased entitled the "Battle for Quebec". In spite of the promotional war between WCW and the WWF , Bischoff did not follow up on the Hogan–Rougeau angle and left McMahon in control of Quebec. In 1999, Rougeau tried to resurrect Montreal's "outlaw" promotion by opening "Lutte Internationale 2000". The shows featured both students of his wrestling school, such as LuFisto , Max Boyer , and Pauly Platinum, as well as King Kong Bundy , Pierre Carl Ouellet , Richard Charland, and Raymond Rougeau. American female wrestler Amanda Storm also appeared for Lutte Internationale 2000 during her rookie year. One of Rougeau's events drew an impressive 3,500 fans in Chicoutimi while another
1853-622: A one-time British Heavyweight Champion , was one of the first successful foreign wrestlers to "invade" Quebec. He was accompanied by manager "Lord" Alfred Hayes. Hayes, who spoke French fluently, angered crowds with his upper class British accent in interviews. This helped establish Robinson as one of Lutte's most hated wrestlers. During his two years in Quebec, Robinson won the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from both Rick Martel and The Destroyer . He
1962-645: A pair of brass knuckles to knock out DiBiase. Patterson was unsuccessful, however, in winning the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Backlund. In September 1979, the WWF would introduce the WWF Intercontinental Championship , a secondary championship for its midcard wrestlers. Patterson was crowned the company's first Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion after an alleged tournament held in Rio de Janeiro . While Patterson's tournament "victory"
2071-577: A result of Freedom of Information Act requests show that, as a part of a Portland Police Bureau Morals Division investigation into the Portland gay community, PPB had reported Patterson's presence at " 'gay' parties" and gay bars in the city and that Patterson was known to pick up male prostitutes in Portland. The documents also describe interviewees' suspicions that Louie Dondero was Patterson's romantic partner, as well as his agent, and that they had an open relationship . The same documents reveal that
2180-902: A singles match and chooses Lefebvre as a new partner 13 Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau, Jr. 1982 IW show N/A 1 N/A 14 Pierre Lefebvre and Pat Patterson 1982 IW show N/A 2 N/A 15 Gino Brito and Tony Parisi January 1983 IW show Montreal, QC 2 N/A 16 Pierre Lefebvre and Billy Robinson May 23, 1983 IW show Montreal, QC 1 28 17 Gino Brito and Tony Parisi June 20, 1983 IW show Montreal, QC 3 N/A Championship history
2289-512: A stadium show like its predecessors, many of Lutte's shows at the Montreal Forum drew higher attendance figures than any other local promotion. The concept of bringing in foreign wrestlers and pitting them against local favorites was an immediate hit with French Canadian audiences. André the Giant and Dino Bravo were the initial headliners during the Promotions Varoussac era. Billy Robinson ,
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#17328591833102398-468: A tag team match with Dino Bravo and King Tonga battling Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik . The interpromotional series, which consistently drew between 15,000 and 21,000 fans, was very successful financially and proved to be one of the most popular programs in Quebec wrestling history. The final show was to have a " Champion vs. Champion match " between Dino Bravo and Hulk Hogan. It was originally planned to be held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal which had
2507-410: A tournament final to become the first champion. After the match, Charland attacked Burke and destroyed his trophy turning heel in the process. Lutte Internationale soon began promoting outside the Montreal area. It regularly visited Hull , Quebec City , Sherbrooke , Verdun and other cities in southern Quebec. The promotion typically focused on summer tours as most arenas were used for hockey during
2616-505: A year after the WWF's talent raids. Lutte's final show in Verdun, Quebec featured Abdullah the Butcher wrestling Gino Brito in the main event. After Lutte closed, Pat Patterson convinced Brito to be the WWF promoter in Montreal, a job Brito held for four years. In the mid-1990s, Montreal experienced a revival of sorts when Jacques Rougeau, Jr. began promoting in the area. His first major effort
2725-444: Is in the public domain . The master tapes were not kept when the company went bankrupt and the only known footage of its television show exists due to dedicated fans who recorded episodes on VCRs . Laprade and Montreal wrestling promoter Bertrand Hébert used much of this footage for their DVD releases on Quebec wrestling. Pat Patterson (wrestler) Pat Patterson (born Pierre Clermont ; January 19, 1941 – December 2, 2020)
2834-1353: Is unrecorded from June 2, 1980 to 1981 . 5 Richard Charland and Len Shelley N/A IW show N/A 1 N/A 6 Swede Hansen and Le Bourreau/The Hangman April 25, 1981 IW show Sherbrooke, QC 1 N/A 7 Gino Brito and Rick McGraw December 1982 (NLT) IW show N/A 1 N/A 8 Gilles Poisson and Sailor White 1982 IW show N/A 1 N/A 9 Gino Brito and Tony Parisi 1982 IW show N/A 1 N/A 10 Pierre Lefebvre and Michel Dubois 1982 IW show N/A 1 N/A 11 Pat Patterson and Raymond Rougeau 1982 IW show N/A 2 N/A 12 Pierre Lefebvre and Pat Patterson October 1982 (NLT) IW show Sherbrooke, QC 1 N/A Patterson and Rougeau break up; Patterson defeats Rougeau in
2943-1504: Is unrecorded from June 20, 1983 to August 1983 . 18 Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau Jr. August 1983 (NLT) IW show N/A 2 N/A 19 Pierre Lefebvre and Pat Patterson September 1983 IW show N/A 3 N/A 20 Gino Brito and Tony Parisi December 12, 1983 IW show Montreal, QC 4 N/A 21 Pierre Lefebvre and Frenchy Martin January 16, 1984 (NLT) IW show N/A 1 N/A 22 Dino Bravo and Tony Parisi February 20, 1984 IW show N/A 1 N/A 23 Pierre Lefebvre and Frenchy Martin June 1984 (NLT) IW show N/A 2 N/A 24 Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau Jr. July 2, 1984 IW show Montreal, QC 3 43 25 Sailor White and Rick Valentine August 14, 1984 IW show Quebec City, QC 1 N/A — Vacated November 1984 (NLT) — — — — Valentine leaves
3052-573: Is unrecorded from September 21, 1976 to February 1978 . 3 Edouard Carpentier and Mad Dog Vachon February 1978 (NLT) IW show N/A 1 N/A Defeat The Scorpions Championship history is unrecorded from February 1978 to June 2, 1980 . 4 Pat Patterson and Raymond Rougeau June 2, 1980 IW show Montreal, QC 1 N/A Defeat Gilles Poisson and Serge Dumont Championship history
3161-503: Is widely listed in wrestling title and match histories, the tournament itself never actually took place. Patterson's apocryphal title victory would later become something of an inside joke during Patterson's on-screen tenure as one of Vince McMahon 's "stooges". The fictional tournament was also later profiled in-depth on WWE.com as an April Fool's joke. On November 8, Patterson dropped the North American title to Seiji Sakaguchi . It
3270-585: The Raw Reunion episode, Patterson won the WWE 24/7 Championship by pinning Drake Maverick backstage. He would lose the title to Gerald Brisco off-screen later that same night. At 78 years old, he became the oldest person ever to win a title in WWE history, beating The Fabulous Moolah 's fourth reign with the original WWF Women's Championship at 76 years old. It was also Patterson's first title reign since June 19, 2000, with
3379-469: The Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from Lefebvre that same year. The Paul Sauvé Centre was the promotion's original home arena. They occasionally visited Verdun Auditorium , the arena for rival Grand Prix Wrestling, when the Paul Sauvé Centre was booked for an annual Occult Sciences show. Varoussac Promotions' most noted event there was headlined by Dino Bravo and Zarinoff Leboeuf in
Canadian International Tag Team Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-599: The Cogeco network for Lutte's second French-language show months earlier. Lutte also returned to the English-language station, with the help CFCF-12 program director Bill Merrill, and featured Milt Avruskin as the play-by-play man and Gino Brito doing color commentary. Brito recognized that McMahon had far larger finances at his disposal. The WWF could afford to lose money in a long-term promotional war whereas Lutte Internationale could not. The promotion attempted to negotiate
3597-670: The NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship on two occasions that year. On October 2, 1964, Patterson defeated Pepper Martin for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship . He held the championship for six weeks before losing to Martin. Patterson won the championship again in 1965 and 1966. In January 1965, Patterson was hired by Roy Shire for his San Francisco , California -based Big Time Wrestling promotion. At Shire's request, Patterson dyed his hair blond to form
3706-528: The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations were investigating another wrestler suspected of being gay, with a view to discharging him; this wrestler subsequently denounced Patterson to INS before retracting. In November 1966, the INS initiated deportation proceedings against Patterson, leading to an interview where he was asked about his effeminacy , dyed hair , about whether he
3815-643: The WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship and WWC North American Heavyweight Championship respectively. Bob Della Serra, who initially competed in Promotions Varoussac as masked wrestler The UFO, joined Don Kent as the new version of The Fabulous Kangaroos as Johnny Heffernan, the kayfabe son of original Kangaroo Roy Heffernan , winning the WWC World Tag Team Championship in 1982. Longtime Quebec stars Frenchy Martin and Jos LeDuc also returned to Canada after
3924-528: The WWF 28 The Long Riders ( Scott and Bill Irwin ) March 6, 1986 IW show Sudbury, ON 1 159 Defeat Dan Kroffat and Alofa . During this reign, Scott Irwin disappeared for several weeks around May or June with no explanation. In reality he was suffering in real life from a brain tumor and had to start chemotherapy. He would return in July, during
4033-525: The World Wrestling Federation (WWF), working as a heel , under the tutelage of manager The Grand Wizard . As a villain, Patterson's primary feuds were with then WWF North American Champion Ted DiBiase and WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund . During a television taping on June 19 in Allentown, Pennsylvania , Patterson defeated DiBiase for the WWF North American Championship by using
4142-412: The "Lutte Familiale" banner until 2011. I wonder, in this age, if the casual fan has that interest in [Quebec territory] pro wrestling, but they should. We should all have such high standards. Because the regional promotions like Grand Prix and Lutte Internationale were the foundation of the industry for most of its history, and the training ground of so many of the greats, watching it gets you involved in
4251-527: The Butcher and Jos Leduc went after Tag Team Champions The Rougeau Brothers. The Rougeaus were then coming off their feud with The Garvins. Their upcoming battle with the Creatchman-Tyler group was intended to be a major storyline for the company heading into 1986. Abdullah the Butcher and Raymond Rougeau wrestled a few matches before a tag team bout was signed for December 28, 1985, in Sudbury, Ontario. The feud
4360-557: The Garvins and sustained a serious back injury when Jimmy Garvin put Rougeau, Sr. in a Boston crab while Ronnie Garvin hit him a knee-drop from the top turnbuckle. The Montreal crowd was enraged as Jacques, Sr. was carried to the locker room on a stretcher. The incident was later referred to as "St. John the Baptist's Day Massacre". The Rougeaus gained a measure of revenge the following month. Abandoning their familiar scientific wrestling style,
4469-519: The Giant at a pair of house shows in Canada and defeated Ken Patera and Big John Studd. He took the spot of Mad Dog Vachon on the WWF skit show Le Brunch on WWF Superstars in Canada until late summer in 1987. Several wrestlers like the Rougeau Brothers and Dino Bravo replaced him, and Frenchie Martin hosted Le Studio as a replacement of Le Brunch . Before that he made another appearance, this time in
Canadian International Tag Team Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-475: The Giant sold his shares in Promotions Varoussac and left for the World Wrestling Federation . Rick Martel and Tony Mule purchased André's shares. By this time, Dino Bravo had also become a co-owner. With the change of ownership, it was decided to rename the promotion to Lutte Internationale (International Wrestling). Brito and Valois also produced a new television series, "Lutte Internationale" (International Wrestling), when Carpentier and Hauray signed with WWF at
4687-464: The May 8 episode of Raw, Patterson, Road Dogg and X-Pac faced Rikishi in a 3 on 1 handicap match and were disqualified after Patterson hit Rikishi with a chair. Afterwards, Patterson lowered his drawers to deliver a Stink Face to Rikishi with brown-stained underwear , which commentator Jim Ross described as a "tractor-sized skidmark". Patterson began to use the soiled underwear as part of his gimmick in
4796-610: The McMahon-Helmsley Faction. On the December 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown , Patterson and Brisco helped Test , who had been injured by D-Generation X . Triple H and Stephanie McMahon then forced Patterson and Brisco to compete for the WWF Tag Team Championship against The New Age Outlaws or be fired. Patterson and Brisco lost the match. In 2000, Patterson and Brisco joined Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. On
4905-410: The Montreal Forum in front of 15,562 fans. King Tonga was billed as Tyler's "protege" and managed him against heavyweight champion Dino Bravo that same year. In late 1985, Tyler joined forces with Abdullah the Butcher, Jos Leduc, and manager Eddie "The Brain" Creatchman to take control of Lutte Internationale from the promotion's "babyfaces". Tyler targeted Heavyweight Champion Dino Bravo while Abdullah
5014-616: The Rougeau Brothers walk away the victors. This bout was held outside Lutte Internationale's home territory as Quebec's Athletic Commission prohibited chain and steel cage matches at wrestling events. Sherbrooke, Québec had one of the cage matches between the Rougeaus and the Garvins. There were Athletic Commissions in Montréal and Québec City but not in the other cities of the province of Québec. The top heel performer in Lutte Internationale
5123-588: The Terrible , Sweet Daddy Siki and David Shultz. This new emphasis on hardcore wrestling turned off many Quebec wrestling fans. Abdullah the Butcher won the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from Hercules Ayala on February 22, 1987, and remained champion until the promotion's close. In an attempt to cut costs, a number of masked wrestlers began appearing on shows; local preliminary wrestlers, such as Verne Siebert (using
5232-486: The U.S., McMahon assumed he could outperform the Montreal promotion with its superior television programming. On May 29, 1984, Pat Patterson held a surprise WWF television taping at the Verdun Auditorium in an attempt to run against Lutte's show. McMahon underestimated the popularity of Lutte Internationale and the show drew poorly despite WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and "Dr. D" David Shultz headlining
5341-536: The United States to pursue his professional wrestling career. He eventually became a U.S. citizen . Patterson initially worked for Tony Santos's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Boston, Massachusetts . While living and working in Boston, Patterson met his long-term partner, Louie Dondero. In 1962, Patterson was recruited by Mad Dog Vachon for Don Owen's Portland, Oregon -based Pacific Northwest Wrestling promotion. At
5450-520: The WWC to supply wrestlers. A top star for Lutte during its final years, Abdullah the Butcher became a "babyface" and was booked against fellow WWC stars Bruiser Brody and Kareem Muhammad which he battled in a series of wild and bloody matches. Killer Tim Brooks showed up as Brody's storyline insane brother "Buster Brody". Hercules Ayala arrived to feud with Jos Leduc. Other notable WWC stars to appear in Lutte Internationale included Kendo Nagasaki , Jason
5559-468: The WWF stars. Lutte Internationale was also allowed to run house shows at the Paul Sauvé Centre unopposed. The concessions made by the WWF were unheard of at the time especially considering McMahon's dealings in the U.S. with major NWA promoters. Lutte's last show at the Montreal Forum took place on July 29, 1985, with 17,502 in attendance. At the top of the card, Masked Superstar made a final attempt to unseat heavyweight champion Dino Bravo before departing for
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#17328591833105668-457: The WWF. Bravo attempted to unmask Masked Superstar at the end of the match but was interrupted by a mysterious masked man later revealed to be Jos Leduc. Once one of Quebec's most popular stars, Leduc's heel turn shocked wrestling fans as he had been secretly attacking fellow Lutte babyfaces for several weeks. The first "Lutte vs. WWF" show was held at the Forum on August 26, 1985. It was headlined by
5777-587: The age of 14 at Loisirs Saint Jean Baptiste. He was raised Roman Catholic , and was an altar boy . He expressed an interest to a priest in becoming one himself, but was advised it would not have worked, because he was "too adventurous". Patterson debuted in Montreal, Quebec in 1958, wrestling at the Palais des Sports for promoter Sylvio Samson. Early in his career, he performed as "Killer" Pat Patterson. In 1961, Patterson - despite speaking no English - immigrated to
5886-619: The announcing team for "Lutte Internationale" during its last year on the air. The declining quality of its television show, particularly after the departure of Milt Avruskin, was made even more apparent to fans when compared to the polished look of WWF programming. Lutte was the last Quebec-based promotion to have a weekly television show. In their final year of operation, Lutte toured Ontario and held shows in Toronto , Sudbury , and Thunder Bay . The company, however, went bankrupt in June 1987, less than
5995-560: The belt from Bravo and eventually left for the American Wrestling Association . When Martel won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jumbo Tsuruta in May, he regularly defended the belt throughout Quebec. In the mid-1980s, Lutte Internationale attempted to develop a local wrestler that they could turn into a major star. The promoters began grooming one of Edouard Carpentier's top students, Luc Poirier , for this role. Though he lacked in-ring experience, Poirier had
6104-411: The best qualities of All-Star and Grand Prix Wrestling, they could revive Quebec's wrestling scene. Several different promoters had tried to start companies in Montreal with little success. One exception was Jack Britton who promoted shows under the "Olympia Pro Sports" banner from 1977 to 1980. Brito and his partners bought out his father's promotion during this period. Many Grand Prix mainstays joined
6213-424: The big angles, the development of those stars and the vast difference in approach between today and yesteryear. Joe Babinsack, F4Wonline.com (July 21, 2013) Lutte Internationale marked the final phase in Montreal's "Golden Age of Wrestling". A fifty-year period stretching back to the 1930s with promoter Eddie Quinn , it was one of the last territory-era promotions in Canada. Many French Canadian stars found
6322-453: The city without a major company. Brito was eager to bring pro wrestling back to Montreal and persuaded fellow Grand Prix alumni André the Giant and manager Frank Valois to join in the venture. Andre was one of the most recognizable stars in the world at the time. Montreal was a second home for the French-born wrestler who owned a restaurant and had other business interests in the city. Between
6431-476: The coming weeks, attempting to rub the soiled underwear into the faces of opponents. As a result, WWE commentators began to refer to Patterson as “Poopstain Patterson” during the broadcasts. On June 12, 2000, when the Faction unmasked Kane , Patterson photographed Kane's "hideously scarred" face, and threatened to "expose him to the world" if he did not comply. Kane was forced to wrestle The Rock (then his ally) in
6540-478: The company as a result and returned to Quebec. After six shows, the WWF pulled out of the deal and signed an exclusive contract with the venue in February 1986. It was widely speculated that McMahon used the interpromotional shows as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the city and force Lutte out of the Montreal Forum. Lutte's endorsement introduced the WWF to Quebec wrestling fans on the most favorable terms. With
6649-473: The company. After Murray Hodgson rescinded the allegations, he was rehired, while Garvin was fired, later reaching a settlement with WWF. Over the years he made appearances on pay-per-views or TV programming breaking up fights. In 1997, Patterson, along with Gerald Brisco , became comedy heels as the on-screen stooges of Vince McMahon, assisting their boss in his rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin , Mankind and The Rock . Patterson and Brisco were among
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#17328591833106758-688: The duo winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship later that year. Patterson performed intermittently for the AWA until 1983. In 1979, Patterson toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling . Patterson made his professional return to Quebec in 1980, wrestling a number of bouts for the Montreal, Quebec-based Lutte Internationale promotion. He held the Canadian International Tag Team Championship on five occasions between 1980 and 1983. In 1979, Patterson debuted in
6867-498: The encouragement of PNW promoter Harry Elliot, who was aware of Patterson's homosexuality, Patterson developed the character of "Pretty Boy" Pat Patterson, an effeminate wrestler who wore lipstick, sunglasses, and a beret and carried a cigarette holder . In 1963, Patterson wrestled for promotions in Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma as part of a talent exchange organized by Owen. Patterson returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling in 1964. He held
6976-423: The end of the fifty-year "Golden Age of Wrestling" in Quebec. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac , the latter made up of the first letters of their family names (VAlois, ROUSSimoff, and ACcocella). Montreal had been regarded as a wrestling capital since the 1930s, however, the close of All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling in 1975 left
7085-458: The end of the year. An English-language version was produced by George Cannon and Milt Avruskin in Windsor, Ontario . It aired locally in Montreal and was syndicated in other parts of the country. The Canadian International Television Championship was also introduced on "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" as a secondary title that undercard wrestlers could compete for. Leo Burke defeated Richard Charland in
7194-609: The few stars to remain with Lutte was Richard Charland who helped bolster the promotion's tag team division. Another popular tag team were The Longriders ( Bill and Scott Irwin ) who won a championship tournament for the vacant tag team titles. A number of other wrestlers were brought in for one-time appearances. The Sheik , then in semi-retirement, was even called in mid-1987 but his exhibition bout failed to excite fans. Other future stars to appear in Lutte were Alofa , Billy Fury , Kevin Kelly , and Toshiaki Kawada . Brito also looked to
7303-635: The finale of WWE Legends' House , which aired June 12, 2014. NBC News described Patterson as "the first openly gay pro wrestling star." People magazine described him as the "First Gay Wrestling Star." In the 1960s, after the end of the main part of the Lavender scare , the Justice Department's Immigration and Naturalization Service spent several years, from the end of 1964 onwards, looking for evidence of "homosexual activity" in order to have Patterson deported back to Canada. Documents disclosed as
7412-418: The first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985 , as well as the main event of WrestleMania XI . In 1992, Patterson, along with Terry Garvin , were accused of sexual harassment of underage ring boys by former announcer Murray Hodgson, and former ring boy Tom Cole, who alleged that Patterson groped him and engaged in sexual harassment when he was 14. Both he and Garvin resigned from
7521-476: The formation of Lutte Internationale in 1984. Arguably the best known import from the WWC was King Tonga who feuded with Dino Bravo over the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship between 1984 and 1985. A Bravo-Tonga title bout at the Montreal Forum on December 23, 1984 attracted over 19,500 fans. After the WWF's talent raids in the mid-1980s, Lutte Internationale relied heavily on the WWC to supply wrestlers until its eventual close. In early 1984, André
7630-424: The founding members of The Corporation . In order to mock Hulk Hogan , they used "Real American" as their entrance music and parodied Hogan's flexing routine as they approached the ring. On the May 18, 1998 episode of Raw, Patterson and Brisco competed in a 2 on 1 Street Fight against Austin that ended in a no contest when Vince McMahon and Dude Love attacked Austin. Later in 1999, the two became entangled with
7739-500: The highest-rated French-language television programs in the province. Their first major show was held on August 25, 1980, at the sold-out Paul Sauve Centre where Andre the Giant battled Hulk Hogan in the main event. This was the first meeting between the two superstars in Canada, the initial U.S. bout taking place two weeks earlier at Showdown at Shea , preceding their more famous showdown at WrestleMania III by seven years. Brito later claimed "the match put Montreal wrestling back on
7848-546: The loss of the lucrative Montreal Forum, McMahon followed up by luring away Lutte's top stars. King Tonga and the Rougeau brothers were the first to jump to the WWF in the spring of 1986. Dino Bravo, who had had quit the WWF after the cancelled Montreal bout with Hogan, sold his share of the company to Brito and Rick Martel at the end of the year and rejoined the WWF full-time. Rick Martel and Tom Zenk followed Bravo soon after leaving Gino Brito, Eddie Creatchman and Floyd Creatchman
7957-422: The map". The promotion needed a "hometown hero", a role formerly held by Yvon Robert, Sr. during the 1940s and 50s. Edouard Carpentier was considered too old by this point in his career. Jacques Rougeau, Sr. was retired and his son Raymond was still considered a light heavyweight wrestler. Dino Bravo , who ran a local wrestling school with Brito, ultimately emerged as Varoussac's top "babyface" after winning
8066-538: The match to Christian. In October 2004, Patterson retired from World Wrestling Entertainment. Patterson returned to WWE in a limited capacity in May 2005. While retired as a producer for WWE, he still acted as a creative consultant. At Breaking Point , Patterson made an appearance in his hometown of Montreal in an in-ring segment with Dolph Ziggler . Patterson was a regular cast member on the WWE Network original reality show Legends' House . On July 22, 2019, during
8175-567: The name The Spoiler, not to be mistaken for Don Jardine ), often donned wrestling masks to wrestle one match and then wrestle as themselves on the same card. The promotion suffered another loss with the departure of longtime manager Eddie Creatchman . He was replaced by his real-life son "Pretty Boy" Floyd Creatchman . He not only took on his father's role as the area's top heel manager but also hosted an interview segment called "Creatchman’s Corner" on Lutte's weekly television show. Floyd Creatchman later joined CFCF sports staffer Ron Francis as
8284-562: The new promotion including Frenchy Martin , Gilles Poisson , Len Shelley, Ludger Proulx, Michel Dubois , Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre, Serge Dumont, Zarinoff Leboeuf and the Rougeau Brothers ( Jacques and Raymond Rougeau ). The influx of major star power helped Promotions Varoussac obtain a television contract with CFCF-DT shortly after its debut. The promotion's flagship show "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling), hosted by Édouard Carpentier and Guy Hauray, became one of
8393-665: The next twelve years wrestling in Europe where he became the CWA world heavyweight champion while working for Otto Wanz. He resurfaced in the WWF as part of The Truth Commission . While Dino Bravo was Lutte's top star, the Rougeau Brothers were also popular with Quebec wrestling fans. One of the promotion's first major storylines was a three-month feud pitting The Garvin Brothers ( Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin ) against Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, then reigning Canadian International Tag Team Champions , in
8502-544: The oldest person to win a title in WWE history, after winning the WWE 24/7 Championship at age 78. He was described by journalist Dave Meltzer as " Vince McMahon 's right-hand man" and "one of the chief architects of the WWE , playing an integral role in helping it become a global phenomenon ". Patterson was born into an impoverished French-speaking family in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal , Quebec , Canada on January 19, 1941. He began training to wrestle at
8611-460: The outlaw promotion in Montreal. While Promotions Varoussac had a co-promotional agreement with Vince McMahon, Sr. to import WWWF stars, McMahon, Jr. did not continue this arrangement. Lutte Internationale no longer needed the WWF due to its own popularity but Brito decided to negotiate a talent exchange with Verne Gagne and the American Wrestling Association based in Minneapolis. This allowed
8720-444: The potential of breaking the city's all-time attendance record. The venue was later changed to the Montreal Forum and the bout was advertised for January 13, 1986. The "Lutte vs. WWF" finale never happened and it has been suggested that Vince McMahon did not want to have Hogan lose to Bravo as the then WWF champion's popularity in the U.S. was at its peak. Bravo, who had been billed as WWF Canadian Champion on WWF shows in Canada, quit
8829-449: The promoters began to question Poirier's motivation to pro wrestling, fan support for Le Merveille Masquee began to wane. In October 1984, the masked wrestler became a heel and started wrestling as The Mercenary. This too failed to interest fans and The Mercenary was unmasked by Gino Brito at the end of the month. Poirier had a brief tryout with the WWF during its Quebec invasion before disappearing from Canada altogether. He successfully spent
8938-522: The promotion 26 King Tonga and Richard Charland May 27, 1985 IW show Quebec City, QC 1 15 Defeat Jos Leduc and Leo Burke in tournament final 27 Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau Jr. June 11, 1985 IW show Quebec City, QC 4 N/A — Vacated January 1986 — — — — The Rougeaus jump to
9047-421: The promotion to later benefit from the AWA's association with Pro Wrestling USA and bring in top U.S. stars such as Butch Reed , Jimmy Garvin , Tom Zenk , The Tonga Kid , and The Road Warriors . Several young up-and-coming wrestlers including Bruno Sammartino Jr. , Mike Rotunda , Mike Shaw and Rick Steiner also spent time in Montreal. Like his battles with National Wrestling Alliance promoters in
9156-495: The remaining owners of Lutte Internationale. No longer able to acquire top level talent from the U.S., Lutte appeared to be a "minor league" outfit operating from the much smaller Paul Sauvé Centre. To combat the WWF's talent raids, Brito scrambled to find new stars. Tom Zenk was being called the "future champion of Quebec" prior to his defection to the WWF with Rick Martel. Steve Strong quickly established himself as Lutte's top heel after feuding with Martel during 1986. One of
9265-449: The ropes just before the three count was made. On May 4, 1981, Patterson's feud with Sgt. Slaughter culminated in an alley street fight match in Madison Square Garden . The match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Patterson began doing color commentary in 1980 with Vince McMahon, calling WWF Championship Wrestling from 1980 to 1984. While Patterson was
9374-508: The same year, he undertook a six-week tour of Japan, facing Antonio Inoki in a series of bouts. After Stevens turned face in the late 1960s, he had a feud with the heel Patterson, culminating in a Texas Death match , in which Stevens won the title from Patterson. In 1970 and 1971, Patterson wore a mask during his matches, and would cheat by placing a foreign object under the mask to add power to his headbutts . In 1972, Patterson turned face again, after feuding with Lars Anderson , who
9483-477: The show. It was apparent to McMahon that he needed to change his strategy if the WWF's invasion of Quebec was to be successful. In January 1985, shortly after leaving Lutte Internationale, "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" hosts Edouard Carpentier and Guy Hauray shocked Quebec wrestling fans when they signed a deal with CHLT-7 to switch their show to an all-WWF format. This would have left Lutte Internationale without television, however, Brito had reached an agreement with
9592-399: The similarly introduced WWF Hardcore Championship , which also used the " 24/7 rule ". He was only the second person ever to win both the 24/7 and Hardcore Championships, after R-Truth . He was working backstage as a WWE official from 2005 until his death in 2020. Patterson was openly gay , having come out in the early 1970s. It was not acknowledged publicly or in WWE storylines until
9701-509: The summer of 1985. Their first encounter took place on June 24, 1985, at the Montreal Forum where thousands in attendance witnessed the Garvins deliver a ferocious beating to the tag team champions. Before the match got started, Jimmy Garvin's valet Precious blinded Jacques Rougeau with her perfume leaving Raymond at the mercy of their American opponents. After several minutes of the Garvins double-teaming Raymond, Jacques Rougeau, Sr. came out to help his son. The elder Rougeau also fell victim to
9810-510: The team bloodied the Garvins in a wild brawl that ended in a double-disqualification. Having recovered from his injuries, Jacques, Sr. accompanied his sons to the ring and congratulated them during the post-match celebration for both avenging their loss and protecting the reputation of the Rougeau wrestling family . The Garvin-Rougeaus feud concluded with a Steel Cage match in Sudbury, Ontario which saw
9919-498: The territory. In addition to its co-promotional agreements with the AWA and WWF, Lutte Internationale strongest and most lasting relationship was with the World Wrestling Council . Abdullah the Butcher , who was one of Lutte's top "heel performers" during the mid-1980s, was the earliest WWC mainstay. As part of its talent exchange agreement, Joe Lightfoot and Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre traveled to Puerto Rico where they won
10028-408: The traditional rivalry of the cities was played up. Their first bout was on March 5 in Quebec City but Martel failed to win the belt. A rematch was held at the Montreal Forum a week later with former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor as the special guest referee . The event drew 11,400 fans and saw Martel, a longtime "babyface", booed for the first time in his career. Martel failed to win
10137-409: The two of them, Brito and Andre could bring in major U.S. stars though their contacts with the American Wrestling Association and World Wide Wrestling Federation . Andre's manager Frank Valois had the necessary business experience to run a wrestling company. The group believed that by using the traditional model of bringing in international stars to challenge local Quebec wrestlers, as well as taking
10246-518: The winter season. It also visited Ottawa , Edmundston New Brunswick and parts of the Northeastern United States . Many of these house shows later aired on Lutte's television show. The spring of 1984 saw a "babyface vs. babyface" feud between Rick Martel and Dino Bravo over the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship. Many of their bouts took place in Montreal and Quebec City, the hometowns of Bravo and Martel respectively, and
10355-570: The women's locker room, where Patterson was hiding in drag. Subsequently, Vince McMahon scheduled them to fight over the Hardcore Championship in an Evening Gown match at King of the Ring 2000 ; in the course of the match, Crash Holly attacked both men and pinned Patterson to become Hardcore Champion. The Intercontinental Championship, unified with the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy on October 20, 2002,
10464-626: Was Tarzan Tyler . Tyler was brought into Lutte three years earlier to replace manager "Lord" Alfred Hayes who was leaving to join the WWF as an announcer. Though his time as a manager was brief, among his "clients" included Pierre Lefebvre, Richard Charland, Sailor White , Rick Valentine , Masked Superstar and Jos Leduc. Tyler, who had been considering retirement prior to joining Lutte, agreed to become an active wrestler for promotion. On July 23, 1984, he led Lefebvre, Masked Superstar and Richard Charland in an 8-man tag team bout against The Rougeau Family (Jacques Sr., Armand, Raymond and Jacques Rougeau) at
10573-543: 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 . In 2019, Patterson became
10682-507: Was a homosexual and whether "he molested little boys". In December 1966, Patterson was served with a deportation notice, requiring him to leave the United States on or before January 10, possibly as an attempt to dupe Patterson into leaving with an expectation of an easy green card but with the intention of excluding him through psychological exam ; however Patterson was fighting again in Arizona 4 days later. After Patterson's application for
10791-521: Was cut short after Tyler, the group's leader, was killed in a car accident with fellow wrestler Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre and referee Adrien Desbois, near the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve on Christmas Day . They were returning from a wrestling event in Chicoutimi , Quebec . The death of Tyler was considered both a business and personal loss for the company. The Rougeaus departed for the WWF two months later. Though Lutte Internationale
10900-751: Was during Patterson's reign as champion that he turned face, after a botched attempt by the Grand Wizard to "sell" Patterson's contract to "Captain" Lou Albano for $ 100,000; Albano's protégés, the Wild Samoans, attacked Patterson after he cut a promo insulting Albano. Patterson held the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship until April 21, 1980, when he was defeated by Ken Patera in New York City, New York . The match ended in controversial fashion after Patterson placed his right leg on
11009-466: Was enjoying unprecedented success in Quebec, WWF promoter Vince McMahon began pushing into Canada as part of its national expansion efforts in the early 1980s. In early 1984, the WWF drove George Cannon's " Superstars of Wrestling " promotion out of business and took over its television series on CFCF 12 . By the end of the year, the WWF had purchased Toronto's Maple Leaf Wrestling and Calgary's Stampede Wrestling . McMahon then turned his attention to
11118-419: Was finally deposed as champion by Dino Bravo on September 21, 1983. Bravo also feuded with Masked Superstar , also managed by Alfred Hayes, for much of the year. During the territory-era of pro wrestling, managers were an integral part of a successful promotion. The Quebec territory was a unique area given that it was a bilingual province. As the promotion was watched by English and French-speaking fans, it
11227-459: Was held at the Molson Centre in Montreal. Lutte Internationale 2000 also sold out the Verdun Auditorium in December 2000. The shows received mixed reviews as many Quebec's "modern" wrestling fans, long accustomed to the WWF's "sports entertainment", were not used to Rougeau's traditional style of booking which was more "family friendly" than hardcore. His shows were sporadically held until under
11336-639: Was in 1995 where he staged several shows at the Verdun Auditorium. He had intended to establish a major promotion with a small group of hand picked wrestlers. Though Quebec fans were receptive, Rougeau's promotion closed after a few weeks. While working for World Championship Wrestling , Rougeau held a one-time interpromotional card at the Molson Centre on April 11, 1997. The show featured wrestlers from Rougeau's small independent group as well as several WCW stars including, most notably, Hollywood Hogan . Hogan, then WCW World Heavyweight Champion , lost to Rougeau in
11445-911: Was managed by Dr. Ken Ramey. Later that year, he teamed with Rocky Johnson and won the tag team championship. In 1975 and 1981, Patterson won the Cow Palace Battle Royal in San Francisco. In 1977, Patterson wrestled for Eddie Graham 's Tampa , Florida -based Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion. During his run, he won the NWA Florida Television Championship and the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship , as well as briefly serving as booker . In 1978, Patterson joined Verne Gagne 's Minneapolis , Minnesota -based American Wrestling Association . He reformed The Blond Bombers with Ray Stevens, with
11554-454: Was necessary for managers to be fluent in both languages. Eddie "The Brain" Creatchman was the most notable of these heel managers. He was the longtime nemesis of Dino Bravo and managed many of the foreign wrestlers who challenged the heavyweight champion. Much like Bobby Heenan and The Heenan Family who harassed WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan in the U.S., Creatchman made it his mission to run Bravo and other fan favorites out of
11663-532: Was resurrected on May 18, 2003, at Judgment Day in a battle royal. Patterson, as the first Intercontinental Champion, was at ringside to present the belt to the victor. Booker T eliminated Christian for the win, but the referee was unconscious. As Patterson attempted to give the championship belt to Booker T, Christian attacked him, stole the Intercontinental Championship belt and used it to knock out Booker T. The referee then recovered and awarded
11772-450: Was the second of Canada's three major wrestling promotions, along with Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling , to be put out of business by the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE). Many French Canadian professional wrestlers of the 1980s wrestling boom came to the U.S. from Lutte Internationale including, most notably, Dino Bravo , Rick Martel , Ronnie Garvin and The Rougeaus . The promotion's close in 1987 marked
11881-901: Was the tag team title in the Montreal -based wrestling promotion Lutte Internationale (International Wrestling). The title lasted from 1976 until Lutte Internationale closed in 1987. Title history [ edit ] Key No. Overall reign number Reign Reign number for the specific champion Days Number of days held No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref. Date Event Location Reign Days 1 Dominic DeNucci and Nick DeCarlo September 1976 (NLT) IW show N/A 1 N/A The first champions 2 Sailor White and Serge Dumont September 21, 1976 IW show Montreal, QC 1 N/A Championship history
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