Superstars of Wrestling, also sometimes known as the Canadian Wrestling Association, was an internationally syndicated Canadian professional wrestling television program. Based in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
, the show ran live events in
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrador, ...
and the
Great Lakes region
The Great Lakes region of North America is a binational Canadian–American region that includes portions of the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin along with the Canadian p ...
of the United States from 1975 to 1984.
The show was created by
George "Crybaby" Cannon after the close of
Eddie Einhorn Eddie Einhorn (January 3, 1936 – February 24, 2016) was minority owner and vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox.
Biography
Einhorn grew up in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of Mae (née Lippman) and Harold B. Einhorn and resi ...
's
International Wrestling Association, which had attempted to become the first-ever national wrestling promotion. Cannon, who served as the IWA's booker,
brought in many of its former stars during the show's early years. The group also used wrestlers from
NWA Big Time Wrestling in Detroit throughout the 1970s.
Superstars reached the height of its popularity following their 1977 debut in Montreal.
French Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
fans had not seen televised wrestling since the close of
All-Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling (ASW) is a British professional wrestling promotion operated by Brian Dixon and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, it has also been known over the years as All Star P ...
and
Grand Prix Wrestling
Grand Prix Wrestling (GPW) is a professional wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. Grand Prix Wrestling has recently finished the 2013 Rising Sun In The Maritimes Tour. Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling tours parts of New Brunswick, P ...
the previous year. For much of the 1970s and early 1980s, Cannon was seen as the face of pro wrestling in the city.
Superstars eventually began working with
Promotions Varoussac and later produced the English-language version of its flagship programs "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling)
and "Lutte Internationale" (International Wrestling).
While Cannon possessed a strong TV syndication network throughout Canada and parts of the Midwestern United States, Superstars of Wrestling had difficulty securing talent and promoting house shows. The situation worsened following the close of Detroit's Big Time Wrestling in 1980 and Cannon was forced to scale back its production values and roster. In 1983, in an effort to counter
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski (born September 22, 1942), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (), is an American retired professional wrestler, referee, manager, and promoter. Part of the Anderson family, Anderson was a founding member of the influen ...
's planned "invasion" of Detroit, Cannon made a deal with
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
promoter
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
to co-promote shows in the area. Cannon's partnership with McMahon played a key role in securing the Detroit and Canadian markets as part of the WWF's national expansion during the 1980s. In less than two years, however, the WWF ended its partnership with Cannon. The show would subsequently be replaced by
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
''WWF Superstars of Wrestling'' (later shortened to ''WWF Superstars'' and to ''Sunday Morning Superstars ''), also referred to as ''Maple Leaf Wrestling'' in Canada was an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by ...
.
Show history
Background
In 1970,
George "Crybaby" Cannon returned to his native Canada following a two-year run as host of a variety show on
KTLA
KTLA (channel 5) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of The CW. It is the largest directly owned property of the network's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, and is the seco ...
(Channel 5) in Los Angeles, California. He spent the next decade as a
wrestling manager
In professional wrestling, a manager is a supporting character paired with a wrestler (or wrestlers) for a variety of reasons. A physically attractive woman accompanying, or "seconding", a male wrestler to a match is sometimes referred to as a v ...
, most notably representing
The Fabulous Kangaroos
:''This team is not to be mistaken for the similarly named team The Royal Kangaroos of Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III''
The Fabulous Kangaroos were a professional wrestling tag team who existed in various forms from 1957 until 19 ...
(
Al Costello
Giacomo Costa (14 December 1919 – 22 January 2000) was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of ...
and
Don Kent)
in the
NWA's Detroit territory. Cannon also began working under
The Sheik and eventually became a key figure behind the scenes in
Big Time Wrestling.
In late 1974, a group of The Sheik's top mid-card wrestlers led by
Karl Von Shotz and Jack Cain left BTW to form their own promotion, "Universal Wrestling", running shows in Ohio and Canada.
Cannon briefly hosted a weekly television series for them which was a precursor to Superstars of Wrestling.
It was while working with Universal Wrestling that Cannon became friends with Milt Avruskin. Avruskin, who was a ring announcer at that time, was brought on as a co-host.
The Canadian television tapings were held at the
University of Windsor
, mottoeng = Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge
, established =
, academic_affiliations = CARL, COU, Universities Canada
, former_names = Assumption College (1857-1956)Assumption University of Windsor (1956-1963)
, type = Public universit ...
and the American tapings were at the
Tam O'Shanter Arena in Toledo, Ohio. The Universal Wrestling show managed to replace The Sheik's "Big Time Wrestling" show on
WDHO-TV. The station received so many complains from fans, however, that it began airing both shows as a compromise. The promotion lasted less than a year and closed the following summer.
In early 1975, Cannon began working for the
International Wrestling Association. When the owners
Eddie Einhorn Eddie Einhorn (January 3, 1936 – February 24, 2016) was minority owner and vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox.
Biography
Einhorn grew up in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of Mae (née Lippman) and Harold B. Einhorn and resi ...
and Pedro Martinez decided to expand nationally, Cannon was hired as a booker and essentially promoted the Canadian end of the IWA. He also managed
Eric The Red
Erik Thorvaldsson (), known as Erik the Red, was a Viking, Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first Colonization, settlement in Greenland. He most likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to th ...
and the
IWA Tag Team Champions The Mongols (
Geeto Mongol
Newton Tattrie (July 12, 1931 – July 19, 2013) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Geeto Mongol (also spelled Geto Mongol).
Tattrie started his career in the 1960s working for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling pro ...
and
Bolo Mongol).
Cannon was voted Manager of the Year by ''Inside Wrestling'' at the end of the year. By 1976, however, the pro wrestling industry was in a serious recession. All-Star and Grand Prix Wrestling in Montreal, and the
National Wrestling Federation
The original National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970 to 1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin. The revive ...
out of the Buffalo-Cleveland area, all folded during this period. Cannon too found himself out of a job when Eddie Einhorn pulled out of the IWA that same year. Despite the
poor economic climate, Cannon decided to use the experience he had gained as a booker and promoter to strike out on his own.
Early history
In May 1975, Cannon began promoting events under the "Superstars of Wrestling" banner in
Newfoundland, Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. The main attraction was a feud between
Sailor White
Edward John White (May 18, 1949 – August 26, 2005) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Sailor White and as Moondog King of The Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in the early 1980s. White won champi ...
and
Karl Von Shotz as well as
Billy Two Rivers battling
Kurt Von Hess
William Terry (April 10, 1942 – March 13, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Kurt Von Hess, who competed in North American and international promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, including International Wrest ...
. Other wrestlers who took part in the original tour included Mike Vachon, Bad News Jackson, Louis Laurence and Silent MacKey. The region was still a "virgin territory" at this time and considered a risky venture by other wrestling promoters.
These early shows were so popular, however, that Newfoundland and Labrador became a regular stopover for Superstars up until its final year in operation.
Cannon's decision to promote Newfoundland locals Sailor White and Hartford Love as the top stars were a big part of what made these summer tours so successful.
Cannon chose his adopted city of
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
as the base of his operations.
Superstars of Wrestling made its premiere later that year with Cannon providing color commentary and Avruskin as the play-by-play announcer.
Avruskin played an integral role in the show's creation successfully pitching the show to the
Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...
as a replacement for their Universal Wrestling program.
As the IWA's last booker, Cannon was also able to retain many of the promotion's Canadian television contracts. Superstars of Wrestling was initially produced at the Toronto studios of Global TV,
then a small regional network of stations in Southern Ontario, in
Don Mills
Don Mills is a mixed-use neighbourhood in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was developed to be a self-supporting " new town" and was at the time located outside Toronto proper. In 1998, North York, including the Don Mills c ...
.
With Avruskin's assistance,
Cannon gradually continued to build a powerful syndication network over the next few years that would see the show air throughout Canada and parts of the U.S. by the end of the decade.
Style and pioneering innovations
Superstars was unique from other wrestling programs of the era. It was primarily a studio show but also aired matches from live events held in Newfoundland and Ontario.
Because it filmed in different locations viewers never knew who would be showing up each week. Among those who made unannounced appearances included
Chief Jay Strongbow
Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 – April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he portrayed a Native America ...
,
Johnny Valiant
John L. Sullivan (born Thomas Sullivan; November 25, 1946 – April 4, 2018) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), which be ...
,
Killer Kowalski
Walter Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), known professionally as Killer Kowalski, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler.
Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, includin ...
,
Mad Dog Vachon
Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon (September 14, 1929 − November 21, 2013) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Mad Dog Vachon. He was the older brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestle ...
,
Spiros Arion
Spiros Arion ( el, Σπύρος Αρίων) born Spyridon Manousakis ( el, Σπυρίδων Μανουσάκης) (born September 1940) is an Egyptian-born Greek former professional wrestler who had an extensive and successful career, mainly in ...
and
Waldo Von Erich
Walter Paul Sieber (October 2, 1933 – July 5, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for performing under the ring name Waldo Von Erich, playing the character of a villainous Prussian Nazi. He was billed as the brother of ...
. The Kelly Twins (Mike Kelly and Pat Kelly), who were working for rival
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
at the time, wrestled on Superstars as the masked tag team The Patriots.
The Destroyer and
Hossein the Great also appeared on Superstars and Maple Leaf television. The show also provided opportunities to several future stars.
Riki Choshu
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a wrestler and a booker. He is considered one of Japan’s most influential wrestlers ...
, then wrestling under his real name Mitsu Yoshida, made his first appearance in North America on the Superstars of Wrestling program. Ten years before his pro debut, a 22-year-old
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the course of his wrest ...
made a
cameo on the show in 1978.
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Sn ...
and
Bruiser Bedlam
Ion William Croitoru (December 7, 1963 – February 21, 2017) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. To wrestling fans, he is better known by his ring names, Johnny K-9, Taras Bulba, and Bruise ...
also wrestled on Superstars during their rookie year. While fans enjoyed the show's unpredictability,
the downside was that Superstars was unable to build long-term storylines or feuds. Only a fraction of wrestlers from Cannon's live events appeared on Superstars and the lack of continuity was often a disadvantage when promoting house shows.
Superstars also incorporated
1970s rock music into the program. "
The Ox" by
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
was used as the show's theme song. Superstars mainstay "Crazy" Chris Colt used
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
's "
Welcome to My Nightmare" as his entrance music. This is one of the earliest instances of a promotion
playing theme music for wrestlers.
Notable talent
The show featured a number of wrestlers who were regulars in the Detroit-Windsor and Montreal territories. When the IWA began recruiting wrestlers, rival NWA promoters threatened to
blackball
Blackball, black-ball, black ball, blackballed, or blackballing may refer to:
* Blackballing, a rejection in a traditional form of secret ballot
Film
* ''Blackball'' (film), a 2003 film starring Paul Kaye
* '' Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Stor ...
anyone who worked for the new promotion. After its close, a number of former stars found a home on Superstars including Cannon's former charges Eric the Red and The Mongols. On one of the early episodes of Superstars, the team defended the IWA Tag Team Championship against
Dino Bravo
Adolfo Bresciano (; August 6, 1948 – March 10, 1993) was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo ().
After training under Gino Brito, he started his career in Montreal in the 1970s, wo ...
and Luis Martinez. Using Sailor White as the main "heel" performer, the show also boasted names such as
Buddy Austin
Austin Wesley Rogers (born Austin Wesley Rapes; February 27, 1929 – August 13, 1981) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Killer" Buddy Austin. He is best known for his appearances with the Los Angeles, Californi ...
,
Bull Curry
Fred Thomas Koury Sr. (May 2, 1913 – March 8, 1985) was an American of Lebanese descent who was best known as a professional wrestler under the name ”Wild Bull” Curry. He is recognized as the originator of the hardcore style predating leg ...
, Crusher Cortez,
Don Kent, Hartford Love,
Mighty Igor
Richard Joseph "Dick" Garza (July 16, 1931 – January 7, 2002), better known as Mighty Igor Vodik, or simply Mighty Igor, was an American professional wrestler. He is a one time American Wrestling Association World champion. As Mighty Igor, he wa ...
, Johnny War Eagle, Bob Dellassera,
Tony Parisi and Otto Von Heller. Percival A. Friend from
NWA Central States
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska ...
made a number of appearances on the show as well.
Cannon was successful in creating a few "homegrown" stars for the show. Superstars was the birthplace of manager "Supermouth" Dave Drason who had previously appeared in "Universal Wrestling".
He was the top manager on Superstars in the mid-1970s.
Drason was the manager of the mysterious El Santos, a pair of masked wrestlers
A wrestling mask is a fabric-based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha ...
originally portrayed by Duncan McTavish and Terry Yorkson, who were a popular tag team during the show's early history. Later on, Superstars featured midget wrestlers such as Cowboy Lang, Farmer Pete and Little John. Chief Lone Eagle, who would briefly hold the NWA World Midget's Championship
The NWA World Midget's Championship was the National Wrestling Alliance's midget wrestling singles championship. Large parts of the championship history is undocumented due to lack of documentation of Midget wrestling for large periods of time fro ...
in the early 1980s, got his start working for Cannon's group.
The show's biggest attraction, however, was arguably George Cannon himself who quickly emerged as an entertaining on-air personality for his deadpan humor
Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blu ...
and witty one-liners.
His likeable personality and skill at improvisation
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
was responsible for some of the show's most memorable moments. One popular segment was the "Iron Stomach" challenge in which Cannon invited members of the studio audience to take turns punching him in the stomach as hard as they could. These participants ranged from teenage boys to adult men who "would invariably pound George in the stomach and grimace or shake their hands in pain". While being punched, Cannon would occasionally perform a humorous monologue (e.g. reading from the works of Shakespeare) or, describing the action in a mock play-by-play voice, playfully taunting the participants by asking "Is that the best you can do?".
Rivalry with Maple Leaf Wrestling
Cannon's main competitor was longtime Toronto promoter Frank Tunney
Francis Martin Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional boxing and wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.
Biography
Early life
He was educated in Markham, Ontario, and went to a business college after high school. Hi ...
who operated Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
. As members of the National Wrestling Alliance, the Tunney family had ruled the territory since the 1940s. The Tunneys were usually indifferent to potential rivals as long as these "outlaw" promoters did not try to hold events in areas under their control such as Toronto. When "The Bearman" Dave McKigney tried running a show at Varsity Arena
Varsity Arena, located at 299 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontarioretrieved from http://rrs.osm.utoronto.ca 2007-10-22 is an indoor arena that opened on December 17, 1926, and is primarily home to the ice hockey teams of the University of Toronto, ...
in September 1971, Tunney immediately scheduled a show at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
on the same night. Over 15,000 people showed up at the Gardens while McKigney's show drew only 700 fans. McKigney's headliner, Tony Parisi, no-showed the event and began working for Tunney the following week. Five years later, encouraged by the strong attendance at the Superstars TV tapings, Cannon planned to hold their first major supercard at the CNE Coliseum
Coca-Cola Coliseum is an arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, used for agricultural displays, ice hockey, and trade shows. It was built for the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (the Roya ...
which was to feature Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002) was an American professional wrestler. He was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the title for a combined total of 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 ...
in the main event. To help promote the show, the 60-year-old former NWA World Heavyweight Champion
The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is in ...
wrestled an exhibition match on Superstars and served as a special guest announcer.
Avruskin had originally applied to the Ontario Athletic Commission to hold the Coliseum show on June 30, 1976, but was told that date had been reserved by Maple Leaf Wrestling to celebrate Tunney's 40th year promoting wrestling. Instead, the OAC set aside June 6 exclusively for their company. When Tunney got word that the Superstars group was running a show in his city, he informed the commission that Maple Leaf Wrestling was moving its show to run on the same day. The OAC sent a formal request to Tunney asking him to change the date of his show but the promoter refused to reschedule because he had already placed advertisements in the newspapers. The case was taken all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to be ...
who supported Cannon and Avruskin, and stated "it would be injurious to the sport of wrestling and to the interest of the fans if competing matches were held on the same date in Toronto." Though the court had ruled in their favor, the application by Superstars to stop Tunney from holding his June 6 card was dismissed. This led Avruskin to protest, "Market surveys indicate that Toronto is the third most popular wrestling center in North America. We, like Frank Tunney have a class 1 license and we intend to run shows in Toronto and other Ontario centers. We won't be able to use The Coliseum all the time but we have other area arenas in mind".
The Maple Leaf-Superstars dispute was picked up by the local media. According to Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
reporter Jim Proudfoot, Tunney spent a large amount of money to bring in top stars from other NWA territories, including former NWA World Champions Harley Race
Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer.
Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federatio ...
and Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and then became a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he b ...
, "to ward off this invasion of territory he's come to regard as his own". Cannon's show saw Lou Thesz defeating Crusher Cortez in the main event. Two matches on the undercard included The McGuire Twins
Billy Leon McCrary (December 7, 1946 – July 14, 1979) and Benny Loyd McCrary (December 7, 1946 – March 26, 2001), known together as The McGuire Twins, were American professional wrestlers listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records ...
versus The Executioners ( Executioner #1 & Executioner #2) and Eric the Red facing Tony Parisi. Tunney's main event was a tag team match between Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin (born March 16, 1937) is an American retired professional wrestler.
Early life
Lewin was born in Buffalo, New York. He had two elder brothers, Donn and Ted, both of whom also became professional wrestlers. He attended Lafayette High ...
and Gene Kiniski against The Sheik and Ox Baker
Douglas Albert Baker Sr. (April 19, 1934 – October 20, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known professionally as Ox Baker. He was famous for his distinctive eyebrows and finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes c ...
in a steel cage
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
. The co-main event was The Crusaders (Billy Red Lyons
Willem Snip (17 May 1932 – 22 June 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestled under the ring name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1985, and won numerous championships throughout his career. He worked for ...
and Dewey Robertson
Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 - August 16, 2007) was a professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link.
As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of his head wh ...
) defending the NWA International Tag Team Championship
''This was a regional NWA championship based in Japan. For the version of this title that was promoted in NWA All Star Wrestling in Canada, see NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version).''
The NWA International Tag Team Champion ...
against Rip Hawk
Harvey Maurice Evers (June 6, 1930 – December 22, 2012) was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Rip Hawk. He began his wrestling career in the Mid-Western United States before joining Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in t ...
and Swede Hanson. History would repeat itself as approximately 7,000 attended Tunney's anniversary show while only 600 fans showed up for Cannon's event. On paper this appeared to be a crushing defeat for Superstars but Tunney's decision to go head-to-head with Cannon had damaged his promotion as well. While the Maple Leaf show had hurt their attendance, Superstars still drew a strong crowd for their first-ever supercard. Tunney had called in favors from fellow NWA promoters, and spent a considerable amount of money, for a half-filled show at the Gardens.
Cannon stayed away from Toronto after the CNE Coliseum debacle knowing that Tunney would simply book the Gardens on the same day of a Superstars show. According to Drason, Toronto fans were very loyal to Maple Leaf Wrestling and reluctant to try a new product regardless of the show's quality or talent being used. Despite the setback, Superstars continued to enjoy high ratings in Ontario and Cannon's group remained a strong rival into the early 1980s.
A strained relationship also existed between Cannon and The Sheik during these early years. Cannon, who had worked for The Sheik in Big Time Wrestling, had sided with the Universal Wrestling faction two years earlier. His former employer was booking for Maple Leaf Wrestling at this time and appeared in the main event for Tunney's June 6 show. Cannon later bought commercial time during the Sheik's TV shows to promote Superstars and other rival shows. By the late 1970s, however, Cannon was using many of Big Time's wrestlers on Superstars of Wrestling including occasional appearances by The Sheik himself.
Height in popularity
The five-year war between All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling, which ended with the close of both promotions, had exhausted French-Canadian wrestling fans and it was very difficult to run live events in Montreal. By the end of 1976, the only televised wrestling available to fans were repeats of All-Star's "Superstars of the Mat" program on CFCF-12, and no French language wrestling being aired at all.
A native of Montreal, Cannon was eager to bring Superstars of Wrestling to his home province. In the spring of 1977, the show made its debut on CFCF-12 and was an instant hit with local audiences. The first few episodes that aired in Montreal featured Bull Curry, Luis Martinez, Pretty Boy Anthony and Chris Colt. While Superstars continued broadcasting from Windsor, its popular studio show was moved to the Montreal station shortly afterwards. In order to give Superstars a more Québécois feel, the show transitioned away from its Ontario/Michigan-based talent in favor of local Montreal wrestlers. In addition to Gino Brito as a top "babyface", Tarzan Tyler
Camille Tourville (December 4, 1927 – December 24, 1985) was a Canadian professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Tarzan Tyler. He was one-half of the first WWWF World Tag Team Champions, along with Luke Graham.
Profe ...
, a former IWA North American Heavyweight Champion, became one of the show's main "heels". He adopted a new look for Superstars abandoning his multi-colored trunks and growing out his bleached-blonde hair. Richard Charland
Richard Charland (born September 26, 1956) is a Canadian professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career Early career (1972-1980)
Richard Charland became a wrestler with the encouragement by Mad Dog Vachon. The mat legend had met Charlan ...
was also featured as a young up-and-coming star after scoring an upset victory over Tyler. The veteran wrestler had bragged that he could defeat his young opponent with one hand tied behind his back. Charland promptly dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connec ...
ed the one-armed Tyler three times and scored a quick pinfall. Former Grand Prix play-by-play announcer Jack Curran
John Joseph Curran (September 6, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an American baseball and basketball coach. Curran was the head coach at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York. Curran won more basketball and baseball games than any ...
also joined the broadcasting team for a short time.
Superstars saw two major departures after the move to Montreal. The first was Chris Colt who left after a falling out with Cannon. Cannon had wanted "Supermouth" Dave Drason to become Colt's manager, as both men had been using a similar "rock 'n roll" gimmick, but the wrestler refused to have a mouthpiece speak for him. This was one of the biggest disappointments in Drason's career as Colt had been one of his favorite wrestlers as a fan. Drason would depart soon afterwards when he interfered in a match at one of the early Superstars television tapings in Montreal. A wrestling manager did not need a license in Quebec, however, the local athletic commission ruled that Drason had become a wrestler the moment he entered the ring and banned him from working in the city.[ Drason was briefly replaced by Rene "Bob" Morgan, an ex-referee turned manager, who took control of the show's popular masked tag team El Santos (El Santos #1 & El Santos #2). Montreal was unique to the territory system in that, as Quebec was a bilingual province, it was necessary for managers to be fluent in both English and French languages. The French Canadian manager had difficulty speaking English, however, which became an issue as time went on since Superstars did not air on a French-language station. Morgan was eventually dispatched by ]Mad Dog Vachon
Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon (September 14, 1929 − November 21, 2013) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Mad Dog Vachon. He was the older brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestle ...
who, in a surprise appearance, stopped the manager from using his cane to help one of his wrestlers and broke it over his head.
The show experienced its most creative phase while at the CFCF studios "where mostly forgotten classic TV bouts involving Otto Von Heller, Domenic DeNucci, Gino Brito, Waldo Von Erich, El Santos and many others thrilled fans throughout the province". Cannon's popularity soared during this era and he eventually came to be regarded as the face on pro wrestling in Montreal during the 1970s. His fame as a television star extended to appearing in commercials for "Dorion Suits", a popular clothing store chain in Quebec during the 1970s and 80s. But despite his celebrity status
"Celebrity Status" is a song recorded by Canadian pop rock band Marianas Trench. It was released for radio airplay on February 12, 2010 as the fourth single from their second studio album ''Masterpiece Theatre''. The song was released digitally on ...
, Cannon had difficulty promoting live events in the city. In the aftermath of the All-Star/Grand Prix war, a number of people had attempted to run shows in the area. These fly-by-night shows often saw wrestlers being cheated out of payoffs and repeated false advertising
False advertising is defined as the act of publishing, transmitting, or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim, or statement, made intentionally (or recklessly) to promote the sale of property, goods, or servic ...
drove off the remaining hardcore audience. When legitimate promoters tried to establish companies later on, local wrestling fans were reluctant to return to the arenas. Two of these organizations, Paul-Emile Desmarais' Super Catch promotion and Jack Britton's Olympia Pro Sports, tried to utilize Superstars of Wrestling without success. Cannon too tried promoting shows at Verdun Auditorium
The Verdun Auditorium is an arena located in the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114 seats. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex is also home to Arena Denis Sa ...
but gave up on the city entirely by 1979.
Troubles in the 1980s
In the years leading up to the 1980s professional wrestling boom
The 1980s professional wrestling boom (more commonly referred to as the Golden Era and the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era) was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and elsewhere throughout the 1980s. The expansion of ...
, the show began to experience signs of decline. While Superstars of Wrestling was seen throughout Canada, it was increasingly difficult for the show to acquire talent on a consistent basis. This was a common problem among many "outlaw" promotions who were not members of the National Wrestling Alliance. Cannon had managed to get around this through his close association with The Sheik who controlled the NWA's Detroit territory. The close of NWA Big Time Wrestling in 1980 came as a serious blow for Superstars of Wrestling. By this time, Cannon's rival Frank Tunney had partnered with fellow NWA promoter Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett Sr. (June 2, 1909 – April 1, 1973) was a professional wrestling promoter and professional sports franchise owner sometimes known as Jim Crockett Sr., or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".
Early life
Crockett ...
and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...
to ensure Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
remained a strong competitor. That same year, Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito formed a new promotion in Montreal, Promotions Varoussac, further reducing the talent pool of available wrestlers.
Because the show would lose its television contracts if Cannon failed to provide enough hours of content, he was forced to run the show on a shoestring budget during this period. Superstars left the CFCF studio for a smaller facility and the Québécois atmosphere that had been so carefully crafted over the years all but disappeared. This ended up hurting the show's ratings in Quebec as well as attendance at the local house shows which had never been strong to begin with. Consequently, Superstars had significantly reduced production values and a very thin roster whose main stars included The Great Wojo, Mohammed Saad, Bobby Colt and Chris Carter. In another cost-cutting measure, Cannon had several people perform as the masked wrestler "El Santos", a character originally created early in the show's history, so that they could wrestle twice in one night. Duncan McTavish and Terry Yorkston, the original El Santos tag team, and Rocky Della Serra were among the wrestlers who took on the persona.
To make things worse, Superstars began facing serious competition from the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
for the first time as WWF Championship Wrestling
''WWF Championship Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It aired from 1971 to August 30, 1986 and was the original television show of the WWF. Originally produced u ...
began airing in Montreal via WEZF
WEZF (92.9 MHz, "Star 92.9") is a commercial FM radio station located in Burlington, Vermont. The station airs a hot adult contemporary radio format and is owned and operated by Vox AM/FM. WEZF has studios and offices on Hegeman Avenue in Colche ...
, a border television station based in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...
. The ABC affiliate on Channel 22 had secured a spot on two cable systems serving the Montreal area and its programming was now widely available throughout the city. Although it aired at 11:15 pm Saturday nights, Cannon's audience were attracted to the WWF's superior production values as well as the popular feud between of the Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavywei ...
and Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence Whistler (born December 5, 1951), better known by the ring name Larry Zbyszko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, Bruno Sammartino, during the early 1980s as well as his ...
.
Superstars countered with a feud between Cannon and Haystacks Calhoun
William Dee Calhoun (August 3, 1934 – December 7, 1989) was an American professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun.
Early life
Born on August 3, 1934, William Dee Calhoun grew up on a farm i ...
. This led to one of the show's most noteworthy moments, the "Big Splash Competition", in which Calhoun challenged Cannon to see who had the best " big splash" finisher. Calhoun won this encounter (with interference by wrestler "Iron Mike" Miholak), and afterwards he hit Cannon several times with a horseshoe he kept as a good luck charm. The 1980 tour of Newfoundland featured Cannon battling Calhoun in a chain match at the Memorial Stadium and George "The Animal" Steele
William James Myers (April 16, 1937 – February 16, 2017), better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele, was an American professional wrestler, school teacher, author, and actor. His career lasted from 1967 until 1988, though he mad ...
's short-lived reign as Canadian Heavyweight Champion. The following year, Cannon was able to bring in a handful of American stars for one-time appearances on Superstars including The Alaskan
''The Alaskan'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent adventure drama film based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood set in northwoods country, as his novels tend to be, in this case Alaska. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictu ...
, Dick the Bruiser
William Fritz Afflis (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and former NFL player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with the Green Bay Pac ...
, Swede Hanson and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.
Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championships ...
. It also marked the last appearances of Superstars mainstays Luis Martinez, Don Kent and Hartford Love. Former wrestler Jim Lancaster claimed the growing influence of Dr. Jerry Graham Jr. on the show created problems between Cannon and the Superstars talent. There were also issues involving delayed payments and Cannon's demand that the wrestlers sign contracts that would prevent them from working for other promoters without his approval.
Cross-promotion with Promotions Varoussac
Cannon was able to establish a working relationship with the Montreal-based Promotions Varoussac. The new company had just launched a weekly show, "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling), which was airing on All-Star's old Sunday morning time slot on CHLT in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Knowing that a talent exchange agreement would benefit Cannon's promotion, Gino Brito reached out to his old mentor in the hopes of gaining an English-language timeslot for the show. The partnership was a natural fit since Varoussac was able to provide the show with a steady stream of talent and Superstars could give the promotion valuable television exposure both in Montreal, particularly via the much sought after English language TV outlet on CFCF-DT, as well as outside of French-speaking Quebec.
Beginning in the spring of 1981, Superstars of Wrestling began featuring Varoussac wrestlers on the program as well as footage from their live events. In February, former NWA World Champion Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz (russian: Эдуард Виецз; July 17, 1926 – October 30, 2010) was a French-born Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Édouard Carpentier. Over the course of his career, Carpentier he ...
made a special appearance to wrestle local wrestler Andre Moreau in an exhibition match. Carpentier was semi-retired at this point and was then serving as a play-by-play announcer for Promotions Varoussac. Several French Canadian wrestlers who had been regulars on Superstars made their return including, most notably, Gino Brito and Dino Bravo, as well as the television debuts of Mad Dog Lefebvre, Raymond Rougeau
Raymond Rougeau (born February 18, 1955) 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 Rouge ...
and Michel "Justice" Dubois among others. The show also incorporated their storylines into the program. A feud between Varoussac stars Gino Brito
Louis Gino Acocella (born May 18, 1941), 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-Ca ...
and The Destroyer began on a May 1981 episode of Superstars following an on-air confrontation over who had the superior figure-four leglock
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...
.
In 1982, Cannon and Milt Avruskin began producing an English-language version of Varoussac's flagship program "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling). While the on-air commentary was in English, it was sometimes necessary for Cannon to be on location to explain what was happening to English-speaking wrestling fans. On a February 1983 episode, for example, the official contract signing between International Heavyweight Champion Billy Robinson (with Lord Alfred Hayes) and challenger Dino Bravo for their upcoming title bout at the Paul-Sauve Centre was conducted in French. As a bilingual speaker, Cannon was able to translate on the fly and describe other details such as the special stipulations for the bout. The English version of the show was renamed "International Wrestling" after Promotions Varoussac became Lutte Internationale the following year. Avruskin later joined Lutte as an announcer for "International Wrestling".
Partnership with the World Wrestling Federation
In late-1983, Cannon was contacted by World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
promoter Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
about the possibility of both companies working together. As in Montreal, Cannon was struggling to promote live events in the Detroit territory. The local wrestling fans had similarly lost interest in the product largely due to The Sheik being "on top" for so many years. Cannon had run joint shows at Cobo Hall
Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...
with Promotions Varoussac and the U.S.-based World Wrestling Association
The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ''luchadores'' a ...
. Even longtime rival Frank Tunney was involved at one point, and was able to use Jim Crockett's wrestlers at the Cobo but, despite his efforts, Cannon failed to resurrect the territory to its former glory.
Hearing reports that Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski (born September 22, 1942), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (), is an American retired professional wrestler, referee, manager, and promoter. Part of the Anderson family, Anderson was a founding member of the influen ...
was planning to invade Detroit with his Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
group, Cannon knew he would need help to hold onto the city. Promotions Varoussac, which was still trying to establish itself in Montreal, had only been in business for a little over two years and not yet strong enough to support Superstars against an incursion by the NWA. Cannon decided the next best thing was to ally himself with McMahon. After an initial meeting in New York City, Cannon agreed to become the WWF's local promoter in Detroit with a cut of the profits that would earn him upwards of $60,000 a year. Cannon and McMahon signed a three-way deal with a third going to Titan Sports, another third to Cannon, and the remaining third to the Olympia Stadium Corporation which oversaw Detroit's two biggest venues, Cobo Hall and the Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to TCF Center, Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Lou ...
. Avruskin spent a year with the WWF as a consultant, working to get WWF programming on Canadian television stations, before joining Lutte Internationale as the head announcer for its English-language program "International Wrestling".
As part of the deal with McMahon, Cannon agreed to turn over the production rights to the Superstars show. McMahon envisioned a WWF-produced version of the Superstars program which would be used to introduce his product to local audiences when expanding into new markets. The production values of WWF programming were much more sophisticated compared to those of Cannon and other promotions and McMahon believed the show would make a powerful impression on the average wrestling fan. McMahon's purchase of Superstars gave the WWF access to a very large syndication network that included several major cities in Canada as well as a few areas in the United States. The acquisition of CFCF's English-language outlet was a key factor in the WWF's successful takeover of the Montreal territory from Lutte Internationale several years later.
Cannon promoted the WWF's debut show in Detroit on December 30, 1983, which was attended by over 2,000 people. The main event saw Andre the Giant, Jimmy Snuka
James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.
Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010 ...
and Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles; August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a Canadian professional wrestler. Among many National Wrestling Alliance titles, he was the first Black Georgia Heavyweight Champion as well as the NWA Televisio ...
defeat The Wild Samoans
The Wild Samoans was the professional wrestling tag team of Afa and Sika in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world.
Gimmick
The Wild Samoans ra ...
( Afa, Sika and Samula) in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match. On the undercard were two of Cannon's stars, The Great Wojo and Chris Carter, who faced Bob Bradley
Robert Frank Bradley (born March 3, 1958) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of Toronto FC.
A native of New Jersey and graduate of Princeton University, Bradley coached in the American college game and Maj ...
and Chief Jay Strongbow respectively.
Cancellation and aftermath
At first, Cannon's deal with McMahon appeared to bear fruit. He had successfully prevented Ole Anderson from running Detroit and the crowds starting coming back with the influx of WWF talent. In his role as the WWF's Detroit promoter, Cannon was able to fill out cards with some of the wrestlers from the Superstars show. The WWF had formed partnerships with many longtime NWA promoters throughout Canada and the United States. In exchange for their cooperation, they would be allowed to promote events exclusively for the WWF. In reality, however, these deals were made as a means to gain entry into NWA territories unopposed. Once the WWF had an established presence, local promoters were no longer needed as the company could run its operations directly from Titan Towers
Titan Towers is an office building located in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It serves as a global headquarters for the American professional wrestling promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). While the interior is not acces ...
in Stanford, Connecticut. In Canada, it was necessary to keep a few old-time promoters around due to Canadian content
Canadian content (abbreviated CanCon, cancon or can-con; ) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television broadcasters (inclu ...
laws. The Tunney family in Ontario and Gino Brito in Quebec would serve in these figurehead roles after they were put out of business by McMahon.
In 1985, barely two years after partnering with the WWF, Cannon became seriously ill with phlebitis
Phlebitis (or Venitis) is inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis and is then called thrombophlebitis or superficial thrombophlebitis. Unlike ...
and McMahon "seized the opportunity to squeeze him out of the picture". In April 1986, Cannon sold his stake in the Detroit partnership. He filed a $500,000 lawsuit against McMahon on March 24, 1987, only a few days before WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event was held on March 29, 1987, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The ...
which was being held at the Pontiac Silverdome
The Pontiac Silverdome (also known simply as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, ...
in suburban Detroit. The case was dismissed with prejudice
Prejudice is a legal term with different meanings, which depend on whether it is used in criminal, civil, or common law. In legal context, "prejudice" differs from the more common use of the word and so the term has specific technical meanings.
...
by the U.S. District Court
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
on May 26, 1988. Cannon bitterly regretted the WWF deal in later years. He remained involved in the local independent scene and continued promoting small shows in Ontario until his death in 1992.
A version of Superstars of Wrestling continued to air in Montreal via "International Wrestling", Lutte Internationale's English-language program originally produced by George Cannon and Milt Avruskin. The show was hosted by Avruskin with Gino Brito doing color commentary. Although McMahon had purchased the CFCF-12 timeslot, Avruskin was able to get back on the station and directly competed against the WWF show until Lutte's close. The WWF version of Superstars initially began as a weekly recap show hosted by Vince McMahon, Gene Okerlund and Lord Alfred Hayes. A new revamped version of the show debuted in September 1986 and became the flagship program of the WWF's syndicated programming. WWF Superstars declined in importance during the Monday Night Wars
The Monday Night Wars or Monday Night War was an era of mainstream televised American professional wrestling, from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001, in which the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF, now WWE) ''Monday Night Raw'' (later ''Raw I ...
of the 1990s. It was eventually merged with WWF LiveWire
''WWF LiveWire'' was an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired from 1996 to 2001 on the USA Network and later TNN.
History
Premiering on Saturday September 21, 1996, ...
to create WWF Excess for the TNN network in 2001.
Lawsuit and legal status
Following the end of the Cannon-McMahon partnership, the series was replaced by WWF Superstars of Wrestling
''WWF Superstars of Wrestling'' (later shortened to ''WWF Superstars'' and to ''Sunday Morning Superstars ''), also referred to as ''Maple Leaf Wrestling'' in Canada was an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by ...
. Cannon later sued McMahon over the right to use the "Superstars of Wrestling" name. On September 19, 1986, Cannon applied for a U.S. federal trademark on the "Superstars of Wrestling" term on behalf of Contact Sports. Titan Sports applied for the same trademark on November 14, 1986, and abandoned it on September 11, 1987. A similar lawsuit was filed by Chicago-based "outlaw" promoter Al "King Kong" Patterson whose promotion was also registered under the trademark "WWA Superstars of Wrestling". A court ruled in favor of Patterson and, starting with the April 18, 1992 episode, McMahon was forced to change the title of the show from WWF Superstars of Wrestling to simply WWF Superstars. Patterson has been the registered owner of the "Superstars of Wrestling" trademark since October 1994. As of 2019, the WWE Network still blurs the Superstars of Wrestling banner on old footage.
As is with the case of many pro wrestling series from the " Golden Age of Wrestling" (1950s-1970s), very little footage exists from Superstars of Wrestling. Only five full episodes are known to exist and numerous fragments in the form of select matches and interviews. The show's legal status of has long been in question. Sports journalist Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
suggested the rights probably belong to the Cannon family but this has never been confirmed. According to Dave Drasen, the tapes from the early Toronto TV tapings and many from Montreal still exist. The physical copies are held by Johnny Powers who has offered them for sale to anyone willing to pay to have them transferred from their 2-inch and 1 inch tape formats. It is one of the few tape libraries not owned by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
.
Broadcast
Superstars of Wrestling was syndicated throughout Canada for the majority of its eight-year run. The show's home station was originally on Windsor's CBET and later moved to CFCF in Montreal. It was also carried by CITY-TV
CITY-DT (channel 57) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the Citytv network. It is owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media alongside Omni Television outlets CFMT-DT (chan ...
in Toronto, CITV
CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive and acquisitions, every day from 6 am to 9 pm which ...
in Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, and CKVU in Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. In the United States, the show aired in Detroit via CBET Windsor and in a few smaller markets. Avruskin was able to license the show to an all-sports station in California at one point. The Windsor station's signal was powerful enough that fans in other parts of the Midwestern United States could watch the show with a strong enough antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
. This gave Cannon the benefit of holding house shows in areas where the promotion did not air on local stations. In Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
, for example, Superstars was able run shows at Waite High School and the Toledo Sports Arena
Toledo Sports Arena was a 5,230-seat multi-purpose arena at 1 Main Street, Toledo, Ohio. It was built in 1947 and demolished in 2007.
As a concert venue, it seated 6,500, for theater concerts and stage shows, 4,400 and for boxing and wrestling, ...
.
In the early 1980s, Superstars of Wrestling competed against several other Saturday afternoon shows: ''Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
'' (Toronto), ''NWA All-Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Vancouver) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. All-Star Wrestling folded in 1989 but returned in 2007 no longer affiliated with the National Wr ...
'' (Vancouver) and ''NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promoti ...
'' (Southern United States) as well as ''WWF Championship Wrestling
''WWF Championship Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It aired from 1971 to August 30, 1986 and was the original television show of the WWF. Originally produced u ...
'' which aired on a midnight timelot.
Broadcast history
Production
Superstars of Wrestling usually aired on an early afternoon timeslot each week on Saturdays and was approximately 45–48 minutes in length (produced for a 60-minute time-slot) per episode. The show was originally produced at the Toronto studios of the Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...
, then a small regional network of stations in Southern Ontario, from 1975 to 1977. Following its expansion into Quebec in early-1977, the show moved to CFCF-12 in Montreal where it remained until 1980. Some shows were also recorded in 1981–1982 at the University of Windsor
, mottoeng = Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge
, established =
, academic_affiliations = CARL, COU, Universities Canada
, former_names = Assumption College (1857-1956)Assumption University of Windsor (1956-1963)
, type = Public universit ...
, where students received an opportunity to produce several episodes, and the City TV
Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television As ...
studios in Toronto. The final season in 1983-84 was shot at CHLT-TV studios in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The show enjoyed strong ratings throughout its eight years on the air. Near the end of its run in 1983, Cannon had produced over 100 hours of original content.
Superstars of Wrestling was generally presented as a studio show although it often aired matches from high school gyms and small arenas in Newfoundland, Ontario and Quebec, as well as in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Although the studio show was filmed in Windsor, Cannon did not run live events in the city. A number of shows were held at Memorial Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland and, briefly, the Verdun Auditorium
The Verdun Auditorium is an arena located in the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114 seats. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex is also home to Arena Denis Sa ...
in Montreal, Quebec during the 1970s. Some venues for the U.S. events included Waite High School and the Sports Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
and Cobo Hall
Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...
in Detroit, Michigan.
Episode format
Each episode opened with a monochrome sequence of the Superstars of Wrestling roster competing in various matches, along with the show's theme song and brief introduction by George Cannon, before going directly to the opening match. An episode typically featured three to four matches as well as a number of backstage and post-match interviews. Special guests were sometimes invited to the show as color commentators such as Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002) was an American professional wrestler. He was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the title for a combined total of 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 ...
in 1976. The show typically ended after the main event (the final match on an episode) or an interview promoting an upcoming bout. The show's end credits were similar to the opening credits and had Cannon inviting viewers to tune in the following week.
In order to hype the arrival of a popular star, the show would sometimes show their matches from other NWA territories. When The Sheik was preparing to make his Superstars debut in 1980, the show aired his classic brawls against Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 – January 20, 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobo Brazil. Credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling, Harris is considered one o ...
(1975) and Charlie Cook
Charles Edward Cook Jr. (born November 20, 1953) is an American political analyst who specializes in election forecasts and political trends.
Cook writes election forecasts and rankings in the publication he founded, ''The Cook Political Report'' ...
(1976) from NWA Big Time Wrestling, and Mark Roberts (1979) from NWA Mid-America
NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from the 1940s until 1981. The company was founded in the 1940s by N ...
. Similarly, Dick the Bruiser's 1979 bout against Paul Christy in World Wrestling Association
The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ''luchadores'' a ...
was broadcast prior to his television debut in April 1981.
By the early-1980s, the show began airing content from Promotions Varoussac. In February 1983, for example, Superstars of Wrestling broadcast the official contract signing between Dino Bravo and Billy Robinson (with manager Lord Alfred Hayes) for their bout at the Paul-Sauve Centre for the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship
The Canadian International Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in the Montreal-based wrestling promotion Lutte Internationale
Lutte Internationale (; "International Wrestling") was a professional wrestling promotion based in Mon ...
. As the conversation was conducted in French, Cannon was on hand to explain the special stipulations for English-speaking fans. The show eventually began producing the English-language version of its flagship show "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling) and "Lutte Internationale" (International Wrestling).
Memorable episodes
On-air personalities
Champions
Superstars of Wrestling Heavyweight Championship
Superstars of Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship
Superstars of Wrestling Canadian Heavyweight Championship
Superstars of Wrestling United States Heavyweight Championship
Superstars of Wrestling Tag Team Championship
Superstars of Wrestling Canadian Tag Team Championship
Superstars of Wrestling United States Tag Team Championship
Commentators
Ring announcers
Legacy
Although most remembered in the United States as a wrestling manager, Cannon is considered an important figure in Canadian professional wrestling. He, along with Jack Britton, are credited for keeping pro wrestling alive in Montreal during one of the worst periods in the industry. Superstars of Wrestling also pioneered a number of innovations (e.g. the use of entrance music
Entrance music (also known as an entry theme or walk-on music) is a musical piece or song that is played for athletes or entertainers when they first appear in front of the spectators before beginning a performance. Popular music acts may have rec ...
for wrestlers) used by the WWF and other promotions years later. The years Cannon spent promoting in Montreal, Ontario and Detroit, and his television syndication efforts, paved the way for the WWF to expand into those markets during its national expansion during the 1980s wrestling boom. Cannon's cooperation allowed Vince McMahon to get into Detroit ahead of Ole Anderson in 1983 and his English-language timeslot on CFCF was instrumental in the WWF's successful takeover of the Montreal territory from Lutte Internationale several years later. These regions remain one of the company's most lucrative markets into the early 21st century.
John Powell, an entertainment journalist and co-founder of SLAM! Wrestling
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...
, was a fan of Superstars of Wrestling growing up. Canadian wrestling fans like himself relied on the show for their knowledge and news in the world of pro wrestling. Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling (BCW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion owned and booked by Scott D'Amore, and based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Many of the promotion's employees were trained at the ''Can-Am'' wrestling school. After ...
, founded by wrestler Scott D'Amore
Scott Francis D'Amore (born August 8, 1974) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, manager, promoter, booker and entrepreneur. He is the current Executive Vice President of Impact Wrestling, where he also worked from 2003 to 2010 as an on- ...
in 1993, has been favorably compared to Superstars of Wrestling by The MediaPlex adding that the independent promotion has " illeda void left in Windsor's wrestling scene since the close of Cannon's promotion".
In 2008, students at the University of Windsor discovered a set of promotional photos for Superstars of Wrestling in the university archives. The show's TV tapings had taken place in a studio now occupied by the Noiseborder Multimedia Performance Lab. The students put on a special performance, titled "Superstars of Wrestling", as part of the Noiseborder experimental music program.
See also
*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. Many Canadian wrestlers including Bret Hart, Roddy Pipe ...
*''Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Queensbury Athletic Club
The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...
''
*''Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...
''
Further reading
*
References
Notes
Specific
External links
*
Pro-Wrestling in Canada at WrestlingScout
Superstars of Wrestling at Cagematch.net
Superstars of Wrestling at Wrestlingdata.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Superstars of Wrestling
1970s American television series
American professional wrestling promotions
1975 Canadian television series debuts
1984 Canadian television series endings
1970s Canadian sports television series
First-run syndicated television shows in Canada
1975 American television series debuts
1984 American television series endings
American professional wrestling television series
Canadian professional wrestling promotions
CBC Television original programming
CTV Television Network original programming
Lost television shows
Television shows filmed in Michigan
Culture of Detroit
Television shows filmed in Windsor, Ontario
1980s Canadian sports television series