Paul LeDuc (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Paul LeDuc is a former Canadian
professional wrestler
. He is best known for teaming with his kayfabe
(storyline) brother Jos LeDuc
.
, Quebec
and later moved to Mexico
for further instruction. He talked a friend, Michel Pigeon, into becoming a wrestler as well. Pigeon agreed and took on the ring name
Jos LeDuc, as the pair pretended to be brothers. They first worked together in Stu Hart
's Stampede Wrestling
promotion in Calgary
, Alberta
. The LeDucs used a lumberjack
gimmick to honor deceased professional wrestler "Yukon" Eric Holmback
. While wrestling in Stampede Wrestling, the pair held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship.
The LeDucs next moved back to Montreal. They feuded with the Rougeau family
as well as the Vachon brothers (Maurice
and Paul
). During a wrestling show in Montreal, Paul LeDuc was legitimately married in the wrestling ring
. They also held the Grand Prix Wrestling Tag Team Championship twice in 1972 and 1973.
The LeDucs also wrestled in Florida
, where they were known as the Canadian Lumberjacks. In December 1973, they defeated Dusty Rhodes
and Dick Slater
to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
.
, a communications company, the following year. He later accepted a position writing about professional wrestling for Canadian Online Explorer
.
LeDuc's long-time friend and tag team partner died in 1999. The pair had played the role of brothers so well that, when it was revealed that they were not related, the news was widely discussed on talk shows in Quebec. Paul LeDuc's son, Carl, is also a professional wrestler.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. He is best known for teaming with his kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
(storyline) brother Jos LeDuc
Jos LeDuc
Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc. Wrestling with a lumberjack gimmick, he debuted in Stampede Wrestling with his kayfabe brother, Paul LeDuc...
.
Career
LeDuc began wrestling professionally in 1957 at age 18. He began his training in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and later moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
for further instruction. He talked a friend, Michel Pigeon, into becoming a wrestler as well. Pigeon agreed and took on the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Jos LeDuc, as the pair pretended to be brothers. They first worked together in Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
promotion in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. The LeDucs used a lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
gimmick to honor deceased professional wrestler "Yukon" Eric Holmback
Eric Holmback
Eric Holmback was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yukon Eric.Holmback spent the majority of his career in Southern Ontario, Canada, where he won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship on two occasions with Whipper Billy Watson in 1955 and 1961 and the Montreal...
. While wrestling in Stampede Wrestling, the pair held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship.
The LeDucs next moved back to Montreal. They feuded with the Rougeau family
Rougeau wrestling family
The Rougeau wrestling family is a Canadian professional wrestling family that dates back to the 1940s.-Family history:Eddie Auger was the first of the family wrestlers. He was the uncle of Jacques Rougeau, Sr. and his brother Johnny, who started wrestling in the 1950s in their native Canada.Jacques...
as well as the Vachon brothers (Maurice
Maurice Vachon
Maurice Vachon is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon...
and Paul
Paul Vachon
Paul "Butcher" Vachon is a former professional wrestler. He is a member of the Vachon wrestling family.-Professional wrestling career:Paul Vachon grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer...
). During a wrestling show in Montreal, Paul LeDuc was legitimately married in the wrestling ring
Wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
. They also held the Grand Prix Wrestling Tag Team Championship twice in 1972 and 1973.
The LeDucs also wrestled in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where they were known as the Canadian Lumberjacks. In December 1973, they defeated Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
and Dick Slater
Dick Slater
Richard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, is a retired American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid 1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling .Slater began wrestling with Mike...
to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
.
Retirement
LeDuc retired from wrestling in 1978 and began working for QuebecorQuebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
, a communications company, the following year. He later accepted a position writing about professional wrestling for Canadian Online Explorer
Canadian Online Explorer
Canadian Online Explorer is a bilingual online news and information site from Canada.A subsidiary of Quebecor Media, Canoe.ca is a leading local and national interactive media provider of news, entertainment and services, helping to inform and connect Canadians...
.
LeDuc's long-time friend and tag team partner died in 1999. The pair had played the role of brothers so well that, when it was revealed that they were not related, the news was widely discussed on talk shows in Quebec. Paul LeDuc's son, Carl, is also a professional wrestler.
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
(1 time) - with Paul LeDuc
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
- Grand Prix Wrestling (Montreal)
- Grand Prix Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Paul LeDuc
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Paul LeDuc