Jack Tunney John " Jack " Tunney ( 1935 – January 24 , 2004 ) was a Canadian wrestling promoter . Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion ' s figurehead president , suspending wrestlers , stripping them of titles , and ordering matches . Tunney ' s tenure was during the company ' s initial worldwide popularity boom in the 1980 s , the peaking days of " Hulkamania " . Working for his uncle . Tunney ' s father , John Tunney , and uncle , Frank Tunney became the promoters of Toronto ' s Qeensbury Athletic Club in the 1930s . John Tunney died in 1940 at age 32 , and Frank became the sole promoter , As a young man , John Tunney and worked for the promotion alongside Frank , Norm Kimber , Frank Ayerst , Ed Noonan , and wrestlers Whipper Watson and Pat Flanagan . The offices were across the street from the famed Maple Leaf Gardens . Later , Tunney ran his operation out of the Gardens itself . Taking control . After Frank Tunney ' s death on May 10 , 1983 , Jack and his cousin Eddie Tunney ( Frank ' s son ) took control of the promotion . Jack moved into the spotlight as the frontman for the promotion , while Eddie had a low public profile . At the time , the Toronto office was in partnership with Charlotte , North Carolina - based Jim Crockett Promotions . When the promotional wars heated up between Crockett and Vince McMahon ' s World Wrestling Federation , Crockett felt he could no longer spare his top wrestlers for shows in Toronto . The Toronto cards got progressively weaker through 1983 - 84 , dwindling down to audiences of 3 , 000 for some shows . Johnny Weaver was the primary booker for the shows , with Leo Burke and his brothers as the lead heels , along with Don Kernodle , when the top Crockett stars were no longer available . Aligning with the World Wrestling Federation . In June 1984 , Jack and Eddie switched allegiances from the NWA and to the WWF . They began promoting only WWF cards , becoming another stop on the WWF circuit . This maneuver made Toronto a WWF city and was instrumental in consolidating the company ' s power base in Canada . Following the WWF takeover , the name " Maple Leaf Wrestling " continued to be used for the WWF ' s Canadian TV program ( a staple of Hamilton station CHCH - TV for many years ) . TV tapings for the show were held in Brantford and other cities in southern Ontario for the next two years , until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to use the " Maple Leaf Wrestling " name for the Canadian airings of " WWF Superstars of Wrestling " ( with some Canadian footage , such as updates by on - air announcer and former wrestler Billy Red Lyons , and special matches taped at Maple Leaf Gardens , added in ) . There were several sellouts of 18 , 000 at the Gardens with the WWF crew , but the city ' s ( and , at the time , world ' s ) attendance record was shattered by the show at CNE Stadium on August 28 , 1986 which drew 65 , 000 people , with a gate of over $ 1 million . Initial projections were for a crowd of 25 , 000 - 30 , 000 . Chief WWF promoter for Canadian tours . Tunney would usually promote 40 or more WWF shows per year , making him a very important man in the expansion of the WWF , and keeping WCW out of key Canadian markets well into the 1990s . Soon , wrestling promotions across Canada fell on hard times as Tunney helped McMahon take over their territories . All - Star Wrestling in Vancouver closed down . The AWA stopped coming into Manitoba . Stu Hart ' s Stampede promotion began eroding until he too was forced to sell to McMahon ( and later starting up again for a few years ) . As the figurehead president . In the summer of 1984 , the WWF named Tunney its storyline " president . " This made Tunney known to fans in the United States and elsewhere . The title was ceremonial only , as he held no backstage power beyond that of a regional promoter ; as such , his main roles were that of a storyline authority figure and to announce major decisions or events on television . Some of his major television appearances included : Tunney was rarely involved in physical confrontations with wrestlers . One exception was in the fall of 1988 , when Bad News Brown confronted Tunney on the set of " The Brother Love Show " and demanded a WWF title shot against then - champion Savage . When Brown began implying that Tunney and Savage ' s manager Miss Elizabeth were involved in an affair ( suggesting that Elizabeth was " doing favors " for Tunney to protect Savage from sure defeat ) , Tunney began scolding Brown for making such a claim , poking his finger in his chest to assert his authority . Brown then grabbed Tunney by his necktie and warned him never to touch him again . Also , during the Hogan - Undertaker match at " Tuesday in Texas " , Tunney was knocked down after he found himself in the middle of a brawl between Hogan and Flair outside the ring ; he was present at ringside to ensure a " fair match . " Several times , Tunney ' s presence was known even off - camera . One such example was in early 1988 , as part of an angle involving the Andre - Hogan match aired on " The Main Event " . As the " Superstars of Wrestling " program that aired February 6 , 1988 , was produced prior to the airing of " The Main Event " ( where Andre ' s title win was booked to take place ) , a side storyline was contrived to have Tunney place a " gag order " on announcers and commentators from discussing the events surrounding the Andre - Hogan match . Heel color commentator Jesse " the Body " Ventura attempted to bring up the subject several times but was censored each time , upsetting him so much that he left the broadcast booth toward the end of the show . The peak of Tunney ' s WWF reign was WrestleMania VI at Toronto ' s SkyDome on April 1 , 1990 . The first WrestleMania held outside of the U . S . , the show drew over 67 , 000 . In the main event The Ultimate Warrior cleanly pinned Hulk Hogan to win the WWF World Title , and Tunney announced on television there would be no rematch . Leaving WWF . Later in the 1990s , Tunney ' s appearances on television and live events grew less frequent . One of his final major appearances came in early 1994 , when he declaring Bret Hart and Luger co - winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble after it could not be determined whose feet hit the floor first . Modifying a stipulation of the Royal Rumble match ' s outcome , both men would be granted separate matches vs . WWF Heavyweight Champion Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X . In 1995 , McMahon chose to run the shows in Toronto without any involvement from the Tunneys . The final show at the Gardens was held on September 17 , 1995 . That year , Tunney was forced out of the WWF , after which he retired and disappeared from the wrestling scene . Following Tunney ' s departure , Gorilla Monsoon was given the role of on - screen WWF President . Personal life . Tunney met his wife Ann in the fourth grade , and they had two daughters . Ann died in 1991 , and Jack died Saturday , January 24 , 2004 in Lindsay , Ontario . Notably , nobody from the WWE attended Tunney ' s funeral .