Édouard Carpentier

Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz (July 17, 1926 – October 30, 2010) was a French-Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.
==Early life==
Weiczorkiewicz was born in 1926 in Roanne, Loire, France to a Russian father and a Polish mother. He joined the French underground resistance during the period of German occupation during World War II and was subsequently awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Croix des combattant medals by the French government at the close of the war. He moved to Montreal, Quebec in 1956, becoming a Canadian citizen. He also became an all around athlete with gymnastic skills.
==Career==
Carpentier was a crowd favorite who delighted fans with acrobatic leaps from the turnbuckles and a variety of other aerial maneuvers such as the rope-aided twisting headscissors. He was one of the first wrestlers to regularly use such maneuvers. He was always a fan favorite in his bouts and was matched against numerous villains, perhaps the most well known of whom was the legendary Killer Kowalski.
The highpoint of his career was his NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign from 1956 to 1957. He won the title in a disputed contest against Lou Thesz on 14 June 1957. Some NWA territories and officials recognized the disputed win as a legitimate title change, while others did not. This led to the split of the NWA and led to the creation of the American Wrestling Association and other organizations, all with their own world titles. He was later recognized as the first holder of the AWA's Omaha version of the World Heavyweight Championship. He eventually dropped the belt to Verne Gagne.
Carpentier headlined Madison Square Garden three times in 1962 with tag team partner Bobo Brazil. They had two main events against Buddy Rogers & Handsome Johnny Barend; another against Rogers & Killer Kowalski. He teamed numerous times with Antonino Rocca, as well as with Vittorio Apollo. In solo matches at the Garden, he defeated Giant Baba, Skull Murphy, Magnificent Maurice, and Hans Mortier.
After his retirement, Carpentier operated a school for teaching professional wrestling skills. He also operated in the early 1980s as a babyface colour commentator, alongside heel play-by-play host Guy Hauray, for the Montreal-based Grand Prix Wrestling, and then, together for the World Wrestling Federation, when the WWF bought the Montreal territory in 1985. They hosted the French edition of the WWF television show Superstars, sold to French-speaking countries. He was replaced by former Québécois wrestler Raymond Rougeau in 1992.
==Death==
On 30 October 2010, Carpentier died of a heart attack at his home in Montreal, aged 84. He had also suffered a heart attack in 2000. Carpentier had been in poor health for many years, battered from his acrobatic, high-flying style.
==In wrestling==
*Finishing moves
**Flying head scissors
*Signature moves
**Standing somersault senton
**Cartwheel evasion
**Somersault evasion
*Managers
**Bob Langevin
*Nicknames
**"The Flying Frenchman"
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Atlantic Athletic Commission
**World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version) (1 time)
*American Wrestling Association
**World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) (1 time)
*International Wrestling Alliance
**IWA World Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) (1 time)
*Lutte Internationale (Montreal)
**Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**Canadian International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mad Dog Vachon
*Montreal Athletic Commission / International Wrestling Alliance
**International Heavyweight Championship (Montreal version) (5 times)
*National Wrestling Alliance
:World
:*NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)1
:Regional
:*NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
**(Class of 2010)
*Stampede Wrestling
**Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
*Worldwide Wrestling Associates
**WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bob Ellis
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
**Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 1997
1Carpentier was awarded the title by disqualification when Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury. For 71 days, the NWA recognized the title as being in dispute between Carpentier and Thesz.
==External links==
* Profile
Category:French wrestlers
Category:NWA World Heavyweight Champions
Category:Commentators
Category:1926 births
Category:1956 debuts
Category:1985 retirements
Category:2010 deaths
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:Alex Turk Promotions alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Lutte Internationale alumni
Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni
Category:NWA All-Star Wrestling alumni
Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni
Category:Studio Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:Worldwide Wrestling Associates alumni
Category:Male wrestlers