Jean Rougeau

**Jean Rougeau** (June 9, 1929 – May 25, 1983), also known as **Johnny Rougeau**, was a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter. Throughout his career, Jean was a seven-time holder of the Montreal version of the World/International Heavyweight Championship from 1961 to 1975. He founded All-Star Wrestling in 1967. He was also the uncle to wrestlers Jacques, Raymond and Armand Rougeau.

## Early life

Jean Rougeau was born on June 9, 1929, growing up in Montreal, Quebec with his brother Jacques. At the age of 13, he was taught the basics of wrestling by his uncle Eddie Auger and they eventually rented a ring to organize matches.

Both Jean and Jacques were later sent to English school by their father Armand, a part-time boxer, although they did speak French at home. Jean had also tried to pursue hockey but these plans did not go through. By the age of 17, he left school to work at a snack bar. In his youth as a union activisty, he worked actively to organize the Coca-Cola employees, but this would cost him the job.

## Professional wrestling career

Rougeau had his first match at the age of 18 against Arthur LeGrand, though he did not officially begin a full-time wrestling career at that time. In 1951, he officially started his professional wrestling career when his uncle Eddie Auger called him so he can compete in Detroit, Michigan. With sequined, colorful jackets and good looks, Rougeau became a sensation, especially with the ladies. Promoter Eddie Quinn was instrumental in helping Jean compete in the famous Montreal Forum for the first time on January 30, 1952.

Eventually that same year, he gained exposure in the United States, feuding with Roy Shire and facing the likes of Joe Scarpello and Ed Francis over the MWA Junior Heavyweight Championship. Rougeau and Shire would do main-events or at least featured matches in West Virginia, and a trip to Indiana saw him team with his uncle. Despite never winning a title in the States, he nonetheless remained a very popular competitor, competing in Massachussetts, Texas, and Florida where he received a main-event match against Verne Gagne.

Michel Normande, a sports journalist, convinced Jean to return to Montreal in 1953. He had also wanted to polish his moveset, so he underwent training with legendary Canadian wrestler Yvon Robert. From there on, his in-ring ability had improved, so much that on June 8, 1953, he won his first title, the World Junior Heavyweight Championship in Quebec, by defeating Harry Madison at a sold out Exchange Stadium with Robert as the referee. He was one of the last wrestlers to hold that championship before it went defunct.

On September 9, Rougeau wrestled in his first main-event at the Montreal Forum, teaming with Robert and Larry Moquin against Ernie Dusek, Hans Hermann and Al Mills with a reported attendance of 8,000 fans. Three weeks later, the rematch drew 9,000 fans. The attendance rates drastically grew and newspapers were already calling Jean the guy who would most likely replace Robert. On February 1, 1956, a double main event of Killer Kowalski vs. Buddy Rogers and Robert and Rougeau against the Dusek brothers drew 10,000 fans. By 1957, Jean was working for Wally Karbo and Dennis Stecher in Minneapolis, often teaming with Hard Boiled Haggerty against the Kalmikoffs before returning back to Montreal.

Eddie Quinn lost his weekly wrestling TV program in the fall of 1960 due to plummeting business in Montreal. Before that however, Rougeau and Buddy Rogers drew 12,366 fans on April 13 and teaming with Bobby Managoff against Rogers and Kowalski, Rougeau drew another big crowd with 10,099. Around the same time, Robert started managing Rougeau. On November 7, 1961, under the guidance of Robert, Rougeau defeated Hans Schmidt to win the World/International Heavyweight Championship of Montreal for the first time in his career. He dropped the title on July 23, 1962, after nearly holding it for a year against Killer Kowalski. On November 18, 1965, Rougeau won the title from Schmidt again and held it until 1966. When Channel 2 dropped wrestling, Quinn approached channel 10 and by September of that year, he was back on TV and Rougeau was a featured performer.

Yvon Robert started his own promotion upon Quinn's retirement, with Rougeau wrestling at the Montreal Forum and Paul-Sauvé Arena from July 1963 until the promotion closed in November 1964. Rougeau sold his nightclub in hopes of making a full-time wrestling return and the only thing making sense for him was to start his own wrestling company. On May 6, 1965, at the Paul Sauve-Center, All Star Wrestling was born. The company got on television after Rougeau took Quinn’s master tapes, which Robert inherited at Quinn’s death in December 1964, without either asking Robert’s permission or offering him a partnership and went to Channel 10 to pitch his new show. The show was approved and “On the Mat” started in 1966. Since Rougeau could not wrestle and have his name on a promoter’s licence at the same time as this was prohibited by the athletic commission, he made Bob Langevin his promoter, a role that Langevin had also played for Eddie Quinn a few years before.

Rougeau’s weekly arena was the Paul-Sauve Center which fit 7000 fans. He was a main star and audiences gradually increased over time. The main stars besides the Rougeaus were Hans Schmidt, Eduoard Carpentier, Baron Von Rashke, and Maurice Vachon. On June 5, 1967, Rougeau defeated Vachon to win the International Heavyweight Championship for a third time, before dropping it back to the Mad Dog on August 14. On February 5, 1968, he won the title again, this time from Baron Von Raschke. Months later, Rougeau gave wrestler Oreal Perras the character of Russian Ivan Koloff, fitting for the Cold War. Both of them were responsible for selling out the Forum with 20,890 in attendance. On May 23, 1968, he dropped the championship to Koloff. After this, he feuded with Abdullah the Butcher, defeating him on August 11 for the title until dropping it to him on November 24.

On March 30, 1970, Rougeau would regain the championship from Abdullah, holding it for several months until October 9, when he lost it to rival Danny Lynch. He won it back from Lynch on December 7 and dropped the belt to Jos LeDuc on April 26, 1971. Rougeau and Yvon Robert's relationship fell into disarray after Robert was angry that Rougeau had not included him around the growth of his promotion, even though he’d helped him when he started and booked him on his shows in the past years. Robert did not want to work for Rougeau afterward but occasionally refereed matches for the fans. On August 2, Johnny stopped wrestling to focus on junior hockey. He did return soon but retired for a second time in 1973.

After a stint in color commentating and hosting a wrestling radio show, Johnny came out of retirement on June 30, 1975, drawing 12,464 fans against Tarzan Tyler at the Forum. On September 3, Rougeau defeated Tyler to win the International Heavyweight Championship for a seventh and final time, holding it until he dropped it on October 27 to Stan "The Man" Stasiak. Rougeau sold All Star Wrestling in the spring of 1976 and Channel 10 cancelled On the Mat after 10 years.

## Other ventures

In the early 1960s, Jean Rougeau became friends with journalist-turned-politician René Lévesque, one of the most renowned Quebec Prime Ministers. Rougeau held different jobs for him, working as his bodyguard and his most fervent militant.

After winning the Montreal title, Rougeau bought the Mocambo, a downtown night club. His perseverance made it the most successful club in Montreal. Artists from all over the world performed there including Chubby Checker, Nat King Cole, Fats Domino and Liberace.

Rougeau also coached ice hockey with the Rosemont National 70-71 and Laval National 71–72, 72–73, 77–78 in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, which included New York Islander Mike Bossy. He later served as the league's president from 1981 to 1983. The Jean Rougeau Trophy was named in his honor and is awarded to the team that records the most points in the regular season.

In 1982, he was awarded the Bene Merenti de Patria, a silver medal awarded by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society every year to a native of Quebec who has demonstrated service to the homeland.

## Death

During the time he received the award, sadly Rougeau was diagnosed with liver cancer. He documented his final days with the inoperable disease in a book, telling the world how he accepts his terminal fate. He published an autobiography shortly before his death, titled *Johnny Rougeau*.
Jean "Johnny" Rougeau died on May 25, 1983, at the age of 53. He had still been president of the Quebec’s junior hockey league and his funeral was attended by about 7,000 people. On April 10, 2000, a biography about Rougeau aired on French station Canal D in Quebec.