Jos LeDuc

**Michel Pigeon** (August 31, 1944 – May 1, 1999) 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. The pair later won several titles in Montreal, where they feuded with the Rougeau wrestling family, and Florida, where they held the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship.

After an injury ended Paul's career, LeDuc competed as a singles wrestler and was involved in a heated feud with Dusty Rhodes. LeDuc then moved to Tennessee, where he had a rivalry with Jerry Lawler over the NWA Mid-America Southern Tag Team Championship.

In his later career, LeDuc competed in Puerto Rico and had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation. He also appeared in the 1989 film *No Holds Barred*. LeDuc held 32 championships—15 singles belts and 17 tag team titles over the course of his career. He died of a lung infection on May 1, 1999.

## Early life

Michel Pigeon was born in Montreal on August 31, 1944. Pigeon gained combat sport experience by studying judo. He also worked for the Quebec Provincial Police until the mid-1960s, deciding to become a wrestler.

## Professional wrestling career

His friend Paul LeDuc had competed as a professional wrestler in Mexico and wanted a tag team partner. He convinced Pigeon to train as a wrestler, and Pigeon trained under Stu Hart in Calgary, Alberta.

Along with Paul, Pigeon began wrestling in Hart's Stampede Wrestling in 1968 under the ring name Jos LeDuc, Paul's tag team partner and kayfabe brother. Inspired by The Yukon Lumberjacks, the LeDucs' gimmick was that of stereotypical Canadian lumberjacks, and they wore flannel shirts to the ring. They won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in 1969 but lost it later that year.

The LeDucs next moved to the Montreal area, where they debuted in the International Wrestling Association by attacking local wrestler Johnny Rougeau. This led to a feud between the LeDucs and the Rougeaus (Johnny and his real-life brother Jacques). Jos LeDuc later won the Montreal version of the International Heavyweight Championship by defeating Johnny Rougeau in 1971. He also won the International Tag Team Championship that year while teaming with Tony Baillargeon. While in Montreal, the LeDucs also competed for Grand Prix Wrestling and feuded with the Vachon brothers (Mad Dog and Butcher) as well as Killer Kowalski. The LeDucs won the Grand Prix Wrestling Tag Team Championship twice in 1972 and 1973.

LeDuc's next stop was in Championship Wrestling from Florida, where he resumed teaming with Paul LeDuc. Together, they won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship in December 1973 by defeating Dusty Rhodes and Dick Slater. They defended the belts for two months before dropping them to Slater and his new partner Stan Vachon, a kayfabe brother of the Vachons from Montreal. This was the final time the LeDuc's held a title together, as Paul LeDuc sustained a legitimate injury that forced Jos to wrestle without him.

Jos LeDuc also wrestled as a singles competitor in Florida. He won the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship by defeating Rhodes in late 1973. He dropped the title back to Rhodes in January 1974, however. LeDuc and Rhodes had a heated feud at this time, and they frequently faced each other in Death matches.

Wrestling in Tennessee in 1977, LeDuc teamed with Bob Armstrong to win the NWA Southeast Tag Team Championship in September. They defeated Bob Orton, Jr. and Mr. Knoxville for the belts but lost them in a rematch. While in Tennesse, LeDuc gained notoriety from a heated feud with Jerry Lawler. Wrestling as a heel, he faced Jerry Lawler, who was a favorite in the state, in many matches throughout the year. LeDuc and Jean Louie won the NWA Mid-America Southern Tag Team Championship in May. They faced Lawler and Jimmy Valiant on May 22, but the match was declared a no contest and the title was vacated. Lawler and Valiant won the belts in a rematch the following week, but LeDuc and Louie regained them the following month.

On August 5, 1978, after getting his head busted open by Jerry Lawler, Joe LeDuc made an oath to get even on live Saturday morning TV in Memphis.

Lance Russell, who had no idea why the bloody lumberjack was carrying an ax, interviewed LeDuc as he recounted how men in the lumber camps in Canada would traditionally remind themselves of unfinished business: a blood oath. Russell recalled, "*At the time, we were trying to make the show a little less violent and a little more family-oriented and not feature a lot of blood. Well, LeDuc comes out one Saturday morning with a double-edged ax. Well, he takes that axe and cuts across his arm, and here comes the red stuff pouring down his arm. He cut his arm open right there on live TV! Fans wondered for years, ‘Was it real?’ Hey, let me tell you, it was real, all right. I nearly had a heart attack!"*

In September, LeDuc and Louie dropped the belts once again, this time to Lawler and the Mongolian Stomper. LeDuc returned to Florida in 1978 and won the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship by defeating Mr. Uganda on December 18. He held the belt for two weeks before dropping it to his old rival Dick Slater. He was soon a champion again, however, as he teamed with Thor the Viking to win the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship in early 1979. They dropped the belts to Killer Karl Kox and Jimmy Garvin, but LeDuc soon regained the title by teaming with Pak Song. LeDuc and Song vacated the title shortly after winning it, but LeDuc teamed with yet another partner, Don Muraco to win the belts back later that year.

A return to the Tennessee area brought LeDuc more success in Southeast Championship Wrestling. He won his first NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship in a victory over Killer Karl Kox in March 1980 before losing the belt back to Kox in a rematch. In October, he regained the Southerastern Tag Team Championship while teaming with Robert Fuller. They lost the belts to Super Pro and Ron Bass, but LeDuc teamed with Armstrong again to regain the belts.

LeDuc travelled to New Zealand to wrestle in 1981. On April 23, he won the NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship by defeating Steve Rickard. He dropped the belt to Mark Lewin one week later but regained it in a rematch on July 9. His second and final reign came to an end when he lost the belt to Rickard in mid-August.

Later that year, LeDuc returned to Southeastern Championship Wrestling and won the tag team title twice more while teaming with Fuller. Ultimately, however, the team split up and vacated the title. LeDuc focused on singles competition, winning the Southeastern Heavyweight Championship twice more with victories over Jacques Rougeau, Jr. and Terry Gordy. He also won the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship with a victory over Terry Gordy in May 1982, but LeDuc lost the title that summer to Austin Idol.

In the early 1980s, LeDuc wrestled in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and joined Oliver Humperdink's "House of Humperdink" stable. Under Humperdink's management, LeDuc won the NWA Television Championship by defeating Jimmy Valiant in 1982. The title reign did not last long, however, as the belt was soon taken away because LeDuc cheated in a title defense against Johnny Weaver. Eventually, the storyline had LeDuc claim that Humperdink had stolen his money, and LeDuc left the stable. This led to a feud between LeDuc and the members of Humperdink's stable, although the main rivalry was between LeDuc and Dick Slater. As part of the feud, LeDuc and Slater faced each other on April 30 1983 in a Lumberjack match. LeDuc won the match and Slater's NWA Television Championship.

LeDuc then returned to Florida, where he wrestled in the singles division. In October 1983, he defeated Scott McGhee to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship for a second time. He lost the belt to Barry Windham the following month. In a rematch the following night, LeDuc won the belt once again. His final reign as Florida Heavyweight Champion was shortlived, however, as he dropped the belt in a rematch with Windham the next night.

Another short stint in Southeastern Championship Wrestling followed, with LeDuc winning the Southeaster Heavyweight title twice more. He defeated his former partner Bob Armstrong for the belt in August 1983 and began a feud with Robert Fuller, another former partner. During the course of this feud, the belt changed hands twice. Fuller won the belt from LeDuc, but LeDuc won a subsequent match to win the title for his sixth and final reign. LeDuc held the belt until vacating the title when he left the promotion.

On March 12 1984, LeDuc teamed with former rival Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship from Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad. In a six-man match the following week, LeDuc revealed that his reconciliation with Lawler was a setup, as LeDuc and his partner Jimmy Hart turned on Lawler by walking away during the match to leave Lawler by himself. As a result, the tag team title was vacated and the feud was rekindled.

While wrestling in Puerto Rico, LeDuc won his final championship. He defeated Hercules Ayala on January 6 1986 to win the World Wrestling Council's North American Heavyweight Championship. He held the belt for just over two months before dropping it to Al Perez on March 7.

LeDuc wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1988. He started off in the WWF wrestling as Butcher LeDuc before switching back to the name Jos LeDuc. Later that year, he wrestled as The Headbanger during an episode of *WWF Prime Time Wrestling*. He lost by disqualification to Brian Costello after disregarding the referees warnings aout headbutting his opponent. While in the WWF, he was occasionally managed by Frenchy Martin. He disappeared from the WWF in mid-1988.

The following year, LeDuc returned to Japan for another brief wrestling tour for Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. He wrestled primarily in tag teams with Masanobu Kurisu. They were booked to lose each of these matches, however. LeDuc's only victory in Japan came when he was put over Tarzan Goto in a singles match. Following his stint in Japan, LeDuc retired from wrestling. On June 10, 1995, he wrestled one final event, teaming with Phil Hickerson to face Lawler and Valiant at the United States Wrestling Association's "Memphis Memories II" event. The match built upon the storyline feud between LeDuc and Lawler, and Lawler won the match for his team by pinning LeDuc.

In November 1995, he was scheduled to wrestle for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, teaming with Buddy Landel in a series of matches against The Punisher and Tommy Rich, but due to LeDuc retiring, The Bullet took his place teaming with Landel.

## Death

LeDuc had many problems with diabetes toward the end of his life. While visiting his son in Atlanta, Georgia, LeDuc slipped in the shower. As a result of the injuries, he developed a fatal infection.

He died of a lung infection on May 1, 1999, at the age of 54, in Atlanta. After his death, the revelation that he and Paul LeDuc were not related caused a minor scandal on talk shows in Quebec.