by Stephen Von Slagle
Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon was one of the biggest stars the American Wrestling Association has ever known, and to generations of fans both in the Midwestern portion of the U.S., as well as his native Canada, the “Mad Dog” was one of the most vicious, hated villains in the world of wrestling. Over the course of many years, though, that hatred slowly turned to love, and during his final decade in wrestling, “Mad Dog” Vachon was a beloved veteran fan favorite. His Tasmanian Devil-ish appearance and style was legendary and his opponents, nearly all of whom were far larger than Vachon, were well aware that the rabid “Mad Dog” was 5 feet 7 inches of violent dynamite. A man who was perpetual motion inside the ring (nearly all of it stomping, biting, and pounding), his stamina was known worldwide, nearly as much as his reputation as a bloodthirsty mauler. As the unofficial leader of one of wrestling’s proudest families (the Vachon wrestling family includes “Mad Dog,” brother Paul “Butcher” Vachon, sister Vivian Vachon, and niece Luna) “The Mad Dog” led by example, winning the AWA World Heavyweight title five separate times. During his prime as one of wrestling’s most hated villains, Vachon was as “evil” as they came, portraying a character only steps away from a snarling, blood-hungry beast, showing a score of future “psychotic” wrestlers how its done. Truly, “Mad Dog” Vachon was a legitimate trendsetter and a wrestling wildman unlike all others…
When he entered the American Wrestling Association in the early 1960s with his new character complete, Vachon became an instant box-office powerhouse. The fans, although they despised him, could not get enough of this wrestling wolverine and his vicious tactics, including his feared finishing maneuver, the Piledriver. On May 2, 1964 in Omaha, Nebraska, Vachon toppled his arch-rival, AWA World champion Verne Gagne to win his first World title. The victory was short-lived, however, because Gagne regained his belt just two weeks later, again in Joe Dusek’s Omaha territory. Gagne and Vachon battled night after night in cities throughout the massive AWA region, with the technical master trying his best to fend off the never-ending onslaught by the “Mad Dog.” On October 20, 1964, Vachon once again defeated Gagne for the AWA World championship and held the title for several months before losing to The Mighty Igor.
As the man who had feuded with (and taken the title from) his old drinkin’ buddy The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser took Vachon’s actions personally and pursued the hated champion with a vengeance. On November 21, 1965, The Bruiser exacted his revenge by bloodying and defeating Vachon for the AWA World title on November 12, 1966 in Omaha, Nebraska. Not to be denied, Vachon bested his larger foe to regain the AWA championship just a week later on November 19, 1966, again in Omaha. Vachon’s fifth (and final) reign as AWA World champion ended on February 26, 1967 against the man he originally won the title from, Verne Gagne. However, it certainly wasn’t the end of Vachon’s championship tenure. Later in 1967, he won the IWA World title (Montreal), making him the top heel in two major promotions simultaneously. After losing to Hans Schmidt, Vachon would again wear the IWA World title by defeating Johnny Rougeau.
In 1971, Maurice and his brother Paul opened Grand Prix Wrestling in Montreal and began promoting cards in opposition to the Rougeau’s well-established IWA group. Over the course of the next five years, the Vachons battled the Rougeaus for promotional superiority in the lucrative Montreal market, with a great deal of success. In addition to giving a young Andre the Giant (then known as Jean Ferre) his first bookings in North America, Grand Prix Wrestling was home to many top names, including the Vachons, “Killer” Kowalski, Jos Leduc, Edouard Carpentier and, for short time, even Bruno Sammartino. The crowning achievement for the young promotion was drawing 29,127 fans to its July 14, 1973 show at Jarry Park in Quebec. In the main event, “Mad Dog” Vachon defeated “Killer” Kowalski before the largest wrestling crowd in Quebec’s history.
As Vincent K. McMahon continued to methodically chip away at the once-formidable AWA talent roster, using former AWA stars to invade Verne Gagne’s midwestern strongholds, Vachon eventually jumped ship and joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1984. But, Vachon’s WWF tenure ultimately proved to be fairly short-lived. During an era of giants his size was an issue, however, even more so, the decades that Vachon spent taking punishment in the ring began to take their toll on his body and he slowed down considerably, despite his popularity with the fans. In 1986, nearly four decades after his debut, Vachon finally retired from the ring following a tremendously successful career. He spent his retirement years enjoying some long overdue time with his wife and family at his home in Omaha, where he also ran a local gym. But, in 1987, tragedy struck as Vachon was struck by a hit-and-run driver while jogging and, in the aftermath, the sad result was the amputation of his leg. Still, the “Mad Dog” persevered and fought to go on, adjusting to life with an artificial limb.
Vachon is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (1996), the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003), the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (2004), the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame Class (2009) and the WWE Hall of Fame (2010). He also received the Cauliflower Alley Club’s “Iron” Mike Mazurki Award in 2003.
Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon passed away on November 21, 2013 at the age of 84.