Former wrestler and promoter Paul Vachon, nicknamed “The Butcher,” died overnight Thursday into Friday at the age of 86.
Wrestling historian and TVA Sports host Pat Laprade made the announcement Friday afternoon.
A year ago, Paul Vachon said on Facebook that a brain tumor had been removed and that “his memory was quietly leaving him.”
The Montrealer was the brother of the famous Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon, with whom he worked on numerous occasions in various companies. He notably wrestled for the WWF (now known as World Wrestling Entertainment) and the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he won the tag team titles.
Quebec Journal
Paul Vachon was also the adoptive father of wrestler Luna Vachon, who died in 2010 at the age of 48. He was also the stepfather of David “Gangrel” Heath, another character well known to wrestling fans.
In the mid-1980s he retired from the ring and switched to promoter work. In the 1970s, he started the Lutte Grand Prix in Montreal to compete with Johnny Rougeau's International Wrestling.
Having wrestled all over the world, he also acted as a mentor of sorts to André the Giant (or Ferré Giant) during his tours in Quebec and Japan.