533:
However, the
Toronto office remained an independent entity, without which the WWF could not book shows at the Gardens and which received a percentage of every show the company ran in Canada. For Canadian Wrestling promotions, the effect was lasting. The Canadian wrestling scene was struggling at the time, with attendance low. As critics had feared it would, the union between Tunney and McMahon crushed many other wrestling promotions in Canada. Soon, wrestling promotions across Canada fell on hard times as Tunney helped McMahon take over their territories. All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver closed down. The AWA stopped performing in Manitoba. Stu Hart's Stampede promotion began eroding until he too was forced to sell to McMahon (and later starting up again for a few years). Grand Prix, out of Montreal, fought Tunney, but also eventually succumbed. Dave McKigney's Big Time Wrestling couldn't make a go of it due to Tunney's pressuring of Ontario's Boxing & Wrestling Commission to make insurance too expensive for the little guys. New territories, such as Newfoundland were opened up by Lyons and Zarlenga, but could not compete with a WWF machine, consistently setting new attendance records.
635:. Tunney filled this role for over a decade (while the '80s "Hulkamania" boom was at its peak). This made Tunney known to fans not only in North America but also worldwide. The title was ceremonial only to provide an authority figure to announce major decisions on television, as Tunney held no backstage power beyond that of a regional promoter; as such, his main roles were that of a storyline authority figure, to make matches, arbitrate disputes between wrestlers and announce major decisions or events on television. Still, he was thrown onto TV whenever a major decision had to be announced and his hard nosed way of doing things earned him the nickname "The Hammerhead". His on-air decisions were portrayed as legitimate in storylines.
496:, Crockett felt he could no longer spare his top wrestlers for shows in Toronto, sending his B-team as attendance at the Gardens plummeted. Crockett's relationship with the promotion had become strained. He held a distrust of Tunney who persistently utilised talent from other promotions, including the WWF. Furthermore, George Scott, still a partner in the Toronto promotion, had chosen to leave Jim Crockett Promotions due to a pay dispute and was now a booker for the WWF. The Toronto cards got progressively weaker through 1983-84, dwindling down to audiences of 3,000 for some shows.
519:, promoting only WWF cards north of the border. This made Toronto one of the first former NWA strongholds to jump to the WWF, starting a trend that would continue through the 1980s. After a 34-year run, the NWA title—which had made its Gardens debut in October 1949—made its final appearance in the building in May 1984. Whatever nostalgic feelings long-time fans had for the old days, the McMahon-Tunney alliance and Hulkamania captured a whole new audience, attracting sell-out crowds to the Gardens and drawing over 65,000 people to Exhibition Stadium in 1986 and 68,000 to
541:(WCW), the successor to Crockett, ran three shows at the Coliseum in 1990 with better results, but not good enough to keep Toronto on their schedule. On April 1, 1990, Jack Tunney and Vince McMahon set the stage for WrestleMania VI the very first wrestling event at the brand new Toronto SkyDome. The event set a one-day attendance record for the SkyDome of 67,982. WCW came back in 1993 and drew about 4,000 to SkyDome, and then made a big return to Toronto with two well-attended shows at the Air Canada Centre in 1999 before the promotion fizzled out.
1094:, towards the end, Tunney believed it was Bret Hart who got him fired (Hart denies this). Tunney didn't think Hart would ever draw money, didn't approve of his main event push and complained publicly about various Hart-related issues. By the time Hart became the top guy, Tunney was unpopular with the faction in the office who got along with Hart. There have long been rumors that Jack Tunney had used company money to pay off gambling debts. This has been rejected by those close to Tunney as an excuse made by the WWF for turning their backs on Jack.
622:, the longtime wrestling star from Dundas, Ont., who worked as a WWF television commentator at the time of the deal said: ″The timing was perfect, Vince (McMahon) had started to make his move all over the United States. He had big ideas and everybody thought he was just crazy, but not Jack. He saw what kind of an opportunity it was. Thank God the WWF did come in here because the business was dead in Toronto. Local wrestling cards had been drawing just 3,000 a night while the WWF was on the cusp of a popularity explosion when Tunney latched on.″
415:(WWWF, now WWE), with Rogers as the star performer. The WWWF recognized Rogers as its first world champion in April 1963. Through the years, there were never any serious threats to Tunney's position as ruler of pro wrestling in Toronto. Several promoters ran shows at smaller venues in the area, often with Tunney's blessing or indifference. But in the 1970s, there were two notable attempts by other promoters to run big-venue shows in Toronto.
460:(AWA) and WWWF stars continued to perform in the city. A card with Crockett's talent featured a historic match between WWWF champ Bob Backlund against then AWA champ Nick Bockwinkel. This kind of match was fairly rare with only a few cases of two promotions matching their respective world champs against each other. The show also included a classic Steamboat vs. Flair match for the NWA U.S. Title on the undercard.
419:
the following week. According to the newspapers, the McKigney show drew 700 fans while Tunney got 15,500 at the
Gardens. History repeated itself five years later. George Cannon and Milt Avruskin had built strong awareness of their promotion in Toronto through a TV show broadcast on Global TV and taped at the Global studios in Don Mills. They tried to parlay that visibility into running a big-venue show at the
1021:
66:
168:
25:
464:
WWF who had the rights to the arena. The first shows proved somewhat successful drawing over 8,000 fans. The
Tunneys would continue with sporadic shows in Buffalo over the next couple of years. In the early '80s, rivalries between the various promotions made it difficult to bring talent from different factions together.
537:
power base in Canada, keeping their competitors out of key
Canadian markets, well into the 1990s. With the Gardens locked up by the WWF, the AWA held a show at the CNE Coliseum in December 1989 that drew what remains the smallest crowd ever in the city for a show from major promotion, just 200 people.
891:
January 19, 1992 – At the "Royal Rumble", WWF President Jack Tunney gave Hogan and
Undertaker an advantage in the random draw to determine the order in which wrestlers would enter the ring, promising them numbers between 20 and 30. Ric Flair entered at number three and lasted over an hour to become
883:
heavyweight title match from ringside to ensure a "fair match" with no outside interference. Toward the end of the match, Ric Flair came down and got into an argument with Tunney who was watching the match from ringside. Hogan grabbed a chair and hit Flair in the back with it. Flair fell into Tunney
790:
February 10, 1990 – Jack Tunney officially announced the main event of
WrestleMania VI. On February 24, Tunney announced "The Ultimate Challenge" where both the WWF Championship (Hulk Hogan) and Intercontinental Championship (Ultimate Warrior) would be on the line for the first-time ever during the
431:
In 1977, the
Tunneys began looking for a partnership since their major draw (and booker), the Sheik (Edward Farhat) was nearing the end of his popularity as a heel. In 1978, while still utilising some talent from other promotions, including balanced cards for both the AWA and WWF, Frank entered into
418:
Dave McKigney, a successful promoter outside
Toronto and at smaller sites within the city, tried running a show at Varsity Arena in September 1971 with Tony Parisi booked in the main event. Tunney quickly scheduled a Gardens show directly against it. Parisi was a no-show and began working for Tunney
926:
couldn't use his forearm in his match against
Yokozuna unless he wore a protective pad. The point of contention was a steel plate inside Luger's arm, which opponents claimed was a weapon used to increase the force of his forearm smash finisher; Tunney said the plate was part of Luger's body. At the
677:
for three years and attaining a 15-year undefeated streak, respectively). In one of these he unveiled a new
Heavyweight Belt, which was said to be long enough for Andre's waist, as requested by his new manager Bobby Heenan. These appearances were part of an angle foreshadowing Andre's heel turn and
463:
In 1978, along with presenting top wrestlers from the U.S., The Tunneys launched the Canadian title and used it to turn Dewey Robertson and Angelo Mosca into local babyface heroes and main event stars. In 1980, the Tunneys presented shows in Buffalo for the first time, working in alignment with the
1150:
In Canada, during most of the 1970s and the early 1980s, there was a law called the Foreign Investment Review Act (FIRA) which regulated the foreign ownership of Canadian companies. In November 1980, the Canadian Press reported that the government had approved the creation of a new business called
1110:
On September 17, 1995, the final WWF show was held at the Gardens and the 64-year affiliation of pro wrestling and Maple Leaf Gardens ended, since Tunney took with him the exclusive rights to wrestling at the Maple Leaf Gardens. Wrestling would return to Toronto on August 24, 1996, with a WWF show
865:
after SummerSlam 1991. Macho Man petitioned to be reinstated and the public wanted to see Savage get revenge on Roberts, but Tunney released a statement saying that he was taking the matter "under advisement". Savage nearly got involved in Survivor Series 1991, but in the midst of a scuffle in the
715:
February 5, 1988, during another Hulk Hogan versus Andre The Giant match. Dave Hebner was supposed to be the referee, but it turned out that Ted DiBiase had paid off Dave's twin brother, Earl, to screw Hogan out of the Title. At one point, Andre had Hogan pinned and, although Hogan had a shoulder
544:
For Maple Leaf Wrestling, critics feared the new partnership would make Toronto just another stop on the WWF circuit. The highest title in the territory, the Canadian Heavyweight Championship (going all the way back to the 30s) was abandoned (although it was resurrected in 1998 and continues to be
1154:
The owner of the numbered corporation wasn't identified (it would be a matter of public record, but you have to pay a service charge to access Ontario corporate records), but Hamilton native George Scott is thought to have been the third partner. He continued to own a part of the office after the
579:
on August 28, 1986, which drew 65,000 people, with a gate of over $ 1 million. At this time, Maple Leaf Wrestling basically ceased to exist. Gone were the days of homegrown talent supplemented by a steady stream of World Champions and stars from all corners of the globe to be replaced by the
532:
The deal between the Tunneys and the WWF was a complex one. The WWF effectively owned Maple Leaf Wrestling and absorbed Jack Tunney into its administration as head of Canadian tours (due to this, Jack had more power than his cousin Eddie, despite initial plans for Eddie to join Titan sports too).
472:
On May 10, 1983, Frank Tunney died, after which Jack and his cousin Eddie Tunney (Frank's son) took control of the promotion. With the years of experience under his belt, Jack moved into the spotlight his uncle loved, as the frontman for the promotion, while Eddie had a low public profile, as his
455:
Due to their influence at the time, and despite joining forces with Jim Crockett, Maple Leaf Wrestling did not become a one company promotion. Frank continued to pull off his share of promotional coups and, for the first few years, it wasn't unusual to see two world title matches on the same card
391:
for many years. In the mid 1970s, the office was moved across the street on Carlton St. On March 16, 1956, the first title change to take place in Maple Leaf Gardens happened when Whipper Billy Watson defeated Lou Thesz, ending Thesz's near 7-year reign. Thesz again lost the NWA World Heavyweight
1134:
Tunney's firing from the WWF was never resolved, and upon his death not a single representative from the WWF/E was present at his funeral, nor was his death announced on WWE.com. However, he is still fondly remembered by WWF/E fans for his numerous appearances with the company and the memorable,
1102:
In the 1990s, Tunney's appearances on television and live events grew less frequent. On July 12, 1995, due to financial struggles, McMahon chose to close its Toronto office and run the shows in Toronto without any involvement from Tunney's Toronto office (Billy "Red" Lyons was also gone since he
998:
Unlike later authority figures in wrestling, Jack Tunney only appeared on screen when a major decision was needed, which made his announcements seem important. Jack Tunney's on screen character was neutral, rather than the later heel authority figures. However, Tunney's decisions often upset the
930:
Summerslam 1993 – Tunney came to the ring and had Howard Finkel announce that Jerry Lawler would be given a lifetime ban if he refused to compete in his scheduled match with Bret Hart. Lawler, however, appeared on crutches (but in his wrestling gear) and claimed that he had been injured in a car
918:
In September 1993 – Jack Tunney announced that he was stripping Shawn Michaels of the WWF Intercontinental Championship for not defending the title often enough. There have been reports that in reality, he had been suspended for testing positive for steroids (a charge he never admitted) and that
536:
For the WWF, moving into the struggling Canadian market, by promoting events at the Maple Leaf Gardens every month, was part of an unheard of and risky national business model, which stretched the company. However, the move made enormous business sense and was instrumental in consolidating WWF's
1081:
In late 1989, Vince McMahon and Titan Sports dropped their partnership with the Tunney family, but hired Jack as the head of Titan Sports Canada. This cut Eddie Tunney, who had been Jack's partner, out of the partnership with the WWF. Eddie Tunney sued Titan and Jack Tunney. Titan had made the
583:
For the Tunney Family, the move led to a new level of reverence. In March 1987, The WWF held an event called the "Frank Tunney Memorial Tag Team Tournament". (The NWA had held a similar event honoring Jim Crockett Sr.) The WWF credited Tunney with bringing tag team matches to North America. The
523:
for Wrestlemania VI in 1990 to see Hulk Hogan lose the WWF title to the Ultimate Warrior. In June 1984, barely a year since they had taken over the Queensbury Athletic Club from his late uncle Frank, Jack, with Frank's son Eddie, transferred controlling interest of the promotion to the WWF in a
748:
of the WWF Heavyweight Championship after acquiring the title from new champion André the Giant in exchange for a huge financial payoff. Tunney, who also refused to return the title to Hogan by voiding Andre's controversial pinfall win, declared the championship vacant and announced a 14-man
945:
match began, commentator Vince McMahon announced that WWF President Jack Tunney had shortened the interval between entrances from the traditional two minutes to 90 seconds due to time constraints. One of his final major appearances came in the aftermath of the Royal Rumble — both
884:
and they both went down. Hogan used the ashes from the Undertaker's urn to blind the Undertaker and rolled him up to win back the WWF Heavyweight Title. In the aftermath, Tunney stripped Hogan of the title and declared that the championship would be filled by the winner of the
798:
at Toronto's SkyDome. The first WrestleMania held outside of the U.S., the show drew over 67,000. In the main event The Ultimate Warrior (The Intercontinental champion) cleanly pinned Hulk Hogan to win the WWF World Title, and Tunney announced on television there would be no
1089:
sexually harass former WWF referee Mike Clark in the Toronto office and was prepared to back Clark in court. Allegedly, the WWF believed that both Tunney and Clark should toe the company line and let the incident pass for the greater good of the company. According to the
630:
In the summer of 1984 (in part to present Canadian fans with a familiar face as the WWF tried to expand northward) the WWF named Tunney its new figurehead "president" (a similar role to that of current WWE general managers) on the company's television programs, replacing
1082:
security deposit that reserved the Skydome for WrestleMania VI, and Eddie Tunney had signed the check. Eddie Tunney had also trademarked the "WrestleMania" name in Canada. Titan Sports had to settle the lawsuit with Eddie Tunney in order to run WrestleMania VI.
866:
ring, Roberts allowed a venomous king cobra to bite the arm of Randy Savage while Savage was restrained in the ropes. Tunney prohibited Jake "The Snake" Roberts from bringing his snake to the ring and officially reinstated Savage in time for a match at the
772:
was "doing favors" for Tunney to protect Savage from sure defeat), Tunney began scolding Brown for making such a claim, poking his finger in his chest to assert his authority. Brown then grabbed Tunney by his necktie and warned him never to touch him
784:, but during matches, he would fight with the wrestlers who would not listen to his orders. Despite warnings by Tunney, Garvin punched Valentine during his match against Jimmy Snuka, which led to him being banned from refereeing.
452:, a key executive with Crockett who had been a preliminary wrestler for Tunney from 1950 to 1956, before becoming a partner in the Toronto promotion. Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat became the dominant local attractions.
899:
January 25, 1992 – On the Superstars program following the Royal Rumble, Tunney held a press conference, where he announced that Hogan the No.1 contender, meaning that he would face Flair for the WWF Championship at
828:'s mother for several weeks, culminating in four minutes of "Boss Man's Mama" jokes. Finally, Tunney had had enough and fired him. In reality, the suspension explained Rude's departure from the WWF over a dispute.
575:, and special matches taped at Maple Leaf Gardens, added in). There were several sellouts of 18,000 at the Gardens with the WWF crew, but the city's (and, at the time, world's) attendance record was shattered
908:, who was also in attendance and began standing up as if Tunney were about to proclaim him the top contender, was outraged and termed the announcement "the most bogus act Jack Tunney has ever pulled off."
662:, Andre would be suspended for life. (The angle regarding Andre's absence was to give Andre some much needed time off, due to a tour of Japan and to tend to health problems he was starting to experience).
958:
after it could not be determined whose feet hit the floor first. Modifying a stipulation of the Royal Rumble match's outcome, both men would be granted separate matches vs. WWF Heavyweight Champion
701:. He had already officiated a series of controversial matches where he favored the heels for which Tunney had forced an apology from Davis, which included the line "...even though I don't mean it".
658:
was upset and asked Tunney to suspend him, which he did. Heenan later claimed that Andre was competing as the masked "Giant Machine", and was told by Tunney that if Andre was proven to be one of
802:
April 15, 1990, on Wrestling Challenge – Jack Tunney announces that the Intercontinental title is vacant since one man cannot defend both titles. Tunney then sets up a tournament for the title.
831:
February 1991 – Tunney named Hulk Hogan as the number one contender for the WWF Heavyweight Title. Hogan would defeat Sergeant Slaughter to win the WWF Heavyweight Title for the third time at
476:
Jack made an immediate impact on his own. The name Maple Leaf Wrestling became the common place name for the Queensbury Athletic Club. He also promoted two large summer outdoor shows at the
927:
event, Luger won by countout when he used his forearm to knock Yokozuna out of the ring, and Yokozuna couldn't answer the 10 count. As a result, Yokozuna retained the WWF Heavyweight Title.
411:
and was declared champion. After the event, however, Northeastern promoter Vincent J. McMahon refused to recognize the title change and withdrew his operation from the NWA, becoming the
383:
In 1952, Jack entered into employment with the promotion, first as a referee and later in the booking office working alongside Frank, Norm Kimber, Frank Ayerst, Ed Noonan, and wrestlers
480:, dubbed Night Of Champions and Return Of The Champions. The shows would feature 11 title defences and were main evented by NWA Title defenses by Harley Race against Ric Flair.
1127:
On January 24, 2004, at the age of 69, Tunney died of a heart attack in his sleep at his home in Waterdown, Ontario, after a sudden illness. Frank Zicarelli wrote in the
1505:
987:
for the title. (A championship match at WrestleMania was the prize given to the Royal Rumble match winner.) Luger won the coin toss and the right to face Yokozuna first.
615:
and Elio Zarlenga, would usually promote 40 or more WWF shows per year, making him a very important man in the expansion of the WWF, to the status that it enjoys today.
1151:
Frank Tunney Sports Promotion, which was co-owned by Frank Tunney Sports Ltd., Jim Crockett Promotions Inc., and 410430 Ontario Ltd., said to be based in Hamilton.
545:
recognized to this day in the Canadian independent scene). The Maple Leaf Wrestling name continued to be used for the federation's Canadian TV program (a staple of
602:
Tunney was also made the president of Titan Sports Canada, the WWF's Canadian corporate presence, after McMahon began operating under that entity in late 1989.
1107:
was given the role of on-screen WWF President. Tunney never returned to pro wrestling and this was the end of the Tunney line of Toronto wrestling promoters.
741:
attempted to bring up the subject several times but was censored each time, upsetting him so much that he left the broadcast booth toward the end of the show.
872:
pay-per-view. Savage would defeat Roberts at this event and Tunney escorted Roberts from ringside, following the post-match beatdown of Savage and slapping
605:
Jack Tunney and his cousin Eddie Tunney retained a one-third stake in the Maple Leaf Wrestling promotion, with George Scott holding one-sixth (until 1987).
915:
tournament without requiring him to win a qualifying match. This was consolation for a result of Hart's controversial loss to Yokozuna at Wrestlemania IX.
423:, but once again Tunney moved quickly to book a Gardens show on the same day. The Toronto Star reported that only 600 people showed up for Cannon's show.
646:
from competition after he failed to show for a series of matches. The last being a match in which Andre was supposed to team with Hillbilly Jim against
1510:
404:
in the WW(W)F, as well as having close ties with Japanese promoters. This meant non-stop action in Maple Leaf Gardens approximately every two weeks.
1500:
1103:
helped Tunney run the office). Tunney was forced out of the WWF, retired and disappeared from the wrestling scene. Following Tunney's departure,
1318:
608:
Tunney still controlled the booking of Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to a large extent, and also covered southern Ontario and Buffalo, New York.
511:
Jack decided he no longer wanted to promote cards with a mix of WWF, NWA, and other wrestling talent and decided to switch allegiances from the
719:
Several times, Tunney's presence was known even off-camera. One such example was, as part of an angle involving the Andre-Hogan match aired on
709:
1302:
659:
1495:
1115:
taping on January 31, 1997, at the SkyDome. Maple Leaf Gardens closed entirely in 1999, and the WWF returned to regular arena shows at the
585:
806:
1515:
753:. The WWF Heavyweight Championship tournament was eventually won by "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who defeated Dibiase in the final round.
716:
up, a three count was recorded anyway. Dave came to the ring and argued with his brother. Andre ended up handing the belt to DiBiase.
407:
On January 24, 1963, a classic match at Maple Leaf Gardens directly led to the WWWF being formed after Lou Thesz beat World Champion
1068:
698:
339:
229:
211:
149:
52:
178:
1465:
1171:
1111:
held outdoors at Exhibition Stadium drawing 21,211 fans. In 1997 the WWF, still unable to run shows at Maple Leaf Gardens, held a
553:
for many years), of which the WWF took over production after the Tunneys split from the NWA. TV tapings for the show were held in
256:
787:
1990 – He reversed The Rockers' shock tag title win at an Indiana house show to justify WWF writers ignoring the switch on TV.
1046:
457:
87:
1460:
931:
accident. He announced that his court jester, Doink the Clown (portrayed by Matt Osborne), would wrestle Hart in his place.
1197:
493:
130:
764:" and demanded a WWF title shot against then-champion Savage. When Brown began implying that Tunney and Savage's manager
1470:
1455:
1042:
950:
and Luger simultaneously eliminated each other, and two debating referees failed to agree on a winner — Tunney declared
538:
360:
102:
83:
38:
1155:
affiliation with McMahon and is said to have received a large settlement after he was pushed out of that partnership.
737:" on announcers and commentators from discussing the events surrounding the Andre-Hogan match. Heel color commentator
567:
512:
1031:
638:
As the on-screen President, Tunney "oversaw" many key moments and some of his major television appearances included:
193:
712:
until Matilda was found. The Islanders, as part of an angle, kidnapped Matilda during a match to heat up their feud.
392:
Championship again at the Maple Leaf Gardens on November 14, 1957, when he lost the title to Dick Hutton. In 1960,
109:
1050:
1035:
189:
76:
433:
1450:
116:
1520:
1428:
1004:
991:
912:
825:
449:
441:
408:
733:(where Andre's title win was booked to take place), a side storyline was contrived to have Tunney place a "
1007:, and others, regularly attacking authority figures, even heel wrestlers rarely got physical with Tunney.
810:
327:
990:
June 16, 1994 – Made a brief (and increasingly rare) live appearance for the coronation ceremony of the
98:
1143:
After Jack Tunney's death in 2004, there was some discussion of whether North Carolina-based promoter
1490:
1485:
1322:
705:
384:
364:
756:
1988 – Tunney was rarely involved in physical confrontations with wrestlers. One exception was when
980:
959:
955:
942:
885:
690:
1290:
554:
477:
420:
401:
388:
299:
1294:
1284:
643:
561:
for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to simply use the
1298:
1191:
901:
546:
437:
400:
at the NWA's helm, for a year, as president. He also went on to serve as a vice president to
1116:
868:
832:
721:
694:
679:
674:
44:
338:
under the character of the promotion's president. Tunney's tenure was during the company's
1104:
979:
would determine whether Luger or Hart would get to first wrestle WWF Heavyweight Champion
795:
750:
651:
619:
612:
572:
591:
For Jack Tunney, this move made him extremely influential and forged his lasting legacy:
123:
1206:
984:
963:
880:
873:
862:
781:
769:
765:
761:
666:
647:
632:
595:
Tunney was made the chief WWF Promoter for Canadian tours (the position later taken by
363:
set up Toronto's Queensbury Athletic Club (QAC, later known by the unofficial name of
1479:
843:
738:
596:
576:
571:(with some Canadian footage, such as updates by on-air announcer and former wrestler
520:
497:
489:
445:
1406:
780:
from refereeing. Garvin was portraying a referee after losing a retirement match to
1456:
Gary Will's Toronto Wrestling History: Top drawing matches, year-by-year, 1929–1974
1351:. Lancaster, Lancashire, England: SW Publishing LTD. March 2005. pp. 6–7. 116.
1144:
1086:
1000:
858:
839:
655:
505:
397:
393:
368:
311:
387:
and Pat Flanagan, as they promoted all over southern Ontario. The offices were in
1225:
1020:
935:
854:
757:
745:
372:
65:
994:, Owen Hart. Owen gives Tunney the brush-off so that Neidhart could crown him.
814:
777:
670:
343:
1445:
1241:
976:
951:
947:
923:
919:
Michaels refused to drop the belt. Michaels left the WWF for around a month.
847:
821:
734:
686:
501:
857:(As a result of his loss to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VII) and
905:
879:
On December 3, 1991 – At Tuesday in Texas, Tunney watched the Hulk Hogan-
729:
program that aired February 6, 1988, was produced prior to the airing of
1384:
1362:
1131:"He was a very kind and gracious man who did a lot for charities, too".
689:"for life plus ten years" after officiating a match where Davis allowed
255:
971:
558:
550:
280:
1135:
iconic moments he was involved in during his spell as WWF President.
999:
leading face characters, such as Hulk Hogan. Unlike the WWF's later "
196:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
817:, who performed as the "third" Demolition member Ax, from the WWF).
1014:
516:
412:
331:
161:
59:
18:
1466:
Gary Will's Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame: Frank Tunney
1451:
Gary Will's Toronto Wrestling History: An Annotated Scrapbook
853:
1991 – Tunney became embroiled in a feud between the retired
626:
As the figurehead president (September 1984 – July 12, 1995)
693:
to use illegal double-team maneuvers before defeating the
892:
champion. During the show, Bobby Heenan called him "Jack
850:
in televised promos when he began performing for the WWF.
813:. (This action was announced to explain the departure of
611:
Due to his new position, Jack, along with his associates
488:
When the promotional wars heated up between Crockett and
367:), along with Jack's father, John Tunney Sr., his uncle,
934:
In the summer of 1994, he forced Lawler to apologize to
508:, when the top Crockett stars were no longer available.
330:
promoter. He was known worldwide for his appearances on
185:
1407:"Welcome to Air Canada Centre – The Air Canada Centre"
922:
In the buildup to Summerslam 1993 – Tunney ruled that
911:
May 1, 1993 – Tunney granted Bret Hart entry into the
749:
tournament to compete for the held-up championship at
975:
aired after the Royal Rumble, Tunney declared that a
938:
for "demonstrating such a brutal amount of violence".
861:. Jake ruined the wedding party of the Macho Man and
682:
as Hogan's trophy was reportedly bigger than Andre's.
326:(January 21, 1935 – January 24, 2004) was a Canadian
1226:"Wrestleview.com World Wrestling Entertainment FAQ"
794:April 1, 1990 – The peak of Tunney's WWF reign was
524:maneuver which officially made Toronto a WWF city.
307:
288:
262:
246:
90:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1178:. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013
704:Later in 1987, in response to the kidnapping of
669:", reading proclamations and giving trophies to
708:canine mascot Matilda, indefinitely suspending
504:and his brothers as the lead heels, along with
1342:
1340:
1278:
1276:
1274:
1272:
1270:
448:. The arrangement was largely facilitated by
350:Queensbury Athletic Club/Maple Leaf Wrestling
8:
768:were involved in an affair (suggesting that
484:Aligning with the World Wrestling Federation
1049:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
500:was the primary booker for the shows, with
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
1147:was ever a partner in the Toronto office.
254:
243:
1069:Learn how and when to remove this message
515:and aligned himself with Vince McMahon's
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
212:Learn how and when to remove this message
150:Learn how and when to remove this message
1506:Professional wrestling authority figures
1283:Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009).
824:for making some crude remarks about the
1266:
16:Canadian wrestling promoter (1935–2004)
1189:
685:January 26, 1987 – Suspending referee
588:(Jim Brunzell & B. Brian Blair).
7:
1047:adding citations to reliable sources
809:to two active members following the
746:"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
88:adding citations to reliable sources
1211:Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame
442:Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1461:Smiling John: The forgotten Tunney
14:
760:confronted Tunney on the set of "
565:name for the Canadian airings of
34:This article has multiple issues.
1511:Professional wrestling promoters
1347:"What's going down: Elsewhere".
1019:
1003:", which included storylines of
166:
64:
23:
1319:"Hart Foundation's first reign"
678:set up the main event match at
673:and André the Giant (for being
413:World Wide Wrestling Federation
75:needs additional citations for
42:or discuss these issues on the
1501:Canadian sports businesspeople
1471:Ontario Wrestling – A Timeline
954:and Luger co-"winners" of the
941:January 22, 1994 – Before the
458:American Wrestling Association
1:
557:and other cities in southern
1446:Jack Tunney at Cagematch.net
1085:Tunney supposedly witnessed
539:World Championship Wrestling
1496:Businesspeople from Toronto
568:WWF Superstars of Wrestling
192:the claims made and adding
1537:
1119:, which opened that fall.
969:January 23, 1994 – On the
776:1989 – Jack Tunney banned
584:tournament was won by the
577:by the show at CNE Stadium
494:World Wrestling Federation
332:World Wrestling Federation
1516:Sportspeople from Toronto
1429:"Remembering Jack Tunney"
1196:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
699:WWF Tag Team Championship
440:, who ran NWA-affiliated
434:Charlotte, North Carolina
253:
1409:. theaircanadacentre.com
1172:"WWE Loses A True Titan"
859:Jake "the Snake" Roberts
855:Randy "Macho Man" Savage
739:Jesse "the Body" Ventura
675:WWF Heavyweight Champion
656:Bobby "the Brain" Heenan
1139:Posthumous legal battle
1005:Stone Cold Steve Austin
844:"Real World" title belt
820:Late 1990 – Suspending
727:Superstars of Wrestling
1246:The history of the WWE
1098:Departure from the WWF
1092:Pro Wrestling Observer
948:Bret "the Hitman" Hart
778:"Rugged" Ronnie Garvin
328:professional wrestling
1387:. thehistoryofwwe.com
1365:. thehistoryofwwe.com
1321:. WWE. Archived from
992:1994 King of the Ring
913:1993 King of the Ring
762:The Brother Love Show
580:oncoming Hulkamania.
456:during this time, as
379:Working for his uncle
1242:"MAPLE LEAF GARDENS"
1043:improve this section
972:WWF Monday Night Raw
811:1990 Survivor Series
706:The British Bulldogs
563:Maple Leaf Wrestling
385:Whipper Billy Watson
365:Maple Leaf Wrestling
342:, the peak days of "
84:improve this article
1349:Power Slam Magazine
805:1990 – Restricting
691:The Hart Foundation
432:a partnership with
642:1986 – Suspending
478:Exhibition Stadium
427:Shared allegiances
402:Vince McMahon, Sr.
389:Maple Leaf Gardens
300:Waterdown, Ontario
177:possibly contains
1304:978-0-7566-4190-0
1117:Air Canada Centre
1079:
1078:
1071:
962:for the title at
956:1994 Royal Rumble
902:WrestleMania VIII
886:1992 Royal Rumble
438:Jim Crockett, Jr.
318:
317:
283:, Ontario, Canada
240:
239:
232:
222:
221:
214:
179:original research
160:
159:
152:
134:
57:
1528:
1433:
1432:
1431:. July 19, 2012.
1425:
1419:
1418:
1416:
1414:
1403:
1397:
1396:
1394:
1392:
1381:
1375:
1374:
1372:
1370:
1359:
1353:
1352:
1344:
1335:
1334:
1332:
1330:
1315:
1309:
1308:
1286:WWE Encyclopedia
1280:
1256:
1254:
1252:
1236:
1234:
1232:
1221:
1219:
1217:
1201:
1195:
1187:
1185:
1183:
1113:Monday Night Raw
1074:
1067:
1063:
1060:
1054:
1023:
1015:
869:Tuesday in Texas
833:Wrestlemania VII
722:The Main Event I
695:British Bulldogs
680:WrestleMania III
473:silent partner.
436:-based promoter
295:
292:January 24, 2004
277:January 21, 1935
276:
274:
258:
244:
235:
228:
217:
210:
206:
203:
197:
194:inline citations
170:
169:
162:
155:
148:
144:
141:
135:
133:
92:
68:
60:
49:
27:
26:
19:
1536:
1535:
1531:
1530:
1529:
1527:
1526:
1525:
1476:
1475:
1442:
1437:
1436:
1427:
1426:
1422:
1412:
1410:
1405:
1404:
1400:
1390:
1388:
1383:
1382:
1378:
1368:
1366:
1361:
1360:
1356:
1346:
1345:
1338:
1328:
1326:
1325:on May 16, 2007
1317:
1316:
1312:
1305:
1282:
1281:
1268:
1250:
1248:
1239:
1230:
1228:
1224:
1215:
1213:
1204:
1188:
1181:
1179:
1169:
1161:
1141:
1125:
1105:Gorilla Monsoon
1100:
1075:
1064:
1058:
1055:
1040:
1024:
1013:
838:Fall of 1991 –
796:WrestleMania VI
751:WrestleMania IV
652:King Kong Bundy
644:André the Giant
628:
620:Billy Red Lyons
613:Billy Red Lyons
573:Billy Red Lyons
530:
486:
470:
468:Jack takes over
429:
381:
357:
352:
303:
297:
293:
284:
278:
272:
270:
269:
268:
267:John Tunney Jr.
249:
236:
225:
224:
223:
218:
207:
201:
198:
183:
171:
167:
156:
145:
139:
136:
93:
91:
81:
69:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1534:
1532:
1524:
1523:
1521:WWE executives
1518:
1513:
1508:
1503:
1498:
1493:
1488:
1478:
1477:
1474:
1473:
1468:
1463:
1458:
1453:
1448:
1441:
1440:External links
1438:
1435:
1434:
1420:
1398:
1376:
1354:
1336:
1310:
1303:
1265:
1264:
1258:
1257:
1240:Pewton, John.
1237:
1222:
1202:
1170:Oliver, Greg.
1160:
1157:
1140:
1137:
1124:
1121:
1099:
1096:
1077:
1076:
1027:
1025:
1018:
1012:
1009:
996:
995:
988:
985:WrestleMania X
967:
964:WrestleMania X
939:
932:
928:
920:
916:
909:
897:
889:
877:
874:Miss Elizabeth
863:Miss Elizabeth
851:
836:
829:
818:
803:
800:
792:
788:
785:
782:Greg Valentine
774:
770:Miss Elizabeth
766:Miss Elizabeth
758:Bad News Brown
754:
742:
731:The Main Event
717:
713:
702:
683:
663:
648:Big John Studd
633:Hisashi Shinma
627:
624:
617:
616:
609:
606:
603:
600:
529:
526:
485:
482:
469:
466:
428:
425:
380:
377:
356:
353:
351:
348:
334:television as
316:
315:
309:
305:
304:
298:
296:(aged 69)
290:
286:
285:
279:
266:
264:
260:
259:
251:
250:
247:
238:
237:
220:
219:
174:
172:
165:
158:
157:
72:
70:
63:
58:
32:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1533:
1522:
1519:
1517:
1514:
1512:
1509:
1507:
1504:
1502:
1499:
1497:
1494:
1492:
1489:
1487:
1484:
1483:
1481:
1472:
1469:
1467:
1464:
1462:
1459:
1457:
1454:
1452:
1449:
1447:
1444:
1443:
1439:
1430:
1424:
1421:
1408:
1402:
1399:
1386:
1380:
1377:
1364:
1358:
1355:
1350:
1343:
1341:
1337:
1324:
1320:
1314:
1311:
1306:
1300:
1296:
1292:
1288:
1287:
1279:
1277:
1275:
1273:
1271:
1267:
1263:
1262:
1247:
1243:
1238:
1227:
1223:
1212:
1208:
1207:"Jack Tunney"
1203:
1199:
1193:
1177:
1173:
1168:
1167:
1166:
1165:
1158:
1156:
1152:
1148:
1146:
1138:
1136:
1132:
1130:
1122:
1120:
1118:
1114:
1108:
1106:
1097:
1095:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1073:
1070:
1062:
1059:February 2021
1052:
1048:
1044:
1038:
1037:
1033:
1028:This section
1026:
1022:
1017:
1016:
1011:Controversies
1010:
1008:
1006:
1002:
993:
989:
986:
982:
978:
974:
973:
968:
965:
961:
957:
953:
949:
944:
940:
937:
933:
929:
925:
921:
917:
914:
910:
907:
903:
898:
895:
890:
887:
882:
878:
875:
871:
870:
864:
860:
856:
852:
849:
845:
841:
837:
834:
830:
827:
823:
819:
816:
812:
808:
804:
801:
797:
793:
789:
786:
783:
779:
775:
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
752:
747:
743:
740:
736:
732:
728:
724:
723:
718:
714:
711:
710:The Islanders
707:
703:
700:
696:
692:
688:
684:
681:
676:
672:
668:
664:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
640:
639:
636:
634:
625:
623:
621:
614:
610:
607:
604:
601:
598:
597:Carl De Marco
594:
593:
592:
589:
587:
581:
578:
574:
570:
569:
564:
560:
556:
552:
548:
542:
540:
534:
527:
525:
522:
518:
514:
509:
507:
503:
499:
498:Johnny Weaver
495:
491:
490:Vince McMahon
483:
481:
479:
474:
467:
465:
461:
459:
453:
451:
447:
446:the Carolinas
443:
439:
435:
426:
424:
422:
416:
414:
410:
405:
403:
399:
395:
390:
386:
378:
376:
374:
370:
366:
362:
361:Jack Corcoran
354:
349:
347:
345:
341:
337:
333:
329:
325:
322:
313:
310:
306:
301:
291:
287:
282:
265:
261:
257:
252:
245:
242:
234:
231:
216:
213:
205:
195:
191:
187:
181:
180:
175:This article
173:
164:
163:
154:
151:
143:
132:
129:
125:
122:
118:
115:
111:
108:
104:
101: –
100:
99:"Jack Tunney"
96:
95:Find sources:
89:
85:
79:
78:
73:This article
71:
67:
62:
61:
56:
54:
47:
46:
41:
40:
35:
30:
21:
20:
1423:
1413:December 12,
1411:. Retrieved
1401:
1391:December 12,
1389:. Retrieved
1379:
1369:December 12,
1367:. Retrieved
1357:
1348:
1327:. Retrieved
1323:the original
1313:
1285:
1260:
1259:
1249:. Retrieved
1245:
1229:. Retrieved
1214:. Retrieved
1210:
1205:Will, Gary.
1180:. Retrieved
1176:Slam! Sports
1175:
1163:
1162:
1153:
1149:
1145:Jim Crockett
1142:
1133:
1128:
1126:
1112:
1109:
1101:
1091:
1087:Terry Garvin
1084:
1080:
1065:
1056:
1041:Please help
1029:
1001:Attitude Era
997:
970:
943:Royal Rumble
893:
867:
730:
726:
720:
660:The Machines
637:
629:
618:
590:
582:
566:
562:
543:
535:
531:
528:Consequences
510:
506:Don Kernodle
487:
475:
471:
462:
454:
450:George Scott
430:
421:CNE Coliseum
417:
409:Buddy Rogers
406:
398:Sam Muchnick
394:Frank Tunney
382:
369:Frank Tunney
358:
335:
323:
320:
319:
312:Frank Tunney
294:(2004-01-24)
241:
226:
208:
199:
176:
146:
137:
127:
120:
113:
106:
94:
82:Please help
77:verification
74:
50:
43:
37:
36:Please help
33:
1491:2004 deaths
1486:1935 births
1231:October 18,
1216:October 18,
1182:October 18,
1129:Toronto Sun
936:Duke Droese
906:Sid Justice
894:On the take
826:Big Bossman
687:Danny Davis
667:Piper's Pit
586:Killer Bees
373:Toots Mondt
336:Jack Tunney
248:Jack Tunney
1480:Categories
1293:. p.
1159:References
881:Undertaker
840:Distorting
815:Bill Eadie
807:Demolition
744:Stripping
671:Hulk Hogan
355:Early life
344:Hulkamania
340:Golden Era
324:Tunney Jr.
273:1935-01-21
186:improve it
110:newspapers
39:improve it
1251:April 25,
1030:does not
977:coin toss
952:Bret Hart
924:Lex Luger
848:Ric Flair
822:Rick Rude
735:gag order
725:. As the
555:Brantford
502:Leo Burke
396:replaced
359:In 1930,
308:Relatives
202:June 2021
190:verifying
140:June 2021
45:talk page
1329:July 26,
1261:Specific
1192:cite web
981:Yokozuna
960:Yokozuna
896:Tunney".
876:'s face.
799:rematch.
697:for the
549:station
547:Hamilton
302:, Canada
1164:General
1051:removed
1036:sources
559:Ontario
551:CHCH-TV
521:SkyDome
314:(uncle)
281:Toronto
184:Please
124:scholar
1301:
791:match.
773:again.
371:, and
126:
119:
112:
105:
97:
1123:Death
131:JSTOR
117:books
1415:2015
1393:2015
1385:"97"
1371:2015
1363:"96"
1331:2007
1299:ISBN
1253:2014
1233:2005
1218:2005
1198:link
1184:2005
1034:any
1032:cite
842:the
665:On "
650:and
321:John
289:Died
263:Born
103:news
1295:146
1045:by
983:at
846:of
517:WWF
513:NWA
492:'s
444:in
346:".
188:by
86:by
1482::
1339:^
1297:.
1291:DK
1289:.
1269:^
1244:.
1209:.
1194:}}
1190:{{
1174:.
904:.
654:.
599:).
375:.
48:.
1417:.
1395:.
1373:.
1333:.
1307:.
1255:.
1235:.
1220:.
1200:)
1186:.
1072:)
1066:(
1061:)
1057:(
1053:.
1039:.
966:.
888:.
835:.
275:)
271:(
233:)
227:(
215:)
209:(
204:)
200:(
182:.
153:)
147:(
142:)
138:(
128:·
121:·
114:·
107:·
80:.
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.