Going to see WWF wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens in the mid-1980s, I always wondered about that ramp leading down to the ring... now I know where that came from. Thanks for the great show guys, love the history..!
I was 4 yrs old when Vince bought Maple Leaf Wrestling from the Tunneys, so it's great to learn about the history of Toronto wrestling from someone as knowledgeable as Greg. Great interview!
Great show, I remember going to many rassleing cards in the 60s and 70s at Maple Leaf Gardens advertised as an exhibition of science and strength.Lord Athol Layton was a big announcer and rassler then,epic matches with the Sheik, Dewey Robertson and many more.
This was great. Greg has been a pillar of the Toronto wrestling community for decades. This is the first time I've seen him squirm. I've always known Greg was smart, but this segment made me realize how bright Brisco and Bradshaw are. You've won me over!
Growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada during the 1980s? Saskatchewan got the Detroit Satellite feed WDIV, WYXZ, WWJ-Tv. Got to watch lot of WWF and Jim Crockett Promotions on those channels. Great memories of watching 1980s Wrestling. WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling was on CTV. Stampede Wrestling was on STV.
Few Canadians outside (or even inside) southern Ontario, parts of Quebec and BC accessed US TV over the air before CBC TV came along in 1952. You have to remember a TV antenna had an effective range of about 75 miles so if a US station was farther than that, forget it (unless there were rare atmospheric conditions). It wasn't until 1958 when the national microwave link (CBC) was completed could programs be run live across the country. Before that individual stations would bicycle kinescopes. By the mid/late 70s much of the country had access to cable and each local area would have access (usually, but not always) to the closest American market.
Earl "The Earthquake" Lunsford (Stillwater, Oklahoma) was a running back for the Calgary Stampeders. In 1961, he led the CFL with 1,794 yards, which made him known as the first running back in professional sports to rush for a mile in one season.
Live pro wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens , Brantford Civic center, Exhibition Stadium, Skydome and the ACC was epic for me from 1978 until the end of the Monday night wars
CTV in Canada started in 1961 and carried All Star Wrestling from Vancouver in the early 70s which was run by Rod Fenton, Sandor Kovacs and Gene Kiniski long before Al Tomko.
Now it makes sense. The 1974 tv listings in Sudbury ON showed 2 All Star wrestling shows on our CTV aff. One ended in 75 which was ran by the Rougeaus, but the other one ran till ‘78. Never knew it was from Vancouver. Mind you I was born in 74.
@@Bisk74 I'd be interested to know where you got your TV listings. My CTV and CBC listings came from a guy in New Brunswick. The name of his page is "Television Listings For Canada's Eastern Maritime Provinces: 1966 to 1971" I'd post a link but it would probably be deleted. Googling the above will get you to the right place, if you are interested. Also to see the different years I think you have to change the page number in the url in the address bar. The CBC and CTV listings while not the same across the country should be fairly close
@@Bisk74 Here is the irony of watching wrestling in the 70's in Canada. It seems like Vince's videos and some other online sources would make you believe that Stampede was the only promotion in Canada. Until TSN came along I don't ever recall seeing Stampede in the Maritimes. I could be wrong. Here is what I remember seeing: All Star out of Vancouver, Grand Prix Wrestling out of Montreal and International Wrestling (Zinck) and later Atlantic/World Grand Prix Wrestling (Dupre). I worked on the AGPW/WGPW broadcast. There may have been Stampede and other shows aired in the Maritimes in the 70s but I don't recall it.
@@Bisk74 I have seen on RUclips, years ago, an episode of Grand Prix out of Montreal where Emile Dupre is off camera doing colour commentary where he talks about his new Grand Prix promotion in the Maritimes. If I find it I will post it.
@@Bisk74 Going on memory, throughout the years, the All Star Vancouver lineup had guys like Dutch Savage, Gene Kiniski, Bulldog Bob Brown, Don Leo Jonathan, and Big John Quinn. Some of the prelim guys were Eric Froelich, Dean Higuchi/Ho, Duncan MacTavish and my favourite job guy of all time Jack Bence. Jack never won a match on TV that I can recall and he looked about a hundred years old (to my 12 year old eyes) I don't know why but he was my favourite. Some of the guys looked so old my brother used to call it "Gramps Wrestling" :) I have to wonder if Hot Rod stole the kilt gimmick from Duncan MacTavish.
I was always interested in Canadian wrestling . Not much about Toronto is circulating . Its all Stampede . Stampede was NwA style and from I heard Toronto had a bit of old WWWF to it . Always wondered if that was true .
There was East Coast Grand Prix wrestling from the Maritimes on ASN, International Wrestling out of Quebec (Andre was an owner) on national syndication, Toronto’s Maple Leaf Wrestling on Chch, Stampede on Edmonton’s ITV, and Vancouver wrestling was on BCTV. All channels were on satellite and distributed to isolated cable companies with no local stations for hundreds of miles.
You're right about Stampede. All you ever hear from Vince Video is Stampede, making people think that was the only promotion in Canada. I never saw Stampede growing up until TSN on cable came along.
@@Bisk74 Add to that, when I was in college in Ontario our cable was from Duluth Minn, where you could watch AWA and when I went back home we had the GOAT of wrestling (NWA/Crockett circa mid 80s) on TQS in French out of Quebec. Interesting that Maritime legend Leo Burke who has recently died was a heel commentator with a female host on the TQS show. It was the first time I had ever seen him heel as he was a babyface legend, he was very entertaining as a heel. The TQS shows with Leo were on YT at one time.
Just found the clip, wrestling could use this "realism" today. They read a letter from fan Bertrand Hebert (later to be sometime writing partner of Pat Laprade) who says Leo Burke needs glasses. Leo denies it and this lady's reactions are priceless. Video is called "Bertrand Hébert à la Lutte NWA à TQS"
Putting Bret #14 was just ridiculous. That's why I don't have any respect for this idiot whatsoever. He lets personal feelings get ahead of his work. Even Bret would say Shawn Michaels was one of the best wrestlers in 1998.
I don't know who was on the list but I can think of some guys today's kids have probably never heard of and put them on a list ahead of Bret. Earl McCready, George Gordienko, Gordon Nelson and the famed Maurice Vachon would all eat Bret's lunch. Had they lived in Bret's time they would have achieved the same notoriety. And Gordienko could draw better than Bret as well. He became a noted artist after wrestling :)
Going to see WWF wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens in the mid-1980s, I always wondered about that ramp leading down to the ring... now I know where that came from. Thanks for the great show guys, love the history..!
FINALLY, Brisco and Bradshaw have come back to Canada!
I LOVE Canada!
Thanks for this one, gentlemen. Guys like Greg Oliver, Mike Mooneyham, Al Getz, and other writers and historians are always a welcome watch.
This is great. Toronto is my hometown. Greatest city in the world EH 🇨🇦 ❤️
I was 4 yrs old when Vince bought Maple Leaf Wrestling from the Tunneys, so it's great to learn about the history of Toronto wrestling from someone as knowledgeable as Greg. Great interview!
Makes me nostalgic for the old CHCH Saturday wrestling shows out of Hamilton
1pm Saturday. 7pm Saturday. 1pm Sunday.
Greg is the GOAT of Canadian wrestling journalism. So great to watch this!
My town. Love this.
Great show, I remember going to many rassleing cards in the 60s and 70s at Maple Leaf Gardens advertised as an exhibition of science and strength.Lord Athol Layton was a big announcer and rassler then,epic matches with the Sheik, Dewey Robertson and many more.
This was great. Greg has been a pillar of the Toronto wrestling community for decades. This is the first time I've seen him squirm. I've always known Greg was smart, but this segment made me realize how bright Brisco and Bradshaw are. You've won me over!
He didn't have all of his facts straight on some things but still quite good.
Great show!
Growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada during the 1980s? Saskatchewan got the Detroit Satellite feed WDIV, WYXZ, WWJ-Tv.
Got to watch lot of WWF and Jim Crockett Promotions on those channels. Great memories of watching 1980s Wrestling.
WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling was on CTV. Stampede Wrestling was on STV.
Few Canadians outside (or even inside) southern Ontario, parts of Quebec and BC accessed US TV over the air before CBC TV came along in 1952. You have to remember a TV antenna had an effective range of about 75 miles so if a US station was farther than that, forget it (unless there were rare atmospheric conditions). It wasn't until 1958 when the national microwave link (CBC) was completed could programs be run live across the country. Before that individual stations would bicycle kinescopes. By the mid/late 70s much of the country had access to cable and each local area would have access (usually, but not always) to the closest American market.
😂😂😂
Earl "The Earthquake" Lunsford (Stillwater, Oklahoma) was a running back for the Calgary Stampeders. In 1961, he led the CFL with 1,794 yards, which made him known as the first running back in professional sports to rush for a mile in one season.
Live pro wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens , Brantford Civic center, Exhibition Stadium, Skydome and the ACC was epic for me from 1978 until the end of the Monday night wars
In Toronto I could watch wresting from Buffalo...Montreal on city TV.....stampede on ckvr in barrie....Vancouver wrestling on ctv
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA HAS LOVELY LADIES
Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford, Kitchener, London, was a great loop they used to do up here
CTV in Canada started in 1961 and carried All Star Wrestling from Vancouver in the early 70s which was run by Rod Fenton, Sandor Kovacs and Gene Kiniski long before Al Tomko.
Now it makes sense. The 1974 tv listings in Sudbury ON showed 2 All Star wrestling shows on our CTV aff. One ended in 75 which was ran by the Rougeaus, but the other one ran till ‘78. Never knew it was from Vancouver. Mind you I was born in 74.
@@Bisk74 I'd be interested to know where you got your TV listings. My CTV and CBC listings came from a guy in New Brunswick. The name of his page is "Television Listings For Canada's Eastern Maritime Provinces: 1966 to 1971" I'd post a link but it would probably be deleted. Googling the above will get you to the right place, if you are interested. Also to see the different years I think you have to change the page number in the url in the address bar. The CBC and CTV listings while not the same across the country should be fairly close
@@Bisk74 Here is the irony of watching wrestling in the 70's in Canada. It seems like Vince's videos and some other online sources would make you believe that Stampede was the only promotion in Canada. Until TSN came along I don't ever recall seeing Stampede in the Maritimes. I could be wrong. Here is what I remember seeing: All Star out of Vancouver, Grand Prix Wrestling out of Montreal and International Wrestling (Zinck) and later Atlantic/World Grand Prix Wrestling (Dupre). I worked on the AGPW/WGPW broadcast. There may have been Stampede and other shows aired in the Maritimes in the 70s but I don't recall it.
@@Bisk74 I have seen on RUclips, years ago, an episode of Grand Prix out of Montreal where Emile Dupre is off camera doing colour commentary where he talks about his new Grand Prix promotion in the Maritimes. If I find it I will post it.
@@Bisk74 Going on memory, throughout the years, the All Star Vancouver lineup had guys like Dutch Savage, Gene Kiniski, Bulldog Bob Brown, Don Leo Jonathan, and Big John Quinn. Some of the prelim guys were Eric Froelich, Dean Higuchi/Ho, Duncan MacTavish and my favourite job guy of all time Jack Bence. Jack never won a match on TV that I can recall and he looked about a hundred years old (to my 12 year old eyes) I don't know why but he was my favourite. Some of the guys looked so old my brother used to call it "Gramps Wrestling" :) I have to wonder if Hot Rod stole the kilt gimmick from Duncan MacTavish.
Toronto was run on Sunday night usually every 2 weeks.
🤘
Timmins Ontario Canada has wrestling history also we had Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant in Timmins
That must’ve happened in 1980. I never knew they toured the territory.
The current NXT Champion is from Hamilton! Deal with that!
Is he related to Sean Oliver?
I was always interested in Canadian wrestling . Not much about Toronto is circulating . Its all Stampede . Stampede was NwA style and from I heard Toronto had a bit of old WWWF to it . Always wondered if that was true .
There was East Coast Grand Prix wrestling from the Maritimes on ASN, International Wrestling out of Quebec (Andre was an owner) on national syndication, Toronto’s Maple Leaf Wrestling on Chch, Stampede on Edmonton’s ITV, and Vancouver wrestling was on BCTV. All channels were on satellite and distributed to isolated cable companies with no local stations for hundreds of miles.
You're right about Stampede. All you ever hear from Vince Video is Stampede, making people think that was the only promotion in Canada. I never saw Stampede growing up until TSN on cable came along.
@@Bisk74 Add to that, when I was in college in Ontario our cable was from Duluth Minn, where you could watch AWA and when I went back home we had the GOAT of wrestling (NWA/Crockett circa mid 80s) on TQS in French out of Quebec. Interesting that Maritime legend Leo Burke who has recently died was a heel commentator with a female host on the TQS show. It was the first time I had ever seen him heel as he was a babyface legend, he was very entertaining as a heel. The TQS shows with Leo were on YT at one time.
Just found the clip, wrestling could use this "realism" today. They read a letter from fan Bertrand Hebert (later to be sometime writing partner of Pat Laprade) who says Leo Burke needs glasses. Leo denies it and this lady's reactions are priceless. Video is called "Bertrand Hébert à la Lutte NWA à TQS"
Putting Bret #14 was just ridiculous.
That's why I don't have any respect for this idiot whatsoever. He lets personal feelings get ahead of his work.
Even Bret would say Shawn Michaels was one of the best wrestlers in 1998.
I don't know who was on the list but I can think of some guys today's kids have probably never heard of and put them on a list ahead of Bret. Earl McCready, George Gordienko, Gordon Nelson and the famed Maurice Vachon would all eat Bret's lunch. Had they lived in Bret's time they would have achieved the same notoriety. And Gordienko could draw better than Bret as well. He became a noted artist after wrestling :)
The shiek ruined wrestling in Toronto.... or maybe I should blame Frank Tunney who left the shiek undefeated for 8 yrs
killer kiniski could be pro wrestlers today siki.. same... dick hutton..mma..don leo... would be facing undertaker... at wrestle mania