Author: Anthony Brennan

Legendary Canadian Paul Butcher Vachon born in Montreal Cannada was born in Montreal on October 7^th, 1937 to February 29,2024.  Vachon was A member of the legendary Vachon wrestling family from Canada which included AWA world heavyweight champion Maurice Mad dog Vachon, Vivian Vachon, and Paul Vachon`s step daughter, WWF attitude era star Luna Vachon.

After a successful high school wrestling career, Vachon turned pro in 1956. Vachon tasted success early when he teamed with Ivan the terrible to win the Texas Tag team tittles as Russian Nikita Zolotoff, before wrestling as his more familiar ring name Paul the Butcher Vachon.

Winning the Texas tag team titles was the start of Vachon being a very successful tag team wrestler, winning several tag team titles with many partners such as Chavo Guerro SR, Hard  Boiled Haggerty, Louie Tillet, his storyline brother Stan Vachon and his real life broth Marice Mad Dog Vachon who he won several tag team titles with including the AWA world tag team titles.

Despite most of Vachon success coming as a tag team wrestling, Vachon held the Georgia southern heavyweight title for six years before Vachon found his way to Vince Mcmahon SR`s WWWF title in 1977 were he got a big push as a monster heal. Vachon was pushed strong as a monster heal in most of his 8 year WWWF/WWF run, and showed he was a great utility player, when Vince Mcmahon SR sent him to California, Montreal, the sheiks BIG Time wrestling, Mid-south and World Class for short runs with a push, at various times in his 8 year run with the company.

During Vince Mcmahon`s national expansion from 1983-85 Vachon had become an older performer, and took on the role of enhancement and putting over younger stars. Although Vachon played a major role in the WWF`s expansion, not only by helping the young superstars get over, but also from his real life wedding that took place on TNT. Vachon`s wedding on live TV was wild and became an instant classic. It is still credited as the event that put TNT on the map.

At the end of Vachon`s career he spent time with Mario Savoldi`s ICW and organized a tour of South Africa before retiring from wrestling around 1987 or 1988.

It was at one of these ICW shows in 1987, where I have my favorite wrestling memory thanks to Paul Vachon. After the card that took place in a hockey rink in A suburb of Boston. My dad and I bumped into Paul Vachon in the parking lot. After getting an autograph, the monster heel broke character and the three of us walked to our cars together.

An old school wrestler like Vachon would never admit that wrestling wasn’t real, but he knew his audience and didn’t try to pass it off as rea either. Vachon clicked with my non wrestling fan dad right away as they grew up in the same era, and he knew my dad wasn’t going to smother him with wrestling questions.

Vachon was puffing on a cigar and limping to his car, explaining to me that I would never see him on WWF TV again, and he told my dad that it was close to the end, he was tired, sore and ready to do something else with his life.

Paul Vachon  will always be remembered by wrestling as  great monster heal, a very successful tag team wrestler, and for becoming a great utility player well into his 40`s.

I will also remember him as a great guy who gave an 11 year kid a great memory that he still has over 35 years later.