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Wrestling legend Paul “The Butcher” Vachon passes away at the age of 86

Aaron Rift

Paul “The Butcher” Vachon of the Vachon wrestling family has passed away at the age of 86 in news that was broken by his friend Pat Laprade…

“Sad news. Paul ‘The Butcher’ Vachon died last night at the age of 86 years old. Former AWA tag team champ, Grand Prix Wrestling promoter and WWE wrestler, he had a great career and became a friend of mine over the years. My sympathies to his wife Dee and his family.”

Here are highlights of Vachon’s career via Wikipedia…

Paul Vachon grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer. In 1957, he followed his brother Maurice into professional business, adopting his brother’s, the “Mad Dog”, vicious heel style and the moniker “Butcher Vachon”. He wrestled in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), National Wrestling Alliance and Georgia Championship Wrestling (later would become WCW).

Vachon often teamed with his brother “Mad Dog” Vachon, with whom he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship.

In the early 1970s he appeared alongside his sister Vivian Vachon in the motion picture Wrestling Queen.

Vachon wrestled under a mask as “Spoiler #2” for Jim Crockett Promotions’ “Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling” in 1975. His angle involved getting revenge on Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones, and Rufus R. Jones for running Super Destroyer (Don Jardine) out of the territory. (In fact, Jardine left JCP on short notice and booker George Scott wanted a masked heel on the roster.) Vachon stayed in JCP for a few months and before leaving lost a series of matches against Paul Jones and Rufus Jones in which the mask was at stake (as was Paul Jones’ U.S. title in their matches).

Vachon retired in 1985. Proving his talents extend beyond the wrestling ring, one of his final appearances was singing “La Vie en Rose” on Tuesday Night Titans.

Vachon was the adoptive father of the late Luna Vachon.