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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1914 Verdun, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | July 12, 1971(1971-07-12) (aged 56) Laval, Quebec, Canada |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Yvon Robert The French Canadian Lion |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (110 kg) |
| Trained by | Emil Maupas |
| Debut | April 9, 1932 |
| Retired | 1959 |
Yvon Robert (October 8, 1914 – July 12, 1971), nicknamed"The Lion" ("Le Lion"), was a Canadianprofessional wrestler.
Robert was born in theVerdun borough ofMontreal in 1914. Athletic from a young age, his connection to wrestling began as a teenager, when he was scouted at anOutremont gym he frequented, and trained under Emil Maupas at his school in theLaurentians.
Robert made his in-ring debut in 1932 at age 17. He got his first stint inBoston with promoterPaul Bowser'sAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) (not to be confused withthe later Midwest promotion owned by Verne Gagne), where he was billed as "the French Canadian Lion". He made his professional wrestling debut on April 4, 1932. During his early career, Robert feuded with wrestlers such as Rasputin, Joe Cox and Ernie Dusek.
In 1935, he made hisNational Wrestling Association (NWA) debut asYvon "The Lion" Robert. It was a territory of theNational Boxing Association to sanction professional wrestling. He got his first big exposure after attackingworld championDanno O'Mahony during a match. He left the promotion in 1936.
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In April 1936, he started wrestling inMontreal, Quebec. During his time in Montreal, he won the Montreal International Heavyweight Championship 16 times between 1936 and 1956. During 1943, he won the Montreal British Empire Heavyweight Championship.
Robert returned to the Boston iteration of the AWA in July 1936. Just two weeks after his return, Robert defeated O'Mahony to win theAWA World Heavyweight Championship in Montreal, claiming his first world title. He was recognized as the world champion inNew England and by the Montreal Athletic Commission.[1] Robert was stripped in December 1937 for not defending againstLou Thesz.[2] In 1940, he left AWA for a second time.
In 1940, he started his second stint with the NWA. There, got the biggest victory of his career, on October 7, 1942. On that day, he beat"Wild" Bill Longson to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Montreal, Quebec. On November 27, he lost the title toBobby Managoff inHouston, Texas. In 1943, he left the NWA.
Robert returned to Montreal in 1944, and became a successful wrestler during this time. In 1948, he wrestledGorgeous George to a draw before a Montreal-record gate of $21,000 and broke that record within a year. In 1953, he formed a successful tag team withWhipper Billy Watson and won the Canadian Tag Team Championship. On November 12, Watson and Robert defeatedAl Mills andTiny Mills at a wrestling event held in Toronto with boxing championJoe Louis as the special guest referee. On January 5, 1958, he teamed withBilly Wicks to defeat Corsica Joe and Corsica Jean inMemphis, Tennessee, for theMid-America Tag Team Championship, which would be Robert's final title. In 1959, he came out of retirement.
Robert was married to Leona. They had two daughters, Leona and Suzanne, and one son,Yvon Jr., who became a professional wrestler and promoter.[3]
In the 1950s, Yvon was proprietor of Cafe Le Boheme at 82 Balfour Ave. in Montreal.
On July 12, 1971, Robert died at his home inLaval, Quebec. He was entombed at theNotre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.[4]
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