.jpg) Martin in the World Wrestling Federation in March 1989 seen hugging client Dino Bravo | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jean Gagné (1947-07-19)July 19, 1947[4] Quebec City,Quebec, Canada |
| Died | October 21, 2016(2016-10-21) (aged 69) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of death | Bladder andbone cancer |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Don Gagné Frenchy Martin Pierre Martel Pierre Martin Pierre Vigneault Mad Dog Martin |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 253 lb (115 kg) |
| Billed from | Quebec City, Quebec, Canada[2] |
| Debut | 1971[3] |
| Retired | 1990[3] |
Jean Gagné (July 19, 1947 – October 21, 2016) was a Canadianprofessional wrestler andmanager, best known under the ring nameFrenchy Martin. During hisWorld Wrestling Federation heyday in the 1980s as themanager of Canadian wrestlerDino Bravo, he was known for his trademark sign that read "USA is not OK". He is also known for his work in Canada’sStampede Wrestling and in Puerto Rico'sWorld Wrestling Council.
Jean Gagné began his career in 1971 in Quebec and inStu Hart'sStampede Wrestling.[3] In June 1977, Gagné, under the name Frenchy Martin, won theIW North American Heavyweight Championship in Trans-Canada Wrestling. In July, he lost the title toLeo Burke. In Stampede Wrestling in February 1976, he held theStampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship under the name Don Gagné. In October 1977, Gagné, still wrestling under the name Don Gagné, won theStampede North American Heavyweight Championship in a tournament final after the former championDan Kroffat retired and vacated the title. In January, however, he lost the title to old rival Leo Burke. Gagné defeated Burke for the Stampede Championship in November 1979 but lost it toMr. Sekigawa in December.
In November and December 1975, Gagné andMad Dog Martel (billed as "Combat") wrestled in Japan for theInternational Wrestling Enterprise promotion as part of its Big Winter Series. In their second bout, they defeated Great Kusatsu andMighty Inoue in atwo-out-of-three falls match to win theIWA World Tag Team Championship. Kusatsu and Inoue regained the titles from Combat the following month in acage match. Combat made a second tour with International Wrestling Enterprise in October to December 1976 as part of its Bravery Series.[5]
Meanwhile, Jean Gagné also wrestled in Puerto Rico'sWorld Wrestling Council under his own name, and in the first half of 1978, he and partner Huracán Castillo traded theWWC World Tag Team Championship with thetag team ofInvader I and José Rivera, holding the title once. He also held theWWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship and theWWC North American Tag Team Championship, the latter he held four times; one of the times was withMichel Martel as part of a tag team called the Mercenaries.[3][6] While in Puerto Rico, he wrestledRic Flair in a match to a 60-minute time limit draw.[3] Gagné also wrestled under the name Mad Dog Martin in Australasia and the South Pacific during the mid to-late 1970s. On September 28, 1978, he won theNWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship fromSteve Rickard and defended the title for several months before dropping it toLeo Burke the following year.[7]
In 1980, under the name Masked Cyclops, Gagné won theNWA Pacific International Championship fromTor Kamata, but he lost it later that year toSiva Afi. In Montreal'sLutte Internationale in January 1984, Gagné won theCanadian International Tag Team Championship with partnerPierre Lefebvre from the team ofGino Brito andTony Parisi, but lost them in a rematch on February 20. In June, Gagné and Lefebvre won the title back, but lost it toRaymond Rougeau andJacques Rougeau Jr. in the beginning of July.
Martin debuted in the WWF in October 1986. Initially a full-time wrestler, he would primarily be used as anenhancement talent, losing the majority of his matches. In August 1987, he began to be the host of a WWF's skit "Le Studio" (presented only in Canada, during Superstars of Wrestling); during the segment, he would interview his guests and translate their answers in French, using the opportunity to mock the faces and praise the heels. Since he spoke fluent Spanish from his years in Puerto Rico, he hosted a similar segment for WWF's Spanish-language TV called "Frenchy's Easel." Throughout 1987, he would make regular appearances ascolor commentator on the French-language WWF programming alongsideEdouard Carpentier and Guy Hauray. Martin began managing Dino Bravo in late 1987. During his alliance with Bravo, Martin regularly carried a sign down to ringside that read "USA is not OK".[8] In March 1988, he managed Bravo atWrestleMania IV in a match againstDon Muraco. During a rematch atSummerSlam in August, Martin distracted Bravo's opponent Muraco to allow Bravo to get the victory.[9] In October at theKing of the Ring, Martin managed Bravo in a loss overJim Duggan in aflag match. He also appeared at Bravo's side atSaturday Night's Main Event XVII at the end of October for Bravo's match against Ken Patera. OnThanksgiving night, he also appeared atSurvivor Series.
Martin also managedJos LeDuc in 1988, but LeDuc's run in the WWF was short and he made very few appearances on television.[10] At theRoyal Rumble in January 1989, Bravo, accompanied by Martin, teamed withThe Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques andRaymond), but lost atwo out of three falls match against Jim Duggan andThe Hart Foundation (Bret Hart andJim Neidhart).[11] AtWrestleMania V in April 1989, after Bravo's match withRon Garvin, Martin attacked Garvin, and as a result, Garvin performed his signature maneuver, the "Garvin Stomp" on him.[12] Bravo replaced Martin in favor ofJimmy Hart in April 1989.[13] Later, Martin appeared as an occasional enhancement talent on weekly WWF television broadcasts, reviving his initial role with the company when he joined the WWF in 1986. By mid-1990, Gagné retired from wrestling.
After leaving the WWF, Martin eventually became head booker for the IWA in Puerto Rico. At the International Wrestling 2000 card at theCentre Pierre Charbonneau, Gagné as Frenchy Martin managedRichard Charland in the semi-main event againstKing Kong Bundy.[14] Until his death he continued to make guest appearances for indie shows across Canada and the US.[3]
Gagne spoke fluent English Spanish and French. He has a son and a nephew who have wrestled, Jean Gagne Jr. and George Martel. He also has a daughter. On September 8, 2016,Smith Hart announced that Gagne was afflicted withbladder cancer and had been moved to hospice care, and on October 21, 2016, Gagne died after nearly a year of bladder andbone cancer; he was 69 years old.[15]
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