 Maple Leaf Wrestling logo | |
| Founded | 1930 |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Founder | Jack Corcoran |
| Owner(s) | Jack Corcoran (1930–1939) John Tunney (1939) Frank Tunney (1939–1983) Jack Tunney (1983–1986) Eddie Tunney (1983–1984) WWE Libraries (1984-present) |
| Parent | WWE Libraries |
| Formerly | Queensbury Athletic Club Maple Leaf Wrestling |
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name of a Canadianprofessional wrestling promotion owned byFrank Tunney and based inToronto, Ontario, Canada during the 1970s and 1980s. Founded in 1930, Maple Leaf was a territory of theNational Wrestling Alliance for much of his history; after Frank's death in 1983, his nephews instead elected to align with theWorld Wrestling Federation, which acquired the promotion in 1984.[citation needed]
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The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athletic Club, traces its roots back to 1930, when it was launched by Jack Corcoran, who had previously promoted boxing in Toronto under the Queensbury name. Initially, Corcoran was involved in a promotional war with rival promoter Ivan Mickailoff, but after Corcoran allied himself with the newMaple Leaf Gardens in 1931, he took control of professional wrestling in Toronto.[citation needed]
The Gardens would remain the main venue for the promotion for more than 60 years. Wrestling kept the Gardens busy on nights when there was no hockey game. Canadian, British Empire and world title matches were all held there.[citation needed]
Corcoran stepped down in 1939 and was bought out by his assistants, John andFrank Tunney. John died just a few months later, and the promotion was then run by Frank. Through most of the 1940s and 1950s, Frank Tunney's biggest star was local heroWhipper Billy Watson, who became a two-time world champion. Starting in 1969, the shows were headlined byThe Sheik for more than eight years.[citation needed]
In 1978, Tunney began working with promoterJim Crockett, Jr., who ranMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling inthe Carolinas. The two would become partners in the Toronto promotion, along withGeorge Scott, a key executive with Crockett who had been a preliminary wrestler for Tunney from 1950 to 1956.
Following Frank's death in 1983, the business was run by John's sonJack Tunney and Frank's son, Eddie Tunney. The Tunneys hostedNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) andMid-Atlantic Wrestling matches until 1984, when Jack Tunney abandoned Crockett and signed withVince McMahon's expandingWorld Wrestling Federation, with Jack serving as a figurehead on-air president of the WWF from 1984 to 1995, while also serving as the (legitimate) president of Titan Sports Canada, the local arm of the WWF's parent company.[citation needed]
Following the WWF takeover in 1984, the nameMaple Leaf Wrestling continued to be used for the federation's Canadian TV program (a staple ofHamilton stationCHCH-TV for many years), which the WWF took over production of after the Tunneys split from the NWA. The show was hosted byAngelo Mosca andJack Reynolds. TV tapings for the show were held inBrantford and other cities in southernOntario for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to simply use theMaple Leaf Wrestling name for the Canadian airings ofWWF Superstars of Wrestling. In these Canadian episodes there was some Canadian footage, usually matches from Maple Leaf Gardens and updates by on-air announcer and former wrestlerBilly Red Lyons. These tapings were the precursor to the WWF'sWrestling Challenge, which became the "B" show toWWF Superstars Of Wrestling.Gorilla Monsoon andJesse Ventura were the hosts for the Canadian tapings (with Ventura doing his famous "The Body Shop" segment). When those tapings morphed intoChallenge in 1986, Ventura was moved toWWF Superstars Of Wrestling.Bobby Heenan replaced Ventura as the Canadian tapings becameWWF Wrestling Challenge.[citation needed]
In 1995, McMahon chose to run the shows in Toronto without any involvement from the Tunneys. The final show at the Gardens was held on September 17, 1995.[citation needed]
| Championship | Last Recognized Champion | From | Until | Other names | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship | Whipper Billy Watson | 1941 | 1967 | ||
| NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship | Ilio DiPaolo andBilly Red Lyons | 1952 | 1961 | ||
| NWA United States Heavyweight Championship | The Sheik | 1962 | 1977 | ||
| NWA International Tag Team Championship | The Crusaders (Billy Red Lyons andDewey Robertson) | 1961 | 1977 | ||
| NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship | Angelo Mosca Jr. | 1978 | 1984 | ||
| NWA Canadian Television Championship | Brian Adidas | 1982 | 1984 |
| Notable active promotions | |
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| Defunct promotions |
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| Governing bodies and interpromotional alliances |
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| Television and streaming channels | |
| Other | |
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