Canadian Death Tour
The Canadian Death Tour or Northern Hell Tour, and sometimes just known as the "Death Tour" is a
History
Each tour is three weeks long and is held from January to February.[4] As there are no hotels in the areas which the tour appears in wrestlers are required to bring their own sleeping bags with them on this trips and sleep on gym mats in the school gymnasiums where they had performed hours earlier or find a place to room in on their own. Wrestlers are also required to buy their own food.[5] Many of the younger people who have participated in the tours have elected to change profession after returning home.[5] It is widely regarded as an honor to be offered a spot on the tour, and completing it grants the wrestler a high status for their tenacity.[6] Condello himself has expressed that "this tour is not just a tour; it is an exercise in mind and body".[7] Wrestler and historian Vance Nevada has stated that he had always wanted to do the tour because it was such an important piece of Canadian wrestling lore; with its alumni reading like a "who's who" of the business greats.[7]
Wrestler Tony Kozina has expressed that touring in Canada in general is painful and that the experience of it does not have to come from a Death Tour for you to be tough.[8]
The tours are the main subject of the documentary film The Promoter.[9]
Wrestlers to complete a death tour
Canadians
Name | Number of tours | Birth year | Year(s) participated | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edge | 1 | 1973 | Copeland almost drove a crew van into a football-field sized hole in the ice of a lake. | [10] | |
Christian
|
1 | 1973 | Was one of the seven wrestlers with Copeland in the van. | [10] | |
Matt Hart | 1 | 1993 | 2016 | Hart turned 23 during the tour, it was otherwise relatively uneventful and he suffered no other steps closer to death. | [11] |
Tony Condello | 30 | 1942 | 1988-2018 | Condello has been on every single tour. | [5][7] |
Vance Nevada | 4 | 1975 | [7] | ||
Eddie Watts | 2 | 1968 | [5] | ||
Don Callis | 3 | 1963 | Got booked to wrestle a murderer. | [5][12] | |
Sarah Stock | 1 | 1979 | [5] | ||
Rick Patterson | 1 | 1964 | [5] | ||
Joe Legend
|
1 | 1969 | [5] | ||
Lance Storm | 5 | 1969 | [5] | ||
Kenny Omega | 1 | 1983 | [5] | ||
Gurvinder Sihra
|
2 | 1984 | 2006-2007 | ||
Harvinder Sihra
|
2 | 1987 | 2006-2007 | ||
Jak Lydon | 1 | [13] | |||
Kaitlin Diemond | 1 | [14] | |||
Bob Wayne | 1 | [15] | |||
Aurora | 1 | 2007 | [16] | ||
Bambi Hall | 1 | 1992 | 2013 | [17] | |
Bobby Sharp | 1988 | 2018 | |||
Chris Jericho | 2 | 1970 | [18] |
Foreigners
Name | Number of tours | Birth year | Year(s) participated | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scott Norton | 1 | 1961 | 1989 | Went into shock when the bus he and the other wrestlers were traveling got stuck in snow. | [5] |
Rhyno
|
1 | 1975 | Was in a van which almost fell through the ice. | [5] | |
Johnny Swinger | 1 | 1975 | [5] | ||
Baron von Raschke | 3 | 1940 | [5] |
See also
References
- ^ Hollyday, Bob (February 25, 2007). "Wrestling's toughest tour - northern Manitoba". Winnipeg Sun. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- )
- ^ "Best Pro Wrestling Road Stories: The Good, the Bad and the Bizarre!". ProWrestlingStories. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Staff (July 2, 2010). "Corner Brook's "T-Bone" sizzling on the independent wrestling scene". The Western Star. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n May, Vern (September 9, 2016). "Top 15 Star Wrestlers Who Survived the Canadian "Death Tour"". The Sportster. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
- Comox Valley Record. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the originalon 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the originalon December 31, 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Penton, Kirk (February 22, 2014). "Condello wrestling doc a winner". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ a b Staff (August 18, 2014). "Edge And The Winter Death Tour". Wrestlers Who Nearly Died In Travelling Incidents. WhatCulture. p. 2. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- Facebook.com. Archived from the originalon 31 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Lilley, R.J (February 26, 2018). "Jak Lydon on Northern Tour: "An Amazing Experience"". Manitoba Wrestling Network. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "Bob Wayne's story: A crazy ride in a crazy business". Canoe.com. November 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "Aurora". Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Staff (February 7, 2013). "2013 Future Legend Finalist". Cauliflower Alley Club. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- )
Further reading
- Copeland, Adam (November 2004). Adam Copeland on Edge. ISBN 0-7434-8347-2 – via Google Books.
- Tuck, Brad (March 6, 2017), Talk Is Jericho Recap w/ Tony Condello – Promoting 'Northern Death Tours', Origins of The 'Roddy Piper' Character, Helping Vince Mcmahon, More!, Ringside News, p. 3, retrieved 2019-01-03
External links
- Stories on the Death Tour, archive of stories concerning the tour on StormWrestling.com
- Images of the Death Tour, archive of images of the tour on StormWrestling.com