Gilles Poisson

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For the 19th-century Canadian strongman, see Louis Cyr.
Gilles Poisson
Born1947
Lac St-Jean, Quebec, Canada
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Gilles Poisson
Pierre Poisson
Louis Cyr
Alex the Butcher
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight285 lb (129 kg)
Debut1970
Retired1987

Gilles Poisson (born 1947) is a

professional wrestler, known by his ring name Pierre or Gilles "The Fish" Poisson, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association, International Wrestling, Grand Prix Wrestling, Maple Leaf Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling
during the 1970s and 1980s.

With manager

Louis Cerdan throughout 1976.[2]

Some websites refer to him as Charles Berger, but as he mentioned in an interview for SLAM! Wrestling, he doesn't know where that originated.[3]

Career

Early career

Making his professional debut in 1970, Poisson wrestled in

Maritimes during his early career and also made an appearance in Stampede Wrestling as Alex the Butcher losing to Billy Robinson at the Exhibition Auditorium in Regina, Saskatchewan on January 15, 1970.[4]

A mainstay of Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, he held the Grand Prix Tag Team Championship with Killer Kowalski before eventually losing the titles to Dino Bravo and Gino Brito in Verdun, Quebec on November 20, 1972.[5]

One of the top "heels" in the Montreal-area during the 1970s, an estimated 29,000 were in attendance when he and André the Giant fought to a no contest at the 1973 Grand Prix Wrestling Stadium Show at Jarry Park in July 1973.[6]

Returning to Stampede Wrestling during the mid-1970s, he defeated John Quinn in a 2-out-of-3 falls match in Calgary, Alberta on January 9 to win a title shot against Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion Frankie Laine. He would also defeat Quinn in a rematch the following night in Edmonton, Alberta.

On January 16, he would defeat Frankie Laine in a 2-3 falls match for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in Calgary. Although losing to Laine by disqualification twice during the next week, he would hold the title for eight days before finally losing back to Laine in Edmonton on January 24.[4]

World Wide Wrestling Federation

Later that month, Poisson would appear in the World Wide Wrestling Federation as Louis Cyr defeating

Francisco Flores at Madison Square Garden on February 2, he also scored victories over Kevin Sullivan and Francisco Flores before fighting to a time limit draw against Dominic DeNucci in Hamburg, Pennsylvania
on February 18.

On February 25, he and

Queens, New York
.

While in Bangor, Maine on March 17, Poisson would defeat Pat McGuinness as well as Man Mountain Mike later that night, defeating the heavyweight by countout. Making another attempt to capture the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with Jerry Blackwell, the two lost to Tony Parisi and Louis Cerdan in Landover, Maryland on March 22. Fighting to a time-limit draw against Pat Barrett on March 26, he lost to Bobo Brazil several days later at Madison Square Garden. Continuing to feud with Dominic DeNucci, he also faced Louis Cerdan, Ivan Putski and Bobo Brazil during the next several weeks.

He would also take on the WWWF World Tag Team Champions

The Executioners
and WWWF Tag Team Champions Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi. Poisson would eventually be eliminated by Bobo Brazil.

Before leaving the promotion at the end of the month, he would substitute for Louis Cerdan in one of his last appearances aiding his longtime rival Tony Parisi in defending the WWWF World Tag Team titles against The Executioners in Landover, Maryland on May 24.[2]

American Wrestling Association

Several months later, Poisson jumped to the American Wrestling Association defeating Buck "Rock n' Roll" Zumhofe in Davenport, Iowa on September 6. Disqualified during a match against Billy Francis in Green Bay, Wisconsin on September 26, he regularly appeared at the Winnipeg Arena defeating Billy Red Cloud and The Iron Sheik before losing to Jim Brunzell on November 18. Feuding with Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne during the next several months, he and Moose Moroski would lose to Brunzell and Greg Gangne on December 9, 1976.

The following year, he would lose to Billy Francis, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell in a 6-man tag team match with

Mad Dog Vachon and Baron von Raschke on February 24.[4] He would also lose to Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell in a tag team match with Moose Morowski
on March 2, 1977. He and Morowski would later participate in the $10,000 battle royal later that night.

Later career

Returning to the Montreal area, he and

Le Bourreau during the early 1980s [7] and, in 1982, defeated Gino Brito and Rick McGraw for the NWA International Tag Team titles with Sailor White before losing the titles to Gino Brito and Tony Parisi later that year. Berger would continue wrestling for International Wrestling and remained one of its top stars during the last years of his career.[8]

He had a try-out for the WWF in June 1985. In one of his last matches, he and

Jos Leduc at the Paul Sauve Centre on Montreal on October 13, 1986.[9]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ Will, Gary (October 2000). "Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame: Gilles "The Fish" Poisson". GaryWill.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Cawthon, Graham (August 2004). "WWWF: 1976". Graham Cawthon's History of the WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-10-27.
  3. ^ Laprade, Patric (May 2009). "Nothing fishy about Gilles Poisson's career"[usurped]. SLAM! Wrestling.
  4. ^ a b c Nevada, Vance. "Stampede; Victoria Pavilion; Calgary". Vance Nevada's Canadian Wrestling Results Archive. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24.
  5. ^ Calvert, Andrew; Griff Henderson. "Spotlight - Dino Bravo". MapleLeafWrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-09.
  6. ^ "Montreal: Grand Prix Wrestling Stadium Show 1973". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
  7. ^ Calvert, Andrew; Griff Henderson. "Wildman Shows: Quebec (1978-1985)". MapleLeafWrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-09.
  8. ^ Oliver, Greg (November 2002). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Gino Brito". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012.
  9. ^ "Tom Zenk in International Wrestling Association Montreal". TomZenk.net.
  10. ^ "N.W.A. International Tag Team Title (Vancouver)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  11. ^ "North American Heavyweight Title (Calgary Stampede)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  12. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 16, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/16): Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton win WCW Tag Team Titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
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