Johnny Rougeau 

Real Name - Jean Rougeau

Lifespan - 6/9/29 - 5/25/83

6'2" 225 lbs. - Montreal, QUE

Athletic Background - Wrestling

Teacher(s) - Eddie Auger; Yvon Robert; Buddy Rogers

Professional Background - Montreal(`53), Detroit, Columbus, Montreal(`55-`58,`60,`63), Europe(`59), All-Star [Montreal](`64-`75)

Aliases - n/a

Peak Years - 1950s

Place in History - Johnny Rougeau is one of the biggest pro-wrestling stars in Quebec's rich history. His uncle, Eddie Auger, was a wrestler and encouraged young Jean to pursue the profession. He had the size and looks that made him a marketable youngster as Yvon Robert's sidekick. Eventually, he went on a stint around the upper-Midwest and fell under the influence of Buddy Rogers. He became "Handsome" Johnny Rougeau, a good-looking twenty-something who could talk and entertain the fans. Not surprisingly, when he returned to Montreal, Johnny became the top star and took over for Yvon Robert. The money he made maineventing, he invested into a wide variety of businesses. Johnny was eventually joined by his brother Jacques and the two became a hot property for Eddie Quinn's Montreal promotion. By the early 1960s, Johnny's interests had turned elsewhere and he was only wrestling sporadically. The city was dwindling and then Quinn died in 1965. This could have killed Montreal, but instead Johnny and "Legs" Langevin gathered up the remains, brought in new talent and Johnny returned to ring regularly and the city enjoyed another boom period. Rougeau, nearing forty, was living it up in his hometown. He did develop a reputation though as an abrasively arrogant person and it led to a rival promotion being started in the mid-70s. Johnny had retired from the ring, but returned again in a final showdown with this outlaw group. Although the company folded and the talent returned to All-Star, Rougeau's interest in promoting wrestling was overwhelmed by his interest in ice hockey. He invested in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the last fifteen years of his life, serving as an owner, coach and president. He wrote an autobiography in his final days and died of cancer in 1983, still remembered as huge sports star throughout the province.