Eddie Quinn

Eddie Quinn was one of the most influential wrestling promoters in Canada, particularly in the **Montreal territory**, which he operated from the late 1930s through the 1960s. His work helped turn Montreal into one of the hottest professional wrestling markets in North America, with a thriving scene that drew massive crowds and featured some of the biggest stars of the era.

### **Early Life and Entry into Wrestling Promotion**

- **Background:**

- Eddie Quinn was born in 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts, and initially got involved in boxing before transitioning into professional wrestling. He began his career as a fight promoter in New England, but his big break came when he moved to Montreal in the late 1930s.

- Quinn recognized the potential of the Montreal market, a city with a large population and a strong sports culture. He set out to establish himself as a premier wrestling promoter by building relationships with local arenas and securing contracts with top wrestlers.

### **Founding of the Montreal Territory**

- **Takeover of Montreal Wrestling Promotion:**

- In 1939, Eddie Quinn became the wrestling promoter at the **Montreal Forum**, the largest and most prestigious arena in the city. His entry into the Montreal market came after the death of **Ernie Arthur**, who had previously promoted wrestling in the region. Quinn took over Arthur's promotion and quickly established himself as the dominant promoter in Montreal.

- Quinn utilized his connections in the boxing and wrestling world, and his charismatic and business-savvy personality helped him gain control over the local wrestling scene. He became known for his ability to promote major events that attracted large crowds, and he quickly developed a reputation for producing quality wrestling shows.

### **Growth and Expansion in the 1940s and 1950s**

- **Building a Wrestling Empire:**

- During the 1940s, Quinn grew the Montreal wrestling scene into one of the most lucrative in North America. He promoted weekly shows at the Montreal Forum, which routinely drew thousands of fans. His promotion was characterized by big-name talent, exciting matches, and consistent attendance, making Montreal one of the hottest wrestling markets of the time.

- Quinn's ability to build up local heroes, such as **Yvon Robert**, a French-Canadian wrestling legend, was a significant factor in his success. Robert, a Montreal native, became the face of Quinn's promotion and helped to draw in the city’s large French-speaking population. Under Quinn's management, Robert won the **Montreal version of the World Heavyweight Championship** multiple times, cementing his status as a top draw in the territory.

- **Relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA):**

- In the late 1940s, Eddie Quinn aligned his Montreal territory with the **National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)**, the newly formed governing body of professional wrestling. This affiliation allowed him to bring in top talent from other NWA member promotions and to book the NWA World Heavyweight Champion in his territory.

- Montreal became one of the key territories in the NWA network, with Quinn playing a prominent role in the organization’s growth. His influence was such that he became an NWA vice president, a rare achievement for a promoter outside the United States. Quinn's relationship with the NWA further solidified Montreal's status as a top wrestling market.

- **Expansion and Promotion of Major Events:**

- Under Quinn's leadership, Montreal regularly hosted major wrestling events, including title matches and special supercards. He was known for his ability to promote “dream matches” featuring the biggest names in wrestling, such as **Lou Thesz**, **Buddy Rogers**, and **Verne Gagne**.

- One of Quinn's most famous promotions was the 1950 match between **Yvon Robert** and **Lou Thesz** for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. This match attracted over 20,000 fans to the Montreal Forum, setting an attendance record for the venue and solidifying Montreal's place as one of the premier wrestling cities in North America.

### **Dominance and Key Developments in the 1950s and 1960s**

- **Talent Development and Popularity:**

- Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Quinn continued to promote top talent in Montreal, featuring local stars like **Yvon Robert**, **Édouard Carpentier**, **Killer Kowalski**, and **Gino Brito**. Quinn’s ability to balance local talent with top international stars allowed him to maintain a diverse and compelling roster that appealed to Montreal’s diverse audience.

- **Édouard Carpentier**, a French wrestler who became a Canadian citizen, was one of Quinn's biggest stars in the late 1950s and 1960s. Carpentier's high-flying style and charisma made him a fan favorite, and he became a major draw in Montreal under Quinn's promotion.

- **Innovative Promotional Tactics:**

- Quinn was known for his innovative promotional tactics, such as booking regular television broadcasts to promote his shows. He partnered with local TV stations to air his matches, reaching a broader audience and generating interest in his live events.

- He also recognized the value of promoting to Montreal's diverse population, often highlighting the cultural backgrounds of his wrestlers to attract specific audience segments. His promotion of French-Canadian, Italian, Jewish, and Irish wrestlers helped him build a broad base of support across the city's various communities.

### **Decline and Challenges in the Late 1960s**

- **Competition and Changing Dynamics:**

- By the mid-1960s, Quinn began to face increasing competition from other wrestling promotions and a changing wrestling landscape. The expansion of the **World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF)**, led by **Vincent J. McMahon Sr.**, and other promotions began to encroach on Montreal’s market. The rise of televised wrestling also meant that fans had access to more wrestling content than ever before, diluting the local market.

- Quinn faced challenges in maintaining the dominance of his territory due to these external pressures. Additionally, as his top stars began to age and retire, he struggled to build new talent to maintain his fan base.

- **Departure from the NWA:**

- In 1963, a dispute arose between Eddie Quinn and the NWA regarding booking policies and the handling of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Frustrated by the politics within the NWA, Quinn decided to leave the organization and promote independently, relying on his own stable of talent and connections.

- His departure from the NWA marked a turning point for his promotion. While he initially continued to draw well, the lack of access to NWA talent and champions gradually weakened his position in the wrestling world.

### **End of an Era and Final Years**

- **Retirement and Sale of Promotion:**

- By the late 1960s, Eddie Quinn began to scale back his involvement in wrestling promotion. In 1969, he officially retired from the wrestling business, selling his promotion to wrestler **Yvon Robert**, who attempted to continue running shows in Montreal.

- Robert and subsequent promoters struggled to replicate Quinn’s success, and the Montreal territory eventually became less influential in the wrestling world. However, the foundation laid by Quinn ensured that Montreal remained a respected wrestling city for years to come.

- **Death and Legacy:**

- Eddie Quinn passed away in 1972, but his impact on professional wrestling, particularly in Montreal, was profound. He is remembered as a master promoter who turned Montreal into a wrestling mecca, drawing some of the biggest crowds in the world and creating a thriving wrestling culture in the city.

- His promotion of ethnic heroes and innovative use of media helped set the stage for future wrestling promotions. The talent he developed, the matches he promoted, and the stars he helped create left a lasting legacy that continues to be felt in the wrestling world today.

### **Legacy of Eddie Quinn and the Montreal Territory**

- **Impact on Wrestling in Canada:**

- Eddie Quinn’s promotion in Montreal was a cornerstone of professional wrestling in Canada. His work helped elevate Montreal as a key wrestling city and created a rich wrestling tradition in the region that continues to this day.

- His use of television, radio, and print media to promote wrestling events was ahead of its time, paving the way for future promoters to use media to expand their reach and engage with fans. His departure from the NWA in the 1960s also foreshadowed the fragmentation of the wrestling world that would take place in the following decades.

- **Influence on Wrestling Promotion:**

- Quinn’s success in Montreal demonstrated the importance of understanding local markets, appealing to diverse audiences, and building local stars to sustain a successful wrestling territory. His tactics were studied and emulated by promoters worldwide, proving the importance of smart promotion and strong local connections.

- Despite the decline of his promotion in the late 1960s, Eddie Quinn’s legacy as a pioneer in professional wrestling promotion endures. He remains a legendary figure in Canadian wrestling history, and his influence is still felt in the wrestling world today.