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123-530: It was the second of Canada's three major wrestling promotions, along with Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling , to be put out of business by the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE). Many French Canadian professional wrestlers of the 1980s wrestling boom came to the U.S. from Lutte Internationale including, most notably, Dino Bravo , Rick Martel , Ronnie Garvin and The Rougeaus . The promotion's close in 1987 marked

246-428: A Mortal Kombat -style cinematic match that saw The Karate Man "kill" Page in what would be Page's last appearance with Impact before leaving for AEW. Some matches have a container stationed in or near the ring, with the object of the match being to trap the opposing wrestler in it. All of these matches are fought under hardcore rules, and many of these matches take the name of the container, such as Ambulance match and

369-655: A Russian Chain match in 1981. On July 26, 1982, Lutte Internationale premiered at the Montreal Forum bringing pro wrestling back to the venue after a six-year absence. Nick Bockwinkel defended the AWA World Heavyweight Championship against Tony Parisi at the Paul Sauvé Arena a year later; At the height of its popularity, the promotion held events that sometimes drew over 10,000 fans in attendance. Although never holding

492-419: A storyline . Throughout professional wrestling's decades-long history , some gimmick matches have spawned many variations of the core concept. The singles match is the most common of all professional wrestling matches, which involves only two competitors competing for one fall . A victory is obtained by pinfall , submission , knockout , countout , or disqualification . One of the most common variations on

615-478: A " Boiler Room Brawl " that was largely pre-taped, incorporating props and unorthodox camera angles. In 2016, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact Wrestling) held a match entitled the "Final Deletion" between brothers Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy for the July 5 episode of Impact Wrestling , which was filmed at Matt Hardy's compound. It was a hardcore wrestling match with falls count anywhere. The sequel

738-556: A Canadian professional wrestling promotion owned by Frank Tunney and based in Toronto , Ontario, Canada during the 1970s and 1980s. Founded in 1930, Maple Leaf was a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance for much of his history; after Frank's death in 1983, his nephews instead elected to align with the World Wrestling Federation , which acquired the promotion in 1984. The promotion, initially known as

861-678: A House of Horrors match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Similar to the "Final Deletion" match in TNA, this one was held at an abandoned house, but instead of falls count anywhere, this match had to end in the ring in the arena that the event was held in (the House of Horrors scenes were pre-taped, while the in-ring portion was live). The next cinematic match would occur on the March 19, 2018 episode of Raw , which featured Matt Hardy, who had returned to WWE and became "Woken" Matt Hardy, against Bray Wyatt and

984-569: A cinematically produced singles match between Edge and Randy Orton at Backlash (billed as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever") also in June, and a Wyatt Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules in July. Following the introduction of the WWE ThunderDome and Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC) staging arenas in August and October, respectively,

1107-661: A compromise with the WWF in mid-1985. In exchange for giving the WWF exclusive rights to Le Colisée in Quebec City, McMahon agreed to a co-promotional deal with Lutte Internationale for a series of interpromotional shows at the Montreal Forum. The "Quebec vs. WWF" bouts would take place in Lutte's wrestling ring. The Quebec wrestlers were to appear in the main event on four out of the six shows and guaranteed clean victories over

1230-431: A double-deep, double-wide casket, sometimes specially designed for specific opponents The Undertaker takes on), ambulances , dumpsters , hearses (known as a "Last Ride match", also connected to The Undertaker gimmick), and stretchers . An Ambulance match is fought under hardcore rules, no pinfalls, no submissions, no disqualifications, no countouts and the only way to win is for one wrestler to force their opponent into

1353-766: A feel of classic Shoot-style wrestling fights. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic wrestling promotions were forced to hold events behind closed doors from March 2020 onwards. WWE introduced Raw Underground in August that year. It was hosted and commentated by Shane McMahon in Raw's third hour and didn't take place in the arena, but rather in a warehouse environment, with only wrestlers and dancers present. The matches were short work shoot style and could end by knockout, submission or McMahon's call. Raw Underground segments aired from August 3 to September 21, 2020 in 8 episodes of Raw. The first NXT Underground match took place on

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1476-410: 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. Following the WWF takeover in 1984, the name Maple Leaf Wrestling continued to be used for the federation's Canadian TV program (a staple of Hamilton station CHCH-TV for many years), which the WWF took over production of after

1599-469: A home in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s wrestling boom, however, the close of Lutte Internationale meant that aspiring wrestlers had nowhere to hone their craft. A few independent promotions attempted to run in Montreal during the 1990s, the most successful being Northern Championship Wrestling (1996–) and International Wrestling Syndicate (1998–), but it would be nearly a decade before

1722-640: A later time, typically for a pay-per-view event. They are also usually filmed on-location or at a custom built set. While not considered a cinematic match at the time, the Hollywood Backlot Brawl between Roddy Piper and Goldust at WrestleMania XII in 1996 is considered an early cinematic match by the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE ), as it used techniques now featured in cinematic matches. Unlike future cinematic matches (which typically air during one segment),

1845-535: A muscular build that was very much in vogue during the 1980s wrestling boom. Lutte decided to revive Eddie Quinn 's popular "Le Merveille Masquee" (Masked Marvel) gimmick as a vehicle to introduce Poirier to the fans. The plan was for him to wrestle for a few months before being unmasked and then compete under his own name as an established star. Poirier was successful in limited television appearances and his distinct look set him apart from average preliminary wrestlers . His performance failed to improve as time went on. As

1968-984: A non-title bout. This was done without the approval of WCW President Eric Bischoff , as Hogan enjoyed full creative control over his in-ring character, and a return bout was teased entitled the "Battle for Quebec". In spite of the promotional war between WCW and the WWF , Bischoff did not follow up on the Hogan–Rougeau angle and left McMahon in control of Quebec. In 1999, Rougeau tried to resurrect Montreal's "outlaw" promotion by opening "Lutte Internationale 2000". The shows featured both students of his wrestling school, such as LuFisto , Max Boyer , and Pauly Platinum, as well as King Kong Bundy , Pierre Carl Ouellet , Richard Charland, and Raymond Rougeau. American female wrestler Amanda Storm also appeared for Lutte Internationale 2000 during her rookie year. One of Rougeau's events drew an impressive 3,500 fans in Chicoutimi while another

2091-477: A non-title match or as a singles match. It was also used in a tag team format. World TV Champion Arn Anderson vs. Paul Orndorff at Clash of the Champions XI was one example. Though Orndorff won the match, Anderson remained champion. A champion vs. champion match can also be referenced to a Winner Takes All match , but in some cases each superstars' title is not contested in the match or only one title

2214-481: A one-ring, over-the-top-rope elimination. A typical battle royale, except this one features tables covered with barbed wire, thumbtacks, and light bulbs on the outside of the ring, which may catch wrestlers as they are thrown out of the ring. The National Wrestling Alliance 's (NWA) Bunkhouse Stampede involved wrestlers wearing what was described as "bunkhouse gear"—cowboy boots, jeans , T-shirts—instead of their normal wrestling tights and not only allowed but encouraged

2337-641: A one-time British Heavyweight Champion , was one of the first successful foreign wrestlers to "invade" Quebec. He was accompanied by manager "Lord" Alfred Hayes. Hayes, who spoke French fluently, angered crowds with his upper class British accent in interviews. This helped establish Robinson as one of Lutte's most hated wrestlers. During his two years in Quebec, Robinson won the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from both Rick Martel and The Destroyer . He

2460-504: A predecessor to Extreme Championship Wrestling . Generally used in TNA / Impact Wrestling , a reverse battle royale begins with wrestlers surrounding the ring instead of inside it. At the start of the match they battle for half of them to get into the ring, at which point a standard last person standing wins the battle royale. The Cage Reverse Battle Royale is another TNA variation of this match type. This actually has three stages; It begins

2583-402: A preliminary wrestler for Tunney from 1950 to 1956. Following Frank's death in 1983, the business was run by John's son Jack Tunney and Frank's son, Eddie Tunney. The Tunneys hosted National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and Mid-Atlantic Wrestling matches until 1984, when Jack Tunney abandoned Crockett and signed with Vince McMahon 's expanding World Wrestling Federation , with Jack serving as

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2706-523: A stadium show like its predecessors, many of Lutte's shows at the Montreal Forum drew higher attendance figures than any other local promotion. The concept of bringing in foreign wrestlers and pitting them against local favorites was an immediate hit with French Canadian audiences. André the Giant and Dino Bravo were the initial headliners during the Promotions Varoussac era. Billy Robinson ,

2829-468: A tag team match with Dino Bravo and King Tonga battling Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik . The interpromotional series, which consistently drew between 15,000 and 21,000 fans, was very successful financially and proved to be one of the most popular programs in Quebec wrestling history. The final show was to have a " Champion vs. Champion match " between Dino Bravo and Hulk Hogan. It was originally planned to be held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal which had

2952-409: A tournament final to become the first champion. After the match, Charland attacked Burke and destroyed his trophy turning heel in the process. Lutte Internationale soon began promoting outside the Montreal area. It regularly visited Hull , Quebec City , Sherbrooke , Verdun and other cities in southern Quebec. The promotion typically focused on summer tours as most arenas were used for hockey during

3075-524: A unique ruleset compared to a traditional pro wrestling event, in that every match must end in either a knockout or submission. The traditional wrestling ring is replaced by a ring canvas with no ropes or turnbuckles. This event features worked shoot matches in a style that mimics the early days of MMA and catch wrestling . It is common for Bloodsport competitors to have some knowledge in other combat sports and/or MMA, as well as professional wrestling, as these one on one matches often appear stiff and have

3198-510: A year after the WWF's talent raids. Lutte's final show in Verdun, Quebec featured Abdullah the Butcher wrestling Gino Brito in the main event. After Lutte closed, Pat Patterson convinced Brito to be the WWF promoter in Montreal, a job Brito held for four years. In the mid-1990s, Montreal experienced a revival of sorts when Jacques Rougeau, Jr. began promoting in the area. His first major effort

3321-427: Is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until only one is left. Typical battle royales begin with 20 or more participants all in the ring at the same time, who are then eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and having both feet touch the venue floor. The Battlebowl is a two-ring variation on a battle royale. In these matches, the wrestlers start in one ring and try to throw wrestlers into

3444-541: Is at Vengeance (2003) between Stephanie McMahon and Sable , which Sable won. A pure wrestling rules match originally appeared in Ring of Honor (ROH), and still exists as the "official rules" for the ROH Pure Championship . Under the rules, each wrestler is allowed only three rope breaks; once they are all used, the wrestler cannot use the ropes to escape pins or submissions. Closed fists are illegal, and

3567-409: Is in the public domain . The master tapes were not kept when the company went bankrupt and the only known footage of its television show exists due to dedicated fans who recorded episodes on VCRs . Laprade and Montreal wrestling promoter Bertrand Hébert used much of this footage for their DVD releases on Quebec wrestling. Maple Leaf Wrestling Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name of

3690-439: Is on the line. During WWE's second brand extension , this type of match was frequently used at Survivor Series , with both titles not defended, up until 2021, with the champion vs. champion matches being replaced by WarGames . This type of match has now been used at Crown Jewel since 2024 , with both the men's and women's world title holders facing each other for a commemorative Crown Jewel Championship. This event consists of

3813-539: Is one in which the object is for one wrestler to throw his opponent into a grave dug out of a large mound of soil placed outside the ring. Once in the grave, the wrestler must bury his opponent in dirt and soil to the referee's discretion. Equipment ranging from shovels and wheelbarrows to bulldozers are often made available to completely bury the opponent. The Buried Alive match is one of three of The Undertaker 's signature matches (the Casket and Last Ride matches being

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3936-491: Is reduced to two, and there is a subsequent episode where the final two compete, in this case, "AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring". In New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), the 2021 New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 15 was conducted as a semi-final battle royale. Chase Owens , Bad Luck Fale , Tetsuya Bushi , and Toru Yano were the final four that competed in a championship match the next day. The tag team battle royale consist of designated tag teams of wrestlers with two members on

4059-476: The Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from Lefebvre that same year. The Paul Sauvé Centre was the promotion's original home arena. They occasionally visited Verdun Auditorium , the arena for rival Grand Prix Wrestling, when the Paul Sauvé Centre was booked for an annual Occult Sciences show. Varoussac Promotions' most noted event there was headlined by Dino Bravo and Zarinoff Leboeuf in

4182-609: The Cogeco network for Lutte's second French-language show months earlier. Lutte also returned to the English-language station, with the help CFCF-12 program director Bill Merrill, and featured Milt Avruskin as the play-by-play man and Gino Brito doing color commentary. Brito recognized that McMahon had far larger finances at his disposal. The WWF could afford to lose money in a long-term promotional war whereas Lutte Internationale could not. The promotion attempted to negotiate

4305-672: The WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship and WWC North American Heavyweight Championship respectively. Bob Della Serra, who initially competed in Promotions Varoussac as masked wrestler The UFO, joined Don Kent as the new version of The Fabulous Kangaroos as Johnny Heffernan, the kayfabe son of original Kangaroo Roy Heffernan , winning the WWC World Tag Team Championship in 1982. Longtime Quebec stars Frenchy Martin and Jos LeDuc also returned to Canada after

4428-412: The "Lutte Familiale" banner until 2011. I wonder, in this age, if the casual fan has that interest in [Quebec territory] pro wrestling, but they should. We should all have such high standards. Because the regional promotions like Grand Prix and Lutte Internationale were the foundation of the industry for most of its history, and the training ground of so many of the greats, watching it gets you involved in

4551-445: The "footage looked awfully familiar"; in reality, repurposed footage of Simpson's infamous Bronco chase was actually used as part of the match.) The match eventually ended in the ring live, when Piper stripped Goldust down to women's lingerie and kissed him as part of "making him a man". WrestleMania XII featured a second cinematic match between " The Huckster " and " Nacho Man ". At SummerSlam 1996 , The Undertaker faced Mankind in

4674-723: The 1970s fought between Dusty Rhodes and Ivan Koloff . The coffin match was revived as one of The Undertaker 's signature matches and first appeared on television at the Survivor Series as the coffin match against Kamala . Prior to that, at a house show on July 14, 1991, the Ultimate Warrior defeated the Undertaker in a casket match in St. Louis, Missouri at Busch Stadium. There have been 17 casket matches, 11 of which have been won by The Undertaker. The 20th edition

4797-539: The Butcher and Jos Leduc went after Tag Team Champions The Rougeau Brothers. The Rougeaus were then coming off their feud with The Garvins. Their upcoming battle with the Creatchman-Tyler group was intended to be a major storyline for the company heading into 1986. Abdullah the Butcher and Raymond Rougeau wrestled a few matches before a tag team bout was signed for December 28, 1985, in Sudbury, Ontario. The feud

4920-461: The Casket match. A similar type of match aims to restrain opposing wrestlers somehow, and the match often takes the name of the restraining device – for example, the Stretcher. None of these matches can end in a pinfall, submission, countout, or disqualification. Common containers used for these matches are caskets (connected to The Undertaker 's Deadman persona, either using a typical coffin or

5043-588: The Firefly Inferno match between Orton and The Fiend at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in December, where Orton set The Fiend's entire body on fire, and an intergender match between Orton and Bliss at Fastlane in March 2021, where Bliss used supernatural powers. Since the resumption of live touring in July 2021, WWE ceased producing cinematic matches. AEW also incorporated cinematic matches during pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021, most notably

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5166-565: The Garvins and sustained a serious back injury when Jimmy Garvin put Rougeau, Sr. in a Boston crab while Ronnie Garvin hit him a knee-drop from the top turnbuckle. The Montreal crowd was enraged as Jacques, Sr. was carried to the locker room on a stretcher. The incident was later referred to as "St. John the Baptist's Day Massacre". The Rougeaus gained a measure of revenge the following month. Abandoning their familiar scientific wrestling style,

5289-475: The Giant sold his shares in Promotions Varoussac and left for the World Wrestling Federation . Rick Martel and Tony Mule purchased André's shares. By this time, Dino Bravo had also become a co-owner. With the change of ownership, it was decided to rename the promotion to Lutte Internationale (International Wrestling). Brito and Valois also produced a new television series, "Lutte Internationale" (International Wrestling), when Carpentier and Hauray signed with WWF at

5412-534: The Grave Consequences (subsequently Graver Consequences) match. Another toned-down version of the Casket Match is when a victory is not obtained by placing the opponent in the coffin but by pinfall or submission. However, the defeated wrestler is then placed into the coffin. The Last Rites match is a Total Nonstop Action Wrestling variation where a casket is lowered into the center of the ring, and

5535-445: The July 4, 2023 episode of NXT between Eddy Thorpe and Damon Kemp , for which Thorpe sought the help of Gable Steveson (Kemp's real life brother) to train him. Thorpe won the match. On the December 26, 2023 episode of NXT, Thorpe defeated Dijak in the second NXT Underground match. The first women's NXT Underground match took place on week 2 of NXT Spring Breakin' (2024) , where Lola Vice defeated Natalya . The battle royale

5658-409: The Montreal Forum in front of 15,562 fans. King Tonga was billed as Tyler's "protege" and managed him against heavyweight champion Dino Bravo that same year. In late 1985, Tyler joined forces with Abdullah the Butcher, Jos Leduc, and manager Eddie "The Brain" Creatchman to take control of Lutte Internationale from the promotion's "babyfaces". Tyler targeted Heavyweight Champion Dino Bravo while Abdullah

5781-612: 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 new Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931, he took control of professional wrestling in Toronto. The Gardens would remain

5904-701: The Rougeau Brothers walk away the victors. This bout was held outside Lutte Internationale's home territory as Quebec's Athletic Commission prohibited chain and steel cage matches at wrestling events. Sherbrooke, Québec had one of the cage matches between the Rougeaus and the Garvins. There were Athletic Commissions in Montréal and Québec City but not in the other cities of the province of Québec. The top heel performer in Lutte Internationale

6027-590: The Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing 2020 , which was a 5v5 empty arena match in the TIAA Bank Field stadium. During that period, AEW featured at least one cinematic match at each of their PPVs: a "Tooth and Nail match" at All Out 2020 between Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Big Swole at Baker's real-life dental office, a match entitled "The Elite Deletion" at Full Gear 2020 , featuring Matt Hardy against Sammy Guevara and similar to

6150-609: The Terrible , Sweet Daddy Siki and David Shultz. This new emphasis on hardcore wrestling turned off many Quebec wrestling fans. Abdullah the Butcher won the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship from Hercules Ayala on February 22, 1987, and remained champion until the promotion's close. In an attempt to cut costs, a number of masked wrestlers began appearing on shows; local preliminary wrestlers, such as Verne Siebert (using

6273-839: The Tunneys split from the NWA. The show was hosted by Angelo Mosca and Jack Reynolds . TV tapings for the show were held in Brantford and other cities in southern Ontario for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to simply use the Maple Leaf Wrestling name for the Canadian airings of WWF 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 wrestler Billy Red Lyons . These tapings were

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6396-494: The U.S., McMahon assumed he could outperform the Montreal promotion with its superior television programming. On May 29, 1984, Pat Patterson held a surprise WWF television taping at the Verdun Auditorium in an attempt to run against Lutte's show. McMahon underestimated the popularity of Lutte Internationale and the show drew poorly despite WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and "Dr. D" David Shultz headlining

6519-521: The WWC to supply wrestlers. A top star for Lutte during its final years, Abdullah the Butcher became a "babyface" and was booked against fellow WWC stars Bruiser Brody and Kareem Muhammad which he battled in a series of wild and bloody matches. Killer Tim Brooks showed up as Brody's storyline insane brother "Buster Brody". Hercules Ayala arrived to feud with Jos Leduc. Other notable WWC stars to appear in Lutte Internationale included Kendo Nagasaki , Jason

6642-468: The WWF stars. Lutte Internationale was also allowed to run house shows at the Paul Sauvé Centre unopposed. The concessions made by the WWF were unheard of at the time especially considering McMahon's dealings in the U.S. with major NWA promoters. Lutte's last show at the Montreal Forum took place on July 29, 1985, with 17,502 in attendance. At the top of the card, Masked Superstar made a final attempt to unseat heavyweight champion Dino Bravo before departing for

6765-459: The WWF. Bravo attempted to unmask Masked Superstar at the end of the match but was interrupted by a mysterious masked man later revealed to be Jos Leduc. Once one of Quebec's most popular stars, Leduc's heel turn shocked wrestling fans as he had been secretly attacking fellow Lutte babyfaces for several weeks. The first "Lutte vs. WWF" show was held at the Forum on August 26, 1985. It was headlined by

6888-423: The adjacent Daily's Place . The audience in attendance watched the first half of the match on video screens before the action spilled into the amphitheater. This would be AEW's final cinematic match produced before the company resumed live touring in July that year. Impact Wrestling would also return to producing cinematic matches in 2021 when Ethan Page wrestled his alter ego "The Karate Man" at Hard to Kill in

7011-519: The announcing team for "Lutte Internationale" during its last year on the air. The declining quality of its television show, particularly after the departure of Milt Avruskin, was made even more apparent to fans when compared to the polished look of WWF programming. Lutte was the last Quebec-based promotion to have a weekly television show. In their final year of operation, Lutte toured Ontario and held shows in Toronto , Sudbury , and Thunder Bay . The company, however, went bankrupt in June 1987, less than

7134-407: The back of an ambulance and close the door. The first ambulance match took place at Survivor Series 2003 where Kane defeated Shane McMahon . The second one took place at Elimination Chamber (2012) which also involved Kane as one of the competitors. His opponent was John Cena, who won the match, where an additional rule was added in that the ambulance has to leave to win. The third Ambulance match

7257-619: The belt from Bravo and eventually left for the American Wrestling Association . When Martel won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jumbo Tsuruta in May, he regularly defended the belt throughout Quebec. In the mid-1980s, Lutte Internationale attempted to develop a local wrestler that they could turn into a major star. The promoters began grooming one of Edouard Carpentier's top students, Luc Poirier , for this role. Though he lacked in-ring experience, Poirier had

7380-409: The best qualities of All-Star and Grand Prix Wrestling, they could revive Quebec's wrestling scene. Several different promoters had tried to start companies in Montreal with little success. One exception was Jack Britton who promoted shows under the "Olympia Pro Sports" banner from 1977 to 1980. Brito and his partners bought out his father's promotion during this period. Many Grand Prix mainstays joined

7503-475: The big angles, the development of those stars and the vast difference in approach between today and yesteryear. Joe Babinsack, F4Wonline.com (July 21, 2013) Lutte Internationale marked the final phase in Montreal's "Golden Age of Wrestling". A fifty-year period stretching back to the 1930s with promoter Eddie Quinn , it was one of the last territory-era promotions in Canada. Many French Canadian stars found

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7626-577: The bringing of weapons . In 1988 the NWA named a pay-per-view after the Bunkhouse Stampede , headlined by a Bunkhouse Stampede match held inside a cage . Recently, the match has been revitalized by Ricky Morton of the Rock n' Roll Express at his wrestling academy in Chuckey, Tennessee. A battle royale with hardcore rules (no disqualifications and no count-outs) involving several competitors in

7749-537: The city had a viable " indy scene ". Both Grand Prix and Lutte Internationale were profiled in the 2013 documentary The Golden Age of Quebec Wrestling . Joe Babinsack of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reminded fans of their contributions to the Canadian and U.S. wrestling industry. Lutte Internationale's video library is one of the few not owned by World Wrestling Entertainment . According to wrestling historian Patric Laprade, its footage

7872-459: The city without a major company. Brito was eager to bring pro wrestling back to Montreal and persuaded fellow Grand Prix alumni André the Giant and manager Frank Valois to join in the venture. Andre was one of the most recognizable stars in the world at the time. Montreal was a second home for the French-born wrestler who owned a restaurant and had other business interests in the city. Between

7995-479: The company as a result and returned to Quebec. After six shows, the WWF pulled out of the deal and signed an exclusive contract with the venue in February 1986. It was widely speculated that McMahon used the interpromotional shows as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the city and force Lutte out of the Montreal Forum. Lutte's endorsement introduced the WWF to Quebec wrestling fans on the most favorable terms. With

8118-418: The end of the fifty-year "Golden Age of Wrestling" in Quebec. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac , the latter made up of the first letters of their family names (VAlois, ROUSSimoff, and ACcocella). Montreal had been regarded as a wrestling capital since the 1930s, however, the close of All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling in 1975 left

8241-462: The end of the year. An English-language version was produced by George Cannon and Milt Avruskin in Windsor, Ontario . It aired locally in Montreal and was syndicated in other parts of the country. The Canadian International Television Championship was also introduced on "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" as a secondary title that undercard wrestlers could compete for. Leo Burke defeated Richard Charland in

8364-609: The few stars to remain with Lutte was Richard Charland who helped bolster the promotion's tag team division. Another popular tag team were The Longriders ( Bill and Scott Irwin ) who won a championship tournament for the vacant tag team titles. A number of other wrestlers were brought in for one-time appearances. The Sheik , then in semi-retirement, was even called in mid-1987 but his exhibition bout failed to excite fans. Other future stars to appear in Lutte were Alofa , Billy Fury , Kevin Kelly , and Toshiaki Kawada . Brito also looked to

8487-512: The first offense (if seen by the official) results in a warning. A second offense results in disqualification. The wrestlers must shake hands before and after the match. A special challenge match was often used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to refer to a singles match in which the champion is not defending the title, so the title doesn't change hands if the champion loses the match. It can be announced by name, as

8610-440: The first stage as an inside-out battle royale with 15 or more wrestlers involved. The first seven to enter the ring over the top cage will advance to the second stage which is a gauntlet match. When it gets down to the final stage, only two wrestlers will battle in a singles match which is decided by pinfall or submission. A semi-final battle royale consists of a battle royale where when a specific number of wrestlers are remaining,

8733-473: The formation of Lutte Internationale in 1984. Arguably the best known import from the WWC was King Tonga who feuded with Dino Bravo over the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship between 1984 and 1985. A Bravo-Tonga title bout at the Montreal Forum on December 23, 1984 attracted over 19,500 fans. After the WWF's talent raids in the mid-1980s, Lutte Internationale relied heavily on the WWC to supply wrestlers until its eventual close. In early 1984, André

8856-498: The highest-rated French-language television programs in the province. Their first major show was held on August 25, 1980, at the sold-out Paul Sauve Centre where Andre the Giant battled Hulk Hogan in the main event. This was the first meeting between the two superstars in Canada, the initial U.S. bout taking place two weeks earlier at Showdown at Shea , preceding their more famous showdown at WrestleMania III by seven years. Brito later claimed "the match put Montreal wrestling back on

8979-548: The loss of the lucrative Montreal Forum, McMahon followed up by luring away Lutte's top stars. King Tonga and the Rougeau brothers were the first to jump to the WWF in the spring of 1986. Dino Bravo, who had had quit the WWF after the cancelled Montreal bout with Hogan, sold his share of the company to Brito and Rick Martel at the end of the year and rejoined the WWF full-time. Rick Martel and Tom Zenk followed Bravo soon after leaving Gino Brito, Eddie Creatchman and Floyd Creatchman

9102-490: 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. Corcoran stepped down in 1939 and was bought out by his assistants, John and Frank 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

9225-417: The map". The promotion needed a "hometown hero", a role formerly held by Yvon Robert, Sr. during the 1940s and 50s. Edouard Carpentier was considered too old by this point in his career. Jacques Rougeau, Sr. was retired and his son Raymond was still considered a light heavyweight wrestler. Dino Bravo , who ran a local wrestling school with Brito, ultimately emerged as Varoussac's top "babyface" after winning

9348-465: The match aired during several segments in between matches inside the ring, and featured both pre-taped segments outside the Arrowhead Pond of the two fighting as well as Piper "chasing" Goldust's solid gold Cadillac in a white Ford Bronco in an obvious reference to the then-ongoing O. J. Simpson murder case . ( Vince McMahon mentioned on commentary without completely breaking kayfabe that

9471-592: The match and the official champion. The most famous example is the Hardcore Title Battle Royal from WWF's WrestleMania 2000 . A last blood battle royale is essentially a multi-competitor First Blood match . All competitors start at the same time and wrestlers are eliminated when they start bleeding. The winner is the last wrestler in the match not bleeding. This match was held in the Tri-State Wrestling Association,

9594-402: The match ends, and those that remain are placed in a standard wrestling match for the prize at stake. An example of this occurred on a January 2024 episode of NXT , where 20 women competed in a battle royal that became a Fatal 4-Way once there were four competitors remaining. In All Elite Wrestling (AEW), it is known as a Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale , as twelve competitors compete until it

9717-540: The middle of the ring for the victory. This was one of The Undertaker ’s early gimmick matches; he had one of these matches in 1992 against The Ultimate Warrior at the Madison Square Garden . The casket match (also known as the Coffin match ) has a casket near the ring, with the objective of the match being to trap the opposing wrestler inside. The casket match began its life as a one-off coffin match in

9840-563: The name The Spoiler, not to be mistaken for Don Jardine ), often donned wrestling masks to wrestle one match and then wrestle as themselves on the same card. The promotion suffered another loss with the departure of longtime manager Eddie Creatchman . He was replaced by his real-life son "Pretty Boy" Floyd Creatchman . He not only took on his father's role as the area's top heel manager but also hosted an interview segment called "Creatchman’s Corner" on Lutte's weekly television show. Floyd Creatchman later joined CFCF sports staffer Ron Francis as

9963-567: The new promotion including Frenchy Martin , Gilles Poisson , Len Shelley, Ludger Proulx, Michel Dubois , Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre, Serge Dumont, Zarinoff Leboeuf and the Rougeau Brothers ( Jacques and Raymond Rougeau ). The influx of major star power helped Promotions Varoussac obtain a television contract with CFCF-DT shortly after its debut. The promotion's flagship show "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" (The Stars of Wrestling), hosted by Édouard Carpentier and Guy Hauray, became one of

10086-675: The next twelve years wrestling in Europe where he became the CWA world heavyweight champion while working for Otto Wanz. He resurfaced in the WWF as part of The Truth Commission . While Dino Bravo was Lutte's top star, the Rougeau Brothers were also popular with Quebec wrestling fans. One of the promotion's first major storylines was a three-month feud pitting The Garvin Brothers ( Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin ) against Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, then reigning Canadian International Tag Team Champions , in

10209-407: The objective is to get your opponent into the casket, which is raised to the ceiling following the match. The first Last Rites match was done between Sting and Abyss . Vince Russo came up with this match; it was perceived to be a disaster because neither wrestler could work properly due to the placement of the casket in the center of the ring, which limited and obstructed their workspace. The match

10332-469: The other "Deletion" matches involving Hardy, and a tag team street fight pitting Darby Allin and Sting against Team Taz ( Brian Cage and Ricky Starks ) at Revolution 2021 , which was held at an abandoned warehouse somewhere in Atlanta , Georgia. At Double or Nothing 2021 the Stadium Stampede match was a hybrid cinematic match with the first half recorded at TIAA Bank Field, then concluding live at

10455-416: The others). A cinematic Buried Alive match was held between The Undertaker and AJ Styles for WrestleMania 36 , referred to as a "Boneyard match" . The match took place outdoors in a cemetery-like setting near an abandoned warehouse rather than in a traditional ring. A Body Bag match is a no-disqualification match where the objective is for a wrestler to put an opposing wrestler in a body bag situated in

10578-463: The outlaw promotion in Montreal. While Promotions Varoussac had a co-promotional agreement with Vince McMahon, Sr. to import WWWF stars, McMahon, Jr. did not continue this arrangement. Lutte Internationale no longer needed the WWF due to its own popularity but Brito decided to negotiate a talent exchange with Verne Gagne and the American Wrestling Association based in Minneapolis. This allowed

10701-442: The potential of breaking the city's all-time attendance record. The venue was later changed to the Montreal Forum and the bout was advertised for January 13, 1986. The "Lutte vs. WWF" finale never happened and it has been suggested that Vince McMahon did not want to have Hogan lose to Bravo as the then WWF champion's popularity in the U.S. was at its peak. Bravo, who had been billed as WWF Canadian Champion on WWF shows in Canada, quit

10824-473: The precursor to the WWF's Wrestling Challenge , which became the "B" show to WWF Superstars Of Wrestling . Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were the hosts for the Canadian tapings (with Ventura doing his famous "The Body Shop" segment). When those tapings morphed into Challenge in 1986, Ventura was moved to WWF Superstars Of Wrestling . Bobby Heenan replaced Ventura as the Canadian tapings became WWF Wrestling Challenge . In 1995, McMahon chose to run

10947-449: The promoters began to question Poirier's motivation to pro wrestling, fan support for Le Merveille Masquee began to wane. In October 1984, the masked wrestler became a heel and started wrestling as The Mercenary. This too failed to interest fans and The Mercenary was unmasked by Gino Brito at the end of the month. Poirier had a brief tryout with the WWF during its Quebec invasion before disappearing from Canada altogether. He successfully spent

11070-466: The promotion to later benefit from the AWA's association with Pro Wrestling USA and bring in top U.S. stars such as Butch Reed , Jimmy Garvin , Tom Zenk , The Tonga Kid , and The Road Warriors . Several young up-and-coming wrestlers including Bruno Sammartino Jr. , Mike Rotunda , Mike Shaw and Rick Steiner also spent time in Montreal. Like his battles with National Wrestling Alliance promoters in

11193-489: The remaining owners of Lutte Internationale. No longer able to acquire top level talent from the U.S., Lutte appeared to be a "minor league" outfit operating from the much smaller Paul Sauvé Centre. To combat the WWF's talent raids, Brito scrambled to find new stars. Tom Zenk was being called the "future champion of Quebec" prior to his defection to the WWF with Rick Martel. Steve Strong quickly established himself as Lutte's top heel after feuding with Martel during 1986. One of

11316-410: The ring at the same time. The match could last for either 15 or 20 minutes. All participants are not eliminated by being thrown out of the ring and both feet touching the floor. Pinning or forcing to submit whoever was current Hardcore champion would result in the victorious participant becoming the interim champion. Whoever the person held the title at end of the time limit would be declared the winner of

11439-540: The second ring, after which they can be eliminated by being thrown out of that ring. The last remaining wrestler in the first ring can rest until only one wrestler is left in the second ring, after which they fight in both rings until one is eliminated and a winner is declared, in similar fashion to a double elimination tournament . This was held by World Championship Wrestling at the 1991 Starrcade event, but future Battlebowl matches were contested under normal battle royale rules. The battle zone features any number of men in

11562-475: The show. It was apparent to McMahon that he needed to change his strategy if the WWF's invasion of Quebec was to be successful. In January 1985, shortly after leaving Lutte Internationale, "Les Étoiles de la Lutte" hosts Edouard Carpentier and Guy Hauray shocked Quebec wrestling fans when they signed a deal with CHLT-7 to switch their show to an all-WWF format. This would have left Lutte Internationale without television, however, Brito had reached an agreement with

11685-538: The shows in Toronto without any involvement from the Tunneys. The final show at the Gardens was held on September 17, 1995. Professional wrestling match types#Strap match Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Many types of wrestling matches , sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business , are performed in professional wrestling . Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude

11808-517: The singles match is to restrict the possible means for victory. In a blindfold match, the two participants must wear a blindfold over their eyes for the entire duration of the match. A well-known example of this match is the WrestleMania VII match between Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Rick Martel . A no count-out match is a singles match in which both competitors can stay outside of the ring without being counted out. A well-known example

11931-508: The summer of 1985. Their first encounter took place on June 24, 1985, at the Montreal Forum where thousands in attendance witnessed the Garvins deliver a ferocious beating to the tag team champions. Before the match got started, Jimmy Garvin's valet Precious blinded Jacques Rougeau with her perfume leaving Raymond at the mercy of their American opponents. After several minutes of the Garvins double-teaming Raymond, Jacques Rougeau, Sr. came out to help his son. The elder Rougeau also fell victim to

12054-520: The team bloodied the Garvins in a wild brawl that ended in a double-disqualification. Having recovered from his injuries, Jacques, Sr. accompanied his sons to the ring and congratulated them during the post-match celebration for both avenging their loss and protecting the reputation of the Rougeau wrestling family . The Garvin-Rougeaus feud concluded with a Steel Cage match in Sudbury, Ontario which saw

12177-414: The team. This match uses the normal battle royale rules, teams may be eliminated when either one or both partners are thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. This match is conducted similarly to a battle royale but in these cases, both wrestlers are considered active at the same time and there are no tags using the tornado tag team stipulation. This variation of the tag team battle royale

12300-506: The territory. In addition to its co-promotional agreements with the AWA and WWF, Lutte Internationale strongest and most lasting relationship was with the World Wrestling Council . Abdullah the Butcher , who was one of Lutte's top "heel performers" during the mid-1980s, was the earliest WWC mainstay. As part of its talent exchange agreement, Joe Lightfoot and Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre traveled to Puerto Rico where they won

12423-407: The traditional rivalry of the cities was played up. Their first bout was on March 5 in Quebec City but Martel failed to win the belt. A rematch was held at the Montreal Forum a week later with former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor as the special guest referee . The event drew 11,400 fans and saw Martel, a longtime "babyface", booed for the first time in his career. Martel failed to win

12546-407: The two of them, Brito and Andre could bring in major U.S. stars though their contacts with the American Wrestling Association and World Wide Wrestling Federation . Andre's manager Frank Valois had the necessary business experience to run a wrestling company. The group believed that by using the traditional model of bringing in international stars to challenge local Quebec wrestlers, as well as taking

12669-491: The two that occurred at WrestleMania 36 ; a Boneyard match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles , which was a Buried Alive match held at a custom built cemetery set in the Orlando area, and a Firefly Fun House match between John Cena and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. (Although the match ended with The Fiend pinning Cena in a ring, the match itself was a dream-like sequence of Cena's career, showing his perceived character flaws;

12792-579: The use of cinematic matches was greatly reduced, as these new staging arenas allowed fans to attend the events virtually. To go with the Halloween -theme at NXT : Halloween Havoc in October, a Haunted House of Terrors match was held between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes , which was similar to the House of Horrors match from Payback 2017. Matches involving Randy Orton, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, and Alexa Bliss have also used cinematic techniques, such as

12915-510: The various segments were filmed at WWE's Titan Towers headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut ). Following this, cinematic matches occurred at Money in the Bank in May, which was the event's eponymous ladder matches that occurred at WWE's headquarters, a Backlot Brawl between Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream in the parking lot of Full Sail University at NXT TakeOver: In Your House in June,

13038-526: The winter season. It also visited Ottawa , Edmundston New Brunswick and parts of the Northeastern United States . Many of these house shows later aired on Lutte's television show. The spring of 1984 saw a "babyface vs. babyface" feud between Rick Martel and Dino Bravo over the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship. Many of their bouts took place in Montreal and Quebec City, the hometowns of Bravo and Martel respectively, and

13161-624: Was Tarzan Tyler . Tyler was brought into Lutte three years earlier to replace manager "Lord" Alfred Hayes who was leaving to join the WWF as an announcer. Though his time as a manager was brief, among his "clients" included Pierre Lefebvre, Richard Charland, Sailor White , Rick Valentine , Masked Superstar and Jos Leduc. Tyler, who had been considering retirement prior to joining Lutte, agreed to become an active wrestler for promotion. On July 23, 1984, he led Lefebvre, Masked Superstar and Richard Charland in an 8-man tag team bout against The Rougeau Family (Jacques Sr., Armand, Raymond and Jacques Rougeau) at

13284-404: Was a brawl between The Broken Hardys and Decay titled "Delete or Decay". The Broken Hardys and Decay continued their feud at Bound for Glory , where Decay lost their TNA World Tag Team Championship to The Hardys in "The Great War". The Hardys issued an open tag team invitational at their compound on the December 15 episode of Impact Wrestling , titled Total Nonstop Deletion . The main event

13407-464: Was called the "Ultimate Deletion;" this was just like the "Final Deletion," including being held at Matt's compound. Cinematic matches became more frequent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic ; the pandemic began affecting the professional wrestling industry in March that year, forcing promotions to hold events behind closed doors . WWE would hold several cinematic matches at their pay-per-views between March and August, being highly praised for

13530-529: Was cut short after Tyler, the group's leader, was killed in a car accident with fellow wrestler Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre and referee Adrien Desbois, near the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve on Christmas Day . They were returning from a wrestling event in Chicoutimi , Quebec . The death of Tyler was considered both a business and personal loss for the company. The Rougeaus departed for the WWF two months later. Though Lutte Internationale

13653-465: Was enjoying unprecedented success in Quebec, WWF promoter Vince McMahon began pushing into Canada as part of its national expansion efforts in the early 1980s. In early 1984, the WWF drove George Cannon's " Superstars of Wrestling " promotion out of business and took over its television series on CFCF 12 . By the end of the year, the WWF had purchased Toronto's Maple Leaf Wrestling and Calgary's Stampede Wrestling . McMahon then turned his attention to

13776-416: Was finally deposed as champion by Dino Bravo on September 21, 1983. Bravo also feuded with Masked Superstar , also managed by Alfred Hayes, for much of the year. During the territory-era of pro wrestling, managers were an integral part of a successful promotion. The Quebec territory was a unique area given that it was a bilingual province. As the promotion was watched by English and French-speaking fans, it

13899-632: Was held at Halloween Havoc and the first following the retirement of The Undertaker involving Grayson Waller vs. Apollo Crews in which Crews won. WWE held its first women's casket match on the October 29, 2024 episode of NXT involving Tatum Paxley and Wendy Choo in which the Paxley won. In addition to WWE, the casket match has been adopted for use in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , All Elite Wrestling , and Lucha Underground , with Lucha Underground denominating it as

14022-462: Was held at the Molson Centre in Montreal. Lutte Internationale 2000 also sold out the Verdun Auditorium in December 2000. The shows received mixed reviews as many Quebec's "modern" wrestling fans, long accustomed to the WWF's "sports entertainment", were not used to Rougeau's traditional style of booking which was more "family friendly" than hardcore. His shows were sporadically held until under

14145-645: Was in 1995 where he staged several shows at the Verdun Auditorium. He had intended to establish a major promotion with a small group of hand picked wrestlers. Though Quebec fans were receptive, Rougeau's promotion closed after a few weeks. While working for World Championship Wrestling , Rougeau held a one-time interpromotional card at the Molson Centre on April 11, 1997. The show featured wrestlers from Rougeau's small independent group as well as several WCW stars including, most notably, Hollywood Hogan . Hogan, then WCW World Heavyweight Champion , lost to Rougeau in

14268-601: Was left standing. A cinematic match is not technically a match type itself, but rather, it is a term used to refer to matches that are produced with various cinematic techniques . The rules vary from match to match, but generally have a basis in hardcore wrestling. Unlike a normal wrestling match, which is done in one take and typically in front of a live audience, cinematic matches are shot over several hours with various scenes filmed, similar to filmmaking, with higher-budget production involved. The final product (the complete match) generally lasts from 20 to 40 minutes and airs at

14391-477: Was local hero Whipper Billy Watson , who became a two-time world champion. Starting in 1969, the shows were headlined by The Sheik for more than eight years. In 1978, Tunney began working with promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. , who ran Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the Carolinas . The two would become partners in the Toronto promotion, along with George Scott , a key executive with Crockett who had been

14514-453: Was necessary for managers to be fluent in both languages. Eddie "The Brain" Creatchman was the most notable of these heel managers. He was the longtime nemesis of Dino Bravo and managed many of the foreign wrestlers who challenged the heavyweight champion. Much like Bobby Heenan and The Heenan Family who harassed WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan in the U.S., Creatchman made it his mission to run Bravo and other fan favorites out of

14637-570: Was part of Three Stages of Hell match at WWE Payback on June 16, 2013, in Rosemont, Illinois between John Cena and Ryback for the WWE Championship . The most recent was at NXT Halloween Havoc in October 2024, between Ridge Holland and Andre Chase . The famous 2017 Lucha Underground "Hell of War" bout between Dante Fox ( A.R. Fox ) and Killshot ( Swerve Strickland ) was that promotion's only ambulance match. A buried alive match

14760-465: Was such a failure that during the match, the enraged crowd screamed "Fire Russo!" so loudly that the commentators had to yell into their microphones to be heard. In 2023, TNA Wrestling brought back the Last Rites match, but modified it to be more of a basic casket match. A dumpster match is a no-disqualification, no-submission, no-countout, no-fall hardcore match in which the only objective to win

14883-505: Was the "Tag Team Apocalypto" where The Hardys last defeated Decay. Although not contested as a match, WWE followed this up shortly after and filmed a cinematic-style brawl between The New Day ( Big E , Kofi Kingston , and Xavier Woods ) and The Wyatt Family ( Bray Wyatt , Erick Rowan , and Braun Strowman ) that was held at The Wyatt Family Compound and shown on the July 11, 2016 episode of WWE Raw . WWE then taped their own cinematic match for their 2017 pay-per-view Payback , called

15006-564: Was used at the WrestleMania XV as well. Created by WCW in 1995, the World War 3 battle royale involved a three-ring setup and 60 competitors; 20 wrestlers started in each of the three rings, in which they would wrestle under regular battle royale rules. Once there were 30 competitors remaining (except in 1997, where the number was 20), all competitors would enter the center ring and continue under regular rules until only one wrestler

15129-425: Was used during the 2011 WWE Draft on April 25, 2011; where the wrestler's team has to eliminate all members of the opposing team, much like an elimination tag team match where the losing wrestler of a team, who just got thrown over the ring ropes with both feet touching the floor, must return to their locker room. The team winner receives a #1 draft pick for their respective brand. Another notable version of this match

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