About me: The Baillargeon brothers deserve a special place in the Canadian Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame for a couple of reasons. For one, six brothers all went into wrestling. But more importantly, unlike most in our Hall, the Baillargeons were famous before they got into wrestling.
The Baillargeons all are from Saint-Magloire-de-Bellechasse, Quebec. Back in the late 1940s, they traveled the continent from town to town with their road show, doing incredible feats of strength. Like Charles pulling a bus with his teeth, or Paul lifting a horse.
The six Baillargeon brothers were, in order of age, Jean, Charles, Adrien, Lionel, Paul, and Antonio (Tony). After the passing of Paul last week at 77, Charles is the only brother still living.
During their heyday, the Baillargeons were quite the story. Newspapers would write about the family, how their mother Maria would go through 100 pounds of flour a week, or how one brother or another pulled the door off a car to save an accident victim.
The family grew up in Saint-Magloire-de-Bellechasse, and all of the boys gained their strength by working on various farms around town, and as lumberjacks in the U.S.
Jean, being the oldest, was also the first into the spotlight. According to the book Hommage aux célèbres frères Baillargeon, by Réjean Lévesque (La Plume D'Or, 1997), Jean Baillargeon challenged a wrestler to a weightlifting challenge in 1946, despite having no experience with weights. He was actually paid off to leave, and quickly realized that his strength was not common. Jean took up weights, and got his younger brothers involved too.
Surprising, according to Levesque, it was never a competition between the brothers, and they always helped each other out.
Soon, the six brothers were in costume, a weightlifting singlet showing off their impressive physiques with a maple leaf and a beaver on the front, and the text '6 Freres Baillargeon Brothers' on top.
The traveling show comprised of feats of strength from the brothers, and acrobatics from the Dionne brothers.
Again, the aforementioned book about the Baillargeons has some absolutely astonishing photos of their human pyramids, with Jean or Paul at the base of the pyramid, supporting three or four people above.
But since this is an induction into a Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, it is time to switch gears.
All six brothers had grown a little tired of the road, and having to arrange their own shows across North America. When the opportunity arose for them to train at wrestling in Massachusetts came, they took it.
The year 1949 saw all the brothers debut in the ring. Already well-known, especially in their native Quebec, their fame spread.
"Their feats of strength have been recorded by the newsreel cameras and no doubt you have seen them in your local theaters," wrote The Ring magazine in an April 1950 edition.
The Montreal Herald wrote the following on January 26, 1950:
"The three Baillargeon brothers, members of a family of six whose grocery bills you would hesitate to under-write, made their debut in a Montreal ring, all three won, and in so doing, showed a good deal of wrestling talent, plenty of bulging muscles, and a great deal of physical strength.
Brother Jean gave fine display in beating tough Les Ryan, of Boston, using a head-hold which prompted Ryan to say "Uncle" or reasonable facsimile of same. Brother Adrien had too much power for Joe Christie, of Detroit, and pinned him with a body-press in 16:24. Mayes McLain, the former All-American, a big, rugged chap, gave the family most trouble. He wrestled Paul, who has a head of hair like Samson possessed before Delilah clipped him ... they went at it hammer and tongs, Paul seeking continually for a body-scissors. When McLain got real tough, Paul gave him the old heave-ho right out of the ring and McLain landed with such a jolt that he couldn't beat the count back to the ring."
Their wrestling careers didn't actually last that long, averaging 12 years. Tony, the youngest, wrestled the longest, from 1949 until 1976. Jean wrestled 15 years, Adrien eight years, Lionel nine years, and Paul 11 years. Charles wrestled only six years, a car accident cutting his career short.
hi there, i just wanted to stop by and wish you a happy birthday filled with balloons and party hats.....and i hope you get to eat lots of cake and ice cream.....but not too much, leave some room for all that turkey and stuff....
