SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Frenchy Martin
AKA: Don Gagne in Stampede
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Frenchy Martin and Dino Bravo in the WWF in 1987. Photo courtesy Paul LeDuc.
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Best known to current fans as the manager of the
late
Dino Bravo in the WWF, Frenchy Martin has
actually been around the mat game for decades.
Martin started wrestling in 1971 in Quebec, and that winter, headed
out west to work for
Stu Hart's Stampede promotion.
He was a success in the Montreal-based
Grand Prix circuit, and in Puerto Rico, where he once
wrestled Ric Flair to a 60-minute draw. Martin was also Stampede's
North American champ under the name Don Gagne.
Together with
Mad Dog Michel Martel, he was a part of the famed Mercanaries tag team as well.
In the late 80s, he was brought in to the WWF as a
manager to Dino Bravo. He proudly waved the Quebec flag there
until the summer of 1990, when he retired and got out
of the business.
Memories
I remember going to a Grand Prix card in New Glasgow, NS. My family knew
alot of the wrestlers and we often got invovled in the action. Martin spit
at my aunt who was wear big wooded clogs. She took one off and corked
Frenchy in the back of the head with it. She had her shoes taken away my
stadium security.
F. Norman Robitza
Il n'était pas là pour une saison, il était là pour une raison:
gagner... Surtout avec son
regretté ami Pierre Mad Dog Lebfèvre, mais aussi comme gérant du
regretté Dino
Bravo. S'il était réputé comme vilain, on n'oubliera pas la fois où il a
donné une bonne correction à Tarzan Tyler et à ses acolytes Sailor White
et Rick Valentine..
Chapeau, Frenchy !
Claude Leduc, Montréal, Qc, ceejayl@hotmail.com
I always enjoyed listening to Frenchy doing color commentating for the French version of WWF Superstars. He would
root for the heels and would put down the faces as Jesse Ventura would do in English. I finally met him between
matches at The Montreal Forum (RIP) and he was a great guy but would later go on that night to get The Rougeaus
disqualified in their never ending feud. His raspy character voice was his real voice (for better or worse).
Harris Black (Montreal) employ@total.net
Frenchy Martin is well known in Puerto Rico. He began wrestling here in
1975 and quickly became the most hated heel in Puerto Rico, where he used
the name Pierre Martel, using the loaded boot gimmick. In June 30, 1978, he
lost his brother Michel in Puerto Rico after a match against Invader 1 (who
become popular in 10 years later when he was charged with the murder of
Bruiser Brody) and from there they (Invader 1-Pierre Martel) began the
second hottest feud in the WWC history (only surpassed by the Carlos
Col—n-Abdullah The Butcher feud), until June 14, 1980, when he became a
babyface after splitting with tag team partner Mr. Fuji. After that, he
become one of the most loved wrestlers of Puerto Rico history. He married
to a Puerto Rican woman and actually, as late as 1999, he wrestled for the
AWA promotion on the island. He was also booker for the AWF promotion in
Puerto Rico in 1992-1993. In Puerto Rico, he was North American Tag Team
Champion four times (with his brother Michel, his brother Rick, his cousin
Jean [I don't know his true identity, so if anybody knows know, please sent
it to me] and Mr. Fuji), North American Champion (3 times), Caribbean
Champion (twice), and World Tag Team Champions (4 times, with Gran Apolo,
Gino de la Serra, Invader 1 and Hurac‡n Castillo Sr.). Without a doubt, one
of the greatest atractions in Puerto Rican Wrestling History.
Manuel O. Gonzalez
Believe it or not Frenchy is my uncle. My greatest memory with him was
the day he took me to M.S.G. My first WWF live event. He is now in
Canada training my cousin Jean Martell. Maybe Jean Will be the next
superstar out of our family.
George "Martell"
I remember Frenchy for being one of the toughest wrestlers ever to
compete on the Atlantic Grand Prix circuit in the mid-to-late 1980's, as
he held the area's heavyweight title on numerous occasions. His wars
with Leo Burke, the Beast and Cuban Assassin ( who, believe it or not, was a face
at that time ) are still talked about today. As far as memories, Martin
was involved in a feud with Leo Burke in 1986, and had recently beat Leo
for the title, when he appeared on a Grand Prix t.v. taping dressed to
kill in a stylish 3-piece suit, complete with a french beret and
sunglasses. Frenchy then began to rant about how much of a wimp Burke
was and how Leo would never get another title shot, and how he (Martin)
was the "Republic of Quebec's" greatest athlete. Leo proceeded to remove
Frenchy's sunglasses, dropped them to the floor, then smashed them with
his boot. Martin retaliated with a slap, but Leo pounced on him, threw
Martin into the ring and delivered a knee to the head. That was the
beginning of the end for Frenchy's new suit, as Leo tore it to shreds,
leaving Martin in the ring wearing nothing except his necktie and bikini
underwear. That was hilarious, and I still have it on videotape today.
John Greeley, Halifax, Nova Scotia
I remember the first time I saw him in person at his apartment,I knocked to borrow some sugar and then Frenchy Martin
opens the door! It's a bit of a surprise! Especially when at the time I was 10 years old and just saw him on TV...I just kinda
stood there in awe with an empty cup in my hand and my mouth wide open. He couldn't be a nicer person, and I did get
the sugar I came for. I became best friends with his son and daughter Jason and Lisa. I do know their cousin George
who wrote an article on this page.... but its been many years since I've seen Jay or Lisa ..so Jay if you ever read this you
still have one of my Nintendo games!...LoL.. and maybe we might bump into each other again....
Lee Grossfeld, New Port Richey, Florida
