Rick Martel

Rick Martel
Ring name(s)	Rick Martel[1]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed weight	226 lb (103 kg)[1]
Born	(1956-03-18) March 18, 1956 (age 56)[1] Quebec City, Quebec
Billed from	Montreal, Quebec Cocoa Beach, Florida (as The Model) Quebec City, Quebec (WCW)
Trained by	Pierre Martel
Debut	June 7, 1972[1]
Retired	July 13, 1998

Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel. He is also known for his two-year long reign as AWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Career

Early years (1972–1980)

Martel is from a family of wrestlers, and made his professional debut at age sixteen when his brother Michel, a wrestler, asked him to replace an injured wrestler. Martel was already a skilled amateur wrestler, and quickly adapted to professional wrestling.

Martel wrestled throughout the world, winning titles in Canada (in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling and Vancouver-based NWA All Star Wrestling), New Zealand and Puerto Rico. His first real success in America came in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Portland affiliate, Pacific Northwest Wrestling, where he became a top talent, holding the Canadian and PNW tag team titles simultaneously. He left PNW on August 16, 1980, when he lost a Loser Leaves Town match to Buddy Rose. Martel also served a stint as a booker for a wrestling territory in Hawaii.^{[clarification needed]}

World Wrestling Federation (1980–1982)

Martel debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in July 1980. That fall, he formed a tag team with Tony Garea. On November 8, they defeated The Wild Samoans to capture the WWF Tag Team Championship.^[2] They successfully defended the title until dropping the belts to The Moondogs on March 17, 1981.^[2] They regained the title from The Moondogs on July 21.^[2] Their second reign came to an end on October 13, when they lost to Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito.^[2] Though they would challenge the champions numerous times, Martel and Garea were unable to recapture the belts, and Martel left the WWF in April 1982.

American Wrestling Association (1982–1986)

Martel signed with the AWA in 1982 and quickly ascended through the ranks, defeating Jumbo Tsuruta to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on May 13, 1984.^[3] His reign as champion lasted nearly nineteen months, during which time he wrestled several matches with NWA World Champion Ric Flair, as well as with Jimmy Garvin, Nick Bockwinkel and King Tonga. His finishing move alternated between the slingshot splash and the combination atomic drop/back suplex. On December 29, 1985, Martel lost the title to Stan Hansen, who forced him to submit to the "Brazos Valley Backbreaker" (Hansen's version of the Boston crab).

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1995)

The Can-Am Connection (1986-1987)

In 1986, Martel returned to the WWF, with his tag team partner Tom Zenk. They were billed as the Can-Am Connection. The Can-Am Connection had been formed by Martel in the Montreal-based International Wrestling Association in 1986. Zenk was the boyfriend of Martel's sister-in-law, and had been introduced to Martel in the AWA by Curt Hennig. The Can-Am Connection quickly garnered the affection of fans, and they looked likely to win the WWF Tag Team Title in the near future. However, the team split shortly after WrestleMania III; Zenk claimed Martel had secretly negotiated an individual contract worth three times more than his partner's contract (traditionally, tag teams are paid roughly equal salaries).^[4]

Martel claimed Zenk "...was overwhelmed by it all... Wrestling is very hard on your body. Hard on you also mentally. It's hard physically. Tom wasn't mentally or physically hard as I thought he would be."^[5]

Strike Force (1987–1989)

After Zenk's departure, Martel formed a new tag team with Tito Santana, called Strike Force. The duo quickly captured the WWF World Tag Team Title from The Hart Foundation, holding it for five months before losing to Demolition at WrestleMania IV.^[2]

Shortly afterward, Martel (kayfabe) took time off due to injuries sustained in a title rematch at a Prime Time Wrestling taping in Oakland, California on June 1, 1988 (aired July 11). Smash hit Martel with a steel chair, then both members of Demolition performed their "Decapitation" finisher on him at ringside, leaving him unconscious on the floor. On the June 18 Superstars, it was announced he suffered back injuries and a concussion. In reality, Martel took the extended leave of absence to help take care of his wife, who was severely ill.

Martel returned in January 1989 as a singles wrestler, before reforming Strike Force with Santana at WrestleMania V to face The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard). During the match, Santana accidentally hit Martel with his signature flying forearm smash and knocked him out of the ring. A frustrated Martel refused to tag in and walked away, leaving Santana to be beaten down and pinned.^[6] Later, in an interview with Gene Okerlund, Martel said, "I'm sick and tired. Sick and tired of him. I was doing great as a singles wrestler, but Mr. Tito wants to ride my coattails some more."

Following his heel turn, Martel acquired Slick as his manager. He feuded with Santana on and off over the next two years, losing to him in the finals of the 1989 King of the Ring tournament, then defeating him at The Main Event IV taping on October 30, 1990 (aired November 23).^[7][8]

As 1989 came to a close, Martel's relationship with Slick quietly ended.

The Model (1989–1995)

In late 1989, Martel adopted a narcissistic gimmick, as "The Model." Just before the 1989 Survivor Series, he introduced his own (fictional) brand of cologne called Arrogance, which he carried in a large atomizer and sprayed in the eyes of his opponents to blind them. He wore a turquoise sweater tied around his neck to the ring (later replaced by a turquoise sportcoat), with a large lapel pin that read "Yes, I am a model.".^[9]

Martel's most high-profile feud during his stint as "The Model" was with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, sparked when he blinded Roberts with Arrogance on "The Brother Love Show" in October 1990. Martel and Roberts captained opposing teams at the Survivor Series. The Visionaries (Martel, The Warlord and Power and Glory) defeated The Vipers (Roberts, Jimmy Snuka and The Rockers) in a clean sweep, 4-0.^[10] Martel continued to have the upper hand in the 1991 Royal Rumble match, eliminating Roberts from the match en route to lasting (a then-record) 53 minutes, before being eliminated by The British Bulldog.^[11] Roberts would ultimately get his revenge at Wrestlemania VII, defeating Martel in a blindfold match.^[12]

In early 1992, Martel began a feud with Tatanka, leading to WrestleMania VIII, where Tatanka pinned him.^[13]

That summer, Martel had a brief feud with Shawn Michaels, as both men sought the affections of Sensational Sherri. The feud ended with a chain of events that resulted in a double countout at SummerSlam 1992. The match carried a "no punching in the face" stipulation (mutually agreed upon by the two narcissistic heels).^[14]

Martel then resumed his rivalry with Tatanka by stealing his sacred eagle feathers, to add to his wardrobe. The feud was resolved at the 1992 Survivor Series, where Tatanka again defeated Martel and reclaimed the feathers.^[15]

By 1993, Martel mainly appeared on the lower undercard, and rarely on television. However, at the September 27 Monday Night Raw taping, he was the co-winner (with Razor Ramon) of a battle royal (aired October 4) to decide the competitors in a match for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. He lost that match (aired the next week) to Ramon.^[16]

By the summer of 1994, Martel dropped out of the WWF picture and would not be seen again until participating in the 1995 Royal Rumble (he was a substitute for Jim Neidhart).^[17] Martel's wrestling career began to slow as he pursued a career in real estate.

In a later shoot interview with RF video, Martel claimed that he and Don Callis were set to return to the WWF as 'The Supermodels' in 1997, and Callis was to eventually turn on Martel, making him a babyface for the first time since 1989. However, after a pay dispute with Vince McMahon, Martel signed with WCW.

World Championship Wrestling (1997–1998)

Martel debuted for World Championship Wrestling in 1997, feuding with Booker T for the WCW World Television Title and winning it on the February 16, 1998 Nitro. Martel's comeback was cut short during his rematch with Booker T at SuperBrawl VIII on February 22, when he landed badly on a throw, hitting his leg on one of the ring ropes. He tore an inside ligament of his right knee, fractured his leg and suffered cartilage damage, effectively ending his in-ring career. He was originally booked to retain the Television Title in the match, intended to be a gauntlet match, by beating Booker and then Perry Saturn. Martel and Booker worked out a finish in the ring (by which Martel suffered a further injury after a botched Harlem Sidekick), and then Booker and Saturn worked the second half of the match entirely on the fly. Martel was out of action for several months.

After suffering another injury in his first match back (on the July 13 episode of Nitro, against Booker T's tag team partner, Stevie Ray), Martel retired from the ring.^[18] He then worked for WCW as a trainer, and as host of the French versions of WCW programming.

Guest appearances

At the end of a house show in Canada in 2003, Brock Lesnar brought out Martel as a surprise. Martel shook hands with him.

At WWE's Vengeance: Night of Champions pay-per-view in 2007, Martel, along with Tony Garea, saved Jimmy Snuka and Sgt. Slaughter from a post-match attack at the hands of Deuce 'n Domino.^[18]

Personal life

Vigneault and his wife Johanne have a daughter named Coralie.^[18]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Boston crab^[1][19] (AWA / WWF) / Quebec Crab^[19] (WCW)
  • Slingshot splash^[19]

• Signature moves
  • Backbreaker^[20]
  • Diving crossbody^[21]
  • Dropkick^[1]
  • Hip toss^[1]
  • Multiple suplex variations
    • Belly to back^[21]
    • Double underhook
    • Gutwrench^[22]
  • Scoop slam^[1]
  • Spinning spinebuster^[23]

• Managers
  • Slick

• Nicknames
  • "The Model"^[18]

• Entrance themes
  • "Let's Hear it For the Boy" by Deneice Williams (AWA and Japan)
  • "Girls in Cars" by Robbie Dupree (WWF w/ Strike Force)
  • "Model" by Jim Johnston (WWF)
  • "Razzmatazz" (production music; WCW)

Championships and accomplishments

• American Wrestling Association

• AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[24]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tommy Rich^[25]

• Lutte Internationale (Montreal)

• Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[26]

• NWA All-Star Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Roddy Piper^[27]

• NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions

• NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time)^[28]

• NWA New Zealand

• NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship (New Zealand version) (3 times)^[29]

• New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2011

• Pacific Northwest Wrestling

• NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[30]
• NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Roddy Piper^[31]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 48 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
• PWI ranked him # 70 of the 100 best tag teams during the PWI years with Tito Santana in 2003

• Stampede Wrestling

• Stampede International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lennie Hurst^[32]

• Universal Superstars of America

• USA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[33]

• World Championship Wrestling

• WCW World Television Championship (1 time)^[34]

• World Championship Wrestling (Australia)

• NWA Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Larry O'Dea^[35]

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pierre Martel^[36]

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Tony Garea (2), and Tito Santana (1)^[37]

References

External links

Professional wrestling portal

• - Official Website
• - Interview with Tom Zenk