Paul Vachon

Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Paul Vachon (October 7, 1937 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was a member of the Vachon wrestling family. He is perhaps best known by his ring name Butcher Vachon.^[1]

Professional wrestling career

Paul Vachon grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer. In 1957, he followed his brother Maurice into professional business, adopting his brother's, the "Mad Dog", vicious heel style and the moniker "Butcher Vachon". He wrestled in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), National Wrestling Alliance and Georgia Championship Wrestling (later would become WCW).

Vachon often teamed with his brother "Mad Dog" Vachon, with whom he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship.

In the early 1970s he appeared alongside his sister Vivian Vachon in the motion picture Wrestling Queen.

Vachon wrestled under a mask as "Spoiler #2" for Jim Crockett Promotions' "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" in 1975. His angle involved getting revenge on Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones, and Rufus R. Jones for running Super Destroyer (Don Jardine) out of the territory. (In fact, Jardine left JCP on short notice and booker George Scott wanted a masked heel on the roster.) Vachon stayed in JCP for a few months and before leaving lost a series of matches against Paul Jones and Rufus Jones in which the mask was at stake (as was Paul Jones' U.S. title in their matches).

Vachon retired in 1985 after two years of being a jobber to the stars in the WWF. Proving his talents extend beyond the wrestling ring, one of his final appearances was singing "La Vie en Rose" on Tuesday Night Titans.

Personal life

Paul Vachon was the adoptive father of wrestler Luna Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Maurice and Vivian Vachon and former father-in-law of wrestlers David "Gangrel" Heath and Tom Nash. In total, Vachon has six children and has been married four times.

After his wrestling career, Paul Vachon joined the NDP and ran as a federal candidate in 1988, 1993 and 1995.

In 1993, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and had half of his colon removed.^[2] Then, in 2003, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Vachon underwent 40 treatments, one on each weekday for five straight weeks, to overcome the throat cancer.^[2] In addition, he had the disease burned out of his tonsils and his teeth were removed.^[2] As a result of the radiation treatments, he underwent reconstructive jaw surgery in early June 2009. Vachon also suffered from diabetes.^[3]

Vachon and his wife Rebecca traveled to flea markets and fairs to sell therapeutic magnets, a business they began in 1995.^[3] He also self-published an autobiography titled When Wrestling Was Real.^[3]

Vachon died at his home in Mansonville, Quebec on February 29, 2024, at the age of 86.^[4]^[5]