WRESTLER PROFILES

[Rick Martel Gallery] [Canadian Wrestlers Gallery] [www.rickthemodelmartel.com]	Wrestler: Rick Martel Real Name: Richard Vigneault Birthday: March 18, 1956 Hometown: Lac-Beauport, Quebec City Marital Status: Height & Weight: 6'0" - 226 lbs Trained by: Debut: 1972 Previous Names: "The Model" Rick Martel Finishing Move: The Boston Crab Favorite Moves: Dropkick Bodyslam Hip-toss Notable Feuds: Buddy Rose The Wild Samoans The Moondogs Dino Bravo Hart Foundation Tito Santana Shawn Michaels Brutus Beefcake Tatanka The 1-2-3 Kid Booker T The Flock
Stampede International Tag Team titles w/Lennie Hurst defeating Duke Savage & Stan Kowalski (????, 1974); NWA Austra Asian Tag Team titles w/Larry O` Day defeating Masa Saito & Ed Wiskoski (Febuary 18, 1977); NWA (New Zealand) British Empire/ Commonwelth Heavyweight title defeating Curtis Iaukea (May 26, 1977); NWA (Hawaii) North American Heavyweight title defeating Tor Kamata (March ??, 1978); NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/Tommy Rich defeating Ivan Koloff & Ole Anderson (October 13, 1978); WWC North American Tag Team titles w/Pierre Martel Awarded (January 22, 1979); NWA (New Zealand) British Empire / Commonwelth Heavyweight title defeating Mad Dog Martin (March 19, 1979); NWA (New Zealand) British Empire / Commonwelth Heavyweight title defeating Mr. Fuji (September 3, 1979); NWA Pacfic Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Buddy Rose (March 22, 1980); NWA Pacfic Northwest Tag Team titles w/Roddy Piper defeating Luke Williams & Butch Miller (March 29, 1980); NWA (Vancouver) Canadian Tag Team titles w/Roddy Piper defeating Luke Williams & Butch Miller (May 19, 1980); NWA Pacfic Northwest Tag Team titles w/Roddy Piper Awarded (August 5, 1980); WWF Tag Team titles w/Tony Garea defeating Wild Samoans Afa & Sika (November 8, 1980); WWF Tag Team titles w/Tony Garea defeating The Moondogs Spot & Rex (May 1, 1981); IWA (Montreal) International Heavyweight title wins a tournament (September ??, 1982); AWA World Heavyweight title defeating Jumbo Tsuruta (May 13, 1984); WWF World Tag Team titles w/Tito Santana defeating Jim Neidhart & Bret Hart (October 27, 1987); WCW World Television Title defeating Booker T (Febuary 16, 1998);
In The Beginning: Rick Martel (Vigneault) is NOT related to Sherri Martel (Russel).. Getting into the Business: 1974: Rick Martel & Lennie Hurst won the Stampede International Tag Team titles from Stan Kowalski & Duke Savage.. Wrestling in New Zealand: May 1977: Rick Martel won the Commonwealth Championship (in New Zealand) from King Curtis Iaukea.. Rick Martel later lost to Ali Waziri (now better known as the Iron Sheik).. 1979: Rick Martel won the vacated Commonwealth Title again, and later lost it to Ripper Collins.. 1979: Rick Martel defeated Mr. Fuji to win the Commonwealth title for a third time.. Late 1979: Rick Martel left New Zealand and vacated the title.. Pacific Northwest Wrestling: 1980: Rick Martel came to the NWA Pacific-Northwest territory, and immediately became one of their main stars.. March 22, 1980: Rick Martel beat Buddy Rose to become the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion! March 1980: Rick Martel & Roddy Piper defeated the Kiwi Sheepherders for the Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles.. August 16, 1980: Buddy Rose defeated Rick Martel in a "Loser Leaves Town" match forcing Martel to forfiet both his titles.. World Wide Wrestling Federation: November 8, 1980: Rick Martel & Tony Garea defeated The Wild Samoans for the WWWF Tag Team titles (lost to the Moondogs).. July 21, 1980: Rick Martel & Tony Garea defeated the Moondogs to recapture the WWWF Tag Team titles (lost to Fuji/Saito).. Montreal: Rick Martel left the WWWF and became a regular performer in Montreal in the early 1980s.. ~~~Rick Martel a memorable "good guy vs good guy" feud against Dino Bravo in 1983.. September 1982: Rick Martel won a tournament for the vacated International Championship.. December 1982: Billy Robinson defeated Rick Martel for the International Championship.. ~~~The Montreal promotion never recovered from the loss of Dino Bravo & Rick Martel in 1986, when they signed with the WWF.. American Wrestling Association: Rick Martel then left Montreal and joined Verne Gagne's Minnesota-based AWA.. May 1984: Rick Martel shocked the world when he defeated Jumbo Tsuruta for the AWA World Heavyweight title! December 1984: Stan Hansen defeated Rick Martel to capture the AWA World title.. September 28, 1985 - AWA SuperClash: Rick Martel vs Stan Hansen fought to a Double DQ. Rick Martel retains the AWA title.. April 20, 1986 - AWA WrestleRock: Rick Martel vs Harley Race fought to a DOUBLE COUNT OUT.. World Wrestling Federation - Can Am Connection: Rick Martel returned to the WWF, teaming with Tom Zenk as the Can-Am Connection.. March 27, 1987 - Wrestlemania III: The Can-Am Connection defeated Don Muraco & "Cowboy" Bob Orton.. May 2, 1987 - SNME: The Can-Am Connection defeated The Iron Sheik & Nikalia Volkoff.. Mid-1987: The Hart Foundation defeated the Can-Am Connection when they "took out" Tom Zenk before the match.. ~~~Tom Zenk left the WWF, leaving Martel without a partner, so he recruited Tito Santana and they were known as Strike Force.. World Wrestling Federation - Strike Force: October 27, 1987 - Superstars: Rick Martel & Tito Santana defeated The Hart Foundation to win the WWF Tag Team titles.. January 2, 1988 - SNME: Strike Force defeated The Bolshivics (Nikalia Volkoff & Boris Zukov) to retain.. February 5, 1988 - The Main Event: Strike Force defeated The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) to retain.. March 1988: Demolition burst on the scene and beat Strike Force to capture the WWF Tag Team titles.. Both Rick Martel & Tito Santana disappear from the scene for about a year before reforming their team.. April 2, 1989 - Wrestlemania V: The Brain Busters defeated Strike Force when Rick Martel walked out on Tito Santana! World Wrestling Federation - vs Tito Santana: Rick Martel turned heel on Tito Santana, breaking up Strike Force, and resulted in a bitter feud that lasted over a year! October 14, 1989 - SNME: Tito Santana vs Rick Martel went to a double disqualification.. October 14, 1989 - King of the Ring: Tito Santana defeated Rick Martel in the finals of the KotR Tournament! April 1, 1990 - Wrestlemania VI: Rick Martel defeated Koko B. Ware.. November 23, 1990 - SNME: Rick "The Model" Martel defeated Tito Santana in the supposed blowoff of the feud.. World Wrestling Federation - The Model: Rick Martel became known as "The Model", wrestling as a heel, although he had lost a lot of the athleticism he showed in his prime.. ~~~Sidenote: The "Model" gimmick was a J.J. Dillon's idea -- The model would carry a spray can of purfume called "Arrogance".. The Model's biggest feud happened when he accidentally blinded Jake "the Snake" Roberts by spraying him with Arrogance.. March 24, 1991 - Wrestlemania VII: Jake "The Snake" Roberts defeated Rick "The Model" Martel in a famous "Blindfold" match.. April 5, 1992 - Wrestlemania VIII: Tatanka defeated Rick "The Model" Martel.. November 24, 1992 - Survivor Series: Tatanka defeated Rick "The Model" Martel AGAIN.. August 29, 1992 - SummerSlam: Rick Martel battled Shawn Michaels for the love of Sensational Sherri, the match was a No Contest.. World Wrestling Federation - Lighter Schedule: October 4, 1993 - RAW: Razor Ramon & Rick Martel were co-winners of a Battle Royal for the Intercontinental title.. October 11, 1993 - RAW: Razor Ramon defeated Rick Martel to win the vacant Intercontinental title! November 8, 1993 - RAW: Rick Martel defeated John Paul. December 13, 1993 - RAW: Rick Martel defeated Tim McNeany. March 28, 1994 - RAW: Lex Luger defeated Rick Martel by submission.. April 04, 1994 - RAW: Rick Martel/IRS/Jeff Jarrett/Headshrinkers beat Sparky Plugg/Tatanka/123 Kid/The Smoking Gunns.. ~~~This was a match scheduled for WrestleMania (the night before) however the match was bumped to RAW.. 1995: Rick Martel left the WWF, to wrestle in various independent federations both here and overseas.. IN CANADA: Rick Martel formed a tag team with Don Casablancas (aka Don Callis) known as "The Super Models".. Rick Martel & Don Callis pitched the idea of bringing "The Super Models" to the WWF and negotiated but it never panned out.. World Championship Wrestling: Late 1997: Rick Martel resurfaced in World Championship Wrestling and captured the Television title! January 5, 1998 - Monday Nitro: Rick Martel defeated Brad Armstrong.. January 10, 1998 - Saturday Night: Rick Martel defeated Mark Truran.. January 17, 1998 - Saturday Night: Rick Martel defeated Hard Body Harrison.. January 19, 1998 - Monday Nitro: Rick Martel defeated Eddie Guerrero.. January 23, 1998 - Thunder: Rick Martel defeated Perry Saturn.. January 24, 1998 - Saturday Night: Rick Martel defeated Johnny Attitude.. February 14, 1998 - Worldwide: Rick Martel defeated Barry Houston.. February 16, 1998 - Monday Nitro: Saturn defeated Rick Martel.. February 16, 1998 - Monday Nitro: Rick Martel defeated Booker T to win the WCW Television title.. February 22, 1998 - SuperBrawl VIII: Booker T defeated Rick Martel to win the WCW Television title.. February 28, 1998 - Worldwide: Rick Martel defeated Silver King.. July 13, 1998 - Monday Nitro: Stevie Ray (WCW Television Champion) defeated Rick Martel Rick Martel was soon sidelined with a back injury, and he was out of wrestling for five months.. ~~~When he returned, in a match-up against Stevie Ray, he injured his neck, and Martel decided to retire.. Retirement: Rick Martel was a good, agile wrestler with a good physique.. Many found him an odd choice for the AWA title -- especially when Verne Gagne wouldn't give the belt to Hulk Hogan.. 2002: Rick Martel is now involved real-estate and lives in Lac-Beauport, suburb of Quebec City, QC, Canada.. March 2004: Rick Martel recently had two hip replacement surgeries, so all the best for a speedy recovery.. June 24, 2007 - Vengeance (Night of Champions): Rick Martel made an appearance as a former World Tag Team Champion.. ~~~Rick Martel & Tony Garea got physically involved saving Sgt. Slaughter & Jimmy Snuka from Deuce & Domino..