Eddie Quinn
Encyclopedia
Edmund R. Quinn was a professional wrestling
promoter
in Canada and the United States better known as Eddie Quinn. He grew up in Massachusetts
and organized boxing
and wrestling events in New England
and such cities as St. Louis, Missouri
, Chicago, Illinois
, and Montreal, Quebec. Bringing gimmicks and showmanship back to professional wrestling in Montreal, he helped restimulate local interest in the sport. Quinn died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1965.
and got involved in boxing as a youth. He later took a job as a taxi
driver in Brookline, Massachusetts
. In the 1930s, Quinn began promoting professional wrestling shows in Massachusetts, where he had a business relationship with fellow wrestling promoter Paul Bowser
.
. He chose to avoid the “scientific wrestling” favored by Jack Ganson, the previous promoter at the Forum. Instead of what he called “pink wrestling”, Quinn pushed gimmickry, storylines, and bloody brawls.
Quinn’s shows began on August 8, 1939, with Yvon Robert
as his central attraction. Other stars of his promotion included Édouard Carpentier
, Yukon Eric
, and Killer Kowalski
. At one point, Gorgeous George
was brought in for a series of matches against Yvon Robert. Another famous match featured boxer Jersey Joe Walcott
facing wrestler Buddy Rogers, which Rogers won in the third round.
and Bob Cleroux failed to attract as many ticket purchases as hoped. Quinn decided to cancel the event and was stripped of his boxing and wrestling promoter’s licenses as a result. His wrestling license was reinstated several weeks later.
Aside from the storylines in his promotions, Quinn also ensured success through television exposure and connections with influential people. He pointed to the massive increases in ticket sales that occurred after his featured wrestlers gained notoriety through televised shows in Chicago. He also held a television contract with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
. Quinn befriended Elmer Ferguson, a Montreal sportswriter, in a relationship that was advantageous to Quinn’s wrestling organization. He also promoted events for charity and donated money to powerful political figures. When decisions were made regarding professional wrestling, Quinn’s acquaintances sided with him.
Quinn had a negative relationship with promoter Jack Pfefer
, who Quinn described in a letter published in the New York Daily Mirror as “the Cancer of the Wrestling Business”. He also had a disagreement with Sam Muchnick
in 1957 about control of Carpentier, who Quinn had begun managing
. Quinn promised to involve the United States Department of Justice
if the matter was not resolved quickly. In 1960, Quinn allowed Bob Langevin to become the public face of his promotion, while Quinn dealt more with the financial aspects.
In 1964, Quinn retired from the wrestling business and purchased the Hobb Nursing Home in North Hampton, New Hampshire
. In 1965, Quinn suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died in the nursing home he had purchased on December 14.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
in Canada and the United States better known as Eddie Quinn. He grew up in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and organized boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and wrestling events in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and such cities as St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Montreal, Quebec. Bringing gimmicks and showmanship back to professional wrestling in Montreal, he helped restimulate local interest in the sport. Quinn died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1965.
Early years
Quinn was born in Waltham, MassachusettsWaltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
and got involved in boxing as a youth. He later took a job as a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
. In the 1930s, Quinn began promoting professional wrestling shows in Massachusetts, where he had a business relationship with fellow wrestling promoter Paul Bowser
Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.-Wrestler:...
.
Montreal
Quinn’s big break came on July 27, 1939, when the Montreal Athletic Commission granted him rights to promote wrestling events in the Montreal ForumMontreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
. He chose to avoid the “scientific wrestling” favored by Jack Ganson, the previous promoter at the Forum. Instead of what he called “pink wrestling”, Quinn pushed gimmickry, storylines, and bloody brawls.
Quinn’s shows began on August 8, 1939, with Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert was a French Canadian professional wrestler who was best known to fans as Yvon "The Lion" Robert.- American Wrestling Association :...
as his central attraction. Other stars of his promotion included Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...
, Yukon Eric
Eric Holmback
Eric Holmback was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yukon Eric.Holmback spent the majority of his career in Southern Ontario, Canada, where he won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship on two occasions with Whipper Billy Watson in 1955 and 1961 and the Montreal...
, and Killer Kowalski
Killer Kowalski
Władek "Killer" Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWF, and was a known heel wrestler...
. At one point, Gorgeous George
George Wagner
George Raymond Wagner was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Gorgeous George...
was brought in for a series of matches against Yvon Robert. Another famous match featured boxer Jersey Joe Walcott
Jersey Joe Walcott
Arnold Raymond Cream , better known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was a world heavyweight boxing champion. He broke the world's record for the oldest man to win the world's Heavyweight title when he earned it at the age of , a record that would be broken on November 5, 1994, by George Foreman, who...
facing wrestler Buddy Rogers, which Rogers won in the third round.
Other territories
Over time, Quinn also expanded his territory, organizing events throughout Quebec and New England. In 1959, he began promoting wrestling events in Chicago. The following year, he stated that he controlled most of the wrestling events in Canada and Boston as well as substantial portions of Chicago and St. Louis. Having made professional wrestling more popular in Quebec than any sport aside from hockey, Quinn earned up to $250,000. He ran into trouble in 1961, when a boxing match between Archie MooreArchie Moore
Archie Moore, born Archibald Lee Wright , was light heavyweight world boxing champion who had one of the longest professional careers in the history of that sport....
and Bob Cleroux failed to attract as many ticket purchases as hoped. Quinn decided to cancel the event and was stripped of his boxing and wrestling promoter’s licenses as a result. His wrestling license was reinstated several weeks later.
Aside from the storylines in his promotions, Quinn also ensured success through television exposure and connections with influential people. He pointed to the massive increases in ticket sales that occurred after his featured wrestlers gained notoriety through televised shows in Chicago. He also held a television contract with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. Quinn befriended Elmer Ferguson, a Montreal sportswriter, in a relationship that was advantageous to Quinn’s wrestling organization. He also promoted events for charity and donated money to powerful political figures. When decisions were made regarding professional wrestling, Quinn’s acquaintances sided with him.
Quinn had a negative relationship with promoter Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer was an professional wrestling promoter during the early-to-mid 1900's. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment, as he was one of the first promoters to visualize the pro wrestling business in the mold of theater...
, who Quinn described in a letter published in the New York Daily Mirror as “the Cancer of the Wrestling Business”. He also had a disagreement with Sam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often deemed as wrestling’s equivalent of Pete Rozelle , and he was instrumental in establishing the National Wrestling Alliance, which became the industry’s top governing body, in 1948...
in 1957 about control of Carpentier, who Quinn had begun managing
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. Quinn promised to involve the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
if the matter was not resolved quickly. In 1960, Quinn allowed Bob Langevin to become the public face of his promotion, while Quinn dealt more with the financial aspects.
In 1964, Quinn retired from the wrestling business and purchased the Hobb Nursing Home in North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,301 at the 2010 census. While the majority of the town is inland, North Hampton includes a part of New Hampshire's limited Atlantic seacoast.-History:...
. In 1965, Quinn suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died in the nursing home he had purchased on December 14.