Frank Tunney
Encyclopedia
Francis Martin “Frank” Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional wrestling
promoter, based in Toronto
.
and went to a business college after high school. His first exposure to wrestling came when he answered a classified ad for the Queensbury Athletic Club. The club required a secretary and Tunney was hired by Jack Corcoran to fill that position. It was Corcoran who opened wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens
in November 1931.
At Tunney’s request, Corcoran hired his older brother, John Tunney, to be matchmaker. John managed the wrestling promotion through most of the Great Depression
, while younger brother Frank was the bookkeeper.
In 1939, Corcoran was forced to sell his promotion due to illness. John continued to handle matchmaking duties, with assistance from Paul Bowser
, Jack Ganson, and Jerry Monahan. Unexpectedly, John died from influenza on January 19, 1940. Frank was now left in charge and had many struggles in the early weeks. The contributions of wrestler Bill Longson
helped to sell tickets while the promotion stayed afloat.
. Tunney estimated that Watson drew more than five million people in main events of shows in Toronto.
Tunney had never taken Watson seriously in the early years. While Watson was touring England and Ireland, Watson had accumulated a package of newspaper clippings and promotional pieces and mailed them to Tunney. Watson discovered that Tunney had completely disregarded the package.
Six months after Watson made his Maple Leaf Gardens
debut on October 3, 1940, Tunney faced criticism that he was not willing to give Watson a push. Press writers boasted about the applause that Watson earned, and after more pressure, Tunney booked a tournament on May 1, 1941, in which Watson won. As winner, Watson became number one contender for the regional title, and the victory proved a pivotal turning point for both Watson and Tunney.
invested in the St. Louis territory in June 1948. It was a way to ensure that the NWA World Champion
would make appearances in Toronto and Montreal. The territories in Toronto and Montreal were not granted membership in the NWA until November 1949. Tunney kept his stake in St. Louis until 1974.
Eventually, Tunney cut Watson into the business side of wrestling. Watson eventually bought into the St. Louis territory.
The Toronto territory was held in such high regard that future world champions used the territory as a barometer to measure potential success. When Bruno Sammartino
captured the WWWF Title
, he visited Toronto.
Another champion who frequented Toronto was Buddy Rogers. His reign as NWA champion created animosity among many promoters. While Rogers was locked in for visits to key territories such as Tunney’s in Toronto, there were others who felt that promoters such as Leroy McGuirk
, Jim Crockett
, Karl Sarpolis, and Cowboy Luttrall, were not essential enough to have Rogers visit.
His demeanor was such that the NWA executives made him a clear choice to chair the grievance committee. Tunney was also a leading member of the Heavyweight Championship Committee. From an executive standpoint, Tunney was elected as the NWA’s First Vice-President in 1954. At the NWA’s Annual Meeting, held in Acapulco
in 1960, Tunney was voted NWA President. Tunney had long lasting friendships with promoters such as Willie Gilzenberg and Bob Marella, better known as Gorilla Monsoon
.
Despite Toronto’s reputation as an elite territory, Tunney saw the low end of his promotion in 1965. Attendance dwindled to 2,000, but he rebounded with strong booking. The Shiek Edward Farhat and George Scott
booked the matches in Toronto during the 1970s and the early 1980s. Another method of keeping Toronto strong was having a working arrangement with Jim Crockett Promotions
. This brought talent from Mid-Atlantic Wrestling to have bookings in Toronto.
, Tunney died in his sleep on May 10, 1983 at the age of 70. He was buried at Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery in Ontario. He was survived by his wife Loraine and his three children Eddie, Patricia and Marie from his first wife Edna who died in 1969. The funeral was attended by wrestling luminaries such as Sam Muchnick
, Gene Kiniski
, Jim Barnett, George Scott, Jim Crockett
, Vincent J. McMahon
, Fred Ward
, and Athol Layton. Frank Tunney Sports Ltd was continued by Frank’s son Ed Tunney and his nephew, Jack Tunney
. In July 1984, the Tunney family partnered with Vince McMahon
and Jack Tunney was the World Wrestling Federation’s figurehead president from 1984 to 1995.
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, based in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Early years
He was educated in Markham, OntarioMarkham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
and went to a business college after high school. His first exposure to wrestling came when he answered a classified ad for the Queensbury Athletic Club. The club required a secretary and Tunney was hired by Jack Corcoran to fill that position. It was Corcoran who opened wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in November 1931.
At Tunney’s request, Corcoran hired his older brother, John Tunney, to be matchmaker. John managed the wrestling promotion through most of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, while younger brother Frank was the bookkeeper.
In 1939, Corcoran was forced to sell his promotion due to illness. John continued to handle matchmaking duties, with assistance from 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:...
, Jack Ganson, and Jerry Monahan. Unexpectedly, John died from influenza on January 19, 1940. Frank was now left in charge and had many struggles in the early weeks. The contributions of wrestler Bill Longson
Bill Longson
William Longson was a professional wrestler, who spent most of his career in St. Louis, Missouri under the ring name "Wild Bill" Longson...
helped to sell tickets while the promotion stayed afloat.
Whipper Billy Watson
Of all the wrestlers who ever worked for Tunney, the one who helped to put Tunney’s promotion on the map was Whipper Billy WatsonWhipper Billy Watson
William John Potts, O.Ont was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Whipper Billy Watson, and was a two-time world heavyweight wrestling champion.-Early life:...
. Tunney estimated that Watson drew more than five million people in main events of shows in Toronto.
Tunney had never taken Watson seriously in the early years. While Watson was touring England and Ireland, Watson had accumulated a package of newspaper clippings and promotional pieces and mailed them to Tunney. Watson discovered that Tunney had completely disregarded the package.
Six months after Watson made his Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
debut on October 3, 1940, Tunney faced criticism that he was not willing to give Watson a push. Press writers boasted about the applause that Watson earned, and after more pressure, Tunney booked a tournament on May 1, 1941, in which Watson won. As winner, Watson became number one contender for the regional title, and the victory proved a pivotal turning point for both Watson and Tunney.
Elite status
Frank Tunney and Eddie QuinnEddie Quinn
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...
invested in the St. Louis territory in June 1948. It was a way to ensure that the NWA World Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
would make appearances in Toronto and Montreal. The territories in Toronto and Montreal were not granted membership in the NWA until November 1949. Tunney kept his stake in St. Louis until 1974.
Eventually, Tunney cut Watson into the business side of wrestling. Watson eventually bought into the St. Louis territory.
The Toronto territory was held in such high regard that future world champions used the territory as a barometer to measure potential success. When Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
captured the WWWF Title
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, he visited Toronto.
Another champion who frequented Toronto was Buddy Rogers. His reign as NWA champion created animosity among many promoters. While Rogers was locked in for visits to key territories such as Tunney’s in Toronto, there were others who felt that promoters such as Leroy McGuirk
Leroy McGuirk
Leroy Michael McGuirk was an American wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He was involved in professional wrestling for more than fifty years. As one of the longest surviving members of the National Wrestling Alliance , he was affiliated with the promotion from 1949 to 1982.-Early...
, Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
, Karl Sarpolis, and Cowboy Luttrall, were not essential enough to have Rogers visit.
Personality
Tunney was always considered non-threatening. He was more comfortable investing his money into other territories rather than pursuing any personal aspirations. Besides St. Louis, Tunney also invested in the territories in Detroit and Indianapolis.His demeanor was such that the NWA executives made him a clear choice to chair the grievance committee. Tunney was also a leading member of the Heavyweight Championship Committee. From an executive standpoint, Tunney was elected as the NWA’s First Vice-President in 1954. At the NWA’s Annual Meeting, held in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
in 1960, Tunney was voted NWA President. Tunney had long lasting friendships with promoters such as Willie Gilzenberg and Bob Marella, better known as Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
.
Despite Toronto’s reputation as an elite territory, Tunney saw the low end of his promotion in 1965. Attendance dwindled to 2,000, but he rebounded with strong booking. The Shiek Edward Farhat and George Scott
George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
booked the matches in Toronto during the 1970s and the early 1980s. Another method of keeping Toronto strong was having a working arrangement with Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
. This brought talent from Mid-Atlantic Wrestling to have bookings in Toronto.
Final years
During a trip to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Tunney died in his sleep on May 10, 1983 at the age of 70. He was buried at Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery in Ontario. He was survived by his wife Loraine and his three children Eddie, Patricia and Marie from his first wife Edna who died in 1969. The funeral was attended by wrestling luminaries such as 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...
, Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
, Jim Barnett, George Scott, Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
, Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
, Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
, and Athol Layton. Frank Tunney Sports Ltd was continued by Frank’s son Ed Tunney and his nephew, Jack Tunney
Jack Tunney
John "Jack" Tunney was a Canadian wrestling promoter. Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president, suspending wrestlers, stripping them of titles, and ordering matches...
. In July 1984, the Tunney family partnered with Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
and Jack Tunney was the World Wrestling Federation’s figurehead president from 1984 to 1995.
Championships and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)