Tarzan Tyler
Camille Tourville (December 4, 1927 – December 24, 1985) was a Canadian professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Tarzan Tyler. He was one-half of the first WWWF World Tag Team Champions, along with Luke Graham.
Tarzan Tyler | |
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Birth name | Camille Tourville |
Born | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | December 4, 1927
Died | December 24, 1985 58) Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Quebec, Canada | (aged
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | The Boot La Bottine Tarzan Tyler Tarzan Tourville |
Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1] |
Billed weight | 270 lb (122 kg)[1] |
Billed from | Miami Beach, Florida, United States[1] |
Trained by | Jacques Rougeau, Sr. Édouard Carpentier Yvon Robert Jr |
Debut | 1949[1] |
Professional wrestling career
Tarzan Tyler began competing in the United States during the 1960s after having spent nearly 10 years wrestling in Canada.[1] Tyler competed for World Championships against such stars as Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, and Dory Funk Jr.[1] His greatest success came as a tag team competitor, as he and Crazy Luke Graham defeated the team of Dick the Bruiser and The Shiek in 1971 to become the first WWWF World Tag Team Champions.[1] Tyler also challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Championship in 1966. In 1980 he fought Angelo Mosca Sr. for the Canadian Heavyweight title in Toronto.
While working as a heel manager for Gino Brito's Lutte Internationale, Tarzan Tyler died, along with fellow wrestler Pierre 'Mad Dog' Lefébvre and referee Adrien Desbois, in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve upon returning from a wrestling event in Chicoutimi, Québec on December 24, 1985, in a car crash.
He was a three-time heavyweight champion for Grand Prix Wrestling in Montréal in the 1970s.
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Alaskan[2][3]
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (2 times)
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Florida Television Championship (2 times, inaugural)[4]
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (2 times)
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Louie Tillet
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (2 times) - with Tim Tyler (1) and Freddie Blassie (1)
- World Wide Wrestling Federation
- WWWF International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Luke Graham
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural) - with Luke Graham
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mighty Ursus
References
- Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch and McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- Hoops, Brian (January 17, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/17): Vader wins IWGP heavyweight title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
External links
- Tarzan Tyler's profile at Cagematch.net, Internet Wrestling Database