Lutte Internationale (original) (raw)

Lutte Internationale (French pronunciation: [lyt ɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal]; "International Wrestling") was a professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal from 1980 until 1987. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac (VAlois, ROUSSimoff, and ACcocella Promotions). Lutte Internationale succeeded All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling as Quebec's top wrestling promotion for most of the 1980s. It was the second of Canada's three major wrestling promotions, along with Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling, to be put out of business by the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE). Many French Canadian professional wrestlers of the 1980s wrestling boom came to the U.S. from Lutte Internationale including, most notably, Dino Bravo, Rick Martel, Ronnie Garvin and The Rougeaus. The promotion's close in 1987 marked the end of the fifty-year "Golden Age of Wrestling" in Quebec. (en)

I wonder, in this age, if the casual fan has that interest in [Quebec territory] pro wrestling, but they should. We should all have such high standards. Because the regional promotions like Grand Prix and Lutte Internationale were the foundation of the industry for most of its history, and the training ground of so many of the greats, watching it gets you involved in the big angles, the development of those stars and the vast difference in approach between today and yesteryear. (en)

Lutte Internationale (French pronunciation: [lyt ɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal]; "International Wrestling") was a professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal from 1980 until 1987. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac (VAlois, ROUSSimoff, and ACcocella Promotions). Lutte Internationale succeeded All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling as Quebec's top wrestling promotion for most of the 1980s. (en)