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Vivian Vachon

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Vivian Vachon
Vachon, circa 1973
Birth nameDiane Vachon[1]
Born(1951-01-23)January 23, 1951[1]
Newport, Vermont,
United States[1]
DiedAugust 24, 1991(1991-08-24) (aged 40)[1]
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada[1]
Cause of deathTraffic collision
Spouse(s)
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1976; div. 1979)​
  • Gary Carnegie
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1979; div. 1991)​
Children2
FamilyVachon
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Vivian Vachon
Viviane Vachon[2]
Vivian Vance[3]
Billed height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[1]
Billed weight160 lb (73 kg)[1]
Trained byMad Dog Vachon[4]
The Fabulous Moolah[1]
Debut1969[2]
Retired1986

Diane Vachon (January 23, 1951 – August 24, 1991) was a Canadian professional wrestler and singer, best known by her ring name Vivian Vachon. A member of the Vachon family of wrestlers, she was the sister of Maurice and Paul Vachon, and the aunt of Luna Vachon. She is considered one of the best female wrestlers of the 1970s.[2]

Early life

Diane Vachon was born on January 23, 1951, in Newport, Vermont, to Ferdinand and Marguerite Vachon, and was part of the Vachon family. The youngest of thirteen children, Vachon was raised on a farm near Montreal, Quebec. She left high school following the 10th grade, and briefly attended Constance Brown's Charm School. She later modelled for a short period and worked in an office.[1]

Professional wrestling career

At the suggestion of her brother Maurice, she began to train as a professional wrestler, and went to South Carolina to train under The Fabulous Moolah. It was also Maurice who suggested she adopt the ring name Vivian Vachon (sometimes spelled Viviane Vachon).[1]

In 1969, she wrestled for World Wide Wrestling Federation where she teamed with Bette Boucher feuding with The Fabulous Moolah and Toni Rose.[5] During that same year, she also wrestled in Georgia Championship Wrestling using the ring name Vivian Vance.[3]

In February 1971, she became the California Women's Champion.[6] She became the American Wrestling Association's (AWA) Women's Champion for a time, defeating Kay Noble on November 4, 1971.[6] In the early 1970s she starred in the movie Wrestling Queen, which also included her brothers and other wrestlers.[7] She wrestled in the early 1980s on a tour of Japan, and in 1986 for her brother Maurice's retirement tour.[1] In 2006, she was honored posthumously by the Cauliflower Alley Club. Existing autographs signed by Vachon are thought to be rare.

Personal life

Vachon was a talented singer and released a few singles in French.[1]

In July 1976, she married wrestler Buddy Wolfe, but the couple separated three years later in 1979.[1] That same year in November, she married Canadian Armed Forces member Gary Carnegie, with whom she had two children, Ian (born 1980) and Julie Lynn (1982-1991).[1] Vachon and Carnegie divorced in 1991.[1]

Death

Vachon and her nine-year-old daughter Julie died in a car accident on August 24, 1991. They were hit by a drunk driver who had run a stop sign in Mont Saint-Grégoire at the corner of route 104 and Rang de la Montagne.

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Oliver, Greg (February 11, 2013). "The life and loves of Vivian Vachon, Wrestling Queen". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Maurice 'Mad Dog' Vachon, Paul "Butcher" Vachon, and Vivian Vachon". Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Vivian Vachon at WrestlingData.com
  4. ^ a b "Deceased superstars: Vivian Vachon". Bodyslamming. Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  5. ^ "Vivian Vachon". Cagematch.
  6. ^ a b c d "Wrestler Profiles: Vivian Vachon". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
  7. ^ Oliver, Greg (May 9, 2013). "Wrestling Queen a celebration of Vachons, wrestling of the '70s". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  8. ^ Oliver, Greg (June 11, 2006). "Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "Texas Women's Title". Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  10. ^ Oliver, Greg (November 26, 2014). "Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2015 announced". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
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