Fifty years ago........................................

Wrestling with Mad Dog Vachon.......................

In the ring, Mad Dog was known for his unorthodox tactics and blatant disregard for the rules and his devastating finishing move, the pile-driver.  He would often bite his opponents, hit them with chairs, claw their backs and throw them out of the ring onto the cement floor. 

On May 2, 1964, Mad Dog used those tactics to defeat AWA champion Vern Gagne to become the world heavyweight champion.  He held that title five times in his career.  Mad Dog later teamed with his brother Paul “The Butcher” Vachon and together, they earned the tag team championship.

Truth be told, I had never heard of Mad Dog Vachon until reading his name on HistoryOrb.com. Growing up in Philly, my favorite pro wrestlers were Bruno Sammartino and Haystacks Calhoun.  Those were the days.

Bruno Sammartino   circa early 1960's

Haystacks Calhoun    "billed weight  640 pounds"

Sammartino lifts Calhoun