Rougeau wrestling family

The Rougeau wrestling family is a family of Canadian professional wrestlers, with the first Rougeau member taking up wrestling in the 1940s. So far four generations of the family have been involved in professional wrestling starting with Eddie Auger, followed into the sport by his nephews Johnny and Jacques Rougeau Sr. in the 1950s. Three of Jaques' sons following him into professional wrestling Jacques, Jr., Raymond, and Armand. Jean Jacques and Cedric, both sons of Jacques Rougeau Jr. , represent the fourth generation.

Family history in professional wrestling

The Rougeau family first got involved in professional wrestling when Eddie Auger began wrestling around 1946. Auger worked under a number of different names: Ed Auger, Eddie Auger, Henri LaSalle and Pierre LaSalle. Together with Jack O'Brien he held the Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship and alongside Maurice Vachon he held the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship, both in the 1950s.^[1] Auger's nephew through marriage, Jean Rougeau, became a professional wrestler under the ring name "Johnny Rougeau" in 1951. Johnny Rougeau wrestled primarily in Canada.^[2] Jean Rougeau was soon joined by his brother Jacques Rougeau who turned pro in 1956.^[1][3] Jacques' three sons followed in his footsteps, Raymond Rougeau in 1971, Jacques Rougeau Jr. in 1977 and Armand Rougeau in 1982.^[1][3] Armand retired in 1987 due to injuries.^[1] Jacques Jr. and Raymond competed as a tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1986 until 1990 as the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers.^[1][3] Raymond Rougeau retired in 1990 and became a host for French-produced WWF programming. Ray Rougeau would also be often used as interviewer for the WWF wrestlers through the mid-90s.

Jacques was planning retiring as well during the mid-1990s, as his partner from The Quebecers tag-team Pierre turned on him at a house show held on the Montreal Forum. During this house show as well, Ray Rougeau would leave the broadcasting team and run to the ring to save his brother. This angle led to Rougeau's first retirement match, which, over the next few months, was heavily promoted on WWF TV shows broadcast in the Montreal area, as well as in the local media. The match, which was held on October 21, 1994, drew a sell-out crowd of 16,843 to the Montreal Forum, and resulted in a victory for Rougeau, when he pinned Ouellet following a seated tombstone piledriver. Rougeau, who was accompanied by Raymond, used Queen's song "We Are the Champions" as his theme music for the night.

Ray Rougeau came out of retirement in August 8, 1996, to face Owen Hart in a boxing match at the Montreal Molson Centre during a WWF house show despite not being active as a competitor for years, but a successful wrestler on the Montreal area.

Jacques' daughter Joanne promoted wrestling shows in Canada and is a bodybuilder. She was once a marketing specialist for the World Wrestling Federation. She was married to wrestler Denis Gauthier, Sr. They have a son, Denis, Jr., who plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. Remarried in 1989 has three more children, a son Shane and twin daughters who became Canadian Blackbelts in TKD in 2005. There is also a second daughter, Diane, who lives in Florida.

Four generations of wrestlers

First generation

• Edward Auger (1923 – December 1973) – Professional wrestler, worked under the ring name Ed Auger, Eddie Auger, Henri LaSalle, Pierre LaSalle.^[1][3]

Second generation

• Jean Rougeau (June 9, 1929 – May 25, 1983) – wrestler, worked under the ring names Jean Rougeau, Johnny Rougeau.^[1][2][3]
• Jacques Rougeau Sr. (born 1930) – Retired wrestler, worked under the ring name Jacques Rougeau.^[1][3]

Third generation

• Jacques Rougeau Jr. (Birthdate) – Retired wrestler,worked under the ring names Jacques Rougeau, Jerry Roberts, The Mountie, Freedom Fighter, Jacques, Jimmy Rougeau.^[1][3]
• Raymond Rougeau (Birthdate) – Retired wrestler, worked under the ring names Raymond Rougeau and Ray Rougeau.^[1][3]
• Armand Rougeau (Birthdate) – Retired wrestler, worked under the ring names Armand Lefebvre, Armand Rougeau and Phillip Rougeau.^[1][3]
• Denis Gauthier, Denis Gauthier Sr. (date of birth unknown) – Retired professional wrestler, brother-in-law of Jacques Jr., Raymond and Armand Rougeau. worked under the ring name Denis Gauthier.^[1][3]

Fourth generation

• Jean Jacques Rougeau (1989) – Professional wrestler, son of Jacques Rougeau Jr., works under the ring name Jean-Jacques Rougeau.^[1]
• Cedrik Rougeau (February 22, 1993) son of Jacques Rougeau Jr, works under the ring name of Cedrick Rougeau and "Predateur" (a heel gimmick)

Family tree

Championship and accomplishments

• All-Star Wrestling
  • All-Star Wrestling Heavyweight Champion (2 times) – Jean Rougeau
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – Jacques Rougeau^[4]
  • NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – Jacques Rougeau^[5]
• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau (with Butch Reed)^[6][7]
• International Wrestling Association (Montreal)
  • IWA International Heavyweight Championship (11 times) – Jean Rougeau (6) and Jacques Rougeau Sr. (5)^[8]
  • IWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Sr.
• Lutte Internationale
  • Canadian International Tag Team Championship (11 times) – Raymond Rougeau (6) and Jacques Rougeau (4), and Armand Rougeau (1)^[9]
• Lutte Internationale 2000
  • Lutte 2000 Championship (1 time)^[10] – Raymond Rougeau
• Montreal Athletic Commission
  • MAC World Heavyweight Champion (1 time)^[11] – Jean Rougeau
• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Montreal Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Raymond Rougeau
• National Wrestling Federation
  • NWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Sr.
  • NWF World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Raymond Rougeau
  • NWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Sr.^[12]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked Raymond Rougeau #291 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1994^[13]
  • PWI ranked Jacques Rougeau Jr. #41 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1992^[14]
  • PWI ranked Jacques Rougeau # 222 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
  • PWI ranked Jacques Rougeau # 83 of the 100 best tag teams of the PWI Years with Pierre Ouellet in 2003.
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Jr.^[15]
  • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Jr.^[16]
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time) – Jacques Rougeau Jr.^[17]
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – Jacques Rougeau Jr.^{[18][19][20][21]}

See also

• The Fabulous Rougeaus
• The Quebecers

References

External links

• The Rougeau Family at Canoe.ca