The Great White North: for those of us who inhabit this wonderful land, we have learned to appreciate it and all its glory. Canada is a beautiful place filled with beautiful landmarks, gorgeous women, great beer, and free health care. Who wouldn't want to live in Canada?
Of course, as Canadians, we have all grown accustomed to the stereotypes and the perceived view of outsiders. Hockey, maple syrup, moose, beavers, saying “eh!” … it's all there and it's all good. We don't need to be understood, we just need to be heard.
Canada is the quiet child of North America, the one who stays out of trouble but would kick your ass if you stepped on its toes. We rest atop the United States and observe their hostility and hope that our brother will find better days.
Now then, we are far from perfect as a society. Canada, much like everywhere else, has its share of injustice as well as political and social issues that are often the cause of great distress for Canadian citizens but still we fly our Maple Leaf with pride.
Yes, we love hockey and syrup and beer and beaver but there is far more to our country than just these outdated ideas. Canada is a contributor, a participant in World Affairs, with good intentions and strong will.
Something we hold true to our hearts up here is professional wrestling. Canada and professional wrestling are homeboys from way back in the day. Over the years, we have turned out some of the best professional wrestlers in the world.
The following article will take a Northern Patriotic look at the connection between Canada and professional wrestling as our nation has provided the industry with some of the most influential talents to ever take the ring.
These are the top 25 greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time.
* We've decided not to include Chris Benoit for reasons we feel are obvious.
25 25. Jacques Rougeau
While featured as a prominent member of two French-speaking WWE tag teams, Jacques Rougeau would also find himself playing the role of A stereotypical Canadian Mountie – who shocked his opponents with a cattle prod – somewhere in-between.
Rougeau would capture the WWE Tag Team Championship on three separate occasions as a member of The Quebecers and once (unofficially) as one half of The Rougeau Brothers (The victory was quickly overturned due to dirty tactics and never officially recognized).
24 24. The Missing Link
The Missing Link was a wild-man gimmick that saw Dewey Robertson painting his face green and blue and acting like a complete savage in an out of the ring, an odd character whose mission was to strike fear into the heart of fans.
Dewey Robertson spent a substantial amount of time in the NWA and traveling the territories – capturing a number of regional championships along the way but unfortunately, Robertson will always be remembered best as The Missing Link.
23 23. Val Venis
Val Venus was one of those Attitude Era characters that helped shake up WWE programming in the late '90s. Venus was portrayed as a former Adult Film star turned wrestler – a role which was utilized in the ring and on the mic.
While Venus was certainly not the Era's breakout star or the biggest draw, he remained a fixture on the scene during a time when controversy was at the forefront of the professional wrestling world and outlandish characters were the key to success.
22 22. Luna Vachon
Luna Vachon helped mold the image of female performers within WWE. The non-conventional Superstar was strange and exotic while also proving to be the scariest woman in the locker room – a true original.
Vachon helped pave the way for the revamped Women's Division in WWE. Yes, there was once a time where the “Divas” were simply “Women” who were actually afforded time to wrestle. Good days for females in WWE.
21 21. Rick Martel
Rick Martel is perhaps best known as The Model – an arrogant heel who sprayed cologne and acted as though he was one step above the rest of the WWE Superstars. A gimmick that kind of worked out but was really cheesy.
Prior to The Model, Rick Martel was one half of Strike Force along with Tito Santana. However, Martel's greatest wrestling success came in the AWA where he held the World Heavyweight Championship for 595 days.
20 20. Dino Bravo
Dino Bravo would often refer to himself as “Canada's Strongest Man” during his professional wrestling career. While establishing a name in the territories, Bravo would eventually make his way to WWE where he performed as your typical “strongman.”
While this gimmick did little to showcase the wrestling ability of Dino Bravo, he was in fact a good technical mat wrestler which was well known thanks to his many matches in Canada.
19 19. Eric Young
Eric Young is an original member of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling – a good wrestler who has been overlooked by WWE. Nonetheless, Young has made a solid career as a solid performer in the land of WWE rejection.
Eric Young has made the rounds in TNA as a tag team performer but in 2014 would finally reach the top of the TNA hill when he won the World Heavyweight Championship. Eric Young will never be WWE World Heavyweight Champion but remains a good and proud Canadian wrestler.
18 18. Tyson Kidd
Tyson Kidd will forever hold a spot in Canadian wrestling history as the final graduate of the legendary Hart Dungeon. Kidd is currently signed to a contract with WWE but has wrestled for promotions all over the world including Canada, Japan, and Europe.
Tyson Kidd is one of those WWE talents who is seemingly lost within the mid-card. However, his in-ring ability is top-notch – which is often the case of those who trained in the Hart Dungeon. Tyson Kidd will never breakout of that mid-card but at least he provides an in-ring excitement level.
17 17. Steve Corino
Steve Corino is the classic case of good wrestler never being noticed by WWE. Corino has wrestled anywhere and everywhere throughout his career and is currently employed by Ring of Honor, where his “indy darling” status is appreciated.
Steve Corino spent time in many different promotions as well as a stint in Extreme Championship Wrestler where he debuted as a heel manager but would eventually make the transition and become the ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
16 16. Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode has something that many TNA performers do not have: the ability to be a WWE Superstar. Roode was briefly employed by the company prior to his run in TNA but was subjected to dark matches and eventually released (bad move).
If TNA actually had a fighting chance against WWE, Bobby Roode would have been a major player in the New Wrestling War. Roode holds records as the longest reigning TNA World Heavy Champion, as well as one half of the longest reigning TNA World Tag Team Champions.
15 15. Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin is an old school wrestler who was champion of the Georgia Territory and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion – a title Garvin won from the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Ric Flair.
Ron Garvin is an NWA icon who built a reputation by working the territories and leaving a mark on the NWA world. Ron Garvin spent some time in WWE but achieved very little success – nothing considered noteworthy.
14 14. Natalya
Natalya is the best technical female wrestler on the current main roster; a real woman wrestler who is subjugated to being a Diva and placed on a reality show. Natalya who is a member of the Hart family is a better wrestler than some of the men.
The only true competition for Natalya are the women of NXT, but until these women are brought up to the main roster, Natalya must live within the Bella World. How come Natalya is kept so far away from the Divas Championship picture?
13 13. Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson – father of The Great One – was a groundbreaking wrestler who made history when he, with partner Tony Atlas, was a part of the first ever black tag team to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
Aside from breaking barriers in WWE, Rocky Johnson was a prominent singles wrestler having worked numerous NWA territories and capturing a number of championship along the way. Oh yeah, and somewhere in between he created The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.
12 12. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is currently one of the most exciting and promising NXT talents around. Zayn is quick and sharp in the ring and possess an extraordinary aerial offense which entertains and captivates the crowd each and every night.
While relatively new to the WWE Universe, Sami Zayn has been around the wrestling scene for a while now. Prior to signing with WWE, Zayn worked the independent circuit as a massive fan favorite.
11 11. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is the hottest thing in professional wrestling right now. Owens is technically considered a WWE “rookie” but is far from being inexperienced. Owens has already been wrestling for fifteen years and is ready to take over the WWE.
Kevin Owens doesn't look, act, or sound like the usual WWE Superstar and that's a great thing. The long hard years Owens spent on the independent scene are finally paying off for this incredible professional wrestler.
10 10. Mad Dog Vachon
Mad Dog Vachon got his first feel for wrestling on the amateur level before making the switch over to professional and quickly becoming a new breed of heel – eventually being recognized as one of the greatest wrestling heels of all time.
Mad Dog Vachon was ahead of his time which helped propel him to the top of the American Wrestling Association where he would would hold the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on five separate occasions.
9 9. Lance Storm
Lance Storm has long carried around the distinction that he is boring and too serious – which may be entirely true. However, Lance Storm remains one of the best Canadian wrestlers to ever take the squared-circle, despite his lack of personality.
Lance Storm is currently considered “semi-retired” as he will on occasion perform at an independent show. The Lance Storm Wrestling Academy – his personal wrestling school – has been a primary focus for Storm in recent years.
8 8. Ivan Koloff
Ivan Koloff may have been known as The Russian Bear but the man behind the gimmick was a homegrown Canadian who managed to play the Russian villain role with great great vigor and determination.
Ivan Koloff was a four-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion as well as a former WWWF (early name of WWE) World Heavyweight Champion. Ivan Koloff carved out a fantastic wrestling legacy while posing as a Russian.
7 7. Owen Hart
Owen Hart may have lived a short life but his time as a professional wrestler was a time of perseverance and promise as Owen Hart left a lasting impression on the WWE fans he loved to entrain.
Owen Hart was never a World Champion but could have been, should have been, and would have been had that tragic accident not occurred that night in Kansas City. Despite a short career, Owen Hart is one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time.
6 6. Christian
Christian was pigeonholed for the longest time as a “tag team specialist” and for the most part he was exactly that early on in his career. However, Captain Charisma had so much more to offer to the fans of WWE.
Eventually, Christian would find singles success with the Intercontinental Championship but his greatest achievement would come when capturing the Wold Heavyweight Championship – a title he would hold twice.