One WWE Hall Of Famer's Insane Reputation Explains Why People Found Him Intimidating

When someone wants to point to an example of how the wrestling business has evolved over time, they generally turn to the in-ring style. Indeed, that is the most obvious place to look; while still a profession built on storytelling and psychology, wrestling has seen its style evolve into a faster and more dynamic in-ring product than the wrestling days of old, for better or, in the case for some fans and wrestlers of the old days, worse. But it's not the only change wrestling has undertaken. These days, wrestlers are closer than ever to fans due to social media, and there is less emphasis to keep up kayfabe or for a wrestler to have the appearance of being a "tough guy." The latter point is particularly important, because in the old days of wrestling, being a legitimate tough guy was a key component in making it in the wrestling business.

To be clear, that wasn't the only component; no one would ever accuse Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan of being the first person you'd pick to back you up in a bar fight. But there's no doubt that during the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s, it didn't hurt if a wrestler looked like they could win any fight, and could actually win any fight. And if one were to come up with a list of the all-time great wrestling intimidators, it would probably start with Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Vachon was first wrestler to come out of a family that included siblings Paul "Butcher" Vachon and Vivian Vachon and his niece, Luna Vachon, and won five AWA World Heavyweight Championships on the way to becoming a WWE Hall of Famer. But ultimately, the enduring legacy of the Mad Dog is that he was no one you wanted to mess with, in or out of the ring.

The first key to this turned out to be the simplest of things; Vachon's appearance. Ironically enough, Vachon himself admitted that he began his wrestling career looking like the prototypical wrestling star, having a full head of hair and, at least according to Vachon, "beautiful teeth." Alas, neither lasted once Vachon decided to embrace his heel character, and his look evolved into Vachon having no hair and missing several teeth, making him look like a cross between the world's scariest hockey goon and a rabid, well, mad dog. Vachon's appearance was also boosted by his voice, described as "growling" and "snarling," and his intensity in both the ring and promos, Vachon's highest quality according to promoter Bill Watts, who otherwise thought little of Vachon's in-ring ability.

Of course, appearances can be deceiving, which makes it a good thing that Vachon lived up to his reputation as an insane, intimidating tough guy out of the ring. The WWE Hall of Famer was reported to love bar fights, with contemporary and fellow Hall of Famer Killer Kowalski once telling a story of Vachon taking a guy out by hitting him over the head with a glass jar during one.  Another wrestler, Dutch Savage, said Vachon could only be taken down via a hammer or a gun shot. But perhaps no one summed Vachon up better than his brother, "Butcher," a tough guy in his own right, who on one occasion said the Mad Dog would rather "fight than eat." With descriptions like that, it's no wonder why Vachon remains among the most believable tough guys in the history of pro wrestling, even years after his death.