Jack Tunney
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Tunney was a Canadian
wrestling
promoter. Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation
television as the promotion's figurehead president, suspending wrestlers, stripping them of titles, and ordering matches. Tunney's tenure was during the company's initial worldwide popularity boom in the 1980s, the peaking days of "Hulkamania"
.
became the promoters of Toronto's Queensbury Athletic Club in the 1930s. John Tunney died in 1940 at age 32, and Frank became the sole promoter, As a young man, John Tunney and worked for the promotion alongside Frank, Norm Kimber, Frank Ayerst, Ed Noonan, and wrestlers Whipper Watson and Pat Flanagan. The offices were across the street from the famed Maple Leaf Gardens. Later, Tunney ran his operation out of the Gardens itself.
-based Jim Crockett Promotions
. When the promotional wars heated up between Crockett and Vince McMahon
's World Wrestling Federation
, Crockett felt he could no longer spare his top wrestlers for shows in Toronto. The Toronto cards got progressively weaker through 1983-84, dwindling down to audiences of 3,000 for some shows. Johnny Weaver
was the primary booker for the shows, with Leo Burke
and his brothers as the lead heels, along with Don Kernodle
, when the top Crockett stars were no longer available.
to the WWF. They began promoting only WWF cards, becoming another stop on the WWF circuit. This maneuver made Toronto a WWF city and was instrumental in consolidating the company's power base in Canada.
Following the WWF takeover, the name Maple Leaf Wrestling continued to be used for the WWF's Canadian TV program (a staple of Hamilton
station CHCH-TV
for many years). TV tapings for the show were held in Brantford
and other cities in southern Ontario
for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to use the Maple Leaf Wrestling name for the Canadian airings of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
(with some Canadian footage, such as updates by on-air announcer and former wrestler Billy Red Lyons
, and special matches taped at Maple Leaf Gardens, added in).
There were several sellouts of 18,000 at the Gardens with the WWF crew, but the city's (and, at the time, world's) attendance record was shattered by the show at CNE Stadium on August 28, 1986 which drew 65,000 people, with a gate of over $1 million. Initial projections were for a crowd of 25,000-30,000.
Tunney was rarely involved in physical confrontations with wrestlers. One exception was in the fall of 1988, when Bad News Brown
confronted Tunney on the set of "The Brother Love Show
" and demanded a WWF title shot against then-champion Savage. When Brown began implying that Tunney and Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth were involved in an affair (suggesting that Elizabeth was "doing favors" for Tunney to protect Savage from sure defeat), Tunney began scolding Brown for making such a claim, poking his finger in his chest to assert his authority. Brown then grabbed Tunney by his necktie and warned him never to touch him again. Also, during the Hogan-Undertaker match at Tuesday in Texas, Tunney was knocked down after he found himself in the middle of a brawl between Hogan and Flair outside the ring; he was present at ringside to ensure a "fair match."
Several times, Tunney's presence was known even off-camera. One such example was in early 1988, as part of an angle involving the Andre-Hogan match aired on The Main Event
. As the Superstars of Wrestling program that aired February 6, 1988, was produced prior to the airing of The Main Event (where Andre's title win was booked to take place), a side storyline was contrived to have Tunney place a "gag order
" on announcers and commentators from discussing the events surrounding the Andre-Hogan match. Heel color commentator Jesse "the Body" Ventura
attempted to bring up the subject several times but was censored each time, upsetting him so much that he left the broadcast booth toward the end of the show.
The peak of Tunney's WWF reign was WrestleMania VI
at Toronto
's SkyDome
on April 1, 1990. The first WrestleMania held outside of the U.S., the show drew over 67,000. In the main event The Ultimate Warrior cleanly pinned Hulk Hogan to win the WWF World Title, and Tunney announced on television there would be no rematch.
and Luger co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble
after it could not be determined whose feet hit the floor first. Modifying a stipulation of the Royal Rumble match's outcome, both men would be granted separate matches vs. WWF Heavyweight Champion Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X
.
In 1995, McMahon chose to run the shows in Toronto without any involvement from the Tunneys. The final show at the Gardens was held on September 17, 1995. That year, Tunney was forced out of the WWF, after which he retired and disappeared from the wrestling scene. Following Tunney's departure, Gorilla Monsoon
was given the role of on-screen WWF President.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
promoter. Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
television as the promotion's figurehead president, suspending wrestlers, stripping them of titles, and ordering matches. Tunney's tenure was during the company's initial worldwide popularity boom in the 1980s, the peaking days of "Hulkamania"
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
.
Working for his uncle
Tunney's father, John Tunney, and uncle, Frank TunneyFrank Tunney
Francis Martin “Frank” Tunney was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.-Early years:...
became the promoters of Toronto's Queensbury Athletic Club in the 1930s. John Tunney died in 1940 at age 32, and Frank became the sole promoter, As a young man, John Tunney and worked for the promotion alongside Frank, Norm Kimber, Frank Ayerst, Ed Noonan, and wrestlers Whipper Watson and Pat Flanagan. The offices were across the street from the famed Maple Leaf Gardens. Later, Tunney ran his operation out of the Gardens itself.
Taking control
After Frank Tunney's death on May 10, 1983, Jack and his cousin Eddie Tunney (Frank's son) took control of the promotion. Jack moved into the spotlight as the frontman for the promotion, while Eddie had a low public profile. At the time, the Toronto office was in partnership with Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
-based Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
. When the promotional wars heated up between Crockett and Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
's World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, Crockett felt he could no longer spare his top wrestlers for shows in Toronto. The Toronto cards got progressively weaker through 1983-84, dwindling down to audiences of 3,000 for some shows. Johnny Weaver
Johnny Weaver
Kenneth Eugene Weaver was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance, better known by his ring name, Johnny Weaver...
was the primary booker for the shows, with Leo Burke
Leo Burke
Leonce Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council and the National Wrestling Alliance in New Zealand...
and his brothers as the lead heels, along with Don Kernodle
Don Kernodle
Charles Donald Kernodle, Jr. better known as Don Kernodle was an American professional wrestler with the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions.-Professional wrestling career:...
, when the top Crockett stars were no longer available.
Aligning with the World Wrestling Federation
In June 1984, Jack and Eddie switched allegiances from the NWANational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
to the WWF. They began promoting only WWF cards, becoming another stop on the WWF circuit. This maneuver made Toronto a WWF city and was instrumental in consolidating the company's power base in Canada.
Following the WWF takeover, the name Maple Leaf Wrestling continued to be used for the WWF's Canadian TV program (a staple of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
station CHCH-TV
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
for many years). TV tapings for the show were held in Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
and other cities in southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to use the Maple Leaf Wrestling name for the Canadian airings of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
(with some Canadian footage, such as updates by on-air announcer and former wrestler Billy Red Lyons
Billy Red Lyons
William Snip was a Canadian professional wrestler, who used the stage name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1984, and won numerous championship throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California,...
, and special matches taped at Maple Leaf Gardens, added in).
There were several sellouts of 18,000 at the Gardens with the WWF crew, but the city's (and, at the time, world's) attendance record was shattered by the show at CNE Stadium on August 28, 1986 which drew 65,000 people, with a gate of over $1 million. Initial projections were for a crowd of 25,000-30,000.
Chief WWF promoter for Canadian tours
Tunney, along with his associates Billy "Red" Lyons and Elio Zarlenga, would usually promote 40 or more WWF shows per year, making him a very important man in the expansion of the WWF, and keeping WCW out of key Canadian markets well into the 1990s. Soon, wrestling promotions across Canada fell on hard times as Tunney helped McMahon take over their territories. All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver closed down. The AWA stopped coming into Manitoba. Stu Hart's Stampede promotion began eroding until he too was forced to sell to McMahon (and later starting up again for a few years). New territories, such as Newfoundland were opened up by Lyons and Zarlenga, all the while attendance records were being set on a regular basis.As the figurehead president
In the summer of 1984, the WWF named Tunney its storyline "president." This made Tunney known to fans in the United States and elsewhere. The title was ceremonial only, as he held no backstage power beyond that of a regional promoter; as such, his main roles were that of a storyline authority figure and to announce major decisions or events on television. Some of his major television appearances included:- Suspending Andre the GiantAndré the GiantAndré René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
from competition in 1986 after he failed to show for a series of matches against Big John StuddBig John StuddJohn William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
and King Kong BundyKing Kong BundyChristopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
, to the delight of Bobby "the Brain" HeenanBobby HeenanRaymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
. Heenan, after claiming that Andre was competing as the masked "Giant Machine," was told by Tunney that if Andre was proven to be one of The Machines, Andre would be suspended for life. (The angle regarding Andre's absence was due to a tour of Japan and to tend to health problems he was starting to experience.) - On "Piper's PitPiper's PitPiper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions in 2003 - 2011....
," reading proclamations and giving trophies to Hulk HoganHulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Andre the Giant (for being WWF Heavyweight ChampionWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
for three years and attaining a 15-year undefeated streak, respectively). These appearances were part of an angle foreshadowing Andre's heel turn and set up the main event match at WrestleMania IIIWrestleMania IIIWrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
. - Suspending referee Danny DavisDan MarshDan Marsh is a former professional wrestling referee and wrestler most famous as Danny Davis of the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed in the WWF for several years as Mr. X, a masked wrestler....
"for life" after officiating a series of controversial matches where he favored the heels. The final straw came after a January 26, 1987 match where Davis allowed The Hart FoundationThe Hart FoundationThe Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
to use illegal double-team maneuvers before defeating the British BulldogsBritish BulldogsThe British Bulldogs were the team of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Tom Billington , professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America, England, and Japan and is by many considered one of the top tag-teams in history.-Early years :In the 1970s, Dynamite Kid and Davey...
for the WWF Tag Team Championship. - Later in 1987, in response to the kidnapping of the British BulldogsBritish BulldogsThe British Bulldogs were the team of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Tom Billington , professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America, England, and Japan and is by many considered one of the top tag-teams in history.-Early years :In the 1970s, Dynamite Kid and Davey...
canine mascot Matilda, indefinitely suspending The Islanders until Matilda was found. The Islanders, as part of an angle, kidnapped Matilda during a match to heat up their feud. - Stripping "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiaseTed DiBiaseTheodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
of the WWF Heavyweight Championship after acquiring the title from new champion Andre the Giant in exchange for a huge financial payoff. Tunney, who also refused to return the title to Hogan by voiding Andre's controversial pinfall win, declared the championship vacant and announced a 14-man tournament to compete for the held-up championship at WrestleMania IVWrestleMania IVWrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
. - Restricting DemolitionDemolition (professional wrestling)Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominent during the late 1980s / early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation made up of Ax , Smash , and later Crush . In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions, and hold the records for both the single longest tag title reign...
to two active members following the 1990 Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series (1990)Survivor Series was the fourth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
. (This action was announced to explain the departure of Bill EadieBill EadieBill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...
, who performed as the "third" Demolition member Ax, from the WWF.) - Distorting the "Real World" title beltBig Gold BeltThe Big Gold Belt is a historic professional wrestling championship belt that has represented multiple world championships throughout its history. It was originally designed in 1985 by silversmith Charles Crumrine and commissioned by Jim Crockett Promotions for NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric...
of Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
in televised promos when he began performing for the WWF in the fall of 1991. - Prohibiting Jake "the Snake" RobertsJake RobertsAurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
from bringing his snake to the ring after a televised incident in 1991 where Roberts allowed a viper to bite the arm of Randy "Macho Man" Savage while Savage was restrained in the ropes. Weeks later, at the Tuesday in TexasTuesday in TexasThis Tuesday in Texas was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on December 3, 1991 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas....
pay-per-view, Tunney escorted Roberts from ringside after his match with Savage, following the post-match beatdown of Savage and slapping Miss ElizabethMiss ElizabethElizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
's face. - In the aftermath of the Hogan-Undertaker WWF Heavyweight Championship match at Tuesday in Texas, stripping Hogan of the title and declaring that the championship would be filled by the winner of the 1992 Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (1992)Royal Rumble was the fifth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1992 at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York...
, which was won by Flair. In the buildup to Wrestlemania VIIIWrestleMania VIIIWrestleMania VIII was the eighth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 5, 1992 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Tunney declared Hogan the top contender for the WWF Heavyweight Championship, an announcement that angered Sid JusticeSid EudySidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
and helped facilitate his heel turn. - Refusing to take action against Lex LugerLex LugerLawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
over his controversial forearm smash finisher. The point of contention was a steel plate inside Luger's arm, which opponents claimed was a weapon used to increase the force of the blow; Tunney said the plate was part of Luger's body. - In the aftermath of the Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (1994)Royal Rumble was the seventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1994 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The main event was the Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which...
— both Bret "the Hitman" HartBret HartBret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
and Luger simultaneously eliminated each other, and two debating referees failed to agree on a winner — declaring both competitors "winners." On the WWF Monday Night RawWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
aired the week after the Royal Rumble, Tunney declared that a coin toss would determine whether Luger or Hart would get to first wrestle WWF Heavyweight Champion Yokozuna at WrestleMania XWrestleMania XWrestleMania X was the tenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on March 20, 1994. The central focus of the pay-per-view was the WWF Championship, which was defended...
for the title. (A championship match at WrestleMania was the prize given to the Royal Rumble match.) Luger won the coin toss and the right to face Yokozuna first.
Tunney was rarely involved in physical confrontations with wrestlers. One exception was in the fall of 1988, when Bad News Brown
Allen Coage
Allen James Coage was an American professional wrestler with the WWF and Stampede Wrestling among many other companies, better known by his ring names Bad News Brown and Bad News Allen. He was also the 1976 Olympic bronze medal winner in judo, in the heavyweight division...
confronted Tunney on the set of "The Brother Love Show
Bruce Prichard
Bruce Prichard is a professional wrestling personality, best known as a manager and producer for World Wrestling Entertainment , where he portrayed Brother Love, the original manager of The Undertaker...
" and demanded a WWF title shot against then-champion Savage. When Brown began implying that Tunney and Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth were involved in an affair (suggesting that Elizabeth was "doing favors" for Tunney to protect Savage from sure defeat), Tunney began scolding Brown for making such a claim, poking his finger in his chest to assert his authority. Brown then grabbed Tunney by his necktie and warned him never to touch him again. Also, during the Hogan-Undertaker match at Tuesday in Texas, Tunney was knocked down after he found himself in the middle of a brawl between Hogan and Flair outside the ring; he was present at ringside to ensure a "fair match."
Several times, Tunney's presence was known even off-camera. One such example was in early 1988, as part of an angle involving the Andre-Hogan match aired on The Main Event
WWF The Main Event
The Main Event was a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was a spin-off of the show WWF Saturday Night's Main Event and occasionally aired on NBC on Friday nights. Only the first three The Main Event episodes were shown live on NBC. The final...
. As the Superstars of Wrestling program that aired February 6, 1988, was produced prior to the airing of The Main Event (where Andre's title win was booked to take place), a side storyline was contrived to have Tunney place a "gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
" on announcers and commentators from discussing the events surrounding the Andre-Hogan match. Heel color commentator Jesse "the Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
attempted to bring up the subject several times but was censored each time, upsetting him so much that he left the broadcast booth toward the end of the show.
The peak of Tunney's WWF reign was WrestleMania VI
WrestleMania VI
WrestleMania VI was the World Wrestling Federation's sixth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event and the first to be held outside of the U.S...
at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's SkyDome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
on April 1, 1990. The first WrestleMania held outside of the U.S., the show drew over 67,000. In the main event The Ultimate Warrior cleanly pinned Hulk Hogan to win the WWF World Title, and Tunney announced on television there would be no rematch.
Leaving WWF
Later in the 1990s, Tunney's appearances on television and live events grew less frequent. One of his final major appearances came in early 1994, when he declared Bret HartBret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
and Luger co-winners of the 1994 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1994)
Royal Rumble was the seventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1994 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The main event was the Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which...
after it could not be determined whose feet hit the floor first. Modifying a stipulation of the Royal Rumble match's outcome, both men would be granted separate matches vs. WWF Heavyweight Champion Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X
WrestleMania X
WrestleMania X was the tenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on March 20, 1994. The central focus of the pay-per-view was the WWF Championship, which was defended...
.
In 1995, McMahon chose to run the shows in Toronto without any involvement from the Tunneys. The final show at the Gardens was held on September 17, 1995. That year, Tunney was forced out of the WWF, after which he retired and disappeared from the wrestling scene. Following Tunney's departure, Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
was given the role of on-screen WWF President.