Luc Poirier
Encyclopedia
Luc Poirier is a semi-retired Canadian
professional wrestler
, better known under the name Rambo.
"Masked Marvel". Poirier wrestled as a face
until October 1984, when he turned heel
and changed his name to "The Mercenary". Shortly after turning heel, Poirier was unmasked by his trainer, Gino Brito.
From January 1985 to June 1985 Poirier wrestled at World Wrestling Federation
house show
s in Eastern Canada
as a jobber
. He also wrestled several try-out matches on Canadian television, but was not hired by the WWF.
Poirier went on to wrestle in Europe
as "Rocky Montana", and in Europe and Japan
as "Rambo". He achieved his greatest success under the later ring name
in the Catch Wrestling Association
. In the CWA, Poirier began a feud
with Bull Power, and on July 6, 1991 in Graz
, Austria
he defeated Bull Power for the CWA Heavyweight Championship. His reign lasted until December 19, 1992, when he lost to Road Warrior Hawk
in Bremen
, Germany
. Poirier regained the title on July 3, 1993 in Graz, and held the title for three years before finally losing to Ludvig Borga
in July 1996. Poirier regained the title from Borga on December 21, 1996 in Bremen, and held the title until July 5, 1997, when he vacated it.
In 1996, Poirier joined the United States Wrestling Association
as "Sniper". Along with Kurrgan the Interrogator
, Recon
, and Tank
, Poirier formed a stable known as The Truth Commission
. The Truth Commission was billed as being a group of South Africa
n guerrillas
, with their name a reference to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In 1997, The Truth Commission joined the World Wrestling Federation, where they were initially managed
by The Commandant. Tank and The Commandant soon left the WWF, and The Commandant was replaced by The Jackyl
. Kurrgan went on to compete as a singles wrestler, while Poirier and Recon wrestled as a tag team. At the 1997 Survivor Series
on November 9, 1997, the four remaining members of The Truth Commission defeated the Disciples of Apocalypse
in an eight-man elimination match; Kurrgan was the sole survivor. The stable fragmented after The Jackyl instructed Kurrgan to attack Poirier and Recon after they lost a series of matches. Poirier and Recon took part in a fifteen team tag team battle royal at WrestleMania XIV
on March 29, 1998 for the number one contendership to the WWF World Tag Team Championship, but were eliminated by Kurrgan, who interfered in the match. Poirier and Recon briefly feuded with Kurrgan and The Jackyl before leaving the WWF. Poirier then returned to the Canadian independent circuit
.
Poirier was a Canadian junior discus throw champion before entering wrestling. He is now married and lives in Florida, where he is working as a registered hospital nurse.
In November 2010, he and British wrestler Dan Collins put on a wrestling show for European Wrestling Promotion in Germany, which led to Rambo's return to the ring in April 2011.
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...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known under the name Rambo.
Career
Poirier was trained by Edouard Carpentier and Gino Brito and debuted in 1982. In the early 1980s, he joined the Montreal-based International Wrestling Association as the hoodedLucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
"Masked Marvel". Poirier wrestled as a face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
until October 1984, when he turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and changed his name to "The Mercenary". Shortly after turning heel, Poirier was unmasked by his trainer, Gino Brito.
From January 1985 to June 1985 Poirier wrestled at 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...
house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
s in Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
as a jobber
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
. He also wrestled several try-out matches on Canadian television, but was not hired by the WWF.
Poirier went on to wrestle in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as "Rocky Montana", and in Europe and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as "Rambo". He achieved his greatest success under the later ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
in the Catch Wrestling Association
Catch Wrestling Association
The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
. In the CWA, Poirier began a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Bull Power, and on July 6, 1991 in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
he defeated Bull Power for the CWA Heavyweight Championship. His reign lasted until December 19, 1992, when he lost to Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Hawk
Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later...
in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Poirier regained the title on July 3, 1993 in Graz, and held the title for three years before finally losing to Ludvig Borga
Tony Halme
Tony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
in July 1996. Poirier regained the title from Borga on December 21, 1996 in Bremen, and held the title until July 5, 1997, when he vacated it.
In 1996, Poirier joined the United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
as "Sniper". Along with Kurrgan the Interrogator
Robert Maillet
Robert Maillet is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, as a member of the Truth Commission and the Oddities, wrestling under the name Kurrgan....
, Recon
Barry Buchanan
Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances as Bull Buchanan and B-2 in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.-National Championship Wrestling :...
, and Tank
Mike Hallick
Michael "Mike" Hallick is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Mantaur.-Catch Wrestling Association :...
, Poirier formed a stable known as The Truth Commission
The Truth Commission
The Truth Commission was a professional wrestling heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation and the United States Wrestling Association. Their gimmick was that they were a paramilitary group from South Africa, a take on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.The Truth Commission debuted in the...
. The Truth Commission was billed as being a group of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
, with their name a reference to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In 1997, The Truth Commission joined the World Wrestling Federation, where they were initially managed
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
by The Commandant. Tank and The Commandant soon left the WWF, and The Commandant was replaced by The Jackyl
Don Callis
Don Callis is a Canadian former professional wrestler and manager, known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as The Jackyl, and Extreme Championship Wrestling as color commentator Cyrus.-Early life:...
. Kurrgan went on to compete as a singles wrestler, while Poirier and Recon wrestled as a tag team. At the 1997 Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1997)
Survivor Series was the eleventh annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec....
on November 9, 1997, the four remaining members of The Truth Commission defeated the Disciples of Apocalypse
Disciples of Apocalypse
The Disciples of Apocalypse were a biker-themed professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The group came together from the demise of the Nation of Domination stable in June 1997 and consisted of four main members: Crush, Chainz, Skull and...
in an eight-man elimination match; Kurrgan was the sole survivor. The stable fragmented after The Jackyl instructed Kurrgan to attack Poirier and Recon after they lost a series of matches. Poirier and Recon took part in a fifteen team tag team battle royal at WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
on March 29, 1998 for the number one contendership to the WWF World Tag Team Championship, but were eliminated by Kurrgan, who interfered in the match. Poirier and Recon briefly feuded with Kurrgan and The Jackyl before leaving the WWF. Poirier then returned to the Canadian independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
.
Poirier was a Canadian junior discus throw champion before entering wrestling. He is now married and lives in Florida, where he is working as a registered hospital nurse.
In November 2010, he and British wrestler Dan Collins put on a wrestling show for European Wrestling Promotion in Germany, which led to Rambo's return to the ring in April 2011.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Backbreaker drop
- Bulldog
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- The Commandant
- The JackylDon CallisDon Callis is a Canadian former professional wrestler and manager, known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as The Jackyl, and Extreme Championship Wrestling as color commentator Cyrus.-Early life:...
Championships and accomplishments
- BattleArts
- BattleArts Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Viktor Krüger
- Catch Wrestling AssociationCatch Wrestling AssociationThe Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
- CWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipCWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association....
(4 times)
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship