10 Greatest Wrestlers From Quebec
Taking a look at the "meilleurs des meilleurs"...
I am from Montreal. There, now the secret's out.
As most wrestling fans in Quebec (a.k.a. French Canada) will tell you, the area has some very deep roots in wrestling history.
Montreal was a wrestling city as far back as the 20's, feeding the business venues and talent throughout its evolution into the WWE of today. We've trained men who've trained men who've trained legends. We gave Andre the Giant a second home. We're also infamous for our, ahem, job market.
Many great wrestlers have been billed as hailing from Montreal (or thereabouts), although others have underplayed or even modified their origins for the benefit of their character.
Either way, Montreal (and the rest of Quebec) is marked on the wrestling map with a gold star and larger print.
Whether they were simply born here or made it a permanent home, this city and province are attached to some very reputable names. How could a compulsive list-maker from the area resist?
Before we hit the ten best, first, some honorable mentions:
-Sky Low Low and Little Beaver, Quebec's gifts to micro-grappling.
-Carl Ouellet, former Quebecer and owner of a legendary shoot victory over Kevin Nash (or so he claims).
-Gino Brito, seasoned wrestler turned leading local promoter and trainer.
10. TIE: Sami Zayn (Montreal) & Kevin Owens (Marieville)
Zayn and Owens may be fresh faces to fans who only follow WWE and NXT, but the former El Generico and Kevin Steen have both been through the indie wringer and come out with an extensive résumé on par with most of Vince's main roster.
Zayn is one of those guys who wears his roots proudly, with ring attire bearing the Montreal logo as well as checkered patterns referencing the Grand Prix.
Both guys can absolutely go in the ring, and they can work with so many different guys, it almost seems as though either one could coax a four-star match out of The Great Antonio.
While Zayn has all the makings of a beloved babyface, Owens has been a revelation as a heel. Equal parts post-modern and classical, his execution of his character is all the more impressive when you consider that he's tasked with drawing heat from a crowd that wants nothing more than to cheer him loudly.
Both Zayn and Owens have already gone far, but the future somehow seems even brighter, so placing tenth simply leaves them somewhere to go from here.