10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: Dino Bravo

9. He Was A "Bigger Star" Than André The Giant

Those who only know Dino from his WWF days might not realise how big a star he was.

Wrestling historian Pat Laprade noted that two million people watched the Montreal-based International Wrestling every single week in the mid-1980s. Major stars like André The Giant passed through the promotion, and homegrown heroes like The Rougeaus and Rick Martel worked there, but nobody could top Bravo's popularity.

Local promoter Gino Brit told VICE that Dino was so cherished by fans and trusted by higher-ups that he became part-owner and occasional booker for International. That was a role he loved, and he also enjoyed the adulation of crowds who treated him as the biggest star in the territory regardless of who came to town.

Quebec natives couldn't get enough of Dino, and they cheered him above everyone else. That included André, which might come as a bit of a surprise to those who remember Bravo as Frenchy Martin's client in mid-card WWF bouts.