31 Faces of Fear: Mad Dog Vachon

For the month of October, we are going to run through some of our favorite wrestlers that inspire fear in their competitors and fans alike.

Mad Dog Vachon belongs on the list because of his unorthodox methods.  He’d file his nails down to sharp points and even make cheap pine caskets for his next victim. And if that didn’t work, he would frequently just attack the referee and other officials. Hailing from Montreal, Mad Dog was a frequent fixture in Verne Gagne’s AWA in the midwest.  He was a one-time Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion.  He made a brief stop in the WWE before retiring in 1986.

Behind the scenes, Mad Dog was nuts.  I’d recommend Pat Patterson’s book for a story about how he thought Mad Dog was going to kill him one night.  Instead, he almost killed him by making Pat drink way more than he would have liked to.  But hey, it was fun!

Mad Dog was a tough guy, in ring and out.  It doesn’t seem like there was much kayfabe with him.  He really protected the business.

If Dean Ambrose ever turns heel, he could take a few cues from the Mad Dog to remain truly unpredictable.