Wrestling has more than one wrestling dynasty are the words ushered in from a theme song of a second-generation talent. But in the case of the Rougeau family, their wrestling lineage dates back nearly six decades. For Jacques Rougeau, in particular, his wrestling career spanned more than 40 years.
But the challenges of living up to the reputation that your father has built before you was likely hard. With that likely in mind, Jacques Rougeau would initially gain experience on the Canadian West Coast under the learning tree of Hart Family Patriarch, Stu Hart.
From there, he would gain experience competing in parts of the Southern United States in states such as Tennessee and Alabama. But it was under the watchful eye of Gino Brito’s Montreal promotion that would capture the attention of Vince McMahon and Titan Towers.
Jacques Rougeau – The Fabulous All-American Mountie From Quebec
By 1985, Jacques and his brother Ray Rougeau would join Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation. While with the promotion, the brothers emerged as babyfaces, often slapping the hands of the fans and soaking in their adulation. But there was often something missing from the group, and that was an edge.
They lost their match against The Dream Team, consisting of Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine and Brutus Beefcake, and even briefly held the WWF Tag Team Championships. While their title reign wasn’t recognized, it did take place at the Montreal Forum during a house show. Unfortunately, due to outside interference, their championship win was overturned. This would be what Jacques Rougeau would refer to as the ‘Original Montreal Screwjob’.
“We all know about the Montreal Screwjob with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Well, this was the first Montreal Screwjob in WWE. We were on fire in the province and drew a big crowd. And for three days, we thought we were the champions.”
“And then, they announced in the paper that the decision was reversed because the wrong man was in the ring. When we got to TV, the Harts were still the champions, and no one ever acknowledged that we won. It was such an insult not just to me but to the people in Quebec.”
–Jacques Rougeau on the match result of The Rougeau Brothers against The Hart Foundation
It wouldn’t be the first instance where Rougeau believed he would be screwed one half of the WWF Tag Team Champions, Bret Hart, and as we will share later, how the two Canadians face another instance where a title switch both does and doesn’t take place.
As both Ray and Jacques spoke with a bit of a French accent, it felt right to align them with likely one of the most hated manager’s in the company in Jimmy ‘Mouth of the South’ Hart. The Rougeau Brothers became ‘The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers. With that slight twist on their name also came with proclaiming to be proud of where their new home was….’ America’.
All American Boys
With theme music that proclaimed them to be All American Boys, Jacques and Ray Rougeau would come to the ring waving small American flags, proudly boasting of how they embodied American.
These actions absolutely infuriated the fans as it came across as though as they were insincere and in fact, mocking the very country they said they were ‘proud’ of and now taking residence in. Even their theme song lyrics would irritate fans too.
From Montreal to Memphis
Parlez vous Francais?
Tell all the girls.
The Rougeaus are on their way.
Don’t call us pretty boys
We’re not a musclehead
We hate that long-haired look
We like the preppie look instead
We’re all-American boys
All-American boys
We’re all-American boys
All-American boys
We don’t like heavy metal
We don’t like rock ‘n’ roll
All we like to listen to
Is Barry Manilow
On peut pas les sentir
Dans le monde ils sont les pires
On aime les faire fâcher quand on dit
We love the USA
Hey
We’re all-American boys
All-American boys
We’re all-American boys
All-American…
After a two-year run as heels under the management of Jimmy Hart, Raymond Rougeau would retire early in 1990. Ray’s retirement would be coupled with Jacques leaving the company for a year. When he returned, he would embrace a more authoritative role that would always get his man.
The Mountie – Always Gets His Man
Upon his return with Jimmy Hart still by his side, Jacques would assume The Mountie gimmick. His greatest success in the company was as a heel, and this would also prove to be true. A ‘member of the Royal Mountain Canadian Police’, The Mountie would claim to always get his man.
While the character was delivered as a heel, not everyone appreciated the fact that the character was, in fact, just that…a character. The real Royal Canadian Mountain Police didn’t appreciate the portrayal, and while in Canada, Rougeau was not, in fact, allowed to portray the character. He would simply compete under his actual name Jacques Rougeau usually on house shows, as he wouldn’t appear on television in Canada.
But the character remains a career highlight for Rougeau. While he was the character, Jacques captured singles gold as well, had action figures made of him, and engaged in feuds with the likes of Bret Hart and The Big Boss Man. The character meant something during the turn of the 1990s. He played a notable heel that was despised from the moment he spoke to the moment he would use his cattle prod.
“The Mountie was great. I’ll never forget winning the Intercontinental Title against Bret Hart and losing it to ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. I had three different dolls made and sold in Toys R Us’s around the world as The Mountie.
And when I give conferences in schools now against intimidation, the first thing I do is because they don’t know me because they are too young and they have only heard of me, but I do so many personal appearances and am on TV that when I come in and start talking to kids, and I take my belt out and my dolls out they start to say, ‘Hey this guy was important.’ All of that was done because of The Mountie character.”
–Jacques Rougeau on the impact of The Mountie gimmick.
Despite success as the Mountie, Jacques felt that he faced an uphill battle against the likes of Bret Hart. His two-day title reign was believed to have ended, according to Jacques, because he felt Hart was unwilling to lose the title, which was why he believed the title win was overturned. By the Fall of 1992, Rougeau would leave the company once again.
The Quebecers & The Amazing French Canadians
When Jacques returned to the WWF, he wouldn’t come alone. He was joined by Pierre Ouellet, and the duo would form the tag team The Quebecers. They wore attire that resembled that of The Mountie, only with their sleeves torn and not nearly as polished looking as the RCMP would look.
They would be managed by Johnny Polo, whose greatest claim to fame would be upon leaving the WWF to become Raven in ECW. While their time together was only for a couple of years, it ushered in the career of Pierre Ouelette, while Jacques Rougeau would leave the promotion.
After going into retirement, Jacques Rougeau found himself coming out of retirement and joined World Championship Wrestling. Except it would be alongside his former Quebecer teammate Pierre Ouelette as The Amazing French Canadians.
But much like years earlier when he was managed by the Mouth of the South, Jimmy Hart, it would be another southern U.S. manager that would lead them to the ring. Col. Rob Parker. Their team was short-lived, as was their time in WCW, and they would shortly depart the company.
After returning to the WWF briefly, Jacques would retire and opened up his own wrestling school. He had a huge wrestling background behind him, but with his father’s time, his brother’s time, his sister’s time, and his son’s time in wrestling coming to an end, it would end the Rougeau’s wrestling lineage coming to an end.
But Jacques Rougeau’s contributions to society have not come to an end. As a public speaker that visits schools and runs a wrestling school, Rougeau’s contributions to the industry are far from over.
