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| Montreal Forum |
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| Location: Northeast corner of Atwater Avenue and Sainte Catherine Streets, on the boundaries of the Downtown and Westmount boroughs Built: 1924 Closed: 1997 Transformed: 1999 Fact: the Pepsi Forum has several restaurants and stores, an AMC movie house, a bowling and night clubs. |
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| Copyright 2004, DeUxKonE, Montr�al, Qc |
| It was home to the most famous hockey team in North America. Thus it was not their first home, The Canadiens made the place famous by its memorable hockey nights... Rocket Richard, Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Patrick Roy are part of the story behind this legendary hockey team... It was also the most famous cultural and entertaining venue in Montreal, before the "Place des Arts" was build in the 1960s. Nevertheless, Rock Shows and other events kept it high in the heart of concert buffs ! In the end of the 30s, the NWA, was strong with Eddy Quinn and its major superstar, champion wrestler Yvon Robert making wrestling nights at the Forum, a big event each time... Between 1954 and 1964, the AWA took place and then again the crowds were entertained by the likes of Johnny Rougeau, Maurice Vachon and Killer Kowalski, without forgetting this was shot live on TV ! From 1965 to 1975, big wrestling events were held with Johnny Rougeau's As de la Lutte Promotion, (and Grand Prix between 1972 and 74) as the venue was used once a month. However, the place was still jammed pack with the Leduc brothers, the Sheik Abdullah the Butcher, Gino Brito and others... In 1982, the venue saluted the comeback with Frank Valois and Gino Brito's Varoussac promotion (re-named International Wrestling). As usual, occasionnal shows with big main event were great crowd sellers. Along with Dino Bravo, the Rougeau brothers, Ricky Martel, the Garvins and others, the Forum was the place for wrestling big time until 1987 However, starting in 1986, the WWF (now the WWE) showed their TV wrestlers there, where Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Bret Hart and other of Vince McMahon's stable of "fast-food" wrestlers came to fight. In 1997, it came to a halt, it moved to the Molson (now Bell) Center, and the venue was transformed to a bland entertainment center... Sad Ending ! |
| Quebec Wrestling |