June 24, 1942 – May 25, 2008
Rudy Kay
(Photo:en.wikipedia.org)
Born in Breau's Creek, New Brunswick.
Jean-Louis Cormier was a was a retired professional wrestler and promoter for 25 years, best known by his ring name Rudy Kay. Cormier competed primarily in Canada and often formed a tag team with his brothers, Yvon as "The Beast, Leonce as"Leo Burke" and Romeo as "Bobby Kay". Together, along with Malcolm who used the name Mel Turnbow while working as a referee, they are known as the Cormier wrestling family. He also worked behind the scenes, operating both the Eastern Sports Association (ESA) and its television program, International Wrestling.
Cormier competed in boxing as a teenager. He was then trained for a professional wrestling career by Yvon another wrestler named Dutchie the Spinner. During his early career, Cormier used the ring name Rudy LaBelle while touring Australia with The Beast. Back in North America, he was given the ring name Rudy Kay by a promoter who thought that Cormier looked almost identical to a retired wrestler who had used the name.
In 1969, Cormier and Al Zinck formed the Eastern Sports Association, which promoted a television program named International Wrestling. Several years later, Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, operated by Emile Dupré, took over the time slot. In the ESA, the four Cormier brothers often aligned with each other in feuds. The opponent would face one brother, and then move on to face the rest in succession.
Cormier won his first title on July 29, 1969 when he teamed with The Beast to win the ESA International Tag Team Championship. They defeated The Fabulous Kangaroos to win the title but soon dropped it to Jos and Paul LeDuc. They won the title back later that summer in a rematch and held it until the end of the 1969 ESA season. Two years later, they regained the championship with a victory over Eric Pomeroy and Fred Sweetan. Their final reign together began on October 28, 1975 with a win over Bob Brown and The Patriot. Once again, the brothers held the title until the end of the ESA wrestling season.
On November 18 that year, Rudy Kay also won the IW North American Heavyweight Championship by defeating Bob Brown. He was stripped of the title, however, because the ESA operated only during the summer months and the season ended without notice. He was unable to fulfill his obligation to defend it within 30 days.The ESA, which promoted shows until 1976, operated during the summer because the venues were used for ice hockey during the other months. The following year, he won the vacant ESA Taped Fist Championship with a victory over Mad Dog Martel. When the ESA closed in 1977, the title became part of Romeo Cormier's Trans-Canada Wrestling. TCW closed later the same year, and the Taped Fist Championship was retired. His final championship win came in September 1976; he teamed with The Beast again and defeated The Mercenaries to win the ESA Maritimes Tag Team Championship. Later that month, Martel and Martin regained the title in a rematch. Cormier retired as a professional wrestler in 1982.
After retiring from wrestling, Cormier took a job with Federal Express, which he held for five years. He also underwent knee surgery to fix problems resulting from his wrestling career. Cormier had a wife, Claudette, and four children: daughters Monique and Michelle, and sons Jamie and Jason. On May 25, 2008, Cormier died of septicemia in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Championships;4-Time Eastern Sports Association International Tag Team Champion with The Beast, 1-Time Eastern Sports Association Maritime Tag Team Champion with The Beast, 1-Time Eastern Sports Association Taped Fist Champion and 1-Time International Wrestling North American Heavyweight Champion.
(Photo; slam.canoe.ca)
The Cormier brothers, from left to right, Rudy Kay, Bobby Kay, Leo Burke and the Beast.
