George Cannon (wrestler)

George Arnold McCarther (March 28, 1932 – July 1, 1994), better known as George "Crybaby" Cannon, was a Canadian professional wrestler and manager, best known as the manager of the Fabulous Kangaroos.

George Cannon
Birth nameGeorge Arnold McCarther[1]
Born(1932-03-28)March 28, 1932
Montreal, Quebec, Canada[2]
DiedJuly 1, 1994(1994-07-01) (aged 62)[2]
Russell Woods, Ontario, Canada[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)George Cannon
Man Mountain Cannon[3]
George McCarther
Billed weight299 lb (136 kg)
Debut1953
Retired1980

Professional wrestling career
Cannon in May 1962

Growing up, Cannon was interested in hockey, baseball, football, boxing and lacrosse.[1] He spent some time in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.[2] He began wrestling in Japan in 1953. He wrestled for a while in Canada beginning in 1955, left for a time, and returned for good in 1959.[2] Cannon got the nickname "Crybaby" from his ability to wipe sweat from his face, making it look as though he were weeping.[2] In 1968, Cannon won a tournament to win the NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship.[4][3] Also that year, he wrestled in the World Wide Wrestling Federation as Crybaby Cannon in New York City and the Northeast where he fought against Gorilla Monsoon, Virgil the Kentucky Butcher, Toru Tanaka, and Baron Mikel Scicluna.[5]

When he returned to Canada, he hosted a weekly variety show on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles from 1968 to 1970.[2] This show featured guests being brought in to try to knock Cannon down with a punch to the stomach.[1] Cannon got his big break when he became the manager of the Fabulous Kangaroos,[2] predominantly for The Sheik's promotion in Detroit.[4][3] As a manager, he often came to the ring wearing a battle helmet and a ring jacket emblazoned across the back in large capital letters with the phrase "I am right", with "cannon" above that. The team feuded with The Stomper and Ben Justice in a storyline in which the Kangaroos supposedly broke The Stomper's leg. The teams feuded for two years, during which The Stomper continually tried to get revenge by attacking Cannon.[6]

Cannon worked for the American-based International Wrestling Association run by Eddie Einhorn in 1975. McCarther performed many duties, including wrestling, managing wrestlers (including The Mongols),[4] and booking events.[3][7] Cannon was also involved in several other areas of wrestling, including publishing magazines and hosting a wrestling television show taped in Windsor, Ontario called Superstars of Wrestling, which was nationally syndicated throughout Canada during the early 1980s.[2] He later partnered with World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon but later became unable to continue his duties due to phlebitis.[2][1]

Death

McCarther died of cancer on July 1, 1994, at the age of 62.[1]

Championship and accomplishments

See also

References
  1. "Cannon made his mark in wrestling". The Windsor Star. July 4, 1994. p. 20. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. Oliver, Greg. "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Crybaby George Cannon". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  3. "George "Crybaby" Cannon profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  4. Lentz III, Harris M. (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling (2nd ed.). McFarland. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-7864-1754-4.
  5. "WWWF Results 1968". The History of WWE. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  6. Johnson, Steven (November 9, 2005). "The many faces of John Hill". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  7. "Tommy Young Interview: Part II". Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  8. "Beat the Champ Television Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  9. "NWA Americas Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  10. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Manager Of The Year". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
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