Francis Martin Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional boxing and wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.
Biography
Early life
He was educated in Markham, Ontario, and went to a business college after high school. His first exposure to wrestling came when he answered a classified ad for the Queensbury Athletic Club. The club required a secretary and Tunney was hired by Jack Corcoran to fill that position.
It was Corcoran who opened wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens in November 1931.
At Tunney's request, Corcoran hired his older brother, John Tunney, to be matchmaker.
Whipper Billy Watson
Of all the wrestlers who ever worked for Tunney, the one who helped to put Tunney's promotion on the map was Whipper Billy Watson. Tunney estimated that Watson drew more than five million people in main events of shows in Toronto.
Tunney had never taken Watson seriously in the early years. While Watson was touring England and Ireland, Watson had accumulated a package of newspaper clippings and promotional pieces and mailed them to Tunney. Watson discovered that Tunney had completely disregarded the package.
[ Six months after Watson made his Maple Leaf Gardens debut on October 3, 1940, Tunney faced criticism that he was not willing to give Watson a push. Press writers boasted about the applause that Watson earned, and after more pressure, Tunney booked a tournament on May 1, 1941, in which Watson won. As winner, Watson became number one contender for the regional title, and the victory proved a pivotal turning point for both Watson and Tunney.
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Elite status
Frank Tunney and Eddie Quinn invested in the St. Louis territory in June 1948. It was a way to ensure that the NWA World Champion would make appearances in Toronto and Montreal. The territories in Toronto and Montreal were not granted membership in the NWA until November 1949.[ Tunney kept his stake in St. Louis until 1974.][ When Bruno Sammartino captured the WWE Championship, he visited Toronto.][ Another champion who frequented Toronto was Buddy Rogers. His reign as NWA champion created animosity among many promoters. While Rogers was locked in for visits to key territories such as Tunney's in Toronto, there were others who felt that promoters such as Leroy McGuirk, Jim Crockett, Karl Sarpolis, and Cowboy Luttrall, were not essential enough to have Rogers visit.]
Personality
Tunney was always considered non-threatening. He was more comfortable investing his money into other territories rather than pursuing any personal aspirations. Besides St. Louis, Tunney also invested in the territories in Detroit and Indianapolis.[ His demeanor was such that the NWA executives made him a clear choice to chair the grievance committee.][ Tunney was also a leading member of the Heavyweight Championship Committee. From an executive standpoint, Tunney was elected as the NWA's First Vice-President in 1954. At the NWA's Annual Meeting, held in Acapulco in 1960, Tunney was voted NWA President.][ Tunney had long lasting friendships with promoters such as Willie Gilzenberg and Bob Marella, better known as Gorilla Monsoon. Despite Toronto's reputation as an elite territory, Tunney saw the low end of his promotion in 1965.][ Another method of keeping Toronto strong was having a working arrangement with Jim Crockett Promotions. This brought talent from Mid-Atlantic Wrestling to have bookings in Toronto.][
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Death
During a trip to Hong Kong, Tunney died in his sleep on May 10, 1983, at the age of 70.[ Frank Tunney Sports Ltd was continued by Frank's son Ed Tunney and his nephew, Jack Tunney. In July 1984, the Tunney family partnered with Vince McMahon and Jack Tunney was the World Wrestling Federation's figurehead president from 1984 to 1995.
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Awards and accomplishments
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Wrestling Observer Newsletter
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Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
