Line #30 Wrestling/RickMartel


1	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rickmartel_7178.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:200:As [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]]]]
3	Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a retired UsefulNotes/{{Canad\|a}}ian {{Professional Wrestl\|ing}}er who competed from the 1970s through the 1990s as '''Rick Martel.''' He started in his native Quebec and competed for Wrestling/{{WWE}}, the [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation AWA]], various Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, various other territories and independents before he had a short-lived comeback in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in 1997-1998. He made his [=PPV=] debut at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III'' teaming with Wrestling/TomZenk as The Can-Am Connection in a win over "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. and Wrestling/DonMuraco. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion, a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Champion]] (2x w[=/=]Tony Garea and 1x w[=/=]Wrestling/TitoSantana as Strike Force) and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html WCW World Television Champion]]. He retired in 1998 due to accumulated injuries.
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5	He was in no way related to [[Wrestling/SherriMartel "Sensational" Sherri Martel]], even though the two of them were involved in a storyline in the WWF.
6	----
7	!! "The tropes of success":
8	* ArchEnemy: Tito Santana, Wrestling/JakeRoberts. During his WCW run it was Wrestling/PerrySaturn, who threw him through a plate glass door and called him a stooge.
9	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Worked a gimmick like this during his late 90s WCW run. He was billed as a good guy with a fiery French temper that he'd lose in response to foul play. His face opponents tended to inadvertently set it off. In one example, during a match against Booker T., Martel tried a leapfrog at the same time as Booker tried a back body drop, leading to Booker inadvertently headbutting Martel in the groin. Martel lost his temper and worked a brutal borderline heelish style for the rest of the match.
10	* CoolShades: As "The Model"
11	* FaceHeelTurn: During Strike Force's match with the Brainbusters (Wrestling/ArnAnderson and Tully Blanchard) at ''[=WrestleMania=] V'', Santana accidentally collided with Martel. Martel responded by walking out on the match, leading to Santana taking the Brainbusters' Spike Piledriver and losing the match.
12	* TheFightingNarcissist: His heel gimmick as "The Model."
13	* FinishingMove: [=Boston/Quebec=] Crab, Slingshot Splash
14	* HoldingOutForAHero: He used the Trope Namer as entrance music in the AWA.
15	* ImprobableWeaponUser: His cologne called "Arrogance" which caused Jake Roberts to suffer TemporaryBlindness and led to their [[GimmickMatches Blindfold Match]] at ''[=WrestleMania=] VII.''
16	* LoserLeavesTown: Lost one to [[Wrestling/PlayboyBuddyRose "Playboy" Buddy Rose]] in Portland.
17	* NotInTheFace: The stipulation for a match with Wrestling/ShawnMichaels was no attacks to the face.
18	* RealMenWearPink: His shorts were often pink during his heel run as "The Model."
19	* RedBaron: "The Model"
20	* TagTeam:
21	** The Can-Am Connection, with Tom Zenk
22	** [[TheSomethingForce Strike Force]], with Tito Santana.
23	** The Super Models, with Wrestling/DonCallis
24	* UnderwearOfPower: Red in the AWA, pink in the WWF, black with a white jaguar pattern waist in WCW.

Context Wrestling / RickMartel