In the 1970's - 1980's the Tampa Bay area was truly a "Hot Spot" for Professional Wrestling.  Many considered this to be the "Model Promotion" and for good reason.  Since I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, this "Hot Spot" of Professional Wrestling was just a few miles away.  I attended several tapings of "Championship Wrestling From Florida" with Gordon Solie at the Sportatorium in Tampa located at 106 N. Albany.  For many years, the late, great, Eddie Graham was the mastermind behind the promotion.  Solie's commentaries, coupled with Graham's genius lured all the finest wrestling talent into the area.

This month we'll look back on the turn of "The Canadian Freight Train" Jos Leduc, from fan favorite of many years, into a crazed madman that Gordon Solie referred to many times as someone who's gone "Completely Over The Edge".

Jos and Paul Leduc arrived in Florida as a tag team in the mid 1970's. "The Canadian Lumberjacks" wrestled as a tag team in Florida for a short time.  During a match involving Pak Song, Paul Leduc was given a severe beating followed by a claw hold to the stomach that Pak Song refused to let up on for several minutes.  Paul retired from wrestling as a result of this.  Jos continued on as a fan favorite for the next several years battling against such hated individuals as Superstar Billy Graham, The Assassin and Ox Baker to name a few. 

Leduc amazed everyone with feats of strength like attaching a chain to a bus and pulling it using nothing but brute strength.  His use of the "One Arm Backbreaker" became his trademark finishing hold.  He became good pals with Dusty Rhodes.  Florida Wrestling fans loved Jos Leduc.  

During the latter part of the 70's, Sonny King and his entourage became the most despised personalities in the state of Florida.  In a cocky, arrogant manner, Sonny King would invite everyone to "HIS PARTY" each week at the Armory in Tampa where his wrestlers would use every dirty trick in the book to beat up on Dusty Rhodes, Mike Graham and all the other fan favorites.