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{{Short description|Canadian professional wrestler}}

'''Vivian Vachon''' (real name Diane Vachon), was a female [[professional wrestler]] who was born in [[1951]] in [[Montreal]] and died in [[1991]] via a [[car accident]].

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Vivian Vachon

|image = Vivian Vachon 1973 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Vachon, circa 1973

|alt =

|birth_name = Diane Vachon<ref name="Oliver"/>

|names = Vivian Vachon<br />Viviane Vachon<ref name=gary/><br />Vivian Vance<ref name=Vivian>[https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=2007 Vivian Vachon] at WrestlingData.com</ref>

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=4}}<ref name="Oliver"/>

|weight = {{convert|160|lb|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="Oliver"/>

|birth_date = {{birth date|1951|1|23}}<ref name="Oliver"/>

|birth_place = [[Newport (city), Vermont|Newport, Vermont]],<br>United States<ref name="Oliver"/>

|death_date = {{death date and age|1991|8|24|1951|1|23}}<ref name="Oliver"/>

|death_place = [[Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu]], Quebec, Canada<ref name="Oliver"/>

|family = [[Vachon family|Vachon]]

|children = 2

|spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|[[Buddy Wolfe]]|July 1976|1979|reason=div}}|{{marriage|Gary Carnegie|1979|1991|reason=div}}}}

|resides =

|death_cause = Traffic collision

|billed =

|trainer = [[Mad Dog Vachon]]<ref name=bodyslam/><br />[[The Fabulous Moolah]]<ref name="Oliver"/>

|debut = 1969<ref name=gary>{{cite web|url=http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/canada/vachon.htm|title=Maurice 'Mad Dog' Vachon, Paul "Butcher" Vachon, and Vivian Vachon|publisher=Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame|access-date=January 17, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226035936/http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/canada/vachon.htm|archive-date=December 26, 2014}}</ref>

|retired = 1986

}}

'''Diane Vachon''' (January 23, 1951 – August 24, 1991) was a Canadian [[professional wrestler]] and singer, best known by her [[ring name]] '''Vivian Vachon'''. A member of the [[Vachon family]] of wrestlers, she was the sister of [[Maurice Vachon|Maurice]] and [[Paul Vachon]], and the aunt of [[Luna Vachon]]. She is considered one of the best female wrestlers of the 1970s.<ref name=gary/>

She began her career in the late [[1960s]] while still a teenager. Later, she starred in the motion picture '''Wrestling Queen''', which was released in the early [[1970s]].

== Early life ==

At a very young age Vivian Vachon was trained by her brothers [[Maurice Vachon|Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon]] and [[Paul Vachon|Paul “Butcher” Vachon]] who were both champion pro-wrestlers of [[Canada]]. In fact, she was the [[American Wrestling Association]]'s [[AWA Women's Championship|Women's Champion]] for a time in [[1971]].

Diane Vachon was born on January 23, 1951, in [[Newport (city), Vermont|Newport, Vermont]], to Ferdinand and Marguerite Vachon, and was part of the [[Vachon family]]. The youngest of thirteen children, Vachon was raised on a farm near [[Montreal]], Quebec. She left high school following the [[10th grade]], and briefly attended Constance Brown's Charm School. She later modelled for a short period and worked in an office.<ref name="Oliver">{{cite web|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2013/07/01/the-life-and-loves-of-vivian-vachon-wrestling-queen/|title=The life and loves of Vivian Vachon, Wrestling Queen|date=February 11, 2013|last=Oliver|first=Greg|access-date=July 6, 2013|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

Vivian retired in the mid-1970s after marrying wrestler Buddy Wolfe. However she made a short comeback in professional wrestling in [[Japan]] in [[1986]].

== Professional wrestling career ==

Vivian and her daughter were both killed in a road accident in [[August]] [[1991]].

At the suggestion of her brother [[Maurice Vachon|Maurice]], she began to train as a [[professional wrestler]], and went to [[South Carolina]] to train under [[The Fabulous Moolah]]. It was also Maurice who suggested she adopt the [[ring name]] Vivian Vachon (sometimes spelled Viviane Vachon).<ref name="Oliver"/>

In 1969, she wrestled for [[WWE|World Wide Wrestling Federation]] where she teamed with [[Bette Boucher]] feuding with [[The Fabulous Moolah]] and [[Toni Rose]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=3272&page=4&year=1969&promotion=1|title=Vivian Vachon|work=Cagematch}}</ref> During that same year, she also wrestled in [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] using the ring name Vivian Vance.<ref name=Vivian/>

==External link==

*[http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/v/vivian-vachon.html Profile of Vivian with pictures]

In February 1971, she became the California Women's Champion.<ref name=oww/> She became the [[American Wrestling Association]]'s (AWA) [[AWA Women's Championship|Women's Champion]] for a time, defeating [[Kay Noble]] on November 4, 1971.<ref name=oww/> In the early 1970s she starred in the movie ''Wrestling Queen'', which also included her brothers and other wrestlers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2013/06/09/wrestling-queen-a-celebration-of-vachons-wrestling-of-the-70s/|title=Wrestling Queen a celebration of Vachons, wrestling of the '70s|date=May 9, 2013|last=Oliver|first=Greg|access-date=July 6, 2013|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> She wrestled in the early 1980s on a tour of Japan, and in 1986 for her brother Maurice's retirement tour.<ref name="Oliver"/> In 2006, she was honored posthumously by the [[Cauliflower Alley Club]].

[[Category:Canadian professional wrestlers|Vachon, Vivian]]

[[Category:1951 births|Vachon, Vivian]]

== Personal life ==

[[Category:1991 deaths|Vachon, Vivian]]

Vachon was a talented singer and released a few singles in French.<ref name="Oliver"/>

[[Category:Professional wrestlers]]

[[Category:Quebec sportspeople|Vachon, Vivian]]

In July 1976, she married wrestler [[Buddy Wolfe]], but the couple separated three years later in 1979.<ref name="Oliver"/> That same year in November, she married [[Canadian Armed Forces]] member Gary Carnegie, with whom she had two children, Ian (born 1980) and Julie Lynn (1982-1991).<ref name="Oliver"/> Vachon and Carnegie divorced in 1991.<ref name="Oliver"/>

[[Category:Montrealers|Vachon, Vivian]]

[[Category:AWA alumni|Vachon, Vivian]]

== Death ==

Vachon and her nine-year-old daughter Julie died in a car accident on August 24, 1991. They were hit by a [[drunk driver]] who had run a stop sign in Mont Saint-Grégoire at the corner of route 104 and Rang de la Montagne.

== Championships and accomplishments ==

* '''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''

** [[AWA World Women's Championship]] ([[AWA World Women's Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref name=oww>{{cite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Vivian Vachon|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/v/vivian-vachon.html|access-date=December 26, 2007}}</ref>

* '''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''

** Posthumous Award ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#2006|2006]])<ref name="Cauliflower2006">{{cite web|last=Oliver|first=Greg|title=Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2006/06/11/race-hennig-go-over-at-cauliflower-alley-club-banquet/|work=Slam Wrestling|date=June 11, 2006|access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref>

* '''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''

** [[NWA Texas Women's Championship]] (1 time)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Texas Women's Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/tx-wm.html|access-date=2021-01-20}}</ref>

* '''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''

** Class of 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2014/11/26/professional-wrestling-hall-of-fame-class-of-2015-announced/|title=Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2015 announced|last=Oliver|first=Greg|date=November 26, 2014|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

* '''Other titles'''

** California Women's Championship (1 time)<ref name=oww/>

** GPW Women's Championship (1 time)<ref name=bodyslam>{{cite web|url=http://www.bodyslamming.com/deceased/vivianvachon.html|title=Deceased superstars: Vivian Vachon|publisher=Bodyslamming|access-date=January 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315014945/http://www.bodyslamming.com/deceased/vivianvachon.html|archive-date=March 15, 2008|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of premature professional wrestling deaths]]

== References ==

{{Reflist|2}}

== External linklinks ==

* {{professional wrestling profiles}}

{{AWA World Women's Championship}}

{{NWA Texas Women's Championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vachon, Vivian}}

[[Category:1951 births|Vachon, Vivian]]

[[Category:1991 deaths|Vachon, Vivian]]

[[Category:20th-century Canadian professional wrestlers]]

[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]

[[Category:20th-century female professional wrestlers]]

[[Category:Accidental deaths in Quebec]]

[[Category:AWA World Women's Champions]]

[[Category:Canadian female professional wrestlers|Vachon, Vivian]]

[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Quebec]]

[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Vermont]]

[[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]

[[Category:Road incident deaths in Canada]]

[[Category:Sportswomen from Quebec]]

[[Category:Quebec sportspeople|Vachon, Vivianfamily]]

[[Category:NWA Texas Women's Champions]]