13 Facts About Dave McKigney

Dave McKigney was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name, The Bearman.

Dave McKigney is best known for wrestling bears and training Terrible Ted.

Dave McKigney appeared in Canada with Stampede Wrestling and Maple Leaf Wrestling, and across the border for the World Wide Wrestling Federation, in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Dave McKigney wrestled three more matches for Maple Leaf Wrestling to start 1959, then headed to Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, working Stampede Wrestling's territory across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Dave McKigney had a couple of matches for Tri-State Sports in Idaho.

Dave McKigney was a big name in Canada mainly at Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto as the Canadian Wildman.

Dave McKigney went to Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary in 1959 and used his name as Gene Dubois, Pierre Dubois and Dave Dubois.

On July 13,1966, Dave McKigney offered $3,000 to anyone who could pin Ted.

Dave McKigney made appearances in Alabama, Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Association and American Wrestling Association.

In 1969, Dave McKigney made his debut in the Northeast US for the World Wide Wrestling Federation as Jean Dubois or sometimes spelled Gene Dubois.

In 1975 Dave McKigney had a stint for New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he feuded with Seiji Sakaguchi and Antonio Inoki.

Dave McKigney trained his step-daughter, Rachel Dubois, who wrestled for a brief period in the 1970s.

On July 2,1978, in Aurora, Ontario, Dave McKigney left the door open on the cage of his second bear, Smokey, while he answered the phone.