Yvon Cormier

Canadian professional wrestler
As a teenager, he worked in the woods, shoed horses, and drove heavy equipment.

Cormier met Emile Dupré in 1957, who told him to consider a career in professional wrestling. Cormier began training, and later moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to continue his preparation under trainer Les Ruffen, and made his debut in 1963. At first, he used the ring name Pierre Lebelle before switching to Ivan the Lumberjack. In Texas, he was known as Joe Gump. When he later ventured to the Mid Atlantic territory, Jim Crockett, Sr. named him The Beast. At that time, he had thick, untamed hair and a large, curly beard. The Beast spent part of his early career competing for Stampede Wrestling, where he faced such wrestlers as Stu Hart. He won his first championship there in 1966. He defeated Stampede veteran Dave Ruhl to win the Calgary version of the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship. Later that year, he dropped the title to Ruhl. He gained a different title the following year, however, when he teamed with Bob Sweetan to defeat the Christy Brothers (Bobby and Jerry) for the Calgary version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship on July 12, 1967. In 1969, The Beast became the first holder of the IW North American Heavyweight Championship. Three weeks later, he dropped the North American title to The Stomper (Archie Gouldie), who became his longtime rival. He then began competing for the Amarillo, Texas based territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He won the NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship and held it for several months before losing it in a match against Ricky Romero on February 2, 1970. Two months later, on April 4, The Beast teamed with Bull Ramos to win the NWA Western States Tag Team Championship by defeating Terry Funk and Romero. They continued to face Funk and Romero and dropped the title to them later that year. On July 27, The Beast regained the IW North American Heavyweight Championship from The Stomper and held it for over two months. He lost the championship to Eric Pomeroy that October.

Cormier was known for his physical strength and intense exercise regimen. He was known to bench press 450 pounds with ease, and he was once recorded as bench pressing 527 pounds. During one photo session, Cormier lifted a telephone pole from the ground and carried it around while posing for pictures. According to one story, he once got upset with a horse that refused to cooperate and knocked it down with one punch. He also trained horses for harness racing and had six of his own Percheron horses.