Frank Tunney

Francis Martin "Frank" Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional boxing and wrestling promoter, based in Toronto.

He was educated in Markham, Ontario and went to a business college after high school. His first exposure to wrestling came when he answered a classified ad for the Queensbury Athletic Club. The club required a secretary and Tunney was hired by Jack Corcoran to fill that position. It was Corcoran who opened wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens in November 1931.

At Tunney’s request, Corcoran hired his older brother, John Tunney, to be matchmaker. John managed the wrestling promotion through most of the Great Depression, while younger brother Frank was the bookkeeper.

In 1939, Corcoran was forced to sell his promotion due to illness. John continued to handle matchmaking duties, with assistance from Paul Bowser, Jack Ganson, and Jerry Monahan. Unexpectedly, John died from influenza on January 19, 1940. Frank was now left in charge and had many struggles in the early weeks. The contributions of wrestler Bill Longson helped to sell tickets while the promotion stayed afloat.

In the 1940s Tunney helped promote local boxing stars like Arthur King and others to world prominence at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Of all the wrestlers who ever worked for Tunney, the one who helped to put Tunney’s promotion on the map was Whipper Billy Watson. Tunney estimated that Watson drew more than five million people in main events of shows in Toronto.

Tunney had never taken Watson seriously in the early years. While Watson was touring England and Ireland, Watson had accumulated a package of newspaper clippings and promotional pieces and mailed them to Tunney. Watson discovered that Tunney had completely disregarded the package.

Six months after Watson made his Maple Leaf Gardens debut on October 3, 1940, Tunney faced criticism that he was not willing to give Watson a push. Press writers boasted about the applause that Watson earned, and after more pressure, Tunney booked a tournament on May 1, 1941, in which Watson won. As winner, Watson became number one contender for the regional title, and the victory proved a pivotal turning point for both Watson and Tunney.

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