Birth name | George Arnold McCarther |
---|---|
Born |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
March 28, 1932
Died | July 1, 1994 | (aged 62)
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | George Cannon Man Mountain Cannon George McCarther |
Billed weight | 299 lb (136 kg) |
Debut | 1953 |
Retired | 1994 |
George Arnold McCarther (March 28, 1932 – July 1, 1994), better known as George "Crybaby" Cannon, was a Canadian pro wrestler and wrestling manager, best known as manager of the Fabulous Kangaroos.
Cannon was born in Montreal, Quebec as George Arnold McCarther, and spent some time in the Canadian Football League with what are now the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He began wrestling in Japan in 1953. He wrestled for a while in Canada beginning in 1955, left for a time, and returned for good in 1959. He got the nickname "Crybaby" from his ability to wipe sweat from his face, making it look as though he were weeping.
Cannon hosted a weekly variety show on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles from 1968 to 1970, when he returned to Canada. It was after his return to Canada that he managed the Kangaroos. The team feuded with The Stomper and Ben Justice in a storyline in which the Kangaroos supposedly broke The Stomper's leg. The teams feuded for two years, during which time The Stomper continually tried to get revenge by attacking Cannon.
As a manager, he often came to the ring wearing a battle helmet and a ring jacket emblazoned across the back in large capital letters with the phrase "I AM RIGHT", with "CANNON" above that.
McCarther worked for the American-based International Wrestling Association run by Eddie Einhorn in 1975. McCarther performed many duties, including wrestling, managing wrestlers, and booking events. McCarther was also involved in several other areas of wrestling, including publishing magazines and hosting a wrestling television show in Windsor, Ontario. He was partners with World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon but later became unable to continue his duties due to phlebitis. McCarther continued to promote small wrestling shows until dying of cancer on July 1, 1994.