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Raymond Rougeau: Former wrestler now mayor in Quebec

FLY THE NORTH – Whether in the ring or in politics, former professional wrestler Raymond Rougeau says you always have to “prepare for the fight.”

“There’s always the unexpected, you’ll have to face adversities, things don’t always go according to plan, and that’s also in politics,” said Rougeau, the recently elected mayor of Rawdon, Que, a municipality of nearly 12,000 people living north of Montreal, told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.

“You have to learn how to deal with adversities.”

Former member of professional wrestling duo The Fabulous Rougeaus, along with his brother Jacques, Raymond was elected mayor of Rawdon on 7 November after earning nearly 61% of the vote. Rougeau, 66, has served on the council since 2002, first as a councilor.

But long before entering politics, Rougeau fought it in the ring, following a line of professional wrestlers in his family that included his father, an uncle and great-uncle.

“From a young age, I followed my father around different cities as he wrestled and I grew up in the business,” says Rougeau.

He said that his father asked him when he was 13 years old if he would like to participate in wrestling one day.

“I never thought it would happen, but I started training,” he said.

A few months after his 16th birthday, Rougeau will have his first professional match.

“From there, my career just flourished,” he said.

With matches in Quebec, the northeastern United States and Canada, as well as matches in Japan and Germany, Rougeau would eventually join the World Wrestling Federation, the forerunner of World Wrestling, in 1986.

He says his entry into the major leagues has taken him around the world and to 48 of the 50 US states. Rougeau has also been a wrestling commentator.

He notices other similarities between wrestling and politics, such as communication with the media, crowds, and people.

The key difference, however, is that while wrestling takes a toll on the body, politics requires a certain amount of mental strength, he said.

Now, as the highest elected official in his city, Rougeau says the citizens of Rawdon expect him to be “under control”.

“Well, in wrestling too,” said Rougeau. “When we’re in the ring, you’re having a match, something happens, a rope breaks during the match, you suddenly get knocked down, you come back, you have to keep going. Because So you have to deal with adversity.”

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