Whipper Billy Watson Canada’s legendary Pro Wrestler

Whipper Billy Watson: Wrestling Icon and Champion for Children
Discovered at Queensville Cemetery, East Gwillimbury, Ontario

On a crisp fall walk through Queensville Cemetery in the Village of Queensville, East Gwillimbury, Ontario, I discovered the grave of one of Canada’s most beloved professional wrestlers and philanthropists — Whipper Billy Watson.

Born in East York (Toronto), Watson began his amateur wrestling career in the mid-1930s, quickly earning his nickname “Whipper” for his signature move — the Irish Whip — where he would launch opponents into the ropes before hurling them over his back. The name stuck, and a legend was born.

After wrestling overseas, he made his Maple Leaf Gardens debut on October 3, 1940, and was instantly embraced by fans. Over his career, promoter Frank Tunney estimated that Whipper drew over five million fans to his matches, making him one of the most popular wrestlers in Canadian history. He would go on to become a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, forever cementing his place in wrestling lore — later ranked the 84th greatest wrestler of all time by historians of the sport.

But Watson’s story didn’t end in the ring…

In a tragic accident, he was hit by a car while placing a fireplace screen in the trunk of his car — an injury so severe it nearly cost him his leg and ultimately ended his 31-year wrestling career.

Undeterred, Watson turned his energy and charisma toward a new mission: advocating for children with disabilities. A lifelong supporter of Easter Seals, he became a tireless fundraiser, helping raise millions of dollars and improve accessibility for children across Canada. He once said:

“They deserve a chance to live life as normally as you or I — and we can help them do it. We can tear down some of those needless barriers that the handicapped face every day.”

Whipper Billy Watson passed away in Orlando, Florida, on February 4, 1990, at the age of 74 — remembered not just for the cheers he earned in the ring, but for the lives he touched outside of it.