Red Bastien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Bastien |
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Bastien circa 1956
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| Birth name | Rolland Bastien |
| Born | January 27, 1931 Bottineau, North Dakota U.S. |
| Died | August 11, 2012 (aged 81) Minnetonka, Minnesota U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Flying Red Bastein Red Bastien Texas Red |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Debut | 1956 |
| 4th President of the Cauliflower Alley Club | |
| In office 2001–2007 |
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| Preceded by | Lou Thesz |
| Succeeded by | Nick Bockwinkel |
Rolland "Red" Bastien (born January 27, 1931, died August 11, 2012) was a famous American professional wrestler. He was well-known for his time with the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. There, he won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship three times. He won these titles with his wrestling partner, Lou Bastien, who was presented as his brother.
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Red Bastien's Wrestling Journey
Red Bastien was active in football and swimming during his school years. He started his wrestling career at carnivals in the Midwest. There, he learned to wrestle by competing against local strong people. He then became a professional wrestler, starting in Chicago, Illinois. He traveled all over the United States, becoming very successful.
Red was not the biggest wrestler, weighing around 185 pounds. However, he was very quick, energetic, and fast. He used many exciting aerial moves in his matches. Some of his favorite finishing moves were the dropkick, flying head scissors, atomic drop, and abdominal stretch. His best years in wrestling were from 1959 to 1971.
Teaming Up for Wins
Red Bastien often teamed up with other wrestlers. One of his most famous partnerships was with Lou Klein. They formed a team called the Bastien Brothers. In 1960, they won the United States Tag Team Championship from Eddie and Jerry Graham. They won this title two more times that same year. They beat the Grahams again and also defeated the Fabulous Kangaroos. Red Bastien went on to win many more tag team championships throughout his career.
He also frequently teamed up with Billy Red Lyons. Together, they famously unmasked another wrestler, Don Jardine, in 1972. Red Bastien even worked as a "booker" in Dallas, Texas. This meant he helped plan the wrestling matches and storylines.
Wrestling in Big Arenas
In 1964, Red Bastien appeared in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). He even teamed up for a short time with the champion, Bruno Sammartino. He returned to Madison Square Garden in June 1970 for one last match there. He put on an amazing performance, controlling most of the match before being pinned by Professor Tanaka.
In the late 1960s, he had a very popular time wrestling in Florida. He had memorable matches against wrestlers like Johnny Valentine.
International Matches
Red Bastien also wrestled in Japan. In 1971, he joined the International Wrestling Enterprise promotion. In his first match there, he and Bill Howard won the IWA World Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles a few weeks later. Red Bastien returned to Japan for more tours in 1972 and 1973.
In the mid to late 1970s, he came back to the WWWF/WWF. During this time, he wrestled under a mask and was known as "Texas Red."
Discovering New Talent
After retiring from wrestling, Red Bastien became a trainer and a promoter. He had a special talent for finding new wrestlers. He discovered two future wrestling stars, Steve "Sting" Borden and Jim "The Ultimate Warrior" Hellwig. He found them at a Gold's Gym and convinced them to become professional wrestlers.
Red Bastien and wrestling manager Rick Bassman created a group of wrestlers called Powerteam USA. Steve Borden and Jim Hellwig were part of this team. The team started in November 1985. After other members left, Borden and Hellwig continued to team up together.
Red Bastien's Personal Life
Red Bastien was very good friends with fellow wrestler Roddy Piper. He was even the best man at Roddy Piper's wedding. Red Bastien also served as the president of the Cauliflower Alley Club for six years, from 2001 to 2007. This club helps former wrestlers.
Sadly, in 2010, it was reported that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His health continued to get worse. Red Bastien passed away on August 11, 2012, at the age of 81.
Championships and Awards
Red Bastien won many championships and received several awards during his wrestling career:
- American Wrestling Alliance
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Lou Bastien
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Hercules Cortez and The Crusher
- Capitol Wrestling Corporation
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Northeast version) (3 times) - with Lou Bastien
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- President (2001-2007)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (1 time)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2007
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bill Howard
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Jim Hady
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Texas Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Billy Red Lyons and Tex McKenzie
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Victor Rivera
- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bearcat Wright
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Andre Drapp and Roy Heffernan
- Pacific Coast Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Professional Wrestling Championship
- Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2018 (Inducted under Executive and under Tag Team as a member of The Flying Redheads)
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Mario Milano
Images for kids
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Red Bastien in 1956
