Harry Madison

Harry Madison trained as a boxer and a wrestler from a young age and, in 1931, became the Canadian national champion in the light-heavyweight wrestling division. After defending his title in 1932 he earned a spot on Canada’s wrestling delegation to that year’s Summer Olympics. With only four competitors in the light-heavyweight division, Madison finished last, losing by a fall in under two and a half minutes to eventual bronze medalist Eddie Scarf of Australia and then again to upcoming champion Peter Mehringer of the United States in just under fifteen minutes.

After the Olympics Madison’s career was confined to smaller, provincial events in his native Quebec and he made his living working for Canadian Pacific Railway. For much of his career he was blind in one eye, having lost it when a bullet exploded in a hunting accident. Longevity was his virtue, however, and he was active in wrestling until 1954, by which time he had become known for his quirky style, most notably his trademark of entering and fighting in the arena bare-footed, and garnered a reputation for doing whatever it took to win. While profiling one of Madison’s rivals in May 1953, for example, the News and Eastern Townships Advocate of Quebec alleged that Madison had “sent at least 18 wrestlers to hospital by using his illegal tactics”. He remained a tough character throughout his life and was arrested at the age of 80 for beating up two younger men who had been harassing him in a bar.