Paul Leduc, one half of the famous Leduc Brothers and a longtime wrestling promoter, has died at 89. Leduc passed away on Aug. 30, leaving behind a career that stretched from the territorial era to his later work promoting wrestling in Quebec.

Born Léodard Mimeault on Nov. 10, 1936, in Mont-Louis, Quebec, Leduc entered professional wrestling in 1957 after training in Quebec and Mexico. He began his career at just 18 years old, despite weighing 195 pounds at 5-foot-10.

His most memorable run came alongside Michel Pigeon, who wrestled as Jos LeDuc. The two were presented as brothers and became known as the Leduc Brothers, with their lumberjack presentation helping establish them as a notable tag team.

The duo found championship success in several territories. They captured the International Tag Team Championship in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling in January 1969, defeating Yvon Cormier and Bob Sweetan.

In 1973, wrestling as the Canadian Lumberjacks in Florida, they defeated Dusty Rhodes and Dick Slater for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship.

Paul Leduc’s Wrestling Career and Legacy

The Leduc Brothers also became central figures in Quebec wrestling during the 1970s. Their feud with Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon helped Grand Prix Wrestling draw major crowds, including 17,008 fans in Quebec City — a figure that remains the largest recorded attendance for professional wrestling in the city.

Leduc also made wrestling history in a unique fashion when he married his wife, Pierrette, inside the Montreal Forum in December 1971 in front of nearly 15,000 people.

He retired from wrestling in 1978 and later worked for Quebecor as a media distribution executive. In 2000, he founded the Fédération de Lutte Québécoise, which operated through 2006 before returning intermittently and eventually closing in 2022.

Leduc endured significant health struggles in later life, including heart attacks, strokes, bladder cancer and cardiorenal syndrome. He is survived by his children Carl, Yan and Kim.

Wrestling historian Pat Laprade confirmed Leduc’s passing, writing, “Sad news in the wrestling world.” His legacy remains tied to both the squared circle and the Quebec wrestling scene he continued supporting long after his in-ring career ended.