Robert Bédard

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Robert Bedard
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Sgt. Jacques Goulet Buddy Rogers Jr. Rene Goulet
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (180 cm)
Billed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Born	July 12, 1932 (1932-07-12) (age 75) Quebec City, Quebec
Debut	1957
Retired	1990s

This page is on the former pro wrestler, Rene Goulet. For the former Canadian champion tennis player see Robert Bedard (tennis).

Robert Bédard (born July 12, 1932 in Quebec City, Quebec) was a Canadian professional wrestler better known as Rene Goulet. He began his career in Canada in 1957 with his first match being against Gerard Dugas.

He spent the earlier part of his career traveling the territories, spending a significant amount of time in the AWA. His greatest fame was when he competed in the 1970s and 1980s with the World Wrestling Federation where he won the WWF Tag Team Championship. He was famous for his "Iron Claw" finishing hold.

Rene Goulet was well-known as a very dependable wrestler who could always be trusted to have a good match. As a result, he was often selected to have matches with rookie wrestlers so he could carry the match. The list of wrestlers who had either had their first match or nearly their first match against Rene Goulet includes Ric Flair, Chris Taylor, The Iron Sheik, Jim Brunzell, Greg Gagne, and Ken Patera.

Rene has a number of claims to fame:

He was the first person to defeat Ric Flair. It was Flair's second match. (Flair's first match, against George Gadaski [who later became a referee] ended in a draw.)
He was the subject of a full-page photo in the third issue ever of People Magazine (March, 11, 1974). The photo was taken of Rene Goulet in a bear hug from Chris Taylor in Taylor's first professional match.
He was in the first WWF match ever televised on the USA Network. His opponent was Tito Santana.
He had a recurring role in the classic wrestling show, TNT, as the host of Cafe Rene.

He wrestled regularly until 1984, and he competed in a Legends Battle Royal in the Meadowlands in 1987. He worked as a road agent for the WWE through the 1990s.