The article below is one of the earliest printed on "The Can-Am Connection."

It appeared in Wrestling World in April 1987 within months of the team's arrival in the WW. The article is total fiction - though it appears to be loosely based on information provided by Rick Martel.

In the article, Martel repeats the fictitious claim that he had steered Zenk's career from the very beginning and that he had opened doors for Zenk in the PNW.  Zenk confirms that his introduction to Don Owen and PNW came not from Rick Martel but from Curt Hennig.
 
 

They call themselves the Can-Am Connection. But can former A.W.A. champ Rick Martel and all-around good guy Tom Zenk connect with the big time in the W.W.F.?

Do sheer skill, hard work and integrity count for anything, anymore? If so, the hottest tag team on the W.W.F. scene could be the "Can-Am" connection of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk. Since teaming up, the duo has been on fire. And on top of everything else, both are simply "nice guys".

Standing out in the crowd isn't easy in the World Wrestling Federation, especially for tag teams. Even the champions themselves, Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid, needed to bring a bulldog to ringside as a gimmick in order to be recognized.

But if sheer skill, hard work and honest personality mean anything anymore, the hottest item on the tag team scene could quickly become Rick Martel and Tom Zenk.

Dubbed the Can-Am Connection because Martel is from Canada and Zenk from the United States, this tag team duo seems to have it all. On top of everything, both are simply nice guys.

Do nice guys finish last? Maybe not this time. And if not, the credit must go to Martel, who has learned the hard way just how today's wrestling business is played.

Martel turned professional when he was just a teen-ager growing up in the wrestling hotbed of Montreal. His brothers also became pro wrestlers although one died tragically of a heart attack in Puerto Rico. Upon returning to the United States, Martel became the tag team partner of the experienced Tony Garea and the pair grabbed the W.W.F. tag team title. After a most successful reign, Martel went on to headline cards in the Pacific North West, Japan, Puerto Rico, Canada and throughout the Midlands.

He was a budding star  who broke the usual rules because he did NOT shout, did NOT demand and did NOT create chaos. Martel showed up on time and simply out wrestled and outworked every possible opponent until his only destination was the main event. He shied away from the politics and personal turmoil, gaining a reputation as a "loner."

The pinnacle came May 13, 1984, when Martel became the American Wrestling Association heavyweight champion by defeating Japanese superstar Tommy Tsuruta in St. Paul, Minn. Martel eventually dropped the A.W.A. title to Stan Hansen December 29, 1985, at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. It was a match most would have canceled, as Martel was suffering from a serious back injury at the time.

Despite the title reign, Martel never got the credit he truly deserved. While organizations like the World Wrestling Federation were expertly marketing and hyping Hulk Hogan, the A.W.A. fell down miserably on the job and probably did Martel more harm than good. He was almost ignored, even though he was the champ!

Of course, Martel never complained. He just went from town to town and battled every deserving challenger. When he hurt his back, the A.W.A. provided virtually no support. When he lost the title, the A.W.A. probably never even said, "Thanks, good job."

After losing the A.W.A. laurels, Martel stuck mainly to Canada and Puerto Rico for the bulk of his matches. He became a partner in the Montreal promotion, which was alternatively friendly to and at odds with the W.W.F. Eventually, the promotion was damaged severely by the W.W.F. and Martel made a deal to come to the W.W.F.

Typically, Martel refuses to comment on the maneuvers of the W.W.F. or the foul-ups of the A.W.A. "What purpose would be served?" Martel asked. "The future is what counts, and the future is going to be teaming with a fine young man like Tom Zenk."

Indeed, Zenk was one good thing that came from Martel's A.W.A. sojourn. A protégé of Eddie Sharkey, Zenk became most friendly with Martel. However he became frustrated with the A.W.A. and left to wrestle in the Pacific North West, a location many claim was picked by Martel himself.

One observer said, "Martel saw a lot of himself in Zenk, a quiet young man with a shorter temper than Rick. But Zenk was a very hard worker and concerned with wrestling, not politics. Martel liked that and knew Zenk could develop solid talents if he went to a place like the North West. Since Rick was always popular there , it should have been easy for him to open the door for Zenk."

And when Martel lost the A.W.A. title and went home to Montreal, who signed on as Martel's partner but the rapidly improving Zenk. Together, they formed the type of acrobatic, fast-moving duo that Canadian fans have long admired.

And when Martel headed for the W.W.F., along came Zenk."We work well together," Martel said in a characteristic understatement. "Tom has many of the same skills I do, so it's really only a matter of getting used to each other under fire before we click on all cylinders."

If early outings on W.W.F. mats are any indication, real trouble is ahead if these two start clicking any better. Zenk and Martel seem able to read each other's minds. If Zenk goes low, Martel goes high. If Martel zigs, Zenk zags. The combination has other teams tumbling to defeat.

Zenk swears by Martel, who has been something of a big brother to the youngster. "Rick is so calm, so cool," Zenk explained. "He knows how to get you over the rough spots, not just in the ring but in wrestling life also."

"For instance, the travel is a real killer. But Rick understands how to eat, how to sleep and how to train, so that you somehow keep an edge despite being on the road almost constantly," Zenk pointed out.

"Moreover, Rick doesn't let you get down about whatever tricks other wrestlers and even promoters play. Ignore it: do your job by going into the ring and winning," Zenk added. "I guess the most important  thing Rick Martel has taught me is how to keep that enthusiasm - how to care just as much as if it were your first pro match every night. He is a tremendously positive person and influence."

Such stability is obvious in Martel's response to the fact that the W.W.F. never puts a popular champion against a popular challenger, which would seem to stop any possible title shot against the "Bulldogs" of Smith and Kid.

"That isn't our concern," Martel declared. "Policies change, but even if they don't , we can prove ourselves by going into each and every match and giving 100-plus percent. Our problem is our opponent for the night, how to stop them and how to beat them."

Zenk marvels at Martel's attitude. "I know he has many frustrations and disappointments to go along with all the good things. But he never gets too high or too low. That enthusiasm is always there."

Martel is however a realist. Here is how he sees some of the more prominent teams in the W.W.F. -

Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Bret "Hit-Man" Hart - "This is one tough pair. They'll take any advantage they can get. But everyone overlooks how agile they are. Hart, and even Neidhart, move like lightweights. They do have bad tempers though, so the key is probably to keep your cool and wrestle your own type of match, no matter what happens."

Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik - "These two have all the experience in the world and nobody gives The Iron Sheik the credit he should get for being a splendid wrestler. Volkoff has great strength and determination. The trick here is to probably keep a quick pace and rely on stamina. Volkoff and the Iron Sheik have lots of experience, but they are not that fast-moving. Don't get trapped and keep things going fast and take good risks."

The Islanders - "I know Haku well: he is a tough customer. Toma is flashy, fast and unpredictable. Together, they have a very unusual style. In this case, I think Tom and I would be wise to make them get down on the mat and wrestle and use a lot of tiring moves."

The Rougeau Brothers - "Again, I am familiar with the Rougeaus since I came from Quebec. This team is very similar to myself and Tom. They like to get in the air, but still rely on good , basic wrestling. I imagine the important item here is to do whatever your going to do as quick as you can before the Rougeaus do it for you."

"Big John" Studd and "King Kong" Bundy - "Obviously, size and strength and being just plain mean work well for Studd and Bundy. Again, to beat them we would have to make things go as fast as
possible and look to take them off their feet whenever we can. Our speed versus their muscle - but remember, Tom and I aren't weaklings either."

Paul Orndorff and Harley Race - "This could be a devastating team, but there are some real huge egos involved. Teamwork is so important that Tom and I could have quite an edge in that area. Get Race and Orndorff into four-ways, or trap one alone whenever you can. Play with their minds, and help each other as much as possible."

The British Bulldogs - "Davey Boy and Dynamite have always been great, long before they came to the W.W.F. They just never got the recognition. This is championship material. We believe we can hold our own and maybe defeat the Bulldogs. Since they can do it all, this is very simple. We would have to do what we do best and look to take advantage of every single opening. Win or lose, this is the kind of match that would be a thrill for everyone, including those doing the wrestling."

And maybe that is the key for Rick Martel and the blazing "Can-Am" connection. Wrestling is a thrill for them, and it shows with every exciting maneuver they do.

Rick Martel and Tom Zenk don't need gimmicks. They have what counts - pure skill and unbridled
enthusiasm.