Part 1  Part 2
The journey begins...

Tom Zenk, Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, John Nord ("Barbarian") Scott Simpson ("Nikita Koloff") and Dean Peters(Brady Boone) share the same class at Robinsdale High School, Minneapolis. 
 


Curt Hennig - "Tom Zenk ! He's got some big ones that kid. I used to help out with the guys that used to beat up on him. He was a hundred and thirty-five pounds. I went away and started in wrestling and then all of the sudden there he was, and man had he changed. I couldn't believe it was the same Tom Zenk."

 

 

Bodybuilder
Tom Zenk's takes to the stage as a bodybuilder, winning Mr Minnesota, Mr Twin Cities, Mr North Counties ......

 

TRAINING

Eddie Sharkey, 'trainer of champions'- profile

Interview with Eddie Sharkey

Audio

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Journeyman
 

Road Warrior 'Animal' scouts Tom at a bodybuilding contest and suggests he train as a wrestler. Tom begins his wrestling career controversially in a small independent promotion operating on Verne Gagne's AWA territory... 
 
FEATURED STORIES
 

 
 
AWA!
AWA days

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    Enter the AWA
    Tom picks up occasional work with Verne Gagne's AWA and for  Frank Valois in Canada. But the top babyface spot is reserved for Gagne's son. Tom leaves "Gagne town' for opportunities in another territory ....



 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Canada 1984 - 85
 

 
 




 

 
    Go North West
    Young Man

    Happy days in the Pacific North West,  in Don Owen's family promotion, with friend Scott Doring (right). More politics as Billy Jack Haynes tries to steal Zenk's spot 
    but is rebuffed by fans......

    PNW Match results 
    interview with Barry Owen 
    interview with Don Coss 

 
Pacific North West Heavyweight Champ

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 
Martel enters the story
Rick Martel recruits Tom for Lutte International, Montreal but fails to fulfil financial promises.....

 
 

 
winnex
Canadian champion
Tom Zenk - future champion 
of Quebecmore
 
First Japan tour
 
 
 

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The Can-Am Connection gets a try out in Japan ....

The entire Zenk in Japan match history (word doc.).......
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The Can-Am Connection


 		 Tom Zenk goes to WWF...with Rick Martel in the Can-Am Connection. After Wrestlemania III, Tom leaves after a dispute over pay and conditions ...
 


 

 


 

The complete 
Can-Am Archive











 

 
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Tom Zenk Shoot interview 
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" Rick Martel's greed split the Can-Am Connection"

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
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More Japan tours
Tom takes to the Japan circuit while Vince 
McMahon takes legal action over
'breach of contract' .... 
 

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1987
1988
1989/1
1989/2
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1988 European tour
 
Back in the AWA

    Between Japan tours, Zenk does some work for the AWA in Minneapolis
Magazine Articles 1988-1989

 
 
a memorable World title match 

 

xxxx
 First half review

Tom Zenk sits down with Ray Whebbe of Pro Wrestling Torch and looks back on the first half of his wrestling career as .......

Zenk proves to be Wrestling's High Plains Drifter
Ray Whebbe , Pro Wrestling Torch, 1988

now onto Part 2

Part 1  Part 2

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