Before there was high-flying Will Ospreay, before Ricochet backflipped his way into the Twitterverse, and before AEW fans started clapping for anything more aerial than a sneeze, there was one man with wings on his boots and a dropkick that could split atoms: Red Bastien, the original acrobat of agony. Born Rolland Bastien in Bottineau, North Dakota—a town best known for being colder than Vince McMahon’s handshake—Red would go on to warm arenas across America with his frenetic style, boyish charm, and enough bounce in his step to make kangaroos jealous.
Life Before Lycra
Growing up in the icy reaches of North Dakota, young Rolland didn’t need a backyard ring to get tough. He learned to fight on the carnivals—wrestling locals and would-be tough guys for spare change and bruised egos. His formal education came courtesy of a who’s who of ring generals: Henry Kolln, Einar Olsen, Joe Pazandak, and the legendary Verne Gagne. Somewhere in between football pads and swim trunks, Red Bastien learned to fly without wings—and slam without mercy.
By the time he debuted in 1956, Red was already defying gravity and tradition. At a mere 185 pounds, he was considered a cruiserweight in an era of beer-bellied bruisers. But what he lacked in bulk, he more than made up for in bounce. Red wasn’t just wrestling—he was soaring.
The Bastien Brothers and Beyond
In a business built on bloodlines and bald-faced lies, Red made his biggest early impact by teaming with Lou Klein as the “Bastien Brothers.” Kayfabe kin, they captured the WWWF U.S. Tag Team Championship three times in 1960 alone, thanks to a combination of aerial artistry and the uncanny ability to avoid getting caught with brass knuckles.
Red would go on to form another iconic duo with Billy Red Lyons, known for high-flying maneuvers and the unique distinction of being the only tag team to unmask Don Jardine without divine intervention.
His time in the WWWF also saw him tag with none other than Bruno Sammartino—yes, that Bruno. Together, they may have been the most unlikely buddy cop pairing since Turner & Hooch: one a brawny Italian powerhouse, the other a ginger gymnast who could land a flying headscissors from the concession stand.
Wrestling’s Globetrotter
Red Bastien didn’t just own America—he rented space in Japan, too. In 1971, he invaded the International Wrestling Enterprise alongside Bill Howard and captured the IWA World Tag Team Championships in his debut match, because that’s what Red did: show up, steal shows, and occasionally, belts.
He toured Japan multiple times, always delighting fans with his dropkicks, flying head scissors, and that atomic drop that left opponents wondering if they could ever have children again.
Texas Red and the Secret Identity Era
In the mid-1970s, Red did what every aging superhero eventually does—put on a mask. As “Texas Red,” he stalked the rings of the WWWF incognito. No one knew it was him—except everyone. Let’s be honest, there weren’t many 6-foot redheads with an aerial moveset in the late ’70s. But in an era when masked men were often just fat guys with a hood, Red gave the gimmick wings.
Behind the Curtain: Booker, Trainer, Talent Scout
Bastien didn’t just wrestle—he booked. As the man calling the shots in Dallas, he shaped stories and decided who got the strap and who got the shaft. But his biggest gift to wrestling wasn’t in the ring—it was in the gym.
That’s where he discovered two juiced-up meatheads named Steve Borden and Jim Hellwig. Red saw something in those guys, beyond the protein shakes and grunts. He convinced them to step into a ring, and the rest is face-painted history. Sting and The Ultimate Warrior might never have existed without Bastien walking into Gold’s Gym and thinking, “These guys look like they eat barbed wire for breakfast. Perfect!”
Together with Rick Bassman, Bastien formed Powerteam USA. It was like the Avengers of roided-up charisma—before either man could cut a promo longer than a haiku.
The Cauliflower Alley President With a Dropkick Heart
From 2001 to 2007, Red Bastien served as President of the Cauliflower Alley Club—a role once held by Lou Thesz and succeeded by Nick Bockwinkel, which is like being the bassist for The Beatles sandwiched between Paul McCartney and Geddy Lee.
Red brought his signature blend of grace and grit to the job, raising funds and awareness for wrestlers left behind by a business that treats aging stars like expired milk.
Legacy, Legend, and the Dropkick That Echoes
Red Bastien’s resume reads like a travel guide to tag team gold: Florida, Texas, California, Japan, Canada, Australia—you name it, he probably held gold there. He was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and probably your dad’s favorite wrestler list if he’s over 60.
His signature phrase—“Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat”—became gospel for wrestling’s rogues gallery, even if Jesse Ventura stole the quote and the credit.
The Final Bell
Red Bastien passed away in 2012 at the age of 81, reportedly dropkicking Father Time on the way out. Suffering from Alzheimer’s in his later years, the man who once flew like a red comet gradually faded, but his contributions to the business are as enduring as a WrestleMania main event.
He was a showman, a pioneer, a teacher, and a friend to nearly everyone who laced a pair of boots. In a sport full of giants and loudmouths, Red Bastien proved that sometimes the smallest guy in the locker room can make the biggest impact.
And he did it all with a smile, a springboard, and a dropkick that could knock a toupee off a referee from the mezzanine.
