Arguably the Greatest MASKED Wrestler EVER!-Rated by HERITAGE as No. 1!
The Notorious DOCTOR DEATH was a Sensation from 1958-1966 and a Massive Crowd
Puller filling 3000 Seater Luxury Amphitheatres!!
But WHO or WHAT Killed the DOCTOR DEATH Legend?
Was it JOINT PROMOTIONS who Absorbed PAUL LINCOLN'S Businesses?-Did they decide
they wanted to 'Push' only KENDO NAGASAKI-a Younger,arguably Fresher MASKED
Warrior?
Was it PAUL LINCOLN Himself?-Who left for AUSTRALIA for at least 2 Years pretty soon
after the CZESLAW Match at the ROYAL ALBERT HALL? Had he had enough?-or was he
Injured?
Was it the Numerous Fake Doctor Deaths along with Mercenary Promoters who made pots
of money on the back of the Huge Success of the Original?
Was it PETER MAIVIA?-Who finally Defeated him in the Ring to UNMASK him?
Was it Age?-By circa 1963 He himself was Claiming he'd Fought 2006 Matches??
Or was it a COMBINATION of some or all of the above??
Like BIG VAN VADER-Who himself Signalled the End of VADER TIME-did DOCTOR DEATH
HIMSELF decide that the Notorious Mayhem Days of his HOODED MENACE were finally
over?
YOUR Views please/
MAIN MASK
Thanks guys.
Main Mask - the Spanish stuff appears to be around late 1973 to late '74 or early '75. He could still have popped over to the UK, while in Spain, for the odd date of course.
Paul Lincoln seems to have been an entrepreneur all his life. His Father was a sign writer, in Sydney (where he was born, James McDonald Lincoln) and after leaving school he ran a gym, then learned to wrestle on Australian wrestling booths owned by Roy Bell, playing the young schoolboy in the crowd who wanted to have a go at winning some money. Then switched his name to "Elmo Lincoln" (presumably named after the original "Tarzan" actor) and began wrestling in Singapore with Chief Little Wolf (Benny Tenario).
Incredibly, aged around 20, he came to UK, as Paul (not Elmo), got a daytime job as a bodyguard to a currency dealer and wrestled at night. He did a stint in the German tournaments, but seemed to be going nowhere until George Kidd suggested he become a masked wrestler, to try a new rule breaking persona, and could always carry on as Paul Lincoln, without the mask.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Astonishing stuff, Saxonwolf, that is mostly new to me. Thank you.
Paul Lincoln was in total control (as far as I can see) of "Dr. Death".
He invented the Dr. Death persona, used it for as long as he wanted, including his time after selling to Joint Promotions.
It is said that he became disillusioned (or more probably, frustrated), when he could no longer put together his exciting bills, but had to be part of the (admittedly, well oiled) Joint Promotions machine.
The unmasking, as far as I can see, was his idea and he did this around the country, after the initial one to Peter Maivia.
He didn't stop being Dr. Death at that point. He simply took the money he made from selling to JP (reported to be in the region of a million pounds, a huge sum in those days) and upped sticks with his family and went to live in beautiful Valencia, in Spain, where he continued to wrestle as Dr. Death, including making a weekly trip to wrestle in a huge bull ring, in Madrid, amongst other Spanish cities.
He later went back to Australia, in 1975, dropped the mask, and wrestled as Major Lincoln (a "British" army officer character). He also owned a private detective agency while he was there, and part owned restaurants.
He ended up coming back to England, invested in a nightclub in Southampton, and pretty much stayed here for the rest of his life.
The other thing, of course, was he spotted the trend in teenagers (in the 1950's) having disposable income, and came up with the 2i's coffee bar, in 1956, with Ray Hunter, where they charged sixpence (in old money) to come in and have a "frothy coffee" and watch skiffle and early rock and roll acts.
He is also credited with coming up with the idea of rock and roll band package tours, putting four or five bands and singers together and sending them on a tour, or, more famously, putting them all on a boat and have them play all the way to Calais and back (maybe a duty-free type tax ruse?).
Larry Parnes would also do similar tours, so who actually came up with the idea first, is hard to say.
For a time, he also co-owned the Cromewellian Club, in London, aimed at the rich and famous, and his co-owners were Ray Hunter (again), Judo Al Hayes and Bob Anthony ("the Wrestling Beatle"), along with Tony Mitchell, who owned coffee bars and restaurants in Soho, and knew Paul and Ray from the 2i's.
Tony wanted the Cromwellian to attract London's high society, including Princess Margaret and her friends, but Bob Anthony had other ideas, and thought that becoming an "in" place in Swinging London would bring more rewards. He was right. He had been promoting rock concerts as well as wrestling, and managed to help turn the Cromwellian into a "must visit" night club (three floors; a bar, a casino and a disco), which eventually saw the likes of Sean Connery and Lee Marvin, rubbing shoulders with Twiggy, Brian Epstein, Peter Noone, and became a place for any musician playing in London to drop into and play an impromtu set, leading to the first gig of Jimi Hendrix.
In later years, Paul Lincoln always said that it was his time in wrestling that was his favourite.
Paul Lincoln - I think you can say he lived a full (and fun) life!