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16th April, 1936
No More Mystery
Fans knew all too well the disappointment of seeing masked wrestlers almost unmasked only to pull off a spectacular victory. Well, promoter John Mortimer presented an attractive programme at the Connaught Drill Hall in which an unmasking was guaranteed.
The Masked Wrestler (interchangeably known as The Masked Marvel) had emerged at Portsmouth in January 1936. Appearances of this Marvel were limited to just four matches at Portsmouth. The given story was that he was an amateur wrestler wishing to maintain his anonymity. He defeated George Finnie and returned the following month to defeat the more formidable Mitchell Gill. It was up another notch in March with George Clark in the opposite corner, and the result a draw. At the end of March it was the chance of George Gregory, who also held the masked man to a draw. Having drawn with the two top heavyweights in the country it was announced that the masked wrestler would voluntarily reveal his identity on the night he wrestled American Frank Judson.
The hall was packed to capacity, a record attendance. It was action from the start, with the masked man countering the clever moves of the American. Around the ten minute mark The Masked Marvel began showing signs of tiredness and Judson began to take control. The end came after fourteen minutes when Judson pinned his opponent.
The Masked Marvel removed his mask as agreed. He was no amateur. He was veteran Louis Pergantes. As an aside we will mention that a wrestler billed as The Masked Man had been defeated and unmasked by Tony Baer at Liverpool Stadium on 28th February, 1936. He was Louis Pergantes.
An unmasked Pergantes continued to display a lot of skill around the country, most of the matches we have uncovered being in the south of England. Victories included those over skilled men like Dave Armstrong and Francis St Clair Gregory, powerful Mitchell Gill and Bert Mansfield and showman Jack Pye.
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