BBC News website obituary, Friday 14th January 2011: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12191768

Ex-wrestler and promoter 'Dr Death' Paul Lincoln dies

The former wrestler and promoter Paul Lincoln has died in Southampton. Known during his career as "Dr Death", Mr Lincoln, who was 78, had been battling Parkinson's disease and cancer. He died on Wednesday.

The "god of wrestling" came to the UK from Australia in the 1950s and set up his own wresting promotions company. He also owned the 2i's coffee bar in Soho, central London, where he is credited with helping the careers of music stars like Sir Cliff Richard.

Former wrestler Frank Rimer, who worked for Mr Lincoln, said he was considered to be the greatest wrestling promoter of all time. "He didn't get the label of 'god of wrestling' for nothing. "People nowadays may associate Giant Haystacks with British wrestling but Paul was the entrepreneur who created a platform for wrestlers like him. "Paul started promoting and wrestling with his old friend and grappling legend Rebel Ray Hunter. "They had no TV coverage, unlike promoter Dale Martin, but they soon took the nation by storm. "They put wrestling into cinemas, and made household names out of their boys." Mr Rimer said rival promoter Mr Martin bought out Mr Lincoln - for a reported £1m - in the 1960s and the pair went on to work together.

Alongside promoting, Mr Lincoln also owned the 2i's coffee bar which hosted live music and is credited with helping the careers of stars like The Shadows and Ritchie Blackmore. Mr Lincoln has been credited with helping Bruce Welch's band The Shadows . He is also said to have encouraged some of the musicians, including Billy Fury and Tommy Steele, to adopt names like the ones chosen by wrestlers. Mr Rimer said many musicians, including Sir Cliff, hoped to attend Mr Lincoln's funeral in Southampton later this month.


Paul's prominence in British Professional Wrestling can be gauged from several appearances by him in this edition of the magazine "Wrestling World" in 1961

On the front cover Karl von Kramer has his opponent in a boston crab, while the bottom of the page refers to an article about "gimmicks" in which Paul is mentioned (see below). The inside front cover lists Paul Lincoln amongst the licensed promoters.

The article about "gimmicks" on pages 12 & 13 emphasises how masked wrestlers like Doctor Death have to be top-class performers, having drawn such attention to themselves.

On pages 20 & 21, the Gossip section speculates about a match between Doctor Death and The White Angel.

 

Almost a decade later, and "The Wrestler" magazine of April 1969 is reporting on a return to the ring for Doctor Death


 

And "Ringsport" magazine has a similar report around the same time (1969)


'Ringsport' magazine feature

Doctor Death's opponents from the above article: Gori Ed Mangotich, Steve Veidor, Quasimodo, Dave Larsen

 

Finally, some posters advertising Doctor Death's matches


Posters (thanks to Ray Plunkett)


Got a photo or other material about Doctor Death (Paul Lincoln) which could be featured on this site?
Please e-mail it to furnacehot@gmail.com.
Contributions will be acknowledged on the site, using either your real name or a 'pen name', if preferred.