Masked Marvel to the Rescue

<p><br></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Gimmick That Saved the 1915 International Wrestling Tournament</strong></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>When Frank Gotch retired as World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in 1913 it left a void that many promoters tried to fill with their hand-picked successors. One of the more interesting attempts was Samuel Rachmann staging the 1915 New York International Wrestling Tournament.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Rachmann's Spring Tournament was a big success but attendance fell off badly in the Fall Tournament. Rachmann was forced to employ a gimmick to save his tournament. The gimmick was a huge success but was it worth it if it hurt his contender and exposed professional wrestling at the same time.</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The First Known Masked Wrestler in the United States</strong></p>