Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
When I woke up on Friday and learned of the news that wrestler/manager Frenchy Martin had passed away. I will tell you that the name of Frenchy Martin did not mean much to me over the years. I knew who he was and had somewhat enjoyed the character in the mid to late 80’s in what was known as the WWF. However, to me, he was not Frenchy… before he became Frenchy, I knew him as Pierre Martel.
Pierre Martel was one of the most “dangerous and vicious” heels to come to Puerto Rico in the late 70’s. He was part of a great tag team, “Los Mercenarios” (The Mercenaries) with his storyline “brother” Michel Martel. They were one of those teams that could wrestle and outsmart their opponents with their tactics, but also could get dirty when they needed to do so; win at all costs, no matter what.
I learned about their history in Puerto Rico much later as I was probably 3 or 4 years old when they were on top and drawing huge houses with their long lasting feud against “The Invaders, #1 & #2.” Michel had passed away in 1978 after a match that took place at the Coliseum Pachín Vicens in Ponce, PR. The match was a six-man tag that saw “Invaders 1 & 2” with Carlos Colon facing The Martels, Pierre & Michel with Jack LaFavre. The promotion took the incident and turned it into a storyline, blaming Invader #1’s heart punch’s lasting effects for the untimely death. They even brought Michel’s real life youngest brother, Rick Martel, to continue the feud with The Invaders.
Fast forward a couple of years after that incident. I want to say I was about 5, perhaps 6 years old when I first started watching pro wrestling; 1980 or 1981. WWC was still part of the NWA at that time. I remember that one of the first couple of times I watch the “Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre” TV show, during our weekly Sunday visit at my grandparent’s house, this tall Frenchman came on the screen and started yelling and screaming at the camera in broken Spanish, telling whoever would listen to him, that he would beat Invader #1 and after he beat him, he would then continue to punish him until he could not move a muscle. He was going to make him suffer because the hate he had for him would never vanish. I was stunned… That I could remember, I had never heard anyone talk like that to anybody. He seemed angry, and got angrier as the promo went on. I just did not understand why.
Later in the show, it was time for the Invader #1 interview. Invader talked about the hate that Martel had towards him and he explained that even years after Michel’s death, Martel still blamed him for it. That was it… I then understood the reason why Martel said the things he said and why he looked so angry. I did not know who Michel was, but the commentator explained his death and that Michel’s brother (Pierre) was still looking for revenge years after it all happened. What a situation.
It was as real as it could get for me at that age. Life and death is so real that you almost can’t fake it. And I say almost because the line was blurred at best at that time, at least for me.
At the time I had not attended a live event yet, but that story was very intriguing to me, so I followed it every week on the TV show. They would not show the entire matches that took place, just highlights. On one of those TV shows they presented, Pierre Martel beating down Invader #1. And all of the sudden, Martel stomped his boot on the mat a couple of times and then he almost kicked Invader’s head off. Almost instantly Invader’s face turned into a “crimson mask.” Blood was everywhere and they cut back to the studio. Martel was there to tell everyone that he was coming back to Ponce, to complete his revenge on Invader #1. Whoever wanted to see Invader for the last time in the ring should come to the Coliseum to watch but he cautioned the public that if they were not comfortable seeing blood, they should not come to the matches. He and his “loaded boot” would be there waiting for Invader.
Again, I’ll say that there was so much emotion in the promo that for me at that time, it was just real. Their feud was long and brutal. Every time they met it was war inside the ring. And when they were not facing each other, Martel’s “loaded boot” was destroying his opponents.
This was one of the feuds that hooked me into pro wrestling. There were a couple of them in the 80’s that cemented my passion for wrestling, but this was one of the first one that captured my attention. As years passed, Martel had found a new tag team partner in Mr. Fuji. However, there was not good communication between them and it led to Mr. Fuji turning on Martel.
Now Martel was a babyface and looking for revenge, but this time on Mr. Fuji. And even though they had a really nasty feud for years, Martel turned to Invader #1 for help when Mr. Fuji brought in his new tag team partner, Toru Tanaka. From that point on Pierre Martel went from being one of the most hated and feared heels, to one of the most cheered and beloved babyfaces.
In 1983, I was finally able to attend my first card live and saw Pierre Martel in a tag match with Gran Apollo as his partner. He had such a presence, and such a character. The best part was that I was able to see him using the infamous "loaded boot" in person after all those years. After being a heel for all those years, he was able to win over the fanbase by being someone that would fight the good fight, while still using his loaded boot when it was necessary; only now people, including me, cheered when he did. He was a staple in the Puerto Rican wrestling scene. Babyface or heel, he drew money for the promotion for the better part of a decade (1975 to 1985). He then had his run as Frenchy Martin, manager to Dino Bravo in the WWF.
A good wrestler, really good performer and a really good promo… I will always remember him and his loaded boot…
On my behalf, as well as everyone here at PWInsider.com, our deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans. May he rest in peace…
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
