Marc Mercier, the French wrestling legend who spent nearly two decades running the country’s top promotion, has died at 68.
Mercier’s son, Hugo, announced the death on September 7 via his father’s Facebook account. Mercier had revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Mercier was the son of European light heavyweight wrestler and promoter Guy Mercier. He began his own in-ring career in 1977, competing across France, Europe and the United Kingdom. He held French, European and world titles during his run, and one of his most notable matches came against Marty Jones for the World Mid-Heavyweight Championship in Walthamstow in May 1988, a bout that later aired on ITV.
An injury forced Mercier out of the ring in 1989, though he returned occasionally in 2002 and continued wrestling sporadically through the mid-2000s.
Built The FFCP And The Catch Academy
In 2006, Mercier relaunched the French Professional Wrestling Association, which became the French Professional Wrestling Federation. He was elected president and led the organization until stepping down in February 2024, closing out 49 years in the wrestling business. He also founded the Catch Academy to train the next generation of French wrestlers.
Outside the ring, Mercier worked as an actor and stuntman, including a stint as Gerard Depardieu’s stunt double on Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar and work on the films Ronin, Nid de guepes and Banlieue 13.
