Mavin Gehman

Began his wrestling career at the age of 16 while in high school. Marvin excelled at acrobatics, tumbling, basketball, water polo, swimming and diving as a boy at the YMCA in Reading and the Olivet Boys club, where he was a member since the age of six. He graduated from Reading High School and went to work in the steel and textile mills of Reading before starting his professional wrestling career (1946). Known as Marvin “Atomic” Mercer, he was the World Junior Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and holder of the Ed “Strangler” Lewis Triple Gold Shield Belt. He was dubbed “The Atomic Wonder” by Ripley’s Believe It or Not and declared “Mr. Physical Culture” by Bernard MacFad- den, father of physical culture. Marvin originated and developed the Atomic Thrust or Drop-Kick among other aerial techniques. He could deliver an Atomic Thrust from start to finish and land on his own feet in 3/5 of a second. He was timed executing four Atomic Thrusts or Kicks in five seconds. The first time that Jim Londos (the Golden Greek), greatest wrestling champion of all time, saw Marvin wrestle he said, “What wrestling needs is more Marvin Mercers.” Retired lightweight undefeated champion George Bothner (proprietor of Bothner’s Gymnasium, on 42nd Street in New York City, the mecca of wrestlers from all over the world) said at the time, “Mercer is the fastest, most scientific wrestler today.” Mercer later became a wrestling instructor at the YMCA in Reading and the Executive Director of the Olivet Boys and Girls Club in Reading. He was also a contributing member of the Reading-Berks Basketball Old-Timers Board.

Deceased