From Innocent Angel to Wrestling Icon
Maurice Tillet was born on 23 October 1903 in the Ural region of Russia to French parents. Known as “The Angel” in childhood for his gentle face, his life took a dramatic turn at age 20 when he was diagnosed with acromegaly, a condition caused by a pituitary gland tumor that led to enlarged bones and distinctive facial features.
In 1917, during the Russian Revolution, Tillet and his mother moved to Reims, France. He later earned a law degree at the University of Toulouse and served five years as an engineer in the French Navy’s submarine service. It was said he could speak at least 14 languages.
Entering the Wrestling World
Tillet’s wrestling career began in 1937 after meeting Lithuanian wrestler Karl Pojello in Singapore. Persuaded to try the sport, Tillet trained in Paris and wrestled in France and England for two years. The outbreak of World War II pushed Tillet and Pojello to the United States in 1939.
In Boston, promoter Paul Bowser introduced him as “The French Angel,” and he became a major attraction. Unbeaten for 19 consecutive months, Tillet held the American Wrestling Association’s World Heavyweight Championship from May 1940 to May 1942 and briefly in 1944.
A Name That Inspired Many
Tillet’s fame led to a wave of “Angel” imitators, including wrestlers billed as the Swedish Angel, Russian Angel, Super Swedish Angel, Canadian Angel, Polish Angel, Czech Angel, Irish Angel, Golden Angel, Black Angel, and Lady Angel.
He even faced Tor Johnson, the Swedish Angel, in the ring. His unique look and dominance made him one of the top box office draws of the early 1940s.
Final Years and Lasting Memory
By 1945, Tillet’s health was declining, and his “unstoppable” billing was dropped. His final match took place in Singapore on 14 February 1953, where he lost to Bert Assirati.
In 1950, Chicago sculptor Louis Linck created a series of plaster busts of Tillet, one of which is displayed at Chicago’s International Museum of Surgical Science. On 4 September 1954, Tillet died of a heart attack in Chicago shortly after learning of the death of Karl Pojello, his longtime friend and trainer.
This man is believed to have inspired the storybook and animated movie character Shrek.
But his life was far more interesting than that…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/N5moUK6878
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) August 12, 2025