David Mantell

Okay, here are the remaining three There's also a five page chapter on the rules and early Spanish history of "Lucha Libre Americana" which I shall posts here some time soon. Other than that, some of the images illustrating particular holds and moves are in a ring, but I couldn't tell you which images are from Spain and which are from elsewhere.

One of the four remaining profiles from Lino De Pablo Campo's book.

The flipside of that was Warrior backing out of selling out to Mr Perfect to become heel World champion at Summerslam 92 which took away what would have been the historic cherry on top of that event.

Warrior was basically a Handsome version of The Missing Link.

Be my guest: https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/15983-the-beginners-guide-to-british-wrestling https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/16764-french-catch https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/51113-german-catch Except that for me, they're not niche topics. British wrestling is what I grew up with and still follow, French catch and the world of the German/Austrian tournaments were/are the two next door territories with a considerable back and forth overlap.

@William Bologna I've got you another Wrestle Me vlog about vintage British TV wrestling, this time about the 1980 The Big Time documentary.

If my British and French thread postings were both a bit on the short side this weekend it was to balance out this epic. Less than three months away from the Millennium, on a show that was put on by the VDB - so says @sergeiSem although the ring design looks distinctively CWA with the blue/grey mat, white ropes, large frame and sponsorship messages. Robbie Wildcat Brookside, the most hated Brit in Germany and he will remain so for another 15 or so years, far removed from his youth having a clean match with Johnny Saint on ITV - takes on veteran Mile Zrno from Croatia . On top of which, the referee is an aged Jeff Kaye, veteran of ITV and Stampede, occasional Stampede TV commentator, Giant Haystacks' Tim White in Stampede 1981 and a tag team The Barons with Ian Gilmour that made it to both British and French TV as well as Pancho Zapata's opponent in that The Final Bell clip from 30 years earlier. Flags are flying and Brookside is already in surly mood during the intros Runde 1: Brookside gets an armbar into hammerlock. Mile straightens it, tries a crotch hold counter then - unusually for him - does the British style of rollout albeit with the final kip up as a separate stage. Robbie forces a whip and bump but Zrno kips up. He monkey climbs Brookside who maintains the wristlever, switching to double arms then the single other arm then back to the original. Mile stands and forearm smashes Robbie who no sells it. So Mile rolls out again, hiptosses Robbie and crosspresses him but doesn't get a co7nt Some fans even cheer for Robbie. Mile gets a headlock and cross buttocks Robbie to the mat in it. Robbie momentarily turns Mile into a side folding press but Mile takes the headlock back to standing position as Robbie explores escape possibilities. Zrno gets a slam then a double crossface. The bell goes. Mile does not release and Robbie has to shove him off. Runde 2: They interlock and Zrno rolls backwards to tighten his twist on both arms. Robbie powers both arms straight and backdrops Zrno who turns into the mount and gets a reverse grovit on Brookside, switching to a chinlock, side headlock and kneedrop. Hecdelibers two bionic elbows to Robbie's head and Brookside is up and FURIOUS. He complains to Kaye who shrugs. Robbie gets a snapmare and kick to the back as one for his dad who wanted him to be a footballer. Zrno gets up only to be snapmared down and neck wrenched. He tries for a Fireman's Carry but Brookside wriggles off. Brookside gets a stomp in then a side chancery hold. Zrno armdrags him but Robbie responds with a headscissors, augmenting it with an armlock. Zrno starts bridging up so Brookside elbows him down in the stomach. Zrno eventually gets his arm free and gets the headscissors upright and lifts his head up Brookside pulls him in by the hair, so Zrno turns the hold upside down and uses his feet to uncork his head from the hold - just in time as the bell rings. The two argue over which corner is whose. Runde 3: As they grope for wrists, Zrno gets a great rolling legdive into single leg takedown He stomps Brookside 's thigh twice and turns him over into a single leg Boston Crab. Robbie, totally the heel goes straight for a rope break which Kaye grants him. He stares angrily across the ring. They lock up and Robbie gets a standing full nelson. Zrno throws him forward and bridges up when Robbie tries a sideways. He rolls over, nearly being caught in a backslide. and Brookside rolls over after him, still maintaining a kneeling full nelson. Zrno stands up, brining the Runde so far full circle with a standing full nelson once again. Robbie switches to an abdominal stretch . With difficulty Zrno manages a cross buttock and press for 2. They interlock, Robbie gets in a boot and forearm smash, they take turns pounding each other in the corner until Zrno gets a rear snapmare and kneedrop. A running snapmare on the grounded Brookside earns Mile a private warning from Kaye. The next interlock brings a drop toehold and crossface from Robbie but the bell soon goes. Reluctantly he releases. Runde 4 Zrno gets an armlock against the joint and drives it down into the mat. He converts it to a back hammerlock on the mat, driving his knee in and handstanding his entire weight on the hold, coming down in a bridge position and working his way back round the the original position, then going for the other arm to get a curious leg-held abdominal stretch. Finally he releases with one final chop and it takes Robbie an 8 count to get up. They interlock and Mile seems to go for an abdominal stretch but it all ends up in the ropes. They finally break after being barked at a lot by the MC. Zrno gets an armlock from in front and converts to a backhammer into armdrag into headscissors, cranking the hold forwards. Robbie turns the hold upright as the bell goes. He gets his head out but it's not clear if Zrno has just released on the bell. Frustrated, Brookside gets some stomps in and gets his First Yellow Card from Kaye. The MC, interestingly, calls it a Public Warning -in English. Runde 5 : Zrno snapmares and twice flying headscissors Brookside who bails out to ringside, eventually making it back for a count of 5. Zrno gets a single legdive, drags Robbie in from the ropes. He drops his weight on the inside of Robbie's knee and works over a single toehold, then turns Robbie into the mount and puts on a Frank Gotch figure four toehold., drops down and converts to an Indian Deathlock. Robbie counters by grabbing Zrno's pushing foot and putting an ankle lock on it. Zrno turns round into the original Gotch toehold position. Robbie scrambles for the ropes, forcing a break. Selling his knee, Robbie stays down for Eight then goes back down again for another 1. Kaye and the MC are considering calling it a TKO ( @ohtani's jacket wouldn't have liked that!) but a limping Brookside wants to go on. Zrno gets a fisherman's suplex but Robbie kicks out at 2. Robbie gets a headlock and concealed punch just as the bell goes. Runde 6: Robbie gets another headlock and concealed punch, using his body to block the view for Kaye, a very British piece of heel-pulling-wool over the ref's eyes. He gets in one more stomp as per the no follow down rule and hammers Zrno's back. Another bloke fells Zrno but Robbie falls with him so he can follow up with a crossface and then a crosswise surfboard just like the Keith Haward Vs Jon Cortez 1987 Reslo bout I posted yesterday. He eventually springs his man loose so Zrno lands with a thump in the guard, and stomps him again in the back. Robbie gets a snapmare and bodycheck but a second one catapults both men to ringside. Robbie gets justone stomp in at ringside before being back at 6. At 7, Zrno from outside rolls in and gets stomped by Brookside who takes a single leg and gets a toehold into grapevine leglock into Indian Deathlock, adding a grovit. Robbie casts off the grovit and makes a pure Indian Deathlock on the mat. He gets a spare arm of Mile's and makes a hammerlock of it. Mile partly gets out but Robbie still has the Gotch toehold on when the bell goes. He reluctantly releases it. Runde 7: Off a half- interlock, Robbie floors Zrno with two kicks, gets a leg and drives the knee into the mat. Luckily for Robbie, Zrno is no Johnny Saint and he doesn't go with the motion to spring upright - Brookside just gets the weakener, puts a Gotch toehold on, reaches for a one handed chinlock and wrenches down before focusing on the toehold then applying a two-handed crossface to make a Masa Chono STF. Brookside releases, Zrno is up at just 3 so Brookside Drapes him upside down on the corner pad in a somewhat messy Tree Of Woe. Kaye frees Zrno just as Brookside lands a low flying dropkick, earning himself a Second And Final Yellow Card from Kaye. Again the MC uses the Anglicism "Public Warning." Zrno gets in some forearm smashes but Brookside gets in a bit to Mile's already weakened knee. Zrno is up at 7 but holding onto the corner. Robbie gets a single leg Boston Crab. Eventually Zrno grabs the ropes and Brookside releases but gets in a cheeky little kick to the inside of Zrno's knee. Brookside gets a snapmare and single legdive, fends off Zrno's other leg and looks to take back the single leg Boston Crab but instead drops his weight on the knee of Mile. He locks in the other leg (sadly the camera angle prohibits seeing how) and both men illegally grab each others hair. Zrno gets his own first yellow card (yet again the MC says public warning) as the bell goes. Runde 8: A half Interlock becomes Robbie kicks and a big long suplex from Brookside for just 1. Zrno bridges out of a belly to back suplex and monkey climbs in response to a Brookside single leg and rear superkicks to the back of the head in response to another legdive. He stomps and lifts Robbie who gets a posting and shoulder ram into the corner, Robbie gets another posting and follows in but Zrno gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for the one required pinfall. Mike Zrno is the winner and successful defender of the title belt he wore at the start. He is presented with belt and bouquet by two elderly officials. A surprisingly good Even Older School British style technical heel Vs blue eye bout. Zrno the last of the old slow methodicals still in his prime, Robbie a former Brit TBW whizzkid matured into thirtysomething heel. (He was already TWA British Heavyweight Champion by this time and may have held the All Star version by this point.) hitting his stride as the biggest most hated heel in Germany/Austria. It wasn't speedy but it was intelligent and scientific with what little brawling there was kept in it's place and the only just enough dirty wrestling to keep the heat flowing. I rather think Kent Walton would have liked this one. It doesn't challenge Steve Wright Vs Tony StClair for me but it's the second best heel/babyface German match I've seen after Inoki Vs Bock nearly 21 years earlier.

Here's a longer edit of that match with English commentary by Orig Williams. Danny and Jimmy Ocean were both British/European champions - Danny would also become World Middleweight champion this year 1991, Ocean was British /European Lightweight Champion- but expect more of a fight than a technical exhibition. Orig is in lustful mood over the "Glamour Girls" (not Leilani and Judy.). Promo time: Accent spotting - Jimmy is Norfolk n good, Danny is Bristol/Somerset. Jimmy has clearly been watching the trailer for Ringmasters The Great American Bash as he rips off Hawk's "Just when you thought the nightmare was over" promo. Monsieur L'Arbitre gives Ocean a bunch of (private) avertisements over what is Interdit but he rushes past to attack Danny, pounds him down and lands a snapmare into guillotine elbowsmash before resuming the brawling. Danny dropkicks Jimmy out. Ocean undoes a pad and gets in the dirties- kidney punch, slam head into naked turnbuckle. Ocean gets a Randy Savage flying axehandle twice among the fouls. He finally gets his first (public) Avertisement after walloping Danny with a chair at ringside. Danny retaliates with a foul of his own, a reverse crotch kick, plus an over knee backbreaker but Ocean gets a crotch shot of his own (Orig says that this would have been a summary DQ in Britain) Danny is back with a snapmare into kneedrop, posting, spinning kick, frontward and backwards atomic drop, double legs into butt to stomach. Ocean is up at 8 for a Manchette. But Ocean is back on the dirty moves with a neck on ropes and choking with unwrapped wrist tape. A chest smother gets a referee break but Ocean puts his knee on Danny's throat while he argues. and garrotted him with tape. But he it sitting on Danny's shoulders so Danny uses a German suplex to escape. Danny gives Ocean the tape treatment back and earns his own Premier Avertisement. The two trade concealed fists and visible elbowsmashes. It all goes more American with clotheslines including a top rope one from Ocean. Danny gets a gorilla press into stomachbreaker. Ocean nearly gets his Deuxième Et Dernière Avertisement with another crotch shot - L'Arbitre is VERY suspicious - then gets a slam and a Superfly Splash worthy of Jimmy Snuka himself. But Danny kicks out at 2 and responds the same to an Ocean DDT. The two brawl on until a Danny flying tackle sends both out. Ocean gets back inside first but Danny floors him with first a missile dropkick then a flying bodypress for the side folding press pin. Some good high flying spots but mostly a brawl which is OK if that's what you like. And if you want kayfabe justice for the afterbirth of the Danny/John Harvey Vs Ocean/Doc Dean match, here it is.

Keith Ha(y)ward and Jon Cortez had one of the most glorious no nonsense matches of the colour TV era in 1980 on World Of Sport. Five years later they had another one. Then two years later, astonishingly one of Brian Dixon's first ITV bouts for All Star was a third such bout. Imagine my astonishment to find they also did their thing on Orig's Reslo show. A minority of the crowd are heeling Cortez. I think he did have a few experiments that way in the mid 80s but he behaves himself here. Likewise Haward who did have one funny turn on ITV getting a public warning and as seen on Screensport in 1986, could fight fire with fire when necessary. Here, it's old fashioned classy technique all the way. Keith gets a half nelson and tries to add a crossface but Jon throws him off. He gets a guard armlock and when Keith turns upright to perhaps roll out, he transfers to a back hammerlock but Keith spins out horizontally. They lock up again and Keith gets a snapmare into front chinlock. Cortez throws himself sideways and out past Keith's armpit and snips round 180'until he hasr a mount of his own Keith in an armbar which he augments into an armhank. He tries switching to a further nelson but Keith slips out and mounts him. Cortez throws him off and turns himself over into a crosspress for 2. Good crowd reaction. Cortez gets a low waist lock and drapes Haward over his shoulder . He lowers his man down until the shoulders are down for 1. Haward does a half turn on his head (not a full spinning toupee, just a halfway turn but it gets him up on his haunches. Cortez tried for a mount of his own which Keith reverses but Jon bucks him off and gets a mat side headlock. As Keith tries to stand, Cortez converts to a grovit. Keith breaks it open and high whips Job who rolls up from it and comes back with a flying tackle. but is rolled off at 1. Another low waistlock, this time from Keith who lowers his grip to the knees. Cortez responds with a sunset flip and double leg nelson. Keith breaks out with a double ankle chop, stunning Cortez as he stays down for 7. He is soon back with an armbar and tries an over shoulder throws. Keith uses a crossface to pull back. He gets whipped into th3e ropes by his spare arm but rebounds with a sunset flip into double leg nelson for 1. Cortez escapes and gets a quick crosspress for 1. Keith gets his rear waistlock and tries for his trademark bridging belly to back into German suplex- a legacy of his Commonwealth Games silver medalist days. But Cortez swivels round for a feet first landing. The second time, Keith stays with the hold and goes for a side folding press. Cortez escapes and tries another crosspress.Both get just 1. Keith tries another ride, but it goes into the corner. Cortez is up just before referee (and commonly MC and sometimes English commentator on New Catch season 1) John Harris can start a KO count. Keith gets a wrist lever, turns to tighten and switches to a legdive, taking Cortez down in the guard. Cortez tries to push him off with the flat of the free boot but Keith gets that leg and makes a Gotch toehold, leaning across his man to stop him rolling away. He adds a one arm crossface and pulls his man back in a crossways surfboard. He has it for several seconds before Cortez reaches round with a free hand and unplugs one foot. This triggers him into spring rolling (almost a splash) into a cross press for 2. They try for more but Harris calls for a break. Cortez gets an armdrag into armlock which Keith counters with a headscissors. Cortez turns the hold upright, goes into a headstand and levers out beautifully. Keith goes behind and gets a standing full nelson. Jon tries powering out while going to his knees but Keith follows him down, maintaining the hold. He slowly converts to a cross press, getting a 1 then another 1 (this is the lull OJ was on about) before Cortez kicks out. Keith tries for a front facelock but Jon gets his other arm in the beginning of a hammerlock then switches to the shoulder to turn his man into the guard then a front folding press but Keith legscissor throws him off. He gets a single leg but Keith leaps over and goes behind for a side folding press for the one required fall. If this reminds you of RINGS then the likes of this is where RINGS comes from. Also a cheerful reminder that while shows like Reslo pushed the boat out for gimmick matches and rulebreaking violence, they also kept one foot firmly in the pool of classy scientific wrestling.

Including the early November 1988 "Dry Run" for Demolition as babyfaces - the sympathetic heels, unaccompanied by Fuji (despite what Mike McGuirk says) destroy The Bolsheviks and are roundly cheered by fans, proving that without Fuji and with heel opponents, Ax and Smash were natural babyfaces. Also famous for the former Kruscher Kruschev shouting "Come on you stinking commie" at Volkoff, his one time tag partner in Mid South.

Quick guide to the Faulkner family: Vic Hessle – Wrestling Heritage Bert Royal – Wrestling Heritage Vic Faulkner – Wrestling Heritage Apparently "Hessle" was a leftover from an Austrian gimmick Lew/Vic Sr did in the 1930s.

Did the English commentator come up with the name "Butch Leteur" ?

Well we don't have that footage but here is a snippet from Manchester Belle Vue of Assirati against George Gregory. Bit of a splice job of high spots - a snapmare, a suplex, a bunch of throws with a suitable added sound effect.

Just a quick clip to even things out: Anyone got any idea who that is doing The Ball at 0:10? Could it be a young George Kidd?

Managed to track down another clip of Vic senior in France. (See my potted history of the family on TV on the British Wrestling thread). Just a minute of action against balding Butch Leteur from 1948. You'll recognise Vic from the tag match above. Leteur gets an armdrag but Hessle upturns the Hold and pounds away on Butch. After some audience shots,,we see Vic has a single toehold on Butch and the crowd are doing the "Ah Ouais" chant as he intermittently tightens the hold. Butch gets a Manchette but Vic comes back with bodychrcks and a Manchette of his own. He snapmares Butch over the ropes and L'Arbitre starts a KO count. Cut to Butch tied in the ropes and getting dropkicked by Vic. The referee accidentally backdrops a charging Hessle and Butch tries to pounce on Vic but the ref pulls him off. And there the clip ends. Smarmy English commentary but he does refer to it being called Catch. If yo want to hear it without the commentary here's another version:

From the French Catch thread: I've done a bit of reading up on @JNLister's site about the history of the Royal Family/Royal Brothers tag team on TV. The earlier Royal/Hessle tag team never appeared on UK TV. Although Bert Royal was on the very first ITV broadcast in November 1955 and remained a fixture of ITV bouts until the early 80s, Vic Hessle only had one, possibly two ITV bouts ever. He was definitely on a 1957 show facing someone called Bataan and he MAY have been on ITV a year earlier from Belle Vue in Manchester facing the legendary Bert Assirati. I've found a Pathé Newsreel clip of Hessle but it's from France so I'll post it to the French thread. Vic Faulkner made it onto ITV in 1962. Tag Wrestling was not shown on ITV until 1964, possibly 1963 There was a - probably dark - tag match at a September 1963 live broadcast where the Royals beat Alan Collbeck and Ivan Penzecoff (if it was screened , it was the earliest ITV tag match). Then in March 1964, the Royals first definite TV appearance was a win over Tom Dowie and Ted Hannon. Shortly afterwards as part of the 1964 FA Cup coverage, there was the earliest confirmed TV tag match putting the Royals against Mick McManus and Steve Logan, the South London Hard Men. (No result but my money is on McManus using the Office Hold.)

We've just seen the Royal Brothers in action from June 1970 on the British thread. Now as promised here is some more of the Faulkner family 11¾ years earlier across the English Channel, dad Lew Faulkner aka Vic Hessle teaming with young Bert Royal. Old man Hessle (whom Kent gave props to during the Royals Vs Black Knights match). is a different kettle of fish from his sons physically, bigger bulkier body. He has lighter hair than Liehn which his how to tell them apart (Guy Robin is balding and young skinnier Bert is already thinning on top.). He has his son's skill but is more power than agility. In his day he had matches with Bert Assirati, post Wigan and possibly post India, Assirati at his most knowledgeable and dangerous, Première Manche - The bout is JIP - the previous show must have been overrunning. Robin is getting a KO count but he gets up only for Big Vic to legdive him down and work on a grapevine leglock. Guy tags Edmond who corners Vic til L'Arbitre (a third balding man in the ring) orders them apart. Vic gets the same leglock on Ed.Now both méchants are hobbled. Ed tries to pummel Vic in the mat but the ref pulls him off and Bert grabs him on the apron and holds him for dad Vic's charge. The ref separates them and Vic gets the leglock (clearly a speciality of his). Guy tags back in and chinlocks Vic from behind. Vic captures the barring arm and makes a hammerlock of it. Robin gets up and turns out so Vic applies his leglock for a 4th time. This gets him the opening submission. 16 mins plus so we missed about 14 mins. Father and son chat as they towel off. Deuxième Manche. Bert comes out with a dropkick. The heels threaten him by with punches but he laughs them off and interlocks Ed who rolls on the mat. taking a bump. Bert gets a reverse armhank. He snapmares Ed and long presses him. Guy on the apron tries to interfere but the ref sees him off. A four way brawl ensues with Manchettes akimbo. Both heels end up at ringside. The Bald Guy is back first and then Ed legdives Bert and front folding presses him. Robin's interference stops Ed getting a pin on Bert who ankle smashes Ed and Manchettes him. Ed attacks Royal from behind and chinlocks him down to the mat. Guy tries to interfere and dad Vic gets in to complain. Ed twice snapmares Bert and Guy flying kneedrops him. Guy is ushered out by the ref. Ed has an armlock but Bet uses a crossface counter inorde4 to get free. Vic joins in and a Manchette war ensues. Bert goes after both heels and gives dad a dubious in ring tag. Vic pitches Guy out and goes after Ed. It ends up Vic and Guy with Guy slapping around Vic who gets a side headlock. Guy forces him to the corner and the heels double team until Bert joi s in. Guy gets an Avertisement. He also gets a side armlock which Vic reverses eventually . Robin the heel vaults over him and Vic pounds him in the back. .He long throws the balding guy and Planchette Japonaises him, armlocks him and gets a leglock on him but Guy gets a rope break. Vic Manchettes him. Bert gets nasty on Guy, grabbing him in holds with elements of fishhooking. Quite a fierce brawl erupts. Bret Planchette Japonaises his man then drags him to dad who mistakenly clocks Bert. Ed gets a front folding presses him for the equaliser. Une Manche Partout. A lady is vending biscuits and sweets to ringsiders, the commentator runs down the menu (making me hungry!) La Belle: Vic takes over (was the Same Two Men rule not enforced in France 1958? It was later. Vic armdrags Ed but runs out of mat. They finger Interlock and Vic gets a shoulder lift on Ed like young Vic Faulkner would try to do to Zimba in June 1970. He pulls Ed up but can't get a throw. Ed pulls him down by the hair and gets a ground headlock into sitting chinlock. Vic makes it into a back hammerlock. Ed rolls out and lunges as Vic, injuring his shoulder in the process. Guy tags in and Vic headlocks and Manchettes him down. He tries a legdive but Robin grabs the hair and getd a standing rear chinlock. He gets the odd illegal kidney punch in. Both non legal men try to intervene. In Guy's case, this helps Ed get more fouls in. The heels get a false tag and Guy takes over the hold. The heels double team Vic and Bert runs in but Guy throws him out. Eventually Vic gets Guy headlocks in the heel corner, Bert pinions Ed in the Royal Family's corner and Vic bulldogs Guy into Ed as Bert moves away at the last second. L'Arbitre starts a knockout count on both méchants disrupted by Bert stomping on them. Thecref boils it down to Vic and Guy. Vic gets a legdive and toehold but throws it off. Guy gets an armlock into ground hammerlock but Vic fires up and scores a back elbowsmash (illegal in Britain at this time, I believe) . Ed tags in and takes Vic down with a rear chinlock on the mat. Bert scores the hot tag and Manchettes both heels with gusto. They double team him but he kicks them off. Bert has Guy down in a leglock in the guard but Ed tags in and they start double teaming Bert again. Vic comes in to slap villains around but the ref soon has it back down to Ed and Bert. Bert elbowsmashes his way out of an Ed bearhug and tags dad Vic who gets a monkey climb.and some Manchettes. They go for a top wristlock and Ed gets Vic on the ropes so Guy double teams with a top wristlock on the other arm which of course brings Bert in. The referee clams down and we're left with Ed pounding on Vic in the corner. Vic soon gets the better and fires him into the Royal's corner where Bert gets the odd slug in. There is even the odd technical move like a Vic Planchette Japonaise. Guy tags in but Vic gets a cross press. It goes into the ropes and the recorders a break. Soon Vic is back getting double teamed by the baddies. Guy suplexes him and tries for a standing armlock but Vic moves out of the way. More Manchette, another PJ. The heels ran Vic's head into Guy's knee. Bert comes in and does a Rude Awakening on Ed. He forces a whip and bump and an armscissor in the guard. In the end Ed submits making it a 2-1 win for the Royal Family, predecessor team of the Royal Brothers. The shake hands with the ref and the MC. Bert offers a handshake to Guy and Ed but the heels are feeling urinated off and angrily refuse. Bert is angry and hecand the heels trade insults. Dad Vic calms him down and puts his robe on the lad and they go home. I'm not surprised OJ liked it, quite a brawl. I shall have to watch more of how Bert and the younger Vic dealt with truly poisonous heels. Maybe I'll report back on the British thread soon, unless any nice surprises are posted to Rumble's YouTube channel.

Assuming no kind soul puts the Masambula Vs Leon Arras match up on YouTube, the only other match of his we've got in circulation is this tag match with Zimba back from last week to face the Royals. No previous reviews but someone called @GSR called it "a mess". As I've said, I'd love to see Faulkner Vs Masambula in singles but the next best thing would be this: Both Black Knights wear their respective leopard skins to the ring. First fall and Zimba and Bert start off. Bert gets a headlock into cross buttock takedown. Zimba powers up and throws Bert off and gets the best of a half Interlock, making a folded top wristlock on the mat. Bert gets a headscissor into sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2, leg chopping Zimba on the way up to stop a folding press attempt. He gets a side headlock but again Zimba's power is took much, making it a standing htop wristlock. Bert tries a high whip but Zimba rolls through nicely and gets the tag. Bert sneaks through Masambula 's legs as he revs himself up. He dodges a charge and in at last comes Vic.! Here we go - a back and forth run comes to nothing but Vic rolls back on a wristlever to take Masambula down in the guard. Masambula wheelbarrows out. Vic gets an arm and survives an atomic drop unscathed. He feigns a wrist and gets a rolling eg takedown into toe and ankle. Masambula uses his vibrating leg treatment to get the release. Vic tries the same dart through th3 legs his brother tried earlier but Masambula is nimbler than Zimba and catches Vic, getting a piledriver on him remarkably early in the bout. Vic doesn't sell it much, being up at 4. He gets an armbar into shoulder armliftbbut Masambula is too tall so Vic does it over his head to better effect. Masambula counters with a side chancery throw and Vic with a legdive, getting through a tight gap with difficulty. Bert tags in, gets a beauty of a rolling legdive into toehold, dragging Masambula away from the ropes before advancing to toe and ankle. Masambula turns to crawl out but Bert apprehends him and gets a crosspress. Masambula powers out (hurting his fingers) Bert gets a snapmare takedown and standing spinning weakener. Masambula gets a leg but Bert turns into the guard and threatens to push upright. Detecting this Masambula pulls his man round in the leg. Bert almost snaps on a crosspress but the turn continues until Masambula has a double kneepress. Bert nearly bridges out so Masambula let's him go and tags Zimba, the one strength man of the four. Bert tries a crossface but Zimba nearly throws him before getting a top wristlock with Bert kneeling down., taking it to the mat. Bert clamps on headscissors but Zimba kips out remarkably well for a big man. Bert gets an armlever takedown, adding weakeners, converting to double wristlock and throwing his man in the hold using the ropes before tagging Vic. He gets double legs but Zimba spins him off. A second time he sort of cartwheels offf, goes for a folding press but is spun off. Nice round of applause from the crowd. Full interlock results in a Zimba Japanese Stranglehold. Honey Boy puts a knee in Vic's shoulders. Twice Vic tries a reverse but Zimba clamps the hold back down sSominstead Vic pulls the hold down his body, steps out and gets a rear legdive and hits the ropes. But Zimba is waiting with a leg flip so Vic cartwheels away. Zimba still gets a legdive but Vic crosses his legs to roll up and away. Bert tags in and goes for a full interlock test of strength, backs him into the ropes and gets the monkey climb into double kneepress but only getting 1. Zimba turns him over into a lengthways press for 1. Royal sits up and gets a waistlock but Zimba prises him off. A second try and Zimba uses his headbutt despite it being (and remaining) a clean match (CF Masambula refusing to do one Vs Tony Charles). A third time Royal gets a better grip and when Masambula shoves him off, he rolls backwards and out with the force . He gets a snapmare but misses the takedown for a folding press but equally Zimba misses him coming off the ropes. Royal follows behind Zimba and rolls him up backwards with a front folding press but Zimba springs out easily. Bert tries another rear waistlock takedown, augmenting it with a bridge but Zimba crawls out easily.Hectags Masambula whom Royal quickly snares in a semi Japanese Stranglehold but which he reverses into a backhammer, throws his man in the hold and slaps on a headscissors. Royal turns it upright and gets his head out a bit too easily (Masambula isn't very happy with himself either for that one) , the gets and Interlock into drop toehold, turning it over into a grapevine leglock (almost an American Figure Four Leglock.) It's not too firmly on as Masambula lefts the legs apart and after a failed legdive of his own, gets a snapmare and blocks a Bert crawl through. Bert does get a single leg into toe and ankle but Masambula shakes it off and gets up and gets a low impact suplex into crosspress. Bert presses him off at 2. Vic tags in- yay! and tries for a grovit but is thrown off and rolls away but gets an armdrag into guard armlock. Masambula goes into a headstand and got a moment looks like he might try a toupie but instead comes down and gets a headscissors. Vic turns into the underneath position and uncorks the hold with his feet on the lock. He stop the momentum on a throw against the ropes and gets a front facelock but falls for a whip in the hold and rolls off. Zimba tags in and Vic throws him to the ropes. They both cross cross and Royal Jon's in but Zimba bodychecks him away. (Kent Walton reckons this was a screwed up tag.) Back to Vic and Zimba, who gets the better of an interlock test of strength and loads on a double kneepress. Vic pushes up a shoulder at a time then bridges. Zimba tries to reload the weight but Vic gets the monkey climb and double knees of his own. Zimba counters by pulling it over into a double leg Nelson and then throwing him with his legs. Vic ends up by Masambula, shakes hands with him and tags Bert who immediately takes a long throw off the ropes then a full nelson from Zimba. Twice he snap breaks but Zimba goes in behind to retake the hold. Third time he backrolls out but Zimba masters him with a rear waistlock and regains the full nelson. Royal gets the reversal and from there converts to a crucifix takedown into side folding press (rather than the more obvious further nelson). Zimba tries to roll back but Bert's torso is wedged in and he gets the opening fall. Everyone shakes hands. Second fall and Zimba gets a guard armlock out of an interlock. He tries a hammerlock but relents and gets a posting but Royal takes it well, goes through Zimba's legs and gets double legs but is spun off and takes a bump. He gets behind and gets a chinlock plus backbreaker, not unlike a surfboard but without all four legs held. Zimba rolls off, taking both wrists and getting a double armstretch. Royal tries to roll back and kick. Rather than be tempted by a folding press opportunity (it sometimes works) Zimba rolls him away and in comes Vic. He gets a posting on the bigger man but tries another and it gets reversed by Zimba. But Vic takes the impact well and goes through Zimba's legs and catches him with two flying headscissors, a slam and kneepress for 2. But Zimba kicks out and tags Masambula as the Royals also tag. Royal lunges at Masambula's stomach and gets a grovit but Masambula throws him off and throws him again, then gets a full interlock into a double leg nelson for several 1s and 2s before giving up. Bert Royal gets a rather vicious posting (N.B in the Wrestle Me vlog, this shot is used as substitute footage for the career ending posting Masambula would take five years later from Pete Roberts. ) Bert tags Vic!!! 💖 feigns a posting and instead gets a headbutt (incorrectly cited as the first of the bout by Kent - Zimba gets one on Bert in close contact earlier. ) but Vic surprises him with double legs for first a folding press then a Boston Crab but Masambula spins him off and Vic cartwheels out. Zimba gets the cross buttock into headlock but Faulkner gets a headscissors. Masambula easily handstands out and takes both Faulkner's feet. Faulkner rolls back and out and gives Masambula an affectionate put on the head before tagging Bert who weakens his man's hand, snapmares him, uses his cross-legged weakener from earlier and drops a knee before converting to the armbar. Masambula gets up, rolls out and gets a headbutt then tags Zimba who gets a kneelift and another headbutt. Royal gets two forearm smashes - the first of the bout IIRC - and Zimba goes down but springs back up with a headbutt to Royal's stomach. Royal gets a bodycheck but Zimba gets an over knee backbreaker and crosspress for the equalising pin. Masambula does his handstand celebration and everyone high fives everyone else but the Royals have lost their one fall advantage with just twenty seconds time left. Third fall Zimba gets in the same backbreaker looking for a quick decider but apparently the bell has rung to end the match, not fight the last few seconds. So a 1-1 draw it is and everyone shakes hands again. Well I don't know what @GSR's problem with that bout was but I thought it was spendid. Vic and Masambula's sections together were especially sparkling but Zimba held up his own. like Jim Neidhart in a Harts Vs Bulldogs tag match. I think I shall have us some more of the Faulkner family this weekend - later on the French thread once this tablet recharges.

Say the name Jesse/Jessy Texas and the image is summoned of 1980s French Wrestling and one of the first generation of cartoon minions in the rise of Flesh Gordon, beating a patch for Scott Ryder and Jacky Richard circa Monsieur Jacky later on. This time, the dubious "Texan" takes a step eastwards across the Rhine to take on Dave Morgan, sans Maschke. Texas comes to the ring in his un Texan furry muffler and Canadian flag (held by a guy in a lurid shell suit). Not to be outdone, Morgan, a Brit like me, is accompanied by the German flag and Deutscland Uber Alles. Round 1 - They roll around on the ropes before Jessy cheapshots Dave, establishing himself as the heel. Dave hiptosses Jesse and backdrops him. Jesse gets a toe and ankle plus legspread, dodges a Jessy flying axehandle. Mostly slow blunt spots designed to get a pp or easy heat. Jessy gets a front facelock converting into armbar which Dave rolls forward but doesn't roll the whole way, ending in a guard armbar. Dave retaliates with double ankles which gets a pop, then a backdrop and monkey climb which both ditto. An interlock into rollback into double ankles, a slam. Dave's German fans are happy. Round 2- Dave cartwheels out of a pressure points and lands a dropkick. Jessy flees the ring, come s back with a hiptoss into mat side Headlock. Dave turns him into 2 folding presses for 2, kips up, breaks the hold open and and makes a top wristlock of i , but Jessy throws him down for 3., gets a side headlock into armbar. Morgan nicely hiptosses him and follows down but Texas kicks out easily. He gets a full nelson which Morgan counters with a trip into hiptoss. Jessy gets a DDT. Don't tell Jake but Morgan is up at 7. It gets mor3 brawly from here with a Texas fist getting 8 and a followup axehandle getting 4. Dave bridges out of a pin attempt. Bell goes. Round 3 Jessy beats on Dave. Gets an armdrag into guard armbar, the odd 1 count. Dave rolls out of standing and kneeling armbars, ground dropkicks out of one too. Hiptosses in one but Jessy keeps the hold. Tries horizontal standing spin but Texas keeps control. Jessy beats down until Morgan gets a surprise headbutt to stomach in. Dave starts getting a standing armlock and adding twist when the bell goes. Round 4. Jessy axeing away. Morgan up a 8, down in a toe and ankle. Manages quite a decent escape turning into the mount and crawling out- best move so far. One German fan cheering for Jessy! Dave gets a double underhook suplex and blocks Jessy's own suplex attempt. Legdives his man during a beatdown, twice Runs out of mat . Jessy gets front chancery into armbar into backhammer. Morgan backdrops and crosspresses for 1. Counters another armbar with a stomachbreaker over the knee. Bell goes so Dave gets a cheeky slap in afterwards. Round 5. Morgan is up at 8 with a rope-assisted scissor chop. Texas gets across buttock and backdrop but Dave gets an inverted waistlock slam for the fall and the win. Jessy begrudgingly shakes hands. Apparently Dave has successfully defended a belt so that is ceremonially put back on him. Some nice hard rocking end music, likeca hair metal band with a DRM machine doing Adam and the Ants covers. Credits in German. A few good moves, mostly from Morgan, otherwise a slow brawl. Clear face and heel gave the German fans something to cheer and boo over so they enjoyed it. Someone had to

Just been remembering a load of stuff I read up at university about trade unionism under the Franco regime: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Syndical_Organization How did Castillo's organisation fit in with that? Were they "vertical" too? It's plausible if he was a promoter.

Okay. But he did the loss to Sting as an act of friendship so Sting wouldn't have the same problems as him.

No I'm just replying to things I saw while reading.

Yes I remember that in the TV guide magazine. I wouldn't have known what "Pressing Catch" meant if it hadn't said " Lucha libre Americana" underneath. Although from what you're saying it was just chance that it literally was "americana" (the WWF). Of course there were French promoters visiting as well so Spain never really "went dark" unlike Italy for stretches 1965-1988 or Greece after 1991

So 1986 was the end date of Spanish Wrestling? (until LIE in the early 90s which was fairly Americanised anyway. )

Another Mexican 25 years earlier than Carlos Plata and Sergeant Mendietta. We've already seen Pancho team with Anton Tejero and face Jeff Kaye on World of Sport. Here he tags with Victor Castillo the Artist Formerly Known As Quasimodo to take on Dan Aubriot and Remy Bayle the man later known as Der Henker. With Big Bon Martial as L'Arbitre. . A bout reviewed TWICE by OJ! Premier Manche - Les Méchants come out wearing black hoodies like they've just escaped from the Opus Dei. Bayle and Zapata start out. Bayle a lot slimmer than the French John Elijah of the 70s/80s. Plenty of throws and kip ups and Bayle does a nice handstanding escape from a Zapata headscissors. Zapata's not too bad technically, forcing whips and hard somersault bumps on Bayle. Bayle gets it together and rolls through throws then turns and gets a front chancery into backslide into guard armlock. He took uses whips whenever Pancho tries to get up. Aubriot tags and Pancho gets top wristlock dominance and tags Castillo who takes over the armlock (and hair pulling) treatment. Aubriot works Victor's jawcwith his boot to escape. A finger Interlock ends with Dab getting Vic in a double leg nelson for 2. It looks like Vic puts himself in a reverse bodyscissors from Dan then gets the ropes. Dan gets a rolling headscissors but misses a snapmare as Vic escapes. Dan bridges in an arm press but rather than go thecwhole Planchette Japonaise routine, moves out sideways leaving Victor to crash to the mat. Aubriot gets a hammerlock into side folding press for 2. Castillo gets another hammerlock so Remy tags back in. Victor refuses to release until Bayle threatens him. Victor gets morecwhip bumps but Bayle rolls out on one and starts a legspread causing Castillo to leap off quickly. He gets a headlock 8nto kneelift, Bayle gets a side headlock into backhammer into drop toehold into single toehold. He open collars Bayle who goes from armlock to ankle lock to lifting Victor by the leg and dropping him in his knee. (In Britain people try this on the likes of Johnny Saint and it backfires with Saint standing himself upmas the leg is lifted.) Both sides tag. Aubriot half breaks an Interlock to get a backhammer into headscissors takedown. Zapata does a kip up escape. Not what you would expect from a big ugly Toro of a Mexican heel. Commentator says Pancho is very well known in North America - any more information about this? Dan gets an interlock into Sunset flip but Runs Out Of Mat as Zapata's shoes hit the ropes. It's Pancho's folding press Vs Aubiot's headscissors as Dan attacks his nose (Martial disapproves.) Zapata chops out and gets dirty with stomps on the downed Dan. He somehow falls out the ring apron as Remy comes in and gets a reverse double leg nelson on Pancho as Castillo makes the save. Pancho has a chinlock but Martial shoves him off and orders a break. Pancho gets a lengthways press but Bayle bridges and gets thecspace for a Planchette Japonaise. Pancho gets a nice headscissors throw but Martial has to warn him off following in. Aubriot is back in with a Manchette. Pancho gets double reverse arms into a Gotch toehold - he has some good moves despite his brute heel image. Dan kneels up and crawls away. Pancho gets side headlock into kneelift and Manchette then pressure points. Aubriot gets a snapmare but Pancho fouls his way out. With help from both men tagging in the pressure points are maintained. They also smack Dan's head in the mat until Martial stops it, pulling Vic off. So it goes on, pressure points and illegal stomping. The crowd is angry and so is Bayle but Martial gently puts him outside. The pressure points and other dirties and failed rescues by Bayle continue. Ies smo Zapata tries smothering Dan with his chest. Bayle tags in with Manchettes, an atomic drop and a saus chessé that sends Zapata to ringside like Danny Collins did in the last match. Zapata gets the better of a top wristlock battle and keeps his man down with hairpulls and rear Manchettes. Victor tags back in, overpowers Bayle who stomps his fingers and pounds with Manchettes. It stays very manchetty until Victor gets a leglock and keeps it some time. He drags Bayle to the Méchants' corner where Pancho gets up to plenty of no good. He tags in and jumps and stomps while Victor STILL has the leglock. The Hispanic villains take turns, one in the ring with a hold, the other fouling from the apron. Traditional dirty heel stuff. Martial warns them. administers the odd smacked bottom (!) even drags Victor off by the neck only for Pancho to continue the tricks as he reprimands Castillo. Les Bons retaliate with a double team to get a legdive, toehold and drops on Castillo, tagging in and out. Aubriot eventually has Victor by the chin. He Manchettes, headlocks and headscissors him. Victor gets back the advantage with pressure points and a smother until Martial pulls him off by the ears. Pancho takes over with a snapmare and stomps and knees, Martial only intervening when the ropes are used. He throws Aubriot who scoots through his legs and gets the full Boston Crab set up but Zapata spins him off. But he lands upright and scores a huracanrana on the Mexican. He gets a spinning stomp and Manchette. Dan gets a hammerlock into sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2. The two brawl and whip until Aubriot gets another sunset flip on Zapata for the opening fall. They brawl on a bit after the fall, Castillo is ENRAGED. Deuxième Manche: Pancho gets a crosshanded grovit, shoves Aubriot onto the ropes and chops him. Dan tags Remy. Pancho slugs him around and tags Victor who uses eye rakes and fish hooks under cover of pressure points. Remy slips out backwards between Castillo's legs but straight into the heel corner where Pancho also fouls him. Victor gets a kick then a legal snapmare and headlock. He full Nelsons Remy as the heels double team Bayle. Zapata misses a charge and ends up at ringside. He gets back, Remy fires a dropkick but Pancho gets a toehold and help from a rope whenever Martial is looking the wrong way. The big referee eventually catches him and orders a break. A fight breaks out between L'Arbitre and le Méchant Aubriot takes over but ends up thrown to ringside. Pancho knocks him off the ring apron but misses the next time and Aubriot tags Bayle who gets to work with Manchettes, chops and stomps. Victor tags in and gets a bearhug into the heel corner but Remy slips out behind. The brawl continues until Castillo gets a leglock and keeps it a good while, seeing off Bayle's attempts to break it. Pancho tags in and slams Bayle who dodges a Zapata flying headbutt and tags Dan who twice slams Pancho. Victor tags in and they interlock but Aubriot cartwheels to twist one side into arm armlock on the mat, getting Victor up and throwing him in the hold. Castillo tries a cross buttock press but is still in the hold. He throws him off, chokes his man on the ropes but misses a splash. Aubriot bounces off his back before tagging Remy who gets to work with chops. Castillo slams him on Pancho's knee three times as Pancho stomps him. The heels finally get their first Avertisement for this. They still get a fourth one. They continue to batter Bayle. Pancho gets a slam and kneedrop and tags Victor. Bayle resists two face first (tombstone) piledriver attempts from Castillo but goes down for a slam. Victor gets pressure points. Bayle gets a leg out underneath, the heels corner and double team Bayle despite Martial's best attempt to stop them. Bayle fights back with Manchettes and a snapmare of his own but gets backdropped outside and despite crowd anger is counted for 10. KNOCKOUT, oh yes OJ. It appears to be a one knockout bout as that wins Les Méchants the match, KO-1. The villains strut around taunting the crowd (including someone with an umbrella) to near riot as Les Flics look benignly on. Last week we saw two burly Mexicans dominate two plucky good guys in colour on satellite TV. This week, we see One Burly Mexican and a burly Spaniard bellringer do the same 27 years earlier in 819 line monochrome VHF.Such is the continuity of live and of Wrestling territories. Same territory, different era, same situation.