David Mantell

Franz Vs Frank. I thought we'd seen some Merckx before but can't find any. I shall call them Z and K after the different letters that end their otherwise similar first names. K is a big man, I think he's black. Hard to tell from the longshot and poor colour (apart from a yellow sign an a couple of pastel coloured ladies cardigans.). The MC calls him Mercier but he is no relation to Guy, Marc and Paul. They stall a lot. Z wedges out of a Headlock on the mat and there is the odd good throw. Z spends forever trying to rest snapmare the much heavier K, does it in the end. And so it goes on. Z gets a nice French style flying headscissors takedown.whenever Z makes a good move he gets a oop, sadly including an airhorn. K starts doing punches and the MC tells off "It's not boxing!". K is getting dirty, chokes on the ropes. "SCHTOP!!!" About 30min into the match, two guys run in the ring, beat up both competitors and are escorted out. Not sure if this is a run in angle or crowd rowdies. I think they could even be plants paid to spice things up. A little under 10min later Z gets the one fall required with a flying tackle. Very long and ponderous. A throwback the the pre Steve Wright days. TBC

Okay, let's focus on Bernie Wright Vs Ian McGregor. But before I do, I've checked out the rest of the show particularly the six man tag TRIPLE TAG (At least OJ didn't call it bloody "Trios" when it's not even Lucha!!!) and I can confirm that in no way shape or form is Bernie Wright a villain in this. Like Barry Douglas he has been there in the past, unlike Barry, Bernie is being himself today,he has said goodbye to Bearcat, grown back his hair and is playing the good guy. If we're going to use Lucha terms, the England side is a Parejas Incredible. So anyway, Wright Vs McGregor . And what we get is my sort of match, a Clean Match, yay. Or at least the highlights of one. MC Paul Chalmers looks like a. anorexic shark here. Bernie gets a polite clap. McGregor gets a couple of boos - I recall he experimented with heelish around this time. I think we've even reviewed it on here. In time H3 and Drew McDonald would become The Wild Jocks, regular fodder for Big Daddy . But he too behaves himself here. Round 1) and Bernie gets a couple of hiptosses before Ian blocks one and switches arms to reverse it. Bernie gets a legdive into toe and ankle, Ian spins him off with his legs but Bernie cartwheels upright and ready to go. McGregor gets an armbar, tries to make a hammerlock of it but Wright rolls one way, cartwheels the other way, gets a rear snapmare on McGregor but he too lands on his feet. Nice round of applause from the crowd. McGregor gets a side headlock, Kent says he often does this on account of being tall. Wright tries breaking it open into an arm lever but McGregor's grip is too strong. He reaches for the head of Ian who just pulls himself up straight before switching to a side chancery using the other arm. H3 moves backward to give himself the space and gets the throw but yet again Bernie lands feet first and gets a clap for it. Ian gets a grapevine/armlever/half crossface combination but cuts it down to the armlever, passes it overhead and winds it up to whip Wright. He backs into the ropes for extra bounce and gets the whip but Wright takes it beautifully, hitting 5e mat eill and rolling upright. Ian gets another headlock, Wright breaks it open but makes a high arm lever rather than standard top wristlock of it. McGregor rolls forward and up, gets a monkey climb on Wright but somehow the Brother Of Steve/Uncle Of Alex holds on to the wrist and just sits up to make it a guard armlock on Ian who has still not picked himself up from firing off the monkey climb. Ian backwards rolls, breaks the armlever with the simple expedient of forearm smashing it, snapmares Bernie down into a chinlock but Wright straightens out the face bar into a wrist lever of his own. MC Gregor turns into the guard, kips up, turns round folds Wright's arm into a hammerlock and, sliding in between the legs, armdrags him backwards in the hammerlock for a good sharp bump, topping it off with a straight headscissors, while keeping the double wristlock. Wright bridges up so .Ian switches the arm component to a straight armlever. The bells goes before we see how Bernie would get out of that. Ian helps him up sportingly and the two shake hands. Round 2) Wright gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold, unwinds the arm and pulls McGregor into a shoulder block. Ian stays down for 8 and gets up into a side chancery throw that floors him for another 7. Now it's Wright's turn to get a headlock but Ian throws him into the opposite ropes and catches him with a dropkick. Ian follows up with a side chancery throw but yet again Wright makes a feet first landing (both men are doing this well in 5his bout and it's a joy to watch!) The lighter McGregor astonishingly gets a bodycheck lik3 he's Big Daddy or something. But Wright leapfrogs him on the rebound, catches him as he comes back off the ropes and catches him in motion with a cross buttock throw and press for the opening fall and a beauty. They shake hands. Cut to Round 4). Wright gets a posting on Ian then a backbreaker over one knee. He gets behind and shoulder charges his man then tries for another knee backbreaker. McGregor gets a headlock, Wright still tries for the move but as he lifts him McGregor slaps on a headscissors up in the air. Bernie still drives down but instead on smashing Ian down on his knee he rolls himself up into McGregor's own headscissor takedown. All Ian needs is to hook the leg and he has a perfect smell package pin attempt - and gets it! Marvelous! More handshakes but Ian, despite equalising, is still selling those back weakeners from earlier. Cut to round 6) and possibly JIP. Wright gets a butt to the stomach and a bodyslam so he's still after that back. He gets another knee backbreaker - this time Ian is in no state to turn it into another trap! Or is he? - as Wright reaches down for a crotch hold to get another bodyslam McGregor wraps him up in another small package. He only gets two but he nearly had the bout there! McGregor is slow getting up but for a reason as he gets a drop toehold to fell Bernie. From ther3 he gets all four limbs for a surfboard but can't lift his man up, so instead gets a side chancery throw but once again Bernie rolls upright. He gets a rear waistlock takedown into reverse double leg nelson folding press. It falls sideways, Wright could have got a bodyscissors from that position but perhaps there is not enough time for a submission so instead Wright gets a shoulder to stomach, a string of powerful uppercuts ("European" ones as you Americans have been calling them since the 90s) McGregor gets a kick to the stomach in and a suplex into crosspress but only gets 2. He has a last try with a rear inverted waistlock suplex and crosspress but gets one the first time and the bell goes as he tries again. Another nice clap. Yes that was pretty beautiful I thought. Definitely a rebirth of Bernie after his Bearcat phase. I really don't understand @ohtani's jacket's problem with this one - yes of course it was heatless since it was a clean sporting match.I only wish we had rounds 3'and 5 and the start of 6 to watch also.

Some more New Catch. Again I shall go to the second match first this week, we will do Marty Jones vs Judd Harris next week.. Quite a good one for fans of Catch Français as it again features Black Shadow but this time in singles action against the top Bon prospect du jour, Brittany's Yann Caradec. Like previous Breton wrestlers, he comes out to the sound of the Breton pipes. Shadow has his usual gold jacket that he was wearing going back to the Antenne 2'days. Charley Bollet is refereeing so this bout is as purely Catch Français as any New Catch bout can be. Yann gets in an early armdrags before being trapped on the ropes by the veteran BAME Méchant but ducks out the way and floors him. Shadow wins a top wristlock battle.and throws Yann in the hold (We see some French fans with horrible haircuts.). Shadow works the arm, twisting the shoulder against the joint while drawing heat with some vicious borderline legal stomps to the head of Yann. Shadow forces a whip and Yann takes the bump. Eventually Shadow releases on a transition and Charley orders a break and starts a Knockout count. as YANN IS up in time but battered by hand heel blows (the sort that fans know areca cover for slipping in an illegal closed fists punch). The announcers wax nostalgic about the masked Zarak (Dave Larsen) and René Ben Chemouel. Ironically Yann sneaks in a concealed punch of his own before getting a. Side chancery throw then gets a side chinlock into another snapmare into a dropkick and then another snapmare into chinlock. In the first good escape of the match, Shadow le méchant turns into the mount and spreads his legs, extracting his head and making a good back hammerlock out of the bar. He turns the Breton into the guard and tries a single knee pin but Yann keeps bridging out. Annoyed, Shadow delivers a punch to Yann's chest and gets his Premiére Avertisement. He keeps attacking Yann on the deck, culminating in a thoroughly illegal throttle on the match. Rather than dish out a Dernière et Deuxième Avertisement, Charley takes a leaf out of the refereeing style of his brother's old tag partner Roger Delaporte (at this point winding down the FFCP having just sold the Elysée Montmartre) and physically attacks Shadow, bashing him in the eyes. There is a confrontation between L'Arbitre and le Méchant but it simmers down. Shadow throws Yann to ringside, where he sells his elbow. Two fans help him back but he is still selling his elbow. It is bait for a trap- Shadow goes for the arm, Caradec rolls out of the way and shadow posts himself. Cann repeats the bait and dive trick and then the third time he gets a single leg takedown into standing toe and ankle. He gets a leg weakener then switches to Manchettes then goes forca snapmare but Shadow sneaks in his illegal punch and floors Yann with a couple of Manchettes of his own. Yann is up at 8 but straight into a powerful headbutt. Shadow again risks a second and final booting his fallen opponent across the ring. Yann fights back with a Manchette, a couple of snapmares and an elbowsmash to Shadow's skull. Shadow brazenly batters Yann in the corner and I think finally gets that second public warning. Shadow continues to work Yann until as they run the ropesthe Breton kid comes off with a sudden sunset flip into double leg nelson for the one tombée required. There is an afterbirth where Shadow still beats down on Caradec but Monsieur Charley protects him. Good heel Vs babyface story. Not a great scientific match apart from a couple of real gems (Shadow's escape iheadlock into hammerlock, Caradec's diving rolling legdive, Caradec's sunset flip pin) . Definitely proof of New Catch's French Catch credentials. In series 2:in 1991 we would see a lot more of young Yann. Equally it was nice to see Black Shadow as dirty as his days tagging with Joseph El Arz, 10-15 years earlier.

Another good vlog from Josh Faulkner, this one about Mitzi Mueller and the fight to get the GLC ban on womens' wrestling in London overturned.

And therefore already not a happy day in the life of Martin Ruane. The above was his starter for 10. And then THIS happens (Haystacks here is called Luc Haystacks, a reference to his early ring name Luke McMasters. This makes for extra confusion as Rambo's real name is Luc Poirier. So we have the battle of the Lucs.) For a good three Runden or so Stax takes out his frustrations over Greg Dyke on Poirier, sometime putting pressure points on but ,let's just bludgeoning him. Eventually Rambo Hulks up, gives Haystacks a solid pounding and -astonishingly- scores the one required pinfall! He gets a massive pop as Didier Gapp raises his hand, astonishingly when you consider that up until this point he has been a hated heel in the German speaking world. So that's the match done but the video clip is still only halfway through.(Did you really think Stax was going half an hour?). We get what looks like a Ringerparade except most people are dressed in street clothes including some smart suits. Samoan Sika Anoia in particular turns out to be quite the snappy dresser when not being a Samoan savage. Everyone including Fit Finlay's missus Princess Paula gets presented with bouquets of flowers although Colonel Brody ignores his. A couple of trophies also get handed out. Haystacks turns up late to the party, no doubt sulking over his defeat.

Had a lovely weekend in Blackpool, now let's get on with the first half of that 1988 series episode of New Catch. Otto Vs Dave Taylor. A Brit versus an Austrian on French TV in France. Otto was on Reslo the following year as in good time would be Flesh Gordon and Klaus Kauroff. Otto was never on ITV but he did the next best thing, appearing for Joint Promotions at the Royal Albert Hall in 1984. Quite a lot of French stars- Gordon, Zéfy. Frederico - show up on early 90s German home videos. Even more British stars did a summer season on the German/Austrian tournament scene. So here we complete the triangle and have Big Otto come to France. That's a very heelish promo Otto gives at the start, manhandling the interviewer, issuing threats to mangle opponents (admittedly the Vieenna fans liked that sort of thing, encouraging Schurli Blemenschutz to amputate opponents' limbs.).Th3 promo is in English despite this being French TV. He comes down to the ring with some glamorous Ric Flair type ladies (a side that must be the despair of many a doctor trying to encourage patients to drop weight) He has mismatched ring gear, navy Varsity Club wannabe top, snazzy Rever. Fashion trunks. Bobby Barnes nicked the Mr Wonderful nickname off Paul Orndorff, now Mr Big Dave Taylor nicks it in turn, months after he nicked Kendo Nagasaki's mask (okay clotheslined Rocco causing it to come off in Rocco's hands.. He declined a handshake from Otto Charley Bollet is L'Arbitre. Lots of inconclusive lockups and throw offs. Otto gets a body check to make Big Daddy proud but Dave Taylor doesn't sell it. So they go again and this time Dave gets Daddied. Taylor hits back with a Manchette and floors Otto. Taylor flouts the no follow down rule quite a bit and Monsieur Charley who does not reprimand him much. Just when you think they're not bothering with the no followdowns rule, Otto does a guillotine elbowsmash and somersault splash - and stands back for the Knockout count! Otto up in time and they exchange more Manchettes with Taylor again knocked down. Finally some scientific wrestling as Otto gets a single wristlock into double handed armbar in to an armbar against the joint, jamming in the knee to the shoulder and adding a half cross face. Somehow (we don't see how) he then develops it into a double wrist lock/figure 4 armlock Taylor counters with a crotch old and almost a slam- Wanz Manchettes him off. He pounds on Otto. Otto gets a clothesline, he later gets a seated rear chinlock. He switches to double wrists, step 1 of getting a surfboard before throwing Taylor to the mat, face first. Taylor gets a two handed armbar , loosens it, BATTERS the limb then reapplies. Otto gets a single leg into standing toe and ankle hold, getting down to try several variants of leglock. None get a submission. After a collar and elbow, Dave gets a Manchette knockdown before Otto gets x Stinger Splash and a second somersault splash for the one required pin to to win the bout and retain the title, Mostly what Kent Walton would call a Forearm Smash contests. A few hold thrown in, nothing mind blowing.

I'm having a weekend in sunny Blackpool but before I go I'll just get one of this weekend's reviews done and dusted. Here is Saxon Brookes' earlier bout: Wel join the action a couple of minutes into Round 1 (looking at the clip I expect it started at the kick off.). It's an odd start, Saxon wriggling free from a a standing full nelson and somehow forcing Dave to cartwheel away. Dave isn't happy about something, pointing at Saxon. Dave gets a side headlock but Saxon hiptosses him out then switches to a ground wristlock which Kent finds a bit unorthodox a transition. They take turns to roll out of each others' standing wristlevers. Dave eventually develops his one into a back hammerlock, drives Saxon to his knees and gets the other wrist, looking to turn Saxon into the guard when the bell rings. Kent says Saxon weight 15stone 4lbs => 234 pounds, Al full Heavyweight. Round 2. They take turns butting eack other in the stomach, Dave gets two infective ones, Saxon gets one good one, flooring Dave for 4. Saxon gets a posting and monkey climb for seven, Dave gets a monkey climb back but Saxon leads feet first. They shake hands but Dave uses it to get an armdrag. Kent is OK, regarding it as a clever trap.Saxon gets several armdrags too. Saxon gets a kneelift, a whip across the ring, and catches his man trying a but to the stomach and flings him over one shoulder, trying for an over the shoulder backbreaker. But Dave lands feet first, tries get get a backslide but Saxon rolls through, ,eaving both men in unpinionned folding presses. They exchange bodychecks with Saxon getting counts of about 7. Saxon tries a crotch old and slam but can't get Saxon up. Saxon whips Dave to the ropes but Dave comes back with a dropkick. Dave throws Saxon who cartwheels across the ring They both end up cartwheels back to the starting point. Dave tries a double held armbar in the guard but Saxon hiptosses him off . Dave gets a legdive into single leg takedown and toehold but the bell goes. Round 3. Dave tries for a victory roll, it comes out sort of sidewards and he twists Saxon's neck to make him drop Dave. Eventually Dave pulls the victory roll but Runs Out of Mat.ss Saon crashes into the ropes. Saxon gets a hiptoss and posting. Dave , with difficulty gets a rear snapmare and double kneepress but is easily thrown off. He gets a headlock but Saxon clamps down with a side headlock then switches into back hammerlock, drops and takes out Dave's legs from behind and gets a side folding press for the one required pin. And yeah, I copied and copyedited that bit from the Kilby match, as it was the same move. Short but nicely technical. Walton says he'd like to see Saxon face someone heavier which of course he gets with the Kilby match. If there's any fault it's the bits where the smaller Lawrence just didn't have the strength to pull stuff off, which put a damper on things when they were getting interesting.

Oh well, worth a try. I've left a question on the video about it. The same YouTube channel has more footage with the same theme music, titles and commentators but with the Eurosport ring. So maybe there was more of a stop-start story to the making of Series 2 and they already had some filming done before the Eurosport buyout by TF1.

The "Wrestle Me" duo have also done another video - this one about All Star's 1985-1986 TV show on Screensport, focusing especially on a Rollerball Rocco Vs Kung Fu match from Hanley.

Found a promo for this match: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1572592804362902/

Josh Faulkner has done an EXCELLENT four part career history of Brian Dixon and All Star Wrestling. Required viewing for all of you

@Phil LionsQuestion - when was this particular edition actually filmed? Yes it says 1991 on the end credits and we've got the TV listings cutting for it (not to mention that Sturry guy's vlog) and it looks like an older chunkier Flesh Gordon consistent with 1991 and none of these matches were in your 1988 episode guide. BUT ... I can't help but notice it's the old New CATCH ring from 1988 with no Eurosport logo - in fact no mention of Eurosport in sight! Was there an early taping for the 1991 run of New Catch with a plain ring? Or is this part of some abortive in-between run of filming that eventually became part of the 1991 season of New Catch?

I did have an idea of doing a couple of 1988 Otto Wanz bouts next but if you're following the French thread you'll have probably guessed there's a French Otto Wanz match coming up for review next weekend (and already posted to the thread.) so instead: Mike Shaw, the future Norman The Lunatic/Friar Ferguson/Bastion Booger and then current Makhan Singh of Stampede's Karachi Vice faction. Archenemy of Owen Hart also a popular figure in Germany. (This illustrates how Germany and Calgary were the gateway territories for wrestlers making the Transatlantic crossing either way. When I first saw Makhan Singh in PWI Scouting Reports this same year I thought he looked like Giant Haystacks but in the opening side profile shot he looks slimmer, more like one of the mid 80s WWF hillbillies. Still he dwarfs FYB. He is announced as a Canadian although he was from Saignaw, Michigan. Runde 1 - Shaw westles a lot like heel Big Daddy - bodychecks etc. FYB stamps on his toe. Talking of Shirley, Shaw uses a slow top wristlock like Schurli Blemenschutz. FYB actually wins the test of strength! FYB gets a front chancery, switches to side headlock and tries to hiptoss, finally managing it on about attempt number 10. Shaw is furious! FYB gets a wrist but Shaw is an American so can't roll out so FYB synches it down into a mat armbar in the mount, which becomes a mount back hammerlock. (Next logical step would be hammerlock with bar AKA double wristlock) The bell saves Shaw. Runde 2. - Shaw gets a surprisingly good snapmare into seated chinlock. FYB reaches up and rear snapmares him out.Shaw goes for illegal punches and equally illegal shoulder charges, about both of which the ref quietly warns him. He underhooks FYB , slugs him in the small of the back and bearhugs him. Franz tries breaking the grip and a front chancery. Neither work but a double chop to the head does. Shaw chokes Franz on the top rope, catapults him to the mat and gets pressure points. This becomes some sort of illegal choke (the crowd and MC are furious and the ref calls for a break.). FYB gets loose and rolls to Shaw's corner. Th3 bell goes, Shaw retires to his corner and puts a foot on FYB, then eventually throws him out of the ring. Finally he gets a yellow card (a system he should know as Bruce Hart nicked it and took it back to Stampede in about 1978.) Runde 3. Shaw stomps and corners and illegally punches FYB who bulldogs Shaw into a corner. Shaw posts Franz but misses a Stinger Splash when FYB moves. Franz beats the fat beardy man up, as you do, and ties him in the ropes then after arguing with the referee about it, flying tackles the tied up Shaw twice. The ref finally unties Shaw. FYB gets a single leg takedown into toe and ankle, some weakeners and a leg hank. He is after a submission but the bell goes Runde 4 Van Buyten pummels the future Lunatic/Trucker in the corner, side chancery throws him and gets two shoulder blocks. On the third, Shaw catches and slams him and points to his brain to show how cl3ver he is but Franz is up quickly and surprises him with a slam and crosspress for the one required pin. Franz Van Buyten is the upset winner and the crowd are DELIGHTED!!! Even more surprisingly they shake hands ! Quite entertaining if not particularly scientific match - Goliath versus an apparent David that is actually quite a match. Rather like Demolition Vs The Twin Towers.

Okay I don't seem to have reviewed the Falcons bout so it will do for this week. Yann Caradec from Brittany weve seen quite a bit off from Season 2 in 1991 mostly from his feud against Eric Lacroix (who also popped up in the 1988 run.) Hassan skulks bad temperedly down to ringside. The Falcons ruffle his hair. Is he their manager or their chauffeur. He reminds me suspiciously of The a royal hand, butler to Macho King Randy Savage and Sensational Queen Sherri from their appearance on Robin Leach's show. Who played him? Patrice gets some great armdrags and dropkicks in. Yann hiptosses to escape a full nelson. He rolls through a belly to belly suplex attempt and comes up feet first. H3 wedges out of a guard side headlock on the mat Johnny Saint style. Martineau gets dropkicks but is cross arm grivitted into the ropes for a Falcon double team. L'Arbitre Pierre Lagache (as in the old time Méchant?). warns them. Falcon gets a snapmare into chinlock, Martineau straightens the arm out but Falcon gets a ground dropkick , not a move commonly associated with Méchants En Masque. The Falcons get heat with a more orthodox heelish beatdown including double teams on the top rope and corner. Yann gets a not very hot tag but a Manchette and cover for two does start up La Publique. Les Falcons regain control after resisting a Yann snapmare. Eric breaks a full nelson so the other Falcon collides with his partner and THEN gets a proper hot tag. Martineau goes wilh Manchettes and Sous Chasées but gets an Avertisement - even the commentators don't get why. One Falcon powerslams him, the other Superfly splashed (insofar as a burly masked heel can Superfly splash) for the winning pin. Some surprising clever stuff from the youngsters but the veteran masked heel team got the better in this end. Who is the painted guy in the title sequence who looks like a young Randy Colley as Original Smash? Was he in the second December 26th bout?

Kilby has got his signing second with him. Saxon (from Melton Mowbray like the pork pies) has a pencil moustache that makes him look like Eric Idle playing a Spanish waiter in Monty Python. This is Saxon's second of two TV appearances, he beat Dave Lawrence 1-0 earlier in the year. Beautiful venue St George's Hall Bradford, nice scrolling work on the balcony. Kendo's 1987 World title win was there. Last used by Scott Conway's TWA as their regular Northern monthly residency (Southampton Guildhall was the Southern one) until at least 2000 and at most when tTWA closed 2003. Round 1. After a few shove offs, Kilby gets an armdrag into guard wristlock. Saxon backrolls upright so Kirby reverses his twist and Saxon has to roll back. Saxon tries again, Kilby whips him forward but he keeps going, reverses the wristlock and makes Kilby roll. Kilby reverses it back. Saxon kips up and gets an overarm whip. It carried on with rolling with 2hips, sometimes overarm until Saxon switches to chinlock.Kilb6bstands, lifts Saxon in the hold and deposits him on the top turnbuckle. Kilby gets legdive into leglock into Indian Deathlock. He sits up in the hold but Saxon undresses one leg and makes a legscissor of the other. Kilby won't submit so t's a stalemate and the ref untangles them. Kilby rolls up nicely from a throw (as a judoka Saxon should be good at these.) Kilby gets half interlock into wristlever aNd rolls to bring Saxon down and make a guard wristlock again. Saxon turns over, gets a wrist of his own and converts to standing side headlock. He throws Kilby to the ropes and resists a bodycheck. Double interlock becomes a test of strength and an even match. Eventually Kilby gets a lean back dropkick for 6. Kilby rolls up from a throw, gets a single leg takedown, resists two anvil boot offs with the other leg and leans back to force a bridge. Saxons sits up and is trying to stand in the hold when the bell rings. Round 2 This time Saxon gets the first armbars, knees Kilby in the tricep to force him down and splashed the arm for 5. He throws Kilby for 5:and rear snapmares him for 4. S.axon gets a cross buttock throw and press but Kilby bridges out at 1. Saxon reverse a posting, Kilby absorbed and comes back with a legdive but is kicked off. Kilby is down for 4 but gets 4 back with a forearm smash then a bodyslam and splash for the opening fall. Round 3. Saxon gets a rear collar and forearm smash. Kilby gets a kneelift for 4, posting for 5, tries for a throw but Saxon clamps down with a side headlock then switches into back hammerlock, drops and takes out Alan's legs from behind and gets a side folding press for the equalising pin. Round 4 and Saxon sheets a wrist (from behind!) and goes for a posting but Kilby sits down just like Ken Joyce (see a couple of weeks ago.) Saxon tries again, same result (Kilby signs that he "nose" that trick!) Saxon gets a high whip and forces a somersault bump. He gets a monkey climb for 5, side headlock but is thrown to the ropes and met on the rebound with a dropkick. Kilby tries for the cross buttock and press again but Saxon bridges up at 2. Saxon tries it too with the same result. He gets a crotch hold and slam for 5, Kilby gets a side headlock Saxon lifts and smashes him down (almost a belly to belly suplex) for 2 but Kilby bridges. Saxon gets legdive into toe and ankle into Gotch toehold. He tries to switch to a half nelson but Kilby pulls him over and gets a cross press for 1. Kilby collars Saxon and gets a couple of swinging "European" uppercuts but Saxon groggily absorbs them. Saxon does two back, the ropes catch Alan the second time. Not yet a brawl just a bit of a forearm smash contest, not enough to turn Walton against the bout. Single interlock a d Kilby makes a double wristlever and steps over into a standing armhank. He doesn't get much, nor does smashing the wrist. Saxon gets an arm and elbowsmashes the tricep but the bell goes. Round 5. Saxon gets a throwd and follows in too quickly.He gets heat from a few fans for this but this is quashed when the two shake hands Kilby gets a forearm smash, Saxon gets a side chancery throw - as he comes off the ropes, Kilby misses a waistlock grab (botch?) Lots of blows while running the ropes culminating in an ambush mule kick. Kilby gets a spinning powerslam for the win. A conspicuously fast heavier man versus a slower opponent who occasionally comes out with surprise bursts. This was Saxon's last TV appearance so perhaps the slow methodical style was actually a flaw as a worker. Nice consolation pinfall from Saxon (neither man was great for original ideas). The final round descended into blows in the final round which was a pity. Still the bout had its moments.

Les Falcons D'Or Vs Yann Caradec & Patrique Martineau. This is the episode I posted a video of in my last post

And just look who their manager is! Yes folks HASSAN BAMBANI, everyone's favourite loveable funny smiling midget Bon and football mascot. Working as a heel manager with a scowl and wearing the world's smallest funeral director outfit. Been going through episodes of New Catch Season 1 from 1988 in preparation for a deep dive when I came across this and just had to share now this instant.

Some Reslo this week from 1987 and an odd one - Comedian versus Monster: Round 1: Corneely/Corneely (we've had a few spellings of his name on here) doesn't do anything comic- or technical - or even aggressive. He just gets the snot pounded out of him. Even when he tries to domcomedybfalls, he's getting too much sympathy for the audience to laugh at him. After three minutes of this, the bell goes. Chang/Mason sensibly doesn't twist while agead- he makes it a clean round break. Round 2. Kevin is very angry and lets rip a whole tirade in his Irish accent. He's sympathisably angry so it doesn't really get any laughs. Mason collars him and slowly marches him around the ring. Kevin finally gets some offence, bending Chang's fingers back so Chang throws him to the mat and resumes. Chang gets a double underhook suplex, the first scientific move of the match- and scores a KNOCKOUT. If you didn't like Corneely's previous comedy, watch this for the schadenfreude of him getting beaten up. Otherwise it's an execution and a vehicle for Chang to build him up for bigger things like his one and only ITV appearance later that year.

The tape reel finishes with a Catch Á Quatre. Two fast paced high flying superheroes Angelito and the young Flesh Gordon team up to face Black Shadow and Elliot Frederico, future Grim Rocker, present Rocky du Ring. I'm wondering if Rocky has nothing to do with Stallone's character and is actually an Anglecism for a Rocker as in a biker - think the Rockers as in Peter Lapaque and Tommy Lorne (not Michaels and Janetty!) - the Greasers whoo fought mods in Brighton. Alleged African-American (actually Moroccan) Black Shadow's heel work over several years has drawn praise on here. Première Manche: Flesh easily absorbs Eliot's early attack and goes to work with an array of armdrags. Angelito easily rolls out of Elliott's throws and gets some good armdrags of his own off top wristlocks. Shadow gets the same treatment briefly has a long press on Angelito who wedges out. Flesh tries forca reverse snapmare but doesn't get the height so settles for a rear snapmare instead. He spins out of a standing hammerlock to get a shoulderblock. Angelito and Rocky take turns reversing whips on each other. Angelito resists side chancery throws by Black Shadow, lands feet first from a leg flip and comes right back with a dropkick. Eliot gets an advantage with illegal punches on Flesh. Shadow hits ringside after Angelito dodges a charge. Flesh gets a huaracanrana into double kneepress on Eliot and Shadow has to rescue him from a fall. Angelito gets a good money climb on fellow Spaniard Eliot but a second attempt sees him overpowered and backdropped by Le Rocky then kneedropped and covered for 2 by Shadow. Les Méchants are getting their heat on Angelio- he sells one bump spinning to a crash. Gordon gets hot tag.and one armdrags I to crosspress gets them the opening fall although La Publique are slow to react. Deuxième Manche: starts much the sam3 as th3vfirst- high flying stuff from Les Bons. Angelito is caught in a full nelson and Elite is as adept at helping the hold as Ken Joyce was keeping it on Jeff Kaye last week on the British thread. Angelito even tries spinning le Rocky off but he clings on. Angelito eventually throws Elliot forward like a rear snapmare onto the mat but he leg flips Angelito into the ropes. Eliot works Angelito on the mat and flips him to ringside. Angelito lands badly, Gordon comes to his side and acsecond drags him back to Les Bons' corner. Les Méchants go to work on Flesh, both stomping him on the mat, which earns Shadow un Avertisement. The villains keep Flesh in their corner until he suddenly gets a sunset flip into doubl3 leg nelson on Shadow while Angelito gets one of his own flying off the top onto Eliot. But L'Arbitre won't have them both scoring pins and refuses the counts. In response, Les Bons throw Les Méchants outside and everyone brawls at ringside. The two Spaniards get back and Frederico throws Angelito on top of his partner. But Angelito gets backs and gets a quick victory roll on Le Rocky for the second straight tombée and the win. Good high flying show from the babyfaces. A pity we don't get to see Shadow antagonise the crowd as much as some other bouts of his.

1988 - 17 December, on the day of ITV's The Final Bell and just nine days before the French equivalent, the season finale of New Catch Series 1. Salvatore Bellomo, weeks after appearing the latter and a month short of 16 years after being Tini Salvatore on World of Sport's January 1973 Fanfare for Europe here works villain for one of the first times, teaming with one of the German speaking Worlds most infamous villains. Kauroff starts the dirty stuff early concealing illegal punches to Schumann from referee Mick McMichael. Bellomo keeps the treatment going but he and Kauroff have an at times awkward relationship, arguing over a tag. When Bellomo scores a pin,however, Kauroff is happy t9 be his friend. When Steinblock equalises on Bellomo, the villains abandon competing, instead throwing Schumann out of the ring and double teaming Steinblock, tying him in the ropes by the neck and beating down on him 7ntil McMichael disqualifies the heels. Short highlight package of what was probably a fairly unsophisticated face/heel tag.

Quite a nice vlog from Josh Faulkner on Mighty John Quinn, even if he neglects to mention the "/My Daddy said all Limeys were Cowards in WW2" speech.

You'd be AMAZED who knows all about old British Wrestling - and who nearly got involved themselves ...

I forgot to mention, this is two months after he was special referee for the Harley Race Vs Junkyard Dog main event at Bercy Stadium for the WWF's debut European show. Probably both that show and this had a whole load of spectators from the respective opposite sides of the Rhine. In fact I guess many people went to both.

Dynamite Kid was off to Stampede so the British Welterweight title was vacant. Two aging but skills scientific greats, both soon to become referees, are hx bing a quarter final together. Joyce was European Welterweight champion previously (a title Dynamite also vacated) but, as Kent mentions, despite several close shaves, has never had the British title. Round 1 KJ counters an armbar with a kip up, JK with a Steve Grey horizontal mat spin. KJ does a rollout and while down gets a legspread. JK twists sideways to easily unhook himself. Double interlock and JK falls backwards, scissors and arm and makes it into a figure 4 top wristlock on the mat. KJ stand up and straights thecarm to make an armbar. JK rolls out but KJ drags him back down into a guard armlock twice. JK rolls, kips back, cartwheels out and gets a rare whip on a KJ who instead of his usual resisting takes the somersault and lands neatly on his feet. KJ gets a rear waistlock into front folding press for 2, JK gets a double arm stretch pushing against the shoulders. he rolls back and risks a folding press unpicking both grips but he does it. He helps JK up, they shake hands, quickly KJ gets a whip and forces a somersault bump but JK is up by 5. Double interlock and JK gets a neat drop toehold into ankle scissor. Ken tries to make an Indian Deathlock of it but to not much effect so referee Max Ward calls for a break and they comply. KJ gets a Japanese Stranglehold and resists JK's attempt to twist out. The bell stops a second attempt. Round 2 . Double interlock into JK side headlock but KJ headstands out. He does a Mike Marino esque escape from a second one - less corkscrew more spin-ny. Double interlock again and JK leans back and gets crossed headscissors but KJ slips out easily pulling himself a few inches backwards. JK gets a standing top wristlock, KJ counters with a perfect French Catch style Scisseaux Volees takedown. He drags JK away from the ropes by the hold, easily prevents JK kipping out or getting the hold upright. He does briefly get a kip up but KJ pulls him back down in the hold. He keeps the arm and pulls JK back in again The third time JK gets the upright kneeling position and pulls his head free but KJ pushes him back in. The fourth time, JK assumes the upside down position and anklescissors KJ's feet to uncork the headscissor. KJ gets another full Japanese Stranglehold off a double Interlock. JK tries slipping downwards in it 5en slipping upwards and out but he bell saves him the trouble. Round 3 and JK gets a single leg into toe and ankle hold. KJ widens the legs and boots JK in the stomach so that the lower centre of gravity is too much and H3 falls backwards. JK gets the side chancery but KJ blocks it in his characteristic style. JK tries and fails again, releases and then suddenly reapplies the side chancery and gets the throw. KJ gets a shoulderblock and dodged a JK flying tackle but JK leapfrogs him and gets a cross buttock throw and press for three! First fall to Jeff Kaye. Round 4. JK gets a single leg into ground leglock. KJ counters with both a half chinlock and bashing JK's grip with his heel, which works. They start over and JK gets a headlock but KJ does a more obviously Mike Marino esque twistout. KJ gets a standing full nelson, twice JK breaks one side but KJ goes behind to reapply. A slip down/backroll escape ends with KJ reapplying the hold. A force out and backwards dropkick finally does the trick flooring KJ for 6. JK throws KJ who rolls upright. JK tries a dropkick, KJ catches the feet but JK curls through into the Boston Crab position and crawling into the crab escape. then flips KJ over and sits up into a double knee press. KJ fells him for a double leg nelson but JK folds back into a folding press but KJ crawls forward. It's all too near the ropes so they break. (At which point we get a long advert breaks courtesy of the Fight Network. Fast forward). Double interlock ends with JK's foot on KJs hand so they break again. KJ gets double legs and crouches to try his usual banging the head on the mat low waistlock. JK tries to avoid the bangs with a beautifully done bridge. Hectries to sit up but gets a headbang. A second try and he comes forward, overbalances KJ and gets a double kneepress but KJ wedges out. JK is up at 3. He gets a hammerlock off a double Interlock but KJ goes through the legs for a rear legdive and fells JK who boots him off into the ropes and tries catch him on the rebound but KJ arrests his own momentum, walks over and casually takes an anklelock on JK. (Memo to Orange bloody Cassidy. THIS is how you do casual -not trying to play footsie with your opponent.). KJ clamps down on the single toehold. He folds up various other JK appendages and turns him over to make some kind of Indian Deathlock but the bell rings. Round 5 KJ easily slips out of a partial front chancery and escapes a rear waistlock slipping through the legs and behind to take down JK and turn him over into the reverse double leg nelson. JK easily slips out and gets a toehold but KJ goes up on his head. JK grabs the other foot but it's a stalemate. KJ again dodges a JK flying tackle and JK needs 7 to get up but then cartwheels cheerfully out of a throw. JK goes for the neck but KJ whips him but JK lands on his feet. He tries double legs but aKJ sharply folds him over ina front folding press for the equaliser. 1-1. Round 6. JK backrolls off a single arm interlock but KJ gets a firmer grip. KJ gets the standing back hammerlock and keeps hold a while until aJK tries rolling out but is caught in a guard armlock. JK gets up, goes into a headstand and while upside down gets a headscissors takedown on KJ but Runs Out Of Mat. He gets an arm and tries for a posting but KJ characteristically sits down to block this! He resists a second time and lets JK drag him by thecarm before getting up and whipping JK to the ropes. JK comes back with a bodycheck but KJ springs up. JK dives over for a sunset flip and pulls him down with his legs but KJ swings over by his neck and goes forward folding pressing JK and sealing it with a headstand. Ken Joyce wins 2-1 and goes through to the semifinals to lose to Steve Grey who draws with other semifinalist Jim Breaks in FA Cup Final day ITV before Breaks wins the rematch and belt at the Royal Albert Hall that summer - only for the wheel to turn full circle as Breaks' new challenger is Dynamite's young cousin Young David aka Davey Boy Smith. But that is for the future. For now, a fantastic technical bout from Ken Joyce and Jeff Kaye and a good antidote to Wanz/Andre 1987.

Okay here is That Special 1987 Bout: The rematch. Three to four weeks after Survivor Series 87 and less than seven weeks before actually capturing a World title on The Main Event, Andre has a crack at Otto's CWA belt. I guess this is a title shot earned by his non title victory over Wanz the previous year. If Andre was somewhat heelish in the previous bout, this time he is totally the Evil Giant of his 1987-1990 WWF stint. He's got the black one armed leotard on like Cyanide Syd Cooper, Steve Haggerty or Billy Canataxaro. Or indeed Bobby Heenan who is the one missing piece of the puzzle here. Actually it's not the first time Heenan has no showed a Heenan Family visit to the German speaking world - back in 1983 instead of accompanying Nick Bockwinkel on a transatlantic trip to face Otto, (a return match from Wanz's AWA World title exchanges) Bocky was instead accompanied by his old enemy Verne Gagne in what I guess must have been a rare heel performance by Bald Old Verne. Otto comes down to the ring in a patriotic Austrian Red and White Just think of patriotism in wrestling as a blank slate. It can be filled with Stars and Stripes or Maple leaves, or Union Jacks and Tricolores. Or it can be the kind of cod Welsh nationalism we got on Reslo, or here the local pride of the Osterleichs ((c)Giant Haystacks.) And so to the match. Runde 1. Didier Gapp in charge I believe. Andre takes his time starting, soaking up heel heat. He works totally as Heel Andre of the late 80, slow, lumbering but deadly. He gets a triangle choke early on (taught to him by Ted DiBiase perhaps? - it's a fine Million Dollar Dream if ever I saw one.) He gets a double underhook and is going for the Sloppy Suplex that would beat Hogan 47days later when the bell goes. Runde 2.Morecstallin. A bearhug. Otto gets a big pop pounding Andre to the mat but Andre trips and leglocks him. Both men have a bald second- Otto's is Steve Wright, Andre's has a beard and looks halfway between Baron Von Rashcke and Marquis Eduardo. Runde 3. Andre gets the leglock but Otto gets a rope break-Andre is slow to release and soon choking Otto on the ropes. MC pronounced Andre's name like the A in Andrew. Otto gets a chinlock, Andre gets the rope break, Otto pounds Andre in retaliation for earlier and I think gets a yellow card for it. Bell goes as Andre has Otto cornered. Runde 4. Andre gets standing chinlock. Changes to armbar, trying to make it into a double wristlock. Otto counters with successful single leg takedown. He makes a standing leglock of it. He converts it to a Frank Gotch toehold but the other leg gets free. Otto switches to armbars on the mat but Andre throws him off. Andre chops down as the bells goes. DJ plays If I Had A Hammer by the Seekers. Runde 5. Andre gets double underarms, switching briefly to double straight arms - gawd, is he planning a surfboard? Otto corners and beats Andre down.Then Andre's turn. Then Otto's. Otto is knocked down for a KO count but saved by the bell. Runde 6: Andre is at work on Otto's arm, headbutting the tricep and trying to make it into a hammerlock again. Andre gets thrown outside but pulls Otto out with him. They brawl at ringside, the count gets near to 10, Otto crawls back and beats the count, Andre does not. Otto is the winner and still the champion. Better luck for Andre 47 days later in Indianapolis. Verdict- It's a pretty lousy match between two plesiosaurs but no worse than anything Andre and Hulk did in the same time period. Okay, a few weeks of 1988/1989 and then we go back to 1987 - it'll last about a year (longer if interruptions occur) but it will finish off the 1980s project unless more footage becomes available.