David Mantell

I wonder how the Aptermags would have explained it. Actually, no Ted Turner, no large chunks of 70s/80s wrestling history as that means no GCW Techwood Drive studio TV show. Vince doesn't even bother with Jim Barnett in 1983 if Jim Barnett even bothers to buy up both Andrew "Paul Jones mk1" Lutski and Ann Gunkel in 1974. Georgia is just A.N Other territory, Roddy Piper is an obscure figure known mostly in South California and PNW. With no GCW TV show, the NWA members are totally lost when Vince gets national cable in 1983/1984. Jim Crockett probably does still buy Georgia after Vince doesn't bother with it but it's about as big a deal as when JCP bought Central States.

Wrestler and stand up comic Josh Faulkner (no relation to Vic) has done some vlogs on YouTube about British Wrestling. If you like the Wrestle M e vids on British Wrestling you should love these.

8th March 1987, 3 weeks before WM3, 13 days before ITV televised Kendo & Rocco Vs Yamada from Croydon in place of Hogan Vs Kamala and a month before Magnum hobbled to ringside to inspire Dusty and Nikita to victory. I really like the intro and how it segues from the lone live trumpet player to the distinctly Fight Night vibe music as the wrestlers get in to the ring for a German/Austrian style Ringerparade and do their best disco dancing moves to show they are ready to go. Loads of soon to be familiar New Catch faces -Flesh, Marquis Jacky, Angelito, Zefy, Eliot Frederico (who I think became the Grim Rocker) Flesh is dtill.... I'm really taking to Gabby Laillee's work. Once again she's in with an Old Bag heel in Ascension del Oro who works much the same as Valerie Wonder in 1991 on TF1 New Catch. Out of the ring brawl sees Oro in a front row seat as ringsiders move swiftly out of the way, it earns Gabby an Avertisement. Gabby easily gets the win. Gabby has a manager/hunky boyfriend in her corner, alleged Yugoslav champion Draganan. Flesh and Eliot come out for their match, Le Rocky De Ring has a tubby besuited manager who looks like a heel Arnold Skaaland. Flesh is still in his athletic prime, trim but not as skinny as his days with Walter Bordes. Plenty of high flying stuff reflecting Herve's Lucha background and plenty of standard French somersaulting counters. Eliot is just a straight up brawler. Flesh looks like he's got it sewn up when Jacky Richard comes to the ring and helps Eliot win. Draganan comes back to protest and a challenge is made. Verdict: More fun than @ohtani's jacket reckoned it was For those who want to see more of Gaby and Oro. With Charley reffing yet again! Actually I've just realised on Alessio's 1970-1987 playlist there's Catch Au Village ending with the Gabby & Hassan Vs Oro and Puma tag, then Hassan Vs Puma solo (from FR3 1986) and then Oro Vs Gaby solo to start the March 1987 syndicated FR3 broadcast. All in succession. Hassan and Puma are in the Ringerparade at the start of the Match 1987 broadcast too (Puma in a black cowboy hat.). I wonder what happened with all the matches with the other wrestlers in that Ringerparade?

Sorry, that was just a silly joke. I think I know the one and it wasn't a swimming pool show.

OK, the first thing to be said is that it's good to have SOMETHING - ANYTHING of French Catch from French terrestrial TV from calendar year 1986. It plugs that particular gap and disproves any notion of a hiatus (I'm sure there was plenty more, probably another bout with this one) but at least this is hard evidence that there was anything at all.. It's got the same miserable heel referee from the 1982 FR3 broadcast and the 1987 Jones Vs Kramer match, although it's not filmed at the nice place with the sloppy wooden ceiling, rather in somewhere with a big top tent over it. Possibly on a boat of some sort. The two little people work in much the same style as the two in the support slot for Marc Mercier Vs Albert Sanniez 1982. They can both credibly cartwheel and handspring out of throws etc. The referee does a similar reverse DQ decision to the one he did in the tag match in 1982 and ends up being squirted in silly string for his pains as "ER" mentioned. If you try ignoring the comedy aspect, it's a reasonably fast paced gymnastic sort of bout, but not intelligent enough to motivate me to try a blow by blow description. Not sure where these two were imported from but I'm guessing Mexico from the El Puma name (the Spanish CIC having shut down 11 years earlier before anyone makes that suggestion). Some more of Hassan and Puma as each of them eqips themselves with a lady wrestler for a mixed tag. Hassan gets one of the top French female stars of the era, Gaby Lailee. Puma gets Spain's Ascency del Oro. This was privately filmed on U Matic by an independent video maker -Edgar Bastian himself who owns the YT channel - who was apparently hired in by the village elite who put the event on. It was they who insist on the elderly boxing bloke who complains about wrestling being a work. There's also a JIP Flesh Gordon Vs Jessy Texas match which we shall get back to as next week's Catch match. For now we fast forward to 8:29. The MC's cheesy white jacket makes me fear he's a Butlers Redcoat type but I actually end up learning something interesting and new - that it was André Bollet, brother of arbitre Charley and one time tag partner of Delaporte, who unmasked L'Ange Blanc back in the day. Yes it's that man Charley again. Fussy but honest unlike that Louis de Blamenque guy from the 1986 FR3 bout (and other FR3 bouts in 1982 and 1987). Gaby still in her native headdress, a relic of her stint as Tonto to Jessy Texas on A2 a year earlier. 1er Manche The ladies start off, trading armdrags 8ncluding off a double interlock. Gaby cartwheels on one move them tags Hassan who gets warming up to do cartwheel type stuff on Oro till she tags Puma. Hassan cartwheels out of throws then dives forward behind Puma to rear dropkick him out of the ring. (Great move). When he gets back Gaby is in beckoning. So in comes Oro and gets caught in a headlock. Unfortunately we don't see how she got out as instead we get a drunk audience member in a check shirt, bottle in hand, shouting "Vaz-y!". while two lady fans look on embarrassed. Oro gets a headlock, Gaby twice considers a trip but instead twice throws her to the ropes and is bodychecked on the rebound. Oro dives in but Gaby dodges so Oro misses. Midgets are in , for a moment Hassan is ready for for Pro, but instead he gives Puma some cross buttocks. Puma gets headscissors and some 2 counts, Hassan uses a simple upright headstand escape. He dodged Puma charges but Puma gets 2 kneelifts and a posting. Hassan resists the impact a second time and easily kicks out a pin attempt. The women tag in and Oro armdrags Gaby twice. Gaby uses vertical spins to high whip Oro for a bump. She legdives and knee splashes Oro. Who dropkicks her off but lands on Charley. Midgets in. Hassan struts and superkicks. Collar and elbow. Hassan gets a guard armlock and some 2 counts. Both midgets try go behind in a kneeling position. Hassan gets a rear leg spread but gets Manchettes on a charge. Gaby slaps Puma who threatens to punch her. Hassan gets a standing ankle, spins and fells Puma for a 2 count. Women in. Gaby gets a full nelson, keeps it some time then switches to rear snapmare. She gets a side headlock into front olding press but Oro keeps her shoulders up. Oro gets a reverse armhank, uses illegal hairpulls to stop Gaby kipping up and out. On the third try she gets up and has a wristlock through Oro's legs. Oro rolls forward, takes the bump then rolls back and connects with a ground dropkick. Gaby gets a reverse snapmare and tags midgets. Puma gets a front chancery but too close to the ropes. Hassan does Vic Faulkner's "stop" trick then does another diving reverse dropkick. For some reason he gets un Avertisement for this for "lutte irregulière" (Why?). He gets two good rear chanceries and some good armdrags and legflips and a fling bodypress for the opener. 2ème manche Midgets lock up. Hassan gets side chancery throw and legdrop. Puma dodges another one but Hassan single leg flips him. Puma goes out but Hassan side chancery throws him in, gets a second and a double legflips posting Puma falls back out the ring. He gets back for another side chancery. a.nd double leg flip but tangled with the ropes. Hassan gets 2 but Puma kicks him off into Charley's arms. The old gap of pitching him back and him being thrown off 7ntil Charley has had enough. Puma complains and gets un Premiere Avertisement for it. Women in. Oro gets a headlock, Gaby throws her off but Oro regains. A second one and Gaby ducks, hiptosses and cross presses for 2. Oro gets a posting but Gaby gets bodyscissors in the corner and boots her off for a crosspress and 2. Midgets in. Hassan twice corners and pummels Puma, is dragged off by Charley and warnedbut goes through his legs and resumes. Hassan gets a cross body lock for 2. Both get mat grovits and roll over Charley. He's not happy and gives both midgets the Deuxième Et Dernière Avertisement. Women in. Gaby gets a front chancery, Oro breaks it open to get a whip and bump into armhank. She gets some 1s from it but Gaby ups her shoulder each time. Gaby rolls up the arm into a headlock into cross buttock throw. Unfortunately we cut away to fans being asked it wrestling is a suitable sport for ladies or not. We briefly see Oro tied in the ropes which the MC correctly says is illegal. When we get back, Charley is trying to stop and argument between Puma and Gaby while Oro is selling on the mat. They lock up and she gets some dodgy chest blows and a cross body throw. She is up for a Manchette to the rear shoulders and illegal rope fouls which Oro claims is retaliation for whatever we missed earlier. Ironically we get more such vox pops at this point. Finally we get back to the ring and Or has an armbar against the shoulder. Into pressing the other arm. Into a seated crossface into mat side headlock in the guard. This gets reduced to a dubious throttle which Gaby counters with a cross-arm grovit and two powerful Manchettes into a rear snapmare . Midgets are in. Puma gets a front chancery to set up a pair of Manchettes. Hassan bulldogs him into the corner. Hassan gets a toehold into leglock - almost a Boston Crab. He does eventually get a full Boston Crab having to first undress the single leg hold. Puma flips him off but Hassan rolls upright nicely. Puma stomps him illegally on the mat and gets a full nelson and tries to switch to a rear waistlock suplex but Hassan sits to break the fall. Undeterred, Puma gets a bodyscissors and even the spinedrop in the hold - although as Puma is Le Méchant and Hassan Le Bon, the crowd don't chant "Ah Ouais" at all. Hassan slings upright but is distracted by an argument with Charley. Women back in. Gaby gets two rrear snapmares and some Manchettes. She gets a cross buttock and press for 2 and another snapmare but Oro comes back with a bodycheck that reminds me of Flair felling Sting for the title-regaining pin at the Meadowlands Jan 11, 1991. We get a long shot of the MC and when we get back Gaby gets a Manchette and a somewhat sloppy Fireman's carry (almost like Oro is trying to convert it to a sunset flip) . She gets the takedown and cover but Oro easily bridges out. Gaby gets a side chancery throw, two shoulderblocks, a slam and crosspress for the second straight. Winners 2-0 Gaby and Hassan. Afterwards Gaby is awarded a big bouquet of red rosess and Hassan does a promo where he fends off questions about is it sport Vs acting and he talks about his acting career. Wanting to keep kayfabe the MC comes to the rescue with Qs about how Hassan feels about the win tonight etc. Gaby also gets interviewed, she says yes it is for women, she only gets the aggression out in the ring and back home she's a nice say-hello-in-the-street type. Oh no I can extrapolate a lLOT more from the right midget match or in this case midget/female mixed match. Dark horse candidate for scientific Match of the weekend. The four ladies and gents really pushed the envelope in terms of going for serious content rather than brazen farce. I'm impressed. Well done to them. Only a pity we had all the distracting stuff with fans/the MC (Apparently it was a little village and Everyone in town wanted their Warholian 15 min on camera. Okay. Flesh Vs Jessy from the start of the clip next weekend and it will balance out. ta longer 25 min clip on the German thread.

Like I've said, it's just a part of this particular wrestling territory's culture that swimming pools etc are - and have for a long time - been considered a normal place to hold a pro wrestling show. Was that a Catch Á L'Eau show too?

Okay, the only 1985 was already done so 1986 it is. Rematch of the above at Saafelden, August '86. Bull comes out in the same quasi military uniform gear as the previous match, knowing how to play the Patriotic American heel. Cut to him stuffing the flag down the same orifice as Dynamite Kid's dog food pie went. Quite a lot of posing then Bull ha.saxel in a headlock then brawling with him. Cut to Bull with a guard armlock on Axel.then cut to Axel stomping Leon around, dumping him at ringside like a battle royal. Leon spends time at ringside, gets booted back the. Eventually he retakes the advantage stomping a.nd kneeling on A,xel. Axel fights back but ends up with a headbutt and chokeslam. Bull gets the pin and the victory. Leon trying to learn and give holds a go. Less of an outright brawl than Hanover.

Amazingly this bout doesn't seem to have been covered on here, but here goes. Christmas 1979, end of a decade, welcome back to ITV after the weeks long Strike that put out the entire Network and with it all TV wrestling for a couple of months. It's the last time on TV that a Big Daddy match has a round break and the last time we get to see him do quite a fair few holds and moves, in fact. (A year earlier on Swindon Cable versus Dave Bond is the last we have of him seriously on the defensive unless you count Stax at Wembley 1981 kicking Daddy around as he bent down to help the injured referee.) Moreover, for five year old me, sat at home in Chigwell Essex, this was my first ever masked wrestler. Introducing to you journeyman wrestler Arthur "Buffalo" Bison/Bice making his one and only TV appearance and doing so in a hood. Round 1 Mama X's boy gets a headlock on Daddy who shrugs him off with power like he did to Kendo Nagasaki four Xmases earlier in 1975. The duo have a top wristlock battle which Daddy wins by stepping. Forward to gain leverage. X tries a couple of Daddy's own bodychecks on him to little effect. Daddy gets a full Interlock into a full Japanese Stranglehold, even tripping X neatly down to give himself the added height advantage.From there, he switches to an unsuccessful unmasking attempt and two hiptosses across the ring that get Daddy counts of only about 4 but no more. X spends some time outside recuperating. Back in the ring, a single finger interlock becomes a Daddy armbars into reeling in for a bodycheck. He is up at 6 but a double Interlock and low forearm smash fell him for another 6. X tries to rally himself with a jumping war dance but is bodychecked down for yet another 6. Daddy still has a finger interlock and uses it to give X the high whip and bump into a guard armlock. He drags X up and posts him. X tries that same side headlock from the start (and which Kendo tried in '75) and like both those times he is thrown off by bucking bronco Daddy who then gets a cross buttock throw into side headlock on X for 8, nearly a KNOCKOUT!!! Daddy converts from an interlock into a rather good inverted upper chest lock suplex but the bell goes. Max Crabtree has been reeling off Arthur's career highlights to Kent earlier that day and Kent duly repeats them to the viewer. Round 2 Daddy gets in a couple more throws. X retaliated with illegal concealed kidney punches which the referee spots and privately warns the masked man. X next tries for a posting but Daddy reverses it, gets a second one then finishes things with his second most famous speciality - the Double Elbows backdrop - the one Bret Hart recalls Max Crabtree paying wrestlers cash bonuses to risk their lives to take - for a count of 10 and a KNOCKOUT!!! Daddy is the winner. Afterbirth: The grotesquely overweight "Incredible Bulk" Fatty Thomas comes to the ring to challenge Daddy and the two stalk each other. Meanwhile X returns, determined to be unmasked and show his face on the Telly. Daddy duly obliges, dragging him in, unhooding beardy Bison and slinging him back out before he and the Bulk resume stalking each other. A last glimpse at an earlier Shirley before the hot tags and quick squashed took over.

On the subject of this match, does anyone know what song that is that Flesh and Zéfy use for their ring entrance and post match celebration? As I mentioned on the British and German threads, I had a weekend in Blackpool recently and went along to the Sandcastle Waterpark. Years ago in the changing rooms th3n had video screens that played that same tune. I got talking to an attendant I've known for years and I told him about this bout and how it had th3n same music they used to play in the Waterpark lockeroom, he remembered the song but didn't know what it is.. EDIT: Apparently it's this (although the Waterpark may have used a knock-off cover version.)

And talking of bouts refereed by Charley Bollet Sorry but there's a post on the Worst Professional Wrestler Ever? thread page 1 that got my goat somewhat recently. It's been dead eight years so I'll get it off my chest here. I'm not bothered about the pros and cons of Flesh Gordon or Marquis Richard - we have seen and debated them at their best and worst on this thread. I'm not even bothered that an November 1987 FR3 broadcast was wrongly identified as New Catch. No, it's the rednecks reference I object to, given the Loooooong history of weaponising class snobbery against wrestling fans. It was Rednecks (so called because their necks got sunburnt from hard farm labour) that were the Meat And Wine of Territories era American wrestling. It was common Mexican folk that sustained Lucha Libre all those years til it rose to become a recognised part of Mexican culture. It was common cloth-cap working class "Oiks" in Britain who built a d sustained British wrestling and the proto "chav" underclass who all had satellite dishes that bankrolled the UK WWF boom. And it was Les .Ouvriers for whom Roland Barthes identified the wrestling hall as a sacred temple back in the 50s. Fast Forward 30 years and I don't think Barthes would have any more truck with the cussing out of a 1987 audience for Le Catch as being poor, proletarian and vulgar than he would with such treatment of their 1950s predecessors. He'd only be 71 in 1987 if not for that laundry van in March 1980 Steam duly let off.

And just to prove it, here he is 19 years earlier on an ORTF era overseas kinescope from February 1972. (Falempin made it to New Catch Season 1 in 1988). Whether this was originally in colour depends on whether it was on channel 2 or 1 but three of these four guys certainly appeared together in a Catch Á Six in August 1978.(inca. Gonzalez and Tomas Trujillo Vs Guy, Bruno Asquini and Gerard Tayse.) These star of this show incidentally is Gonzales who make a terrific show of playing the hopeless cowardly luckless loser. He's more than a good carpenter here, he's actually a bit of a scene stealer. Les Méchants are Gitanes with stripey jackets and that's enough to triggerhav heat from the Cirque D'Hiver crowd. Jo Go had the thinning long hair and a moustache but not yet the wispy prog rocker beard (later on the commentator will do a Kent Walton and tell his viewers that Jo's hobbies Include "playing th3 guitar" an anti-Hispanic stereotype nothing to do with heavy metal or owt.) Inca and Michel start with some false starts and the odd cheap shot. Then Michel gets a couple of armdrags and Ina gets a rear waistlock but Falempin forces it open and reverses it. Ina does the same so Michel slips out downwards and back through Inca's legs. But Inca dodges and gets a mount hammerlock so Michel pulls himself up and gets a rear snapmare. But Inca lands well so Guy tags in and gets a single armbar and whips Inca then gets a headlock takeover. Inca eventually gets control of the Headlock and tags Gonzales who side chancery throws Guy. But Guy bridges up and gets his own rear snapmare then a high whip and bump on Jo.followed by an armdrag. The commentator compares Jo to D'Artagnan the human character on whom Dogtanian was based in the cartoon.). Guy gets a top wristlock and armdrag takedlowns him, then another armdrag. Jo gets a hammerlock and tags Inca back in, landing. Les Bons also get a tag and Inca get a quick bulldog on Michel He keeps hold and does a cross buttock on Falempin who replies with a rear snapmare. Inca gets more throws of various in on Falempin who stalls him with a mount chinlock. He stands up with the hold, Ina uses a trip to get out but Falempin reapplies instantly. Inca tries the same trick and dodges the re-grab, getting a simple armlock to the bicep. Falempin tries to reverse snapmare but Inca has walked him over to the heel corner so as Falempin goes up, Gonzales chops him down. La publique et Monsieur Charley L'Arbitre ne sont pas contents but what can they do? Guy tries to complain but Les Méchants double team as Charley packs him out. Emboldened, the heels give Falempin the bumps even though it probably wasn't his birthday then Gonzales takes over. Falempin tries to fight back with a front chancery but Inca stomps him down. The heels tag and again give Falempin the birthday bumps. Inca has an armbar on, Michel tries the classic French Scisseaux Volees escape but Gonzales points Bollets attention to Les Bons corner then hauls him off. Falempin tries bridging but Gonzales pulls Michels' feet out (and I haven't even got onto the REAL show stealing stuff I mentioned at the start.). Finally Charley catches Gonzales brazenly stomping Falempin and just throws him out, earning himself an Aux Chiottes Arbitre chant. Inca still has an armlock on Falempin and he tags Gonzales but Falempin backflips on them both then double legflips the pair of Méchants before finally tagging Guy. Who goes at bit wild with three sequential dropkicks like Speedball Bailey on that video on the German thread. Charley tells him off and nearly gets swatted. Inca cones in and gets similar treatment. Falempin comes in an Gonzales roars defiance at the crowd. He gets a side chancery, cross buttock throw, huaracanrana and double legs before Falempin spins him off, but Gonzales takes well, cartwheeling off and getting a snapmare into headlock. Falempin comes back with a hammerlock but Gonzales comes back with a leglock till Les Bons tag leaving Gonzales looking bewildered. He attacks Michel on the apron but Guy just fires off more dropkicks. Gonzales crouches frightened in the corner as Inca gets an armbar. Inca continues to work on Guy on the mat. Falempin gets the tag (afte4 nearly falling over the ropes!). And snapmares and neck stretces Inca. Jo tags back in and he and Michel gesture menacingly at each other until Michel gets a double Interlock into snapmare. Gonzalez has to go with a. number of whips but he feigns a leg injury to get some Manchettes in on the now back Guy. "il est un comedien, Lola des trruques" says the commentator. Jo sells Manchettes, a snapmare or two and a dropkick quite flamboyantly. He fires back with a snapmare and dropkick of his own before both men miss a dropkick each. Gonzalez staggers around then tags Inca. They exchange Manchettes and Falempin comes in again. Inca gets a legdive and leglock. I think he uses a crafty bite or two to stop Falempin. After some Inca Manchettes, Guy comes in They exchanged hammerlock and a haggard looking Gonzalez staggers back in.He drops flamboyantly to his knees beseeching Charley to take Guy's threats of a closed fist seriously and intervene. Then he dives in and gets a full nelson, the shrew! Inca gets a tag and a flying headbutt and beat Falempin down before getting back the full nelson. Gonzalez comes in for a double team but misses and ends up tied in the ropes by his neck, flailing his legs in panic. As Charley and Inca try to free him, Les Bons et La Publique have all sorts of fun, the faces bombing him, the fans cheering it. It's ironically a Falempin Manchette that finally knocks him free. But Le Gitane is groggy and in no state to fight ... until he suddenly bashes and whips Falempin. He even gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson at one point but only gets two from it. Falempin fights back and both sides tag, Guy and Inca mixing Manchettes with stabilisers for illegal closed fists. Guy ducks a Manchette and gets a legdive into toehold finishing with a leg weakener. Falempin is next in but Inca whips and bumps him around, into the heel corner. Inca gets a double Interlock into horizontal spin into arm lever and a snapmare. They exchange shoulderblocks and Guy tags in. Both heels are in a heap in their corner and Charley holds Guy back a bit. Gonzalez goes for an Interlock but Guy gets a bearhug, hoisting him high before dropping him into an over the knee backbreaker which Gonzales sells like his back his broken. Les Bons take turns, Falempin slams Jo, Guy post him , Falempin again gives him another over knee backbreaker. Guy posts him into the heel corner where he tags Inca. Michel takes him down with a three quarter nelson but Jo kicks him off. Guy runs in but Charley coaxes him out. Falempin gets Inca in a legdive and leghank into practically an Indian death lock which he holds for some time until Charley demands a break. Inca gets the best of a top wristlock battle on Guy until he rolls upright and gets the classic French Scisseaux Volees takedown counter. Gonzales gets a tag and an arm bar. Guy goes up on his head and performs a toupie to reel himself free. But Les Méchants are soon back double teaming Guy in the corner Jo manchettes and stomps his man - " Voici un Gitane en colère!" quips the commentator. Jo gets a snapmare and stomp in one motion for an 8 count til Jo gets a headbutt in. After more stomps he tags Inca who gets a full nelson on Guy who fires back then tags Michel. He and Inca exchange thunderous Manchettes then he tags JP who begs off! But Guy is angry and gets a full nelson. Gonzales powers his way out before using a rear to to totally escape then fires a dropkick and manchettes and stomps then tags Inca who is just as hard hitting a heel. Jo is back and uses a grovit as setup for a Manchette. He corners, backflips, strikes - and misses! Guy tags in and Manchettes both heels before getting the WM4 Koko B Ware bulldog plus flying scissors takedown on both villains. He dropkicks Inca to ringside then turns to the kneeling exhausted Jo, easily manchetting and twice flooring him as he staggers around. Finally he gorilla presses Jo and drops him in an over the knee stomach breaker 5en crosspresses him for the one fall required. Even in defeat Jo is centre of attention staggering around selling and exhausted. He showed me quite a lot both as a carpenter and as a powerful aggressor in his own right which spiced up a good fast paced Catch Á Quatre.

Was going to review this for 1985 but as you can see it's already done. I'll go visit that 2019 EWP playlist and see what catches my eye.... I've heard a lot about Speedball Bailey. Most of it bad. Most of it from a certain podcaster who drives some folk round here out of their tiny minds (look up "Alvin Stardust Green Cross Code" on YouTube if you don't get the reference.) Okay, let's see what the fuss is all about. Brian Cage. One word, roids. Bailey looks like Bryan Fery in pyjamas. Or maybe a diminutive version of John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harness from Torchwood/Doctor Who.). He has a girlfriend Veda Scott in bad NHS glasses. Bell goes. Bailey does about 4 dropkicks in succession. Usually people whose only move that is water it down with a bit of selling and getting audience sympathy. He goes for a tope but is easily caught. A long bit out of the ring culminating in him running pointlessly round and missing with a kick. Cage tries a powerbomb, Bailey looks to be working a counter so Cage bungs him into the top of the corner post. Cage does loads of power stuff a Bailey does karate kicks back. One sequence at about 5:20 should be synced up to the can can. Bailey does get a feet first escape out of a German suplex - was this Cage guy not holding the legs properly?). And so it goes on.Power from Cage, kicks and the odd flyer (odd indeed viz the corkscrew splash) from Bailey. Lots of time out of of the ring. A load of young sharks start a THIS IS AWESOME chant. Show em Steve Wright Vs Tony St Clair I say. Clarke does another German suplex, properly this time Ref gets clobbered by Bailey's legs during an aeroplane spin Mrs Bailey (I had a PE teacher at school called that) gets in the ring to help the ref and gets hauled off by Cage. Veda Scott and hubby end up double teaming the big ox but only getting a 2. It resumes, Cage does power stuff, Speedball improbably absorbed then does some kicks,. This ref waits before going for a third so both guys get mor3 than a three count. Is that normal nowadays? Cage gets a backdrop, Bailey does a spinning kneedrop thing doesn't get the pin. He eventually gets the win with a sort of Somersault Legdrop. Cage was a boring muscleman. Bailey does lots of aerial spots but lacks any real technical skill. Yes Corny I take your point. SMALL MERCY #1 at least Aaron Nix (see Rumble and ASW South videos on British thread) isn't commentatng and blabbing on about Bailey having "educated feet" SMALL MERCY #2 it's nice to know the EWP continued the CWA tradition of bringing in American talent. It's not their fault the quality of the American talent has taken a deep dive off the end of the pier.

Today in England and Wales (and possibly the rese of the Union). It is May Day Bank Holiday Monday, introduced in the 1970s by the Labour government as a British version of Labour Day(and seen ever since as an affront by Conservatives who want rid of it.) Back in the day, one of the last alternative timeslots to Sat afternoon on ITV after the demise of the midweek late evening slot was Bank Holiday Sports Special, a sort of World of Sport in all but name, including a couple of wrestling bouts in a similar teatime slot. With that in mind, I am posting a match from BHSS - from a May Day BHSS, no less- This is from May Day BHSS 1980 and was a warm up to Steve Grey unsuccessfully challenging Johnny Saint for the World Lightweight Championship after having beaten the champion on TV a couple of times. As OJ mentions this was Heinz's TV debut but what was more important is that it was Keith Hayward's TV debut also and the start of a push that would see him spend the 1980s alternating with Mal Sanders as European Middleweight champion, th3 title he took off Mick McManus in 1978. Round 1 We JIP but only just and I think the actual transmission starts at the actual bell with Kurt trying to jump Keith and coming unglued. The clip starts with Kurt selling whatever it was, while getting a KO count from referee Peter Scacazs (brother of Tibor.). Keith quickly fells him again with a legdive and trip then a cross buttock throw across the ring. Kurt gets a wristlever and is starting to progress to a back hammerlock which Keith turns in on him, gets his head between his man's legs and delivers a backdrop. Keith gets a single I terlo k 8nto a very fast fireman's carry throw, resulting in more bumping for Kurt and more counting for Peter. These constant KO counts were/are the British equivalent of a long string of false finish two counts. Heinz gets a side headlock, Keith gets behind and snaps into a rear waistlock into side folding press but Runs Out Of Mat as Kurt's feet roll back upwards into the ropes. Kurt gets the legdive and toehold, switching to a leglock. Keith turns into the mount and for a mommt it looks like Kurt could make it a Gotch toehold - he gets the leglock but Keith just as swiftly presses up, ignores a flattening blow to the back and rolls away. On the warpath and shuffling foot to foot he easily slips on a quick standing full nelson then converts it to a crucifix takedown, scissoring the arm. Sadly there is a tape fault but when it clears Keith has Kurt in a front wide double leg nelson (rather than the further nelson press one might expect to follow a crucifix takedown. I'd love to see how he got from A to B!) Again the ropes save Kurt. He gets another finger interlock into leglock into Gotch toehold which Keith gets the advantage on but sadly anothe4 tape fault again stops us seeing how. When it is clear, it's Keith who has a standing (or forward leaning) toehold which he makes into a brutal stretching legweakener. Heinz is up and gets the full nelson this time, nicely converting to a rear snapmare. We cut to the round break without seeing the ending - I estimate there was about 30 seconds left . I would expect Heinz got a crossface from the snapmare from which Keith escaped - Kent mentions Keith getting in a throw which landed after th3 bell. Kurt is in a sour mood, shouting epithets at the crowd. Round 2. Keith tries for an arm lift. It doesn't come off but Kurt is selling the wrist no end. It's enough to encourage Keith to try again - with the same limited but detectable results. Keith gets a magnificently executed monkey climb, a whip into the ropes and two high backdrops (the second not so good) before finishing with an inverted waistlock slam and cross press for the one fall required. Nice short bout. Establishes Keith as the new scientific star on the block and Kurt as a good carpenter who knows a thing or two about working the crowd. IIRC we see more of Kurt including a Skinheads tag team with brother Karl. For Keith it's a long future path, generally upwards. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll get a glimpse of the BHSS studio - Dickie Davies is hosting like on WOS but there are no typists clattering away, just a simple photo blowup backdrop of various sports. @ohtani's jacket - correction, it's actually KEITH that Kent says he looks forward to seeing more of and calls GRREAT like he's Tony the Tiger and Hayward is a bowl of Frosties. And Kent certainly gets his wish.

We've seen Eddy Steinblock in action in his home territory on the German thread. Here he travels west of the Rhine to face the future Mantaur on Season 2 of New Catch on Eurosport 1991. Eddi3 gets an early advantage (after some nondescript body blockages)with a toe and ankle hold. He eventually drops a leg and lets Mastino up only to get another fuller leglock on! Mastino pulls him off by the hair and guillotine elbowsmashes him. Bruiser gets a powerslam for 5, a posting for 6, an over knee backdrop and cover for 1, a chinlock. Eddy gets a scissor chop, Bruise gets a slam, elbow drop and splash for the winner. Not much to be said here. American style squash, although Steinblock fights back well. Most Old Time Catch thing about this - dear old Charley Bollet, brother of Andre as Monsieur L'Arbitre.

Seeing as I was in Blackpool this weekend (hence the delay) here's a battle royal from the Blackpool Tower Circus from 1990. I assume the video offered for sale at the start is this actual one. Pretty much your usual heaving mob until the unusual ending of one heel - Finlay - versus two blue eyes - Danny Collins and Marty Jones (ironically Jones and Finlay were, unknown to British fans, Finlay and Jones were tagging at the Wien Heumarkt.) The two good guys double team the bad guy and split the £1K purse 500 each despite Finlay's best efforts to taunt them into fighting each other. Way to round off a show, precursor to end of night Rumbles. Later that year Jones and Collins did indeed wrestle each other - cleanly for Jones's World Mid Heavyweight title on Grampian/STV. Danny had already taken the British Heavy Middleweight title from Finlay the previous year.

I was away in sunny Blackpool this past weekend but better late than never. This is the last 1984 bout. Everyone's favourite Belgian hero FYB takes on everyone's most hated whatever he is, Indio. At least this crowd hate him heartily and he hates them back, looking disgusted at them. Runde 1 After an inconclusive collar and elbow, Indio gets a front chancery but FYB Breaks i5 open and gets a high whip and bump on the arm. Indio gets a weak side chancery throw and FYB leg flips him. He gets in a forearm before Indio quits the ring. FYB gets a side headlock and kicks off the top turnbuckle to make it a cross buttock into guard sid3e headlock. Indio for es his way up. C5 to FYB armdragging him. A struggle for top wristlock supremacy sees Indio throw FYB and get a guard wristlock. Th3 bell goes but he doesn't release. We get a Fanta advert between runden. When we return, Indio is busy antagonising fans. Runde 2 A hairpull gives Indio the advantage in a lock up until the ref gives him a taste of it. Indio gets a top wristlock and over shoulder armdrag. He has a guard wristlock. FYB fails with headscissors and pushing with the foot. He eventually vaults over and gets a one legged monkey flip. He snapmares and spin stomps his man. Another top wristlock sees FYB use the French style headscissor takedown, sometimes cranking Indio's neck forward. Indio eventually wedges the scissors open. Indio is working on FYB's arm. Franz bridges up and slams Indio as the bell goes. Runde 3. Indio gets a full nelson. Franz back his way out but is bodychecked and stomped. I did alternates between th3cfull nelson and a rear waistlock. Franz again rears out and lands a forearm. The. action end up outside the ring. Indio smashes FYBs back into the post. They don't get back for some time. Indio stomps Franz around. The bell saves Indio ffrom the count but not from and Indio stomp. Runde 4 Indio gets a posting and Franz sells it. The ref looks worried but won't count FYB. Indio gets a Boston Crab and holds it a good long while. He stomps the Belgian on the mat. Indio uses the ropes to stomp. An old man comes to the apron to complain. Franz double legs Indio and slingshots him into th3 top rope. The crowd pop at this. Franz slams Indio out of the ring, Franz has Indio tied up.R3f warns Franz. Franz threatens ref. Bell goes. Runde 5 Franz corners Indio with his flying bodyscissors and pounds on him. He posts, forearm smashes, snapmares and twic3 shouldeblock but misses the next charge and ends at ringside. Indio follows out at stomps him. Referee has had enough and red cards Indio. Franz wins by DQ Afterbirth, they brawl on, in and out of the ring. I think OJ will like the brawling. Plenty of heat and more. More athletic than some recent bouts on this thread.

He and Johnny B Badd came over here in 1992 for a WCW publicity tour There were other videos of the two of them out and about around the sights of London.

Maybe not private sector (although TMC certainly was/is). but definitely from outside the confines of French governmental regulatory reach.

Kasbarian is wearing a single arm black leotard as worn but many a heel from Cyanide Sid Cooper to Heenan-era Andre. He is the bon while early badling Bruno is the méchannt. Martial the big no nonsense Arbitre turns up in a nice smart blazer. All coats are off ready for action. GK gets the rope advantage. Bruno gets an armdrag and a whip/bump top wristlock After trying a go behind, George gets a headscissors. Rocco kips up out but is dragged back in. He uses the same power escape Harris did on Dave Taylor. George throws him off after a couple of tries. GK gets full nelson into snapmare.Cut to Rocco getting scissors of his own. When George likewise momentarily frees himself, Rocco reels him in with a figure four headscissors. GK turns him into the guard and makes a Gotch toehold in the mount. He elbows Rocco's back to stop him arching up then leans across his torso to put an end to all that. He then turns him into the cross leg seating leglock, dropping a knee on it. Rocco gets GK's head and suplexes him off but George lands on his feet while Rocco still sells knee pain from earlier. Rocco gets a legdive and leglock like Harris did early on in both his bouts. Georges reverses the dominance so Rocco kicks him off. Rocco gets top wristlock but GK throws him off. Double interlock into a GK Figure four top wristlock. He keeps hold of it in a standing position and takes him back to the guard , twice. Bruno uses a hairpull to get out but only gets un Avertisement Privée from Martial. Double interlock into WM6 test of strength, George gets first blood making the Italian kneel. He gets up and has George in a guard wristlock. It goes into the ropes. Rocco gets a snapmare then pressure points in into the mount. They get up again, Rocco keeping the pressure points. Georges slips out backwards between the legs, gets a rear leg and slams the knee down (Johnny Saint would force a stand up when the leg is pulled up but luckily for Kasbarian he is not facing Johnny Saint here.). Some more kneecap drops, one loaded with a boot in the inside of the joint. At this point les Manchettes break out s in the two Harris bouts. Martial won't have GK cornering le Méchant so quietly earns him off. GK reluctantly complies. Rocco gets a headlock into rear hammerlock into rear double leg takedown into pressure points, allowing his man into a seated position. He moves from position to position and the hands move to double claw with the odd bit of illegal fish hooking to annoy the crowd. GK eventually gets a rear hammerlock in the mount from it . H3 moves to front kneeling position and works the hammerlock as the Paris crowd chant "ah Ouais" as they normally do for bodyscissor atomic drops. Rocco gets to his knees and gets a rope break. He gets a rear top wristlock into armbars taking it down into an armscissor and side chinlock into half nelson. It would take a LOT of turning to get a further nelson press. Rocco gets a naughy eye poke before trying that turnover + the long way and it ends up in the ropes. George tries to comply with the rope break but Bruno chokes him on the middle cord. Martial finally gets tough and prises him off unfazed Bruno gets a snapmare into pressure points. Georges gets the ropes but Buronjumps on him then slingshots him off, getting in single kneelifts and a snapmare then some more pressure points. Georges fights back flooring BR with Manchettes. He ties him in the ropes to batter him before Martial intervenes. They lock up and Rocco gets armbar into armhank. He narrowly keeps Georges from the ropes with a full nelson into bodyscissors. It does eventually hit the ropes so they break. Georges gets a kneelift and a cheeky finger stomp. They interlock and Georges gets a whip and bump and finger stomp. He tries a top wristlock but Rocco replies with an illegal kidney punch. Another whip, bump and finger stomp and Kasbarian gets the Manchettes going. He keeps it going on the ropes and while arguing with Martial, Bruno strikes cornering and jabbing GK, until Martial orders him to his corner. GK gets a whip/bump into kneeling top double wristlock. He adds an armscissor on top. Bruno turns it slowly round trying to get Georges in the mount to make a Gotch toehold but Georges drags him back. He now has a seated armscissor. Again Rocco tries and fails with the turn. He finally gets the turn but Georges goes with it to make a full 360 but they Run Out Of Mat as Bruno's legs hit the ropes. Bruno plays possum, kneeling down to restart the count and insisting GK step back. Georges swiftly gets the seated armscissor back. He turns himself (nearly risking being folding pressed) and gain just enough far from the ropes. Bruno gets a leg outside and demands a break which Martial grants. The Italian gets rough leading up to a kneelift and kicks the falling ex Homme Masqué on the mat. More kneelifts (Vocabulary - Coups de Genou - "knee blows"). Some vicious Rocco fish hooking settles into pressure points then back and forth. Kasbarian gets up and the Bruno pressure points/fouls become a cross-arm grovit. George is corned and Bruno lifts one leg of his but Bruno bashed him with the other heel. He helps him up then down with a Manchette and headbutt. Bruno punches his way out of a bodyslam attempt. They trade Manchettes and Coups de Genou, one of the latter flooring Bruno. A snapmare into coup de genou from GK, then Rocco fires back and gives Kasbarian two hefty postings. A sling into the ropes and big Georges comes back with a flying body lock into cross press for the winning fall! Probably the best of this weekend's three bouts for me. (The combination of science and a slower speed made it easy work for myself, plenty to write about while not having to stop and rewind so much to catch every little nuance. Even more than Harris/Taylor this shows heavyweights doing what they can understand the handicap of their size and make one wish they had been lower down the weight spectrum .

Hurricane Harris again billed from Australia even here in the UK. I just debunked Hebden Boy's Aussiness on the German thread. Dave is from a family of technical legends but also a big man equal to Judd. Maybe he can make him behave himself .. Round 1 As with against Johnny South in Germany a year later, here Judd starts by crushing Dave on the ropes. Conscious that perhaps S4C might be a bit more regulated than a single camcorder, he releases getting in a quick shove. Harris gets a front chancery but Taylor extracts an arm, forcing a high whip and bump for the bigger man. Harris gets the same leglock as against South. He switches to toehold but Taylor spins him off, an impressive feat for two men their size. Harris up at 4 gets a top wristlock down into the guard. Taylor is up and down - the audience claim hairpulling. Taylor gets a French Catch style Scisseaux Volees takedown. (Normally this doesn't work in Britain the victim lifts the flyer off and tosses them casually away.). Judd turns upright and forces Dave's knees apart through sheer slow power. He has a powerlock on and Dave is having to curl his shoulders to avoid a pin count. Harris witches to single bar to the knee. Again Dave spins him off (Not a toupie, he goes over on his hands not his skull). Harris gets in behind with a facebar forcing Dave to his knees. He switches to pressure points and drives a knee in, then a kneedrop and facelock. The audience aren't happy but the ref lets it go as all one move. Harris finally gets a bit dirtier with a hairpull and some kneedrops that were clearly not continuous motion from earlier. He forearms Dave and pounds him on the ropes, hits him in a headlock and follows down. Very much more British fouling than the South bout. The ref mainly tells him (in English) to "let the man get up". The bell goes, Judd basks in his own heat before getting a swig of water. Round 2. A more even forearm smashing contest sees Taylor floor Judd. Harris fires back and snapmares and foot drops Dave. Judd gets pressure points and a chinlock. He roughs his man up some more but Taylor reverses a posting and gives Judd a backdrop. Harris could really bump spectacularly for a man his size! Taylor, the blue eye, lets Judd up fairly, villain or no, before dropping a descending forearm on the back of the neck. More bursts of forearms including one in a chinlock to steady his man.Harris corners Taylor who reverses this but the ref does not allow much retaliation. Taylor complains but unlike some late 70s/early 80s French Bons we could mention he complies and would not dream of beating up Monsieur L'Arbitre. Harris chokes Taylor on the ropes but Dave rear snapmares him to ringside (whereas South just bucked him over.). The bell goes as Harris climbs in. Harris gets Taylor in a war of words, something he says is too much and Taylor flips him in and gets a public warning. Round 3. Harris gets a headlock and some fouls. They exchange forearms then Dave ties up his man in the ropes and flying tackles him.n He tries a second but is met with a Harris inner forearm (hey even in America they weren't yet called clotheslines in 1983). After some more forearms he gets a splash and an opening pinfall. Round 4 Taylor leaps across and goes for a monkey climb on the cornered Judd. It doesn't come off but does trap him untill he shakes Dave off and goes back to brawling. Taylor gets a dropkick, posting and a this time successful monkey climb (yes Harris could bump!). Dave dropkicks Judd out almost on the laps of those two gorgeous Welsh lasses OJ mentions (probably in their sixties by now, sadly) where he stays down for a KNOCKOUT. Or maybe Judd figured he'd pulled and threw the match to hang out where the action was. Obligingly after the match Dave dropkicks Judd who has got back in the ring back out to be with the girls. It's at this point I seriously think that was on purpose! Two superheavies of WWF size, one of whom later made it in WCW, trying to do a match for two lighter guys. Give them credit for trying, it was far better than the Harris South bout on the German thread.

Okay, on to 1984. Johnny South with thinning hair, moustache and bushy sideburns, the Legend Of Doom many years into the future, actually looks the perfect part of the German working class babyface here. Like beardy Roland Bock, you half expect him to be smoking a pipe and out walking a large dog. Here he takes on fellow Brit Gunboat Judd Harris. Except Harris gets listed in the captions as being from Australia so often I had to go double check. He was born in Plymouth and raised in Hebden, Yorks. So yes, a fellow Brit and no more Aussie than Al Hayes and Ray Hunter in 50s France. Glad to have that settled. Runde 1 sees Harris set out his heel credentials backwards choking South on the ropes. Judd gets a leglock and holds it some time till South bashes the heel with a heel over the head. Judd gets a top wristlock and they go up and down on it. South gets a headlock. Cut to Judd being counted for something then bludgeoning South down for various counts. South gets brawling, slams Judd's head in the corner and gets forearmed and fouled in return, choked on the ropes as the bell goes. It takes him a goodwhile to release and he is soon back at it. DJ plays something discoey. Runde 2 South gets forearms, Judd gets a foul to the throat. Jud comes South on the ropes. South tries bucking him over the tope rope. No luck, maybe later? Cut to South having apparently succeeded and getting a pop. Now he's doing the dirty to keep Harris out- or failing that, down - but being cheered. Nice kneelift from South. He puts Harris's legs in the ropes in the corner but Harris undies himself before he can be charged. South gets double legs but the bell goes. H3 gets a special ovation. Runde 3 South gets two monkey climbs! He dropkicks Harris out of the ring. Noticeably he obeys the rules and does not follow Harris out. South gets the winning pin with a flying tackle! Afterbirth: Harris throws one helluva stroppy to all sides until South dropkicks him out the ring from behind. Most of the best action in this is in Runde 3 with South's charge for victory. The first two Runden were fairly standard tournament brawls. It would be interesting to see what Harris could do with an opponent who made him work more scientifically. Over on the British thread. I may have the answer ...

Short TV feature from early 2014 of Axel Diter and son and a lady choreographer with whom they were working on a project. No mention of there of Only One Shooter Here or dog food pie. Some good shots of the 60s including a Ringerparade. Also camcorder footage of Axel Vs Grand Vladimir, possibly poached from @sergeiSem's YouTube channel, already up and running back then.

Since this has popped up from out of nowhere, I may as well post this here also - the Iron Sheik as a BABYFACE (shock, horror) in Kuwait 1982

A little known fact is that Hossein Arab appeared in Kuwait 1982 as an upstanding clean wrestling clean living Allah-fearing BABYFACE!!!

Quick TV feature circa 2011 on Prince Zéfy including snippets of a tag match and him training backstage with what looks like Bernard Van Damme