David Mantell

Anyway, back to humans ... Another JIP recording from @JNLister's channel. Hitting the ground running in Round 1 Honey Boy Zimba, Sierra Leonean eater of Xmas Goat with rigor Mortis. Worked a strength based style despite having trained at Riley's Gym. Here against Alan Kirby, one of the speedier guys in the upper weights. When we come on board, Zimba has a toehold on but releases. Unfortunately this round was damaged by a racist female heckler at ringside. Zimba and the referee turn to deal with Kirby, being deaf, does not pick up on the situation, throwing Zimba just as the bell goes. They shake hands and the referee takes over dealing with the miscreant spectator as the cameras pull away so we don't get to see the bouncers beat her up and throw her out. Round 2'and Zimba rolls from corner to corner to surprise Kilby who ducks out the way. He gets a crotch hold and slam for 7 and a leg dive into folded leglock, putting the pressure on the back on the knee. He switches to leg spread - we've seen this done to no effect on Johnny Saint, Steve Grey etc but on Zimba it has some impact. He responds by taking an arm and grabbing Kilby's nose - legal as long as his fingers stay out of Alan's nostrils and enough to force a break. Zimba gets some throws, an okay Cross Buttock for 4, a side chancery throw with an interesting follow-up weakener, somersaulting forward with his weight on Kilby's shoulders. He gets a double leg takedown but can't turn Kilby into a Boston Crab and when he tries a front folding press, Kilby grabs both his wrists to stop him applying the pressure. Zimba tries to force the pressure on Kilby's thighs but Kilby loggs his legs to make a body scissors. He turns Zimba sideways on but Zimba gets back on top and stands in the hold. He resumes trying to pressure on the thighs as Kilby has to desperately keep his shoulders up. Kilby resists long enough and Zimba releases. Both men try shoves to little avail. Zimba shows his skill with a drop toehold into front facelock. Kilby forces his way up, briefly straightens Zimba s grovitting arm long enough to slip under and f9d back down making a neat back hammerlock. He untwists the arm, looking to force a somersaulting whip but caught th3 power and Zimba locks in a headlock as the bell goes. Round 3. and Kilby gets nothing from body checking the bigger man. He's not Big Daddy! Zimba unusually uses a headbutt on a fellow blue eye, then a powerful ove4 the kne3 backbreaker. Dynamite Kid remembered Zimba as a stiff worker who didn't car3 if h3 hurt you and I can see that in the sheer impact of those moves. He gets two postings and a slam for 5 and another for 6. Kilby frustrates a third, tries for a cradle, doesn't quit3 manage i5 and settles for a cross press and a 2 count. He lifts Zimba for a suplex but then does a Goldberg style jackhammer (turn into bulldog) for the one required fall. They have a slightly awkward handshake during which a bottle of water falls and soaks the canvas. We get the Wrestling commercial break music over a slide of a bridging folding press in mid attempt. Intelligent if slow bout , some good ideas here and there. I wonder what German and Puro fans would make of Zimba's stiffness, I'd have liked to see him work with Vader.

Well we've revisited Roland Bock's 1976 ursine exploits on the German thread so we may as well watch Andy Robin and his pet on Irish TV. Unlike Bock, Robin actually gets to wrestle his bear: Bret Hart's childhood buddy Terrible Ted gets a name check there. Also the penny drops re. the tartan clad teddy in the Robin/McGregor/Monroe promo. Now I suppose I'll have to find some bear-related French Catch footage for that thread too.

I've found out a bit more about this. It took place in 1976. Bock and some Blond guy Vs Danny Lynch and Peter "Tally Ho" Kaye. Lynch started headbutting the blond guy and the TV host throws a wobbly. He thinks it's all nasty and violent and calls a halt. Poor old bear never ever got its match. I hope it got paid. The handler for the bear was the owner of the local circus from whence it came. This is the only colour VT of German/Austrian Catch to predate the Japanese tape of Bock vs Inoki from Nov 1978.

Having started 1989, I'm going to pause it a couple of weeks. Here is a tag match from 1983 at the Vienna Heumarkt: Axel Dieter&Eugen Wiesberger vs Ivan Strogoff&Klaus Wallas . Dieter is the old Only Shooter here who got fed dog food by Dynamite Kidd. Strogoff we've seen some of on French TV. Wallas was a judoka who flipped between good guy and bad guy status, fighting Mamdouh Farag on Egyptian TV. Eugen I know nothing off. I don't expect it to outdo Corne Vs Richard for my Match of the last 2 weeks This was filmed in cheap Amber lighting (filament floodlights) so looks black and yellow. Strogoff is bald and beardy, the same as we know him on French TV. Klaus has long hair and a big body. The good guys are smaller, Diete with refeeding hair. Someone gets a folding press early on. Lots of finger interlocks and long guard armlocks . This Eufen has some good snapmares and flying headscissors. The two villains have the power edge. The story is all monster heels Vs plucky but probably doomed babyfaces - Powers of Pain Vs Rockers. Or maybe Haystaks and KIrk Vs Marty Jones and Steve Logan MK2.j. One babyface gets a yellow card for coming in without tagging. Eugen makes a hot tag. Bit of a pile up in the corner near the end. One babyface, Eugen scores a beg submission. Cue awful, whistly Austrian folk music, like pigeons singing the Blue Danube. Second session. Wallas and Eugen slug it out. Dieter comes in. Time runs out. I think babyfaces get awarded the win for a 1-0 lead at time. A difficult watch and best left to drunen bear festival goers 1986 bout next week then back to 1989.

The other half of that Catch Á L'Eau TV taping from 1977. Jean Corne , Jackie Richard and L'Arbitre Roger Delaporte all share a boat out to the ring without incident. In a few months time, Corner will turn up at the 1978 FA Cup taping in Croydon wearing a European Welterweight Championship which hecwill promptly lose to Dynamite Kid (FFWD to 1995- again at an FA Cup final this time Jorge Chenok will job that same title to Danny Collins.) Richard, not yet a Monsieur nor a Marquis nor yet a Travesti Man.gets the early advantage, getting a mild bump on a throw and getting a slam from a rear double legs into Flying Bodypress. Jean takes some more throws better, rolling up and bumping Richard. Jacky uses an illegal hairpull to make a top wristlock into a guard armlock. Jean kips up but Jack armdrags him back down twice and uses another hairpull the third time. Corner gets a back roll, bumping whip and dropkick. The go for Interlock and again Richard switches to top wristlock to illegal hairpull to guard arm lock. He uses another hairpull to stymie another bridge up by Corne. L' Arbitre et Le Méchante argue over the hairpulls. And so it continues until Corne breaks it up with a one legged flip. Richard taunts the crowd. A double Interlock test of strength is won by Richard but Corne bridges up, throws him off and gets a rear waistlock on him. Richard tries to leave but Corne saves him a swim and flips him back in.Corne gets an armbar, Richard rolls out but Corne gets an armhank. Richard tries and twice fails to stand up in the hold and grab the ropes. When he does succeed, Delaporte refuses the rope break - does he think Richard will toupie out? Perhaps he has a point - Richard on his next get up legdrops Corne in the hold. This not only makes Corne release but leaves a free arm for Richard to himself armhank. Corne kicks him off butRichard takes the arm, forces a sudden somersault whip and reapplies the armhank. This repeats a few times until Richard makes a clean break before reapplying. This time he has more control. Corne looks like he might try the toupie but instead rolls up his banked arm til he is at Richard's head an can apply a side headlock on the mat. He stands up, switches to a hammerlock from the side and stamps Jacky's foot. They clean break.there is a long pause then lock up and Richard chops Corne down in the side. Corne releases a barrage of Manchettes and Richard ends up cowering next to Delaporte. This becomes a comedy spot where Delaporte pats Richard on the head, warning Corne off, before eventually shoving Jacky away. Richard snapmares Corne and they run the ropes. Corne cross buttock throws Richard but only gets a 2. Quite a lot of stalling and working La Publique by the man who would outlaw all that in 2007. Impatiently, Corne floors him with a kick to the back of the knee. A full interlock sees Corne considering a straight arm lift but going for a somersault whip into armscisors. He gets several 1 pin counts before dismounting to focus on a possible arm submission. Jacky stands up and makes it a rather neat side folding press, gets some 1s and 2s (possibly rope assisted) before Crane pulls him back down again. Richard uses an illegal hairpull to force the break - Corne lets go and sells as Richard bashed him on the head before sauntering off. Delaporte buttonholes him and warns him so Richard manchettes Corne down a couple of times with Jean back up at 5. The second time, Richard slams Corne .They exchange manchettes until Richard ends up tied in the ropes. Cornecwants to divebomb Richard, Delaporte disapproves until Richard kicks him. Annoyed, Delaporte gives Corne carte blanche to attack the tied up Richard and even gets a shot or two himself as Corne watches patiently sat atop his corner post. Richard wins another full interlock test of strength but Corne stomps his hands and chops him. Richard complains to Delaporte who will hear none of it and instead himself stomps le Méchant in the corner before handing back to Corne. Le bon gets a Manchette, Richard gets a snapmare and two bodychecks and another snapmare. They run the ropes. Corne does Vic Faulkner's "Cease" trick then jabs him in the trunk. Richard is up at 8. Corne leaps up for a flying bodyscissors but gets it around the hips with Jacky seemingly more in charge, holding Corne's feet in a sort of inverted drop toehold. It's Corne trying to do a sit up escape and Richard preventing him, holding the feet behind himself with his own feet. He even stops to smooth his hair like Adrian Street while Corne tries the "Look up there" trick to no effect. He goes for waistlocks and is thrown off. He actually escaped using a version of Mister Referee but without touching Delaporte. Corne gets an armbar and somehow throws Jacky backwards. tries for a pin but gets only 2. He gets a side hammerlock into kneelift and crosspress for 1. A snapmare I to double kneepress only gets 1 too. Richard stalls for time, antagonising the crowd- Delaporte orders him to get on with the bout. Richard twice charges and misses Corne in the corner. He is floored by the third of three Manchettes. They slug it out until Richard goes to his corner and collapses, up only just in time at 9 to avoid a KO, or is it another old Vic Faulkner trick to get some times out? More stalling. Corne gets a single legdivé into spinning leglock. Delaporte calls for a break and Corne complies after one last leg weakener. He gets another legdive and weakener. They exchange manchettes. Corne goes down. Richard kicks him. Delaporte halts the count to tell Richard off. Richard corners and chops Corne. Angry, Corne is making closed fists so Richard tells Delaporte to tell Richard not to. So Corne gets a rear snapmare instead but after that all bets are off - charging headbutts, charging shoves, Manchettes, until Richard is floored. Jacky is barely up in time before Corner gets a front chancery to set up a Manchette. They exchange blows, Corne goes down and Jacky stomps him. Under protest from Delaporte, Richard lets Corne up between Manchettes and a big bodyslam. This continues in the same vein until Corne gets a flooring Manchette back. Richard places Corne on the ring apron for perhaps a suplex but instead shoved him in the water. Delaporte and Richard argue until Richard manchettes L'Arbitre and tries to throw the larger Delaporte in the water also. Corne has crawled back but is knocked back in the water by Richard. Ref and heel are now having their own fight and the ref seems to be getting the better of it, flooring and stomping Richard. Finally he throws Richard in, just as Corne is climbing back. Delaporte declares Corne winner by DQ. Disgusted, Richard boards the boat to set sail for poolside. Despite the odd bits of brawling or comedy, this mostly stays a good scientific match until near the end with the final brawl and DQ finish. The stalling is a bit of a pity and a good argument for rounds but that aside there are some intelligent and gracefully executed ideas. Best scientific match of the past couple of weeks.

Okay, winding back a few weeks, here is the Triple Tag Matchmain event. Remember, Wright and McGregor have already wrestled clean sporting match we saw above. Wright is still the odd man out on the English side- like Barry Douglas he is a reformed ex heel - unlike Douglas he does not slide back into old habits to keep Duran happy. Some what @JNLister called "Very British" promos. Duran is a snarling skinhead righ5 wing patriot type.The Scots and their teddy are presented as the sympathetic side. For those who don't get the historical reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bannockburn First fall: The ongoing theme of the match is that Duran fears Robin. Early on he screams from the ring and only Bernie is ready to face Hercules The Bear's fur daddy. So Bernie does but gets slammed and pinned almost immediately. One up to Scotland. Second fall: I think there's a cut here- Robin and Douglas are in the ring.Andy tags Alex Munro who gets posted by Douglas straightaway. Duran attacks the fallen Munro bringing Robbin back in. Douglas and Duran double team Munro but Bernie stays out. Duran tags in, beats down on the smallest Scot. His attacks on the falen Alex get him a First Public Warning. He also gets a full nelson on Alex the NoseBleed, causing Robin to come in and get a first Public Warning himself. It ends up with Robin and Douglas in the ring having a fast paced slug and punch that @ohtani's jacket will like but would have Douglas' grandfather and father the two George De Relwyskows Senior and Junior, turning in their respective graves. They both tag off - Duran tags in but Andy faux tags and stays in, nearly catching the frightened Duran who scurries to ringside. This all plays out a second time then McGregor gets in with Wright - they of the earlier clean ma tch. Ian snapmares Wright, chinloks him and offers his hand to his tag partners - no tag is forthcoming. Douglas gets in and gets an advantage on Ian, side chancery thrown and bodycheck. Duran is finally in, he is thrown but cartwheels upright impressively for a burly surly villain. He forearms both Ian and Alex, getting a Boston Crab. Alex crawls over and tags Andy who pounds Duran then gets a Powerlock for a submission. It's a 2-0 win to Scotland . Andy Robin kind of gets to be Big Daddy here like Scrubber Daly. He gets both the scores. Wright is brave but foolish, Duran is the coward caught and punished in the end. Would have been nice to see more technical work between Bernie and Ian like before.

What is that ATV thing the Tromaras bout is airing on in the above clip?

It seems to mostly happen with main events where a big heel World title win happens so they put something lighter on to end the night and send the crowd home happy. Examples include Survivor Series 1991 (Undertaker's win from Hogan) GAB 1991 (Lex turns heel to win his first World title) and Summerslam 92 (until days before, Warrior was due to sell out to Mr Perfect and become Heel World champion.). And then you get people SERIOUSLY calling Missy and Rick Vs Arn and Paul E the main event of GAB 91!!! And then there's SNMEs where the World title went on first and a TV squash match finished off the show in the 0100-0200 doze-off slot and STILL for example Kerry Vs Buddy Rose gets cited as main event over all 3 mens' titles.

That Josh Faulkner has been back at it again - a great piece about the story of Reslo:

Triple tag team time from Bristol (Southmead Greenway Centre, 1997.) Did you know that Scrubber Daly. scaled down Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy fodder, UK Earthquake etc was once a BLUE-EYE? And I don't mean teaming with Stax Vs Kendo and Paul Neu in 1993. I mean his later years as a Big Daddy surrogate. Of course we have Pat Roach in that role circa 1992 and the Flatliner in the 2000s (and anyway many would argue Shirley stole it all off Schurli Blemenschutz at the Vienna Heumarkt. Here he teams with Steve and Andy Noble, two brothers getting their start in an overlooked time in British wrestling history, the late 90s. The heels are skinhead Romper Stomper, and two late 90s /early 00s perennials "B Ian Diamond and "Mr Vain" Pete Collins, brother of Danny Boy/Dirty Dan and a year away from feuding with his brother for Orig Williams. Scrubber had a new short haircut that- with his frayed jeans- made him look like Cousin Luke of the WWF Hillbillies. First Session - The villains cower at ringside from Daly as villains including Scrubber would do from Big Daddy. Eventually one of the Nobles tags in to face Diamond but Daly tags back.Powers full Nelsons the other Noble back to his corner for some triple teaming. Noble fights out of a pressure points but Powers uses an illegal concealed punch to get his team back on top. After more dirties, Romper Stomper tags in and continues the treatment. He is heavier than Diamond and uses power to dominate. Noble gets an arm, works it over and tags his brother . I don't know which is Steve and which is Andy so I'll call them Red and Yellow. Romper regains control over Red, choking him on the ropes. Next it's Collins's turn with bodyslams on Red. He taunts Scrubber and Yellow to come in, the ref stops them and the villains stretch Red in the corner. Red gets an arm then tags Scrubber. He uses uppercuts and headbutts rather than bodychecks like Daddy. Pretty soon the heels are back at ringside, more haggard than cowering this time. Eventually Yellow gets Diamond, for arming him, posting him and finally getting a monkey climb - the first good technical move of the bout- and a two count after Collins kicks Yellow in the head. Diamond gets pressure points, an elbowsmash and stomp. Yellow gets triple teamed then Romperv works on him then back to triple teaming. Daly tags in backdrops and clotheslines Diamond. Red is back in an getting treatment from Collins. Stomper gets a public warning. Diamond gets a double kneepress on Yellow for the first fall. Second Session: Diamond takes care of both Nobles then Romper comes in. He is continuing the treatment when Yellow suddenly gets side folding press equaliser. 1-1 Third Session Romper gets technical with a single legdive into standing toehold and weakener. Scrubber tags in and gets a flying headbutt. Romper and Diamond whip the Nobles into each other but the Nobles do it back to them. The villains try to make it 2-1 but the Nobles link arms, swivel round and forearm smash both heels then catapult Collins into the ring. Scrubber gets to work Stinger splashing him in the corner then giving him the Big Splash like Daddy for the decider. Scrubber Daly and the Noble Brothers win 2-1. Romper later turned blue eye and feuded with Collins in the southwest. Actual Daddy tags are about 10 mins. This goes over 20 mins. Scrubber and Collins are the only familiar faces from TV a decade earlier and here both in different roles. Meanwhile the real Daddy was dying in bed.I might generously call it a CWA tag for kids instead of drunks. None of this weekend's matches have been technical classics on any of the three threads. Still this shows the late 90s wasn't all just WWF tribute shows.

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this one before although I'd obviously watched it it previously. For once I'll do the two bouts in order on the clip. George du Caunes, one of the heavyweights of French broadcasting did some wrestling commentary in his time. In Britain we better know his son Antoine, host of Eurotrash on Channel 4 in the 1990s. We get a brief shot of a studio with a big pic of Schneider behind the presenter (replacing some football.) Yup, it's a swimming pool card with floating ring. Schneider is big tall, moustached and probably very grateful that Big Daddy never came to France . We JIP as he is slamming FYB all over the floating ring. FYB gets 2 with a flying tackle. They had a good stuff Manchette exchange such as OJ would like if it wasn't Catch Á L'Eau. Franz gets a slam and stomp p of his own before Karl takes him down with a side Headlock. FRANZ soon gets free and it continues slug & punch like Rambo Vs Sasake in the German thread. They brawl on. Karl wraps Franz's arm around a rope (illegal). Karl gets his headlock, Franz snatches free. They brawl on, Franz slingshots Karl into the water then fireman's carries L'Arbitre out over the ropes too. For this, he is DQ'd so FYB pitches both Karl and the ref into the water again. Another short slug and punch like Rambo and Sasake on the German thread.

Okay that just leaves 1989 and 1987 which we already leaving til last due to sheer volume of footage. So here we go with 1989 We begin this week with a bout later rescreened as part of New Catch Season 2 on Eurosport in 1991. Mick McMichael from Doncaster in his kilt refereeing. German commentary by Peter Wilhelm. (I've heard the Zenglish version- Orig keeps calling Sasake a Kamikaze pilot!) Three years before Rambo loses the CWA title to Hawk, here he faces Hawk's future Hell Raisers partner. Runde 1 - Sasake is the heel here, getting the brawling going with stiff chops to which Rambo (whom Wilhelm calls "Rocky Montana's) responds, knocking Sasake out of the ring. Rambo gets a double wristlock but it goes into the ropes. Sasake kicks out of a double Interlock and they hit the ropes, Rambo getting a flying elbowsmash and clothesline. Sasake leaves the ring them corners and beats down Rambo., continuing to slug and kick him down before following down with a throttle until McMichael calls him off. They are both up and Rambo is no selling punches, Hulking up somewhat. He slugs, posts twice and slams Sasake. Rambo gets a good backdrop and a camel clutch. I don't hear a bell but Mick sends the both back to their corners and the DJ puts something jolly on. Runde 2 - Sasake races in and pounds Rambo. He gets a dropkick (the first bit of skill from Kensuke) but misses a second one. Rambo gets a suplex and pin. Short brutal fight. You can see why Hawk teamed with this guy.

Savage Vs DiBiase was the Main Event, this was just the last bout on. MSG had been putting the big World title main event on halfway through the show since Bruno's days (back then often ending the night with a big 6 or 8 man tag with Andre and/or Haystacks Calhoun captaining the babyface side.). Even Hulk's big win over the Iron Sheik was not the last match on - after he won the title they cut back and forth between celebrations in the dressing room and more matches in the ring.

Good news👍 Competition is healthy for any wrestling scene (although we can do without the accusations of pouring raw sewage by the bucketful over one anothers' heads!). and it's good for the future of Traditional French Catch that FFCP will continue to be a competitor to Wrestling Stars in the future.

Yesterday in Paris, many of us gathered to say a final goodbye to Marc Mercier and pay him the tribute he deserved. His passing leaves a considerable void. For the FFCP, as for all those who shared a part of his journey, Marc will remain a striking personality: a man of passion, character, and conviction, deeply attached to wrestling and everything it represented to him. We would also like to warmly thank everyone who was present to accompany him on this final journey. The FFCP World Championship belt, present at his funeral, held a very special significance. It recalled a part of his history, his commitment, and everything he contributed to bringing to life over the years. The grief is still there, but the FFCP continues on its path and remains fully committed to its projects. The management remains mobilized, and our desire to offer new shows, bring the public together, and continue to keep professional wrestling alive remains intact. Continuing this adventure also means keeping alive a part of the legacy that Marc leaves us. We will do so with respect, determination, and with that same passion for wrestling that drove him for so many years. And in each of our future events, there will inevitably be a little bit of Marc. Thank you for everything, Marc.We will not forget you. Jérémy Grand, President of the FFCP

If someone were twisting your arm, would you not try and do something to untwist it rather than just stand there selling it?

One of the great mysteries to me about American-style wrestling is its near complete lack or escapes/counters/reversals ...

I did warn you Like Otto vs Black Bart, I've linked to this in the past but not reviewed it. Yokuzuna the future extended interim WWF World Champion. Runde 1 is mostly a brawl OJ will like, occasionally settling into a Kokina nerve hold or Otto getting a toehold. Cute to Runde 3 - more of the same. some okay snapmares from each other. Kokina spends a lot of the round being dormant. Runde 4 Still much the same to be honest. Runde 5 dItto Runde 6, Otto gets the win with a clothesline, somersault splash,,slam and crosspress for the pinfall win. It made a lot of drunks in Bremen happy. Here is a fan cam off YouTube:

Actually we don't. It was Jim Breaks and Johnny England for the Ring Battlers. Not my fault - @JNLister had the wrong details on the page - you will need to fix that one, John. I did think of the triple tag from England Vs Scotland but instead I came upon this online and it's rather good: From 2012. This is from a small indie hence the crowd . The ring looks good Old School but I don't know if this company specialised in that style. I only dimply know Billy Morrison but Yourghos Christopholous, along with Alan Travis were two wrestlers for early period new wave of old school LDN who in 2008 both got beaten up by a sixty something Kendo and went crying to promoter Sanjay Bagga who astonishingly actually sent Kendo a letter of complaint (Norman Morell would have mentioned kitchen and heat tomTravis and Yourghos.) Kendo. understandably walked out on LDN after that only to return 16 years later. It's a pity cos Yourghosis a pretty decent technical worker as w3e can see here. The soundtrack is VERY muffled but never mind. Billy gets an arm and a wristlever Yourghos overpowers him and gets a guard armlock 8nto guard top wristlock but Billy turns out to regain the armbars, make a back hammerlock of it and turn him over forca pin attempt for 2. Yourhos gets upright in the wristlever and does a slow and graceful rollol!s backside and back into a bridge before turning on his backside to reclaim control of the armbar. Billy then uses the ropes Kid MCoy Yorkshire Rope trick style to flip over and reclaim control. , making the armbar into a standing back hammerlock, then a rear snapmare I to crosspress for two. Yourghos gets a Headlock but Morrison breaks it open into a top wristlock then a full Japanese Stranglehold. Yourghos slowly leans back into a bridge , straightening his arms as he goes down, then arcs back up pushing the power into his arms. He reaches upright and twists round to apply the full Japanese Stranglehold to Billy. At first Morrison appears to use the same counter, leaning back as he bridges and straightens his arms - but while down he catches YC neatly with a ground position dropkick. Billy gets a legdive into standing toe and ankle. Yourghos gets the other foot in and spins him off. Billy gets a standing full nelson but Yourghos gets one side free and makes the other into a lower wristlock and armdrags his mañ down. Billy gets a headlock but Yourghos bounces him down. Billy sells the shoulder and misses a charge landing at ringside. He butts Yourghos's chest from the apron and vaults into a sunset flip into front leg nelson Yourghos gets out at 2, bashing him with a heel on the head. He throws Billy who rolls up nicely. Billy twice throws back - Yourghos barely make it upright on the first and takes a minor bump on the second. Yourghos however goes for yet another throw and gets a decent bump on Billy from it. Yourghos gets a posting and Billy sells his back. Yourghos charges in and dropkicks Billy in the chest, twice. The second 9neceends Billy slumping over the ropes I'm hanging on with his feet - an old Les Kellett spot! Yourghos does what you wish every Les Kellett opponent did - he shakes the ropes, frees the feet and sends Billy crashing head first to ringside. He makes it back but into a hammerlock and suplex into headscissors. Billy tries kipping out then turning the hold upright and twice handstanding out. None of these work out. He turns the gold upside down and not only does it work (he slips his head out underneath) but he also gets a Gotch toehold out of it. He switches to the head, turns YC into the guard and gets a crosspress for 2. Yourghos gets a pair of one legged flips and a posting but Billy reverse leapfrogs his man, sprints toward and mounts the opposing corner, perching for a flying bodypress with which he gets the winning fall! Graceful rather than speedy technical match. Really beautiful if a bit slow - especially pleasing to see took place in 2012.

OK, plan C is on, a grand return to the safe waters of Les Trentes Glorieuses. One of OJs faves too. It's striking that the older bald man is Le Bon and the handsome younger man is the Méchant but there you go. Zadi (I'll use Matt's spelling as it's simpler.) gets dirty from the off. (Talking of dirty, what's with the dark murky film print? Was the negative allowed to fade and pale resulting in a positive print that looks like it was filmed down a coalmine? But I digress. Early on a concealed illegal punch by young Zadi gets a hefty bit of heat from la publique. LeMao does his best to keep it technical. He gets armdrags and a step over finger interlock into spin in the mat, taking Zadi down into a guard armlock. Zadi gets a rope break. He tries a double legdive but Mao spins his off. They battle for top wristlock and LeMao gets a snapmare down and more good throws. LeMao gets a drop toehold into Gotch toehold . Zadi gets a guard top wristlock and keeps hold until LeMao kips up, somersaults over behind and again gets drop toehold into Gotch toehold L'Arbitre refuses a rope break. Eventually LeMao gets a surfboard (I don't recall the French name but we've covered it in a past post.) When he loses his balance, Le Mao still lands ready for a backslide. He barely gets a 1 and converts to legscissor. Zadi gets rough with Manchettes and kicks and throws lLe Mao out of the ring. Henri gets back but into a guard armlock and kips up . He gets a victory roll a falls back from an interlock into crossed headscissors and toupie.He runs out of mat on the last move as Zadi's legs hit the ropes and,annoyed, twists a foot on the Pole's face. LeMao gets more brawl some, breaking out he Manchettes. It's a lot more slug and punch, Zadi is briefly kicked out the ring and has fan trouble. Back in he chokes and slingshots LeMao on the ropes and kicks him around until warned by L'Arbitre, Jean Journal. LeMao corners and posts him (the late 80s WWF watching teenager in me expects the crowd to start counting, in French. Zadi tries to pay him back in kind but gets pitched to ringside the long way- high over a corner post. He comes back, takes an arm and forces a somersault whip and bump before slapping an armhank on the limb. LeMao looks to be gong for a roll up toupie but instead kips up in the hold only for Zadi to drag him back down. LeMao tries again but managed to get his own feet in against Zadi's side to push him off., (If Zadi had kept his grip, this could have been a nasty arm-stretching for LeMao.) Zadie gets a standing rear chinlock - and a bunch of illegal punches which he claims are open handed slaps. La Publique don't buy that. To coneal it from Journal (and get a bigger heat response from the other side of the room.). LeMao rear-escapes the chinlock and makes a standing back hammerlock of it so Zadi forces a rope break, falling forward on the cords. LeMao powers out of a Zadi full nelson, hits the ropes and lands a shoulder block but Zadie no sells it so LeMao leapfrogs, dropkicks and Manchettes him. They brawl with Zadie taking a couple of counts until he gets a single legdive and after weakening it, upgrades to a grapevine leglock. LeMao gets the leverage advantage so Zadi gets a rope break and gets called a coward by the crowd . They exchange manchettes until LeMao goes down and Zadi stomps him. He shoulderblocks Henri in the corner but LeMao gets his legs on top and gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson.they both Bascule back and forth an Zadi gets a front folding press but LeMao spins him off. Zadi complains that he should have had a count for the folding press. LeMao backrolls on a double Interlock and gets the leverage advantage. He whips and boots Zadi who gets up at 9 for Manchettes. Zadi has LeMao cornered but Henri slips through his legs and gets some dropkicks. He backrolls off and ingle interlock to reel Zadi down into a guard armlock into some other guard hold (hard to see what as his body is in the way but it may be a grovit of some sort.) Zadi upturns it and has a grovit too or maybe just an illegal arm across the windpipe. Journal okays it but the crowd are unhappy but LeMao gets a knee to Zadi's head to perk them up, then ties him up in the ropes. Journal frees Zadi who likewise ties LeMao up and beats him up - and beats Journal up but the big Arbitre doesn't dish out any Avertisement until Zadie kicks his man to ringside. Fans help Henri back as the Pole waits to pounce. But LeMao gets a rear waistlock and atomic doo. He tries to flee but LeMao flips him back in then throws him out after working him over. He tries up and twice dropkicks him, pounding him in the ropes. Journal frees the Pole so LeMao drop toeholds him making it an ankle scissors but Zadi does something to what remains of LeMao' hair to regain the advantage, ending up as a rear chinlock with a few fouls slipped in. LeMao powers out and gets a hammerlock into double rear legdive into legspread (so not another surfboard then.) rolling to Zadi's head to get a sitting chinlock sat on his shoulders which becomes a straight legscissors. It hits the ropes so Journal separates them so LeMao gets and over the knee backbreaker. They exchange manchettes and leMao knees Zadi in the leg. They brawl and Zadi throws LeMao out Henri reappears on a different side - did he crawl underneath? Zadi won't let him back, he absorbs a Manchette from the apron then dodges a bodypress over the top rope and applies a double kneepress but LeMao throws him off and gets a forward folding press for the win. The cameras cut away from an incipient afterbirth in which a shoving match leads to LeMao throwing Zadi as the clip ends. Scientific Bon Vs Roughhouse Méchant - the old style clash. A lot of "good wrestling match" and "good fight" alternating - LeMao being responsible for most of the former. Zadi however is a much better heel than OJ gives him credit. His problem is that much of the fouls he does like the illegal punches, interference with breathing and attacks on a fallen opponent - are not really things that register with American Wrestling fans as fouls as they did with a French or British audience back in the day. But he is a good heel, young handsome and arrogant like Mark Lee in after his 60s heel turn.

Oh well, that was Plan B. Would have been a nice tribute to him (we've done pretty much all his other matches on video) but already done. Plan C then ...

I think that's all pretty unfair. Murdoch, we already know, is Dick Harrison aka Ron Clarke of UK opposition promotion tag team the Lincolnshire Poachers. Flesh's look, we now know, basically comes from his Lucha Libre background. This is him in an intermediate stage, no longer the high flying missile dropkicking tag partner of Walter Bordes but not yet the tubby bald aging moustachioed figure of the early C21st. It's the early Maxi Cuisine mat so presumably originally screened on TF1 In 1988. English language commentary is by British MC John Harris who also refereed the Johnny South Vs Johnny Palance bout I just posted to the British thread. Referee here is Charley Bollet (brother of Andre Bollet, Roger Delaporte's old tag partn Flesh gets a side headlock on but Murdoch resists cross buttock attempts. He gets a single leg coming off the ropes but Murdoch pounds him down, getting some stomps in., getting a 2 count on a pin attempt .Flesh fights back with two well executed flying cross buttocks and a dropkick. A snapmares gets Murdoch down for a 2 count. Flesh dumps Murdoch to ringside, gets in three elbowsm throws him back in, gets another over the shoulder snapmare, then a third flying cross buttock gets the win. Short but sweet and undeserving of the hatchet job @pantherwagner gave it. This was what I originally had planned for today -the first match on that New Catch episode, before Richard/Rocas and LaMotta/ Lacroix, but as you can see we've already covered it long ago. Yes I know Murdoch was Alain Lésage not Dick Harrisson so I have struck through that bit. I have noticed the topless ring girls thing was not exclusive to Flesh or even Les Bons - see Snake woman here or Judd Harris's "Wife" who thought she was a Rottweiler or Rocco's "Sensational Second". Clearly someone in production at TF1 had a mindset that equated glamour with hiring in rejects from the Folies Bergères. Oh well, I've got a plan B. Just have to check if that's been covered ...

Full bout from 11:50 :