David Mantell

Haha I was going to write back and angrily insist that that WAS Kauroff - even the ring announcer says so. Apart from him and the two French "Russians" I posted, the only other one in wrestling in Europe at that time I can think of was the vastly lighter (and previously hairier on top) Larry "Black Jack Mulligan (No Relation to Bob Windham" Coulter. Also about how how Stone Cold and Goldberg have popularised that whole Nikita Koloff look among toxic macho male type like that scumbag Andrew Tate. Which is a reason why I don't like the Stone Cold character. But that's all vastly OT. Tried reviewing the Katuroff-Saturski bout but the bad picture quality and the brawly content defeated me. Maybe OJ would like it if not for the picture. Quite the other end of the spectrum from Wright Vs St Clair in 1986 Bremen. Amusing to see Kauroff cheekily offer a handshake at the end and Saturski refuse it after such dirty wrestling. He's a loveable rogue, old Klaus. No wonder he became a babyface in the 90s. And it was nice to hear the DJ play a favourite of mine. Funkytown by Lipps Inc, which had only come out four months earlier. According to Kent Walton in 1985, Saturski (the son of Wolfgang Stark) was at (or around) this time the current European Welterweight Champion - a title last seen two years earlier in 1978 when Dynamite Kid handed back both the belt and the British belt too to Max Crabtree before departing for Calgary. Saturski allegedly lost the title the following year to Jorg Chenok - the next confirmed sighting of the title was when Chenok came out to drop it to Danny Collins at the FA Cup Final TV taping. just like Jean Corne had done for Dynamite 7 years earlier. I've looked for a Saturski Harris bout on YouTube but no luck. This is what he looked like at the time:

Do you mean this? I'll have to watch it more thoroughly. It looked like Kauroff at the start. Not tall enough for Le Grand Vladimir. Possibly Ivan Strogoff?

Will have a look but the tablet needs charging after writing that last little lot about Wright-StClair Bremen 1986. Cheers.

Back on top and a good technical bout from the 80s that doesn't seem to have been reviewed on here in the past. Suffice to say it's two Brits at it, plus a third one as ref: Tony StClair comes to the ring to Eye of the Tiger a song which not even Jerry McDevitt could save for the WWF to use for Hulk Hogan. They shake hands with each other - and each with referee and old UK blue eye chump of both Mick McMichael which amuses the crowd. After briefly going into the ropes and getting broken, StClair gets a rear waistlock transitioning into a wristlever which Wright positions himself to counter with a cartwheel into a snapmare, but Tony keeps the wrist and stands up with Steve on the mat. Steve kips up and slides backwards through Tony's legs dragging the wristlever and the rest of Tony through with him but Tony flips over nicely to keep the wristlever from a sitting position. Steve stands up then goes into a handstand then a couple of his trademark bounce back and forth abortive kip ups before jumping from a kip up into executing a monkey climb on Tony - who still keeps the wrist with Wright still on the floor! What else can Tony withstand to keep a hold? For his next (attempt at a) trick Wright standing forward rolls then brings his foot down on the wristlock to chop it open a la Steve Grey, then cements his escape with a cross buttock- not following down for fear of Tony taking the wrist again but standing back and getting a four count. (Interesting camera cut to another handheld hardcam further up in the stands using a zooming crossfade.) Tony quickly gets the wrist again and this time develops it into a standing side hammerlock, riding Wright to the mat. Steve uses his (W)right leg to turn himself this way and that back into the standing position before throwing StClair off and over the ropes (Some young kids at the time like Fuji Yamada and Danny Collins would follow up with a sliding dropkick- these days it is pretty much standard all over the world.) Tony gets back in and Steve forms a George Kidd/Johnny Saint ball. After rolling him around. St.Clair teases karate chopping his grouned opponent, getting a sharp response from both the MC "NIEN" and McMichael raising a threatening finger. But Tony is only kidding, he pats Steve who unrolls and gets up. Wright gets a headlock into front chancery (cut to the closer hardcam). Tony pulls off Wright's left arm and goes for a jerking whip but Wright flips out of it beautifully, going over on both hands to a standing start. Tony gets an armlock takedown into a headscissors plus wristlever for good measure. Wright snaps the wristlock open but Tony easily retakes it. So Wright bridges in the headscissors, kips up in a snapout escapes and runs round but is pulled back into range by Tony b and the headscissors reapplied and improved into a figure 4 headscissor. But this time he doesn't have the wrist (Steve firmly kicked it open this time) so when Steve snaps and kip ups out, he is free. They go for a finger Interlock but Tony rolls backwards but instead on a flip or a monkey climb, he double ankles Wright. Tony throws Wright but he comes back off the ropes with a flying tackle for a 1 count. Round break. Shake hands. Some German equivalent of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark is playing. Round 2. Wright with a single leg takedown. More teasing from St.Clair as he pokes around with the other leg, going between Steve's thighs and looks like he's going for a crotch shot which provokes another sharp "NEIN" from the MC. Only kidding. StClair puts the free leg in with the locked leg for a handstanding throw (not a toupee as he is not using his head as fulcrum) but Steve cartwheels to a standing start. He shakes Tony's hand but Tony tries for a crafty front chancery and regrets it as Steve backdrops him off with quite a bump. Wright gets a full nelson. Tony can't throw him off. He frees one half but Wright steps behind and reapplies. Another failed throw attempt then Tony slides his arms down through Steve's and rolls out but Steve catches him and reapplies. Repeat this sequence. Then Tony tries the break one side trick and twists the free arm so now he goes behind to apply the hold. Wright bashed out with one blast if his rear and hits the ropes, .Tony (and on instinct McMichael) drop down to let him run over. Tony gets a cross buttock and press for two, being thrown off onto Michael who isn't happy but Wright talks him out of doing a Diddier Gapp//Michel Saulnier and he shakes hands with Tony. Tony feigns a sudden run of the ropes but nothing comes of it. He gets a leg takedown into seating side leglock.Wright gets some counter in which the camera angle can't pick up. They agree a stalemate and McMichael unties them. Steve cartwheels out of some hold we can't see and double legs Tony who throws him with the legs forcing a bump. Tony whips Steve off the ropes and drops, getting a backslide for 2. Tony gets a reverse armlock on Steve who uses McMichael:s shoulder to flip out (his version of Vic Faulkner's "Mister Referee!" trick. Bell rings. DJ plays Scotland the Brave even though McMichael is from Doncaster.Having played Hulk Hogan's old music earlier, I suppose they might as well do the same for Roddy Piper. Actually it's some German comedy song about a Highland fling party. McMichael not happy about what happened in the end there. Also unhappy is the vision mixer who is doing strange things with that turret mixer from earlier. Round 3 McMichael ducks out of he way as the two wrestlers pounce on the same spot of the corner. Tony places Mick out of the way gently on a corner. McMichael still selling his shoulder tells them never mind, so they get on. Finger interlock but Wright gets his legs in and the folding press attempt becomes a series of Bascule but with extra side rolls and finally a two way leg nelson (still a fave spot with the Brit kids today.) They give up and get a large ovation from the appreciative crowd. I like these German fans. Tony gets another high whip and this time forces the bump on Wright. He gets another one, the impact of which knocks McMichael over. Steve gets a legdive into a full leglock. Tony shoves him off with his free foot which Steve isn't happy about and complains to Mick, or more it's about Mick making a bit of a fuss over the bumps etc he takes as ref. Tony gets an abdominal stretch. With some effort Wright cross buttocks out of it for 4 and gets a wrist for a slingshot to the ropes and dropkick. Wright gets a posting but Tony absorbs.turns and gets double legs into a Boston Crab. Wright flips him off and goes for the double legs and folding press but Tony double leg nelson first. It looks like another Bascule but Steve reverses himself and gets the flip over for a folding press with bridge - and a BEAUTY- but Tony crawls out. Bell goes, they shake hands. Bad German wedding disco song about Viva Mexico. Round 4. - St Clair with two forearms, Wright hits a finevdropkick for 3, Steve whips Tony off the ropes, Tony comes back with a sunset flip for two before Steve ankle smashes out. StClair with a side chancery throw, bodycheck, Wright leapfrogs but gets flying tackled by Tony who gets two. Running the ropes. Wright does another Faulkner spot tribute with his version of "CEASE" (expressed by raising his arms and growling.) Distracted, Tony hits the ropes again and Wright catches him with a cross buttock and press for the one fall required over the British Heavyweight Champion (disputed All Star branch as ITV and Joint had their own temporary splinter). He could have gone to Brian Dixon for a title shot but instead next year he went to Max Crabtree, pretended to be Bull Blitzer and won Marty Jones's World Mid Heavyweight Championship instead. But that is for the future. Tonight in 1986 Bremen he shakes hands with Tony, the crowd clap and the turret mix closes down to a red screen like it's slowly shutting it's one eye. This profusion of red overpowers the poor old colour signal and the tape goes B/W for a bit McMichael raises Steve's hand. They shake hands to bury the earlier stuff and Mick raises both men's hands for a good technical match. Tony gives Steve a hug and Mick a handshake. Very much my sort of wrestling. And a pleasure to see a German audience appreciate the style when conventional wisdom was that all they wanted was a fatty diet of Otto Vs Yank. A decade later every young German wrestler was working like Steve (and Tony). But wait. There is what Jim Cornette would call an Afterbirth. It's some sort of anniversary or significant date for Nico Selenkowitsch, so Steve makes a speech in German inviting him in the ring and then the two wrestlers parading him around on their shoulders like Miss Elizabeth and hugging him and getting a Nico chant going. WEEELL!!! Only a year later, Otto Wanz and Peter Wilhelm would be organising a couple against old Nico Selenkowitsch, overthrowing him, taking over the IBV he formed 14 years earlier and renaming it the CWA after Otto's title. That gratitude and shouldertop parades for you.

I did include a few Spanish Wrestlers as the scene in Spain had died with the closure of the CIC in 1975 (although we have kinescopes to prove some of these guys were already journeying northeastwards across the Pyrenees for work and TV exposure even before that) and during the intervening 15 years before the WWF arrived on the newly launched TeleCinco in 1990 and then toured in 1992, Spain was basically overspill territory from France with various French promoters including Delaporte (plus the odd German) touring the land and guys like Danny Collins and Robbie Brookside having old war stories of wrestling shows in bull rings in Spain. Dave Larsen was to France as someone like Steve Wright was to Germany, an expatriate. (Not that he transformed his host nation's wrestling style the way Wright did.)

Well yes, quite a few British Wrestlers either had second jobs and/or had to supplement their UK income with appearances at the German Tournaments or the Euro Kats Festival in Athens.or even fly out to some Asian or African country whose TV station bought screenings of bicycling prints of Wrestling From Great Britain and where consequently they could expect a spot of red carpet treatment. For French wrestlers a trip to the German tournaments was nice and easy, none of this North Sea Ferry nonsense, just a simple motorway journey Eastwards across the Rhine like an interstate four wrestlers in a car journey in the American Territories. Germans may well have made the opposite journey Westwards to get some money and exposure on French TV.

First of all ... ... Promise kept! Back to the regular traditional old school ring for Rumble. Second it's great to see Leland Bryant progressing into the role of the experienced veteran getting surprised by the newcomer and he handles it well. Still a young sportsman but cocky enough to be surprised by a kid from the Class of next year. Third this is a fine scientific bout with just a few concessions to modernity and proof that the Bernie Wright Vs Young David, Richie Books Vs Ian McGregor and Peter Bainbridge Vs Gary Clwyd genre of TBW Vs TBW match still has a legitimate place in wrestling in 2025. Sneer if you must but I'm sure I'm not the only British fan of a certain age and above who will remember those bouts and then watch a match like this and be pleased to see that this is still a thing. A pleasant surprise to have popped up on my Smart TV while settling down to lunch, I just had to post it.

Two important details we don't have for French Catch are 1) the raw French Catch TV Ratings 2) the context of said ratings (what was considered good or bad figures at the time in France and how other programmes did). It's worth mentioning that the typical 3 million British Wrestling got each week in 1998 is exponentially double what WWE Raw gets (1.5 million) and 5 times what AEW Dynamite gets (0.6 million) in the America of 2025 but taken as a per capita proportion of population (UK 1988=60M, USA 2025=330M) ITV got 1/30th of the population. RAW gets 1/220th of its population and AEW 1/550th.) (data sources-1988 British wrestling @JNLister's site, current American Wrestling from Jim Cornette's show - he and Brian Last get their figures from the Wrestlenomics website.) My guess is that whatever Le Catch was getting it was similarly clobbering both exponentially and proportionally what Raw and Dynamite get in their home countries today.

Everyone on that list was France-based in 1977 and all of them were on TV and we have the footage on YouTube around that period 1976-1978.

Off Topic I admit but this gives you some idea of the Home Video market in 1980 at the time of the Otto Vs Don Leo bout and gives you scope to consider what motivated the German promoters to take the professional decision of taping these bouts in anticipation of home video releases.

And who were they? Brainstorm of French/France based wrestlers active during/around 1977: Jean Corne, Khader Hassouni, Petit Prince, Albert Sanniez, Jacky Richard, Remy Bayle, Le Grande Vladimir, Marc Mercier, Michel Falempin, Walter Bordes, Claude Rocas, Bob Plantin, Michel diSanto. Michel Chaisne, Fred Magnier. Zarak, Jean Menard, Pierre Bernaet, Pierre Lagache, Bruno Asquini, Daniel Boucard, Daniel Nocoed, Mammouth Siki, Franz Van Buyten, inca Viracocha, Paco Ramirez, Anton Tejero, Gass Doukhan, Rene Ben Chemoul, Rene Cabellec, Angelito, Tomas Trujillo, Jo Gonzales, Ivan Strogoff, Daniel Schmidt, Jean Pierre Momo, Salah Latif, Gerard Bouvet. Pierre Payen , George Cohen, Bob Remy, Guy Renault, Rene/Jack de Lasartesse, Black Shadow, Marcel Montreal, Josef El Arz, Alan Mitchell, Joel De Fremery, Antonio Pedera, Jean Claude Bordeaux I make that 50, not counting visitors from the UK like Pete Roberts, Dave Bond. Marty Jones, Dave Fit Finlay, Ian Gilmour and Rollerball Rocco, visitors from Germany like Karl Schneider, wider scale globetrotters like Jon Guil Don , the Mansour brothers, Yasu Fuji, or indeed the entire ladies' division or any unidentified masked men such as El Demonic Rojo or Le Samurai who might already be on the list. (Zarak is included as we know who it was- Dave Larsen) Clearly the roster was in a healthier state than Delaporte makes out. Also knockoffs of famous masked men were an issue in Britain too - Eddie Hammill jobbed away his Kung Fu mask because he was tired of imposters, Bill Clarke's infamous "King Kendo" impersonator act eventually became a respectable TV gimmick in its own right.

Something we don't know much about is the content of the earlier home video releases and when/how often they came out. I'm sure the earliest Otto tape must have contained a lot more than just 12 mins of the Otto/DLJ match. Were the professionally shot matches complied together into Otto's Greatest Hits Pt 1, 2, 3 etc or were they tapes of full shows including the undercards? It seems extraordinary that they filmed Otto Vs Strongbow in .July 1979 four a home video market that must have scarcely existed. The promotion having the foresight to film the match ready for a few years later when there was a VHS Aor Betamax machine in nearly every home in the Western World?

Actually as we can tell from the INA footage, both TF1 and Antenne 2 were screening wrestling -if anything it feels like it's more the latter whose 11pm news bulletin comes on after the match. Wages were a sore point in Britain also - by 1987 the average purse forca Big Daddy main event was £30 with. £25 for a non Daddy match. (Actually, taking about money van lead to trouble- a discussion just last year on a FB group for British wrestling about pay rates led to a screaming row and the group moderators being forced to hand over the reigns to ex wrestlers. The issue being that pay was nobody's business other than the individual concerned.) It was Guy Mercier who lobbied successfully for the social security and pay for Itinerant Workers (see earlier discussion) for wrestlers and it was a sore point with French promoters and remained so into the C21st. It was a big issue in Guy's son Marc Mercier's dispute with Flesh Gordon and Jacky Richard's Wrestling Superstars promotion with each side accusing the other of being evil swindlers. I'm sure people could work out for themselves that Catch was taped in advance - eg when they saw themselves on TV! Actually I think the houses look pretty respectable by English/French standards - well filled out theatre/civic centre type venues. Unlike America which relied on the big monthly Arena show, Britain and France were built on intensity of touring smaller 300-500 seater venueS like theatres. Shows on this scale still happen in both countries but the schedule is a lot thinner. In the 70s Britain was also going through a dip period which ended in 1977 with Big Daddy and the consequent boom. We have no statistics for how much of an impact Flesh Gordon, Jessy Texas Les Maniaks etc had on boosting houses. Delaporte himself remained part of the business in 1977 having recently gone from infamous Heel to tough enforcer referee.

I forgot I wrote this bit a year ago. Still now you have the short review and the long review. The quick summary and the drilling down into the intricacies of a technical match.

As promised on the German thread. Charlie Verhulst 10.5 years younger. 24:days too late for the sixties but never mind. Actually I 've already done a bit of a review of this before: Wel I got it anyway! It was just a bog standard five rounds no score draw! The "purse"you mention was the Prime some stinkin' rich fan offered to pay each man for a good scientific bout this far. At the end of the fight MC Raymond Poignard (sp?) pauses to check with the ref before confirming it is indeed a draw. Before the clean match starts in this nice rustic looking venue with oak beams visible, the crowd exercise their heat muscles a bit when two Mechants show up in smart suits. Kurt Kaiser, bald Nazi heel in a country that the real Nazis overrun and still ruled 26 years later, plus Switzerland's answer to Sid Rudy, Rene Lataserre. He cruelly shoves Poignard out the way and struts around, shaking both men's hand (as Kaiser did.). Charlie is younger looking. dark cropped hair. Round 1 - armdrags by each man, kip ups by Mercier who gets CV in a headscissors. He turns into the upright position, takes hold of the legs beneath and frees his head then holds the resulting Gotch toehold aiming to get Mercier into the mount. He nearly gets it but Mercier turns it back and pulls on Charley's head to get himself loose. Back to armdrags. They end up on the ropes, ref calls for a break. Verhulst gets a legdive and leglock. Mercier tries a crossface but it breaks. Verhulst with a leg weakeners. Mercier tries again for the crossface and gets it but Verhulst gets the leg again. Mercier puts his other leg in and looks like going for a toupee but instead a rope break. Up and this time Mercier gets the leg into leglock and Charlie tries the crossface. Which becomes a headlock, surviving a Mercier throw. Mercier in in green trunk apparently so maybe this is in colour on Channel 2. Mercier turns round to get another armdrags which this time breaks it Mercier gets a side chancery. Verhulst underhooks his and gets him up for a slam but on the descent Mercier turns it into a reverse snapmares. He gets another side chancery and throw, holding the side chancery. The bell goes. A round is a "Reprise" in French by the way. Round 2- Lataserre is helping with colour commentary, apparently he is having trouble finding opponents as they are scared of him. Mercier gets an armlock, Verhulst gets and underhook, Mercier slams him and comes up with the armbar. Throws him in it twice. Verhulst cross buttocks him off. Reset. Mercier spins before going in for a legdive and leglock. Verhulst sits up so Metcier switches to front chancery then a double held armlock (almost the double wristlock). Verhulst gets a rear waistlock but Runs Out Of Mat in the corner. They get up and he gets a standing front chancery into a vertical suplex into chinlock. Mercier gets a wristlock and throws him in it, keeping hold. Verhulst turns round and has Mercier ready for a fireman's carry but Guy steps back to break. Verhulst gets a drop toehold trip into a Gotch toehold and tries to switch to full nelson but Mercier turns into the guard and bridges up then powers up in a top wristlock. Verhulst tries powering down but it's slow and goes into the corner. The bell goes, they shake hands. Mercier gives Verhulst's hair an affectionate tousle on his way to his corner. Round 3- Verhulst gets a front chancery. Mercier counters with taking a leg. He gets the better of the two but Verhulst twists out. Verhulst takes a leg of his own, develops it into a toehold. Mercier gets a spare arm, turns his man into a cross press for just a 1 count. He gets the better of a two way armlock battle taking Charlie down. Our spectator friend with more money than sense announces his 10K Francs Prime he wil pay the winner. They end up in a standing top wristlock battle, Mercier flips Verhulst who responds with a headscissors. Mercier tries bridging out but Verhulst pulls his feet out under him, easy when he's on his toes like that. Mercier goes into the upright and tries the spinning toupee escape so Verhulst collapsed it to the other side. Another fool and his money are soon parted as another spectator offers 10K francs to the pair. Mercier tries bridging and regains the upper position and again the toupee escape - and again Verhulst topples it sideways. Mercier tries using his knees to unplug the scissors but to no avail. Finally he bridges and rolls backwards unplugging his head and making a seated Gotch toehold. Verhulst pushes up and rolls out. He gets a side chancery takeover. and is poised on the mat for another. They stand and Mercier throws him but Verhulst keeps the hold. Verhulst throws and Mercier tries to grab an arm to counter but it all goes in the ropes. Break and Mercier gets a side chancery but then the bell goes. Round 4 - they lock up and Mercier gets a waistlock, slides it down into a bearhug then makes it a belly to belly suplex (slow and fluid, not snapping like your Magnum TA version.) Mercier tries a cross press, tuns parallel and gets a couple of one counts. Verhulst has a ground top wristlock and turns things over. Mercier tries to kip up then gets a headscissors. Verhulst tries various tricks. Eventually he uncrossed the feet and makes an over the neck leglock but it goes into the ropes. One or two of the public are calling for Manchettes. Instead they get a couple of high whips with bumps forced on Mercier. The last one, he kips up and snatches another headscissors. Now its Verhulst tries the toupee escape but gets it turned sideways onto the mat. Verhulst turns it upright and starts making the seated Gotch toehold from the last round. He moves into standing and Mercier adjusts the legs to a cross headscissor for a possible Toupee throw.- and gets it! Verhulst lands still in the cross scissor. But then the bell goes. During the break the commentator interviews Mercier who says Verhulst is hard work. Round 5 . They lock up and Mercier gets a waistlock, not quite tight enough to be a bearhug. It goes into the ropes but Mercier gets a throw out of it before the ref can intervene. The pace is quickening. Verhulst gets a leg takedown but Mercier kicks him off. It's a Mercier waistlock versus a Verhulst side headlock. They go to the mat and Mercier emerges on to with a standing chinlock. But Verhulst has his legs and brings him down. They break and reset.. Verhulst gets a side chancery and throws Mercier in it. They end in the corner, break and reset. Verhulst gets a cross buttock throw. They both have a two way armlock and Mercier gets a throw of it but it ends in the ropes. Verhulst gets an abdominal stretch and takes his man down with an arm pinned behind. This however impedes pinfall attempts and Verhulst gets up and makes it a standing armlock as Mercier applies counter pressure. He throws Verhulst and finally give the crowd three of the Manchettes they longed for. Verhulst fiesta one then Mercier fires back then Mercier goes for a legdive but Verhulst falls back on the ropes. Hardly any time left. Mercier goes from front chancery to double underhook suplex. He gets a 1 :count as the bell goes like a TV title match in America. Verhulst kips up and helps Mercier up and they shake hands and sling an arm over each others' shoulders. Match A Nul, says the ref, more sportsmanship and cheers. This was a lot like Bert Mychell versus Gilbert LeDuc. Not as flashy as the new young lightweight style people like Saulnier, Petit Prince and Mantopolous were peddling but scientific and logical. Not as ponderous as the old German style of Dieter Sr, Chall, Bock etc. A lot more creative than the Zrno bout a decade later in Austria. I liked it.

Well. having gone and posted the bout, I might as well review it. Yes. It's nice technical 14 min, a Belgian Vs a Yugoslav iAs I mentioned, Orig Williams, doing English commentary of Zrno Vs Finlay, claimed Charlie as Mile's trainer although others on here dispute this. Verhulst works a very French style, I think I shall check out a French TV appearance from the sixties. Here he's an old guy with grey hair and a gut albeit in sprightly form. Pre-match the DJ is playing Queen's We Are The Champions. Two armdrags to Zrno, across buttock throw but Zrno kips up. Zrno gets Charley with a hard whip bumping him. Charley gets a cross buttock into side headlock CV Gets a French style flying bodyscissors takedown . Zrno snaps out. gets standing side chancery & headlock.& Throw Zrno bridges out of a test of strength.Chssdk gets pin attempts in as retaliated to bodyscissors. Zrno rolls and Zrno throws and bodychecks Verhulst, gets a leapfrog and cross buttock for 2. Zrno has a toehold when the bell goes. Round 2 and 3. More of the same. Zrno get toehold, they throw. each other but take it well... A lot of down mat and hold working. Zrno cando a pretty decent toupee and flying bodypress. Verhulst leapfrogs Zrno then gets a powerslam as counter to flying tackle attempt to get the one required pin. They are good sportsman and raise each others hand.

Sounds like the 1978 match does exist, albeit in a ropey format.

There's a Zrno Vs Verhulst match up on YouTube apparently dated 12th July 1980 but the footage looks nothing like the Otto Vs Don Leo match. It's a single shaky handheld job filmed cornerwise on to the ring on knacky low gen tape where the picture keeps breaking up, whereas Otto Vs Don Leo is a professional multicam job. Always assuming there was nothing of note wrestling wise in Graz on 7th December that year and they haven't just gone and put the date the American way round.

July 12 1980 sounds like Otto Wanz Vs Don Leo Johnathan, rematch from 1978 when DLJ originally brought the title to Germany/Austria, jobbing it to Otto to begin Wanz's second reign (he previously had it for a month in South Africa Aug to Sept 1977, winning from Jan Wilkins and losing to Don Leo.) I wonder if that bout was taped. Otto Vs Strongbow July '79 is the earliest we know of for the home video release programme. Bock/Inoki is currently the oldest full/full-ish match we've got.

With this one it's gone altogether but I expect it too was in colour originally. Watching 1982 Stax in monochrome gives me flashbacks to my granddad's house, he never got colour TV until he moved into a hotel in 1983, so now and again I watched the Giant and others in glorious monochrome. Nowak is a big guy but it's your standard Haystacks demolition job that you can see on World of Sport. Takes ten minutes with Stax no selling a whole load of Nowak offence before getting the guillotine elbowsmash for the finish. If this was Britain then Big Daddy would come to the ring and challenge Stax to another singles bout like the one at Wembley Arena a year earlier. (And if this was Germany in 1990 then Daddy would probably have come down in black, red and gold singing Deutschland Deutschland Uber Alles). But Daddy never travelled abroad so no challenge for big Martin this evening in Bremen.

It's been a while since I posted anything relatively Modern on here. Or at least anything more modern than Eurosport New Catch. Last time was on page 43 in mid January when I introduced you all to the delights of Igwe and Mungu. So here goes: In Britain, the only wrestling to take place on British soil between closure of hospitality on 20th March 2020 and Freedom Day 19th July 2021 were some NXT UK tapings held in closed TV studios at the former LWT premises at the South Bank of the Thames in London, also use for similarly closed off championship boxing fights. (Plus a few wrestlers who happened to live together were able to carry on as training partners with their housemates.) Wrestling promotions in France however took the next step and held socially distanced shows like AEW did. Voici one such show by WS from Oct 2020 (just a couple of weeks before we Brits went back into lockdown) . Hence the thin audience (there are more recent clips on that same YouTube channel to show how things have fattened out since the pandemic ended.) and also the masks and the fact that most of the audience are clapping instead of cheering, although a few can't help themselves. The wrestlers, I presume, were in a bubble together. The big surprise here is to find out that Gannon Gray used to be a Bon as in those said later clips he is un Mechant teaming with Hugo Perez El General who owns the channel. Here he faces a heel doing an Arab gimmick (possibly of actual Algerian descent) and wins after the baddy takes a clumsy topple off the corner post. Fair play to WS for finding ways to do things in those troubled times and nice to see business rebuilt after the pandemic. However, not long after this show, on 28th October 2020 France went back into lockdown.

Okay, from the Sublime to the Ridiculous. Otto Wanz's war with the Moondogs. And not just any old Moondogs but Rex and King, the classic WWF World Tag Team Championship winning partnership. December 1985, eight days before the Hansen-Martel title change. Rex by now was teamed with Spot. This trip to Europe was somewhere on route from Memphis and no DQ matches with the Fabulous Ones and WWF jobberdom in 86 after they rejected Vince's plan for a babyface run using material later recycled for the Bushwhackers. Colour signal is really ropey, probably multi generation and well played. I expect most if not all early 80s B/W German tapes were originally in colour before suffering a similar fate. Rex has a bone with him. He also has a bald guy who could be Baron Von Rashcke (also in Germany around this time.) but actually looks a lot like French "Russian" heel Le Grand Vladimir. DJ playlist includes Take On Me by A-Ha, a hit only one year earlier. Unfortunately it goes on for a long long time and is basically a Big Daddy solo match circa 1978 just before Max Crabtree finally banned Daddy from selling for opponents. Most of it is Otto bodychecking Colley. Otto does take a cross buttock press bump at one point but lands rather gently, Rex takes a much heavier one later on. Finish comes with a piledriver where Otto rolls over on his backside so Colley's head couldn't possibly touch the mat, then a few more lockdowns then a slam and pin. Hmmm, let's see what King can do ... King is billed as Sailor White here but dressed totally as a Moondog. In fact this is 1981 Graz and I'm none too sure how this fits into the chronology of the Moondogs. Rex and King won the WWF World Tag Team Championship then King went abroad, tried to come back into the USA via the Canadian border and was turned away. Did this trip happen during that period? In which case the White King is an incumbent tag champion in America during this title shot as I think Sgt Slaughter was (with JCP) a year later. No sign of Captain Lou but he has a guy in a suit, bowler hat and grey beard in his corner as coach and second. Otto is less roly poly here, it's a step back towards the chunkier compact Otto of a year earlier against Don Leo. He's got a whole little team of seconds including Tino Salvatore and Steve Wright, still with hair albeit receding and close cropped. It's all shot professionally on multicam by an OB unit and the colour signal is good. Action is in progress as the video starts. It's no more scientific than the bout with Rex but its quite a wild brawl and I think @ohtani's jacket might like this one. White has no time for round breaks; he launches himself viciously on Otto between one break and his seconds have to help him fend the Dog off - he gets a First Yellow Card. Later when he refuses to release a hold Otto's seconds prise King off. Otto gets in a couple of bonus kicks and is ticked off by the referee. OJ might be a little less happy with the finish as it's a stoppage knockout. King is never the same after he shoulders himself on the corner post and falls out of the ring. He takes various backdrops and is irresponsive until the referee declared him beaten. The audience are quite delighted as is Otto and it does feel like a fight has been decisively won.

Nice recent match between two youngsters we've already seen on the channel. Don't worry about the rather American looking ring. It was borrowed as the normal very Trad Brit Rumble rings would not fit a cage and there was a cage tag match on the bill (blame Nagasaki and Rocco for importing cages to these shores in about 1989)

Okay, here goes. Schuman comes to the ring to a traditional Austrian marching brass band. They shake hands. Round 1: Schuman armdrags Luger who does it back to him. Schumann armbars Liger who rolls then tuns 90 degrees and flips up going over on his head then takes Schumann's wrist. He goes through a similar sequence. The third time while rolling, Liger sneaks in a ground position dropkick but Schumann easily nips up. Liger gets a side headlock and two twists into drop toeholds into Frank Gotch toehold (Satoru Sayama as Sammy Lee would do this at dazzling speed in 1980 on ITV and leave TV audiences agape. ) Liger switches to a side headlock, Schumann breaks it open into top wristlock then armdrag. Liger handstand headscissors Schumann, goes up on his head and perfectly toupees Schumann. Bear in mind (1) he's got a mask with floppy horns on (2) he has probably still never heard of Gilbert LeDuc even now. Finger interlock. Schumann winning at first, bends back Liger who bridges nicely, then takes back advantage. Liger suddenly backdrops Schumann putting an end to that. Schumann gets fireman's carry takedown into armlock.Liger stands up but Schumman armdrags him. He still has an arm so Liger uses a French style headscissor takedown counter. Schumann turns into upright position, rolls forward out and gets a headlock as the bell goes. DJ plays I Feel Love Round 2. Liger gets a leg, turns it over like a single leg Boston Crab and gets an arm too, forming a sort of half surfboard. He lifts up young Franzl for a sub He holds on to the end of the round Cut to climax Round 3 Liger side headlock into camel clutch end of round.Bell rings Round 4: Luger gets wrist lever, progresses to hammerlock, Franz gets another French escape with reverse snapmare. They come off the ropes and Liger's clothesline sends Schumman doing a 360 flip sell. Liger waits for the count Keichi suplexes Franz but only gets 1. He gets a perfect Johnny Saint/George Kidd/Steve Grey Surfboard. I reckon he's been taking lessons. Schumann hangs on and Liger releases and gets an eight count. Schumann Liger drop toeholds Franzl for 6 , slams and rolling splashes him for 9, gets an abdominal stretch then converts to a folding press. for 1. Bell goes. Round 5 Yamada gets a bunch of Sammy Lee kicks to Franzl's legs, German suplexes him. Piledriver, spinning dropkick, Cut to Franzl clothesline and top rope flying shoulderblock . Bell goes Round 6: Franz gets double underhook suplex for 2, Jushin gets middle rope flying bodypress for 2. Liger dropkicks Schumann out of the ring and reverse flying tackles him at ringside. (It's probably got a fancier name than that.).Cut to later -Liger charges and misses Franz who dropkicks Jushin leaning on the corner pad. They come off the ropes and Franz waistlock suplexes Liger for 7 then long suplexes him for a two count pin. Liger reverses a Schuman posting and flying headbutts him in the chest. He posts Schumann again but misses a follow up charge and Schumann belly to back suplexes Liger for 2. Schumann gets an arm but the bell goes Round 7: Liger fells Schumann with 2kicks, powerslams and flying headbutts him from the top for 2. Liger goes up top again but Schumman catches him up and Barry Windham Superplexes him . Liger knees Franz for 7. Liger this time superplexes Franzl and crosspresses him for a pin of 2. Liger belly to back suplex es Schumann. Covers him but the bell goes Round 8: Liger kicks a leg out under Franz. Gets an American figure four like Clay Thomson. Releases and goes to the top but misses an Ivan Koloff kneedrop. Franz gets a full Boston Crab but releases eventually. Liger is selling the leg. But when Franz whips him off the ropes, he comes back with a sunset flip which Franz reverses into a bridging folding press and a beauty! But Liger crawls out and we briefly have a bascule until Franz breaks when he runs out of mat . Schumann gets armlock on the mat but bell goes. Round 9. Liger side headlock, shoulderblock and kick and faceslam. Backbreaker sand moonsault (just like he did to Rocky Moran in Lewisham six years earlier on ITV) for the one required pin! They aboth shake hands with each other and with the referee plus Liger bows a bit. This is now my favourite German match. Ahead of Owen Hart Vs Dave Taylor at Haumarkt in Vienna 1990 and putting Roland Bock Vs Antonio Inoki into third place. A joy. Just discovered a standalone video of that match. Also here is OJ's earlier review: By the way, the Euro Catch Festival has a page on English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_Catch_Festival

Apparently "the kid" was Franz Van Buyten, so says Signsquad.