David Mantell

News item August Smisl gives what I assume is a journo a good stretching. Also Finlay and an American have a match then a backstage angle. The American threatens to shoot Finlay. So now you know where Austin, Pillman and Russo got the idea from.

Hi Kain, were/are you a fan of old German/Austrian Catch? Please do join the German Catch thread (see link above on my post.)

Not my lucky day for this- I also had the Black Diamonds Vs RBC & Gil Cesca in mind but I've already done that too. That's pity cos I also watched Foley as Big Daddy Ritter's manager in Stampede recent and finally made the liink mentally between the 1965 heel and 1980 manager) Fortunately here's a bout not done so far. We've covered some M'boa/ M'boaba/N'Boa (which is correct @Matt D?) Different video titles say different things) but not this one. Same babyface team as the Diamonds bout too. We're at the Cirque d'Hiver and directing is Jean Pradinas who would still be at it in the 80s working with Daniel Cazal on the young Flesh Gordon's bouts. This other commentator says Boa (let's just call him that) is Vraiment Quelque Chose- Really Something (as the Associates sang of one Stephen.). Les Bons in their white jackets are ready, looking to the unaccustomed viewer like a doomed jobber team. Lagache (what a great name for Un Mechant)follows in in black, I think I've seen him heeling up in an early 80s match. In come Boa and his manager looking like Samoan Sika and and Kimchee. No sign of the snake itself. Referee is big old Martial.in a sports jacket that makes him look somewhere between Billy Bunter (look him up) and Fatty Arbuckle. René's brother Roger is seconding Les Bons. The film develops an interesting shade of turquoise at times - I guess this print has been through the wars. Lagache starts against Cesca who rolls through various throws unscathed. Lagache can deal them out - including a fair old Planchette Japonaise (Monkey Climb) - but try have no effect on Cesca. But when Cesca gives Lagache a high whip he has to take the bump and rather sheepishly go to his corner to tag Boa. (To be fair, few people could land feet first from a High Whip- Pete Roberts being one.). Cesca legdives Boa for a folding press pin. Boa is saved only by his legs rolling into the ropes so Cesca plays bait and switch with Le Congalais, nipping out of he way of his charges so he posts himself, going to the floor so Boa leaps over him, then getting a legdive and crosspress for 2. René finally tags in and Boa is TERRIFIED, scampering back to his corner before realising he has to face his fear. RBC goes to work, with three snapmarrs and a high whip all causing Boacto bump all over the ring. Boa in response bites René on the arm, puts him up against the ropes in a top wristlock and nibbles some more. In the absence of an actual serpent, Boa's schtick is to "eat" opponents. Martial shoves him off and RBC gets back to work. He gets Ben Chemoul on the mat in a ground top wristlock but Rene kips up, does a 360 somersault and lands just in the right position to drop toehold the Snakeman. He turns it over into something almost an American figure four leglock- Martial makes them break it up. (Yes this print HAS been through the wars! There are odd short groups of frames missing, possibly from projector damage when the print was being bicycled through some faraway African or Arab country. ) Boa gets his wristlever back on. René does another kip up, somersault and legdive - this time a single into a spinning toehold. He Manchettes Boa at close range, then tweaks his nose and gets a headbutt for it. Boa throws him to his corner and tags Lagache. He gets a back hammer and jumps on it. RBC rear snapmares him but Lagache keeps the hold. Another snapmare, hold still not broken. Then René goes for one of the three typical French Catch escapes, the Reverse Snapmare. He lands behind Pierre and double legdives him. Boa, watching, puts a boot in. Cesca tags in and they lockup. Lagache backs into the ropes and gets a top wristlock. He takes down Cesca who kips up and tries to flip out but Lagache keeps control. Lagache makes Cesca turn in the hold and take the bump. He overhead throws him in the hold for another bump. We miss how Cesca flips out, for a shot of Boa. Lagache tags him in. Cesca gets an armhank, two snapmares a hiptoss, a Planchette Japonaise and another snapmare and hiptoss. Cesca gets an abdominal stretch converting to a straight press. Boa tries nibbling his way out of a shoulder press and does get a standing wristlever out of it. Cesca slings him off. Boa and RBC have a contretemps so RBC tags in. Boa doesn't fancy it but RBC gets a top wristlock and takes the African down. He has his man in a figure 4 top wristlock but Boa uses a concealed illegal punch to get out. Camera cuts to Boa's manager in his Kim Chee getup. Back to hardcam, RBC is on the mat. Boa gives him a Butt. A posting lands but Martial will not allow a follow down. Boa posts RBC. He follows down again but Martial still won't have it. Ben C reverses a third posting attempt. He double legdives and slingshots Boa into his own top turnbuckle. Cesca tags in and gets the Lex Luger Human Torture Rack on the big man but instead of submission, makes it an Aeroplane spin, leaving Boa to land on his spine like the proverbial bag of poo. Cesca posts Boa, adding to the back damage. Cesca front Chanceries his man but Boa gets him on the ropes and Les Mechants double team him. Martial drags Boa off by the hair but behind his back Lagache gets stomps in from the apron. RBC runs in to complain, Martial sends him out, again throws off Boa by the hair and pulls Lagache off Cesca. Boa gets Cesca in a headlock and turns to conceal a closed fist punch to the head, then another one. RBC tags in, goes from side headlock to hammerlock to a leglock. He wrenches and loosens as the crowd chant Ou-Ais. Boa tries dirties including hairpulling to break the hold but not for long. Les Bons tag. Lagache holds René as Boa shoulderblocks him. He tries it again but Cesca grabs him on the ropes. We don't see what happens next but La Publique love what they see. When we cut back to the ring, Boa is disappearing over the ropes. Rene dropkicks Lagache off the apron. Boa gets in and gets snapmares. The first brawl of the bout, a fistfight, breaks out. Boa goes down. Martial tells Cesca off but La Publique disagree. Cut to two gentlemen of African descent who have no sympathy for kinsman Boa, they laugh at his plight. Both sides tag. Ben C legdives Pierre,puts a foot on him and leans back to stretch all the leg ligaments. René does it again (cuevvocal sound effect from commentator) plus three trips. Pierre backs into Cesca and Ben C trips him again. Lagache gets a legdive and leglock, occasionally illegally using the rope. Marchal comes close to investigate. Rene escapes and Lagache nearly legdives the heavyweight referee! Lagache pounds on Rene - Martial drags him off but Boa uses the distraction to choke Rene with the tag rope, jumping off the apron to ringside to better to it. Martial sees off more punches from Lagache then turns his attention to Boa and frees RBC. Both heels get stomps and Lagache snapmares René and gets in more punches, then stomps. Lagache narrowly stops Les Bons tagging. Martial allows the tag and Cesca corners Pierre. They break up and get a finger interlock. Cesca gets the French Scisseaux Volees takedown. Lagache cannot escape conventional lly but drags himself and Cesca to his corner where Boa can grab an ankle, tagging himself in. Boa runs to get a ground side headlock. Boa slams Cesca's head to the mat repeatedly. He stomps and pounds and Lagache pitches in from the apron. Boa butts Ben Chemoul and pounds him. Martial tears Boa off but Lagache fouls from the apron. Boa twice headlocks and foul punches RBC. ITt goes on like this with one heel punishing René while the other takes his punishment from Martial ... Boa throws both Bons to ringside. He slams René's head into the ring post and gets a clout from the outsised ref. The public helps René back but Boa helps him in the last bit then lands him an over the knee backbreaker. and a surprisingly well done flying bodypress for a heel in France 1965 to get the opening fall.He slams RBCs head some more but Martial drags him off. Lagache calms him before he spoils things and the seconds revive the "Completement Groggy" RBC. The heels "try to help up" RBC and start slugging him but Martial sees them off. Shot of the public looking worried. 2eme Manche - Boa and RBC restart. RBC is sluggish, Boa anxious to get on, asking WTF is the delay? Boa hiptosses RBC into Les Mechants' corner. Lagache stomps from the apron, Boa does something 'orrible to René's nose. Cesca tries to intervene Martial drags Boa off by the hair. Boa gets Martial blindsided then resumes his nose-related foul. Lagache takes over the treatment. A young woman in the audience in what looks like a fez complains. So does Cesca. Fat lot either does. Lagache still has a side headlock on and still uses it as a cover for fouls. This includes a Boa kick from the apron. Pierre releases the hold to get in his own kicks, Martial escorts Cesca out of the ring. Lagache Manchettes RBC - straight into Cesca's waiting arms and a Hot Face Tag! Disaster for Lagache? No, he just gets the same headlock and same fouls on Cesca . Martial disallows a tag to Boa so Lagache takes Cesca down in a side headlock on the mat. Then the tag. Boa puts a wristlever on. As Cesca gets up, Boa makes it a top wristlock and forces Cesca onto the ropes where Lagache does terrible things to Cesca's behind. Boa throws Cesca down, manchettes the back of his neck twice, smashes him to Pierre in the corner who gets an illegal chinlock on that Martial has to break up. Martial pulls off Boa by the hair but Lagache uses the distraction to foul Cesca again. This is starting to become a pattern. Cesca tries to trip Boa who pulls him in and kicks both legs in succession. He whips Cesca into the ropes but Gil comes back with a knee to the stomach and tags René. He corners Boa pounds him in the corner (like an 80s WWF show minus the crowd counting.) Boa tries the same but RBC slips through his legs and dropkicks him out. Lagache rescues his partner from any more adventurous crowd members and RBC flips him in. He grows Boa's hair and holds on until Martial has had enough andctells him this really needs to stop. Martial gets between them and ends up squashing Boa on the ropes. He chases after cheeky René who stamps on Boa 's nose and does a pirrouette on it as payback for earlier nose-related fouls. Les Bons bat Boa back and forth but Martial thinks that is enough for retaliation. Boa gets some punches and Manchettes in. Boa lures RBC to the heels corner and Les Mechants briefly regain the advantage but RBC fires back with his own Manchette. Cesca tags in. A long shot of Boa's pith helmeted manager then we cut back to Cesca delivering Manchettes to Boa. He clings to the ropes the goes down on his knees as Lagache leans in to help him. Cesca continues to punch Boa and Martial has had enough but the public hasn't. Cesca throws Boa over the ropes but he lands on the apron. Cesca bangs Boa's head on the ring post and he falls to ringside. Martial starts the count. The announcer thinks Boa has been counted out but no. Lagache tags in. So does RBC Who gets a staying full nelson, the first scientific wrestling move in quite a while. Lagache reverses it but Ben C breaks free and lands four dropkicks then tags Cesca back. Lagache posts RBC into Martial who goes down (the lady in the fez is in HYSTERICS.). Cesca goes to the top turnbuckle, flips over Lagache, dodges a charge from him. Y going over the top and pulling him down into a folding press for the equaliser. Boa tries to intervene but RBC dropkicks him away. Boa lands in the ropes and afterwards falls to ringside. Les Mechants' seconds and the helmeted manager have their work cut out getting these two fighting fit for ... La Belle: Cesca does a rolling legdives to take down Lagache in a crosspress. Boa pulls Cesca off, Gil goes for him and Lagache double legdives him., getting a leglock. Cesca uses his free leg to try to hammer and push away. He eventually throws him with a sort of mat based huracanrana but Lagache still gets a leg and takes him back down in the leglock. René so ehow gets a tag and pulls Pierre off then gets a wrist lever on him, chops him down, snapmares him , works over his face a bit, drops an elbow on his skull and superkicks him. He delivers two Manchettes and tags Cesca who also delivers Manchettes - and fists causing Martial to pull him off and Boa to come in the ring. Both heels are now in and Cesca is feeling fit to take on both but neither fancy it. Eventually Boa goes at it with Cesca who gets a kick and corners Boa with more punches. Martial orders him off so he tags René who hooks Lagache into the corner with legs over ropes, charges the diagonal of the ring for a heat but then again to dropkick away an interfering Lagache. RBC snapmares and somersault splashes Boa who fights back with an over the knee backbreaker and slam then comes off the top corner with another flying bodypress but misses and lands splat in the middle of the ring like Snuka at MSG 1982. He gets up but René delivers a running sunset flip for the deciding fall. Les Bons win 2-1. They celebrate as Lagache andthe manager help Boa back to his corner The first part of this was fantastic scientific wrestling until the heels took over and dirtied their way to their one fall. Sadly the Bons comeback was more of a brawl and their ignoring the pleas of the referee didn't help, but La Publique saw les Mechants get their just deserts and went home happy. You can't argue with the customers but I would have liked to see more of RBC especially's skills.

Two notable things apart from the action: firstly there was a rather splendid cup up for grabs. The other was that Renault's three young daughters were sitting in on commentary. Not that the commentator could get much out of them except a long sheepish pause followed by "Oui" rather like the prelude to Monty Python's Nudge Nudge sketch with John Cheese interviewing not very verbose schoolboys Palin, Jones and Idle. About five minutes before the end they give up and interview their young blonde mother. He does get one of them to declaim a clearly rehearsed goodbye. It's a surprise Renault was not his early 80s skinhead biker Blouson Noir look from his tag team with Jacky Richard. I know he is meant to be a Ted but he looks more like your average 1970s street thug, like the late great Lee Brilleux, lead singer with 70s pub rock band Dr Feelgood or maybe some criminal thus trash on 70s UK cop show The Sweeney. I was expecting him to be a heel as per 9 years later but here he's having a clean match in the French style and @Jetlag this is how the French clean matches are. Very acrobatic, very "Souple" (ultimate compliment for a French wrestler from the French commentators) . Lots of reverse snapmares, backflips from standing wristlocks, not so much flying headscissors but lots and LOTS of cross buttock throws in a side headlock. Renault is a lot taller than Saulnier and the imbalance reminds me of Adrian Street and Jim Breaks on ITV about 6 months earlier. A few few pauses in side headlocks as there are no round breaks so they need rest. One brief bit of needle triggers a Manchette exchange and nearly a ropes foul til L'Arbitre calms them both down and they shake hands. Saulnier gets the pin for the win and the cup with a neat folding press with bridge that would please Johnny Saint, Kent Walton and probably Bob Backlund too. Verdict: great scientific catchweight/poids libre bout. Le Petit Prince is still the best Saulnier opponent though. Bah, I was looking forward to reviewing that bout, but I've already done it. It's worth bumping this up for my description of the different French moveset from the British one as this ties in with points I made above.

It's an acquired taste of a bout with subtleties. I wouldn't show it to someone as their first Trad Brit bout to get them hooked. Actually there's a good few showier bits from Marino there that hint at why Kent Walton fell in love with the guy back in the 50s. Yearsley also springs a couple of surprises.

Poor old Gary Wensor is best known as the sucker who cost Big Daddy his last ever TV defeat in August 1978. His second most famous bout is a tag team tournament match where he and brother Ed act heelish before going down. He went see him with something more to offer to against Tarzan Johnny Wilson's kid brother. This was the other half of the infamous Carribbean Sunshine Boys Vs Kung Fu Fighters TV taping October 1977, held over until Jan '78 Round 1, by the way, with his ginger sideburns and stripey trunks, it must be said Wensor look very much like a Victorian bathing gentleman on the beach.) Peter gets an armbar with pressure on the shoulder. Wensor counters with a right armed hammerlock so Wilson switches to a standing left arm hammerlock of his own. Wensor simply rolls away from the hold. They reset, Wensor agrees to half a finger Interlock then backrolls to fold it up into a neat top wristlock and force Peter to the mat, but Peter kips up and fells Wensor with a leg spread. Wensor rolls off sideways to cheers. He throws Pete in an armlock and tries for another one, but Peter leaps behind for a figure 4 ground top wristlock. Wensor tries to kip up but is twice dragged down so instead goes for a headscissors. After failing to snap out, Peter turns it upright and prises the hold open. He puts pressure on the opened knees, Wensor responds with a seated front hammerlock. He frees his legs and gets the upper advantage with the hammerlock. Wilson stands up in the hold but goes back down under pressure. On his second attempt he uses his free arm to prise open and reverse the hammerlock. Wensor turns into the guard and Wilson goes for the crosspress but is thrown off at 2, also allowing Wensor to free his arm. Wilson single ets a toe and ankle legdives and grapevine. Wensor tries to spread Wilson's legs but Wilson rectifies. The bell goes. Nice round of applause. Kent Walton likes the Croydon crowd a lot. Bear in mind not only is this the same bill as the Sunshine Boys incident but it contains many future members of the South London Hellcrew who would RIOT over the Kendo-Rocco Wars 11-13 years laterboth here in Croydon and in Catford's Lewisham Theatre. . An audience can wear many guises. Round 2: They lock up. Wensor takes Wilson down in the guard with a front grovit. Wilson gets a headscissors but Wensor snaps it open. Wensor goes for a standing full nelson but then turns 180 to switch to a reverse snapmare for 5 then another one for 4 then a front chancery. Wilson breaks it open into an armbar and high whips Sensor to force a bump. Wilson takes down Sensor with a crucifix into further nelson shoulder press for two 2 counts. and a one before releasing. Wilson easily drives Sensor to his knees with a finger Interlock. He pulls him up and down a couple of times before Wensor breaks free and fires a lean back dropkick. Wensor then floors Wilson again with a single legdive into seated leglock. Wilson makes various grabs for Sensor's neck but achieves nothing except briefly hooking his chin, but has to let go when Wensor excerpts more pressure with the legs. Wilson eventually gets his other leg to form a bodyscissors with the locked leg. This gives Sensor to unhand the leg but he easily turns on his front and able to shoulder press Wilson. Wilson tries for a bearhug but Sensor quickly shoved him off. He gets a wristlever and pulls Wensor over (releasing the bodyscissors as he does so) and secures the other arm to turn his man into a butterfly shoulder press for a two, a one and a two before releasing. Wensor goes behind and turns into a sunset flip. Wilson resists the pin attempt by going into a Johnny Saint ball. They restart and Wilson gets a far distant throw across the ring then a side chancery throw. He gets a front chancery and switches to double undrhok, aiming for a suplex but Wensor gets a crotchhold in and bodyslams Wilson. Wensor gets a reverse snapmare (Kent Walton is impressed with him, this was Gary's TV debut) then throws his man, Wilson ends up taking the bump despite an attempt to roll with the throw. The bell goes. Kent says Wensor was trained by his brother Ed who was trained by "the Joyce Boys" (presumably Ken and Doug but not the unrelated Billy). Round 3: They lock up and Wensor gets a side chancery. Wilson breaks it into a top wristlock. Wensor has to bring his other arm up to resist. Wensor eventually gets the power advantage, hiptosses Wilson and catches a wristlock on him on landing. Wilson stands up and rolls out of the hold. Wilson wins another finger interlock, puts Wensor's hands on the mat, steps on each foot and pulls up on his chin to form a front facing neck crank! Wensor pulls himself flat down on the mat in the mount but Wilson pulls him right back again. Wensor grapevines one leg and knocks out the other with his free knee to uproot and fell Wilson and now have a leglock on him. He folds the other leg in and kneels on it (a la the headscissor escape position from earlier.) Resisting a bearhug attempt, he turns Wilson into a Frank Gotch toehold. Wilson twice tries to chin lever his man off. The second time he forms a crossface to first free himself then covert to a side headlock on the mat, then to a seated read chinlock. Wensor breaks it open to get a rear seated hammerlock They move to standing position and Wilson pulls the arm out front and to the side to get a standing armlock, then force his man back down into the guard. Wensor gets a headscissor and cranks it forward . Wilson folds the legs into a Frank Gotch toehold. Wensor curls up and rolls out. He gets a sideways folding press and a 2 before Wilson can resist by retreatingbintona Johnny Saint ball. The bell goes. Round 4:. They run the ropes, Wensor drops down then comes up for a cross body press for 2. A Wensor shoulderblock fells both men. Both are up at 9 but when Wensor throws Wilson he tries to cartwheels over and fails, keeling over mid-spin. Wensor resists a throw and gets a side headlock then drops into a rear double legs takedown. Wensor twice throws Wilson for counts of 4 and 7. A third time. Wilson goes down but Wensor just about stays up and catches Wilson with a flying tackle. Both go over the top for 10 and a double knockout. Well I suppose @ohtani's jacket won't like that finish but it was a fine technical exhibition from two underrated men - Tarzan Johnny's sidekick brother and the guy who took Daddy's last TV loss for him - which gets a fine appreciative response from an audience that later than night were rioting and which contained many seasoned pro wrestling hooligans who would go on to form one of the wildest crowds in history. Never mind the Carribbean Sunshine Boys that same night- many of these people went on to participate in the 1988 Kendo and Skull Murphy Vs Steve Adonis and Pete Roberts riot. Yet feed them a piece of technical class like this and they become the most sophisticated and cultured of audiences!

Getting heat from too many rope breaks - a primer. Not a great scientific bout - Jones does some armbar rollouts from the much taller Emperor who keeps on walking out of the bout, mainly because Jones goes for the mask. Between them. they clock up four public warnings each. Before that Emperor infuriates the crowd by constantly grabbing for rope breaks rather than countering holds. Jones gets the one submission with his Powerlock which looks like the American figure 4 leglock but which lis actually a scorpion death lock unfolded so the Victim is flat on their back in the guard.

Another short clip, unusual because the Wright Brothers are on opposite sides. Steve and Bernie aren't tagged in together but Steve gets a few shots and a dropkick, I n at Bernie on the apron. Bernie is no longer the Bearcat Wright violent case but he's hanging out with he notorious Indio. Bernie spends most of his time against Bobby Gaetano .Ending comes when Steve gets a flying bodypress on Indio for a successful pin.

Masa Chono as a good guy at Heumarkt, Vienna 1987. (Chono was a rare heavy duty heel in 90s Japan, often beating babyfaces up til other babyfaces came to the rescue in groups) One fan shows his appreciation by shouting Japanese motorcycle brands at him. Chono makes nice transiions from chinlock to sleeperhold. He already has the step over toehold but not the extra facelock of the STF. He works long and hard on Klaus's legs. He also has good karate kicking skills like Saysma and Yamada. Clip appears to end with Kauf getting a public

Joined in progress. In 1987, Tony is younger and fitter and can almost match the big blond Swiss for size. It's a bit of a highlights package so we go from Tony kipping up in wristlocks to him walloping Rene with forearm smashes and don't find out how we got from A to B. It's also filmed over two peoples' shoulders and their heads get in the way. Lots of stomping each other, not much technical work ("Not too much wrestling" as Kent Walton would say.) Tony kneesmashes his way out of a tombstone piledriver, Rene misses an aerial move off the top turnbuckle. Tony gets the winner with a clothesline and cross press.

Bad Boy Johnny Yearsley is best known (apart from the Monty Python "Epilogue"sketch) for another bout from around this time in which he is leading Billy Two Rivers 1-0 only for the Native American to explode with chops for a KNOCKOUT win, oh yes. Marino booked the South for a while around this time and gets the blame for a slump in business only resolved by Big Daddy mania. The lighting rig in this taping is HORRENDOUS by the way, all dark shadows. Was this due to industrial action? Marino gets him in a front chancery position and they move about in this odd lockup., going into the ropes. They break and Yearsley takes down Marino in a side headlock. Marino tries bridging out before standing up and doing his characteristic twisting escape. Normally I'm not a fan but it actually looks quite good and snappish here. Yearsley takes Marino down with a front chinlock . Marino uses his bridge to lever up but Yearsley pulls hair to get him back down. It hits the ropes, they break. JY gets a hammerlock and Marino spins out and downwards. Yearsley gets a single legdive and leglock, Marino on the mat grapevines the other leg which makes Yearsley release. Yearsley wins a finger interlock but Marino bridges out of pin attempts then powers up to get a Japanese stranglehold but Yearsley throws him. Yearsley gets a bearhug but Marino breaks it open into a half nelson and Yearsley goes for the ropes getting himself some heat. Yearsley gets cross armed takedown into grovit into shoulder press. Marino back rolls into a dominant position with both arms folded off then a side headlock Yearsley breaks it open into a top wristlock but My arino switches to the other arm for an armbar and Yearsley goes for the ropes again to considerably more heat. Yearsley's bearhug goes into the ropes so he tries a top wristlock and Marino does the traditional British roll out. Yearsley tries a high whip and gets a bump and proceeds to an armhank but Marino sits up and gets a headlock. Bell goes and Yearsley gets in a quick cheap shot. Round 2 and Johnny gets dirty, headlocking Mike in the corner and running his face on the ropes. He gets a snapmare and crosspress Marino but Mine powers up and kips up and gets a front chancery. Yearsley gets another cheap shot in the corner and a brawl erupts. Max Ward tells Marino off. Yearsley gets a wristlock and Marino gets a back roll and horizontally turn into a single leg dive and leglock. Yearsley rolls over onto the guard and Mike nicely switches to a crossface. Ward refuses Yearsley a rope break so he powers up, corners Marino and cheap shots him again. Either these are not quite punches or he is concealing them well. I'm not too sure which just yet. Yearsley refuses to release a chinlock in the corner and Ward pulls him off and gives the Welsh heel a ticking off. Yearsley gets Marino in a Japanese stranglehold, Marino reverses and Yearsley goes for the ropes. Yearsley gets a headlock, Marino breaks it into a hammerlock. Yearsley gets a rope break. Yearsley gets a grovit into a series of headlocks switching to conceal something from Ward. Marino gets an armbar and crossface, Johnny goes for the ropes. Kent thinks Marino wanted a Jolly Boscik style 3 in 1. Yearsley uses a hairpull to headlock Marino down to the mat. He pushes his arm on Marina's throat - a foul- and Ward drags him off by the ears! Marino uses a front chinlock to position Yearsley for a forearm smash which gets a pop from the crowd. Yearsley knees Marino in the corner as the bell goes. Max has to order him to his corner. Round 3. They hit the ropes on lockup and Yearsley runs Marino's face again on a different top rope. Marino gets a bodycheck. He gets a wrist but Yearsley goes for the ropes yet again and gets a First Public Warning for passivity (too many rope breaks( and the ropes treatment also. Yearsley goes for pressure points but Marino breaks it up and gets a side headlock. Yearsley pulls him down into a ground top wristlock. Marino gets headscissors and Yearsley gets out with a longwise press that he uses to conceal some illegal closed fist punches. Finally Yearsley gets a knee across the windpipe and the referee drags him off. Max Ward could be one tough angry cookie! (TWC advert break.) Ward is still telling both men off after the break Yearsley gets a side headlock into side chancery throw. then a front chancery. He sneaks in a punch on the ropes. Marino gets a leg dive and leglock extension weakener, stepping on Yearsley's face as he does it, justice for Johnny's earlier fouls. Yearsley complains he has been stomped in the eye. Yet again he runs Marino's face on the ropes. Kent mentions Marino has thin scar tissue there - is Yearsley going for a cuts TKO? Yearsley backs Marino into the ropes and strikes him in the back in the kidney area. Mike gets a wristlock but Yearsley rolls out of it to get a top wristlock so Mike throws him and gets the bump. Yearsley whips Marino in the ropes, catching him with a knee on the rebound. He almost has a KO but foolishly knees the downed Marino. Marino gets a side headlock and slips in a retaliatory closed fist punch then a snapmare throw. Marino ends up getting the quiet reprimand. Yearsley wins his second finger Interlock and goes for the cross press. Rather than going for a pin he goes for fouls - illegal concealed fist and the knee on windpipe- before releasing. Marino wallops him with an uppercut as the bell goes. Round 4. Yearsley throws Marino and knees him on the ropes, getting the odd kick in before Ward orders him off. Marino gets a side headlock and grapevine combo. Yearsley gets some sort of foul on Marino's back and tries to capitalise witha crosspress but Ward orders him off. Yearsley gets in a stomp and Marino is angry, threatening a punch and Ward has to talk him down. Yearsley does the rope foul again and gets his SECOND SND FINAL PUBLIC WARNING but Marino is bleeding. Yearsley tries a straight armlift but Marino forces it into a side headlock. Yearsley pulls out from behind to leave a hammerlock but Mike rolls out. He is still in a wristlock in the guard. He bridges and rolls on his head into an upright kneel then stands and goes for the rollout but has to take the bump rather than complete the roll like the Young kids of the time might. Yearsley still has the wrist. He switches to double wrists and tries to stand on Marino's hair but Ward has his beady eye on Johnny. Marino uses his bridge to power out ( he really does this power up with a lot of grace.) He locks Yearsley into the tope rope but has to release (no French style shenanigans allowed.) Yearsley offers a handshake. Marino has none of it and forearms him. Yearsley throws him and gets a good bump. He tries again but Marino gets in first with a headlock into side chancery plus lift. Marino keeps the hold a good long while, Yearsley gets in a concealed closed fist but Marino no sells it. He takes Yearsley to the mat with the side chancery. Yearsley powers up and gets to the corner but the bells aves him. Nonetheless he gets in three illegal punches which annoy Max Ward and the fans a lot. Round 5 Yearsley twice side headlocks and kneelifts his man. He gets a side chancery throw, whips him into the ropes and catches him with a knee on the rebound. Marino is up at 6 and Yearsley side chancery throws him for another 6. Marino comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock catching Yearsley's leg as he goes down and applying his distinctive figure four leg extension (the same as he would use to get a consolation submission on Kendo Nagasaki on TV a year later) to win and progress to a final against the winner of a Spencer Churchill Vs Steve Logan MK1 match. Better than OJ makes out. My appreciation of Marino's unspectacular but solid technique went up a lot in this match. He also has a lot of the foundations of the British rolling escapes that young kids like Bobby Ryan and Steve Wright were starting to elevate to a higher form around now. Yearsley is an underrated crumb heel. Balding head and growly disposition. A bout for more advanced connoisseurs.

From 1986. Rambo is another wrestler who comes down to disgraced paedophile Gary Glitter's track "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am)" Later on after round one they play an awful knock-off of that Mr Postman song that the Beatles and the Carpenters both did (sung in broken English with a German accent) . All the same camera mixing tricks as the Steve Wright Vs Tony StClair match from the same tournament Samson is a strength man and Rambo is a North American so the are best served by the slow old German style. Holds are worked for long periods of time and the escape that works is the last one tried. Being a North American, Rambo pushes upwards on headlocks etc to power out rather than downwards to the mat to pull off a leverage based escape. Agadoo by Black Lace gets played between rounds. Ouch. I would expect Rambo to be the heels but he gets as much applause as Samson. A babyface match with competitive needle. Still going at the same pace at the end until Samson rallies for the pin. The camera cuts away at the ruckal moment so only when Billy's hand is raised by referee Mick McMichael do we know the result. No sportsmanship, Rambo refuses a handshake.

From the same tournament as Otto's return match with Don Leo. It's the younger more slimline Wanz in against an expat British heel and Dave Schultz lookalike. A grey bearded man in a suit and hat is interviewed in the ring. Otto can still do rolling cros buttock takedowns into an armlock at this stage. He has a basic snapmares and an abdominal stretch and is a bit of a slugger. Viking looks like a biker who took up wrestling to be paid to beat people up. Mick McMichael in his kilt is the referee. It all ends when Viking charges Otto in his corner at the start of round 2 and slugs him but Otto takes over and slugs Viking then slams and pins him.

Two gimmick orientated bouts, pointing the way to the future world of Flesh Gordon, Jessy Texas, Scott Rider etc etc. Batman was Dave Larsen until the late 70s when he changed into masked villain Zarak (possibly aka Zorba The Greek.) Here his opponent is Abdul Khan, an Ahmet Chong type foreign heel, a bald bearded barefoot Arab with very little style in the ring other than dirty wrestling although he does produce a neat drop toehold. Batman doesn't do too much scientific wrestling apart from the odd very British cartwheel out of trouble. Batman gets the win with a cross buttock and press. Le Petit Prince is at ringside in a sheepskin jacket. Some little kids fawn over him. He is happy his buddy Batman won and has brought along a couple of his paintings to show the cameras. My first ever Masked Wrestler in December 1979 was a Mr X, defeated by Big Daddy on TV when hec was unmasked as journeyman Arthur Buffalo Bison. Seven years earlier this another masked Mr X faced Mammouth Siki, France's answer to Junkyard Dog. They start exchanging throws, already some of the flippiness of later French Catch, The masked man gets his heat on Mammouth. who battle the masked miscreant. The crowd, led by the MC, bay for an unmasking- "He he La CAGOULE". Siki gets a bridge out of earlier moves. Eventually X has Siki tied up in the ropes and is throwing referee Charley Bollet out of the way. It's all too much for Le Petit Prince who jumps in the ring to confront X over his tactics. He unties Siki and they (including referee Charley Bollet) pile on top of X fo get the pin. Afterwards, Prince unmasks X who spends time kneeling down hiding his face until a towel can be provided to hide his identity and take his leave. Fun if insubstantial bouts, loud characters, the odd good move.

Tarzan Johnny Wilson Vs Roy StClair, Cliffs Pavilion May 1977 transmitted August. Bit disappointed that I can't find a review of this one on here already. Suffice it to say it's full of the sort of action I absolutely adore and leads to a finish OJ will presumably totally hate. It's also - like the Nagasaki/Strong match -very much a heavyweight bout, yet it contains a lot of the moves recently described on the French Catch page as "the lightweight style." Down to business with Round 1; they lock up and go straight in the ropes then retry with Wilson getting a headlock. Roy reaches behind and pulls him into a folding press for a one count before Wilson's feet roll into the ropes. Roy gets a full nelson then switches it to a rear snapmare throw. Wilson gets up and gets a side chancery throw I to chinlock but Roy pulls his head out leaving TJW's arm in a back hammerlock position. Tarzan rolls the wrong way and Roy gets a brief pinfall attempt. He rolls back and Roy gets up again with his, the hammerlock by now a double wristlock. TJW gets his head between Roy's legs and backdropd him. Roy replies with a sunset flip into a folding press pin attempt. Wilson pulls his head out but Roy gets his head out of the hold.before a Bascule can ensure. They break and start over, TJW gets a wristlever that St Clair rolls out and Tarzan high Irish whips Roy to force a hard bump. TJW gets a Headlock and strange (sleeper) - Roy unfolds it to an armbar then converts to a rear hammerlock. He tries to reach backwards for a rear snapmare (not a reverse one as in French Catch) but can't reach far enough so horizontally spins out, facing downward. Roy gets another Headlock and strangle, He gets a bodyscissors and pulls him back with a bodyscissors then turns it over for a pin attempt, held with the scissors. Tarzan rolls out backwards and secured a Frank Gotch toehold. Roy tuns into the guard so Tarzan brings his weight down on the crossed legs. Roy tries to grab a waistlock but twice gets thrown off by Wilson., The third time, he chops Wilson in the sides, forcing him to relinquish. They start over, Wilson gets a wrist and tightens it up with a standing horizontal spin, producing a shoulder high top wristlock, forcing Roy to the mat. Roy twists into a barred straight arm. TJW forces Roy to take a high whip over his own extended arm, still holding onto the low top wristlock Roy gets a headscissors but John snaps out. Roy again gets a wristlever and tightens with a horizontal spin again, He slaps on a rear standing arm hank then vaults his man, armdragging and throwing him for a bump. Roy gets a right legdive and ankle lock, Wilson snaps back and throws Roy off but he cartwheels to safety. Tarzan gets a legdive and leans onto it to weaken the limb. Roy kicks him in the back as the bell goes. Round 2'and Tarzan gets a side headlock into cross buttock and press. He keeps him in the headlock and adds an arm scissor. Roy turns into the mount and stands . He grabs the headlock, releases the arm, keeps it bent in the back position and makes a hammerlock of it. Wilson escapes with a standing forward roll. He gets a full Japanese stranglehold on Roy who tries to reverse it but Tarzan double rotates the hold. Roy scoots backwards through Tarzan's legs and uses the tug to flip Tarzan over on the hold. He then kneedrops Tarzan in the back. Roy gets a side chancery throw and leg drop and underhook suplex into crosspress for 2 before being thrown off. TJW wins a test of strength and goes for a full frontal press pin but Roy powers out, Tarzan gets a double armbar. then switches to the pre surfboard rear double wristlock. Roy falls backwards and tries to roll forward, tempting TJW with grabbing a leg. Eventually Tarxan tries to grab the ankles and so releases the wrist and so lets Roy roll away. Roy gets a standing full nelson but Tarzan powers out. He gets a rear standing armlift which does not lift Roy but hurts his bicep. Roy kicks the back of Tarzan 's knee until he is kneeling, then he grabs a headlock and kneedrops Wilson in the face. He doubles him over and tries for a side chancery but Wilson falls in the ropes. Another finger Interlock and Wilson scores with a lean-back dropkick for eight and a high bumping throw for an 8 count then another such throw for four. Wilson gets a side chancery and double knees press for a two count. Roy gets a reverse double legs into side chinlock as the bell goes. Round 3. Johnny gets a side headlock into armbar and strikes a flying knee weakener into the shoulder then repeats from the armbar. He coverts to double armbar and wrenches on it with all his might. He pushes the weakened shoulder down. He jams the knee into shoulder joint to further aggravate it then switches to a rear arm hank. He is seated on Roy who is crouching down on the mat now. Roy crawl forwards through the legs and stands up leaving only the standing rear hammerlock. Tarzan twice throws Roy with the arm still in the hammerlock position taking the brunt of the force both times. With the arm suitably weakened Wilson reapplies the rear arm hank. Roy will not submit so Wilson goes back to the hammerlock, this time flat on the floor in the mount. StClair flips into the guard, thus untwisting the arm. Wilson folds it into a ground top wristlock which becomes a standing one when Roy kips upright. Wilson levers him back down and Roy slaps on a headscissors. Wilson turns the hold into the upright position and so turns the hold upside down, unplug his head leaving the legs again in the Frank Gotch toehold position. Maintaining the hold, Tarzan drops a shoulder into Roy's back. Roy turns into the guard and Tarzan kneels on his crossed legs. Roy tries for a bearhug, more as a breather than a serious hold. Roy lunges forward, gets an arm and throws Wilson and applies his own headscissors but it goes into the ropes forcing a break. Roy takes an arm and slings Wilson towards a posting before yanking him back for an arm weakener as good as any Irish Whip with a bump landing. The two briefly lock up on the ropes. Roy gets a right arm then switches to the left arm, barring it and driving the knee one last time into the shoulder. Just at that moment the bell goes and they shake hands. The crowd who have really enjoyed these holds give the two men a. Standing ovation. Round 4 starts with a finger Interlock until Roy knees Tarzan's bicep.. Wilson gets an armbar into a double reversed arms and tries to take a knee out but Roy straightens the arms each way to reverse the double arms. This ends in stalemate so they break and start over, the crowd applauding the sportsmanship as much as the skill. Roy kneelifts Tarzan in the face, whips him into the ropes and gets a cross buttock and press for a two count. Wilson gets a rest double legdives on Road turns him into the reverse double leg nelson, also for a two count. Roy lunges and doubles up Wilson then throws him across the ring. He is up at 5 and comes off the ropes in a flying tackle but Roy falls backwards and Wilson flies onto the ringside floor while Roy also has a bad landing on the ring apron, injuring his neck which referee Max Ward I'm. The referee counts both en out for ten - a Double Knockout. However given that the bout had been progressing so finely, this is commuted to a No Contest. The crowd applaud both mens efforts and are delighted with the result but I know someone who won't like it match. Ah well. the crowd enjoyed it and so did I. Make your own mind up.

This pair had once been tag partners in December 1975 on TV but facing the Haystacks-Daddy tag team, Strong had gone down a fall to Daddy before Kendo and George abandoned him to a second straight fall at Stax's hands. Strong starts off with a side headlock which Kendo breaks open into a top wristlock. Not being a Frenchman, Strong does not back somersault out of this, nor does he reverse snapmares out of the back hammerlock Kendo converts it to. Kendo gets in a couple of chops but these back Strong into the ropes forcing a break. Strong gets a front grovit on , so Kendo goes to the mat and rolls backwards into the upper position (This mat based roll was an ancestor of the traditional British roll on the mat to untwist and arm lever) and neatlyslips Strom's already bent arm behind him to form another hammerlock. He then underhooks the other arm and turns Strong over into a cross press but Strong twice pushes out at 2 so Kendo releases him. Strong twice gets a side headlock on Kendoand throws him using the ropes for extra bounce but both times Kendo rolls through the throw to an upright position. He chops Strong back to the opposite ropes and throws him, getting more of a bump on Strong who cannot roll through so easily. Kendo forces another bump with a high Whip. Nagasaki gets another standing hammerlock and Strong reaches for a rear snapmare but Kendonducks his head out of the way so Strong dhufles in the direction of the ropes. He underhooks Kendo's other arm meaning to get behind but Kendo gets a cross buttock throw. Strong gets a headscissors but Kendo takes a 270 degree turn round to the front rolling position then forward rolls out, grabbing a side headlock at the top of Strong's body., then switching to a cross press but Strong goes for the ropes. Strong gets a Japanese stranglehold but Kendo cross buttock throws him off. Strong gets an extended double wristlock on Kendo who nearly rolls out in the traditional British style (as he did out of the hammerlock earlier.) Strong also rolls out of Kendo's armbars (see @ohtani's jacket it wasn't bjustbthe lightweights) but then grabs the ropes to break it. Strong gets a legdive but Kendo folds himef into the Gotch toehold position, curls up and rolls out. Strong gets another Japanese Stranglehold and Kendo cross buttocks out and throws Strong again getting a bump and a count of 5. Strong gets some sort of chinlock and Kendo backs him into the corner forcing a break. Kendo gets a chinlock, Strong tries to lift him for an atomic drop but Kendo pulls him back down into a throw, landing up with a side headlock. Strong tries to pull Kendo into another headscissors but can't get the leverage. The bell save him. Throughout the first round and this round break, Walton touts Kendo's intert in mysticism. his "faith healing" clinic in South London and how Naggers is " a formidable hypnotist. Clearly Kent has been tipped off as to what is to come in round 2. Early on Kendo leans forward and stares strangely at Strong causing him to recoil. Strong gets a bearhug which Kendo slowly and majestically turns into a cross buttock into side headlock on the mat. He adds to the hold by scissoring off one wrist. He converts the headlock to a ground top wristlock while at the same time uncrossing his legs and crossing them the other way, thus smoothly transitioning to a cross press like points changing on a railway line. Strong powers out with two one counts and Kendo let's him up, but Strong isn't happy, complaining to the referee about something. Kendo gets a single legdive and traps the other leg to bring his man down in the guard. Nagasaki then turns Strong by the secured leg into a single leg Boston Crab. But Strong is too near the ropes and grabs them to force a break. Strong gets a headlock then whacks Kendo in the eye with the heel of the hand, flooring him. Strong tuns his body to block the view for the referee the delivers two illegal closed fist punches to Kendo's eyes. Crabtree catches the second and threatens Strong with a public warning if he carries on. Kendo is angry. The anger of a man who is trying to play it straight for once, then has THIS happen to him. So far he has functionally been the blue eye of the bout while Strong has been subtle heel, going for the ropes too easily and now outright fouling. Kendo staggers around then lunges forward into a pressure points position staring into Strong's eyes. Strong does not move as Kendo hits the ropes from a flying tackle.Strong tries to keep his balance but collapsed and Nagasaki gets the one fall required with the said press. It's an early version of the hypnosis angle would regularly inflict an Robbie Brookside 10-14 years later. Cut back to the studio for Bank Holiday Monday Sports Special- anchorman Dickie Davies quips " So, an Eastern victory ..." Despite the slightly gimmicky ending this is a good short technical bout which show that heavyweights çould work the British style too. Some particularly graceful work from Kendo.

... And here he is with Le Petit Prince back in their primes.

In between RBC and Flesh, there was one Claude Rocas. Here he is against some young whippersnapper in the 21st century...

1991 All Star has a go at a cage match. Kendo Nagasaki and Blondie Bob Barrett versus Marty Jones and Danny Colin's at Civic Hall Wolverhampton. Commentary at the start is by Peter Kendo himself and refers to his current storyline for LDN. Dance pop song about Kendo is also of recent vintage. The footage however is prime early 1990s post TV All Star boom. Kendo's manager Lloyd Ryan gets an early kicking out of the cage door and the blue eyes go to work. Kendo briefly exits the cage but uses a chair to bash down the good guys and gets back in. After Jones leaves the cage. Kendo keeps guard on the door while Barrett destroys Collins until Marty gets back in.m Salt and a chair come into the mix. Collins accidentally takes out the referee with a missile dropkick. Barrett accidentally blast Kendo with salt and Collins and Jones leave the cage together to be greeted by a trumphant mob of supporters, but the referee sees nothing. So they go back in to revive the referee and as they do so Kendo and Barrett ambush them and leave which the referee sees so Kendo and Bob win the match! Collins was British Heavy Middleweight champion and Barret either was or soon would be British Welterweight Champion. Wild and violent and totally unsuitable for ITV but at the time the total opposite of the kiddy friendly Big Daddy Roadshow and so way ahead of it by 1991 at the box office. Electric atmosphere too.

Nice interview with an out of character Jane "Klondyke Kate" Porter. Best bit is when the interviewer talks about British wrestling coming back and she flatly points out that it never went away. Atta girl.

Some more Teddy Boys, still not clad in Edwardian Drapes, still not a DA quiff in sight. The mention of Les Bloussons Noirs is a clue to the creation of their gimmick. Les BNs were in England and one of them ran off with Max Crabtree's first wife (which isn't germane to the story) and they were billed as The French Teddy Boysdespite being bikers, not Tedd. (Which is). Les BNs/The FTBs took the name back to France along with the first Mrs Max Crabtree where the name was reassigned to this tag team. By the 1970s you did get a lot of middle aged Teds as well as second generation Ted's who got into a nasty war with Punks, so I suppose Robert's half of the gimmick has aged better than expected. Physically, Robert reminds me of Bill Eadie as Ax of Demolition, both older guys in leather and greased hair. Rene was clearly an early architect of the Saulnier/PP/Angelito style we discussed earlier. He does the back somersaults off a top wristlock- in fact he follows up on it with a neat drop toehold. He does do Scisseaux Volees but early on not as a counter to a Clef Aux Bras. About 21 minutes in, he does do this move- a little pointlessly too as he is down on the mat with Robert and has to kip up and THEN flying headscissor when a ground- applied headscissor would surely have sufficed. He also does some forward cartwheels a bit like Dynamite Kid or Danny Collins. He does the vaulting overhead leap to behind an opponent that the above named guys all used. "Il est vaultigeur" says the commentator. I must look that word up. "Vaulter" says an online dictionary - as in a pole vaulter. Makes sense. Down on the mat he can wrongfoot an opponent with false legdives and even scoot through their legs (not as smoothly and swiftly as Collins though) - I imagine his bouts with George Kidd in the 50s were a lot of good fun. He does Kidd's human ball trick- like Kidd in the 1975 match with Black Jack Mulligan he sticks out the odd arm or his head as bait. Cesca is slower and more methodical. He throws and is thrown. He has an underhook suplex and a backdrop not unlike Big Daddy's double elbow drop- the dangerous one Bret Hart recalls Max C bribing wrestlers to take. The Teds are just generic thug heels. I've seen the post where OJ reckons it's Sevre in the Aledo match although that Teddy Boy was younger and brattier with spiky hair years before Punk. Sevre looks physically bigger to me than that other Teddy Boy and has a Beatle moptop cut (I remember reading somewhere the Fab Four got the style off a French art movement). It's also a welcome back to that big heavyset referee again, Martial who I previously cited as a precedent for Roger Delaporte's Enforcer Referee character from the late 70s. One time he roughs up Sevre who tries to appease him by patting him on the head! Sevre gets the opener on Cesca with a double knees press. Afterwards the Teds pretend to help him up then Sevre gets in a cheeky shot and they both post him to his corner, which he overshoots and lands outside the ring. They aim the odd kick at Cesca and an aiding RBC and themselves are slapped around by Martial who is reluctant to raise their hands. Le Boulch is from Britannia and likes sport especially wrestling says the commentator. They both have motor hire businesses away from the ring. Les Mechants try some of the tying up and slingshotting tricks Les Bons normally do (and blue eyes on Reslo) but it backfires as Cesca escapes and RBC is rammed into one Teddy Boy who falls off the apron then he dropkicks the other Ted out of the ring to join him. RBC handles both Teds, even doling out a Shawn Michaels superkick to one of them. Le Boulch tries his own George Kidd ball but can't roll up enough and Cesca nearly gets a rear bodyscissors on him before Sevre comes to the rescue. Later on when one Ted is slung out, he lands in a ringside seat and pours his woes out to the fan sat next to him. A nastier incident with fans attacking the Teds at ringside has to be broken up by Les Gendarmes who frogmarch the miscreants out. Cesca gets the equaliser with a rolling folding press as Rene dropkicks away the other Ted. Rene gets the decider with a Victory Roll. Yes definitely a fun bout. Ben Chemoul and referee Martial are the stars here. The Teds are violent but not upstaging like the Road Warriors, Cesca is functional. Ben Chemoul would go on to tag with Walter Bordes in a few years starting a line of Bordes tag partners that would end with Flesh Gordon.

Wrestlers - in any place or time - aren't really under any compulsion to make those allowances for fans from other far away territories where things are (least of all fans from the future watching their matches years after they have passed away.) Surely the onus is on the viewers from the other backgrounds to adapt their mindset to the different wrestling world into which they are entering?

Some more Gaeatano, here against the big Swiss at Graz 1980, just two years after his hammering by Inoki (I hope we can see that one some time.). Proof that those were more innocent times, Gaeatano comes to the ring to Gary Glitter's "Leader Of The Gang". Rene of course wears THAT cape to the ring. Cut to Rene repeatedly shoving Bobby into the ropes and giving his a stiff knee each time. He tries hoisting Gaetano over the ropes but it stopped by the ref, Bobby has more luck and out goes the big blond. He saunters round to the ring steps. Cut to Rene giving Bobby a side chancery throw and shouldet press for a 2 count. The pin attempt turns into a finger lock test of strength on the mat. Rene switches to an armlock. Bobby kips up so the Swiss throws him in the hold to keep it. He pounds Geatano 's bicep to soften it for a submission. Bobby slowly powers his way up and vaults over Rene; the armlock is kept but he is left in something like a Japanese Stranglehold position in order to do so. Rene throws Bobby again, so Bobby headscissors him. Cut to a round break with comic German music. Then a shot of some boots. The cut to Rene back in the headscisso. It looks like he is prying it open but a patch of bad tape prevents us from seeing this. Rene gets up and reigns blows on Bobby, a few look like closed fist punches but the ref does nothing, perhaps he didn't see although the punches were barely concealed. Cut again to Bobby headscissoring Rene once more. This time we see Lasartesse prise it open and kneelift Bobby. He kicks the lighter mad around and a running knee to the chest sends him somersaulting to the ground for a bump. Rene stomps Bobby's neck twice. He just about let's Gaetano off his feet then chops him down (so the No Followdowns rule is in force.) He pulls up and posts Gaetano and stomps him in the corner. Cut to more kneedrops and a choke on the middle rope then cut to a choke on the bottom rope and throat stomps from bad old Rene. The camera pans away to an empty bit of ring, then cut to Rene showing Bobby through the ropes, nearly getting a Knockout then shoving him out again. He is back to beating Gaetano in the corner when the bell goes. Cut to him continuing the beating in the middle of the ring then being warned back to his corner then a shot of a Mark Granny shouting angrily about he big blond bully. She no doubt remembers him doing all this same Scheiss back in the Sixties. So does her mate. Gaetano is in his corner nursing his bruised biceps. He steps outside for a bit and gets counted until he returns when Lataserre punished him with pounding blows including one over the head that fells him. Rene gets aside chancery throw and kneedrop. He tries to get away from the big man who catches him in the corner, gets him in a front chancery., snap suplexes him and drop a knee and some stomps. Lasartesse goes for the top turnbuckle but Gaetano lifts him off in a fireman's carry. He bashes the bigger man's head into the corner, puts him down and lands a headbutt. Rene rolls out of the ring in agony as the fans cheer! Big long panning shot of the audience, ending up with the now much happier Angry Granny from earlier and her equally delighted mate. Cut to Bobby still beating on Rene who covers up. Bobby gives him a swinging forearm then a dropkick over the ropes. Our grannies clap this! Rene gets back in the ring but cowers off Gaeatano and lies down in the ring getting counted. Gaetano takes his arm, twists it (Rene does nothing to untwist the arm) and posts Lataserre. He floors him again with a kneelift then again with a forearm. Rene rolls out to ringside clutching his head. He rolls in again and this time Bobby after seeking audience approval., uses a closed fist punch which earn him a First Yellow Card. The round bell goes and Billy gives the Swiss one more dropkick over the ropes. Cut to in the round, Rene has somehow regained his heat. He kidney jabs Gaetano and slings him over the top rope. An annoyed Bobby claims from ringside to apron the top turnbuckle in one move and fires a missile dropkick that floors the big man. He gets in some high jumping stomps then doves him to ringside with the flats of his feet. But Blond Rene is up on his feet and ready for a ringside brawl. He has Bobby laying on the apron while he pounds him from outside then gets back in the ring and stands back for the count. Cut to Rene kneeing Gaetano in the corner and standing back for another count then stomps him on the mat. Gaetano does get up somehow because we cut to Rene front chancerying and duplexing him for a pin cover, a high stomp and finally an Ivan Koloff kneedrop then finally a tombstone piledriver for the KNOCKOUT!!! The poor quality footage and the cuts make this a hard watch. If the full professional footage of this show (the source for the Otto/DLJ match ever shows up, this would probably be a satisfying brawl for OJ. What holds and technical moves there are, are in the long ponderous style of German/Austrian wrestling pre Steve Wright where every option for escape must be tried before one option actually works.

Not at all, I'm saying one wrestling culture's idea of what constitutes great wrestling does not hold a monopoly on validity. The Europeans were Not collectively Getting It All Wrong, they just had their different way of doing things.

They had THEIR IDEA of a great match. Who is to say who was right and who was wrong?