David Mantell

You're welcome. Frenchy had been a big star in Quebec He was related to Rick Martel and tag partners with Rick's brother Michel. Vince got him in 1986 and used him as a jobber until the New Dream Team split up at the end of 1987 at which point Valentine went back to Jimmy Hart and Frenchy was given a more dignified spot as Dino's manager. When he quit, Dino joined Valentine under Jimmy and the NDT reunited as half of the King's Court at SS89. I saw the same matchup on WWF Wrestling Challenge (advertised as Superstars Of Wrestling) late night ITV only he was still Dingo Warrior there. The tape was from 1987 but ITV screened it in late 1988. I don't know if it was the same bout or not but Frenchy did a lot of walking out before losing.

He wasn't yet a manager at this point anyway. Bravo was still in the New Dream Team under Johnny Valiant two months later at SS87.

Marc Mercier has died, reportedly.

Sadly there is nothing suitably short from 1988 Germany/Austria to serve as a second bout like the British and French threads so here instead is a music video from the people who gave you We Are Dynamite. Worth watching for the sight of Haystacks in a sun visor. shades and Hawaiian shirt. Oh and Paul Neu is a much better singer than rapper.

Okay, at least one of these guys is a European with technical skills. The ref is Didier Gapp former French Arbitre Méchant turned comedy hero of Germans and Austrians. Plus we postpone thhe battle of two Superheavyweight blobs for next weekend (you'll see). Runde 1 sand both absorb each others bodycheck attempts til Zrno dropkicks Rambo and twice armdrags him. Quite a lot installing. Twice Zrno gets a hammerlock and Zrno goes straight for the ropes, major heal heat throughout Europe. The second time Zrno kicks Rambo's behind. Crowd are chanting "MILE MILE MILE". Rambo twice uses a hairpull tho win a top wristlock battle. Mile gets a headlock and plans to forerarm smash Rambo. The bell goes but Mile presses ahead and is warned by Didi. Mile and Didi have a blazing row. Runde 2. The first good scientific move of the bout - Mile rolls therefrom and kips out of a Rambo armbars. He forearms the Quebecr who pulls him down by the hair. Mile kips up , forearms, is hairpulled down, then in a second scientific move and a real beauty, steps over Rambo's head, unrolls himself and coils back up with a ground position dropkick. Mile gets a Headlock, Rambo a rear waistlock. There is a battle to throw each other. Zrno wins. Cut to Mile battering Rambo with kicks. Mile gets a drop toehold into Gotch toehold and leans back to make an Indian Deathlock. Cut to Rambo clotheslining Zrno and repeatedly stomping on him, breaking the KO count. A brawl erupts, Zrno swings at Dido and gets a First Yellow Card. Rambo stomps a fallen Zrno again as the bell goes. He carries on and and gets a first yellow card of his own. Even that does not deter him as he posts Mile back to his corner. Didi holds the yellow card up again- not sure if this is a Second And Final or just a reminder to Rambo Runde 3 Rambo gets a front facing back hammerlock. Zrno tries to slam him but to no avail. Rambo batters him down. He gets a full Boston Crab. Zrno does not submit so Rambo, bored, drops the hold and stomps Mike in the back. He actually lets him up before smashing his head into the corner. Rambo hides a concealed punch from Didi but Gapp is suspicious. Rambo gets a posting for 6, a side headlock into concealed punch. Another posting Zrno converts into a flying bodypress but only gets 1. So he lands three uppercuts and dropkicks Rambo out of the ring. Cut to the bell going but Zrno gets in a stomp this time. Runde 4 JIP and Rambo is staggering. Zrno dropkicks him and rear snapmares him and flying cross headscissors him twice with Rambo taking spinning bumps. Another dropkick sends Rambo to the apron. Zrno tries to stomp him off. He gets a not very good shoulderblock, tries again but Rambo gets a big boot. He smashes Rambo's head twice in the turnbuckle, posts him, bodyslams him and gets the one required fall. Rambo is the winner. The scientific European Vs the Arrogant North American with total contempt for European rules. A common enough trope in all Europe. A few real bits of sparkle, mainly from Zrno,- the unroll and recoil into ground dropick. Rambo won and he went on to bigger things in the CWA, mainly against another arrogant American, Bull Power.

Okay we had two short bouts on the French thread, same for Britain. A less well known Johnny Saint match from the Royal Albert Hall just a couple of months later. Round 1 JIP. Curtis has a bridge (usually a Saint move). Saint tries to load it up but Curtis legflips him off (not the monkey climb I expected!). Saint lets go a wrist and wristlevers the other. He aims for a leg bu5 Jan gets the other wrist and makes a standing back hammerlock. Someone in the crowd honks an airhorn, they know a charging grow is coming and are right, Curtis is flung from the ring. but hits the apron and climbs back. Saint whips him to the ropes and butts his stomach on the rebound. Referee Johnny Kwango gives a 4 count. Saint gets a cross handed grovit, almost a scissor chop, Curtis misses something and falls from the ring. For a bit it looks like Saint will be offered a TKO but Curtis is back and on the attack with a standing full nelson into rear snapmare but Saint lands feet first like a cat. Jan gets an armlever into fireman's carry takedown. Saint kips up, still in the wristlever and sits in front.from where he takes over with his own armlever into rear snapmare into chinlock. Curtis gets an armbar back, throws Saint who lands feet first and goes behind for the side folding press rollup but Curtis rolls out and dodges Saint's attempts to get a grip on him. He gets a full Japanese Stranglehold, Saint lays full length, takes an arm then backrolls into a Japanese Stranglehold of his own! Curtis simply switches round to reverse the reversal. Saint bridges and turns to reverse again! Curtis starts his reversal but switches to single wrist. Saint uses a foot to part this from behind! Curtis gets the wrist again but Saint cartwheels out. He gets a wrist himself, switches to single leg into toe and ankle. Curtis flicks him off with the ankle but Saint cartwheels upright. Curtis gets a legdive, Saint turns head towards his man. Curtis is tempted to get the second leg, and in doing so releases and Saint now gets the wrist. He develops to standing full nelson, Curtis reverses. So does Saint with extra leg leverage. Curtis rears into him, hits the ropes and gets a sunset flip as the bell goes. Round 2 Saint again gets a standing full nelson. Curtis throws him off and gets a guard wristlock. Saint kips up, does a horseshoe leapfrog on Curtis's arm and head and gets a single leg takedown. Into si gle leglock. He switches to other leg then wrist into high whip and bump. Curtis is up at 5 and reverses a posting but Saint leaps the pad and goes through the legs into the full Interlock, clips both sides with a leg, grabs the side headlock and goes behind. Leapfrogs and goes backwards though the legs, feigns a full interlock and instead goes for the legs, turns his man into the mount, gets all 4:parts of the surfboard and gets the the submission! Additionally, Curtis is in no state from the hold to continue, so 2-0 it is! That's two good short but sweet matches we have had on the British thread plus some good news about Premier living on. Good week.

Yet again it's Bernie Wright in a team event. This time from long before Stampede and Bearcat against the Birmingham Steve Logan still very much a TBW at 18 going 19, part of a squad of blue eyes called the Jets in white running vests, also including Pat Patton and Alan Kilby.. Once again Bernie is the White Sheep among an otherwise villain side - his team mates in the Ring Battlers are Black Jack Mulligan (Larry Coulter not Bob Windham, obviously) future masked Emperor Bill Bromley and John Wilkie the future Wildman Wilkie. We JIP in Round 3. Logan is trying a rear legspread on Bernie but Wright can take the stretch. He easily folds at the waist and knees to escape and gets an appreciative clap. Bernie gets a single leg takedown and weakener. Logan gets a front chancery into single leg takedown, tries for a single leg Boston Crab, can't get it so settles for a leg weakener of his own. Wright is up at for and easily kicks out of a slam into crosspress. Getting more crowd clap.he gets a cross buttock 5hrow. It's a beauty but only gets him a couple of 1s. Wright uses a foot to cut a double Interlock to single then make it a wristlock, start a posting but suddenly get a high whip and force a bump. Up at 6, Logan likewise cuts an interlock from double to single, rear snapmares Bernie down and low elbowsmashes him. He throws Bernie 2hi lands feet first bu5 Logan again gets the snapmare and elbowsmash. Logan gets a crotch old, slam and crosspress for 2. Bernie whips and shivers Logan but the bell goes. Round 4. Logan twice throws Bernie in a back hammerlock but both times Wright is upright from the landing. Steve equally makes a feet first landing from a throw, going over on his hands. Wright too can handspring over. He then gets a boot and a dropkick and two postings but on the second Bernie, (like Tony LaMotta on Eric Lacroix on the French thread) gets a backwards leapfrogs into a waistlock rollup front folding press pin! Bernie is one up! Round 5 Logan shifts between front, side and rear chancery before going into armlever and high whip & bump. Bernie sells his arm on the canvas. He is up at six but straight into another Logan wrist lever into knee lift on upper arm. Logan tries the Hammerlock throw but Bernie still takes it head first and comes upright. Bernie reduces a double Interlock to single and dropkicks the other arm. Now Logan is selling. He splis off an interlock but gets a spinning single legdive. Talking the other leg, he gets another legspread. Wright can cope and when Logan spins off the corner to adjust, Bernie takes it nicely, getting the inside advantage. They agree a stalemate, then run the ropes. Logan misses a grab for cross buttock, Wright overshoots a double leg takedown. They double interlock and Logan gets behind into a rear double leg takedown into Gotch leglock. Wright tries a chinlock counter but it slips off. Logan tries for the arms to make a surfboard but Wright curls up to extricate himself. Wright gets a cross buttock and press for one. Logan gets a quick go behind legdive into side folding press but Runs Out Of Mat. The bell goes. Round 6 Final round and Logan is 0-1 behind. He can only win on KO or DQ. Wright wants 2-0. He gets semi Japanese Stranglehold into nearly an unwind bodycheck bu5 makes it an armdrag into flying armhank at the last second. Perhaps Logan is trying for that Ko as he dodged a charge and Wright flies out to ringside but is back inside the ring easily. He leapfrogs Logan who tries to clamp down on a legflop attempt with a folding press. Bernie gets his legs round for a bridging folding press but Logan crawls away. Wright tries thecsunset flip into double leg nelson but gets only one, Logan gets his own folding press with bridge and gets the final round equaliser!!! It's a 1-1 draw. Nice sportsmanly TBW Vs post-TBW match. Logan would in turn be the senior younster against Owen Hart in 1984. These two met again in the competition ina tag match with Patton partnering Logan and Wildman Wilkie partnering the future Bearcat, still a Parejas Increible in 1982. There's one guy who can top this though ...

But wait! There's another quick bout for the last 5 mins of the episode. Speak of the devil, here is Tony LaMotta, facing Eric Lacroix, future young heel French Welterweight Champion (how does that fit onto the lineage Phil?) and student/tag partner of Theo "Popov Le Gitane" Pouzade on both FR3's on 1991 bout and New Catch Season 2 later that year, but back in 1988 just a promising TBW. Once again old time heel Pierre Lagache is refereeing. They take turns shoving each other down from a collar and elbow start. Tony gets an armdrag but Eric takes it well. So Tony gets a dropkick then a side headlock I to back hammer into rear takedown folding press - shades of Saxon Brookes on the the British thread. Lagache is late getting to the count but credit to Lacroix, he comes up with a fantastic escape, getting headscissors and going up into a handstand and throwing LaMotta with his legs - unfortunately into th3 ropes, causing Lagache to call for a break. They got from collar and elbow to top wristlock. The younger Eric wins the test of strength and has Tony down in a guard armlock. LaMotta eventually kips up and when LaCroix armdrags him down, he slaps on the Scisseaux a la tête. Lacroix turns the hold upright and tries to handstand out but LaMotta destabilises him and turns the hold back sideways. Lacroix turns upright and uses a handstand to uncork his head. LaMotta gets a but more brawly with a shovedown and two Manchettes. Lacroix reverses a posting but LaMotta backwards leapfrogs him and rear waistlocks him into a forward folding press for the pin. Some good promise from Eric Lacroix here especially the handstand out of a folding press. The older LaMotta won this time but Eric would have his day as a Popov-mentored heel champion in Series 2.

Once again with a 1988 season one episode of New Catch, the appealing bout for the old time fans is match 2 so we'll fast forward tho the 11'minute mark. Jacky Richard Vs Michel Falempin with Charley Bollet refereeing . Actually I was a bit worried I'd already covered this match but no, I was thinking of another one this season with Tony LaMotta. (I found a bunch of casual refs to zRocas Falempin on New Catch also but that was it, so I'll sigh with relief and proceed. Falempin we've previously seen teaming with Walter Bordes before he ran off with a younger Fleshier partner in 1983 and. since we've been talking titles, is announced as champion of France in the 88kg category. @Phil Lions I see from your listings he and Marcel Roger passed the Championnat de France des Poids legères back and forth in the 70s. I'm not too sure of the relation of metric bodyweight to size so I don't know if 88kg would be a lightweight. Richard is doing the Marquis gimmick he took over in 1985 from beard sneery Eduardo. He has butler Paul Butin Fluchard with him and this time wears his old Black and Red heelish colours (this became purple and red for the LaMotta match.) He comes out in a long blond wig 7 years ahead of Lord Steven Regal (at this point in the Golden Boys with Robbie Brookside) Bollet L'Arbitre is just the same old guy he'd been for the last 20 years.Richard grabs the hair and forces Rocas into the ropes a couple of times. Rocas gets as high side chancery. Richard backdrops him with quite a bump and moves in to follow up but is caught with a ground position dropkick. Rocas gets a couple of armdrags, a dropkick and throws Richard out of the ring. The crowd cheers as Jacky sells being dazed, Paul BF tends to him and Charley lays on the KO count. Richard stalls for a long time before getting a top wristlock down into guard armlock. Rocas kips up but the butler pushes him down. The second time Paul actually gets in the ring to domit and earns his master Un Avertisement. Rocas instead shifts to a Scisseaux de tête, cranking it up.while balancing on his hands. Paul runs across the ring and kicks Clause in the back. The two wrestlers have a full finger interlock. Paul trips Rocas so Richard now has almost a double arm press Charley L'Arbitre tells the butler off. Still Paul persists, pulling Rocas flat and getting the Raynaud Brothers on commentary calling for un Deuxième et Derniére Avertisement. When Rocas gets a bridge Paul clips an ankle out from under him. Rocas does get a pretty decent one legged h Planchette Japonaise on the Marquis and corners him.m Bollet warns him off but Paul actually pulls him off. Richard gets a snapmare into chinlock into elbowsmash over the cranium. He Manchettes Claude down and riles up la publique, soaking up the heat before interrupting Bollet's KO count with a kick to the downed Claude. They lock up and Paul holds Rocas on the ropes so Richard can thump him. When Claude gets up, Richard gets another snapmare into chinlock. Rocas eventually makes his Bon Comeback with Manchettes and a snapmare of his own, a Scisseaux Volees and a other throw to ringside. He aeroplane spins the butler down and Manchettes a returning Richard to join him. He flying shoulderblocks the butler and crotch holds and lifts Richard for a bodyslam but Paul pushes his master down on top of Rocas for the pin. Potential ivy league match overshadowed by Paul Butin's tribute act to Bobby Duranton's manservant Firmin.

It's been quite a while since we discussed Premier Promotions on here. This has mainly been down to their lack of online presence other than ticket sales for their shows. Fortunately somebody (not me, I assure you) has been busy updating their shows to Cagematch: Events « Premier Promotions (PWF) « Promotions Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database It's particularly interesting that John Freemantle has even held a couple of shows away from his Worthing home base. In other present day scene news, I've bought my ticket for All Star at Dudley Town Hall 30th Oct and will post a report here afterwards.

The TV show on TF1 /Eurosport was finished after '92 though. The TV show that later popped up on small private networks was Eurostars and was BVD's babyface. Anyway that poster says EWF/FEC, not New Catch.

Strictly they were Eurostars/IWSF titles as there was no more New Catch after 1992 (Lacroix's title and medal were definitely New Catch and a big feature of that 1991) season.). Gordon and Bordes as European tag champions were earlier, circa 1983. I think Hisaru Tenabe has that one on his site. Zéfy did a title loss/regain in the early 00s, I forget who to, I've got an uneasy feeling we've already said who on here in the past. Kato Bruce Lee had the European title off Gordon which he regained and We've had the video on here (or possibly the German thread.) We may as well mention Bernard Van Damme's European Heavyweight title (we've covered him regaining it.)

Some other title ponderings: What was the backstory for the European Tag Team Championship Bordes and Gordon claimed in 1983? Or Flesh's later European Heavyweight title. Or Eric Lacroix's French Welterweight title on New Catch Season 2 in 1991? And did the Championnat Du Monde Des Poids Mi Lourds have a back story before Prince Zéfy in 2002 or is it unproblematic to treat Zéfy as heir to the title Jones finally lost to "Legend of Doom" Johnny South in Bristol, April '99.?

Thanks for that. Did Marty actually beat Walter Bordes on May 2, 1982? If not this would have fit perfectly with the titles in Britain - after the Spanish version died out, Adrian Street was champion for Brian Dixon 1977-1981 ("in the Amateur Ranks" - Gordon Solie). with occasional losses to Jon Cortez before Street headed to North America that year. The next two versions of the World Middleweight title in Europe are the IBV/CWA version 1985-2000 and the All Star/Rumble version 1991-1996. So apart from Bordes being a rival claimant to Adrian, it all works nicely. Jones was also not World Mid Heavyweight champion until he beat Bobby Gaetano on World of Sport in Nov 1982..

Otto versus the visiting American, Black Bart, former World Class champion and sometime WWF jobber has Orig Williams in his coner, Otto has Steve Wright in his. A man with a trumpet plays the US and Austrian National anthems. He's not the only only horn player here, dozens of the crowd have those airborne you Americans HATE. There's also a jazz funk version between rounds of Time After Time, a song by former WWF Diva Cyndi Lauper. It's a professional multi cam set up but let down by a lighting failure, the match taking place in shadowy darkness like that WWF In You House where they had a power cut. Lights only improved about 5 minutes from the end. The match is your usual Otto Brawl and your usual Cowboy Bart brawl Little to write blow by blow about. Otto gets the odd good side chancery throw on Bart. They also brawl outside the ring a lot -;OJ will like thafThey have an electronic sound effect instead of a bell for Runden. Otto gets the win with a bodyslam and big splash pin . The public charges the ring like that old Bob Backlund clip from a title sequence. You get what you pay for with an Otto mat frankly.

Not sure if I'm at risk of Alan Kilby overkill (Overkilby?) as we have had quite a few of his bourbon lately but here comes another one. This was - astonishingly - from Week 1 of the late 1983 Giant Haystacks ' Wrecking Crew Vs Big Daddy's All Stars. The same event that brought you Big Daddy Vs Scrubber Daly solo squash and a Triple Tag featuring Stax, Daly and Lucky Gordon against Daddy, Pat Patterson and our man Mr Kilby now brings you this clean technical bout Apollon is in the same position as Bernie Wright last week, a blue eye grafted onto a heel faction to make up the numbers. Unlike Wright, he doesn't end up later that night in a Parejas Incredible Triple Tag Team with, say Haystacks and Lucky Gordon, he just has a fine sporting contest and if Stax gets any points out of it, never you mind. We start at Round 3. Apollon gets a side headlock into rear snapmare but misses with a follow up legdrop. He gets a cross buttock throw for 3(KO count, not pin) , a posting and rear snapmare but Kilby stands up to a bodycheck. Kilby gets a mule kick, long suplex and crosspress for 3, leaving him one up. Round 4 and Apollon gets an armdrag then takes a wrist, switches to a single leg takedown and drops some weakeners on Kilby's knee before turning him into the mount, putting a Gotch toehold on with one hand, crossfaci gbhim with the other and leaning back to try tomake what KentvWalton calls a side-sufboard.. Rather than haul him up he turns 90 degrees with a 2 handed crossface to make an STF before switching to double wrists to complete the conventional surfboard position. Still unable to haul Kilby up, he reduces down to a standing armbar. He overarm whips Kilby who takes a bump, drops a leg to mark and armhank. Switching to guard armlock, Apollon let's his man up but then posts him, targetting the already softened arm for more submission work later. Alan gets a kick and slam but Apollon catches him with a ground position dropkick. Kilby tries again with the mule kick but Apollo catches the leg then the other foot and folds his man into a front facing folding press for an equising fall. Round 5 Apollon tries for a rear armlock but Kilby slips on a standing full nelson then switches to a cross buttock throw for 4, Apollon replies with a cross buttock of his own into a guard armlock. He tries making it double arms and a cross press but neither achieves much to he releases. Kilby ets a front chancery Apollon breaks it and high whips the arm but Kilby rolls upright beautifully. Apollon lunges and gets a rear snapmare, catching a rising Kilby whipping him to the ropes, catching him with an elbow and reapplying the armbar to the previously weakened shoulder. He lands more weakeners then a high whip forcing a somersault and bad landing for Kilby. Alan fights back with a shoulderblock, chop and posting for 4. Apollon gets a snapmare into chinlock with a mild blood-choke on one side. Before Kilby entirely passes out he switches to a posting. Kilby stalls for a while to clear his. head then suddenly unleashes a mule kick. Apollon responds with a headbutt for 5 then a crotch hold and slam. Kilby responds in kind but Apollon catches him with another ground position dropkick. He does the armdrags into armhank sequence from earlier, then keeping the arm, gets a posting on it. Clearly his gameplan is to work on that shoulder. Kilby lunges and bends Apollon but while bowing Apollon gets a single leg. He tries to drop his weight on Kilby's knee but misses and Kilby pounces prematurely and is warned by the referee. Apollon is forgiving, the two shake hands - and the bell rings. Round 6 Apollon gets a half interlock into armbars and passes it overhead, high overarm m whips his man and gets the arm Hank yet again. Clearly still gunning for that shoulder. He gets double arms but as Kilby stands he very nearly land in a Japanese Stranglehold but Apollon releases the second arm - perhaps it was just to restrict Kilby's options - and gets another arm weakener and tries for a posting but Alan resists. They trade forearm smashes and Apollon gets double legs into a single leg and toehold weakeners. He goes back to the shoulder with an armbar into armdrags, drops a leg on it and forms an armscisors. He pulls his man up for more shoulder work but Kilby scores a flying forerarm smash and throws him. Apollo stays down but used the opportunity to catch a single leg takedown, switch to a posting (more shoulder work!) Kilby gets a snapmare and legdrop and tries for a slam but Apollon gets a snap suplex first - landing right on that shoulder. By now Kent Walton is openly rooting for a draw because neither man deserves to lose. Kilby mak. es no impact with two bodychecks but rather more with a dropkick. Just as you think it's going to be 1-1, Kilby gets a powerslam for the deciding pin and points to the Big Daddy All Stars. Somewhere, Haystacks is no doubt FUMING but Apollon is all handshakes and sportsmanship and generally conduct unbecoming a member of a Wrecking Crew. Faster paced than a bout that high up the weights might be expected to be although there was plenty of power work. I liked Apollon getting a folding press as a counter to a mule kick and his taking legdives with his head still down as well as his targeting of Kilby's shoulder.

And so back to the first half. In Britain, "John Harris" is of course the name of a respected Welsh-birn MC and referee who also deputised for Orig Williams on the 1991 Eurosport repeats of the "Maxi Cuisine" episodes of New Catch, possibly including this very one. The wrestler John Harris, staple of German /Austrian wrestling is generally known in his homeland as Judd Harris or Gunboat Harris, Several months before this bout he popped up on ITV as Baron Von Schultz to lose to Wayne Bridges . Oddly enough despite having fought Marc Mercier in one of the great British wrestling Vs French Catch crossover matches just a year or two earlier, this is the earliest piece of evidence I have to date seen of Marty Jones wrestling in France. Harris comes to the ring with a young model, no doubt desperate for work. whose remit is to dress skimpily, get dragged around roughly on a chain and generally behave like a badly trained dog (fortunately not misbehaving against the ring post to which she is chained!). This was the late 80s and a lot of underground nightclubs had this sort of S&M thing as floor show entertainment. Let's just call it a product of its era and file it with Rocco's seconds, Flesh Gordon's topless lovelies and Mrs Prince Zéfy. Jones easily slips out of the heavier Harris's side headlock. When Harris gets a legdive into toe and ankle, Jones spins him off and Harris takes the bump. Harris gets a guard top wristlock on Jones and sometimes uses powere, other times pulls him down by the hair when Marty kips up. Jones gets into the local flavour with a headscissors takedown. He keeps hold of the scissor, occasionally twisting on it. Harris rather nicely folds the scissors into a powerlock of his own (releasing his head) but switches to a single leg with a hold on the kneecap - Jones again spins hik off, the time with cross-headscissor and again Harris takes the bump. Harris gets rough with a Manchette and kneelift, choking Jones on the ropes, then using the cord to catapult Jones across the mat and almost out. He tries the rope choke and catapult again but Jones somersaults upright and from behind dropkicks Harris out of the ring. He spends a long time out there arguing with the Wife, a table-load of officials and the fans. When he gets back Jones gets a headlock and fires him into the ropes but Harris comes back with a. bodycheck flooring Marty. Harris tries again, ducking under a charging Jones but this time it's Marty's turn to score the bodycheck. Jones is back where he started with a side headlock, but Harris fires him to the ropes and gets a kneelift on the rebound. He illegally picks up Jones and chokes him on the ring apron with the bottom rope. Two Manchettes fell Jones the Harris chokes him on the ropes. Before L'Arbitre can intervene, Jones bucks him over the top rope, when he returns, Jones tried to a flying tackle, fells Harris but does so rather clumsily that I think it was a botch. Harris gets a whip and back elbow. He gets pressure points on Marty then drapes him on the ropes. Jones rear snapmares Harris to ringside. More Manchettes and a saus-chassee send Harris out Harris pulls Jones out and a ringside brawl ensues. Marty dropkicks Harris off the ring apron. Upon his return Marty gets in some postings then a big backdrop and crosspress for the one required fall .Jones the. winner, Harris drags "Madame Harris" off by the hair for a session of god knows what BDSM French commentators Sammy Et Thierry Raynaud. call it"a victory for intelligence" but it's not really a great scientific match, it's a skill Vs power styles clash which doesn't really give Jones the chance to show off his skills.

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

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

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

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

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

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