David Mantell

This looks from the flickery picture like it has been camera converted by a bootlegger - somewhere in the process the colour signal has been lost (possibly an early primitive b/w camcorder.) Rocco has trunks but is already evolving down the path of being the Rocco we would know. He has the moustache. JIP Round 3: We first see Rocco kick out of a pin then get a headlock to side channcery. Jowett straightens and scissors the arm. Rocco takes bumps from both the whip and a throw. Jowett gets a rather lopsided folding press but tidies it for 2. Rocco keeps on trying to grapple as Terry gets up and is warned by referee Ernie Baldwin. They uneasily shake hands. Jowett goes for a backslide but Runs Out Of Mat. Rocco kips up and they run the ropes. Rocco drops down but Jowett stops running and kicks Rocco on the ground - more in jest than real aggression but Rocco takes it seriously and complains to both Jowett and Baldwin, making this the first example we've got of Rocco's infamous temper! Rocco atomic drops Jowett and suplexes and monkey climbs him. He gets a side chancery throw for 4 and tries for a double underhook suplex but Jowett reverses it into a seated back hammerlock/armlever combination.He armdrags Rocoo and backslides him but again R.O.O.M.'s. Rocco shakes hands and runs the ropes but Jowett ignores him and jobs on the spot.Once again Rocco is complaining. He gets a headlock.into grovit into forearm smash flooring Terry. He gets another forearm, legdive and leg weakener before the bell goes. Round 4: Rocco gets a headlock into back hammerlock. Jowett fires off a (formerly illegal) back elbow counter.He gets a snapmare and throw but Rocco lands feet first. Rocco gets a headlock into further nelson. This time it's his turn to ROOM (I like that acronym.) Rocco gets a front chancery but Jowett grabs the arm and whips Rocco who takes the bump.Rocco gets rear double legs into reverse double leg nelson into a folding press but Terry gets a George Kidd/Rene Ben Chemoul/Johnny Saint ball. Jowett gets a wristlever but Rollerball rolls out and gets a top wristlock. He takes his man down but Terry gets a headscissors.Rocco kips out and gets a rear chinlock but Baldwin calls a break for discontinuous movement. Rocco smacks Jowett who goes for a single leg but again Baldwin breaks them up. Jowett cranks the back of Rocco's neck to level him for a forearm smash. Rocco gets a headlock and pounds on Terry's head with the fist edge. He gets a forearm, legdive and leg weakener but again Baldwin rules no continuous movement. Rocco gets two kneelifts but is reprimanded for a follow down blow and gets a first public warning. He gets almost a full nelson but Jowett counters with a fireman's carry takedownn. Rocco gets a side folding press but another ROOM situation occurs.Rocco gets a standing inverted rear waistlock but Terry easily backdrops him for 1. He tries an armstrtch but loses his grip. Rocco gets a suplex and a snapmare, a side chancery throw and a vicious kneedrop for 9 and kneelift for 7 then a full nelson into snapmare He tries for a cross buttock, doesn't quite make it but gets an armbar for his troubles and drops a knee on it. He armdrags and arm weakeners Jowett for 5 and the same sequence again for 6 then gets an armbar and another weakeners for 5. The bell saves Jowett from a figure four top wristlock but Rocco's strategy going into the break is clear. Round 5. Rocco continues with the left arm getting an armbar into rear armhank. Sending that Jowett is looking for a trip he dismounts (he was a horse rider after all) and lands another weakener. He gets that figure four top wristlock he was trying before the bell and converts to a Semi Japanese Stranglehold, the unwinds and pulls in a bodycheck.He gets the Semi Japanese Stranglehold again and tries another bodycheck but Jowett is ready and backdrops him. This is the start of a real blue-eye rally as he whips and posts Rocco so he lands Tree Of Woe style upside down and bounces off. He throws Rocco for a bump and dropkicks him out of the ring. Jowett flips him in, bodychecks him, but Rocco kips up, inverted waistlocks his man and powerslams and kneepresses him for the one required fall. A clue as to the identity of the bootlegger - a male voice from the room where the camera copying is being done says says "I did my best " and a Scottish female voice says 'Never mind". A star on the rise. I also liked the story with the arm although it was not involved in the finish.

Judge for yourselves:

Wikipedia said 98. Whatever. WCW went to Channel 5 in 1999-2001 Point is they jilted ITV and ran off with Superchannel which keeled over on them. Before that Regal promo.

Just mentioned the above match on the Hulk Hogan Dead At 71 thread. Apart from this we have him tagging with the France-based Mammouth Siki and a tiny bit of early 70s docu footage of a young Hansi with dark hair. Plus I just turned up THIS from 1986. Hansi is working heel here against a young Franz Schumann, although some fans are still cheering for him. Hansi beats up Franz, Franz retaliates and Hansi is urinated that fans cheer for Franz when he is just as dirty. Hansi double-crosses on a handshake, they both like up the yellow cards, 2 each, Franzl gets a cross buttock press on Hansi, a ringside brawl, the big blond man gets a win with a powerslam. If the match with Kirk reminds me of Daddy's mid 70s bouts with John Elijah.then this is like Daddy Vs Kendo Nagssaki circa 1975 or the two Stax Daddy Vs Veidor & Tibor matches with the big blond man acting rough. Jeff Kaye is the referee by the way.

Just realised that last reference will go over the heads of people not familiar with German Catch. I'm on about the blond one, btw

WCW was not on ITV anymore by 1997, it was lured away in 1995 by Superchannel, a pan-European NBC affiliate which keeled over in 1998, so I would take this story with not just a pinch of salt but a large sack labelled SAXA ... Sarah "Rockin' Robbins started wrestling in Britain aged 12. James Mason started at 14. Lots of kids were already getting their first push over here at 17, typically beating Jim Breaks for a Lightweight/Welterweight title (both Bulldogs. Danny Collins.). It's still a thing over here in the 2020s eg the three Bryant Brothers.

From latterday to even more latterday. Bernard Van Damme ("Rob who? I was ripping off Jean Claude!"). wrestler and promoter of Eurostars takes on Murat Bosphorus from Turkey in that packed IWSF tTV show from 2007. Belgium Vs Turkey. (I refuse to let Erdrogan make me call it Turkiye, but enough about politics .) Bernard gets an early rear waistlock but Murat breaks it open. BVD rolls out British style and gets a standing back hammerlock. The Turk considers a rear snapmare but ultimately opts for a fireman's carry takedown into an armlock. Rob backwards rolls up and gets a. drop toehold on Murat into a folding press for 2. They have a full finger Interlock test of strength. Van D gets an armbar of his own. Murat opts for a bodyslam cover but Bernard keeps the hold and comes up with Bosphorus in the guard still in a wristlock. Murat twists out horizontally Bernard gets another armbar, Murat reverses it and throws him off. Murat gets another arm. It gets a bit brawly until Bernard gets a reverse flying elbowsmash, slam but misses a top rope move. The Turk gets a suplex for 2. and shoves Bern down and throttles him. Rob gets a sunset flip for 2 Murat gets an over the knee backbreaker for 2. He starts posing with BVDs belt so the referee puts it back and Murat covers Van D for 2.the Turk complains but it's his own fault really. Rob gets a flying forearm off the top corner for 2. He leaps at Murat but the Turk gets him with a powerbomb for 2. Murat goes for a superplex but BVD pushes him off and gets a Superfly splash for the win. Early stages of this were pretty good technical wrestling, I think I shall check out some more Bernard Van Damme sometime soon.

Another veteran Vs youngster match. Grim Rocker, face painted Spanish mate of future Legend of Doom Johnny South and whom I believe I am correct in saying is the former Elliot Frederico Le Rocky Du Ring of early 80s French TV Catch seen feuding with the Gordon/Bordes tag team c. 1983-1985 on Antenne 2, takes on Jean Phillipe de Lonzac, a promising kid we've seen on here before. Grim gets the better of a top wristlock battle and armdrags JP to the mat three times. The fourth time JP goes for the flying headscissors, misses but gets a bodycheck, guillotine elbowsmash and splash for 2, Al moves one associates more with Superheavyweight monsters, not a young kid. Grim gets a standing side headlock into cross buttock into mat side headlock sequence. JP forces up but the Rocker bodychecks him down. JP straightens a side headlock into a straight arm behind the back then grabs his ownside headlock. Grim throws him to the ropes but JP cartwheels back past him and resumes the headlock, then gets an armdrag. JP gets the headlock again and holds on as Grim charges to the ropes and crotches himself on the middle rope. He gets a side chancery throw and flying headscissors and dropkick. Grom reports to brawling, a fist an axehandle, a kick a chop, etc. a bodycheck, a posting or 2. He pulls JP up on his knees. and kicks him around. Finally he gets a long suplex and another splash for the win. Demolition job mostly.

I seem to recall he was around in the early 70s.

Old Catch veteran Jacky Richard, now in his Travesti Man persona, takes on top rookie from Brittany, Jann Caradec fellow Celtic Orig Williams is on English commentary. Travesti is at the dirties from the start cooking and hair pulling with one decent snapmare. Caradec managed to throw him out of the ring, armdrag him He later forces a whip and hard bump. Caradec kips out of Richard's headscissors and turns a headlock into a hammerlock. He bridges out of the heavier man's cross buttock throw and press. Travesti wins with a powerslam and splash. Squash match but with some good moves from underdog Caradec.

A few more Interesting points. 1) La Bete puts on an armhank and tiers it with his legs so it becomes a figure four armhank. 2) One of Les Bons uses the flying scissors takedown, as counter to armbar, on la Bete. In France this generally worked to the point where it was done instead of a rollout on the mat. In BritIan, wrestlers would throw the headscissors off. Here, the takedown attempt looks like giving BH, presumably a Frenchman,real trouble until he goes to his corner and gets secret Brit Zarak to hUl the Bon off him! 3) A noticeably older looking Le Petit Prince helps out Couderc on colour commentary. He sounds quite, impressed with La Bet.e, all t.hings considered. 4) Crowd encourage the bons with chant of Allez Les Verts although only one. DiSanto actually wears green trunks (Mores wears navy blue)

We've reviewed quite a few of these from the 70s and 80s. Unlike in Britain where in the Winter local councils would drain public swimming pools, board them over and put wrestling and other entertainments on in the "Baths Halls", in France they would just leave the water in the pool and put in a floating ring. The French just saw this as a normal natural place to hold wrestling shows, but some other people on here disagree and see them as cheap gimmicks. This has led to some heated debates on here. Occasionally in the summer when the weather was seriously good, some places took it further and set up floating rings in the duck pond of a public park or, as here, in a harbour. Generally Catch A L'Eau was not a consistent dunking fest as this highlight reel implies. There would be long no-nonsense sequences inside the ring like any other wrestling show.

Oh dear., still there were others, from the fans from the Trente Glorieuses through to kids who grew up watching Flesh Gordon and Prince Zefy against everyone from Jessy Texas and Marquis/Travesti Man/Monsieur Jacky Richard to Scott Ryder and Cybernic Machine.

We should have him on here.

Anyway, speaking off All Star, this is just two months short of 40 years old. (19th October 1985). It's from the Screensport TV show (like Rollerball Rocco Vs Steve Fury and Mighty John Quinn Vs Johnny South) but don't let that out you off. It's at Screensport's nicest venue the Victoria Hall in Hanley - none of your garden festivals here! - and it's a good clean match too. Screensport and later period Reslo had classy scientific wrestling as good as World of Sport - it's justbthat when a heel was on, they would push the violence boat out more than the ITA/IBA would ever tolerate on ITV. Kenny rolls int inaction and gets a standing headlock into cross buttock into ground side headlock. He gets a side chancery but Robbie straightened it into an armbar and whip but Kenny goes with it well and rolls upright. Kenny gets a long slow cross buttock into side headlock but Robbie responds with a headscissors. He turns Kenny over for a couple of pin attempts. Referee and future British Bushwhacker Frank Casey (at this point about to be suspended due to fan letters accusing him of not being hard enough on heels) gives some two counts. Kenny holds the headlock, takes it upright, throws Brookside in the ropes and rams him with a butt to the stomach. He snapmares Robbie for 4. Robbie gets a single legdive and single leg toehold. He applies weakeners and releases for KO counts. Kenny gets a crossface in response but Robbie powers out. Kenny delivers a back helmblow to escape. Kenny gets a shove, forearm, snapmare and rear chinlock. Robbie passes out and Casey orders a resale, Brookside is up at but Kenny gets another legdive and single leg Boston Crab, eventually a full one. Robbie pushes up into a double knee press, Kenny pulls him over in a double leg nelson but Runs Out Of Mat. Robbie is up at 8. Kenny gets a posting for 8 and a slam for 7. Now it's Robbie's turn to get the butt to stomach and forearm smash, then a dropkick. Kenny gets one of his own and they both miss one. Robbie tries a backslide but Kenny gets the ropes. Kenny gets a front chancery into rear chinlock. Then a forearm smashe. Then a knee. They exchange forearms then Robbie gets a side chancery throw and legdrop. Robbie gets side chancery into further nelson for three 1s. Finger Interlock into a Robbie Japanese stranglehold. Kenny reveses but Ronnie turns it fully. Kenny goes backward through Robbie's legs for another reversal. He unwinds and gets a bodycheck. Robbie gets a headlock and side chancery into grovit on the mat. Kenny gets one of his own and they log rolls out of the ring in each others holds. Casey hauls Kenny in. They wrestle on. Robbie gets a posting but Kenny reverse leapfrogs him to go for a folding press but Robbie crawls out. Robbie gets a rear double legs, side chancery and flying tackle and press for the winner. Afterwards Robbie gives a nice good kid promo in his Scouse accent. As with Leland Vs Scott nearly four decades later., the promising kid gets a win over the veteran to further his push. (Reslo title sequence at the end for no reason other than that's what was next on the tape compilation.)

I actually go and see All Star's shows in Dudley Town Hall. I've even done live show reports on this thread.

Haven"t seen this bout before. La BEete dresses the same as against Minsattiler (the moo-cow leotard design is the one constant element '71 to '81.). He does French style reverse snapmares and can catweheel out of wrist levers like us Brits. A lot of suplex/backdrop and full body leverage moves like professional GR.

Ah, I thought I'd already reviewed this one. Couderc made no mention of Willy Welsey in the 1981 bout. Also this Bete has a different mask. Not so much Gorillagram, more a giant bird in sunglasses. Mostly reminds me of this lot. He also appears to have a Big Poppa Pump blond goatee.

This bout is nowhere near the old school technical classic of the last one, but it's worth posting as Kris Kay was an old time wrestler, an upcoming TBW in the early 90s, contemporary of James Mason and Darren Walsh. Back in the day he was even Big Daddy's FIP tag partner. Today he looks more like one of it Daddy's opponents!

Thanks for this lot. Good to see there was an organised fandom in France. Maybe we can find some from the mid 80s with VCRs. Incidentally La Bete Humane was originally a novel by Emile Zola from 1890. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bête_humaine Nice to see Le Catch sneaking in these cultural references eg Cheri Bibi and the phrase Deux Manches Et Une Belle (s'il y a eu)

... and here is the other. I'll try give them both a rewatch and write-up ASAP.

I was sure I'd posted the previous Bete Humane by ours and was going to find the original bouts and bump them up but can't find them so here is one ^^^.

It's been a while since we did any present day Old School British Wrestling, so here goes, from old TV venue the Woodville in Gravesend: Scott may be be the less familiar of the two to followers of Rumble's YouTube channel but he is actually the more experienced. He gets an early dominance in a finger Interlock leading into a shoulder press for a series of 2s, in turn leading to Leland bridging up and monkey climbing his man. Both end up bridging out while still in finger Interlock while Scott deftly convertsto standing back hammerlock then side headlock. He throws Leland into the ropes and catches him with a bodycheck on the rebound which Leland sells. Scott gets a headlock but Bryant breaks it open into a wristlock, In classic old British style Scott rolls and cartwheels out until he has reversed the wristlock. But Leland can do the rolls and kip ups too and soon has Joey down in the mount in an armlock. Scott goes up on his head and for a moment looks to be about to do a toupie like Gilbert Leduc to wind his arm up but instead just kips up to reverse the wristlock yet again. Scott leapfrogs and reverse leapfrogs Leland as they crisscross the ring. Both block each others cross buttock throws before Scott sends Leland to ringside. Leland rolls over his opponent's back rather than sunset flip but Scott gets this move by reverse rolling in behind Leland. He gets a double leg Nelson but gets a 2 only. Scott gets an armdrag Leland reverses a posting but Scott absorbs the impact well and backward leapfrogs his man. Scott nearly gets the fall by scissoring both Bryant's legs and twisting him into a folding press for 2. Scott misses a backflip splash, Leland hits it for 2. Leland gets a headlock, Scott gets a shoulderblock for 2. Leland gets a huracanrana and dropkick for 2. Leland comes awkwardly off the top turnbuckle and Scott accidentally throws him on top of referee Anton Green then does the old gag of giving a pinfall count on the ref (a 2). This is taken in good humour and it is back to business. Scott gets a lunge and cross buttock into side heädlock on the mat. Leland powers up but Scott throws him back down. Leland eventually counters with a headscissors. Scott uses a kip up to snap out. He gets a powerbomb with Leland landing on his front but only gets a 2. He tries another powerbomb with Leland landing conveniently on his back but Bryant managed to armdrag Scott on his way down. Various reversed posting and reversed splashed into the corner, Leland gets another 2 count. He struggles to the top turnbuckle still selling the wear and tear of the match. Scott follows him up for a superplex but Leland shoves him off and Superfly splashes Joey for the winner. Apart from a few high flyers near the end a good old fashioned British technical bout worthy of the blow by blow treatment.

Bump

Have finally got to have a proper watch of the match. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a technical bout. Sure the guy behind the BH mask knows his armdrags and there were a few good little spots including I think Mores doing the characteristically French reverse snapmare (backwards flipping over ones opponent to get behind and apply a standing back hammerlock.) But there weren't too many complex ongoing chain sequences as such. Later on it got more brawly and dirty wrestling The two Masked Mechants make an interesting pair, rather like Kamikaze and Der Henker even The Spoiler and King Kendo in England