David Mantell

Found some more Greek footage. Really the territory needs its own separate thread. The last clip seems to be the same "ATV" footage as included in the previous Tromaras highlights video, but I think it may be a setting on someone's video recorder, not a station ident. It turns out to be in colour after all and rather less grand than the previous snippet indicated - a nice sports hall but nearly empty with just a few fans in the high seats and only officials down on the stadium floor. The first clip the ring looks every bit as shabby as the 1987 footage but it sounds like there was quite a big audience. A fan comment on the video indicates it was 1980. Perhaps the final Kats festival? There was another clip about 9 minutes long which appeared to be an outdoor show from the thumbnail but it's vanished now. I'll add it if it reappears.

Although to be honest, my last couple of posts have been about a 1971 bout and a 1969 bout so I'm not quite sure what the problem is.

Actually I see all three surviving Euro wrestling territories - UK, France and Germany/Austria - as each being a single continuity from the 1930s to the 2020s and hopefully beyond. The same goes for the three defunct territories Italy (died 1965, the corpse periodically revived thereafter by two brothers from somewhere beginning with P) Spain (died 1975, the corpse thereafter fought over by France and Germany for 15 years before the WWF gobbled it up and Italy too) and Greece (finally passed away 1991 after a long illness dating back to the end of the Athens International Kats Festival in 1980, corpse totally ignored by the WWF.) AFTERTHOUGHT 1: Is territory the correct word in this context? AFTERTHOUGHT 2: I do NOT consider Americanised/New School promotions in any of these six territories to count, they are just an extension of US indie wrestling. All Star, Rumble, Premier, FFCP, Wrestling Stars and the CWP (formerly EWP) are the six relevant living companies in 2024. Add ABCA in Beauvais if it is still going- I'm not clear.

Interesting how the commentator keeps calling "Steve Hagg" "un Britannique". For once an honest mistake I think. Peruvians, Hispanics, Gypsies and anyone in stripey colourful gear was usually a heel in France. Bob Plantin got very upset with me when I pointed this out recently. Charley Bollet, brother of Andre Bollet, was still refereeing in the early 90s on New Catch. No indication what channel it was on so far but hopefully the slight smudginess means chroma dots on the print. In which case, channel 2.

Jordan Breaks and Hakan in a rematch from a bout last year (not sure if I posted it.) spoiled slightly by a long fighting in the stands section (although it does give you a good view of the Oval.) Plenty of good British technical skill from Jordan and some good technical skill from Hakan too.

I didn't think he was doing comedy in that tag, I just thought he was being a good heel. He reminded me a bit of the original Steve Logan (the South London Iron Man, not the Birmingham Nice Kid later on who now runs the K-Star gym chain). There's something of the heel Colin Joynson in him too. Like I said, Steve Haggerty also wrestled in France during that period: Maybe Billy Catanzaro could have been the third Dangerman.

Not especially a classic Traditional British bout, but of interest because of the historic outdoor venue, The Oval bandstand in seaside town Cliftonville. A regular wrestling venue going back to the 1930s. It was never used for ITV and the sound issues caused by the blowy wind on an otherwise nice sunny English summer's day may be a clue why. (If you look through Rumble's channel you will find videos of their last taping there, in a downpour! This time they got a respectable 400 (some WOS taping houses were half that many) although you only get a few shots of the bulk of them as they were mostly behind the cameras.

Just found out - that's the same Sturry who was quoted in that column I answered back to a few weeks ago. Maybe we should invite him on here.

*shrug* Well he posted that so my question is directed at him. I like a good straight match if the technical skill is there. Even if it's a strength based bout like the 1977 John Elijah Vs Big Daddy showing what he could do if allowed, it can be interesting. Nice to see Tele Guide was as comprehensive as TVTimes. It raises my hopes that somewhere out there is a French @JNLister who could revolutionise our knowledge of the broadcast history, especially during the 1985-1987 FR3 years when many broadcasts may he been unsyndicated, partly syndicated or bicycled around the network.

I think I may have made this point already but @ohtani's jacket I'm surprised that an American fan would be put off by 1971 Catanzaro's antics, the swaggering greaseball arrogant heel with a pompadour like the Honky Tonk Man. Waving like a Roman Emperor at his minions. If anything it's Gilbert L who does the biggest comedy in that match, doing a Brutus Beefcake At WM2 and tripping up on the ring ropes to fail to break up the deciding pinfall. Billy and Steve "the slow finger" Haggerty (who also popped up on French TV although as the best examples of his work were on World of Sport I have posted a UK bout below) could have gone to America and cleaned up as a heel tag team with heel psychology like that! They could have given Bockwinkel and Stevens a serious run for their money. Incidentally @ohtani's jacket that cutting is unclear if that 1971 broadcast was on channel 1 or 2? It matters because Channel 2 was in colour therefore that print may have potential for colour restoration via Chroma Dot Recovery. Also it would further my belief that by some point wrestling had entirely migrated to the colour channel 2 (anything on Channel 1 from INA's 1975-1977 off air recordings would be in b/W and there is none.)

Was watching a 1994 WWF retrospective on OSW and was struck by Steven Dunn (Steve Doll to the good people of Portland Oregon)'s resemblance to early 90s Flesh Gordon- the build, the long blong hair. Everything. Perhaps Steve Doll of the Southern Rockers is not dead but lives on in disguise as a fat bald moustachioed old Frenchman.

Here's some more Egyptian footage - the great Egyptian National Hero Mamdouh Farag Vs visiting Westerner Klaus Vallas (?):

He certainly attracted that same kind of kiddy audience in the 21st century as Daddy did in the 80s Here he is in 2013ish teaming with Prince Zefy (who in later life resembles Rufus R Jones in Mid Atlantic circa 1983- I believe he is still going.)

Wrestling Stars (formerly the IWSF) has a YouTube channel with stuff for both itself and Bernard Van Damme's Eurostars: https://www.youtube.com/@wrestlingstars01

Original 1991 TFM transmission of New Catch episodes when it returned to the channel (British Wrestling equivalent was the Grampian/STV tapings of Relwyskow promotions in Aberdeen 1990, later screened in the Granada region). Only wrestling video on a YouTube channel with a disturbing obsession with the weather forecast! Cuts out during the Danny Collins & John Harvey Vs Doc Dean and Jimmy Ocean match, so here is a different source for that bout.

You can tell where he got his name from.

The vlogger El P posted some time back got his claws in to the 1987 TF1 run

10:30-11:30 pm was a respectable timeslot in the UK, the last edge of prime time. On a weekday it was straight after News At 10, probably with a trailer just before the news. At the weekend it was the slot for some big time chatshow or fun adult comedy like Saturday Stay back by the former Tiswas team. We know in France that straight after some wrestling shows was a major news bulletin without even an advert break so- as with ITV viewers tuning in for the WOS football results (and therefore pools results) - viewers who tuned in just a minute or so early got the main event finish and could be hooked that way. We also don't know enough about the Sunday 5pm slot just as we don't know much about what platform Eurostars was on in the Nineties/Noughties.

Question - at what point does that playlist move from TF1 to Eurosport? I am watching episode 8 and the opening match is Steve Regal Vs Drew MC Donald who has had time to grow back his hair to collar length (about the same as on Reslo in 1991) from having it shaved off in spring 1988 after Drew and Rasputin lost to Daddy and Kashmir Singh and subsequently showing up still bald to a battle royal and another Daddy tag. I'm guessing this was an early 90s episode then- it has the Eurosport logo across the ring. The first five episodes look different, the ring sports a sponsorship logo for Maxi Cuisine. It's possible Youtuber Nico H made up the episode numbering and there were more than those few 1988 episodes on TF1. Episode 5 is a reminder that there were still Bright young kids coming into the game in France in 1988- Yann Caradec and Patrice Martineau were French version of Kid McCoy, Ritchie Brooks and Pete Bainbridge. Of course this was also the period when Prince Zefy comes into bloom and an earlier UK whizzkids Danny Collins makes a name for himself on the continent defending his European Welterweight title on Delaporte/ FFCP shows in France and Northern Spain. Their opponents are veteran Spanish masked team the Golden Falcons, as seen on A2 in the early 70s and early 80s and possibly progenitors to Les Piranhas and Les Maniaks.

Still not bad a timeslot compared to (1) SNME (2) ITV midweek wrestling up to the mid 70s (3) ITV boxing coverage of the Eubank/Benn/Watson "last golden era."

I did suggest to him some time back on Facebook doing an English edition. He said maybe.

An interesting question for @Matt D is whether the INA held any of the 1988 New Catch preview run on TF1 (the tail end of the run of Le Catch on French terrestrial TV. taking things close to The Final Bell on ITV in England. Was TF1 no longer part of the INA's remit after privatisation in 1987? For French viewers with no satellite TV, New Catch popping up on TF1 must have felt like just another channel move like the Antenne 2 to FR3 move two and a half years earlier. The next jump after that was to Eurosport and then to whatever platform Bernard Van Damme's Eurostars promotion had for TV exposure.

This is nothing compared to the sometime months of delay for ITV footage. What should have been Dynamite Kid's world TV debut in 1976 against Alan Dennison, inspiring the Strongman to turn over a new leaf, instead went out as his second bout. Kendo going heel midway through his 1978 bout from Bedworth Vs Pete Roberts would make more sense if the bout against Rex Strong had aired first.

Clearly both the language barrier and the TV format barrier prevent French Jeff Lynches from getting their wares out to a wider audience. That Lynch has New Catch after the launch of Eurosport is unsurprising - anyone with an Astra satellite who could pick up Sky's WWF coverage could get Eurosport too.

Bob Plantin is VERY awkward about anyone mentioning stuff from after 1985 just as he won't let other people post videos or photos. He doesn't give a coherent explanation why 1985is his cut off date.