David Mantell

Hold your horses - I've just remembered EXACTLY who Eric Lacroix is! In which case I wonder if Domingo "No Relation To Princess Paula" Valdez is actually Theo Pouzade the manager from New Catch and he's just got comedy attachments to his moustache when in character as Pouzade? It still means at least 2, possibly 3 of these four guys were on New Catch at some stage in its existence. Incidentally, here's my review of Tony LaMotta Vs Marquis Jacky from New Catch season 1 in 1988 As the review mentions,Tony teamed with a pre-Flesh Gerard Hervé to take on the Golden Falcons. There's a review of that in the archive but you'll have to go look it up as it's less relevant to the point of this post.

Anyway. speaking of 1991: I'll have a good overview this later over dinner. I'm not doing the review now as this tablet needs putting on charge. I wouldn't swear to it but Les Rocky's Du Ring look more than a bit like Kato Bruce Lee/Kato Gypsy and Elliot Frederico Rocky Du Ring/Grims Rocker (with hair grown out - Grim was Spanish so if the one I think is him turns out to be Domingo Valdez then I'm convinced ). Tony LaMotta also appeared on New Catch -IIRC against Jacky Richard ( still a Marquis, not yet a Travesti Man.). So three of these four guys did New Catch anyway.

Okay, how about "Sampler" then? I seem to recall someone saying (possibly on here) that a few other Eurosport shows got the same treatment. It occurs to me that New Catch was always meant to in some way become an international deal, given all the CWA and British talent on board, either unknown to French audiences eg Eddie Kung Fu Hamill or dim memories eg Fit Finlay, last seen on French national TV eight years earlier claiming to be a Scotsman in a kilt.

It got filmed though and was a big story in the Magazine. The Natural Disasters win and some of the Money Inc Vs Steiners back and forth were examples of the small house shows title changes. They printed photos of one match from the latter where there was no flash photography rig so it all looked very dull compared to usual WWF magazine photography. The same thing happened with the Midnight Express Vs Tully & Arn title change in JCP although there is a fancam of that.

Ah well, I've got a REAL one! 😄 There are two sections of interest to pro wrestling fans, the biographies and "Prensas de Lucha Libre Americana (American Wrestling holds). Plus also there's a group photo of thirties wrestlers in a ring and that shit of Javier Ochoa (although this was clearly him in later life so Spain had gone catch by then.)

Simple, it was co-owned by Sky until TF1 bought it and was on the same Astra satellite as part of the same package of satellite channels as Sky. It stayed on there after the buyout. As I think I mentioned, any household in the UK capable of getting WWF (other than the bits ITV screened on the specials 1987-1988 and the small hours 1988-1989) could get New Catch too. Whereas in France you already had Canal + for the WWF. Preview run for the new revamped channel. I equate that run with the Oct 1990 Joint Promotions ITV tapings in Aberdeen.

For starters...

By the way, Say Hello To My Little Friend. I bought it in Salamanca, Spain in late 1995 during the first half of M6 year abroad before I moved to Metz, France at the end of January 1996. It was printed in about the late 50s/early 60s. It's not an exclusively pro wrestling book but it's got some interesting material I intended to scan up for this thread. Somewhere I believe Instill have another book from a bit later circa 1964 (stamped <<España - 25 años de Paz>> - the Paz in question being the Carthaginian Paz of 25 years under Franco's rule since the end of the Civil War in 1939) which has a rather funny essay about Kayfabe which concludes that anyone who is desperate to see the boys legit injure each other must be a dreadful sadist! LOL. I'll put in relevant scans from time to time from the Campo book and the other one too should it resurface.

Yes, this could possibly explain why tape traders like Adam Mumford's EWV claimed a 1991 date -just before Rocco's retirement - for the Rollerball Rocco/Danny Collins Paris World HMid title bout (We now know this was on TF1 in 1988) Some 1988 episodes rescreened on Eurosport have John Harris (the MC from the Kendo Nagasaki Vs Skull Murphy bout recently on the British thread) instead of Orig Williams as English commentator. Mainly the ones with the MAXI CUISINE ring canvas. Most of the non 1988 episodes have a Eurosport logo on the shiny blue ring canvas.

Two days as champions over here. Anything can happen. (4WIW it did get mentioned by the WWF in America, contrary to popular belief. When they went heel, WWF Magazine did a piece on how the short reign and the downslide afterwards made them bitter.) Luke Williams is now the last surviving one of the Survivor Series '94 Four Doinks.

So why do a lot of what we know to be the 1988 TF1 Episodes circulate with Eurosport idents on them? We know more episodes were made after the TF1 run because for example the Superflies did not yet exist as a tag team in 1988. Also Bull Power's vacant CWA World title win over Rambo took place December 22nd 1990, this was screened as part of a New Catch episode which I have on VHS with a Eurosport idents and English commentary by Orig Williams. (For what it's worth I saw a few of the New Japan episodes while on my ERASMUS year in Metz, France in Spring 1996.)

Okay we've had two Midget Matches. Who fancies making it a hat trick? NO??? Oh well. tough, here comes a third midget match anyway. 😛 This is from Alessio's 1970-1987 playlist - judging by its position in the playlist I'd say 1978. We see them being let to ringside by guys in tennis gear across tennis courts. A kid in a stripey shirt is taller than one midget. But don't tell any little people that. No idea which midget is which. Well say Red and Black after the colours of their trunks. The ring is set up in what looks like a school playground on a sunn6bday with practice football goalposts and hurdling barriers in the background. Red has a bad combover. Black headlocks him a good long while, trying for a cross buttock but not quite getting it. Red gets an atomic drop on Black but Black finally gets his cross buttock throw. Red counters by finally getting that cross buttock throw. They take turns getting legdives. Red gets a Planchette Japonaise and various Scisseaux Volees. Black eventually counters one of these into an Indian Deathlock of sorts. Back to more monkey flip business. Black gets a sunset flip but then gets backdropped. It commences to Manchettes, kicks and other brawling. Midget test of strength. Red backdrops black. Black does a FANTASTIC backwards roll over Black's back. Black gets crossed scissors on the Red midget. We then jump to a snippet of another match. A man in a mask - Der Henker? Not enough body hair or muscles - battles an old guy with a goatee who looks like Colonel Sanders mated with the elderly Ed the Sheik Farhat. Grey old man gets the win with a double leg nelson. Two younger guys- one might be a Corne brother or even Jacky Richard. They get ready and start and the film ends. ***†****************** Okay I posted this to equal things out after I posted the last Lukestik match because I liked the outdoor location and then posted Finlay-Turpin because I enjoyed it this morning after breakfast. Will there be another French Catch Tuesday match tomorrow night or are they all done? If no more, I'll just do a replacement then afterwards do all three at weekends. I should be starting a new job this time next week so it'll be easier to do one review of each at weekends.

This was the Cup Final blowoff in question.

Well anyway that's what that Valentin bloke wrote. I've got some other material of the Ochoa family to post as well as another video snippet from Alessio. Valentin praises Victorious as the first technical wizard of France and so does my other source, once I dig i5 out from wherever it's hiding. @ohtani's jacket any chance you could also do a review of Santí/Acapulco match?

This was filmed at the end of January 1986 and screened shortly afterwards in early February on ITV's standalone Wrestling show (.Season 1, the remainder of Joint's 1981 5 year contract extension) It was part of the buildup to the FA Cup Final match where Big Daddy's crusade against Fit Finlay and his bullying ways would hopefully lead to punishment for Finlay in the form of the standard Daddy treatment. This then is Finlay in bully mode. OJ's opinion is that Finlay got lazy during this run, but this bout shows he could still do a lot of his old technical tricks as well as ever. Turpin was (is) the brother of tragic champion boxer Randolph "Randy" Turpin. There's an exhibit for Randy including images of Jackie in the Leamington Spa museum which I sometimes used to visit before going to All Star shows at the Royal Spa Centre in the 00s/10s. He wears a splendid red/blue clock (MC Brian Crabtree's old colour scheme). Paula and Finlay force poor Brian to recite a whole load of compliments to Paula. Jeff Kaye, ex of the Barons is a familiar figure on this thread and the French thread too. Round 1: Turpin swiftly and cleanly rolls out of a Finlay armbar then reverses direction, re-rolls as a standing tumble (not quite a cartwheel). He tries to give Finlay a high whip and bump but Finlay gracefully rolls through and upright. He gets a double finger Interlock, picks off one side with a boot then puts the remaining arm through various weakeners. He retakes one side of the Interlock and forces a high whip and bump on Turpin, cheekily kicking him on the mat, which antagonises the ref and crowd alike. Turpin goes to lock up and swerves to a single arm. Finlay sidesteps this but Turpin gets in his own cheeky slap, the a dropkick from behind. They exchange slaps then Finlay slams Turpin and hauls him off the mat (minor private warning foul) for a big forearm smash. Finlay side chancery throws and kneedrops Turpin. He gets a grovit but the bell sounds. Round 2 Finlay is still being pampered by Paula when Turpin rolls straight up to his corner looking for trouble. Finlay flings him across the ring, let's Paula finish he4 job, the couple lip kiss and Finlay is ready to go. Turpin gets a single leg and pushes Finlay into a corner. Finlay pushes him off with a boot. He gets a standing back hammerlock switching controlling arms, backs Turpin into the ropes and throws him so that his hammerlocked arm takes the brunt of the impact. Finlay gets a side headlock but with Turpin's neck resting on the bootom rope so illegal. Finlay takes his time releasing then quibbles with Kaye, and boots Turpin on the mat, some or all of this earning himself a First Public Warning. Finlay gets a legdive and kneeling toe and ankle hold, Turpin shoves his other boot sole in Finlay's face and hammers down on his knee, giving the odd kick to the Irishman's shoulder then back to pressing on his face. Turpin grabs the ropes for a break. Finlay tries to drag him away by the foot but Kaye saw the ropes grab and orders the break. Finlay throws the foot down with disgust and Turpin kips up only to get a powerful posting He is selling his back but up at 8 only to get a kneedrop to the back just on top of where the posting impacted. He is clearly planning for a back submission. Finlay tries to trap Turpin on the ropes but gets two headbutts and a Kendo style straight fingers chop. The bell goes. Kaye has trouble sending them to their corners. Apparently he and Paula argue, says Kent, but we see nowt of it on screen - just she and Dave calmly talking strategy. Round 3 and Turpin gets an arm and horizontally spins on it to twist the limb. Finlay smartly rolls to untwist the twist. Turpin gets a. Top wristlock but Finlay goes into a bridge and kips up smoothly into a crotch hold with the other arm and Fireman's carry. Rather than his usual blockbuster suplex he clumsily drops Turpin, whips and clotheslines him and forearm smashes him. Turpin reverses a posting, but Dave takes th3 impact well. He underhooks Finlay and gets another posting which Finlay also absorbs well, mostly on his lower leg, then dodges the worst of a Turpin dropkick, this landing another back weakener on top of the ones from the last round. Finlay builds on this with three postings and a backdrop leaving Turpin rolling around the ring clutching his back and selling like crazy. To top it all off, Finlay gets an over the shoulder backbreaker which he converts to a Hercules Hernandez/Lex Luger torture rack (reverse Fireman's Carry backbreaker). This appears to give him the first submission but Finlay is slow in releasing then goes to Turpin's corner and gives him a between rounds posting . As a result of either or both of these, the submission is Disallowed. The Finlays are not happy bunnies and Paula slaps Kaye in the face. Round 4. Finlay pounds Turpin in the back, stomps his hand and delivers a late kneedrop on the already fallen Turpin. Finlay tries again for the submission but Turpin this time undresses the clamping arms and drops down behind. Finlay whips him into the ropes, backdrops him for a five count then delivers a face first piledriver for a KNOCKOUT!!!! Finlay is your winner and you can't call that knockout a cheap finish, can you? And now ... The Afterbirth. Paula celebrates her man's victory by ripping up a b/w 8x10 of Big Daddy. This bait brings the big man himself out with a pair of grannies. one under each arm like the dolly birds they last were 60 years earlier (about a century ago now.) He stomps to the ring and exchanged words and rude pointing with Dave until the Finlays make their exit. A bunch of wrestlers (including I think Pat Patton) and WWF-style "backstage officials" hold Big Daddy back, but he bodychecks the whole lot of them off, including his own brother, MC Brian Crabtree. This all lead to Cup Final Day where Daddy got his hands on Finlay although it was tag partner Scrubber Daly who took the decider. (We reviewed it previously, I shall dig it out anon.) There were also house show rematches including one where Finlay, partnering Mel Stuart, used the same tombstone piledriver to pin Daddy's partner Richie Brooks for a 2-1 win. But anyway this bout. It may have been meant to build Finlay as a cruel sadistic villain and at the same time part of the buildup storyline (Daddy after Finlay's blood) for a showcase Daddy tag but Finlay and Turpin had a pretty decent scientific battle here with Finlay executing his repertoire of escapes, reversals and transitions with, if not breakthrough ingenuity, then certainly a fair bit of grace and style. Call it the Antidote to Bully Finlay beatdown matches.

Another Helmut Lukestik video just came up on my Smart TV. He looks more his usual self on here with a black double leotard that screams HEEL andthe dark hair combining with the moustache to make him look like 1980s Freddie Mercury. And once again he's demolishing another babyface Gil Cabanas (the name sounds Hispanic) with the good guy getting the odd hope spot, the most notable of which sees him land on the referee who blames the poor goody and gives him a yellow card. Afterwards we see Helm tackling another opponent in long white Big John Studd tights. What's interesting about this clip is the venue - it's a public square in what looks like a German or Austrian rural village and it looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL ❤️. They are trees and gorgeous buildings everywhere. The crowd looks like a pub beer garden crowd until the camera swings round and you see there are hundreds, perhaps hitting a Thousand, spectators sat out in the sunshine enjoying the wrestling show while being fed beer by barmaids in saucy versions of traditional Teutonic dress. Professional Wrestling slipping into its element as a staple of a traditional and picturesque part of rustic Teutonic life. The only blot on the horizon is right in front of the camera, a rusty piece of ironmongery which was built as a support for something but in this clip just gets in the way.

Miserable heel referee has a name, by the way - Louis Deblamecque (sp?) The silly string was not meant to be part of the show, it was a rogue fan. This is what happens when you have zero ringside security of barriers (actually silly string is on the tamer end of the scale) There's a gag where Hassan grabs Puma by the beard and Arbitre Louis chops Hassan off and he ends up apparently taking some beard with him. Gwyn Davies and referee Brian Crabtree did this to Giant Haystacks on World of Sport in 1976. Most likely it's an ancient wrestling trope.

I wonder if this was a similar deal to that 1983 Spanish World Welterweight title match (Santi Rico Vs Modesto Acapulco) - a one off TV coverage of a bout? Given the general state of the Greek house show circuit (see the three underground car park videos above) maybe we shouldn't have too great expectations aboutmid 80s Los Colosos del Ring shows.

Rare - or maybe not so rare - media appearance by Cortez on Spanish TV with a painter (obviously an unthreatening enough one for the Franco regime to have not just not arrested him, but promoted his work on their propaganda channel). Painter has an arm wrestle with Herc and Hercules helps the painter reach awkward parts of his painting. Herc does a straight to camera bit which gives me the impression he would have been rather good at this Promos lark if he had ever been required to do so. (Did Verne etc make him do promos later on?)

It's been a bit of a while since we saw in action one of my favourite journeyman heels of Germany/Austria Helmut Lukestik. Here he faces a smaller,younger, budgie haired.guy called Freddy Barnes in a darkened tent, illuminated only by a curious inverted pyramid light fitting directly over the ring at Austria's 1989 Volkevestcup. Helmut is looking unusually flamboyant with a bleached mullet and shiny golden tights but the moustache should make him recognisable. Round 1 (presumably) is JIP with Helm choking Fred who is tied up in the ropes. When the ref frees Fred, Helm simply ties him on another side. He boots Barney around the shiny black mat til the bell goes. Round 2 and Fred gives Helmut some of his own treatment on the third side and in the corner until Helmut bangs him down and chokes him on the ropes, earning himself a public warning (no sign of cards.) He continues the beatdown till the bell goes. Round 3 and it briefly looks scientific as Helmut gets a legdive but them he ties the leg in the ropes and boots the kid, then ties him by the necon the fourth side for another beatdown. Fred fights back with charges and clotheslines but then himself goes to work on Lukestik's leg with a toehold/ legspread and weakening dips to the knee. Round 4 sees Fred switch tack to the arm with a cross buttock into armlock in the guard into armhank, Helmut tries to get up but is twice dragged down. The third time, Freddy walks away (so no toupie from Lukestick!) Helmut gets a full nelson and it's back to choking on the top rope. He leaps to the ground to drag down on Fred's neck then comes back to continue the treatment. The throttling then moves to a corner on the camera side. Helmut includes an over the knee backbreaker. He interrupts KO Counts to beat down more on Fred. When the bell goes he taunts the crowd (some of whom chant USA at him, following the example of that nice Mister Duggan I guess. He argues with thecref who gives him a second and final Public Warning. He even jaws with the unseen MC while accepting a swig of drink from a ringside. Round 5 and Lukestik gets a cross buttock throw but does not follow down. He slams and stomps the kid, armdrags him then gets slammed himself as Freddy tries to start a face comeback. Freddy speeds things up with throws and Irish whips that force Helmut to take solid bumps. Helmut takes his time getting up but is met by another bodyslam. He fights back with a snappy standing full nelson into side chancery throw. Freddy gets behind, creeps through Helmut's legs and rear snapmares him, an unexpected great scientific move among this heel beatdown. He gets his former tormentor with a long suplex, side chancery throw and full finger Interlock into high whip and bump. Another finger Interlock turns into a lean-back dropkick. Helmut has enough of this, pummels young Freddy in the corner with forearm smashes and side chancery throws him and knees him down, apparently enough for a third public warning and the a DQ and an upset win for Freddy. The tape cuts out at this point. A traditional heel beatdown and fightback by the bullied kid. Helmut is very much playing the same role as late 80s Fit Finlay. It's a pity we don't get to see more of his reaction to being DQd in disgrace (we last seen him protesting to the ref.).

The Battle of the Two Bald Peters. (Peter Northey vs Peter Thornley) Nothing epitomises the main event scene in All Star Wrestling for the first five years after TV than Kendo Nagasaki having a wild, deep heat drenched, crowd rioting heel vs heel battle. Naggers and Skull Murphy had previously been tag team partners on the Mick McManus World Of Wrestling VHS filmed in Croydon 1988 and had caused havoc that night. Now they do it again but with no opponents other than each other. (That's a bunch of New School Americanised promotions in the title sequence. Notice how much better Rumble Promotions do in their clips I sometimes post to this thread.) Kendo has manager Lloyd Ryan and personal assistant (and nowadays husband) Lawrence "Loz" Stevens in his corner. Referee is dear old Mal Mason, RIP, in whose honour current British Lightweight Champion Nino Bryant's title is named. Lloyd gets to work renegotiating how many falls there are. Murphy doesn't care but Mason (no relation to James nor Crusher) insists on a two falls match. Kendo does his usual samurai sword chop right up close to Murphy. Most fans cheer for Murphy but a substantial Nagssaki fan contingent start a Kendo counter-chant. Kendo's salt ceremony is done and dusted without too much stalling and we're off. Round 1. Skull gets a side headlock, fires off the opposite ropes, knocks Kendo out of the ring and follows him out for the ringside action the IBA would just not allow. Back in, Skull uses his wrist protector on Naggers, a move that would draw heat with almost any other opponent but this crowd cheers. He rear snapmares Kendo down in front - with Kendo moving through a nice graceful angle as he takes the bump- and goes to work on the mask. Mal Mason tries to intervene but Murphy knocks him down. Kendo eventually low blows Skull to escape - something else the IBA would from on- reset his mask, pull down a corner pad and post Murphy into the bare buckles, only for Skull to turn the tables and smash Kendo's head into the bolts. He looks to be going for a side chancery throw but does a headbutt instead. Kendo gets on a good scientific hold, a semi Japanese Stranglehold, and takes Murphy down to the mat. He gets the odd one count although presumably he is more interested in a submission. Mal does the three hand drops (unusual for Britain -this was an American idea) with Murphy keeping his hand up on the third. A second time, Murphy is out so Mason gets Kendo off Murphy but he goes right back and earns a public warning. This does get the break as Kendo sits up to protest. Kendo chops Murphy to awaken him from the sleeper and stands back for the 10 count only for the bell to go. He spends the round break menacing the still fallen Murphy as Mason tries to warn him to stay back. Round 2: Kendo infuriates his haters by going right back to work on Murphy. Mason does get him off long enough for Murphy to sit up, so when Kendo slaps pressure points on him, Mason just lets it slide. The Kendo haters cheer Murphy to recover. (Accent spotting - this is Bath so the crowd haveca definite Somerset/West Country accent, like the "Pirate accent"). Kendo guides Murphy to the ropes and chokes him on them. Mal Mason demands Kendo take his man off the ropes so he does and then floors him with a straight fingered chop to the throat. ("Legal- and good!" as Kent Walton would say when Kendo did this after a long series of fouls) . Kendo stomps Murphy's throat on the ring apron but Murphy uses his own boot to push the top rope up and catapult Kendo to ringside. Undeterred, Kendal chops Murphy's neck on the ring edge and drags him out by the Skull. At ringside, Kendo smashes Murphy's head into a table and chair as spectators mill dangerously close. (MC John Harris thoughtfully takes the bell away before Kendo can use that too.) This performance earns Kendo his Second and Final Public Warning. Mason goes to check on Murphy's skull leaving Naggers to again undo that same corner post, hurling the pad to ringside like an old pillow. He slams Murphy's head in and gets the pressure points back on as a second puts the pad back. Murphy fights back with blatant closed fist punches, the last one, to the chin, flooring the masked man. Mason only gives a private warning, allowing for retaliation as Kent again would say, an gives Kendo a count but he is up at 2. Murphy snapmares him and delivers a diving headbutt which gets a big pop. Fistdrops and more diving headbutts are also allowed as retaliation by Mason, then Skull sits his man up and has another go at the mask. This finally gets Murphy his own First Public Warning. The bell goes as Kendo wanders outside to fix his mask. Crowds are now up on their feet, grabbing the ring ropes and screaming in protest Round 3: Kendo is still not back so Mason goes to fetch him. They both return together and Skull punches and posts Kendo. He gets an armbar and a boot to the face before Kendo can roll out. Skull punches Kendo down. Kendo is up at 8, reverses a posting and shoulder charges Murphy in the corner, an old favourite foul of his. He gets a posting and Murphy comes back with a forearm smash but gets Mason instead, flooring him. He cross buttocks and presses Kendo but there is no referee. Mason does make it back for a 2 count. Murphy protests but Mason stands firm and gives him his Second And Final Public Warning for the forearm smash. While his back is turned, Kendo salt bombs Murphy and gets the pin but then noticed the salt on the ground. Harris says that Mason has disallowed the fall but Nagssaki and manager Ryan claim victory and take their leave, despite the angry lynch mob besieging the ring., including an angry Rocco who had come down into the ring to protest. (Side note - Rocco and Murphy's respective Dads, Jumping Jim Hussey and Roy Bull Davies were are frequent heel tag team in the 1950s/1960s.). Manager and Man Of Mystery somehow make it back to the dressing room door. Harris reports Kendo considers himself the winner and is not coming back. Murphy screams four letter words down the mike and Rocco cuts a promo on Nagssaki. The camera cuts before the crowd can commence to serious building damage and we get shots of the same modern Americanised wrestling in a nearly empty room with pretty mauve lighting. DIRRRRTY MATCH!!! (Ironically all three know perfectly well how to wrestle technically but follow th3 Terry Funk route, pushing the Dark Heat Crowd needle past the limit. The people of Bath get to go on the rampage just like they saw the people of Croydon do on their VHS tapes. A total brawl apart from one of two good moves. At the time it was the perfect antidote for adult fans disgusted with Big Daddy and it paved.the way for the All Star of today to even exist. For us Brits of a certain age, this was our ECW.

Documentary on Cortez. Mostly just one talking head. I thought there was some colour footage but it's just the match Vs Jose Tarres with a green tint. On 5he positive side there are som3 good photos of various Spanish stars including on3 of Les Kellett on the receiving end.

Not sure about the date discrepancy 20th Vs 28th August. Dale, of course was one of the Dale (Abbey)Brothers who had set up Dale Martin Promotions the previous year in England with Les Martin. His brother John was still turning up as an MC on World of Sport as late as circa 1980 and helped sign off the 1986 sale of Joint from William Hill PL. Until the headbutts broke out, it was hard to work out who was who. Tarres gets Dale in a standing hammerlock, bounces him off the ropes and headbutts the bent arm, getting some way through a knockout count. Tarres continues to batter Dale with his headbutts until missing one. Dale tries various arm submissions on Tarres. It's not clear how he got the win but we see a shot of a referee making a KO count followed by Tarres celebrating.

Penny drops- the red and yellow on both Los Heroes and the 1983 Rico/Acapulco TV bout are because of the Spanish flag. The 1983 ring actually looks very French - quite similar to the ring for the 1978 Pete Roberts Vs Dave Bond French TV bout. (No middle string though).