David Mantell

I seem to have neglected to mention Kent Walton stating that Mercier had told him it was his first time in England. I've just found out that was not true, he actually wrestled for Brian Dixon a bit in the early 80s.

Interesting. Are there lots of these is France? Maybe that's how Eurostars/IWSF was televised.

Was just looking at this clip and noticed the watermark is for Images Plus Television. Who were they?

Cartoonishness became a big ingredient of French Catch from 1984 going forward. Britain had Big Daddy Vs Giant Haystacks, Germany/Austria had Otto Wanz Vs the visiting Americans, France had THIS.

Well I just need one more British bout to make it two newies on all three threads so this will do. Diamond Timothy Flowers' brother Peter, once dubbed the New Abdullah The Butcher by the Aptermags, recipient of short stints in both the WWF and WCW had a famously tumultuous time here in Britain at the turn of the 80s to 90s. Infamously, an angle at Victoria Hall Hanley where he hit Robbie Brooksiide with the same flagpole you see at the start, causing two ladies in the crowd to sneak off to the nearest payphone and bring the police down on the venue. He formed a wild tag team with Rollerball Rocco and tried to negotiate a peace between Rocco and Kendo Nagasaki only for things to collapse after only one triple tag with Rocco feuding with Naggers again. Mauler took Kendo's side but soon had his own feud with the masked man. He kept coming to the UK and even popped up in 1993 on Mr Brookside's Video Diary, singing a song with Paul Neu about wrestlers' hard lives and how they dream of being on wrestling magazine covers. We've seen him in camcorder footage on here against Dalbir Singh at Blackpool Tower Circus and on the German thread against Chic Cullen in Hamburg September 1992.. Here on Reslo in April 1990, he takes on another R.Brooks, former Golden Apollon, now something of a heel Ritchie Brooks. This is a golden phase for Brooks - just seven weeks later he will get a controversial DQ Win over Danny Collins in Croydon for the British Heavy Middleweight Championship after Collins hit his head at ringside and dazedly attacked everyone and everything in sight. He would lose the title back to Danny later that year but progress further as a heel in the Leeds Boys with Tarzan Boy Darren Ward. Straight off the bat, Ritchie gets the flagpole treatment and gets battered around the ring. Brooks gets a big backdrop in amongst the various slamming sand smashings. Richie fights back with a big back body drop breaks out of an over the shoulder backbreaker and takes his man down for a 2 count with a flying tackle He stands the Mauler out with a flying tackle and leg flips him. Ultimately even being on a title push is no defence for Ritchie whom the Mauler finishes with a guillotine elbowsmash. Still not satisfied he bashed Ritchie with the time keepers bell. He is very lucky not to have the decision reversed and Ritchie given another big DQ win in a matter of weeks. Flowers once told New Wave Wrestling magazine (and yes I think they put him on their cover, LOL) that "I am a total extrovert and (the British) weren't used to that." Indeed, ITV and Kent Walton would have been very circumspect about having him on so it was just as well he arrived in the UK after the end of ITV Wrestling. In the wilder environment of Reslo, especially 90s Reslo, he found a more welcoming home.

Marc Mercier Comes To Britain And ITV. Mercier comes to the Fri g in a white/yellow hoodie like Roddy Piper at WM2 just two short years earlier. He is a total gentleman throughout this but the crowd are in jingoistic mood, whipped up by Jones, and don't really give him the respect he deserves until he gets a chance to dazzle them with his skills. He gets a rather undeserved boo at the start. Ironically Kent Walton tells us how Marc was telling him how nice everyone had been to him over here. Kent namechecks Guy Mercier, not sure if he ever wrestled over here let alone on ITV. Kent says Jones hasn't been to France but I seem to recall it was he who faced Rocco in the dark match of a 1978 TV taping over there. Round 1: They twice lock up but hit the ropes both times. Jones gets a legdive into toe and ankle and switches to a double arm press but Mercier bridges out of any pin attempt. Jones breaks the bridge by loading his full weight on. He gets a finger Interlock, stands up, clips off one sided with his foot and makes a wristlever of the other side into a hammerlock. Mercier nicely twists out. Jones still has the wrist until Mercier rolls out and gets his own wrist. Jones rolls out just as smoothly but Mercier takes him down to the guard. Jones tries turning into the mount then kips up and gets the wrist into side chancery throw into rear chinlock into H&S into a seated side chancery hold. Mercier breaks it open to get the armbar into front facelock but Jones gets the locking arm and makes another wristlever of it, into a sharp hammerlock and side chancery into headlock. The bell rings they cleanly break and shake hands and the audience starts to warm to Mercier giving them both a round of applause. Cut to Round 3. (Before the bell goes, Kent cuts back in, giving Mercier's background, saying he has been professional for 10 years. @Matt D and anyone else who saw the cross reference in my Mercier-Sanniez review on the French thread, this is the reference I meant. 1988-10=1978. Not that this means Mercier Sanniez was in 1978 but it explains where Marc's head was at when he posted that on his YouTube channel.) Single sided finger Interlock and the standing Mercier turns horizontally then neatly gets a legdive and leglock. Jones tries to turn it into his Powerlock the go for a headlock, both fail. He uses is legs to beautifully turn Metcier into a folding press but Marc has a shoulder up. They rest and Jones gets a whip and butt to the stomach for 7. Jones gets a lunge, side chancery throw and rear neck weakener as referee and former European Welterweight Champion Ken Joyce makes the count in French, reaching 8. Jones gets double legs into a Boston Crab. Mercier resists long enough that Jones releases. They interlock and Mercier tries the same foot on shoulder trick he used on Albert Sanniez. This time he succeeds, he gets the other foot up for a straight legged huracanrana variant. It throws Jones who his down for 9 and gets up into a Metcier descending forearm. (This is the wrong thread to talk of Manchettes!) Jones is up at 8 but into a posting for another 8 count. Mercier does another descending blow and Joyce quietly warns Mercier for being a little too quick with these.-let the man up properly. Mercier gets an underhook, tries for a suplex but Jones straightens out the arm and gets a flooring kick. The count is interrupted by the bell. Jones is still selling wear and tear during the break. Round 4. Jones does not respond and gets a count. When he does, he is straight into a posting. He kicks Mercier away but is still selling. Mercier gets two forearms but Jones lands a felling one back. He gets a snapmare and a not very effective bodycheck. They hit the ropes but Mercier ducks under the leapfrogs then gets a cross buttock throw and press but Jones bridges him off. Jones gets double legs but Mercier counters with a backslide and gets the opening fall! Some of the crowd are hostile but most politely clap good fair play when they see it. Round 5. Jones still selling wear and tear takes a 9count and goes to the corner ASAP. He is a fall down and on the run. Mercier gets a side chancery into Rude Awakening neckbreaker (he's been watching WWF on France's Canal + obviously!) Jones fights back with a forearm smash and two postings. Mercier gets a side chancery throw, a body check no more effective than the one Jones gave him (a no-sell for a no-sell?). Jones catches Mercier off the ropes with a standing full nelson, Mercier breaks one side and goes behind but Jones follows him round to reclaim the hold, drop to waistlock into double rear leg takedown. Mercier tries to reach through for a legdive to behind but Jones grabs the hands and gets a double arm hank. Mercier rolls back and Jones clamps down with his legs for the folding press equaliser. Crowd is delighted. Some a little two happy. They chant Easy Easy despite Big .Daddy not being there. Round 6. Finger Interlock and Mercier gets an armdrag and drops the one knee allowed on Jones's arm before backing off. Jones throws Mercier to the ropes. ducks down and fired off a dropkick. He gets a wristlever and Mercier takes the bump to untwist it. Jones goes for the armhank. Mercier tries to stand init but Jones pulls him down. Mercier flips over onto his front (Gilbert Leduc's old setup for the toupie out of armhank). He goes up into the handstand, swivels his legs and YES! a real live toupie on ITV 1988! He then gets a forearm and up the top turnbuckle for a missile dropkick which gets muted applause. Jones is up at 8, gets a wristlever into single leg takedown. He puts together powerlock but falls over into the ropes (keeping the hold strong while not making Mercier take the coward's way out of a rope break.). Jones starts a chant for himself and the crowd go "Marty Marty". One kid in the audience has a Marty Jones World's No.1 sign. Jones takes a wrist, spins horizontally and gets a drop toehold on it. Mercier is up and selling his leg. Jones drop toehold the other leg. The bell saves Mercier. Round 7. Mercier gets a superkick but Jones stands back. He keeps on stirring the pot with the partisan crowd who break out I to a round of Here We Go. Jones gets a slam and crosspress but Mercier's shoulders are up. Jones gets a backbreaker on the knee and a piston top of that damage but Metcier gets a posting back and goes up the top turnbuckle but Jones catches and throws him. He gets a missile dropkick off the middle rope then a double underhook suplex for the winning fall. We cut short before the post match proceeding but both men were very sportsmanly and the audience finally behaved themselves towards Mercier. @ohtani's jacket Dunno what YMMV stands for but I'm guessing along the lines of agreeing to differ. Personally I enjoyed this match at 14 when I saw the original transmission and I enjoy it still at age 51. A fine technical exhibition spoiled only by the annoyingly partisan crowd. I suspect if not for them, Max Crabtree might have brought Marc Mercier back for a couple more ITV appearances.

Okay, here goes with the serious bout, the uncropped Marc Mercier Vs Albert Sanniez. From 1982, not 1978 apparently although check out a comment by Kent Walton on the Mercier Jones match when I post my review to the British thread. Marc, the less experienced and younger man has a clear size advantage over Sanniez who as a heel became a French version of Jim Breaks, not so much in terms of verbals but in the general vibe of being a Horrid Little Man. Sanniez gets a side headlock takedown to the mat but Mercier wedges out and kips upright. Marc cartwheels out of Sanniez's throw. He dives through Sanniez's legs, gets double legs, goes for an early Boston Crab but Sanniez leg throws him off but Mercier again cartwheels out. Sanniez gets a top wristlock, throws the taller Mercier and has him in the top wristlock still in the guard. Mercier kips up but Sanniez pulls him back down, dragging him to the centre of the ring. Mercier is up again and over with the power advantage so Sanniez uses a trip to get him back down. Sanniez again drags his man to the centre and throws him. keeping the hold nicely. Mercier kips up, backflips in characteristic French style to a better position and then high whips Sanniez, forcing a bump. Sanniez gets back the top wristlock. He switches to side headlock to top wristlock on the other arm in a neat transaction sequence. Albert once again throws Marc down. Mercier powers up again but another Sanniez trip sees to that. Marc powers up and does another back somersault, possibly narrowly missing getting the French style Scisseaux Volees takedown. He twists to reverse the wristlever that remains of the top wristlock. Sanniez grabs a side headlock and switches sides. Mercier gets one of his own but Sanniez breaks it open right back into that top wristlock again! He takes his man down. Mercier kips up and this time gets the Scisseaux Volees and takes Sanniez down (confirming my suspicion that the two earlier somersaults were failed attempts to get this hold.)Sanniez after some struggle, twice kips out only to be twice clamped back in again due to Mercier keeping a wristlock to reel him back in. Sanniez changes tack and uses his legs to uncork the scissor. They double finger Interlock, Sanniez pulls Mercier's arms downwards and switches to kneeling side headlock. Mercier pulls upright and extracts his head leaving a standing back hammerlock. Sanniez gets Mercier's spare arm, throws him and comes out back with an armlock in the guard. Mercier turns round into the guard and pulls upright taking control of the armlock and making another back hammerlock. Sanniez stands up attempts a fireman's carry but Mercier underhooks him and makes it almost into a side folding press but Sanniez gets a leg free. It's enough for Mercier to slip free if the armlock despite Sanniez's desperate attempt to take it back. Mercier forces Sanniez into the ropes, giving an extra little shove before releasing. Sanniez is unhappy and complains. They finger Interlock and Sanniez gets a full nelson from it. Mercier uses downward arm force both sides to break and reverse the hold. Sanniez tries legspreading Mercier but the younger man's size advantage means he easily keeps his balance. So Sanniez instead uses a short sharp downward arm force but it only breaks one side and when Sanniez goes behind to reverse, Mercier follows suit to reapply. Next Sanniez tries the downward arms into back roll but Mercier catches Sanniez's legs on the turn and from there regains the full nelson as the somersault completes. Sanniez tries the go behind again, Mercier rears into him and floors him but Sanniez kicks him into the ropes and leg flips him on the rebound. Sanniez bodychecks the bigger man (!) as they come off the ropes but Mercier leapfrogs and dropkicks him. Mercier gets a standing side headlock. going down to kneeling, then seated position. Sanniez tries some sort of handstand escape- unfortunately the camera switches to Couderc at ringside and by the time it cuts back, Mercier is back in control - we never find out how but Couderc says a toupie variant was being attempted. Sanniez uncorks his head and makes a hammerlock of what is left. Mercier gets his head between Sanniez's legs and gives him a mighty backdrop. Mercier gets a standing side headlock and cross buttock into side headlock on the mat. He resists a Sanniez reverse crossface attempt and a side folding press counter attempt. Sanniez pulls up and throws Mercier off but he rebounds with a bodycheck and then with a bulldog into side headlock on the mat. Sanniez tries an atomic drop but Mercier flips back and dropkicks him from behind. They finger Interlock and Sanniez pulls down until Mercier has a knee on the mat. He forces up into a back to back position and rolls over Sanniez to face him. Sanniez switches to a front piledriver that doesn't quite come off then a leglock and possible folding press Mercier boots him off and flips him on the rebound (Couderc calls it a "Planchette Japonaise but it's not quite a full monkey climb.) Sanniez gets two side chancery throws but Mercier catches him on the second with a ground dropkick. He cartwheels out of a Sanniez throw. Sanniez on the other hand takes a Mercier throw by rolling British style. Another finger Interlock and Sanniez gets an armbar and kicks it, flooring Mercier and getting Sanniez some crowd heat. He floors Mercier with two Manchettes. Once Mercier is up, he gets a third then a headlock into go behind and a Smash along the spine. Mercier gets a single leg on his way up but Delaporte disallows it. Sanniez gets in a shit as Mercier breaks, annoying Delaporte and the crowd. He gets Marc with a blow as the ying man gets up but he responds with an almost punch and an actual Manchette of his own. It looks like the technical portion of the bout is over and we are into brawling. Mercier lands three Manchettes. They finger Interlock, Sanniez unpicks one side, twists out of the other and lands a chop flooring Mercier. He next lands a blatant closed fist punch which enrages both the crowd and Delaporte. Sanniez side chancery throws Mercier and Frankensteiners him down into a folding press but it turns into a Bascule stalemate of back and forth leg Nelsons. Sanniez eventually gets the standing folder position but Mercier goes up on his head,Sanniez resists arm presses , turns his man over with his legs and gets his own folding press but again this descends into back and forth Bascule stalemate. Sanniez tries the folder ineclast time and is leg thrown by Mercier, staying down for 4. Mercier makes fist gestures and Sanniez complains of being punched. Delaporte isn't too sure but has a quiet word with young Marc nonetheless. Sanniez gets a wristlock and takes Mercier down with what looks suspiciously like a hair pull. He doubles up on the wristlock and disputes Delaporte and the crowd's objections. Sanniez shouts abuse at one particularly vocal audience member (to whom Delaporte subtly directs Sanniez's attention!) Sanniez kicks Mercier's arm. Mercier kips up but Sanniez again pulls him down by the hair! Mercier lands in the ropes and Delaporte calls for a break so Sanniez drags him to the middle of the ring. He gets a nasty kick into Mercier's arm before releasing. Delaporte reads him the riot act but still no Avertisement. Mercier gets an arm and switches to the other arm and throws Mercier. He drags his man to the centre of the ring in the garden with a wristlock on, deflecting two attempted Mercier boots out. Mercier kips up, steps over the wristlever, breaks it, hits the ropes but Sanniez ducks and two rebounds later takes him down with a cross buttock throw. Mercier bridges out of a pin attempt. They get up and finger interlock. Sanniez gets a wristlever and trip to get Mercier down in the guard. He sees off grabs to his chin. Mercier kips up but Sanniez pulls him down and makes an armhank of it. Sanniez kips backwards and forwards to break free. Sanniez again uses the hairpull to take down from a wristlever. He shrugs off grabs to his chest flesh. Mercier cycles and kips up and gets a leg up for the Scisseaux Volees but Sanniez pushes it off. He still has a wristlever. Mercier tries the same trick with the same result. He kips up again but Sanniez pulls him down. Before Delaporte has time to reprimand, Mercier gets the break he wanted with the step over move and gets an underarm into backslide but only gets a 1 count. He whips Sanniez into the ropes and goes for a backdrop on the rebound. Sanniez counters with a sunset flip but Mercier leg chops out. Both men are selling the wear and tear, staggering around clutching their heads as Couderc goes into silly singing - Ding Dang Dong. Sanniez lands a powerful Manchette which has Mercier down for eight. He whips Marc into the ropes and gets a heel of fist on the rebound then as many kicks as he can claim as continuous motion on the fallen Mercier, then some more for luck despite Delaporte's protests then pulls his man up for a Manchette. Delaporte has a serious word with Sanniez about attacking a fallen opponent but this just antagonizes Le Mechant to land an extra stomp, pull him up by the hair and land a hand heel blow, an illegal punch and another heel. Finally Delaporte gives him that Avertisement he so long deserved. Apparently this is a Deuxieme, I'm not sure when Le Premiere was and even Couderc is a little nonplussed. Sanniez land another mighty Manchette and throws Le Gosse Du Guy to ringside. A second and Couderc help Mercier up as Sanniez and Delaporte cross their arms and their words. L'Arbitre protects Mercier until he is back in the ring, still selling his back from the landing outside. Sanniez is back in with a Manchette ASAP. He snapmares and Manchettes Mercier who Manchettes back seven times until the older man drops tomone knee to Couderc's amusement. An eight Manchette sends Albert into the ropes. Mercier throws Sanniez who takes the bump and a nine count. Mercier wades in as Sanniez still holds the ropes. Delaporte gently warns him off, as Kent Walton would say, allowing for retaliation. Both men waves fists at each other until Delaporte intervenes. Mercier gets some borderline legal jabs, a Manchette and a posting, flooring Sanniez. He threatens Sanniez with windmill punch gestures which Couderc compares to Don Quixote, waits for Sanniez to charge and throws him twice. They finger Interlock and Mercier forces a high whip and bump. They exchange Manchettes until Sanniez falls out of the ring. He comes back into a Mercier side chancery throw and you g Marc nips up to the top turnbuckle and scores a fine missile dropkick. He then gets an actual proper Planchette Japonaise (as opposed to the simple flips both men did earlier) . Sanniez gets a backdrop but Mercier gets a ground dropkick then flips backwards into a cross press for the winning fall.The local Mayor enjoyed it. The first half was classic technical Catch Francais. The second half was a French version of Jim Breaks Vs Young David 1979 (minus the verbals) with Sanniez as the poisonous Jim Breaks heel and Mercier like Smith as the naive curly haired kid who gets one up on him.

The midget match first, set at Alphaville a charity kids' establishment we've seen on here before. The manager gets interviewed by Couderc. Cowboy Lang (dark hair, moustache) has a full nelson on, Tiny Tom (ot Teeny Tom as Couderc calls him) bouts his legs on the ropes. Delaporte calls for a break so Lang lets him drop. This starts the first of many arguments between Tom and L'Arbitre. Lang has Tom in a front facelock which Tom escapes somehow (between them the two Rogers prevent us seeing how - Delaporte obstructs the hard cam while Couderc calls away the shot for a while.). Tom slaps Delaporte while in a hold and really gets beaten up by the full grown referee. The two stom each others hands and Tom gets into arguments with Delaporte. This goes round round until Lang gets ejected to ringside. Lang sneaks to the other side, re-enters the ring and blindsides Tom with an atomic drop while he is still arguing with the ref (demanding a KO count). Tom suplexes and cross presses Lang who kicks out at 2 , sending Tom flying into Delaporte who throws him back to Lang who kicks out at 2 leading to another Tom/Delaporte argument. Tom eventually gets an Avertisement. He gets tied I the ropes and Lang ducks through Delaporte's legs to get him. Delaporte picks Tom up like a child to get him free. Lang throws Tom outside. Back in, Lang gets a rear legdive on Tom who kicks him into Delaporte's crotch, hurting him. Tom gets a headlock, they go off the ropes and Lang uses the "something in the air" distraction spot to Manchette Tom. This goes on far too long as Lang continues to convince Tom and the referee that something has fallen from the roof. They run the ropes, ducking each others charges until Tom's hand gets stamped on. More criss-cross until Lang gets an aeroplane spin and giddily gets the pin. They shake hands afterwards. It makes a change from stomping. Some kid gets interviewed between bouts. Too much repetitive comedy. There's only so many times you can find a hand being stamped amusing.

I'll argue those. mainly the Mercier one, on the British thread when I get to them. The crowd take longer to warm to Mercier than to .Owen and both labour somewhat under Jones's rather jingoistic "Eng Er Land!!!" crowd working which is one thing against a heel like Finlay Bull Blitzer or Jean .Paul Auvert but a bit irritating in the case of Johnny Foreigner who happens to be a gentleman and a skilled technician like Owen or Marc.

This is my previous review of Mercier - Sanniez. I might write on a longer review as I recall it's quite a good technical mat h. .No luck with Jones Vs Mercier, I shall have to do that from scratch..

Years before Rambo becomes a babyface for his feud with Bull Power, here he is as heel challenger (not for the first time on this thread Viz Rambo making challenges and doing an angle during Otto's TV interview. At this stage, Porier bears an odd resemblance to early 90s Soldier Boy Steve Prince minus the gags. Otto works rather like Big Daddy in the 1977!John Elijah and 1975 Kendo Nagasaki bouts - Daddy and Wanz had a common inspirational ancestor in Blemenschutz. Not sure who Hercules Boyd is but he seems to be a legit American from the accent. He teams with the only European in the bout, Franz Schumann to face BUll Power and Might John Quinn, an unlikely pair as I recall reviewing them feuding at Heumarkt around this time.Boyd can match power with BB. Quinn is a bit craftier and has picked up some technical knowledge in his time in Britain. Power of, works in the Blemenschutz style of rugged bodychecks and splashes as a finisher.

Of course in my case my first taste of Marc was his unsuccessful shot at Marty Jones in 1988, so I knew the score with Marc back in the day when I was 14. I think I shall either bump that one up too or else do a new review over on the British thread.

Reviews to follow. We've featured a large chunk of the the Mercier- Sanniez match on here in the past which I shall bump up before doing my own review (possibly re-review in the case of Mercier-Sanniez). but Mercier himself seems to think that the match took place in 1978 - that's what he has it labelled as on the FFCP's YouTube account.

Also I would like to see some more George "Schurli" Blemenschutz as lead babyface at the 60s/70s Heumarkt so we can judge how much of an influence Schurli was on Shirley ...

I'd like to see the full length Inoki - Lasartesse match and maybe some other ones from the tour like vs Wilfred Dietrich. I wonder if there is footage of the earlier Wanz Vs Don Leo match July '78 where big Otto wins his second CWA title - the debut of the acronym CWA in German/Austrian wrestling circles. Also the studio tag match which precedes the Roland Bock Vs Bear match and some similar stuff with Rene Lasartesse in the studio (snippets appear in his documentaries posted earlier.)

It was a common failing of newsreel makers and producers of TV Magazine-show items, to poke fun at the wrestling show and its fans rather than treat it with dignity. They were more concerned about what their peer group would think than true communication. Still it could be worse - that Spanish one with the silly sound effects.

Yes, I posted that one some time back. Talking of hairdos, Hansi had yet to buy his first bottle of peroxide. Even in the b/w you can see it's the common 80s/90s ring design with the white ropes and dark blue mat. I think I even spy some sponsorship messages on the canvas.

This was 1981, only a year after the supposed dying-out completed. Bit early for a renaissance Afterthought - the above was filmed in Belgian Congo. Possibly they were buying in export copies of Le Catch for local Congolais TV which is possibly how the name Zarak became known in the Congo.

I wanted to review this earlier as part of a set of John Kenny posts to all three of the British, French and German threads. But I seem to have already viewed it so never mind. I'll let Kenny* do The Bump* and we can still compare him in three different territories. . . . . * Spot the early 70s kitsch pop reference!

Both sides of John Kenny in one match at his may have been his turning point from no nonsense clean technician to vicious heel. We start with the sight of Orig slapping a hold on co presenter Bryn Fon. They settle down into discussing the matches on the show. Saint and Kenny shake hands and they're off. Saint gets a headlock into wristlever. Kenny rolls forward flips back and kips up and finally unpicks the wristlever with a foot and takes one of his own, quickly switching to front chancery. Saint feigns tugging loose before straightening Kenny's arm and going for a high whip but Kenny takes it well, rolling upright. He gets a standing side headlock into cross buttocks into side headlock in the guard, but Saint wedges out. Kenny gets a rear waistlock but Saint gets one arm in a wristlever and switches to rear snapmare into rear seated chinlock but Kenny bars the holding arm and develops it into a kneeling back hammerlock. Saint stands up and ducks down several times until he lures Kenny into ducking with him and unpicks the hammerlock with his foot from behind then gets a wristlever into hammerlock of his own, throws him in the hold and applies a headscissors. Kenny turns into the upright position, turns to 90 degrees and forward flips to kip out. He gets a single legdive and leglock. Saint widens his legs and turns to behind Kenny to slip out. Kenny gets a font facing wristlock so Saint falls backwards to unhook it with his foot and gets his own wristlever, switching to front chancery. Kenny grabs the arm and forces a high whip but Saint lands even more neatly than .Kenny did earlier. Kenny gets a side chancery and throws Saint with the help of the ropes but Saint takes it well and lands upright. The first sign of heelishness from Kenny, he points and complains to Saint. They interlock and Kenny gets a top wristloc into front wristlock. Saint takes several horizontal turns to reverse the hold and pull Kenny down into the guard. He weakens the arm with a kneedrop and stands back for a count. Kenny is up with a butt to the chest that floors Saint. He gets a standing full nelson, Saint uses the extra power of his own legs to break open and reverse the hold. Kenny powers out, gets a standing full nelson of his own then quickly switches to side chancery throw into Headlock And Strangle (sleeper) . Saint baits Kenny with his usual self-hold into taking his hand for an Interlock into wristlever into back hammerlock in the mount with weakeners applied. He turns his man over into a crosspress but Kenny keeps an arm up so Saint gives up. Kenny is up at 5 and gets a side headlock but Saint quickly breaks it into a top wristlock. Kenny pulls him down into a kneeling side headlock converting to a standing wristlever. Saint rolls forward, gets a wrist of his own and high whips Kenny. This time, Kenny gets a bump. Kenny gets a quick rear waistlock into rear double leg takedown into single toehold. He pulls Saint up by the leg intending to smash Saint's kneecap into the mat but Saint stans up in that moment, legdives and leglocks Kenny. He delivers a single leg weakener and releases. At this point, Kenny's heel turn kicks in, he smashes Saint in the back and illegally follows in by smashing his head on the mat, earning a private warning from referee Brian Dixon. They shake hands then Saint forces a bump with an over-arm whip then rolls on Kenny's arm to tighten it in an armlock with Kenny in the guard before switching to an armscissor. He weakens Kenny's shoulder with a knee then pulls him up and goes for a posting. Kenny reveses but Saint takes the impact well and goes through Kenny's legs for his "Russ Abbot" sequence - full finger Interlock then step over each arm in succession, turn a budget a headlock into leapfrog into rear scoot through the legs then baiting Kenny into a legdive so he steps over him entirely and goes for a side folding press! Kenny kicks out at 2, but the science there as he scores a concealed closed fist punch, flooring Saint. He kicks the fallen Saint in the head several times, slamming the kicked head in the mat and headlocking it so Dixon calls for a break. Kenny refusescto release so Saint elbows his way out and lands the first forearm smash of the contest. Kenny again illegally punches his way out of a Saint pressure points hold and throws him off the ropes but Saint ducks down and then rolls over Kenny on the next rebound and dropkicks him. He whips him into the ropes and gives him a high backdrop. Saint goes for a flying tackle, Kenny initially catches him but goes down under the weight. He kicks out of a crosspress at 2. Saint leapfrogs Kenny and goes for the ball. Kenny takes a protruding arm but is rolled in for a 2 count. Kenny snapmares Saint but Saint lands feet first, goes behind and gets a side folding press on Kenny for the win. I'm not saying that this was Kenny's official heel turn but it's a convenient yardstick for how he was modifying his act away from the gentleman who faced Robbie Brookside in 1985 to the Permed and moustachioed ruffian who faced Flesh Gordon in France and Doc Dean in Germany. The first 7-8 mins were pure classic Johnny Saint. The final 3 minutes were how Saint dealt with rulebreakers like Rocco and Finlay.

Someone in Belgium had a go at doing a vintage French Catch blog nine years ago. They only managed four posts but it's interesting nonetheless https://nostalgiecatch.blogspot.com/

Several year after 1985, the year Flesh tagged with Angelito (see above) and John Kenny wrestled cleanly against a young Robbie Brookside on Screensport (see British thread), here a heel Kenny is fed to France's biggest Bon. English commentary by Orig Williams. Flesh in the same superhero getup he wore on Reslo. Kenny starts with a headlock into side chancery.into rear snapmare and bodycheck. He tries another but Flesh ducks down and. on the rebound, dropkicks the Gypsy out the ring . Flesh pulls him in and gets another dropkick., but misses a third. Kenny gets leg and neck weakeners. He gets down and dirty with stomps. Flesh kicks out of a cross press . Kenny gets a standing full nelson and continues the battering. Kenny gets another standing full nelson and tries to use it to slam Gordon's head in an exposed turnbuckle but Gordon puts his feet on the ropes, breaks one side and uses the other to flip over and return the battering, smashing Kenny's head into various corners. Kenny gets his heat back with a bodycheck. He goes for a posting but Flesh reverses. Kenny gets a boot up followed by an elbowdrop but misses with a second one. Kenny gets a wristlever, shoots his man into the ropes and catches him on the rebound with a dropkick. He finishes off with a long suplex, flying tackle and armdrags for the one required pin. A heavier Flesh than 1985, clearly a full heavyweight but still a credible babyface, a long way from the tubby bald moustachioed bloke of later decades.

Most of the first half of the clip is taken up by a lengthy Ringerparade. We first seen Rasputin and Klaus Kauroff in the carpark looking quite amicable then cut to said parade with all manner of familiar faces including referee Jeff Kaye. A bit of a fight breaks out between some of the wrestlers. Then two minutes or so before the end we get some match highlights, George Burgess under his old 70s identity Jamaica Kid Vs uncensored N bomb dropper Colonial Brody. Some bits of good action including a neat escape from headscissors into side headlock from Brody and a great bridge from George. In the end he gets a flying tackle on Brody but is exhausted so the Colonel not only kicks out at 2 but easily upturns him to get his own pin and the bird from the crowd. Referee Mick McMichael was at the time busy competing in the Golden Grappler and Grand Prix belt tournaments back home across the North Sea.

There wasn't much, I grant you, but .. Exhibit A Exhibits B and C: And yes, this was Dave Larsen alright. Camping it up, treating the BH as his pet ... Good old Dave. I don't think this is him though: This was 1981, only a year after the supposed dying-out completed. Bit early for a renaissance

For those who are interested ... https://www.discogs.com/release/4505708-Brian-Maxine-Ribbon-Of-Stainless-Steel