David Mantell

Whereabouts can these new videos be seen? I've not seen any French Catch done in a TV Studio a la Southern US Wrestling (the only European use of this format I know of is that late 70s German TV Show where Roland Bock wrestles a bear and there is a tag match beforehand). Maybe it was a particularly odd looking smaller live show venue. I seem to recall British promoters spelled it Montopolous with an O, but don't quote me on that.

Travis has posted a comment on YouTube. Apparently it's Brian Last who uploads the clips and decides what gets its own video

Discussion is at 1:26:32. 1:26:32 well Jim I have a a couple emails here before we get to the roster want to ask about this one cuz uh 1:26:38 it made me laugh this was sent to cornydgmail.com from Brian in Wal 1:26:44 England hope you guys are well i have a three-part question for Jim in relation 1:26:51 to Flesh Gordon who had several tryyout matches 1:26:56 in the WWE back in the early 2000s did he say Flesh Gordon that's what he said 1:27:03 was Jim ever aware of this guy in WWE developmental did he spend time in OBVW 1:27:10 have you seen his dark match on Smackdown versus Sin Bodi among other 1:27:15 matches thank you do you remember a wrestler named I my first thought was he's confusing 1:27:22 flesh with Flash but then I was like did Flash Flanigan do this no no 1:27:28 and there was a Flash Gordon movie that was I think in the late 70s it was when 1:27:34 they were still shooting porn on 35 millimeter it was a big budget oh my god flash Gordon takeoff there's a there is 1:27:41 a wrestler named Flesh Gordon okay flesh Gordon i'm afraid to ask what 1:27:48 his gimmick is well Flesh Gordon who uh is a French wrestler his real name is 1:27:53 Gerard Hurvey he has been a dominant fan favorite is he a brother of Jason Hervey 1:28:02 he's he's been a Why did that get me he's been a dominant fan favorite in 1:28:07 France since the 1980s when his matches began airing on national television since the 1980s how old is this [ __ ] 1:28:14 guy he was born June of 53 he's 71 now jesus Christ did this does this guy just 1:28:21 asking if we was in OBVW or something what did he say in the early 2000s uh let me see if it says anything here 1:28:26 about WWE having practiced boxing from the age of 14 as well as 1:28:32 pancration in the 1970s he went to Mexico and discovered lucha libre he started wrestling as super 1:28:40 flesh by 1979 he returned home and made his debut on French TV wrestling 1:28:45 initially under his real name but soon adopting the flesh Gordon identity he wrestled for the 1:28:53 FFCP regularly teaming with Walter Bours with Oh well if he he's okay with 1:29:00 Walter he's okay with me with whom he held the FCP French tag team championship later in the decade he 1:29:06 would team with Prince Zephy he became a regular on Euro Sports New Catch program 1:29:12 also appearing in Wales for Welsh Channel 1:29:17 S4C's Reslo Wrestling Show and home video releases by German CWA now I know 1:29:24 them the point is if this guy was born in 1953 what [ __ ] how old was he did 1:29:30 they think he was going to be in OBVW or get a try out or be in 1:29:35 developmental or whatever the [ __ ] and he was in his 50s he became the European champion in 1988 the world light 1:29:40 heavyweight champion in '92 and then created a wrestling school in '95 the Belgian TV show Strip Tease devoted an 1:29:48 episode to him entitled Flesh Gordon and the Firemen he has been wrestling for French 1:29:54 wrestling promotion wrestling stars since its creation in 2001 and holds the position of national 1:30:01 technical director so you don't remember flesh in this 1:30:10 no I I do not remember old fleshy if I Google flesh is he is is he still 1:30:17 wrestling or is now is he's just a technical director also it says here Flesh Gordon is a 1974 American 1:30:24 superhero sex comedy which is a spoof of the Universal Pictures Flash Gordon serial films of the 1:30:30 30s all right I've not seen that smut i'll see if we can find the copy of that but uh no knowledge of Flesh Gordon what 1:30:38 do you think of the name Flesh Gordon well for a porn movie I think it's pretty [ __ ] neat for a wrestler not 1:30:45 so much I don't think because again what how would you go out and portray 1:30:52 that you'd be dressed up as a space traveler except that you're [ __ ] thrusting your dick in people's face i 1:30:58 don't know what flesh Gordon

Hypothesis: Quite a few Spanish stars appeared on French TV - Modesto Aledo, Jose Tarres, Quasimodo, Jose Arroyo, Los Halcones De Oro, ... Also remember that Spain's CIC regularly toured Morocco. I wonder if ORTF was bicycling prints of Le Catch through Morocco and so they were screening these Spanish stars there? If so, before sending its stars to Morocco, CIC could send them to France to be televised and the matches kinescoped and once the kinescopes were screened in Morocco (before being mailed on to, say Tunisia and/or Algeria) the CIC could promote its top talent in Morocco as Stars Of Television. We saw from the 1976 Zambia film on the British thread how a visiting tourload of British Wrestlers were hyped as "TV Stars" on the strength of local screenings of ITC's Wrestling From Great Britain (repackaged World Of Sport footage.). The same principle could be at work here.

VdB on a rare trip across the Iron curtain to Hungary - date uncertain but I'd say it's the early 80s. Mamdouh Farag (black trunks), future national hero babyface of Egypt and scourge of WWE's Arabic language content division, during his German days Vs British wrestler Ray Glendening (red one arm leotard), a journeyman who occasionally popped up on World Of Sport. There's a couple of seconds Ringerparade at the start. Farag is bigger and stronger and slow motion ragdolls Glendening about. He powers out of a full nelson and lifts him and puts him on the ring apron while held in a front chancery. Farag is also the natural babyface, cheered all the way for his actions. He finishes Ray with a dangerous looking piledriver/powerbomb hybrid which scores him a KNOCKOUT!!! The clip is just 6.5 mins long and has been edited by someone doing acid who wanted to make the viewer trip out too, hence lots of silly effects. Promoter was Arpad Weber whom we saw in action two posts above.

https://www.facebook.com/bobbyandkeef/videos/414895559744169 Kendo Nagasaki, Blondie Barrett and The Superflies (Jimmy Ocean and Ricky "Paige's Dad" Knight) versus Marty Jones, Johnny Kidd and The Liverpool Lads (Doc Dean and Robbie Brookside) - 8 man "Survivor Series" elimination tag match, Victoria Hall. Hanley October 3rd 1992. Post TV All Star was RED HOT as you can see from the action in this clip, filmed at the same venue as the Tony StClair Vs King Kendo and Tony Vs Mighty John Quinn title tournament matches. Both the crowd intensity and the sheer pace are AMAZING. At one point fans on the stage (before Health and Safety banned such things threaten to riot so Kendo, nearly 51 years old, leaps on the stage and makes them FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES!

That man Gunboat Harris again, same tournament. Dave Morgan whom we've seen quite a bit of on here, sometimes wearing a Mashcke, other times as a clean British Blue-eyes, is here a dirty British villain while completely unMashcked. Jorg Chenok, according to Kent Walton in 1985, beat Wolfgang Saturski at around this time to capture the European Welterweight Championship (his first confirmed sighting as champion was turning up to job the title to Danny Collins on the FA Cup Final Day '85 World Of Sports Special, seven years after Dynamite Kid handed the belt back to Max Crabtree before heading off to Stampede. Arpad Weber I confess to being unfamiliar with but I think I've seen the name on the French Catch playlists. Another cheap and cheerful tag for bier swillers in a festive mood in May 1981. Jorg as a babyface reminds me a lot of Roland Bock. The same archetypal facially haired, pipe smoking,* Alsatian owning working class German everyman. * not literally, but the archetype does. Another family friendly, drunk friendly, wrestling match. The villains get more substantial, getting more heat than Harris and Viking did and eventually winning by DQ when the babyfaces go a bit over the top with the old hog tying one heel in the ropes and using the other heel on him as a battering ram routine - in response to which the faces use the disapproving ref as a battering ram too. You've sent the routine on late 70s/ early 80s French Catch TV. Never done on Delaporte (at least not as un Arbitre) or Martial in the 60s and I wouldn't fancy their chances trying that on with British refs like Max Ward. Although as we have seen, Georg Blemenschütz was treating referees like this in the late 1970s. The beer flowed freely that festival 44 years ago, they were easily amused.

Mammouth Siki clearly is a much bigger guy than Bobby Gaetano. I apologise for suspecting they were the same person because thy were both black with horseshoe baldness. Hansi Rooks I've had a soft spot for since reviewing his 1986 win over King Kong Kirk. He's what Big Daddy could have been without Max Crabtree's crazed and excessive level of Booking Him Strong. We've also seen B/W footage on here of him in the early 70s as a young man with dark hair looking like Hercules Cortez. Dave Viking I know little about, a Scotsman based in Germany with no career back home AFAIK but who seemed to be a hardy perennial across the North Sea. Judd Harris did have a few memorable moments on ITV - as Daddy fodder Gunboat Harris for Joint in 1980 and as Baron Von Schultz for All Star in 1988 popping up on the same Croydon TV taping as the Kendo-Rocco falling out to lose a title eliminator match to ex World Heavyweight Champion Wayne Bridges (who thus earned a second return match against new champion Kendo Nagasaki which he won on DQ to regain the title, then retired soon after, taking his red/white/blue ball, sorry, belt back home to his pub where it was on display for the next 30 years. Cheap basic goodies/baddies tag match, the baddies get a period of dominance over Siki before Hansi makes the hot tag, the heels are then generally mown over - including the old rowing boat spot - until they try a double team on the big blond, are DQd and sent packing in disgrace from the ring.

(Phil wrote that bit you quoted, not me) I like him better than Daniel Cazal. Unfortunately like his colleagues he does feel the need to poke for at proceedings eg calling a chair used for entering the ring "l'escalier de Service". This trend among all the commentators to make light of proceedings seems to be a gesture of solidarity with Darget after his suspension, upholding a journalistic freedom. His rugby commentary on Swiss Radio was notorious pro France and he is similarly militantly pro Bon on Catch.

Flesh Gordon got discussed at length on the Jim Cornette's Drive Thru edition 395. My Wikipedia article on him got read out at length by Brian Last, I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Videos as soon as they are posted. Hopefully Travis Heckel wil do some photo research. I expect we will get old bald tubby moustachioed Flesh as that is on the article but you never know we might get late 80s/early 90s Flesh with the long hair and in good shape. I doubt we will get the young boyish Flesh from the tag team with Walter Bordes (Jim made a joke about him.)

The final has already been reviewed on here. For those who need reminding, here you go: From the same venue 17 years earlier before Health And Safety banned fans from sitting on the stage leaving it free for the promoter to project nice swirly lighting patterns on it. Some background - in early '86 Wayne Bridges had a real life disagreement with Brian Dixon and walked from All Star, taking his ball - or rather his red/white/blue World Heavyweight title belt he beat Jim Harris to win at Wembley '81- with him. All Star still had the original black belt first claimed by Spiros Arion in 1979 so held a tournament on All Star's TV show on Screensport (their audition forca share of ITV coverage.). StClair beat notorious Kendo Nagasaki impersonator Bill King Kendo Clarke, Quinn beat Johnny South and we were left with this final. We join in progress. Quinn doesn't particularly work the British style, he is soon getting a public warning from referee Frank Casey (recently kayfabe-suspended due to complaints from viewers about him being too lenient on villains.). StClair gets a 2 count with a missile dropkick. Quinn throws him out but rather than try taking to KO win, follows him out and hits him with a (rather comfy-looking plush) chair. A heavily juiced StClair stumbles back into the ring but Quinn works on him with closed fist punches. What with that and the chairshot, I'm beginning to think the anti Frank Casey letter writers had a point. StClair fights back a bit but Quinn nails him with a Duthty bionic elbow and undoes a corner pad and bangs StClair into it. Chuckle Brothers on commentary are going crazy and so is the crowd. StClair still fights back, brother Roy is in his corner and he slams and cross presses Quinn for two. Quinn kicks StClair down, Casey inspects the cut and awards the bout and the belt to Quinn on a TKO. Quinn and StClair continue to have potshots at each other as Roy and a second (in green) tend to Tony. The ring is under siege from fans as Quinn puts the belt on. Chuckle Brother #1 Max Beezely, later an MC on ITV's All Star bouts gets in the ring for a French Catch style post match interview which cuts off before it starts. Apparently this was the kind of envelope pushing stuff supporters of the Indies loved but the IBA would have blown a fuse over. Quinn and StClair did have their wild brawl on ITV a year later when they were both DDQ'd and left Kendo Nagasaki and Neil Sands to finish a tag bout as a solo contest, but at least that time, the referee was able to assert control. Clearly Brian Dixon needed a good filter if he was going to stay on ITV once he got a slice of it. Wayne Bridges settled up with Dixon, brought his tricolore belt back and reunified it with Quinn's version in Autumn (Fall) 1986 before losing the whole crown to the real Nagasaki on ITV a year later P.S. have added a link to the quoted section of this post back to Dean Allmark vs Mikey Whiplash at the same Hanley venue in 2003 (by which time fans could no longer be seated on the stage.)

Oh I dunno, plenty of WCW and other promotions had referees, wrestlers and even announcers with thick deep "Y'All" accents (Randy Hales springs to mind.) Bit of background - in early '86 Wayne Bridges had a real life disagreement with Brian Dixon and walked from All Star, taking his ball - or rather his red/white/blue World Heavyweight title belt he beat Jim Harris to win at Wembley '81- with him. All Star still had the original black belt first claimed by Spiros Arion in 1979 so held a tournament on All Star's TV show on Screensport (their audition forca share of ITV coverage.). In one semifinal, Quinn beat Johnny South and this was the other semi. Tony was British Heavyweight Champion in 1981 when he defected from Joint to Orig Williams and Brian Dixon . In 1982 in this same venue Hanley he defeated Quinn for the black title belt up for grabs here. Wayne Bridges followed across also with the red/white/blue belt he won at Wembley Arena on the undercard of Daddy Vs Haystacks. In early 1983 on Reslo, Bridges confronted StClair and demanded a title unification match The resulting series was inconclusive but after Tony lost his version back to Quinn, Bridges won a title unification bout. However here he has taken his red white and blue ball, er belt, home with him. Bill Clarke had been doing his Nagasaki tribute act since the mid 70s. After running afoul of the real Nagasaki's lawyers and eventually spending a short sentence in prison alongside promoter Sandor Kovacs for contempt of court after flouting a cease and desist order, Clarke had rebranded as King Kendo but continued to wear the full garb. In 1981 Thornley and Clarke settled matters by having a series of Battles of the Kendo's which saw the real Nagasaki defeat and unmask Clarke night after night. Oddly, this got Clarke some work with Joint Promotions - he teamed with Giant Haystacks in the main event at the Royal Albert Hall and got 2 or 3 TV appearances - he was in a 1982 battle royal won by Daddy and a 1984 2-1 loss to Marty Jones with Jones's enemy, World Mid Heavyweight Champion Fit Finlay in his corner. Clarke also popped up as the Masked Red Devil to lose a Big Daddy tag. Ironically the real Nagasaki would join All Star as its flagship star later that year just in time for ITV and would remain in that role until late 1993. This is a bit like seeing Randy Hogan work as enhancement talent in WCW 1989 knowing one day five years later the real Hulk Hogan will be WCW's top star. We join in progress. Tony easily throws KK with his legs but Clarke gets an armbar and slams Tony's head in the mat. KK gets pressure points and Tony counters with a bearhug. He breaks the pressure points and scores with a powerful lean-back dropkick. KK responds with a couple of concealed fist and gets a telling off from Scouse referee Frank Casey (who was back after a brief kayfabe suspension from refereeing after viewers complained he was too lenient- and who as a wrestler later became the British Bushwhacker) gives KK a stern ticking off. Tony gets an armbar but Kendo turns it into a sleeper. He knocks Tony to the mat and illegally follows in with blows and a choke on the downed StClair. Tony gets up, armbars KK and fells him with two forearm uppercuts.He gets a snapmare and legdrop but Casey disallows a pin cover for not being part of the same move. KK chops Tony down and illegally follows down to choke his man and now it's his turn to be blistered by the newly zealous Casey. KK does let his man up but then strikes with an elbowsmash, posting and an illegal knee across the throat (interfering with a opponent's breathing, like closed fists and attacking a grounded opponent was serious heat in Britain) A concealed fist and elbowdrop get Clarke a first public warning. Kendo gets pressure points but Tony corners him and bashes away with forearms accidentally knocking Casey down. Tony gets his own public warning for this while KK slams Tony and cross presses him for two 2 counts. He posts Tony and goes for a second one but Tony cushions himself, fires back with a flying headbutt and a flying tackle for the one required fall and a final against Might John Quinn, the same opponent in the same venue as his first World title win four years earlier. Verdict, sloppy match but enough crowd heat there to be visceral fun, like an American match

S4C's outside broadcast team takes the long trek Eastwards across the Severn Bridge, across Lloegr with its feral Saesneg population (look those up if you can't guess) and across the North Sea to Bremen where then current British Heavyweight Champion Tony StClair takes on former NWA Champion Masa Chono. Chono is doing his New Japan heel act here and shows it from the off, karate kicking Tony down then booting and stomping him to ringside where Orig had been welcoming the Reslo viewers in Welsh and in a snazzy blue suit just moments earlier. After some family American work, Tony and Masa set down to an old school German long work the hold sequence with Tony having an armbar in the mat and moving to keep up with Chino trying to get out. He gets a leg to the ropes but at least there has been some struggle to do so, so no heat. Chono gets a side headlock and Tony tries various things to turn him into a pinning predicament. Chono let's Tony get up then punches him down, we can't see if referee Mick McMichael, minus his kilt, reprimands him or not. Chono gets a drop toehold into his famous STF, the move he ended mentor Lou Thesz's final bout with 3 years before. Tony grabs a rope, the first time everyone ignored it, the second time he gets the break while Chono gets a First Yellow Card and consoles himself with tampering with me rd corner post cover. Chono takes Tony out and slams him in a ringside table. By the end Tony has bladed and Chono got a Second and Final Yellow Card. He gets a sleeper on Chono and takes him down. Chono backs him off in the corner but collapses. He gathers his strength and gets up in time to catch Tony with a flying shoulder block. He tries a flying axehandle but Tony catches him in the stomach. Tony's turn to fly now - he gets a flying bodypress but Chono rolls through and gets a 2 count. Chono takes it outside again, missing a charge on the metal post like Ron Simmons at Halloween Havoc 1991. McMichael blames StClair and gives him the yellow card. Undeterred, Tony slams Chono's face into the ringside table No card for that one. Or for stomping Chono from inside the ring. Tony is tired and - on the second attempt and badly- lands a clothesline on Chono. Tony bodychecks him and puts on a Zoltan Boscik Special/Octopus.Atomic Stretch. Chono eventually gets the cross buttock throw but is too tired to follow down. Both men run the ropes, collide and fall down Chono reverses a posting but Tony boots him and lands a spinning vertical splash (Puro and Lucha fans no doubt have a fancy name for this one) Tony slams Chono but misses a flying kneedrop off the top. Chono lands.three kicks on the wounded knee and takes the leg but Tony kicks him in the head with the other foot. They run the ropes and Tony gets a DDT. He doesn't follow down. Chono is up at 9 before Tony gets the Powerslam and pin. Apart from the public warnings and long protracted hold sequences of the old Germany (that StClair would have seen in his youth) there indeed wasn't much European about this bout. Slow and protracted with long double counts.

Do you mean this? That's a heat getting finish. Yes it's fluky but that's the whole point. Breaks accepts the win which most of Grey's fellow good guys would have rejected and would have then been recorded as a no contest (we saw how in 2023 one of Nino Bryant's challengers Joe Lando refused the British Lightweight Championship over a similarly fluky win.) . Breaks treats it as a great triumph. The crowd sees this and RIOTS over Breaks' attitude, so smug over his cheap win - and getting the title out of it. See also Breaks coming up to champion Vic Faulkner in 1977 and spooking him in his corner so that he punches Jim, gets DQd and so loses his title. Kent Walton claimed at the time that hate mail and protest mail had come in by the sackload.

A simple throw over the ropes (except from point blank range) could be just as much a knockout as a finisher. Wrestlers didn't bumble through the ropes of their own accord (well not that often. ) Generally they were thrown or otherwise ejected. I understood this concept as a small child long before I understood pinfalls.

The RAH, only venue in the world to have hosted Joint, All Star, WCW and WWF/WWE . If Joseph Dixon ever gets All Star as it is now booked at Wembley Arena that would be a second venue. British wrestling steps out of the small halls and theatres and goes for somewhere Territory Monthly Show sized. This is the same show as the Kendo & George Vs McManus and Logan comedy match. Now one for the purists like me. The battle of the older brothers. Royals Vs Saints from 1971 is a favourite tag match of mine. They lock up and Bert gets an arm, transitioning to a headscissors. Roy just about gets his head loose when Bert flips him withis his legs.Up and Roy gets an arm and starts to twist. Bert takes control, trips Roy and gets armlever dominance. They get up and Bert transitions to a Hammerlock. Roy counters with a backdrop and Bert counters that with a sunset flip. A double leg nelson doesn't hold and Roybspins out of a headscissor throw. Roy gets an armbar deep by the armpit and forces a sonersault nd a hard bump. Bert stands up so Roy switches to figure four topp wristlock and forces his man back down. So Bert goes all the way down to roll Roy but he keeps the hold. Bert gets a headscissors but Roy shakes it off. Kent observes Roy is using more his power to get ahead than skill. Bert tries kip ups. He tries a legspread, Roy sidesteps itim. Bert tries to do an armbar with his feet. Roy tries a poor crosspress, gives up. Bert goes full nelson to snapmare to further nelson shoulder press then releases and gets a toe and ankle. Roy gets a side headlock , throws his man down, gets a Legdrops and a 7 count, Bert goes through Roy's legs, gets double legs for a Boston Crab but is shook off and cartwheels away. Bert gets rear waistlock, turned into side headlock into further nelson for some one counts. Reset and finger interlock. Roy gets an arm and double overhead twist. He tries to force an armroll but the bell goes. Round 2. Royal gets a snapmare and twisting foot motion. Bert gets a good throw and bump off the ropes. Roy stays down for 8. Bert capitalises with another throw. Roy gets a sunset flip but Bert's feet go in the ropes. Bert gets a wrist, rolls on it to tighten. Various weakeners then a figure four top wristlock Bert tries a crosspress. Gets double wrists on the mat,pins a bicep down. Converts to an arm scissors. Roy briefly scissors Bet's other arm. Bert finishes this long duration armlock with a high whip throw and bump. BArief cut section. Roy gets a full nelson. Bert breaks one side open but Roy regains. The bell goes. Round 3. Bert gets double legs, folds up Roy's legs and has a suspension backbreaker. Poor old Roy's head gets banged about a lot until he sits up and pushes Bert into a double leg nelson. Royal gets feet under Roy's arms, pulls him down into the backbreaker then down further into a double leg nelson, switches to non armbar then double armbar. Roy goes for the back of the neck but Bert throws him. Roy gets a smash to the back of Bert's neck. Roy gets snapmare and front chinlock. Bert rises to kneel and gets Roy up in a fireman's carry. Roy rolls backward into a further nelson but Bert's feet hit the ropes. Bert gets semi Japanese Stranglehold, collapsed one knee of Roy's to force him down. Gets a surfboard. Roy reaches back for Bert's chin and uses it to roll backwards and get a kneeling full nelson. Bert stands and breaks but Roy spins behind to regain. The same escape and counter escape then a backrolls escape and reclaim. Bert gets behind for a full nelson of his own and Roy escapes but Bert drops down into a front folding press! Roy rolls him off into a double arm stretch. Bert rolls back and standing while holding a leg. He goes for another folding press but gives up after a 1 count. Bert dropkicks Roy who is up at 9. Roy shoves him over. Roygets double wrists Bert sharply breaks it and gets a side chancery throw. Bert posts Roy. Follows in but . Roy elbowsmashes the back of Bert's neck. Double finger interlock. Bert gets Roy into double knees press but Roy bridges out. Roy gets a monkey flip but Bert has the double leg nelson so Roy turns for a folding press but is spun out but Bert's legs. Roy gets a legdive and leglock. Folds it into a Frank Gotch toehold. Bell goes. Round 4. Roy gets two side chancery throws then a LOOONG throw, almost a knockout. Roy gets a snapmare and legdrop. Roy posts Bert but Bert cushions the posting well as slips through Roy's legs only to be caught by a sudden kneelift. Roy moves in for a leg but Bert catches him with a knee of his own.He goes for a legdive but Roy moves in first with a backslide attempt for 2. Bert sidesteps a Roy charge and as he rebounds off the ropes, rolls him up in a folding press for the one required fall. More of a clinic that a shining pyrotechnic display (now how about their brothers Vic Faulkner Vs Tony StClair for that?) A few moments of real genius - the roll off a surfboard backwards into a full nelson, the sudden folding press during a full nelson exchange. Round 4 especially sparkled, a time when often good matches get demob happy and finish with a forearm exchange and flying tackle - this one actually upped the ante of technical work in the final seconds. On the other hand, particularly in early rounds some holds are worked in long and procrastinating detail like German wrestling pre Steve Wright. For more advanced fans, not so good for trying to make a new convert of someone.

No more than on ITV until 1987 but they did do a lot of buttonholing exhausted wrestlers for comment after a match or between falls. This could range from the disappointing (Duranton being uncharacteristically philosophical about a DQ Loss) to red hot (Delaporte and Bollet on that one surviving Jan 69 colour tape threatening to beat up the commentator who confronts them about cheating to get that opening fall.) ITV's 90s boxing show The Big Fight Live had similar post match interviews ringside. One time, after Chris Eubank KOd Michael Watson - and put him in a coma for months - a himself somewhat punch-drunk Eubank suggested Watson should take a urine test, he was so strong. This made Eubank into an even bigger heel than ever and led to calls for post bout interviews with boxers in a possible state of diminished responsibility to be banned.

Good review Phil One detail you missed was the angle at the start where Robert Duranton buttonholes Couderc and reads him the Riot Act over some slight. Lou is a very impressive monster heel, he reminds me of the young Andre Bollet in the late 50s. The episode of the cooperative was still making waves in recent years, you may remember it was an issue of heat between Marc Mercier's FFCP and WS head honchos Jacky Richard and Flesh Gordon.

Talking of Portugal, here is some film footage (probably a film insert from a TV broadcast) of the Ringerparade at the start of a May 1980 trophy tournament in the capital Lisbon. Since Portugal was CIC overspill and Spain became French overspill, it is reasonable to suppose that a French promoter put the show on, so this is the correct thread just as much as the IWSF TV taping in late 90s FYR Macedonia also counts as French Wrestling.

This may possibly be another of the new matches. It's never been reviewed on here before. We've discussed in the past how the 1980s generation of gimmick performers - Flesh Gordon, Jessy Texas, Mambo Le Primitiv, both Marquises de Fumulo (the second of whom became the Travesti Man) may have had their roots in an early 70s clutter of bad gimmicks - La Bete Humane, Le Hippie Du Ring, Le Batman (Dave Larsen) ... Now meet another of their number - Grelha Le Portugais. Imagine Bruiser Brody dressed in one of Big Daddy's leotards from 1975-1976 when he was still a heel. Portugal at this time along with Morocco was overspill for the dying Spanish scene of the CIC. After that collapsed, Spain itself (and possibly Portugal too) became overspill for Spanish wrestling. If this is what the French thought the Portuguese were like, it's no wonder Portugal didn't join the EEC until 1986. Three familiar figures in the ring. We saw Lagache recently as the nasty half of at 1977 tag team with gentlemen Mechant Albert Sanniez. We have also seen RBC and Bordes in their respective dotages. Here they are still in their primes or at least in RBC's case not in career senility. Walter Bordes gets his usual chant of Pappa Doux Mais Mais. RBC gets a similar cheer. Both Bons are as agile as ever. Grelha doesn't fair too well against them at first apart from a good headscissors on the mst. Grelha mostly just does kicks and stomps. Manchettes too. Apparently he used to be a footballer but got sent off too much for Lutte Ireguliere. In a football match. natch. A couple of minutes before the end, Grelha puts on a leglock and the commentator says it's Grehla's first hold of the match- co Monsieur L'Arbitre is constantly on his case. The end comes when Grelha and Lagache tie up both Bons in the ropes by the F3 deck, refuse to release Les Bons and are DISQUALIFIED. This after Les Bons have done a whole load of similar moves (especially Beard pulling.) The good guys are untrussed and celebrate their victory.

TV was not totally finished with Bouvet and Falempin, they would pop up again on New Catch. Meanwhile, Menard had become a Vieux Pontoufle heel in his later years. Bordes by now has had Flesh Gordon quietly dump him for a younger model. This was shot on camcorder and uploaded by Bob Plantin. Maybe he knows the date. Wanna try asking him?My guess is late 80 The ring looks quite modern, one of the ones used for Walter and Flesh TV tags 1983-1985. Everyone can do their old moves but with much less grace and agility than before. Most of them still have a decent cartwheel. Lots of hiptosses but no back somersaults off top wristlock s so far. Menard clearly tries one about 2/ 3of the way through . He looks like an elderly Mr Spock here. Bouvet is the one with the greying beehive. The odd fan breaks out into Pappa Doux Mais Mais for Bordes who looks like Lou Thesz in later years. Falempin has a moustache. . . The video occasionally jump cuts a bit -consider it's already 26min, almost long enough for a full length TV match up to 1985. Towards the end. Menard and Bouvet get more heelish, stomping opponents and getting an equaliser. Bouvet scores an opening pin. I can't see on who or how but it gets them a lot of heat. We don't see the equaliser but Falempin gets the decider on Bouvet with a great flying bodypress. The winners get a nice trophy, the losers get a nosy cameraman follow them back to the dressing room!

KNOCKOUT 2 of 2. Again not previously reviewed on here. This was a rescreening on ESPN, with a lead screen showing a very odd picture of Grasshopper looking like French Angel Maurice Tillet from the 1940s. No rounds here, best of three falls not that this will matter. Grasshopper wears a navy gi with white collar and red waist sash but on blurry video it looks like 1982 pop star gear (say Adam Ant circa Friend of Foe, the boy out of Dollar or a couple of Duran) but in bare feet and bald. He rolls nicely off a side chancery and a wristlever. Finlay, hands on hips, knows he's going to have some hard work if he doesn't want grief from Paula. He puts an arm under the armpit for a couple of high whips and this time forces bumps. Grasshopper tries some wristlevers of his own and Finlay rolls out of them nicely. Clearly in the late 80s his technical skills were not lost, merely neglected. He finally gets bumped with an underarm rope assisted throw. Frustrated, Finlay goes to his corner for a chat with Paula. (Pleasingly she carries a green towel colour coded to match her husband's green/white tights. ) Finlay gets a Japanese stranglehold and drives his man to his knees to avoid being thrown. Once his man is weakened, he loosens-and then reels him in for a bodycheck. Finlay tries to follow down but referee Jeff .Kaye reprimands him. Grasshopper gets a legdive and legspread weakener. Finlay rope a dopes some headbutts on Grasshopper who comes back with a sunset flip. Finlay retaliates with a punch to the head which Kaye doesn't quite clearly see. Grasshopper discards his jacket. Finlay gets two uppercuts and a posting but Grasshopper gets a toupee (in 80s Britain and throws Finlay leaving him fuming. Grasshopper gets a posting but Finlay gets a slam. Finlay stomps his opponent and gets a First Public Warning. He goes for another chat with Paula who is threatened with expulsion from the venue if she carries on like this. . Finlay dodges a chop and seeks refuge in the corner. Finlay gets a concealed punch (Kaye checks. finds a fist but cannot confirm) and a hard throw. He puts on a grovit on his fallen man but the referee warns him off. He press slams his man from a fireman's carry. He strikes a forearm smash and then a long suplex into chinlock but Grasshopper gets the locking arm and makes it into a hammerlock into armbar into two postings. He does a monkey climb but Finlay gets a good feet first landing (some more of his skill.) He gets in a concealed kidney punch then a kidney forearm blow for Kaye's benefit. He gets a posting, gets reversed on a second one but dodges a Grasshopper bodycheck in the corner and inverted waistlocks his man for a piledriver. Grasshopper escapes with a chop to the knees then follows with more chops and slamming Finlay's head to the corner. He gets a snapmare but Finlay catches him off the ropes with a kneelift. Finlay gets another piledriver and Grasshopper stays down for 10. KNOCKOUT. As with Kincaid, I must ask. In what way is Grasshopper protectied by this? There Knockouts areas definitive a way to win as two pinfalls or submissions.

It's Monday morning,and I feel like watching a good KNOCKOUT. Or two. So here's 1 of 2. No previous reviews on here of the bout. Kincaid has been abroad for some time so he's largely dropped any technical wrestling from his style which for Kendo is tantamount to a note from his mum saying he is excused technical wrestling also. Which is a pity as when he has to do a round or two of it, he's pretty good (cases in point the recently posted Rex Strong 1978, plus Pete Roberts 1978, Lee Bronson early 1977). Kincaid gets to work with headstomps, forearm smashes and typing Kendo in the ropes. Against a different opponent Kincaid would be the heels (and this is the same venue where two years later Kincaid and Dave Bond wrestled the Carribbean Sunshine Boys one and only TV tag match and nearly triggered a rare riot, soma lot of those people were cheering Kincaid this evening.) Now and again there are flashes of technical work like Kincaid rolling out of a Nagasaki top wristlock. Soon afterwards he takes Nagasaki down into a leg scissors which Kendo attempts to counter with a crossface. and Kincaid respond by giving the locked leg a yank. Kincaid switches to toe and ankle but Nagasaki gets the ropes and takes his man down in a side chancery hold. He is still dominant when the bell goes. Round 2 and Kincaid has had time to recover. Nagasaki works him in the corner but gets a public warning for his efforts He has his man down in a sleeper after having endured one himself for much of the previous round. Kincaid lifts him in a fireman's carry but Nagasaki regains his footing. Unfortunately for him, that includes one foot through the ropes so he has to break. Kincaid scores a headbutt which Nagasaki sells magnificently like the American Greg Valentine. Kincaid earns his own first public warning by following down. Kendo sells another headbutt and Kincaid gets a grovit on but in the ropes. The referee wants a clean break but the crowd want the mask off Kincaid pulls on the mask, referee Joe D'Orazio pulls on Kincaid's hair Joe wins and the mask survives. Kendo gets a grovit and Kincaid gets a legdive and a pushing match enues. Kendo ends up in a neutral corner forcing a break so he shoves Kincaid off. They spar menacingly but without contact for some time. Just before the bell Kincaid gets a wrist, twists horizontally and switches to a legdive into toe and ankle and gets a few weakeners in during the final seconds. Round 3. Nagasaki gets a wrist and high whip but Kincaid rolls out smoothly and up to a standing stare without any discernible bump. Kendo gets a bearhug but Kincaid gets one of his own. Kendo releases, chops his way out and tries his Kamikaze Crash finisher but Kincaid converts it to a crucifix takedown but is unable to transfer to a further nelson pin attempt. Kendo chops down Kincaid and scores some pretty good moves including a backdrtwhich Kincaid really takes a bump on but a flying tackle is caught neatly by Kincaid and turned into a bodyslam for the opening fall. Crowd goes mad like Luger and Windham beating the Horsemen at Clash 1 in 1988. Like that crowd, they're in for a crushing disappointment. Round 4. Kincaid corners Nagasaki to work on the mask. Referee finally convinces Kincaid to release. Nagasaki back on the attack with chops and blows. Kincaid does the tie up in the ropes spot common in France, Germany and Reslo but rarely done on ITV. After one charge the referee warns him off. Kendo frees himself and gets a flying kneelift and tries again for the Kamikaze Crash and this time gets it and a KNOCKOUT. Kendo is the winner KO-1. Question - in what way is Kincaid "protected" here? He is built up and knocked down. Or rather OUT.

Apparently not. Siki was also known as Cesar Viltardc and he and Gaetano actually teamed up, it says here: https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=11884&page=4

Serious question - are Bobby Gaetano and Mammouth Siki one and the same? They look similar although Gaetano looks a size smaller, but he might have dropped some weight between 1979 and 1981. This was Marty Jones's coronation as World Mid Heavyweight Champion, a title he would lose/regain twice to Fit Finlay in 1984 then lose to Steve Wright's alter ego Bull Blitzer in 1987 before then regaining from Owen Hart and holding for 12 years until finally losing it to Legend of Doom Johnny South in April 1999 in Bristol. A thought both are good guys there seems to be some needle, Jones not liking Gaetano using headbutts. Both Marty and Bobby use the French style headscissors as counter to armbars, Marty can also do a plausible Gilbert LeDuc toupee throw. Gaetano does his own version of the British style cartwheell out of an armbar, going over on the top of his head. The falls come thick and fast rather like a French Catch A Quatre, first Bobby then both of Jones, all as I recall folding press variants. At the end Mike Marino's mate former referee Lou Marco plus his widow Renee come in and present Marty with the belt. Bobby makes a nice speech in broken English about how everyone has been kind and friendly towards him.