David Mantell

January 1968. Scarface is a visiting American who has been given one of the toughest assignments in Catch, the early twentysomething Jean Ferré (André Rousimoff). Andre is in slim athletic shape although somewhat bony with a bad habit of poking his head forward. He wears a tassel jacket with a scarf tied l8keca necktie. It gives him a slightly hunched frail look. The picture is very sharp, I almost thought it had an interlaced VT look until I spotted some film damage. The two men tower over referee Roger Mollet. They take turns to throw each other around then Scarface gets a top wristlock. He takes his man down but Ferré kips up (itself a sight to behold) Scarface pushes Ferré back down but Ferré pushes up only for L'Arbitre to run him back down. Scarface gets a front facelock They two wrestlers Interlock and Mollet becomes tangled up in their tie-up. Bollet leaps to get a grovit of his own. Managing in the second attempt ibut Jean managed to convert it into a ¾ nelson. Scar goes for the ropes then gets his grovit back, shoving L'Arbitre out of the way Mollet again gets dangerously entangled in the lockup. He pounds on Jean's back. Eventually all three fall out of the ring and the two giants battle at ringside. The bell rings, seemingly to stop the contest but once Mollet has everyone back inside he restarts the match rather than an early double KO. Jean cross buttock throws Scar twice across the ring. Scarface gets a legdive and leglock. Ferré has to struggle to keep his shoulders up. Eventually he boots Scar in the head to escape. Back up, Scarface gets a standing side headlock on Jean who throws him off and bodychecks him down, Scarface gets the headlock against Ferré again. Jean throws him in the ropes but Scar rope-a-dopes his way out of rebounding. Scar gets a standing armlock on and makes it into a front facing hammerlock, slipping in an illegal concealed kidney punch that has fans gasping and Mollet racing round to see what happened only for there to be just a legal double wristlock left. Scar eventually has Jean down almost in the guard in his hammerlock. Ferré gets the ropes forcing a break. Mollet tries to pull Scarface off, but gets thrown across the ring. Ferré gets up as Scar and Roger argue. Scar gets another headlock but Jean throws it off. Ferré gets three haymakers that flatten the American. He gets up and attacks Jean, getting an armlock. Ferré counters with a standing full nelson. He keeps it for a very long while. Scarface eventually manages to slide out downwards. Jean drops down in a lengthwise press cover but the two men roll over and over until Scar falls outside the ring. He spends quite a while out there either getting counted or arguing with Mollet. Eventually he comes back and gets a bearhug on Ferré who forces Scarfaces head back then Bionic Elbowsmashes him off. He tries another but Scarface leaps to get the headlock back on. He corners and pounds Ferré who floors him and gets another armbar which he folds into a punishing top wristlock. Scarface low blows Ferré who threatens to punch Scarface but instead elbowsmashes, headbutts and corners him. Mollet tells Ferré to release, the giant looks incredulous but before he can do anything , Scarface takes over and pounds him. Mollet finds himself twice trapped between the two wrestlers. Soon it is Ferré battering Scarface. Scar gets a front chancery in this corner and a rope choke. Jean in turn is choking Scarface on the ropes and Mollet's arm is trapped in it. Scarface gets a Deuxieme et Dernier Avertisement. He nonetheless dives back in on a grovit even if Jean is holding the rope. Jean carries on pounding Scar until warned off. He gets more blows and a headbutt which fells Scarface only for him to legdive Ferré, trap one leg in the ropes Mollet unties the roped leg while Scarface attacked the other leg. An angry Jean corners and Hulks up on Scarface. Finally, Scarface collapses on the mat in the guard for a 10 count - KNOCKOUT!!! Jean Ferré wins again. Scarface is carried out and Ferré does a quick postmatch promo. Very similar to Duranton Vs Lamare.A slow power match turned brawl. Hard work to review.

A vintage bout that's not had any reviews previously. It's blue eye Vs heel but don't hold that against it. From November 1980 (I may well have caught it - I would have been six years old) , rufty-tutfy Soul Man Bond takes on a lighter British Light Heavyweight Champion Marty Jones. A bi5 of a snafu at the start with incorrect captions for Rollerball Rocco and Pete Roberts. Round 1: after a false start hits the ropes, Jones gets an arm at but the bigger Bond rolls through and unhooks the wristlock and takes one of his own. Jones rolls forward and back and takes thecarm with an underarm. He switches to front facelock, Bond breaks it open and whips but Jones rolls away nicely. Jones gets a legdive into Toe And Ankle and develop it into a leglock. Bond tries for a crossface but Jones shrugs it off. He switches to anklescissor. This time Bond gets the crossface but Jones prises it open. He shrugs off another crossface attempt and gets a sort of inverted Indian Deathlock. From there he goes back to the toe and ankle and thence back to the wristlock. He makes a hammerlock of it but this time it's Bond who smartly rolls away. Bond takes an arm and gives it some weakening shakes, Jones rolls it straight but falls back into the armlock in guard from the stronger man who proceeds to make a top wristlock of it, leaning his weight on. Jones bridges and turns to take Bond's arm then switch to side chancery then changes arms for a grovit. He switches to side chancery into rear snapmare throw into chinlock but Bond comes back to get an arm. It hits the ropes, forcing a break. Jones gets round the back with a standing full nelson. Bond twice breaks for a reverse but Jones both times doubles on him to regain the hold. Bond rears, forearm smashes and gets just 2. Jones gets a drop toehold into anklescissor and adds a crossface, then switches to quarter nelson then armbar. Jones overheads the arm and makes it into a backhammer. He secures the other arm and switches to further nelson, getting a 1 count but Bond is getting his shoulder up so Jones releases. They start over with a Bond full nelson into snapmare but Jones again rolls up nicely - a good rollout by both men in this bout. Jones does another one off a Bond throw. He steps over an interlock side and high whips Bond but he also rolls through splendidly and gets a wristlock. headbutting the hand. He works on bending the weakened wrist. The bell goes and he releases it. He won't be so quick for the bell later on. Round 2. They lock up and hit the ropes. This time Bond is not so quick to release and referee and fellow Dave, Reece, has to pull him off. They lock up again and Bond gets a slap, the first needle of the bout. Another lockup and Jones nearly has Bond over the ropes but decides not to risk a public warning. Bond isn't happy. He armbars Jones who rolls through, Fireman's Carries Bond, dumps him on the corner and returns a slap for Bond's earlier one. Bond's response is a hefty headbutt, flooring Jones. He gets a kick before Jones is up and gets privately warned by the referee. Bond gets an armlock and forces Jones down, shaking off a Jones grapevine. Jones vaults over him French style and levers him down in a ground top wristlock. Bond tries a headscissors - Jones avoids but has to sacrifice the top wristlock to do so. He tries getting another slap in at Bond who ducks out the way. Kent is worried that the science may go out the window and a Bond chop shows why. Bond does get a front facelock but before Jones is up and Reece calls him off. Jones lifts Reece out of the way but thinks better and apologises- this isn't France! Jones double interlocks, kicks one hand out and armdrags Bond. He works on the wristlever in the guard. Bond gets up but Jones side headlocks him and bodychecks the heavier man down. Bond gets a butt to the stomach and smash to rear of neck, flooring Jones and gets a front facing armbars just as his man is up - quick but just about legal. Jones gets in behind and tries for the chin so Bond armdrags him down into a guard armlock. Jones kips up, leapfrogs Bond while still in the wristlock and snapmares his man! Bond is going for rougher stuff now with two forearm smashes and a headbutt flooring Jones. A smash to the back of shoulders and and another front facing armlock of Bond, but Reece rules this too early and orders a break. Jones, clearly annoyed, gets an armlock and shakes it. The bell goes but he doesn't release until Bond forearm smashes him. Reece orders them apart. It's been a good mostly scientific two rounds but as Kent says, needle is creeping in. Curiously Kent gives Jan 73 as Marty's pro debut - after the Hornets Vs Dangermen tag. I guess even Kent Walton can make mistakes. Round 3. They lock up and go to the corner but Bond gets the better of it. He just gets a close headbutt in before the release and Reece is unhappy, giving him another private warning. Jones gets an arm and then a kick to the legs, flooring Bond. He gets another kick as Bond gets up then on the next rise a legdive and single leg Boston Crab but Bond can easily resist. Jones releases but kicks his man in the back. While down, Bond gets a single leg , floors Jones, applies weakeners and has Jones down for 4. Jones comes back with a kick and a headlock but Bond gets a backdrop on a rope running Jones. He tries for another but Jones gets a sharp kneelift. Jones charges again but Bond gets a slam. double kneepress and opening pinfall. Round 4. Bond gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold, yo-yos his man out and pulls him into a forearm smash (legal) and kneelift as he goes down (questionable.). Bond catches Jones on his way up with a grovit to match Jones's earlier one but Marty somehow spins out. He charges and floors Bond, whips and stomach buts him. flooring him. Bond gets a bit back and lifts his man for a slam but Jones gets off behinds, backs him in the ropes and rolls him into a front folding press for 2. Bond goes too early for a headlock, Jones reverses it into a back hammerlock but the referee still breaks it up. Bond gets a wristlever into standing back hammerlock, Jones drops down but Bond keeps the hold and gets the other arm for a further nelson, again like Jones did earlier. He gets a couple of 1 counts but Jones can keep his shoulders up as well as Bond could earlier. Jones gets a good stiff posting which Bond really sells. After a 6 count he gets a leg but Jones pounds him off for another 6 count. Up, Bond gets Jones on the ropes but this time will not break. Jones turns the tables and has Bond in the corner but with Reece sandwiched between them and he feels it when Jones butts Bond! Reece has some serious words with both men! Bond gets a wristlever but Jones will not roll with the whip. He tries to bash his way out with three forearms but Bond yanks him to the mat in a guard armlock. Jones kicks him off and lashes at his knee from the mat. He collars and smashes his man on the back of the neck, flooring him for 6. Bond gets a wrist and the two end up on the ropes but Reece pulls it apart. Jones gets a legdive and weight dropping weakeners. Bond is up at 7 but needs another 3 count in the corner to be ready. Jones tries for the leg again but Bond is in first with a grovit into a chinlock. Again he won't release but Jones is equally too keen to fight his way out. This will have consequences ... Round 5 ... and Bond has finally been given a public warning but as the bell goes, Marty Jones gets one too! His temper leaves him equal to his heel opponent for PWs plus he needs an equaliser this round for a 2F/S win. Eager to score, Jones floors and snapmares Bond for a crosspress and 2 count. Bond gets a leg on the mat but Jones kicks him off. They are both up at 4. Bond forearms and posts Jones. A second one and Jones scuttles through backwards (like James Mason did to Robbie Brookside in the 1999 tag I posted to the German thread this morning) dropkicks his man twice and gets a double legs into front folding press for that equaliser. Round 6. Bond has lost his lead and is still selling the dropkicks like they hit him hard in the mouth. Reece tries to get them to shake hands but Jones gets cold feet on the idea. Jones gets a cross buttock throw for 7, Bond gets an armlever and kick to the stomach. He goes for an armhank but Jones slides out- he tries for a front facelock but Reece calls for a break. He gets a slam but Jones catches him with a ground placed dropkick, posting. slam of his own and crosspress for 2. Bond tries for something on the mat but Reece orders him off. Jones es floors his man with two knees. Bond comes back with two headbutts. He whips Jones to the ropes but he comes back with a sunset flip and double leg nelson for 2. Again Bond goes for a leglock on the mat, Reece with have none of it and Jones shoves him off. (Perhaps it's only Jones's retaliation in these situations that prevents Reece giving Bond a second public warning.). Back up and standing, Bond gets a side headlock. He gets a body check out the second time Jones hiptosses him down and makes a crosspress for 2. Reece disallows a Bond headlock on the mat. They both stand and exchange forearm smashes. Bond puts Jones's arm in a hammerlock position and turns away from Reece to try get a concealed punch but Reece follows him round. forcing Bond to settle for another forearm smash. They exchange these then Jones gets a dropkick Bond gets behind and a nice trip into sideways folding press but only gets a 1 out of it. He gets another semi Japanese Stranglehold and headbutt. Jones gets a similar nice side folding press from behind but rolls through too far for any count. Bond gets a forearm smash that sends Jones out to ringside. Bond tries to block Jones' return but he comes in with a missile dropkick. Bond is up at 9 but down into a snapmare into cross press for 2 The seconds tick down Jones gets a headlock with Bond breaking it open into an armbar into back hammerlock as the bell goes. This time Bond releases instantly. It's a 1-1 draw and he won't risk that being changed to a DQ loss for him. They jaw at each other and uneasily shake hands - then Reece makes one final breakup to leave things on a sweet note. The MC raises the bout for being a hard competitive contest, rare for a blue eye Vs heel match. Normally only clean matches get the "Wrestling at its best" accolades. There was enough needle and roughness to keep most of You Lot happy and it stayed just about technical for me. Call that a draw also.

My last two posts to the British were a pair of tag matches from 2012 and 1982, both resting a visiting American trying to fit in. Now here's another one from September 1999. Four brilliant European tradition technical wrestlers (including referee Jeff Kaye) and, er. Black Navy Seal *shrug*... Seal's real name was Lenny Howard, he was trained in Florida by Jim Backlund , he served time as a jobber in the WWF and WCW, he really had been a US Navy Seal and that- as Kent Walton would say if masked wrestlers - is all I know about him. Karsten you'll have seen have a couple of great matches on this thread and you'll also have heard me sing James Mason's praises on the British thread. This is back in the days when he had hair. As for the Wildcat, he was on fire at the time as the biggest heel in Germany. Seal and KK kick things off, Seal shoving Karsten around. Karsten ducking all Seal's moves then going to work with dropkicks before getting In Ames in to double dropkick Seal out of the ring. Robbie is at ringside, griping and cussing. He steps up to face James - about 12 years later I saw these two have a fairly decent clean match in Dudley circa 2011. Here Robbie gets the dirties in first before whipping James who backwards scoots through Brookside's legs and dazzles him with various blows and a flying bodypress for 2. Karsten tags in, Robbie gets a side headlock into wristlock. Karsten, one of the post Steve Wright generation, rolls out and takes a wrist of his own, advancing to a full armbar. Robbie direties his way out and drags KK over to the heel corner and tags Seal who goes to work with the illegal punches. Jeff Kaye gives him a first yellow card and the MC growls at him like a judge pronouncing death sentence but Seal just glowers back like a big American psycho heel who cares not for European rules and the more civilised wrestling here. He has a rather good spinning kick and a Big Boot to give all you Hulkamaniacs a warm feeling. Eventually Karsten catches one of Seal's kicks and atomic drops him. He mostly sticks to clotheslines because Seal knows how to sell these. Seal has a surprisingly good leapfrog himself and a somewhat over-energetic flying forearm smash that sends both himself and KK tumbling to ringside. Seal does a suplex at ringside - if not for that last detail the best scientific move so far in the bout - and gets back in the ring. The ref and MC are angry at seal some more and James goes to help his partner back into the ring - and straight into another Seal onslaught. KK is kicked back out the ring and kept out with a frankly rather good sliding dropkick. Karsten takes better care coming back this time, dropkicking Seal as he vaults the ropes. James tags and goes to work but Seal shuts him off, slams him into Brookside's boots and himself makes the tag. Brookside gets a side chancery throw and both heels kick James on the mat. Robbie and referee Jeff have a lengthy argument then Robbie gets a full nelson on James. Seal comes in but James backdrops him over both himself and Robbie! James then does the flying Headlock/flying headscissors on both opponents. He and KK grab Robbie and drive him into Seal's chest in the corner. Both heels drop to ringside as the faces celebrate. KK and Robbie gets set to resume, but not before Robbie has a gob of abuse at the crowd and moans about something. Robbie fouls both men and gets into a row with James and Jeff while Seal works on KK in ht he corner. Seal, astonishingly has another good more. a powerful grovit. KK tries to force back to his and James's corner. He does well but James decides to jump start the hot tag and is correctly reprimanded by Kaye - which allows Seal and Brookside to corner and double team KK. Robbie and James are both in exchaning forearms. James tries to flying headscissor Brookside off the corner post but Robbie sort of powerbombs him and finally shows his scientific skill with a neat front folding press for the one required fall. Robbie comes up to camera and smirks. Doctor Frankenstein has found a new pet. Not the technical classic you might expect from James, Robbie and KK. Mostly it's a vehicle for building Seal as a Euro version of Zeus with Robbie as his Macho King Randy Savage and the two youngsters as jobbers.

Okay here's the piece de resistance. Two bout on all three threads on one Xmas Day. This one goes out to anyone who laughed at either myself or the commentator when Lamare got out heeled in the end by Duranton. Here is Lamarre and another Vieux Pontoufle Jo Marsalo being total crumbs in the ring against Papa Mercier and a Corn brother. Back in 1970, I'm that mysterious year the ?th of ? says @Matt D. 1er Manche. Ted and Jo are pretty grizzly old guys, Jonas a comb over, Ted with his French thug badass moustache as seen on many a guillotined head in the mid C20th. Ted and Jacky start off, Jacky's half interlock becomes a high whip forcing a somersault and bump from Ted who gets a legdive but Jacky boots him off. Ted gets a hiptoss into guard armlock. Jacky gets up, turns to reverse the torque and tries for a hammerlock so Ted hiptosses him back down but it goes into the ropes. From a double interlock Ted gets a top wristlock He takes Jacky down but Corne kips up gets another high whip into somersault and bump then tags Guy who tries the same but Ted rolls off. He gets a better whip from a standing position forcing a higher bump. Ted comes up still forcing a top wristlock. Guy turns the torque and the whip backwards but Ted gets a headscissors on him. Guy forces the jaws open and kips up. Jo tags in an takes a whip and bump himself. He rolls up nicely from three hiptosses as Corne tags back in, snapmares and legdives Jo, drops into a leglock. Jo turns round, gets a crossface and pulls Jacky off his legs. He moves from chinlock to side chancery but Jacky resists the throw and when finally thrown. bridges up and throws Jo into the ropes. Mercier is in and taken down by a top wristlock. He tries to kip up and once upright gets the traditional French Scisseaux Volees counter. Marsalo emerges with an odd hold, a Gotch toehold on a handstanding opponent. He gets several one counts then gets him down in the traditional Gotch mount but Jackie rolls off. Marsalo gets a side chancery throw but is thrown off sideways on his second attempt. Jackie gets a rear snapmare but Marsalo upturns it. Jacky bridges up. And rear snapmares Jo who goes for the tag but Les Bons do it first. Guy hiptosses Jo, throws and dropkicks him. Ted is soon tagged back in. gets a double Interlock, kicks one side off and backrolls on the other, getting a top wristlock on the mat. He frustrates Jacky's attempt to get up and reverse s his full nelson, throwing him this way and that and getting a headscissors on. Jacky turns the hold upright, bends them open to release and forces a knee down in an Indian Deathlock. A side chancery counter doesn't work but an armdrag does. Guy tags in, legdives Ted, gets a toehold and legspread, drops into a leglock but is caught in a crossface. It becomes a chinlock, a front chancery countering a legdive. an armbar, a forced whip,and bump.. Ted loads on to a bridge. Eventualy H3 gets an Indian Deathlock. Jo tags in a bit Guy is now energised darting around the ring. Jo throws him but is legdoved and leg weakened. Jo gets a bearhug. Guy gets a leglock into sid3 Indian Deathlock of his own. and uses neck cranks and chops to defend his Deathlock. Guy gets a double undrhook suplex for 2. Ted gets back in with a Manchette to Guy. Guy gets a double interlock to headscissor take down into double leg nelson. They Bascule back and forth ending in a Ted front folding press. Ted gets a kneepress on but it doesn't hold. Nor does a cross press. Jacky is tagged back in. This time it Jacky who has the leglock and Ted who crossface counters. Soon the position is reverse again. Eventualy Ted has a chinlock on Jacky. Ted throws Jacky and gets a Planchette Japonaise. He tries another but is backdropped. It goes on like this for some time . In the end, Jacky rear legdives him,turns him over into a double leg nelson and score the opening pin. 2eme Manche. Ted and Jacky resume. Ted gets a side chancery throw into chinlock. Jacky curls into a George Kidd ball to escape. Guy tags in and is caught in a side chancery throw by Ted, into that chinlock. Guy bridges out, snapmares Ted and tags Jacky back. Again Ted's trusty snapmare into chinlock has his man down. For some reason Guy drags things close to the heel corner to try his bridge out escape. Guy gets a Manchette and tags Marsalo who does the same move. Guy eventually has a standing top wristlock on Marsalo but the big balding heel takes him right the way down again. Guy gets a back hammerlock and tags Jacky who gets a full interlock, bridges backwards and throws Jo. He loads himself on a Jo bridge then high whips him causing a somersault bump. Jacky tags back in and scores snapmare. He throws Jo who rolls to take it well, rolling up to tag Ted again. Ted gets double legs into a full Boston Crab, dragging his man back to his corner. Jacky tries to roll out under. Eventualy Jacky flips out and tags Guy again who fires off a mighty dropkick then a spinning legdive. Into toehold then drops into Legdrop. He takes a wrist for good measure.. He whip it hard, an angry Ted slaps him back and starts throttling him. Marsalo comes in and L'Arbitre misses Guy tag in but let's it go. The two exchange Manchettes. Marsalo pitches Corner to ringside as Guy joins him. Jacky returns, gets Manchettes and a kneelift and tags Guy who floors Marsalo with a Manchette and three dropkicks. Ted tags back in and kicks off Guy's legdive attempt. Jacky back, gets Manchettes and a headbutt for his pains. Ted slams him but the Manchette war continues with legdives and dropkicks thrown. Ted gets an advantage with an Indian Deathlock. Jacky gets a "human glove" eventually on Ted. I've seen /midget wrestler Mark Little Legs" Seely do this trick to heels like Mikey Whiplash and Robbie Dynamite but NEVER a full sized wrestler do it. Ted even tries for an equalising pin but Jacky curls his shoulders. Jacky eventually has an armscissors from it on Ted. Eventually Ted lifts Jacky up high and Marsalo knocks him down, earning himself the first Avertisement of the bout. Marcello tags in, bearhugs Jacky Ted comes back, slams Jacky, hiptosses him and scores the equalising fall. La Belle - Jacky has long Manchette wars with both heels, tags Guy who does the same. He gets a series of dropkicks and aeroplane spin and double kneepress for the winning fall. Good action packed match to round off my Xmas. A bit repetitive 20min in building towards the opening fall. Alright, merry Xmas one and all. I hope to do more reviews before I get back to work a week on Friday.

Although before that, I am reminded that we have seen a more recent Perez- Benseba bout on here.

Okay, maybe enough water has flowed under the bridge to give this a go: From Hugo's own channel, against Adam Benseba. Quite crowd working at the start with lots of Miss spots but a nice monkey climb from Benseba. Adam throws Perez out and Perez le Méchant won't stay back in back in. Perez does get back in and takes his man down with a hiptoss into armlock in the guard. More armdrags follow. Quite a slow pausing bout. Perez gets arm weakeners and a headlock and bodycheck. Benseba fights back with a dropkick, bodychecks of his own and a slam. Hugo pleads for mercy then slams Benseba's head in the top turnbuckle, chokes him on the ropes, agues with L'Arbitre. Generally more heel dominance. Adam kicks out at 2. Perez gets an armbar, some sort of chinlock (it's hard to see from the angle and distance) goes for a Barry Windham Superplex off a top corner but Benseba fights back headbutts him down, leapfrogs and dropkicks Hugo, twice Stinger splashes and DDTs him, covers but still only gets 2. Hugo catches a crowd working Adam by surprise with a side folding press but still only 2. Curiously Bensaba ,le Bon, gets the win over bigger star and tutor Perez with an overhead slam. La Publique est content. Perez complains.Clip ends. Better than I remembered, still very 80s WWF. I'M going to recharge my tablet then go back to the Good Old Days for my final Xmas day review.

From the long and boisterous to the short and scientific. Staying in Bremen but hopping forwards 12 years, Tony StClair takes on a young kid called Wolf Trenker. Again Mick McMichael is referee in his kilt. Runde 1: they shake hands, always a good start. An Initial lock-up hits the ropes. Tony gets a wristlever, Wolf rotates 90' horizontally on his back on the roll through before completing the kip up. He gets a wristlever of his own but Tony reverses it so Wolf uses the same two stage counter with the horizontal turn using his behind as axis. Tony switches to a single leg takedown into another wrist lever. Wolf is trying a third time for the escape so Tony startsto fold the arm into a hammerlock. Wolf flips overc and takes a bump to straighten out the arm. An interesting idea but Tony gets a headscissors on. Wolf turns it upright and uncorks his head, but Tony deliberately stays down til 9, perhaps a tip of the cap to his and Mick's mutual friend and opponent Vic Faulkner. It amused the audience, even those who don't know Vic. Trenker gets a side headlock switching to wristlever then back to side headlock, taking his man down and down. Tony turns him into a side folding press and only gets 1, then 2 on a second attempt. Tony gets up, throws his man off but a bodycheck attempt floors them both. Tony gets a side headlock and cross buttocks Wolf down to the guard in the hold. Now it's Wolf's turn to try the turnover into side folding press. He gets 1 twice then a headscissors. Tony easily kips out and lands with a mild bump. Tony gets a single leg into mat leglock, Wolf reaches forward for a crossface but the MC gets Mick to call a pause on things, so they break. The crowd clap whatever it was. the wrestlers shake hands and resume. They lock up the Tony switches to a legdive into toe and ankle. Wolf turns out laterally so Tony releases, retakes the hold, gets a leglock on but th3 bell rings for an end of round (so that earlier holdup was not one, whatever else it was. Something in German, late 80s power-ballad . I guess a French fan is in the audience as so done offers to pay a tip to both men. Round 2. Tony gets an arm, briefly tries a front facelock, goes back to th3csrm, whips is man off the ropes and backdrops him but Trenker gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for 1. They get up. Tony gets a side headlock, comes off the ropes in a flying tackle but Wolf catches and plants him. only gets the 1. They reset but Tony shoves Wolf down. forearm smashes him into the corner, long suplexes him and rolls over into a cross press for the one fall required. Handshakes all round again. Short but sweet. Probably the best technical wrestling I'll review today.

Christmas in Bremen 1982 with a triple tag match putting Caswell Martin, Bobby Gaetano and Wolfgang Saturski to face Judd/Gunboat Harris, Indio Guajaro and Rasputin (Johnny Howard/Shawn Doyle - this is just months after one very different Raspoutine popped up on FR3 although the "II" billing is more in reference to Frank "Wild Angus" having used the Rasputin name in a lot of Europe. Referee is Mick McMichael in his kilt - probably thesecond best technical wrestler in the ring after Martin! Harris and Doyle were well known Daddy fodder when not popping up on the recently launched Reslo). while Gaetano had been Marty Jones's opponent in his initial World Mid Heavyweight Championship win as seen on the British thread. The source tape has been through the wars - seemingly all colour signal has been scrubbed off through decades of heavy duty playback and generations of copying. First session Gaetano and Guajaro start, Bobby offers a handshake, Indio will have none of it. He throws and stomps Bobby who cartwheels out of trouble and hits repeated dropkicks. Cas and Judd tag in. Harris gets a grovit, snapmare and bodychecks Martin who comes back with a leapfrog and legflip. Rasputin tags in and gets a legdive and trip into standing single toehold and spread but Cas spins him off with a bump. Cas cartwheels off a single finger Interlock and gets a crosspress for 1. Rusputin gets a suplex but Martin's fett his the ropes and he forms a bridge. Rasputin chops it down but only gets 1, twice. He perseveres and ends up with a double anklesmash to the head. Martin, a frequent tag partner of Georg "Schurli" Blemenschutz in these parts (against all three of the heel team) , lands spinning kicks and forearm to Judd and Indio, clearing the ring. Judd tries his luck but Cas dropkicks him then tags Saturski. Wolfgang gets posted by Indi9 headlocks him but the Judd runs in with a forearm. Satursk8 hangs on, withstands an Indio bodycheck and armdrags his man three times. Cut to Wolfgang double legdiving and slingshotting him first to the top turnbuckle then to ringside. For some reason there is "Ein Pause" in the bout. everyone gets in the ring and the DJ plays a record even though nothing is scored and rounds are only in singles match. Perhaps @Jetlag or any other German speakers can explain. One and a half ??? Session. Rasputin resumes with Saturski and Fireman Carries him down into a front chinlock. Bobby tags in. and chinlocks Rasputin. Caz tags but Rasputin works him over, illegally hair drops him, Cas retaliates with a grab of the Irishman's beard which McMichael breaks up physically. Martin gets his own chinlock on and works Rasputin's ears with his fett. Harris tags in but Martin avoids a legdive, gets a leapfrog and superkicks. Harris gets back with a battering of blows. Indio and Wolfgang tag in. Indio gets an arm, drags Saturski to his corner and all three men work on the limb. Bob y and Caz come to the rescue and Bobby tags in, works on Rasputin's arm and superkicks him. Rasputin steps out in protest. In the end Wolf tags back in and gets a Headlock then tags Bobby and hands the hold to him! No escape by complaining. He throws Rasputin down and gets him in a full nelson, drops to a rear legdive, hits the ropes, comes off with a dropkick then tags Martin. Another of these round breaks. DJ plays Scotland the Brave for Mick who wasn't real Scottish (Doncaster being in South Yorkshire.). Just as curiously it all springs back into action with a triple bulldog head slam and six man rowboating then three posting and beatdowns. It ends with Rasputin Fireman's Carrying Martin, dropping him on the ropes and choking him. Wolf to the rescue drops Rasputin on the ropes. He tags in, Rasputin tags Harris who batters Wolf and fishhooks his nose until Mick pulls him off. Guajaro tags in headlocks Wolf, Wolf tries a Fireman's carry lift but Harris punçhes Wolf in the stomach and Indio beats him down. drags him by the hair, smashes him into Rasputin's knee and finally gets a standing full nelson. Harris takes over the treatment Wolf again tries the Fireman's Carry, this time it's Rasputin who makes the save. Wolf tries again and this time pitches Harris to ringside. Martin comes in on the hot tag, go8 going on a dropkick rampage on all the heels. Rasputin gets a toe hold and Indio a slam but Cas gets a ground dropkick. Harris is soon back beating on and chinlocking Cas but he ties up Jadd and Guajaro in the ropes to get them. Guajaro is soon free and has pressure points onBobbhho gets free and ties Harris up, cartwheels over to Rasputin's side and ties him also. Bobby dive bombs them both and all three faces drive Indio into Rasputin then tie him also and bomb him. McMichael frees Harris and Rasputin but leaves Indio - Wolfgang, pretending to be Indio's seconds, fans him with a towel, Bobb6 pours a water bottle, the DJ plays something childish and sarcastic in German. It looks like another of these odd round breaks. The bell goes and Rasputin pounds on Ca and throws him. Cas tries a flying tackle, Rasputin gets a slam. Cas gets a ground dropkick. Caz tries another flying tackle, takes Rasputin down but he bridges out and flings Caz to ringside. But Caz comes back with a sunset flip and double leg nelson for 2. Indio tags in and Caz tags Bobby who ducks under, leapfrogs. dropkicks , climbs the corner and gets one missile dropkick, climbs another corner. gets a flying bodypress and what appears to be the first actual fall . Babyfaces one up. Cut to the finish of the seconds straight fall - Saturski has the bigger Harris beaten from pillar to post. He gets him in an aeroplane spin, lets him fly and splashes him for a second straight. Babyfaces win. A lot more action packed than I expected. Round breaks in a tag were confusing

... Here comes another one! Thirty years earlier, Crusher Brannigan in 1982, fresh from facing Big Daddy and Akira "Kwick Kick Lee" Maeda at the 1982 FA cup final, teams with Daddy's nemesis Stax himself. The blue eye opponents' are themselves big guys and Steve's dad Frank, aka Wild Angus, himself teamed with the Giant against Big Daddy at the previous year's cup final match, the bout that set up the Daddy/Haystacks Wembley Arena clash. "Mc" Hoy and Stax also have transatlantic experience, mainly in Stampede. First session: Brannigan gets a headlock and hiptoss on McHoy The future Steve Casey (not the 30s one nor Steve Dane the American) tries for a further nelson so Crusher goes for a long press but Steve turns him over. Crusher turns him back but Steve escapes via the underarm, stays ahead of Brannigan's attempts to ride him and finally forces a rope break. Steve gets a standing side headlock and Crusher backdrops him, slapping his fallen opponent to get early heat. Not for th3clast time this match, Kent Walton harps on about how that sort of thing is Allowed In American All In Rules But Not Over Here, Dearie- Me, No! Brannigan corners McHoy with heelishness aforethought but the young Scot gets th3 better of it and has the big American collared. He strides off to the c3ntre ring, daring the Real American to face him cleanly. Steve brushes off attempts to cuff him but the American gets an armbar. Steve doesn't go with a whip, unusually Stax tags in and goes to work elbowsmashing his sometime partner Angus's kid a couple of times, complying for now with the no followdowns rule as Steve tags Ray. (Two British blue eyes both named after American World champions from the 1930s/1940s. How about that?) Steele is ready fo4 a fight, even getting a private warning from the referee for closed fists. Stax gets the better and blasts him down in th3 back. He gets pressure points but Ray elbows out Steele gets a Headlock but Stax illegally concealed punches the good guy and tags Brannigan back. He gets a chop and a front facing double wristlock into bearhug with backhammer, chops and elbows his man in the corner but is caught in a standing full nelson, snapmare and foot drop. McHoy tags in and gets a snapmare and Legdrop Of Doom (Hogan was in his AWA run at this time) a forearm, a knee, a forearm from Steele whom he mistakenly tried to tag, a rear snapmare from McHoy and a dropkick. Steele tags in and elbows Crusher to stop him tagging. He locks up and forearm smashes and posts the American. Crusher picks up Steele off 5h3 mat triggering another rent from Kent about American rules. Steve tags in and posts Brannigan who takes an upside down corner bump. He posts and monkey climbs Brannigan. The good guys take turns tagging in and dropkicking Brannigan, first Steele then Steve then Steele again who collars. forearms, snapmares his man and dropkicks and tags McHoy who whips, flying tackles and gets the opening pin on Brannigan. Second session. Haystacks tries to start but the referee will not have it. Brannigan takes a posting and endures a forearm smash battle with the young Scot but comes off the ropes with a kick, a legdive and an American Figure Four Leglock - best known in this country at the time for being used by Clayton Thompson in the 60s and 70s. He gets the equalising submission. Third Session: McCoy gets up and protects the leg from Crusher but Haystacks blasts him from the apron. That earns him a first Public Warning but also a much needed tag, only the third one of the heel side all match. Haystacks chops and stomps down in the kid he will face solo next year in Oldham. He throws him to Steele who tags in - a battle of former and future British Heavyweight Champions. Stax gets a headbutt, Steele gets three flying forearm smashes. Stax gets Steele up in a Fireman's Carry ready for a backdrop. Steele appears to get a, crucifix, trying to get a Further Nelson takedown and manages it but the Giant lands on top of him, injuring his ribs badly, resulting in a TKO. Sorry for ruining your Xmas, OJ. Ruins the audience's summer too as they boo. Less of a family friendly ending than thirty years earlier. Haystacks used sparingly and Brannigan keeps to the better bits of what he knows. The blue eyes put up a good performance and often look like pulling the upset but Stax is thecstart being kept strong here, even if he does very nearly fall for a very daring move at the finish.

Six months before his retirement and Fit Finlay is on a final British/European run. Six months after this he teams with son Fit Finlay Jr (actually Fit Finlay III) to beat former squeaky clean TBWs Robbie Brookside and Danny Collins 8n Germany after the former sabotaged his EWP World title shot at Cannonball Grizzly (Paul "PN News"Neu. In the meanwhile here his is one a final run at good old Butlins holiday camp chain. He's tagging with Robbie "the Body" Dynamite (Rob Berzins) who had mellowed out here and turned blue eye but spent much of the Noughties as heel nemesis of fellow 2001 Staffordshire Contingent member Dean Allmark after turning on him in 2002 and subsequently spending the decade feuding with him over Mike Marino's old British Mid Heavyweight title. (Dyno and Deano would continue to wrestle each other even after.the Body changed his ways, surprising audiences by coming out and having a clean match. As for the opponents, Rampage "Bad News" Brown (a name steal,not an outright tribute) was a long running heel (and occasionally blue eye) for All Star who was twice British Heavyweight Champion for All Star, as well as working for every Americanised promotion in the country including the 2018 WOSW TV show, a shot at TNA British Bootcamp and even a couple of unremarkable WWE stints. Perhaps you all already know him. He's partnering a visiting American, Sizzling Steve Walters, doing an Arrogant Yank gimmick. There's a link between this and the old time ITV bout I'm posting next. This being Butlins, the MC is one of their dreaded Redcoats. No he doesn't bloody shut up, does he? Referee is wrestler Frankie Sloan. Redcoat shows his age by saying Finlay is from WWE although there are surely plenty of parents and grandparents among the Happy Campers who recall seeing him on ITV with Princess Paula. He comes to the ring to his German theme tune "Belfast" by Boney M. Steve and Robbie start off, Steve gets a rear waistlock but Rob breaks it open to get an armbar. Steve raises it up to turn it into a top wristlock, swivel round and turn back into an armbar of his own. Robbie rolls forward, resting in the guard before completing the kip up. He th3 backwards cartwheels, underhooks Walters and backdrops him. The heels tag and Brown and former heel compadre Dynamite lock up. Brown corners and batters Robbi3 who posts him and bodychecks him in the corner. Brown gets an elbo2 in and comes back with a slam and guillotine elbowsmash. Robbie armdrags him, gets an armlever, twice passes it overhead, tags Finlay who takes i5 over and forces a high whip and bump on Brown. Both heels flee to ringside. Finlay threatens to do a sliding dropkick! The Redcoat leads the family audience in a chant of Chicken - so that's camp dinner sorted for that night!🍗. Walters comes in but is reluctant to lock up. Finlay gets pressure points and a trip to get the Californian in a kneeling position, finishing him with one last chop. Unlike his younger self, Finlay obeys the no follow down rule (enforced or not) lets the man back up. He floors him with a forearm smash and and cleanly lets him get up, He gets a wristlever bu5 Walters being an American doesn't really know how to roll out so F8nlay deveps the hold into a front facing hammerlock then takes him down with a chinlock. Again Finlay, going against a career of heeling, lets his man up - and pays for it when Walters drives him into the corner. The heels try to double team but Robbie comes in pushing Waters over Brown. Finlay tries smashing Walters' head in the corner but Walters gets the advantage and does it to Finlay who rolls out Walters tries the sliding dropkick. There is an out of shot ringside brawl an d Waters is rolled in the worse for it. Dynamite comes in to apparently rescue Finlay from an attack by Brown but referee Sloan stops him. The heels roll Finlay in, Walters gets a 2 count (being an American he just covers) and a pretty decent side chancery throw and another 2 count. Walters whips Finlay but puts his head down and gets it kicked then gets thrown to ringside as the blue eyes tag. Robbie gets a dropkick to ringside on Walters . From her3 it gets more brawly, Walters using an illegal knee to tag Brown who likes in the forearms and stomps in the corner. Dynamite leapfrogs Brown but is forearm smashed and stomped. Waters tags in, gets a chinlock, smashes away, gets a 2 count. Walters is back and the heels double team Dynamite for another 2 count. Brown posts Dynamite but Robbie headbutts him, climbs to the top rope and gets a magnificent sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2. The heels double team Dynamite and Finlay who must have pulled this trick a thousand times himself gets lured in and led back to his corner by referee Sloan. And so the heel double team continues - Brown eventually getting a first Public Warning for an upward slingshot of Dynamite throat first into the middle rope. Brown tries a quick cover for two, toehold Dynamite to stop him tagging, himself tags Walters who gets a guillotine elbowsmash. Walters also gets a public warning - these care being issued individually despite this being a one fall contest. Brown posts Robbie but misses a charge leaving both legal men on the mat. Finlay makes the hot tag, beats down both heels, does his old 1980s Fireman's Carry And Backdrop on Walters but Brown rescues him and the Redcoat leads the crowd in chants of Cheater. The blue eyes gets the better of it - Dynamite topés Brown at ringside while Finlay bouts Walters off, climbs the post but Walters pulls him off but then misses his own flying heat but and Finlay finies him with a reverse piledriver - another old 1980s favourite of his long before anyone called it a tombstone. Rob returns and the good guys who spent most their respective careers as bad guys celebrate. So do the crowd including a couple of typically Butlins pom pom girls. Finlay spends a night playing Big Daddy. Better in terms of pure than it should have been especially with a visiting American in the mix. Faultless as family entertainment. Anyway, speaking of an American in a British tag match ...

Speaking of Rumble, I'm pleased to report that they have decided to eradicate the American concept of Champion's Privilege from their shows and will be changing titles on a disqualification like in the old days.

This one, I presume

Bob Plantin recentely commented on the Luxembourg shows: Téléluxembourg , venaient filmer des matchs en France en toute discrétion........... Les lutteurs n ' étant pas informés _ ya pas de petites économies.......... FB auto translate to English: Teleuxembourg, came to film matches In France in all discretion... Wrestlers not being informed _ There are no small savings.......... He also posted a TV listings cutting (along with a seemingly irrelevant pic - other than that he was Plantin's opponent on that broadcast - of a young Paul Lagache)

Well it's about time I got the French thread back to its roots and went straight for Les Trentes Glorieuses." Duranton is without his fur coat or Firman (whom we see became a referee and later a wrestler himself.). In a vague keeping of theme with the Adrian Street bout on the German thread, Robert wears a mini skirt with braces - apparently the centurion gimmick to which OJ alludes - but he swiftly ditched it. Lamare is very much un Méchant - and a really nasty crumb heel at that. This leaves Duranton as -if not Le. Bon - then certainly the sympathetic heels as emphasized by his handshake at the start with a stick wielding Andre Bollet - his career ended the previous year by a hit and run driver. Duranton practices his boxing shots before the bell goes. After an initial lockup lands them in the ropes, Ted gets a hiptoss into armbar in the guard. Robert stands and tries for a front facelock but Ted slam him back down. Duranton gets a headscissors. Ted turns it upright and goes into a handstand but Duranton turns it sideways again. Ted turns it back upright then turns himself to right angles and kips up out. Duranton gets a snapmare and attempted grovit, Ted gets a Bearhug, Duranton does a foul to the eyes or nose before getting out with a Manchette. He gets a snapmare into chinlock but Lamare pulls out from behind to make a hammerlock on the mat. He tries for a rear chinlock but Duranton reaches back for a reverse snapmare and gets it but Ted retains the hammerlock throughout. Duranton stand and rear legdives Ted who kicks him into the ropes and legflips him. Ted gets the leg againand turns into a seated legscissor. Bob replies with a crossface but Ted moves into Indian Deathlock position, shoving Duranton off. We cut to some celeb and his girlfriend being interviewed. When we cut back. Duranton has a crossface into ground suplex into crosspress for 2. Back to crowd shots. Cut back to Robert with a crossface on Ted. Ted gets up to knee and rear snapmares Bobby, applying his own rear chinlock. He rides through a throw by Duranton. Robert escapes through the back into a rear hammerlock. Ted stands and tries for a rear snapmare but Bobby drags him back down, switching to an armbar. Ted eventually forces Duranton off into the ropes, body checking him and side chancery throwing him. Duranton likewise slings his opponent to the ropes, ducks under the first. and slams Ted on the second. He teases Ted with some faints and is reprimanded for it by Monsieur L'Arbitre. Ted backrolls off a a half sided interlock with one further twist to bring him down. Ted now has a top wristlock on the mat on Duranton. Robert powers up but Ted drags right down again. Duranton tries again, forces a rope break, sneaks in an illegal punch and posts him, choking Lamare in the corner and earning his Premier Avertisement. Duranton follows with chokes and Manchettes. Ted gets a single toe-and- ankle. Duranton takes overcwith a chinlock. Lamare throws him and gets an H&S (sleeper). Duranton powers out with Manchettes, leaving Lamare tied in the ropes. He pounds his man until the ref frees him. Ted throws Duranton twice and Bobby rolls to ringside to recover. He comes back and they trade more blows. Duranton is on A KO count, he stays down til 9, then springs up like Vic Faulkner. Ted gets a wristlever.and gets his man down in the moun. using a foot to help make a hammerlock. Duranton tries to interfere with his spare hand but Ted secures it to make a further nelson and get a 1 count. He tries some crosspresses and a side headlock so Duranton grabs his hair to pull his man over for a series of fouls. But Ted gets his ankle and Durantonhas anyway earned himself a Deuxieme et dernier Avertisement. He continues with kcks, Manchettes, a choke and an Ali shuffle. Ted fights back with a slam and more fists. Ted eventually gets a spectacular side chancery throw into inverted grovit, another side chancery throw. It hits the ropes and and brawling resumes Duranton corners and bites Ted, chokes him on the mat. Ted does a nice bridge upright into rear snapmare, the first good wrestling move in ages. He gets an over the knee backbreaker. Then it's back to manchettes. headbutts, punches, rope chokes etc. Even Monsieur L'Arbitre gets in a few shots to try and prise the men apart. It's Duranton's turn to be tied up in the ropes and bashed. He gets free, flings Ted Lamare out to ringside, will not let him back and eventually lands him against the ring barriers (pretty unusual to have them there in an old time Euro territory!) getting himself disqualified. Duranton is now happy, he attacks MC Jacques Rouxel and cuts his old traditional complaining promo. This started off as a slow but worthy heavyweight match then degenerated into a fouling and brawling afair - presumably not OJ's kind of brawling as he also gave it a bad review.

Have moved the bumped-up Bock Inoki match to the new page. In it's original place I will say a few words of tribute to Bock. One of two Tectonics along with Otto to bring a foreign World title to Germany and Austria in 1978. A no nonsense working class German babyface with a big beard who probably owned a ferocious Alsatian and smoked a pipe, lik3 they all do. An easy babyface for Germans to understand. The Inoki match is pretty legendary among Puro circles, although clearly not a shoot it's a very stiff no nonsense bout. It would be great to view in full, Der Sportliche Helde and also th3 full TV show with Bock in a tag match and Brock Vs a bear.

Bumping up the classic Bock/Inoki match plus review in tribute to Roland Bock RIP

Meanwhile as promised, here is a bout from just under 3 years later, kindly donated by @El McKell. Paco Ramirez, as many of you are aware was a heel from Spain. He faced Gerard Hervé, the future Flesh Gordon, in the latter's 1979 French TV debut. He also infamously played the race card after losing a tag match to reformed ex méchants Daniel Schmitz and Remy "Henker No Longer" Bayle that saw the tag team Pat Roach ran into the ring to protest about in 1974 now nine years later a well behaved pair of Bons. Anyway here he faces Adrian Street who was on good sportsmanly terms with Axel Dieter earlier in the tournament, here being treated s a Les Kellett style comedy babyface tormenting the villain. Paco wears a big red hat and red/gold sequin waistcoat. Adrian comes to the ring in his purple robe to Imagine What I Could Do To You with the beard from the Pallos' video. Runde 1: The bout doesn't begin until over 4min in. He is limbering up while Paco cowers in fear from whatever emasculating fun Adrian will have. He has the German audience in stitches with his antics. They finally lock up at 5:49 when Paco gets a standing full nelson out of which Ada promptly shimmies. At 6:06 they try again as Ramirez gets a side headlock into back hammerlock into top wristlock. I think Adrian misses his way out of that one. The crowd love it. They love it even more when Street leaps on the referee and forcibly snogs him. Just before 7 minutes, Adrian gets a full nelson of his own. They take turns reversing.first Paco then Ada then Paco then Ada then Paco to which Street viciously back elbows him off - the same back elbow that when Street used it on ITV against Dave Barrie 1974, Kent Walton flagged it up as something that would have been a Public Warning offence a few years earlier. Adrian skips around in an interlock and takes several rolls to free himself. Paco gets the advantage with a wristlock in the guard. Ada tries kipping up, eventually turning himself over with a kick on Ramirez's shoulder. He goes top armbar ton standing rear armhank to armscissor on the mat to double kneepress while fixing his hair. The bell goes for round 1 and Street just about untangles the hold. The DJ plays British ska band Bad Manners' version of the Can-Can, Street eventually dances to it - with more grace than singer Buster Bloodvessel did. Runde 2: Paco gets a side chancery throw and three bodychecks. He stops doing a Fourth when Adrian pelvic thrusts at him and pinches his bottom. Adrian goes for a piledriver, Paco counted with a backdrop attempt but suddenly puts him back down. An argument between the ref and Street ensues. Paco wins an interlock test of strength and has Street bent over his knee but Street bridges up and scuttles off backwards. He gets a hammerlock with bar, turns Paco by the leg into the guard and gets some cross press 2 counts. He goes from full Interlock to cross headscissors to boot to the head. Paco forearm smashes him, Street gets a front-facing double wristlock. Paco tries for a crotchhold but suddenly doesn't fancy it and backs into the ropes. Street gets his vertical flying bodyscissors -getting in a crafty kiss - then gets a headlock. Paco straigtens the arm into a wrist lever but Street rolls away. End of round. They tentatively shake hands. Runde 3: Ramirez runs away from Street until, backed into the corner, he suddenly gets the front folding press for the one required fall. Paco is the upset winner. Comedy bout with Adrian as a camp Catweazle. It amused the German audience but Street can do better.

Have moved the bumped-up Bock vs Inoki match to the new page as it deserves better. In its original place I will say a few words of tribute to Bock. One of two Teutonics along with Otto to bring a foreign World title to Germany and Austria in 1978. A no nonsense working class German babyface with a big beard who probably owned a ferocious Alsatian and smoked a pipe, like they all do. (Point of comparison- Jorg Chenok.) An easy babyface for Germans to understand. The Inoki match is pretty legendary among Puro circles, although clearly not a shoot it's a very stiff no nonsense bout.

It's been a while since we got bang up to date with a Rumble Wrestling match so here goes with a TBW clean match in the tradition of Peter Bainbridge Vs Gary Clwyd and Bernie Wright Vs Young David. By the way please excuse the decidedly non old school ring - Rumble has a big cage match on the show and their Traditional ring doesn't fit the cage. (And should you query the presence of cage matches on old school shoes I will hurriedly muffle my agreement and point you in the direction of cage matches on early 90s Reslo or on All Star shows between Kendo and Rocco during the same period.) They make up for the decidedly un-British looking ring with a real old time venue from the ITV era, the Woodville in Gravesend. Craig is the one in the headband with the shorter hair, Charley has the "Honey and lime" tights. They shake hands and lock up with Charley getting an early grovit take down which Craig reverses in to one of his own. Charley breaks it open and makes a hammerlock of it. Craig moves to a rear waistlock which Charey. reverses only for Craig this time to get the grovit. Charley tries for a reversal but Craig rolls out. They get a good round of applause and lock up again. From here Charlie gets an armbar which Craig rolls through to get an wristlever of his own . Craig tries an overhead reversal but Charlie twists through to maintain the hold. Charley hits a forearm smash and bodyslam. Craig misses a retaliatory blown and Charley gets him with a side suplex. He gets a flying forearm smash across the ring and an underhook suplex for a 2 count. Charley misses another charge and Craig nails him with a dropkick and monkey climb, a flying forearm smash of his own and another undrhook suplex for 2. Charley gets an armbar into a Fireman's Carry but Craig turns 90 degrees into a sunset flip into double leg nelson. The centre of gravity shift back and forth before Craig turns Charlie 90 degrees into a further nelson position andd tries for a side folding press for 2. Craig gets another armbar and converts to an armhank, turns round in the hol to face his man, grabs his other arm and rolls him over in another side folding press - a fine move that sadly only gets a 2. For his next trick he converts from the start of an armbar into a backslide for another 2. The pair have a brief exchange of forearm smashes before Charley lands a flying forearm smash. They exchange kneelifts they Charley gets a flying forearm, a backroll and dropkick. Charley gets caught in the ropes and really referee Anton Green should have stepped in but he allows Craig his somersault dive and 2 count. Some more forearm smashes and chops break out Charley gets a posting but Craig retaliates with a shoulderblock flooring both men for a double knockout. Until the brawling took over in the final minute this was a good promising scientific matchup with Craig especially coming up with some fine moves. I hope we see more of him on here in the future. P.S. If anyone's still worried about the ring, Rumble have started putting up another show with the Old School ring back in business. And guess what was on the bill? Another Craig Vs Charley match! Another fine scientific bout (mercifully without the brawl) this time with a winner - Charley.

@JNLister do you have any information on exactly what wrestling footage was found in Zambia? (if not, suggestion - you may have the formal research credentials to contact these people and formally ask.)

Sounds good! Will it/could it be extended in the future to cover the Reslo, Screensport and Grampian/STV material on the site? (and the 2016-2018 "WOSW" TV show, come to that?)

It all comes down to an Old School/New School schism in Britain since the 1990s (and highlighted in an invasion angle the FWA did in 2001) with the neo Trad Brit scene as the Old School and the Americanised promotions as the "New School". Allmark, Spitfire, Robbie Dynamite, Mikey Whipwreck etc were the heirs to 90s kids James Mason/Justin Hansford/Jason Cross etc who in turn were of the final generation of ITV wrestlers (Robbie Brookside, Doc Dean, Kid McCoy, Peter Bainbridge). Jack Starz, Jordan Breaks, the Bryant Brothers etc are the next generation after Deano/Robbie Dynamite etc. On the other side of the coin, someone like Will Opsrey/Pete Dunne etc is the successor to people like Alex Shane, Mark Haskins etc- people who were trained in the Americanised promotions and consequently are a good fit for modern American indie promotions. (Incidentally, Doug Williams and Nigel McGuiness are in a halfway house as they come from the New School originally but can both work Old School fluently and can fit in nicely on All Star or Premier shows when booked on them.)

I wonder who the Arabic commentator was on these. In the 1990s, former top Egyptian babyface and "European Champion" Mamdough Farag embarked on a TV career that included him recording bootleg Arabic commentary. As Cairo is a BIG media hub for the Arab world, Farag and his cackling Cairo accent became ubitiquous throughout Middle Eastern wrestling fandom. Of course this was happening without Vince's permission and he and the execs were all spittin' FURIOUS about it - so much so that when WWE finally came to Cairo in 2012, Farag - the native citizen most closely associated with the sport in Egypt - was banned from the building! He died a few years later. This of course the raises the question of who was actually commenting on Farag's own matches as "Egypt's National Hero"/"Egypt's Own Rocky Story" Etc Etc back in the 80s and into the 90s:

Done! (both) Fair enough.

On a related Kuwaiti note