David Mantell

I intend to have a long gradual go through this thread replying to various stuff. A bit of background, I grew up with British wrestling as my native territory and a lot of my attitude to it remains uncontaminated by American style smart philosophy. As a general point, Old school British wrestling (which I consider to be still alive - more anon), especially the clean matches, should be regarded as a different rather than defective form of match which is best enjoyed the way Kent Walton encouraged his viewers to appreciate it, by focussing on the ideally continuous flow of skill in escaping/reversing/countering rather than looking for a story and perhaps not finding one. This is how and why as I get older I find these matches the most enjoyable to watch, the flow of moves appealing to the intellect so that you actually WATCH rather than FEEL the action. Sneer if you will, but I intend to give the old school British purist's perspective on these wrestlers and matches. ( Incidentally, isn't it rather strange in American wrestling how when someone gets an arm lever on their opponent the opponent does absolutely nothing to reverse or escape the arm lever (such as roll on the mat to untwist the arm) but just stands there selling it? Also how the only escape from a side headlock down on the mat in American wrestling is to power ones way upward out of it rather than try and use e.g. a handstand to lever ones head out of the hold? )

This was part of a bunch of finishes where Fuji did not get to interfere, helping to set up the Survivor Series double turn by showing Ax and Smash doing their own thing (presumably what Fuji considered disobedient/insubordinant) Earlier that month of 8th at Bercy Stadium, Paris, at the same show as Rockin Robin's title win over Sherri, Fuji was not present at ringside (was actually not on the tour!) for the Demos beating the British Bulldogs without his help - Canal+/RTL's footage would be screened on the 8th November Prime Time Wrestling with Gorilla and Bobby noting Fuji's absence and wondering where he was (they pretending to be themselves in France on the tour.) In Rome, Italy on 16th, still with no Fuji, Demolition again beat the Bulldogs cleanly (although they had lost a non title match a few nights earlier in Milan.)-camera copies of both of these are on YT. After this Rockers bout on 24th, Demolition go back to being pure cheaters using Jimmy Hart's megaphone and interference from the Rougeaus to beat the Hart Foundation in a Summerslam '88 rematch, but starting the night afterwards on the 26th is the first of a couple of experimental goes with Demolition as babyfaces for the night. With no Fuji present (although erroneously announced as in attendence by ring announcer Mike McGuirk) they cleanly defend against the Bolsheviks that night in Salisbury, Maryland with the crowd enthusiastically behind them - the highlight being the former Kruscher Kruschev abusing the Bolsheviks as being "You Stinkin' Commies" (oh the irony). The footage eventually got televised in May '89 with commentary to imply that this was months after Fuji was gone and was included on a Demolition VHS compilation On 6th, two days before the Paris match was televised, the Demos are again babyfaces for the night, up against their eventual conquerors the Brain Busters at the Ottawa Civic centre, going to a DDQ. Earlier that day, Fuji was reportedly "barred" (kayfabe) from the Maple Leaf Gardens so the Demos beat the Bulldogs when Smash pinned Dynamite after Ax hit a double axe handle from the middle turnbuckle. In the meantime it's business as usual with several more Bulldogs and Rockers matches in late October/early November, presumably with Fuji present and in on the finish. However November 15th a live Brother Love show was held where Love told Ax and Smash that they needed Fuji's help to win, so they ordered Fuji back to the dressing room and beat jobbers Nick Ferrari and Art Penna - although the real intention was to have some Fuji-less footage ready for the December 17th edition of Superstars, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Dave Rosenbaum picked up on this as the start of Demolition/Fuji dissention, claiming that Fuji was "mad at Demolition for this snub" and "ripe for an offer." (from the Powers, whom Ronsebaum seemed to imply had put BL up to starting trouble between Fuji and the Demos.) After this on the night of the Suvivor Series and mere minutes before the Demos turn babyface, Smash cleanly pins Dynamite Kid to eliminate the Bulldogs in their final WWF match. A few minutes later, Warlord has pranged his shoulder on the corner post and the Demos have the clear advantage. Whereupon Fuji gets up on the ring apron wavng his cane, gets ordered down by the ref, climbs up again - and the rest is history!