The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

 

ANATOMY OF A DISQUALIFICATION.

You'll probably know Walker in wrestling best from his time as Nitron. bodyguard to Woman in WCW, later teaming with Kevin "Vinnie Vegas" Nash as Big Sky. Future Hollywood movie star Tyler Mane is here fresh off training by Red Bastien (whose name Kent Walton has trouble with) and stints in South Africa and Don Owen's PNW.  He's playing the arrogant American heel who thinks the "Limeys" are midgets and their rule system offensively strict and say. He comes to bring plunder and destruction but gets sent back to the dressing room in disgrace.

Pat Roach could never be a heel again after playing loveable bricklayer Bomber in ITV comedy drama Auf Wiedersein Pet. Here he is Walker's equal in size and master in terms of skill. I hope Andre the Giant never saw this footage, Walker rips off his stepping over the ropes routine, something Andre hated. 

After an abortive lockup, Pat gets a headlock and then tries a bodycheck to little effect. Pat  gets an armbar so Sky walks to the ropes which gets him an initial burst of cowardly heat for not having any significant technical response..  Pat tries again for a straight armlift (a relative of George Steele's "flying hammerlock") he gets an armbar and weakener on as Pat rolls to undo the wristlock, moving just like a lightweight Another twist of the arm sees him BEAUTIFULLY turn on his head from a bridge to get an armbar of his own.  From here he positions Walker nicely for another Straight arm lift. Sky pulls him down to the mat by the hair. After they break, Sky gets another armbars plus weakener which again Roach rolls out of.  Roach attempts some forearm smashes which again sends Walker to take the coward's way out on the ropes (in America this was not Heat, it was acceptable even for a babyface.) Walker gets an American sleeper on Roach but he replies with two kneeling fireman's carry takedown submission attempts, the second interrupted by the bell. Cut to round three, Roach is posting and backdropping Walker. Walker initially gets away with a concealed closed fist punch but when he brazenly punches Roach off the apron , he gets a SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC WARNING for this (the first, it seems was during the clipped out Round 2). Enraged, Walker bodyslams the referee and not only gets DISQUALIFIED but also gets a grand pompous dressing down from MC Brian Crabtree.  "Yankee, in the United Kingdom when someone strikes the referee like that, its INSTANT Disqualification! You are Disqualified!!!" The crowd are delighted to see Walker rage at being told off like a naughty schoolboy (this shot was later included in the end credits reel for the weekly wrestling show.) 

This doesn't establish the Mighty Yankee as a winning force. But instead it establishes him as a disgraceful scandalous man, undeserving even if tainted victory who needs to be Taught A Lesson.  This was his only ITV match so that never happened, not the full wrestling lesson from Roach nor the humiliation of Daddy treatment (another Mighty Yankee, Bill Pearl, suffered that fate.)
 

 

 

[David Mantell]

Terry Rudge in trunks with some hair takes on the five time Royal Albert Hall trophy tournament winner.  They lock up and Tibby gets a headlock which Rudge breaks opens into a ground top wristlock. Szakacs gets a headscissor but Terry snaps out.  Then it's Tibor's turn to break a headlock into a  top wristlock. Rudge rolls away. They lock up again but it's too near the ropes for the referee.  Rudge gets a side headlock. Tibor throws him in the ropes but Rudge comes off at an odd angle. Rudge gets a side chancery and takes it to the mat. Rudge gets an armbar, Tibor rolls off and horizontally spins to tighten his own armbars, the exchange eans a polite clap from the crowd. Rudge gets a full nelson. Tibor uses leverage from a leg to break it open into an armbar. Rudge does a standard horizontal spin to slacken it off then twists the other way. Tibor ties up and arm and leg but the bell goes.

Round 2, Rudge gets a side chancery. Tibor turns it into an armbar. Terry rolls out. Tibor gets a full nelson into side headlock, Rudge breaks out.  He gets another side chancery. He tries to throw Tibor who gets a small package but Rudge keeps his shoulders up.  Tibor gets a ground headscissors but rather than capitalise, he rolls backwards and out.  Rudge tries for a folding press into cross press. A finger Interlock on the mat goes standup then rolls backward to twist both arms. As Rudge widens his arms out sideways, Tibor switches to a wristlever but Rudge rolls off. Rudge gets a side headlock into reverse neck crank then releases and forearm smashes Tibor. He snapmares and crosspresses him but Tibor kicks out and the bell goes.

Round 3. Rudge gets another side headlock into reverse neck crank into side chancery. He releases then gets a standing rear chinlock.  Tibor breaks it open into a wristlever but Rudge rolls off then gets a side chancery.  This time Tibor slips out backwards and delivers his judo chop which gets a big pop from the crowd. An annoyed Rudge gets three forearms , a snapmares and neck crank. Tibor breaks this into an arm around but it hits the ropes. (No boos for this as it was accidental) Very quickly Rudge goes for another side chancery but Tibor makes it a top wristlock. Rudge converts to a front chancery but it hits the ropes so he goes for a side one instead. Tibor gets a forearm smash and another trademark chop.  He shoves Rudge through the ropes but the ref pulls him back and Rudge saves himself by grabbing the middle rope to avoid tumbling out. The ref helps him up. The go into an exchange of forearms smashes and Tibor has Rudge on the ropes. Rudge gets the advantage but the ref quite rightly breaks them up. They lock up and Rudge gets a side headlock. Tibor tries prising him off then fires him into the ropes but Rudge comes back with a  shoulderblock, flooring his man. He gets a forearm and a nice thrown on Tibor who lands in the ropes.  Tibor reverses a throw into the ropes but Rudge pulss up short in the rebound. They lock up but it goes into the ropes and the ref breaks them, then the bell goes. They have a slight encounter on their way back to their corners. 

Round 4. Rudge quickly corners Tibor. He gets some forearms and a throw with Tibor taking a rolling bump.  Rudge gets a side chancery throw into crosspress but Tibor easily throws him off.  Rudge fires off more forearms and slings Tibor into the ropes but he comes back with a cross buttock and press for the one required fall.

A good scientific contest, apart from the forearm smashes. A bit of needle too so not quite a clean sportmanly match. Another two heavyweights who can do the British style and roll off armbars etc which further proves my point from the French Catch thread.

 

[David Mantell]

Nice interview with an out of character Jane "Klondyke Kate" Porter. Best bit is when the interviewer talks about British wrestling coming back and she flatly points out that it never went away. Atta girl.

 

[David Mantell]

1991 All Star has a go at a cage match. Kendo Nagasaki and Blondie Bob Barrett versus Marty Jones and Danny Colin's at Civic Hall Wolverhampton.  Commentary at the start is by Peter Kendo himself and refers to his current storyline for LDN. Dance pop song about Kendo is also of recent vintage.  The footage however is prime early 1990s post TV All Star boom.

Kendo's manager Lloyd Ryan gets an early kicking out of the cage door and the blue eyes go to work. Kendo briefly exits the cage but uses a chair to bash down the good guys and gets back in. After Jones leaves the cage.  Kendo keeps guard on the door while Barrett destroys Collins until Marty gets back in.m Salt and a chair come into the mix. Collins accidentally takes out the referee with a missile dropkick. Barrett accidentally blast Kendo with salt and Collins and Jones leave the cage together to be greeted by a trumphant mob of supporters, but the referee sees nothing. So they go back in to revive the referee and as they do so  Kendo and Barrett ambush them and leave which the referee sees so Kendo and Bob win the match!

Collins was British Heavy Middleweight champion and Barret either was or soon would be British Welterweight Champion.

Wild and violent and totally unsuitable for ITV but at the time the total opposite of the kiddy friendly  Big Daddy Roadshow and so way ahead of it by 1991 at the box office. Electric atmosphere too.

 

[David Mantell]

On 8/8/2023 at 1:27 PM, David Mantell said:

Another good bout for showing what Kendo could do (depsite the earlier, scaled down version of the 1988 hypnosis angle) is his round 2 win over Rex Strong.  Kendo is very much the blue-eye here.

This pair had once been tag partners in December 1975 on TV but facing the Haystacks-Daddy tag team, Strong had gone down a fall to Daddy before Kendo and George abandoned him to a second straight fall at Stax's hands.

Strong starts off with a side headlock which Kendo breaks open into a top wristlock.  Not being a Frenchman, Strong does not back somersault out of this, nor does he reverse snapmares out of the back hammerlock Kendo converts it to. Kendo gets in a couple of chops but these back Strong into the ropes forcing a break.  Strong gets a front grovit on , so Kendo goes to the mat and  rolls backwards into the upper position (This mat based roll was an ancestor of the traditional British roll on the mat to untwist and arm lever) and neatlyslips Strom's already bent arm behind him to form another hammerlock. He then underhooks the other arm and turns Strong over into a cross press but Strong twice pushes out at 2 so Kendo releases him.  Strong twice gets a side headlock on Kendoand throws him using the ropes for extra bounce but both times Kendo rolls through the throw to an upright position. He chops Strong back to the opposite ropes and throws him, getting more of a bump on Strong who cannot roll through so easily. Kendo forces another bump with a high Whip. Nagasaki gets another standing hammerlock and Strong reaches for a rear snapmare but Kendonducks his head out of the way so Strong dhufles in the direction of the ropes. He underhooks Kendo's other arm meaning to get behind but Kendo gets a cross buttock throw. Strong gets a headscissors but Kendo takes a 270 degree turn round to the front rolling position then forward rolls out, grabbing a side headlock at the top of Strong's body., then switching to a cross press but Strong goes for the ropes.   Strong gets a Japanese stranglehold but Kendo cross buttock throws him off.  Strong gets an extended double wristlock on Kendo who nearly rolls out in the traditional British style (as he did out of the hammerlock earlier.)   Strong also rolls out of Kendo's armbars (see @ohtani's jacket it wasn't bjustbthe lightweights) but then grabs the ropes to break it.  Strong gets a legdive but Kendo folds himef into the Gotch toehold position, curls up and rolls out.  Strong gets another Japanese Stranglehold and Kendo cross buttocks out and throws Strong again getting a bump and a count of 5. Strong gets some sort of chinlock and Kendo backs him into the corner forcing a break. Kendo gets a chinlock, Strong tries to lift him for an atomic drop but Kendo pulls him back down into a throw, landing up with a side headlock.  Strong tries to pull Kendo into another headscissors but can't get the leverage. The bell save him.

Throughout the first round and this round break, Walton touts Kendo's intert in mysticism. his "faith healing" clinic in South London and how Naggers is " a formidable hypnotist. Clearly Kent has been tipped off as to what is to come in round 2. Early on Kendo leans forward and stares strangely at Strong causing him to recoil. Strong gets a bearhug which Kendo slowly and majestically turns into a cross buttock into side headlock on the mat. He adds to the hold by scissoring off one wrist. He converts the headlock to a ground top wristlock while at the same time uncrossing his legs and crossing them the other way, thus smoothly transitioning to a cross press like points changing on a railway line.  Strong powers out with two one counts and Kendo let's him up, but Strong isn't happy, complaining to the referee about something. Kendo gets a single legdive and traps the other leg to bring his man down in the guard. Nagasaki then turns Strong by the secured leg into a single leg Boston Crab. But Strong is too near the ropes and grabs them to force a break. Strong gets a headlock then whacks Kendo in the eye with the heel of the hand, flooring him. Strong tuns his body to block the view for the referee the delivers two illegal closed fist punches to Kendo's eyes. Crabtree catches the second and threatens Strong with a public warning if he carries on. Kendo is angry. The anger of a man who is trying to play it straight for once, then has THIS happen to him. So far he has functionally been the blue eye of the bout while Strong has been subtle heel, going for the ropes too easily and now outright fouling.  Kendo staggers around then lunges forward into a pressure points position staring into Strong's eyes. Strong does not move as Kendo hits the ropes from a flying tackle.Strong tries to keep his balance but collapsed and Nagasaki gets the one fall required with the said press. It's an early version of the hypnosis angle would regularly inflict an Robbie Brookside 10-14 years later. Cut back to the studio for Bank Holiday Monday Sports Special- anchorman Dickie Davies quips " So, an Eastern victory ..."

Despite the slightly gimmicky ending this is a good short technical bout which show that heavyweights çould work the British style too. Some particularly graceful work from Kendo.

 

[David Mantell]

Tarzan Johnny Wilson Vs Roy StClair, Cliffs Pavilion May 1977 transmitted August.

Bit disappointed that I can't find a review of this one on here already. Suffice it to say it's full of the sort of action I absolutely adore and leads to a finish OJ will presumably totally hate. It's also - like the Nagasaki/Strong match -very much a heavyweight bout, yet it contains a lot of the moves recently described on the French Catch page as "the lightweight style."

Down to business with Round 1; they lock up and go straight in the ropes then retry with Wilson getting a headlock. Roy reaches behind and pulls him into a folding press for a one count before Wilson's feet roll into the ropes. Roy gets a full nelson then switches it to a rear snapmare throw. Wilson gets up and gets a side chancery throw I to chinlock but Roy pulls his head out leaving TJW's arm in a back hammerlock position. Tarzan rolls the wrong way and Roy gets a brief pinfall attempt. He rolls back and Roy gets up again with his, the hammerlock by now a double wristlock. TJW gets his head between Roy's legs and backdropd him.  Roy replies with a sunset flip  into a folding press pin attempt.  Wilson pulls his head out but Roy gets his head out of the hold.before a Bascule can ensure.  They break and start over, TJW gets a wristlever that  St Clair rolls out and Tarzan high Irish whips Roy to force a hard bump. TJW gets a Headlock and strange (sleeper) - Roy unfolds it to an armbar then converts to a rear hammerlock. He tries to reach backwards for a rear snapmare (not a reverse one as in French Catch) but can't reach far enough so horizontally spins out, facing downward. Roy gets another Headlock and strangle, He gets a bodyscissors and pulls him back with a bodyscissors then turns it over for a pin attempt, held with the scissors.  Tarzan rolls out backwards and secured a Frank Gotch toehold. Roy tuns into the guard so Tarzan brings his weight down on the crossed legs. Roy tries to grab a waistlock but twice gets thrown off by Wilson., The third time, he chops Wilson in the sides, forcing him to relinquish.  They start over, Wilson gets a wrist and tightens it up with a standing horizontal spin, producing a shoulder high top wristlock, forcing Roy to the mat. Roy twists into a barred straight arm. TJW forces Roy to take a high whip over his own extended arm, still holding onto the low top wristlock  Roy gets a headscissors but John snaps out. Roy again gets a wristlever and tightens with a horizontal spin again,  He slaps on a rear standing arm hank then vaults his man, armdragging and throwing him for a bump. Roy gets a right legdive and ankle lock, Wilson snaps back and throws Roy off but he cartwheels to safety. Tarzan gets a legdive and leans onto it to weaken the limb. Roy kicks him in the back as the bell goes.

Round 2'and Tarzan gets a side headlock into cross buttock and press. He keeps him in the headlock and adds an arm scissor. Roy turns into the mount and stands . He grabs the headlock, releases the arm, keeps it bent in the back position and makes a hammerlock of it.  Wilson escapes with a standing forward roll. He gets a full Japanese stranglehold on Roy who tries to reverse it but Tarzan double rotates the hold.  Roy scoots backwards through Tarzan's legs and uses the tug to flip Tarzan over on the hold. He then kneedrops Tarzan in the back.  Roy gets a side chancery throw and leg drop and underhook suplex into crosspress for 2 before being thrown off.  TJW wins a test of strength and goes for a full frontal press pin but Roy powers out, Tarzan gets a double armbar. then switches to the pre surfboard rear double wristlock. Roy falls backwards and tries to roll forward, tempting TJW with grabbing a leg.  Eventually Tarxan tries to grab the ankles and so releases the wrist and so lets Roy roll away. Roy gets a standing full nelson but Tarzan powers out.  He gets a rear standing armlift which does not lift Roy but hurts his bicep.  Roy  kicks the back of Tarzan 's knee until he is kneeling, then he grabs a headlock and kneedrops Wilson in the face. He doubles him over and tries for a side chancery but Wilson falls in the ropes. Another finger Interlock and Wilson scores with a lean-back dropkick for eight and a high bumping throw  for an 8 count then another such throw for four. Wilson gets a side chancery  and double knees press for a two count. Roy gets a reverse double legs into side chinlock as the bell goes. 

Round 3. Johnny gets a side headlock into armbar and strikes a flying knee weakener into the shoulder then repeats from the armbar. He coverts to double armbar and wrenches on it with all his might. He pushes the weakened shoulder down.  He jams the knee into shoulder joint to further aggravate it then switches to a rear arm hank. He is seated on Roy who is crouching down on the mat now. Roy crawl forwards through the legs and stands up leaving only the standing rear hammerlock. Tarzan twice throws Roy with the arm still in the hammerlock position taking the brunt of the force both times. With the arm suitably weakened Wilson reapplies the rear arm hank. Roy will not submit so Wilson goes back to the hammerlock, this time flat on the floor in the mount. StClair flips into the guard, thus untwisting the arm.  Wilson folds it into a ground top wristlock which becomes a standing one when Roy kips upright.  Wilson levers him back down and Roy slaps on a headscissors. Wilson turns the hold into the upright position and so  turns the hold upside down, unplug his head leaving the legs again in the Frank Gotch toehold position. Maintaining the hold, Tarzan drops a shoulder into Roy's back. Roy turns into the guard and Tarzan kneels on his crossed legs. Roy tries for a bearhug, more as a breather than a serious hold. Roy lunges forward, gets an arm and throws Wilson and applies his own headscissors but it goes into the ropes forcing a break. Roy takes an arm and slings Wilson towards a posting before yanking him back for an arm weakener as good as any Irish Whip with a bump landing.  The two briefly lock up on the ropes. Roy gets a right arm then switches to the left arm, barring it and driving the knee one last time into the shoulder.  Just at that moment the bell goes and they shake hands. The crowd who have really enjoyed these holds give the two men a. Standing ovation.

Round 4 starts with a finger Interlock until Roy knees Tarzan's  bicep..   Wilson gets an armbar into a double reversed arms and tries to take a knee out but Roy straightens the arms each way to reverse the double arms.  This ends in stalemate so they break and start over, the crowd applauding the sportsmanship as much as the skill.  Roy kneelifts Tarzan in the face, whips him into the ropes and gets a cross buttock and press for a two count. Wilson gets a rest double legdives on Road turns him into the reverse double leg nelson, also for a two count. Roy lunges and doubles up Wilson then throws him across the ring. He is up at 5 and comes off the ropes in a flying tackle but Roy falls backwards and Wilson flies onto the ringside floor while Roy also has a bad landing on the ring apron, injuring his neck which referee Max Ward I'm. The referee counts both en out for ten - a Double Knockout. However given that the bout had been progressing so finely, this is commuted to a No Contest.  The crowd applaud both mens efforts and are delighted with the result but I know someone who won't like it match. Ah well. the crowd enjoyed it and so did I.  Make your own mind up.

 

[David Mantell]

On 1/27/2015 at 6:19 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Mike Marino vs. Johnny Yearsley (10/10/74)

 

This was part of a one night knockout tournament. Unlike the 80s where these sort of matches had a time limit, this was a regular six round bout. Ordinarily that would be a welcome change, but this was 25 minutes of Yearsley threatening to cheat without going the whole hog and Marino retaliating without going all the way. The end result of all the tentativeness was that they didn't do much of anything and it went on like that for 25 excruciating minutes. If it had been any other worker, Walton would have been critical of the match, but not his boy Marino. Actually, in fairness to Kent, he had a veiled criticism towards the promoters about Yearsley and Marino being paired together when a catchweight contest would have been more exciting.

 

Bad Boy Johnny Yearsley is best known (apart from the Monty Python "Epilogue"sketch) for another bout from around this time in which he is leading Billy Two Rivers 1-0 only for the Native American to explode with chops for a KNOCKOUT win, oh yes. Marino booked the South for a while around this time and gets the blame for a slump in business only resolved by Big Daddy mania.

The lighting rig in this taping is HORRENDOUS by the way, all dark shadows. Was this due to industrial action?

Marino gets him in a front chancery position and they move about in this odd lockup., going into the ropes. They break and Yearsley takes down Marino in a side headlock. Marino tries bridging out before standing up and doing his characteristic twisting escape. Normally I'm not a fan but it actually looks quite good and snappish here. Yearsley takes Marino down with a front chinlock . Marino uses his bridge to lever up but Yearsley pulls hair to get him back down.  It hits the ropes, they break. JY gets a hammerlock and Marino spins out and downwards.  Yearsley gets a single legdive and leglock, Marino on the mat grapevines the other leg which makes Yearsley release. Yearsley wins a finger interlock but Marino bridges out of pin attempts then powers up to get a Japanese stranglehold but Yearsley throws him. Yearsley gets a bearhug but Marino breaks it open into a half nelson and Yearsley goes for the ropes getting himself some heat. Yearsley gets cross armed takedown into grovit into shoulder press. Marino back rolls into a dominant position with both arms folded off then a side headlock Yearsley breaks it open into a top wristlock but My arino switches to the other arm for an armbar and Yearsley goes for the ropes again to considerably more heat. Yearsley's bearhug goes into the ropes so he tries a top wristlock and Marino does the traditional British roll out.  Yearsley tries a high whip and gets a bump and proceeds to an armhank but Marino sits up and gets a headlock. Bell goes and Yearsley gets in a quick cheap shot. 

Round 2 and Johnny gets dirty, headlocking Mike in the corner and running his face on the ropes.  He gets a snapmare and crosspress Marino but Mine powers up and kips up and gets a front chancery. Yearsley gets another cheap shot in the corner and a brawl erupts. Max Ward tells Marino off. Yearsley gets a wristlock and Marino gets a back roll and horizontally turn into a single leg dive and leglock. Yearsley rolls over onto the guard and Mike nicely switches to a crossface. Ward refuses Yearsley a rope break so he powers up, corners Marino and cheap shots him again. Either these are not quite punches or he is concealing them well. I'm not too sure which just yet.  Yearsley refuses to release a chinlock in the corner and Ward pulls him off and gives the Welsh heel a ticking off. Yearsley gets Marino in a Japanese stranglehold, Marino reverses and Yearsley goes for the ropes. Yearsley gets a headlock, Marino breaks it into a hammerlock. Yearsley gets a rope break. Yearsley gets a grovit into a series of headlocks switching to conceal something from Ward. Marino gets an armbar and crossface, Johnny goes for the ropes.  Kent thinks Marino wanted a Jolly Boscik style 3 in 1.  Yearsley uses a hairpull to headlock Marino down to the mat. He pushes his arm on Marina's throat - a foul- and Ward drags him off by the ears! Marino uses a front chinlock to position Yearsley for a forearm smash which gets a pop from the crowd. Yearsley knees Marino in the corner as the bell goes. Max has to order him to his corner.

Round 3. They hit the ropes on lockup and Yearsley runs Marino's face again on a different top rope.  Marino gets a bodycheck. He gets a wrist but Yearsley goes for the ropes yet again and gets a First Public Warning for passivity (too many rope breaks( and the ropes treatment also. Yearsley goes for pressure points but Marino breaks it up and gets a side headlock. Yearsley pulls him down into a ground top wristlock. Marino gets headscissors and Yearsley gets out with a longwise press that he uses to conceal some illegal closed fist punches. Finally Yearsley gets a knee across the windpipe and the referee drags him off. Max Ward could be one tough angry cookie! (TWC advert break.) Ward is still telling both men off after the break Yearsley gets a side headlock into side chancery throw. then a front chancery.  He sneaks in a punch on the ropes.  Marino gets a leg dive and leglock extension weakener, stepping on Yearsley's face as he does it, justice for Johnny's earlier fouls. Yearsley complains he has been stomped in the eye. Yet again he runs Marino's face on the ropes. Kent mentions Marino has thin scar tissue there - is Yearsley going for a cuts TKO?  Yearsley backs Marino into the ropes and strikes him in the back in the kidney area. Mike gets a wristlock but Yearsley rolls out of it to get a top wristlock so Mike throws him and gets the bump. Yearsley whips Marino in the ropes, catching him with a knee on the rebound. He almost has a KO but foolishly knees the downed Marino. Marino gets a side headlock and slips in a retaliatory closed fist punch then a snapmare throw. Marino ends up getting the quiet reprimand. Yearsley wins his second finger Interlock and goes for the cross press. Rather than going for a pin he goes for fouls -  illegal concealed fist and the knee on windpipe- before releasing.  Marino wallops him with an uppercut as the bell goes. 

Round 4. Yearsley throws Marino and knees him on the ropes, getting the odd kick in before Ward orders him off.  Marino gets a side headlock and grapevine combo. Yearsley gets some sort of foul on Marino's back and tries to capitalise witha crosspress but Ward orders him off.  Yearsley gets in a stomp and Marino is angry, threatening a punch and Ward has to talk him down.  Yearsley does the rope foul again and gets his SECOND SND FINAL PUBLIC WARNING but Marino is bleeding. Yearsley tries a straight armlift but Marino forces it into a side headlock.  Yearsley pulls out from behind to leave a hammerlock but Mike rolls out. He is still in a wristlock in the guard.  He bridges and rolls on his head into an upright kneel then stands and goes for the rollout but has to take the bump rather than complete the roll like the Young kids of the time might. Yearsley still has the wrist. He switches to double wrists and tries to stand on Marino's hair but Ward has his beady eye on Johnny. Marino uses his bridge to power out ( he really does this power up with a lot of grace.) He locks Yearsley into the tope rope but has to release (no French style shenanigans allowed.) Yearsley offers a handshake. Marino has none of it and forearms him. Yearsley throws him and gets a good bump. He tries again but Marino gets in first with a headlock into side chancery plus lift. Marino keeps the hold a good long while, Yearsley gets in a concealed closed fist but Marino no sells it. He takes Yearsley to the mat with the side chancery. Yearsley powers up and gets to the corner but the bells aves him. Nonetheless he gets in three illegal punches which annoy Max Ward and the fans a lot. 

Round 5 Yearsley twice side headlocks and kneelifts his man. He gets a side chancery throw, whips him into the ropes and catches him with a knee on the rebound.  Marino is up at 6 and Yearsley side chancery throws him for another 6. Marino comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock catching Yearsley's leg as he goes down and applying his distinctive figure four leg extension (the same as he would use to get a consolation submission on Kendo Nagasaki on TV a year later) to win and progress to a final against the winner of a Spencer Churchill Vs Steve Logan MK1 match.

Better than OJ makes out. My appreciation of Marino's unspectacular but solid technique went up a lot in this match. He also has a lot of the foundations of the British rolling escapes that young kids like Bobby Ryan and Steve Wright were starting to elevate to a higher form around now. Yearsley is an underrated crumb heel. Balding head and growly disposition.  A bout for more advanced connoisseurs.

[David Mantell]

Getting heat from too many rope breaks - a primer.

Not a great scientific bout - Jones does some armbar rollouts from the much taller Emperor who keeps on walking out of the bout, mainly because Jones goes for the mask. Between them. they clock up four public warnings each. Before that Emperor infuriates the crowd by constantly grabbing for rope breaks rather than countering holds. Jones gets the one submission with his Powerlock which looks like the American figure 4 leglock but which lis actually a scorpion death lock unfolded so the Victim is flat on their back in the guard.

[ohtani's jacket]

I watched the backend of that Marino/Yearsley bout, and I agree that it's not as bad as I was making out 10 years ago, but there is nothing that ought to excite a connoisseur. That argument, like so many, is silly. I have championed Marino many times ,but I don't think this match has much bearing on his legacy. 

[David Mantell]

Poor old Gary Wensor is best known as the sucker who cost Big Daddy his last ever TV defeat in August 1978. His second most famous bout is a tag team tournament match where he and brother Ed act heelish before going down.  He went see him with something more to offer to against Tarzan Johnny Wilson's kid brother.  This was the other half of the infamous Carribbean Sunshine Boys Vs Kung Fu Fighters TV taping October 1977, held over until Jan '78

Round 1, by the way, with his ginger sideburns and stripey trunks, it must be said Wensor look very much like a Victorian bathing gentleman on the beach.) Peter gets an armbar with pressure on the shoulder. Wensor counters with a right armed hammerlock so Wilson switches to a standing left arm hammerlock of his own. Wensor simply rolls away from the hold. They reset, Wensor agrees to half a finger Interlock then backrolls to fold it up into a neat top wristlock and force Peter to the mat, but Peter kips up and fells Wensor with a leg spread. Wensor rolls  off sideways to cheers.  He throws Pete in an armlock and tries for another one, but Peter leaps behind for a figure 4 ground top wristlock. Wensor tries to kip up but is twice dragged down so instead goes for a headscissors. After failing to snap out, Peter turns it upright and prises the hold open. He puts pressure on the opened knees, Wensor responds with a seated front hammerlock. He frees his legs and gets the upper advantage with the hammerlock. Wilson stands up in the hold but goes back down under pressure.  On his second attempt he uses his free arm to prise open and reverse the hammerlock.  Wensor turns into the guard and Wilson goes for the crosspress but is thrown off at 2, also allowing Wensor to free his arm.  Wilson single ets a toe and ankle legdives and grapevine. Wensor tries to spread Wilson's legs but Wilson rectifies.  The bell goes. Nice round of applause. Kent Walton likes the Croydon crowd a lot.  Bear in mind not only is this the same bill as the Sunshine Boys incident but it contains  many future members of the South London Hellcrew who would RIOT over the Kendo-Rocco Wars 11-13 years laterboth here in Croydon and in Catford's Lewisham Theatre.  .  An audience can wear many guises.

Round 2:  They lock up. Wensor takes Wilson down in the guard with a front grovit.  Wilson gets a headscissors but Wensor snaps it open. Wensor goes for a standing full nelson but then turns 180 to switch to a reverse snapmare for 5 then another one for 4 then a front chancery. Wilson breaks it open into an armbar and high whips Sensor to force a bump. Wilson takes down Sensor with a crucifix into further nelson shoulder press for two 2 counts. and a one before releasing. Wilson easily drives Sensor to his knees with a finger Interlock. He pulls him up and down a couple of times before Wensor breaks free and fires a lean back dropkick.  Wensor then floors Wilson again with a single legdive into seated  leglock. Wilson makes various grabs for Sensor's neck but achieves nothing  except briefly hooking his chin, but has to let go when Wensor excerpts more pressure with the legs. Wilson eventually gets his other leg to form a bodyscissors with the locked leg.  This gives Sensor to unhand the leg but he easily turns on his front and able to shoulder press Wilson. Wilson tries for a bearhug but Sensor quickly shoved him off.  He gets a wristlever and pulls Wensor over (releasing the bodyscissors as he does so) and secures the other arm to turn his man into a butterfly shoulder press for a two, a one and a two before releasing.  Wensor goes behind and turns into a sunset flip. Wilson resists the pin attempt  by going  into a Johnny Saint ball. They restart and Wilson gets a far distant throw across the ring then a side chancery throw. He gets a front chancery and switches to double undrhok, aiming for a suplex but Wensor gets a crotchhold in and bodyslams Wilson. Wensor gets a reverse snapmare (Kent Walton is impressed with him, this was Gary's TV debut) then throws his man, Wilson ends up taking the bump despite an attempt to roll with the throw.  The bell goes. Kent says Wensor was trained by his brother Ed who was trained by "the Joyce Boys" (presumably Ken and Doug but not the unrelated Billy). 

Round 3: They lock up and Wensor gets a side chancery. Wilson breaks it into a top wristlock. Wensor has to bring his other arm up to resist. Wensor eventually gets the power advantage, hiptosses Wilson and catches a wristlock on him on landing.  Wilson stands up and rolls out of the hold.  Wilson wins another finger interlock, puts Wensor's hands on the mat, steps on each foot and pulls up on his chin to form a front facing neck crank!   Wensor pulls himself flat down on the mat in the mount but Wilson pulls him right back again.  Wensor grapevines one leg and knocks out the other with his free knee to uproot and fell Wilson and now have a leglock on him. He folds the other leg in and kneels on it (a la the headscissor escape position from earlier.)  Resisting a bearhug attempt, he turns Wilson into a Frank Gotch toehold.  Wilson twice tries to chin lever his man off. The second time he forms a crossface to first free himself then covert to a side headlock on the mat, then to a seated read chinlock. Wensor breaks it open to get a rear seated  hammerlock  They move to standing position and Wilson pulls the arm out front and to the side to get  a standing armlock, then force his man back down into the guard. Wensor gets a headscissor and cranks it forward .  Wilson folds the legs into a Frank Gotch toehold. Wensor curls up and rolls out.  He gets a sideways folding press and a 2 before Wilson can resist by retreatingbintona Johnny Saint ball. The bell goes.  

Round 4:. They run the ropes, Wensor drops down then comes up for a cross body press for 2. A Wensor shoulderblock fells both men.  Both are up at 9 but when Wensor throws Wilson he tries to cartwheels over and fails, keeling over mid-spin. Wensor resists a throw and gets a side headlock then drops into a rear double legs takedown.  Wensor twice throws Wilson for counts of 4 and 7.  A third time. Wilson goes down but Wensor just about stays up and catches Wilson with a flying tackle. Both go over the top for 10 and a double knockout.

Well I suppose @ohtani's jacket won't like that finish but it was a fine technical exhibition from two underrated men - Tarzan Johnny's sidekick brother and the guy who took Daddy's last TV loss for him - which gets a fine appreciative response from an audience that later than night were rioting and which  contained many seasoned pro wrestling hooligans who would go on to form one of the wildest crowds in history.  Never mind the Carribbean Sunshine Boys that same night- many of these people went on to participate in the 1988 Kendo and Skull Murphy Vs Steve Adonis and Pete Roberts riot. Yet feed them a piece of technical class like this and they become the most sophisticated and cultured of audiences!

[David Mantell]

52 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I watched the backend of that Marino/Yearsley bout, and I agree that it's not as bad as I was making out 10 years ago, but there is nothing that ought to excite a connoisseur. That argument, like so many, is silly. I have championed Marino many times ,but I don't think this match has much bearing on his legacy. 

It's an acquired taste of a bout with subtleties. I wouldn't show it to someone as their first Trad Brit bout to get them hooked.

Actually there's a good few showier bits from Marino there that hint at why Kent Walton fell in love with the guy back in the 50s. Yearsley also springs a couple of surprises.

[ohtani's jacket]

Prime Marino is a missing piece of the puzzle. That's for sure. 

[David Mantell]

On 8/1/2024 at 1:29 PM, David Mantell said:

Quote

Tony St. Clair vs. Soldier Boy Steve Prince (Caernarfon, taped 2/27/95)

1995... this is some seriously late Reslo. I don't know if you'll remember this, but Steve Prince was the guy who Fit Finlay stiffed mercilessly during a match on ITV. Back then he was wearing a black gi and wielding a katana blade. Here he'd changed to some sort of soldier gimmick. St. Clair was professional with him, as you'd expect, despite the fact he hadn't improved.

Steve Prince was doing pretty well for himself in the early/mid 90s. He was British Welterweight Champion at this time since beating Doc Dean in 1993 (and held it until the TWA set up a new version in 2000). He and Vic Powers beat the Liverpool Lads (Dean & Robbie Brookside) for the British Tag Team Championship - screened on Brookside's video diary on BBC2.

I posted an early 2010s clip of him refereeing earlier in the thread.

He hasn't got the belt here but the Soldier Boy was two years into a run as British Welterweight Champion here.  Tony StClair was also a Mountevans British Champion at Heavyweight. This was his fourth and final reign, he vacated the title later in 1995. This was the second semifinal of a four man KO - Drew McDonald having beaten Satoshi Kojima (in blue-eye mood) in the first.

For no good reason Tony is announced as from Wales and has a Welsh flag accompanying him to the ring. Cornwall was absorbed into England and lost its connection to Wales in the Middle Ages, since which time the StClair Gregory family had moved to Manchester. 

Prince generally worked as a comic macho heel for whom pride came before the fall his opponent scored.  From the start Tony throws him into the corner and the largely kiddy audience are delighted to see Prince humiliated.  He plays passive selling his weakened back then gets thrown into another corner. He tries a posting and gets it reversed so he lands in a third corner then gets clotheslined, bodyslammed and dropkicked out of the ring as the kids jeer at him. He stomps around still selling his back and is flipped back in by Tony. However he chops Tony down and illegally pounds on his fallen opponent. Eventually he stands back long enough for Tony to get up - and feel a kneelift to the head. After an illegal poke tomthe eye and a legal forearm smash, he gets a sleeper (or as Kent Walton would say, headlock and Strangle).  Tony stands, elbows out and bodychecks Prince. But Steve gets a headbutt to the stomach and a kneelift (he salutes the audience.) He then chops Tony in the throat and choked him on the ropes, pounds him on the back of the neck and gets pressure points. Tony fights back with a double blow to the stomach , a double legdives and slingshot out of the ring.  Steve gets in, begs Tony for mercy and chops him in the stomach and kneelift to the head. He gets two chops in  to the chest then Tony backdrops him.  Tony gives him a slap, a whip and a sleeperhold but Prince bashes him off in a corner then chokes him with a rope. He gets another sleeperhold. StClair revives on the third arm lift. Steve gets a headlock.  Tony elbows his way out then  Prince get another sleeper but Tony elbows out, gets a clothesline, back suplex. Prince gives a posting and stomps Tony in the corner. He posts again but Tony surprise boots him in the face and gets a flying bodypress win.

Fairly basic humiliate the Crumb heel five minute match. Does its job and entertains but it's light relief with little of technical interest. Still, since the Finlay incident, Prince had found his level as a comedy heel and would carry on like that another 15:years before turning referee In 2010..  

[David Mantell]

Promo interviews on ITV before 1987 were rare but here is European Welterweight Champion and novice referee Alan Colbeck talking to Kent Walton on the midweek late night slot about heels concealing stuff from the referee and his title loss/regain with Tommy "Jack(y) Dempsey" Moore (the old guy in the beret from the 1989 First Tuesday Wigan Snakepit docu.)

 

[ohtani's jacket]

My favorite thing about that interview is Kent shifting into his public persona. I wonder what Colbeck thought of Walton personally. 

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

My favorite thing about that interview is Kent shifting into his public persona. I wonder what Colbeck thought of Walton personally. 

Most of the media smoked back then. They had ashtrays on chat show studio sets.

It isn't really a promo, of course. They just play it straight as a sports interview, as they did in TVTimes articles.  Even America did that once in a while, like Sting in summer 92 picking over the bones of his world title loss to Vader.

I think I posted this compilation video before, but there's a good reason why for the most part Britishness and trash talking do NOT go hand-in-hand ...

 

[David Mantell]

On 8/24/2015 at 1:01 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

Mick McMichael vs. Mike Jordan (3/4/86)

Another committed McMichael effort. More comedy than in the Valentine bout, but McMichael was still hellbent on proving he belonged in this Golden Grappler trophy tournament. For some reason, Jordan couldn't eat a proper pinfall or submission, so they went for the usual outside the ring injury finish, but don't let that detract too much from a more focused McMichael run than he'd put on in years.

[David Mantell]

I wrote a nice long blow by blow of that last bout which has disappeared up the spout and I am not a happy bunny!

My general conclusions:

1) What comedy?  Mick had his usual faux-grumpy Les Dawson personality but there was none of the banter of a Vic Faulkner bout with him. Jordan was totally serious and Mick just got on and wrestled. The only other wrestler Mick had that relationship with was the young Owen Hart in Germany and that was as referee and wrestler, not as opponents.

2)  This was 1986, Jordan's run as heel World Lightweight Champion was not until 1988 and the previous year he had lost a British Welterweight title shot to Danny Collins and also came up short against Steve Grey for the British Lightweight Championship that young Nino Bryant now proudly holds, so I don't think there was any push on for Flash.

3) If anything the finish was another permutation of the mores of sportsmanship among blue eyes that dictated that normally McMichael would refuse a TKO but as there was a tournament on, he did not want the next guy up to get a free ride so reluctantly accepted going forward.  Although it's not as if there was a heel who needed to be stopped - the other semifinalist was Richie Brooks, then a clean classy TBW whom McMichael beat 2-1, while the finalist and trophy winner was Clean Wrestler 4Life Steve  "Greg Valentine" Crabtree.

[David Mantell]

To cheer me up from that lost review, here is a nice biography of McMichael from Wrestling Heritage.

https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/mick-mcmichael/

Quote

partnered Big Daddy to a predictable

Evergreen and Golden

Some years ago Wrestling Heritage compiled a countdown of those wrestlers who appeared most often on television between 1955 and 1988. We were as surprised  to find that Doncaster’s Mick McMichael was up there in the top five.  Yes, Mick McMichael appeared on television more times than Big Daddy, Les Kellett, Bert Royal and even the self-styled Mr TV, Jackie Pallo.

We shouldn’t really have been surprised. Mick’s was a long career. For those starting to watch the wrestling in the late 1950s he was already there on the bills, and for the many that turned away from the sport in the 1980s he was still up there, one of the real grafters and skilled men defending the faith. Mick McMichael was one of those timeless evergreens who just didn’t diminish with the passage of time. More than a quarter of a century, starting out as  a very young Michael Gale in northern England and ending up as a kilted Scottish referee in Germany. That’s something worth celebrating.

Between times he was a popular middleweight who worked with everyone who was anyone between 11 and 14 stones in weight.  Those who know us here at Wrestling Heritage will know that we mean no disrespect whatsoever when we categorise Mick McMichael as an artisan, one of those skilled and often undervalued men who formed the backbone of the British wrestling industry. His was often the role of making the more well known stars live up to the fans’ expectation. For every McManus, Pallo and Big Daddy there were a hundred others working alongside and giving the stars the space to shine. Mick McMichael was one of those men.

We have never heard anyone say that Mick was a great shooter in the style of Dempsey, Colbeck or Riley, but as we’ve said so many times before, that was not what professional wrestling was about. In terms of professional wrestling skill Mick was as good as they came. Usually the good guy Mick was the technician often remembered for skilled contests with fellow good guys Bobby Steele, Vic Faulkner, Alan Wood and the like. On the other hand put him in with a villain and when his feathers were ruffled and Mick could quickly adopt the characteristics of the proverbial bull in the china shop.

Devoid of any identifiable gimmick he established himself as one of the most liked wrestlers amongst fans, though the inane labelling as “Popular” Mick McMichael bestowed by a certain Master of Ceremonies, was nevertheless one of the most pointless and irritating of nicknames.

As a youngster Mick’s first sporting interests revolved around rugby playing and swimming. It wasn’t long though before he turned his attention towards wrestling. Schoolboy Mick was a regular spectator at the Corn Exchange Doncaster.  It was there that he learned about, and introduced himself to,  an old time wrestler and strongman, Chic Booth (left). Chic had led a colourful career and at the time was missing wrestling since retiring from the sport a couple of years earlier. In the 1930s Chic had performed a hand balancing act known as  “The Doncaster Strongman” before turning to wrestling during the war with a professional wrestling career that lasted  twelve years.

Chic invited Mick to his gymnasium  in Balby, where the wrestlers included Rex Harrison and Albert Wall. Chic and Mick worked well together, so well that the youngster was ready for his professional debut when he was just fifteen years old. The year was 1958 and the popularity of professional wrestling was growing rapidly around the country. Experienced professionals like Jim Mellor and Tommy Mann gave the teenager a hard time; it was a steep learning curve.

Shortly after leaving school Mick seized  the opportunity to work full time as a professional wrestler. Imagine the excitement for a sixteen year old travelling throughout the north and midlands of England and into Scotland in the company of his ring heroes, , having caught the attention of the top promoters Morrell-Beresford, Wryton and Relwyskow & Green. Experienced men like Ted Hannon, Eric Sands and Danny Flynn were amongst early opponents, as well as other youngsters such as Jim Breaks and Al Miquet.  Climbing into the ring at two of the biggest halls in the country, the St James Hall, Newcastle and Belle Vue, Manchester, both in 1959 whilst 16 years old, must have been very intimidating indeed.

Intimidating maybe, but the boy was making his mark; even finding himself featured in the very first issue of “The Wrestler” magazine in June, 1961, in which Charles Mascall said, “He has the zip and zest of a boyish athlete at his command.”

In April, 1960, whilst still a teenager, Mick featured in his first televised tournament. To be honest, we’ve looked at the TV Times for 16th April, 1960, and as the matches for Saturday afternoon are not listed we can’t be sure that his bout with Romeo Joe Critchley was actually televised. Young Mick did have the satisfaction  of seeing his name listed in the TV Times for  his next televised match.  There it was, in glorious black and white, Saturday 11th June, 1961, Dick Conlon v Mick McMichael from Dorking, commentator Peter Cockburn. The thrill of the appearance didn’t extend as far as winning, with Conlon taking the verdict.

It was the start of a prolific televised career, with likeable Mick so often the unfortunate loser to the rugged villains Mick McManus, Jackie Pallo, Keith Williams and the like. More than 125 televised appearances over a quarter of a century making Mick one of the most recognisable wrestlers around the country. Three of those matches were on Cup Final Saturday, the prestigious  pre final show that attracted huge audiences.  In 1970, prior to Leeds drawing 2-1 with Chelsea, Mick’s opponent was Jackie Pallo. With Jackie at his prime a televised defeat was unthinkable and Jackie took the decision when Mick retired injured. In 1975 West Ham beat Fulham 2-0 but Mick and his  tag partner, Eddie Capelli,  were not so fortunate as they went down to those other London villains Mick McMcManus and Steve Logan.  It was ten years before Mick made it third Cup Final day lucky, when he partnered Big Daddy to a predictable win over Pete LaPaque and Tommy Lorne.

Whilst some Heritage fans will look back with dismay at Mick’s mid 1980s tag partnership with Big Daddy they have nothing but joy with their recollections of Mick’s memorable tag partnership with Steve Clements. In the second half of the 1960s  tag wrestling was in it’s heyday. The Royals, Black Diamonds, White Eagles, Dennisons, Jet Set, Borg Twins led a crowded field of popular teams. Making an impression in a crowded market took some doing, but Mick’s partnership with Steve Clements as the Yorkshire Terriers established the pair as up there amongst the very best. The two Yorkshire middleweights complemented each other in style, laying claim to a European tag team championship belt.

 Both were technically good wrestlers, both were speedy (with Steve having the edge), but when it came to the time for a bit of heat Mick would be the one to come into his own. Inevitably matched against a right pair of villains it would tend to be Mick that would finally unleash a barrage of arms and legs, repaying the villains for their past deeds.

Mick was well known amongst the fans of mainland Europe. Overseas travel went back to the early days of his professional career. Just over two years after entering the ring for the first time, he spent the best part of two months in France. It was the start of frequent jaunts across the channel. Most years he would leave our shores for regular visits  to France, Belgium, Spain and Germany.  German fans are the ones with most recent fondest memories of Mick McMichael, as one of their best referees, wearing a kilt. Don’t ask us why a man from Wheatley Hills in Doncaster should be wearing a kilt. This is wrestling.

For more than a quarter of a century Mick McMichael entertained fans in the wrestling ring, often taking the roll of the fall guy to the more well known names on the bill. In later years he went on to entertain as a supporting role actor in films and television.

Evergreen? Certainly. And Golden? Most definitely.

Mick McMichael died in March, 2018.

Page added 4/1/16

Page reviewed 04/08/2022

 

[David Mantell]

I just went and compared a 1973 Petit Prince Vs Daniel Noced bout to Steamboat Vs Savage. There are further comparisons to be made with this one which puts the recently unmasked Hamill against the Northeast's finest dirty wrestler Black Jack Mulligan.  Mulligan still has his long hair in 1978 which would be gone by 1981 (possibly due to a hair match?) and it makes him look like Bray Wyatt. The bout is most Kung Fu (in a fetching peach gin with a pitb.  throwing chops and flyer and Mulligan getting in the odd sneaky trick and getting punished for it by Max Ward. British referees were a tough old bunch, much like Martial or Roger Delaporte in France and Max Ward was the harderst of the lot.  An entire generation of viewers grew up impersonating his Knockout counts "WUN-er, TOO-er, THREE-er, FAW-er!! ..."

 

[David Mantell]

On 1/12/2025 at 10:01 PM, David Mantell said:

Royal Rumbles (WWE copyright be damned) have become a staple end of the night attraction at traditional British shows since the ,mid 90s (heck, Stephen Barker even named his PROMOTION Rumble!).  They offer blue eyes a shot at revenge against the heels who beat them earlier in the night and send fan, especially the family audiences, home happy.  Here is a specimen from the final ever episode of Relo.  Your typical heaving mass of bodies, nothing much technical here.  Danny Collins gets cheered by the crowd which is particularly surprising not just because he went heel in 1994 but for more reasons I'm about to get into on the German Catch thread.

This was the last Traditional British Wrestling on TV (and apart from that Japanese visit to Croydon in 96,  Rumble Promotions' VHS that same year and a couple of all-Brit bouts on VDB in Germany's deliberately retro 1998 video, the last Traditional British wrestling to be professionally filmed) until 2003 and Premier Promotions contributions to Johnny Vaughn's World Of Sport on digital channel BBC3.

A couple of more modern examples of this. This is from an All Star show at former TV Venue the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa 11.5 years ago.  I was (probably) in attendance.

And here is a more recent example from, er. Rumble Promotions:

 

 

[David Mantell]

(I've also gone and posted some examples on the German thread.)

[David Mantell]

Mitzi Muller, then British Ladies champion, wife (now widow) of All Star promoter Brian Dixon, mother of All Star ring announcer Laetitia Dixon, ex mother in law of wrestler Dean Allmark, grandmother of current All Star boy king Joseph Dixon and daughter of 1930s wrestler Pat Connolly. goes on a chat show to protest about Women's wrestling not being allowed on TV - and ironically gets to wrestle on TV, first by giving the presenter a darn good stretching and sending him off to bed a happy boy no doubt, second with a clip of an 80s ladies tag match on an ASW show, sadly cut off as the action starts.

Mitzi would eventually get on to ITV in 1988 as a ring announcer beating a path for her daughter (and following Princess Paula Valdez's path of getting onto ITV in a non wrestling capacity, in her case managing her husband). Interestingly, by this time Reslo on S4C - as much under the IBA's remit as World of Sport on ITV (but as the Welsh say, London never notices anything west of the Severn Bridge) - was regularly featuring top ladies' talent on its show (I'd have to check if Mitzi herself appeared but wouldn't swear it off).

[David Mantell]

On 3/2/2015 at 1:16 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Terry O'Neill, Roy Paul & Black Jack Mulligan vs. Bert Royal, Vic Faulkner & Kung Fu (3/8/78)

Shitty six-man tag, or three aside as they put it. Joint Promotions has the worst six man tags of any promotion I've seen. The faces completed the whitewash by quickly winning 2-0 in a match that was about as necessary as denim shorts with suspenders. Afterwards a pair of local ladies were practically ripping Kung Fu out of his gi. He owed Mulligan a beer for that. Why have the heels go down 4-0? Only Dale Martin would book this kind of shit. At least the first two matches were entertaining.

I'd been interested to see the Liverpool Skinheads as they had been involved in some prototype Big Daddy tag matches in 1976 in the Best/Wryton area (at a time when some Joint members were still trying to put on Haystacks and Daddy as a heel tag team (They would resolve this on the night by having the two big men fall out as Daddy was no longer able to accept Stax's heel tactics. No they are not bald but skins in the 60s 70s generally weren't - they had short hair (Terry's is pushing it a bit. Paul looks the part, like Slade drummer Don Powell circa 1970's album Play .It Loud) and the braces and Doc Marten boots were more indicators of the skin style. Mulligan was no skinhead, he was just balding and would soon ditch the rest of it.

It's not a great environment to show off the blue eyes but at least they score two good falls, Faulkner getting the rear rolling double shouldepress on Mulligan.Kung Fu then gets a Straight Second with a rear kick on the top turnbuckle and snapmare into folding press with bridge. Two nice bits afterwards - Paul quietly walks up and unheelishly shakes Faulkner's hand and Faulkner gets absolutely MOBBED by three young girls in 70s street fasion- yay. Ring Rats on World of Sport!

[David Mantell]

Talking of both McMichael and a bald Mulligan, here they both are with Daddy and Mel Stuart who also went bald after previously sporting a Daddy-esque blond crop top in the early 70s. It's Daddy and Mick's warmup for The Rockers (Pete Lapaque and Tommy Lorne) on Cup Final Day a couple of months later. THhhe Rockers manager Charlie McGee is in the villains corner and frankly looks like a bigger scarier heel than either principal heels.

Typical Daddy fodder with Mick as the FIP getting rescued by Daddy. Daddy briefly comes in and has both heels grovelling and prostrating themselves.  Mick gets an advantage over Mulligan and scores the first fall with a bodyslam. Mick eventually gets into hideous trouble finishing in a Boston Crab but slowly, pulling the canvas up excruciatingly McMichael claws his way back to Daddy who tags Daddy to splash and pin Stuart.