The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

Steve Fury these days is British Wrestling tape trader called Peter something or other (Dogget, I'm think) who thinks Masked Marauder Minor on TV was Black Jack Mulligan even though Max Hardimann and others have confirmed it was Lucky Gordon. (Mulligan was later that year when the Marauders gimmick was revisited in late 83/ early 84.

Here, he's a TBW getting squashed on Screensport by Rollerball rRocvo at that Staffordshire garden festival thing in the blue/white tent.  Fury gets an arm and the beginnings of a back hammerlock before Rocco, like Brookside in 1997, gets the ropes and then adds a quick foul shot to regain control. Side chancery throw and kneedrop and Rocco gets busy brawling.  A Finlay style fireman's carry suplex and a slam aside. Rocco is fighting and fouling, fish-hooklng his way out of a legdive.  Steve takes Rocco outside for an ITV-unfriendly head smash to the apron and Rocco runs away to the other side of the ring. Back in the ring, Rocco concealed punches his way out of another Fury armlock and garottes his man in the ropes. He finishes off his man with a face first piledriver and The Master Of Disaster has mastered another disaster for Fury and we last see him on the mic, pouring oil on the flames.

[David Mantell]

@JNLister you might want to add this clip to the Other Channels page on the  ITV wrestling site as the bout is not represented (Quinn Vs Johnny South, Hanley, February 1986. 

South is no jobber but the future Legend of Doom takes quite a pounding here.  Referee and future British Bushwhacker Frank Casey is about to start a one month suspension for poor refereeing. Quinn power dominates South who only occasionally gets retaliation such as attacking Quinn's beard.  Quinn gets a public warning, or does he?  Chuckle Brothers make a stupid joke about Quinn being from Massachusetts (he's actually from Vancouver.) South does take over with some strength holds of his own but it doesn't last.  Irish Pat Barrett, ex WWWF World Tag Team Champion, comes out to encourage Quin on. South fights back and slams Quinn. Quinn gets the vein with a guillotine elbowsmash.

WWF TV match basically.

 

[David Mantell]

On 8/19/2014 at 3:36 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Steve Veidor vs. Bob Abbott (3/27/74)

A year later and Walton was still pushing for Abbott to be on television more. I've often wondered what the politics of that sort of thing were. And was Walton shooting from the hip or was it just commentator-speak? As it was, Abbott had a half dozen appearances or so over three years and was never seen again. Not a bad wrestler, but like a lot of guys he was missing that spark that separated a guy like Veidor from the rest of the pack. Britain was full of heavyweights in this era, but Veidor was head and shoulders above most as a master stylist and a hugely charismatic individual. But even he could never pry the title from either Albert "Rocky" Wall or Gwynn Davies, as interesting Joint Promotions preferred to have a heel on top. Some lovely wrestling here from both men and Abbott again contributed a lot of nice holds, but the kind of match for a lazy summer's afternoon and not the kind of barn burner Veidor usually had against heels. I could watch him any time, though. Such a beautiful stylist.

Round 1: Veidor  gets in early with a side headlock takedown, shrugging off a chinlock counter attempt.  Abbott gets into an upright kneel and pulls his head out to leave a hammerlock which he converts to a straight armlock. He then apparently hammerlocks the other arm (why not keep the original hammerlock and straighten the second arm then?) goes for a cross press and gets a couple of Ones from referree (and former British Heavyweight Champion) Ernie Baldwin.  Veidor has a finger Interlock, he bridges up, unhooks one sided with a leg and forces a whip on the other arm but Abbott takes it neatly and lands upright. Abbott gets a standing full nelson. Veidor can't throw him and a half break and get behind is repaid the same by Bob to regain the hold.  Steve tries again but Bob gets a crucfix takedown into further nelson but Veidor twists out. Abbott gets a reverse neck crank into side chancery, Veidor tries to counter with a slam but Bob comes down knees first and gets a slam of his own white maintaining the side chancery.  Veidor gets his own side chancery and throws Abbott from the kneeling position but Bob is quickly up to kneeling and when Veidor throws him again, Abbott throws to to end up with Steve in an inverted grovit. He switches to a headlock but Veidor slips out to make a hammerlock and turns his man with the other arm.  He goes for shoulder press variants but only gets 1 or the odd 2. This time it's Bob who finger Interlocks and bridges up.  Veidor again unhooks one sided with a foot and gives the remaining arm lever and extra twist. He goes for the whip and forces a bump, shrugging off an attempted headscissors to keep a wristlock in the guard. When Abbot gets upright, Veidor makes it into a standing back hammerlock. Bob's attempt at a legspread is for naught as Veidor readjusts his stance. He turns round into Steve's legs, gets a backdrop but is caught by a sunset flip into double leg nelson but he double ankle smashes out.  Bob gets a wrist, spins intona full arm and transitions to a half chinlock (Kent is impressed!) He maintains thecarm while twisting Veidor's neck with both hands until Steve turns into the guard.  Bob still has the armlock and Steve is bridging to avoid a possible pin.  He briefly puts his feet on Abbot's neck but whatever counter he is planning he abandons. Bell goes.

Round 2:  Bob gets and armlock but Steve rolls out then backwards then cartwheels as Bob shifts the turn back and forth. He rolls backwards then forward to get control of the arm then forces a sharp upwards whip to make Bob take the bump. Abbott gets a flying tackle for 2 and a rear snapmare from which Steve rolls up nicely the gets a backslide opener.

Round 3:  Veidor gets a rear waistlock and rolls backwards into a folding press.  Bob flips him forward into the double arm stretch with a foot on the back of the head before reverting to the more conventional shoulders.  Veidor tries to roll back and in doing so  puts himself ina folding press getting a 1 count. Bob tries to press down into the folding press but Steve untucks his head and rolls out.  A risky strategy but it worked.  Steve helps Abbott up only for Abbott to go for the leg and Veidor to forcexa quick armdrags whip that Abbot easily rolls out of, an exchange both men take sportingly.  Veidor gets a standing headlock.  Abbott tries to atomic drop him but Steve rolls through until it is a side headlock on the mat.  Abbott gets a similar rear neck crank to the start of the bout and pulls Steve round but Veidor tugs himself out; hecstill has thecside headlock in a sitting position.  Abbott throws him off to the ropes, gets a backdrop but Veidor lands well, ducks under a charge and gets a cross buttock throw for 2, Abbott gets a single leg takedown, Veidor briefly tries a crossface. Bob transitions to a standing toe and ankle.  Veidor gets his other foot in to spin him off upside down (not quite a toupie as Veidor was on his shoulders.)  Veidor has to step carefully to avoid Bob legdives from the mat. This time he gets the armlock but Bob folds a knee down and gets half a crossface on with his free arm and held from the hand of his locked arm.  Steve throws him off and narrowly slips the jaws of a Bob headscissor. Steve gets the armlock again, covers to a witlever, passes it overhead and gives a high whip, somersault and bump then backrolls on the arm to tighten it for more. He releases the arm and Bob stay down for 7 although the last second of two he seems concerned with looking for legdive chances more than the KO count.  They agreed to a half finger interlock and Veidor cartwheels forwards before switching arm and forcing another high whip and bump.  He still has the arm and makes an armlock of it.  Abbott scissors the other arm.  They agreed on a stalemate. Bob gets a throw mostly with the hand and wrist on a moving Steve. Abbott gets a rear waistlock into rear double legdive and turns Steve into the reverse double leg nelson.  Steve adjusts to stop the pin count at 1 then the bell goes.

Round 4, Abbott gets a quick front waistlock but Veidor side chancery throws out.  Abbott neatly rolls out of a further nelson pin attempt. He gets a wristlock into armlock into side chanceorbhry throw and crosspress for several 1s but Veidor bridges out.  Veidor gets a front chancery but Bob breaks it open and high whips the arm for a bump. He gets a throw but misses a flying tackle and stays down for 8. Veidor picks him off with a bodyslam but falls for a ground dropkick. He then gets a cross buttock throw and press for the equaliser - the missed flying tackle having been a ruse to make Veidor think his man was injured!!!

Round 5:  Veidor gets a waistlock into folding press but Runs Out Of Mat. Abbott gets a front grovit then a rear snapmare into Headlock And Strangle (American sleeper) then rear bodyscissors, turning him into another reverse double leg nelson. He gets a couple of one counts before giving up.  Veidor helps him up and warily shakes his hand.  He then gets a stomachbreaker for a 7! count. He whips Bib to the ropes but Bob comes back with a sunset flip.  Veidor turns out of the double leg nelson trying for his own folding press. Bob leg throws him and he cartwheels out. Bob gets cross buttock throw and press for 2.  He gets a side headlock but Veidor counters with a folding press just far enough from thecropes. Referee Baldwin almost falls out the ring diving to make the pin count but it counts as three anyway.  

I was six days old when this bout was first screened but I can appreciate it now, a beautiful technical match.  Kent only plugs Abbott for more TV matches once (although he namedrops "my friend" Norman Morell in doing so) and Veidor also gets a plug for another televised British Heavyweight title match.  A couple of years later another clean blue eyed youngster Tony StClair would take that belt and except for brief losses to Giant Haystacks in 1978-1979 and Kendo Nagasaki in 1988 would hold it to 1990 ( a mid/late 80s splinter version was held by blue eyes Ray Steele, Pat Roach and Dalbir Singh) so the heel champion policy did not last long with Dave Fit Finlay in the early 90s the next long heel run.

And speaking of Tony StClair...

 

 

[David Mantell]

On 8/19/2014 at 3:36 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Tony St. Clair vs. Bob Abbott (3/14/73)

This was a fine sporting contest without a lot of heat. Abbott was making his television debut but despite Walton's best efforts to question why the promoters hadn't put him on television before, and put him over as a local Nottingham boy, he didn't have quite the charisma or confidence of his opponent. A couple of Walton's pet peeves were on display here, one being the director getting Abbott's name wrong (listing him as "Bud" Abbott of Abbott and Costello), the other being a plead for people to not write in correcting him over where St. Clair was billed from. The on screen text may have been a rib; the letters I can imagine ITV received dozens per week correcting Walton over something. What did surprise me was that Walton referred to a St. Clair vs. Steele match from a few weeks earlier that he called one of the best matches he'd ever seen. I was aware of which wrestlers Walton rated, but I'd never heard him talk about a match that way. This was good and Abbott had some nice counters, but he needed to be less reserved as St. Clair looked more natural getting toweled off in the corner than Abbott did all match long.

A couple of points before getting down to action.

1) The Victoria Baths in Nottingham were an example of the Baths Hall venues I mentioned recently in the French Catch thread discussion about Swimming Pool shows. Notice the white tiled walls, a common decor for old time indoor public swimming pools in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.

2)Two points of interest to @JNLister - Firstly, you've got him listed as Bob Abbotts on your site in the 1973 page for both this and another bout later in '73 (and you've put "'72" in the date). Second, Kent Walton mentioned an earlier bout by Bob in Wolverhampton (presumably the 19th April 1972 taping, the most recent one in Wolves) that was filmed but not screened for reasons even Kent was unsure about but he suspected it was due to issues with another bout running too long. This may have been the fate of other unscreened matches from TV shows especially where the footage showed up on TWC years later.

Anyway, Round One.  Abbott uncorks himself from a headlock Mike Marino style. He takes Tony down almost to the mat with a side chancery into front grovit. After some time, StClair gets a leg and transitions to a side headlock on the mat but Bob wriggles free and gets his own standing side headlock.  Tony gets a grapevine on to lean forward enough to free his own head and get a crossface on Bob.  He transitions to further Nelsons and gets a couple of 1 counts before releasing.  They shake hands. Abbott gets a standing hammerlock. /Tony replies with a single leg takedown.  Bob rolls into the mount and Tony develops his leg hold into a single toehold then a Gotch figure 4 toehold when Abbott tries to get a facebarand Tony twists out putting Bob'other foot in reach. Abbott gets the head again and makes a side headlock into H&S (American Sleeper) while still in the leglock (now held by the feet.)  but Tony slips out and his hands reassume control of the Gotch toehold. Abbott gets the head again, this time a rear chinlock forcing Tony to release the toehold. They move up to standing, Tony goes for a leg and momentarily has a further nelson  but Abbott rolls backwards into the ropes. He then gets a full nelson. Tony cannot throw him from a standing start but he gets down and throws him with a roll. Tony goes for a crosspress, Bob tries to snare him in A headscissors but Tony gets away quickly.  A finger Interlock and Tony tries leaping into the Sunset Flip end position but Runs Out Of Mat before he can try a leg nelson pin. Bob gets a rear waistlock and rolls backward into a folding press but Tony sets his rolling forward into an arm stretch. Bob rolls back,Tony hooks the legs for a possible folding press but Bob rolls backward and this time it's his turn to Run Out Of Mat. Tony gets an arm, makes a wristlever and forces Bob to bump out of a whip. Bob gets up straight into a back hammerlock.  He tries to legdive backwards through his own legs but cannot reach. He tries grabbing for Tony's head but Tony gets a wristlock and a throw. And then the bell goes. Handshake. 

Round 2   Tony gets a side headlock and takes it to the mat. In the guard, Bob pushes Tony's head and creates space to get a headscissors on. Tony can't kip out even from the upright position so he goes into the mount and pulls the sciccor off with his legs. He gets a single leg but can't get further so releases.  He gets a figure four top armlock and throws Bobbin it. Bob tries the French style flying scissors takedown but Tony, being a Brit, throws him off.  Bob manages to (clumsily but effectively) throws him in the armlock and, dodging a headscissors attempt, gets away. Bob horizontally twists on a single sided finger Interlock and levers Tony down in the guard.  Tony gets up and tries a snapmare but fails and goes down again. He almost goes up on his head in a toupie before rolling backwards, forwards, backwards and stops halfway to pick the wristlever off with a foot.  He gets a  wristlock of his own but Bob rolls out and gets a legspread to floor Tony. StClair is up a d gets a standing full nelson.He leans back and converts to rear seated bodyscissors.  Bob prises the legs apart and comes away with a single leglock in the guard, dropping his weight as an extra weakener.  Tony tries a crossface but loses his grip. He gets the other foot in and spins to throw Bob for a bump just before the bell goes.

Round 3:  Bob leaps  in with a flying bodyscissors.  Tony counters with a crotchhold, slam and full length shoulderpress for 2.  Abbott gets an abdominal stretch into side folding press. Tony, still in the hold, clamps Bob's wrist with the back on his head(!) and puts his own forearm across Bob's shoulders.  From there he untangles his legs and spins out keeping one bit of leglock. He leans forward and gets a grovit, abandoning the leglock. But Bob is up on one knee then both, diminishing its effect.  He turns himself into a reverse grovit then bridges to kneeling snapmare Tony into a full length shoulderpress. Tony gets an arm in and slowly levers Bob into a side folding press but releases and (after a TWC commercial break) goes for an underhook into backslide pin attempt. Bob gets double legdive and a standing legspread held by a hand each foot.  He gets some weakeners with it before releasing, Tony is up at four. He reverses Bob's rear waistlock and rides him down onto the mat.  He gets a 3/4 nelson into a shoulderpress but Bob powers up and a full finger Interlock test of strength ensues until the bell rings. Referee Ernie Baldwin (that man again!) pulls them apart. Kent mentions a great match .Tony recently had with Ray Steele, taped Feb 14th 1973 Preston, screened Tuesday 20th, but sadly we have no footage of that in circulation.

Round 4. Bob gets an armlock, transitions to wristlever but Tony rolls out. So Bob changes direction and drags Tony down in the guard. Tony backrolls and forward rolls in response to each of Bob's changes of turn. He leaps over Bob and gets a rear snapmare in passing into a further nelson for a couple of 1s. Next Bob tries a full nelson into snapmare into H&S. Tony powers up into standing side heädlock and thence into top wristlock but Bob pulls him down into a kneeling side headlock going full length on the mat. Tony tries another folding press but Bob regains the leverage.  Tony gets it up to kneeling then standing position again, throws Bob into the ropes and in the rebound gets a crosspress but is thrown off quickly. He gets a Japanese stranglehold but Bob loosens it and throws him over the ropes.  Tony gets back and they shake hands. He leans back in a finger Interlock for a double ankle smash. Bob gets a side chancery throw and twists with his feet on Tony's head.  Tony sells his ears and they shake hands again, perhaps the feet twist was a receipt for the hard ankle smash. Bob gets a bearhug but Tony is leaning away so Bob's head creates space to soften the hold.  Bob releases and Tony gets an armbar and crossface, gradually switching to bodyscissors. He rides Bob in the hold, dismounting to get a ground full Nelson.  He is trying to turn Abbott into a further nelson pin but the bell goes.

Round 5: Bob gets an armlock, levers Tony into his back and clamps on a headscissors.  Tony does a string of kip up attempts untill he finally pulls his head free.  He gets a double legdive but Bob leg throws him off and he takes a bump. Bob throws him for another bump also to the back.  Tony gets the initiative on a slingshot but they both collide mid ring. Don't worry OJ, they are both up at 8. Bob gets a headlock off the ropes, slings Tony, sunset flips him on thecround but Tony gets the legs and gets a folding press held with a handstand for maximum vertical pressure and that gets him the one required fall.

Another good technical bout but slower than Abbott -Veidor with long periods stationary in holds. If the paragraphs for full length rounds in this bout are shorter than those in the Veidor bout or some others, that's because there was rather less detail.  The skill was there but a bit more speed would have really polished things.

[David Mantell]

Another bout that's been talked about in here but not reviewed, it came up for discussion recently on the "Hulk Hogan Dies at 71" thread.

A complicating issue with Joint Promotions was that when any one member had a star they were pushing, another member, jealous and worried about the power the star would give their fellow member, would do stuff to sabotage the push.  In 1971 Norman Morell very nearly talked Kendo Nagasaki into unmasking on TV against Billy Howes, in the event as the surviving 8mm camera copy of the broadcast shows, the mask nearly came off and hung from the top of Kendo's head as he fled.  This was because another Joint member had persuaded Kendo not to do the unmasking as he would have sacrificed a lot of his appeal by getting unmasked on TV that early. So Kendo avoided a career pitfall and Norman Morell was angry with him but soon had to do business as Kendo's starshine brighter and brighter.

So it seems it was with Big Daddy. Best-Wryton over which Max Crabtree had the most influence as booker at that point were already in 1976 using Daddy in Daddy Tags as well as mister battles with monster heels, the likes of Kojak Kirk, Rex Strong and Bruiser Muir. Elsewhere in the country by early 1977,Daddy was still getting teamed with Haystacks against two good guys. Daddy would get round this by shaking the good guys's hands and having a dysfunctional relationship with former bosom buddy Stax, often the team turning on each other by night's end.

A more subtle trick employed by other promoters was to put Daddy on in a serious strength based bout against opponents such as John Elijah. Colin Joynson and Johnny Czeslaw.  All three of these matchups took place on TV in 1977-1978 and here is one such match.  While technically FAR better than Daddy tags, they lacked the kiddy appeal of the tags and good versus evil monster battles that would eventually become Daddy's staple diet. Bear in mind around this time Daddy's feud with Haystacks was beginning after Stax walked out seconds into a tournament final and then engineered the squishing of the referee after Daddy scored a quick Round 1 opener in their rematch. Max Crabtree had Plans for Daddy and bouts like this one contradicted what he was trying to achieve. 

So anyway, (and the less said about Daddy's hat the better) Round 1: Elijah gets an armlock one sided finger Interlock and there is a rear power standoff before Daddy pulls him in for the infamous bodycheck.  A full interlock leads to a Japanese stranglehold and Daddy shoves Elijah's knee down so he his kneeling.  Elijah tries to reverse but Daddy twice aborts it.  Kent Walton is impressed saying he wishes we could see more of that sort of thing from Daddy (I'm sure Max was in Raptures over that comment!) The third time Elijah gets half way with a reversal, into a crossed arms interlock,before Daddy throws him, but Elijah takes the throw well and rolls upright. They shake hands; Elijah gets a side headlock, Daddy drops tomone knee and tries a waistlock from the side but abandons it.He throws John off into the ropes and catches him with a bodycheck then another one starting from the corner. Elijah is up at 6 and gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold.  Daddy cross buttock throws him and keeps holding of the arm for a wristlock in the guard.  He stands and gets a straight arm lift twice but Elijah copes, so Daddy posts him, softened shoulder first.  Elijah is up at 6 and gets another full finger interlock. He goes with Daddy's whip and takes a bump but backrolls as Daddy prepares to develop the arm hold more. Elijah resists a quarter nelson turn (into a further nelson?) and gets caught in a rear chinlock. Elijah slips out and makes it into a standing back hammerlock into front grovit. Daddy throws him off whipping him in the process but Elijah rolls upright nicely. He goes for a headlock but Daddy turns it into a rear waistlock. He gets an atomic drop before the bell goes. They shake hands

Round 2: Daddy gets a single finger Interlock into bodycheck then charges from the corner with a second one.  Elijah gets a single leg. Daddy does all he can to prevent the takedown, but Elijah slips his head free and down goes the unmoored Daddy. Elijah makes the most of it with a leg weakener but Daddy is up at 3. He gets an abdominal stretch on Daddy who similarly indoors Elijah to get a cross buttock by unlocking the leg grapevine. Daddy gets the crosspress but Elijah pushes out at 2. They shake hands and Daddy gets the crowd to applaud.  Daddy gets a side Chancery throw right across the ring, then a posting all the way back, then a bodycheck.  Elijah gets another single leg and this time smoothly into the takedown and a leglock. He converts to an over the shoulder leglock, overhead leglock and finally a standing toehold with legspread possibilities. Remarkably Daddy throws him out of the ring with the flick of an ankle! An ankle throw is a new one even on Kent!  "A good sporting contest with a difference" he proclaims it.  Daddy gets an armdrag into ground wristlock, barring the upper arm underneath. He gets up to his knees and Elijah rolls out and away.  Elijah gets a side chancery (no chance of a throw!) but Daddy pulls his head out by sheer neck power. Daddy gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold and throws his man twice. The bells goes as Elijah lands the second time.

Round 3  Daddy gets his bodycheck and a posting and another bodycheck. So far so conventional Daddy. He gets a side headlock but Elijah sweeps him off his feet and carries him across the ring like a bride over the threshold. For a while he looks like he might get an atomic drop but Dad's weight is finally too much and he goes down still with the headlock on making a cross buttock throw and rollover. Again, Daddy encourages applause from the audience for the feat of sweeping him off his feet.  They shake hands and Elijah cross buttock throws Daddy who almost rolls through but finishes down on one knee. Elijah gets another cross buttock throw with the same result. He gets two  postings but Daddy rebounds from the corner and  bodychecks Elijah down before inevitably getting the Big Splash for the one required fal.

I am NOT calling Big Daddy a great scientific worker or indeed a shooter but with both work and shoot he knew a fair bit about deploying his strength strategically to maximum effect. This is the sort of bout Blond Adonis Crabtree would have wrestled in the 50s/60s.  It is by our standards far better than Daddy tags or Daddy Vs Stax/Quinn/Jim Harris/Masked Marauder etc squash solo bouts.  However Max saw things differently. He thought the public wanted to see "Colourful Action" with Daddy as the indestructible destroyer of villains.  And maybe in terms of the family audience he was right.

 

 

 

[David Mantell]

It's been a while since we did any present day Old School British Wrestling, so here goes, from old TV venue the Woodville in Gravesend:

 

Scott may be be the less  familiar of the two to followers of Rumble's YouTube channel but he is actually the more experienced.  He gets an early dominance in a finger Interlock leading into a shoulder press for a series of 2s, in turn leading to Leland bridging up and monkey climbing his man. Both end up bridging out while still in finger Interlock while Scott deftly convertsto standing back hammerlock then side headlock. He throws Leland into the ropes and catches him with a bodycheck on the rebound which Leland sells. Scott gets a headlock but Bryant breaks it open into a wristlock,  In classic old British style Scott rolls and cartwheels out until he has reversed the wristlock. But Leland can do the rolls and kip ups too and soon has Joey down in the mount in an armlock.  Scott goes up on his head and for a moment looks to be about to do a toupie like Gilbert Leduc to wind his arm up but instead just kips up to reverse the wristlock yet again.  Scott leapfrogs and reverse leapfrogs Leland as they crisscross the ring.  Both block each others cross buttock throws before Scott sends Leland to ringside.  Leland rolls over his opponent's back rather than sunset flip but Scott gets this move by reverse rolling in behind Leland. He gets a double leg Nelson but gets a 2 only. Scott gets an armdrag Leland reverses a posting but Scott absorbs the impact well and backward leapfrogs his man.  Scott nearly gets the fall by scissoring both Bryant's legs and twisting him into a folding press for 2. Scott misses a backflip splash, Leland hits it for 2. Leland gets a headlock, Scott gets a shoulderblock for 2.  Leland gets a huracanrana and dropkick for 2.  Leland comes awkwardly off the top turnbuckle and Scott accidentally throws him on top of referee Anton Green then does the old gag of giving a pinfall count on the ref (a 2).  This is taken in good humour and it is back to business.  Scott gets a lunge and cross buttock into side heädlock on the mat.  Leland powers up but Scott throws him back down.  Leland eventually counters with a headscissors.  Scott uses a kip up to snap out.  He gets a powerbomb with Leland landing on his front but only gets a 2. He tries another powerbomb with Leland landing conveniently on his back but Bryant managed to armdrag Scott on his way down. Various reversed posting and reversed splashed into the corner, Leland gets another 2 count.  He struggles to the top turnbuckle still selling the wear and tear of the match.  Scott follows him up for a superplex but Leland shoves him off and Superfly splashes Joey for the winner.

Apart from a few high flyers near the end a good old fashioned British technical bout worthy of the blow by blow treatment.

[David Mantell]

This bout is nowhere near the old school technical classic of the last one, but it's worth posting as Kris Kay was an old time wrestler, an upcoming TBW in the early 90s, contemporary of James Mason and Darren Walsh. Back in the day he was even Big Daddy's FIP tag partner.  Today he looks more like one of it Daddy's opponents!

 

 

[Tetsujin]

Less and less people is watching New Japan but hey, the few that are staying support HOT so there's that I guess.

[David Mantell]

59 minutes ago, Tetsujin said:

Less and less people is watching New Japan but hey, the few that are staying support HOT so there's that I guess.

I actually go and see All Star's shows in Dudley Town Hall.  I've even done live show reports on this thread.

[David Mantell]

Anyway, speaking off All Star, this is just two months short of 40 years old.  (19th October 1985). It's from the Screensport TV show (like Rollerball Rocco Vs Steve Fury and Mighty John Quinn Vs Johnny South) but don't let that out you off. It's at Screensport's nicest venue the Victoria Hall in Hanley - none of your garden festivals here! - and it's a good clean match too.  Screensport and later period Reslo had classy scientific wrestling as good as World of Sport - it's justbthat when a heel was on, they would push the violence boat out more than the ITA/IBA would ever tolerate on ITV.

Kenny rolls int inaction and gets a standing headlock into cross buttock into ground side headlock. He gets a side chancery but Robbie straightened it into an armbar and whip but Kenny goes with it well and rolls upright.  Kenny gets a long slow cross buttock into side headlock but Robbie responds with a headscissors. He turns Kenny over for a couple of pin attempts.  Referee and future British Bushwhacker Frank Casey (at this point about to be suspended due to fan letters accusing him of not being hard enough on heels) gives some two counts.  Kenny holds the headlock, takes it upright, throws Brookside in the ropes and rams him with a butt to the stomach.  He snapmares Robbie for 4.  Robbie gets a single legdive and single leg toehold. He applies weakeners and releases for KO counts. Kenny gets a crossface in response but Robbie powers out. Kenny delivers a back helmblow to escape. Kenny gets a shove, forearm, snapmare and rear chinlock. Robbie passes out and Casey orders a resale, Brookside is up at  but Kenny gets another legdive and single leg Boston Crab, eventually a full one. Robbie pushes up into a double knee press, Kenny pulls him over in a double leg nelson but Runs Out Of Mat. Robbie is up at 8. Kenny gets a posting for 8 and a slam for 7. Now it's Robbie's turn to get the butt to stomach and forearm smash, then a dropkick. Kenny gets one of his own and they both miss one. Robbie tries a backslide but Kenny gets the ropes.  Kenny gets a front chancery into rear chinlock. Then a forearm smashe. Then a knee. They exchange forearms then Robbie gets a side chancery throw and legdrop.  Robbie gets side chancery into further nelson for three 1s.  Finger Interlock into a Robbie Japanese stranglehold. Kenny reveses but Ronnie turns it fully. Kenny goes backward through Robbie's legs for another reversal.  He unwinds and gets a bodycheck. Robbie gets a headlock and side chancery into grovit on the mat.  Kenny gets one of his own and they log rolls out of the ring in each others holds. Casey hauls Kenny in.  They wrestle on.  Robbie gets a posting but Kenny reverse leapfrogs him to go for a folding press but Robbie crawls out.  Robbie gets a rear double legs,  side chancery and flying tackle and press for the winner. Afterwards Robbie gives a nice good kid promo in his Scouse accent.

As with Leland Vs Scott nearly four decades later., the promising kid gets a win over the veteran to further his push.

(Reslo title sequence at the end for no reason other than that's what was next on the tape compilation.)

[ohtani's jacket]

Mark Rocco vs Terry Jowett (5/23/73)

This is the earliest Rocco bout that I've seen and predates the 1974 Lee Thomas bout that I have in my collection (though that match is in color and I'm fairly certain exists in full.) This is an interesting bout from a historical perspective as it shows a young Rocco making headways in the world of professional wrestling. He hadn't come into his own yet. That happened when he began feuding with Marty Jones. However, it had an unexpected finish that was much better than what I was expecting, 

[David Mantell]

8 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Mark Rocco vs Terry Jowett (5/23/73)

This is the earliest Rocco bout that I've seen and predates the 1974 Lee Thomas bout that I have in my collection (though that match is in color and I'm fairly certain exists in full.) This is an interesting bout from a historical perspective as it shows a young Rocco making headways in the world of professional wrestling. He hadn't come into his own yet. That happened when he began feuding with Marty Jones. However, it had an unexpected finish that was much better than what I was expecting, 

This looks from the flickery picture like it has been camera converted by a bootlegger - somewhere in the process the colour signal has been lost (possibly an early primitive b/w camcorder.)  Rocco has trunks but is already evolving down the path of being the Rocco we would know. He has the moustache. 

JIP Round 3:  We first see Rocco kick out of a pin then get a headlock to side channcery. Jowett straightens and scissors the arm. Rocco takes bumps from both the whip and a throw.   Jowett gets a rather lopsided folding press but tidies it for 2. Rocco keeps on trying to grapple as Terry gets up and is warned by referee Ernie Baldwin. They uneasily shake hands. Jowett goes for a backslide but Runs Out Of Mat. Rocco kips up and they run the ropes. Rocco drops down but Jowett stops running and kicks Rocco on the ground - more in jest than real aggression but Rocco takes it seriously and complains to both Jowett and Baldwin, making this the first example we've got of Rocco's infamous temper! Rocco atomic drops Jowett and suplexes and monkey climbs him. He gets a side chancery throw for 4 and tries for a double underhook suplex but Jowett reverses it into a seated back hammerlock/armlever combination.He armdrags Rocoo and backslides him but again R.O.O.M.'s. Rocco shakes hands and runs the ropes but Jowett ignores him and jobs on the spot.Once again Rocco is complaining. He gets a headlock.into grovit into forearm smash flooring Terry. He gets another forearm, legdive and leg weakener before the bell goes.

Round 4:  Rocco gets a headlock into back hammerlock. Jowett fires off a (formerly illegal) back elbow counter.He gets a snapmare and throw but Rocco lands feet first. Rocco gets a headlock into further nelson. This time it's his turn to ROOM (I like that acronym.) Rocco gets a front chancery but Jowett grabs the arm and whips Rocco who takes the bump.Rocco gets rear double legs into reverse double leg nelson into a folding press but Terry gets a George Kidd/Rene Ben Chemoul/Johnny Saint ball. Jowett gets a wristlever but Rollerball rolls out and gets a top wristlock. He takes his man down but Terry gets a headscissors.Rocco kips out and gets a rear chinlock but Baldwin calls a break for discontinuous movement. Rocco smacks Jowett who goes for a single leg but again Baldwin breaks them up. Jowett cranks the back of Rocco's neck to level him for a forearm smash. Rocco gets a headlock and pounds on Terry's head with the fist edge. He gets a forearm, legdive and leg weakener but again Baldwin rules no continuous movement. Rocco gets two kneelifts but is reprimanded for a follow down blow and gets a first public warning. He gets almost a full nelson but Jowett counters with a fireman's carry takedownn. Rocco gets a  side folding press but another ROOM situation occurs.Rocco gets a standing inverted rear waistlock but Terry easily backdrops him for 1. He tries an armstrtch but loses his grip. Rocco gets a suplex and a snapmare, a side chancery throw and a vicious kneedrop for 9 and kneelift for 7 then a full nelson into snapmare  He tries for a cross buttock, doesn't quite make it but gets an armbar for his troubles and drops a knee on it.  He armdrags and arm weakeners Jowett for 5 and the same sequence again for 6 then gets an armbar and another weakeners for 5. The bell saves Jowett from a figure four top wristlock but Rocco's strategy going into the break is clear.

Round 5. Rocco continues with the left arm getting an armbar into rear armhank. Sending that Jowett is looking for a trip he dismounts (he was a horse rider after all) and lands another weakener. He gets that figure four top wristlock he was trying before the bell and converts to a Semi Japanese Stranglehold, the unwinds and pulls in a bodycheck.He gets the Semi Japanese Stranglehold again and tries another bodycheck but Jowett is ready and backdrops him. This is the start of a real blue-eye rally as he whips and posts Rocco so he lands Tree Of Woe style upside down and bounces off. He throws Rocco for a bump and dropkicks him out of the ring. Jowett flips him in, bodychecks him, but Rocco kips up, inverted waistlocks his man and powerslams and kneepresses him for the one required fall.

A clue as to the identity of the bootlegger - a male voice from the room where the camera copying is being done says says "I did my best " and a Scottish female voice says 'Never mind".

A star on the rise.  I also liked the story with the arm although it was not involved in the finish.

[David Mantell]

Another, longer Mitzi Mueller docu. Includes life at home with a young Brian Dixon and a very young Laetitia.  Talking of early appearances, watch out for Princess Paula years before she even met Dave Finlay.

Heel Hellcat Haggarty is great, a 70s version of Klondyke Kate.  Also note WRESTLING ENTERPRISES on the corner pads - this is rare early footage of the promotion that became All Star.  Entry Of The Gladiators (aka the Clown song) is the ring entry music just like Joint's RAH shows and the CWA.

Colour film stock is rather faded and could do with remastering.  Watch out for the kitschy 70s decor if it ever does get that treatment.

[David Mantell]

Not previously reviewed on here and I did check under Ivan for all permutations of his surname. On paper heel versus heel, the arrogant King of Wrestling Vs as OJ said, a Red (although this is Britain and there was a Labour government in power both then and now and after the war the CPGB had two MPs so if anything the danger was of a left leaning audience, say in a hugely militant unionised coal mining town somewhere - wrongway cheering him, maybe even start singing the Red Flag or the International e)   Ivan has his red hammer/sickle jacket on like he's a fan of the New York Dolls'new image for 1975 or more likely he's been reading about another Ivan - Koloff - in imported wrestling magazines.

Round 1'and Maxine gets in a throw while fixing his headgear but rolls up nicely.  Ivan gets an arm lock into hammerlock. Maxine manages to somehow reverse it through twists and turns on he mat, Ivan falls back into a bridge, swivels round on his skull and gets a drop toe hold into single toehold. He locks Maxine's legs in a figure four position held with a single ankle lock. Maxine turns himself over to get out. Ivan gets a half nelson, Brian makes it into an armbar but Ivan cartwheels off, The two heels shake hands like two blueceyes having a clean match.  Ivan again cartwheels out, this time from a side chancery. Maxine is looking a little frustrated but he remembers himself as ndvclaps. Ivan gets a headlock but Maxine straightens the arm. Ivan gets a through the legs single legdive but Maxine boots him in the behind to the ropes. Ivan cartwheels away from the leg flip Maxine has waiting for him.Maxine again claps and shakes Ivan's hand.  This is all a bit fishy, we know Maxine is not an habitual good sport. Ivan rear snapmares him, Maxine tries to cartwheel but can't and takes the bump on his rump as intended. This ruffles the King's feathers and he starts wagging a finger, then making closed fist gestures which upsets referee Max Ward who warns him against even threatening to punch. Maxine gets a standing full nelson, Ivan breaks one side to reverse it, so does Brian, so Ivan does the arms-last slide out escape. He mutters something then remembers himself and shakes Ivan's hand.  Brian gets a legdive but Ivan puts himself in the figure four toehold to roll out. He gets a front chancery, Brian make it a high whip but Ivan rolls through and up.  Maxine gets an armbar into back hammerlock, In uses his free arm to armdrag Maxine down and into an armlock in the guard.  He stands and high whips Maxine with the arm but this time Maxine manages the cartwheel out and dies a little Fargo/Buddy Rogers strut to celebrate and annoy the crowd who feel this is second time lucky.  Ivan throws him but again Maxine cartwheels to safety and again he does his little strut.  Maxine gets a side headlock and takes Ivan down in the guard.  Ivan wedges and bridges out- note how he finishes these escapes in a kneeling rather than standing position.   Brian gets a legdive and standing leglock, Ivan widens Brian's stance with a legspread so Maxine releases, helps Ivan up and shakes his hand.  Ivan gets a wrist and high whips Brian who tries the cartwheel but slips just as the bell goes.  He's not happy but a grinning Ivan shakes his hand some meekly accepts.  Something is cooking in Maxine 's mind under the veneer of clean wrestling, but while it lasts we can enjoy the technical exhibition.

Round 2   Maxine gets a side chancery throw into rear chinlock. Ivan gets up on his limbs and straightens the arm into a standing arm lever into standing back hammerlock. Maxine uses Ivan's counter from earlier and hooks thecfreearm to make a hammerlock of his own - somehow hecalso hammerlocks the other arm. He now has a double rear wristlock, part of the Surfboard. He releases onecsrm and keeps a wristlever on the other. Ivan underhooks him but Maxine throws him, but Ivan rolls out easily.  Ivan throws Maxine who again counters out and rebounds through Ivan's legs, gets double legs but is spun out.  Maxine sells his back.  Ivan rolls him into an over the knee backbreaker but Maxine rolls through and come with an arm. Ward is unhappy and calls for a break.  Double finger Interlock into a Maxine Japanese stranglehold reversed by Ivan. Maxine almost gets another reversal but Ivan shimmies out and reapplies the hold.  Maxine tries the same shimmy escape but is caught in a wristlock through the crotch by Ivan and he opts for a rope break.  The two Maxes have an argument but the wrestlers shake hands. Maxine gets a side chancery throw for 4:and another into a rather messy double chin lock. He takes it to the mat where Ivan wedges and bridges out, again ending up on his knees. Ivan gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold into high whip and Maxine takes the bump.  They cross cross, Maxine crouches down but Ivan crouches next to him, Brian tries to half nelson him, Ivan armdrags and cross presses him but Runs Out Of Mat as Bria's legs hit the ropes.  Brian gets a rear waistlock, Ivan armdrags him over into an armlock in the guard.  Maxine gets a headscissors but Ivan uses his kneeling bridge to escape. Maxine gets a legdive and legspread but the bell goes.  He not only helps his man up but back to his corner giving him water and a toweling as the seconds who are supposed to handle all that look on. Eventually Ward orders him to his corner Nice comedy spot, part of Maxine faking being a gent. More importantly that's two good rounds of technical wrestling. How long can it keep up?

Round 3: At the first crack of the round - Maxine goes straight for the corner and gets two side chancery throws, the second before Ivan is fully up, for which Max reprimands him. What if Max had not sent him to his corner- would he have jump-started Ivan?  Brian side chancery throws Ivan twice , again early on the second one.  Brian has clearly dropped the nice guy pretence and tries stomping Ivan but Ward gets SERIOUSLY shirty with him and bodychuhim in the corner. Max throws Ivan and gets him in a bearhug. , throws him in the air and catches him with a forearm smash that connects to the lower stomach. He gets a snapmare into double knee press for the opening fall.  He had to improvise a bit due to Ward but ultimately his gameplay worked.  We see a shot of his new album with Fairport Convention (not Ribbon Of Stainless Steel as Kent earlier claimed- that is the album title.)

Round 4 Now no more Mr nice king, Brian gets a headlock and some dubious looking grinding  with the knuckles. He switches to side chancery, not noticing Ivan has the ropes until Ward warns him off.  He gets a posting for 5, tries for another but Ivan parries it and gets a nice legdive into side folding press but has trouble keeping Brian's shoulders down. Brian tries a crossed headscissors but Ivan just slides out like more wrestlers should.  Now it's Ivan's turn to get dirty. He forearm smashes Maxine before he can get up. Max Ward let's it go for retaliation. He gets a snapmare and Maxine gets an illegal punch concealed by Penzecoff's torso.  He follows will a legal stomach forearm and a front chancery but Ivan forces it open for a high whip and Maxine has to somersault and take a hard bump. Again Ivan catches Brian a wee bit early and forearm smashes him down. He side Chancery throws him and stomps him again from an early start but it's all one move so Ward le s it go.  He gets another couple overly lifts and forearms and another stomp and finally Ward intervenes, pulling Ivan off.  Penzecoff gets a public warning, the first of the match. Then to rub it in. Brian revives his shaking hands routine. Ivan takes the hand with the other hand and kicks Brian in the stomach.  The brawl is on (sigh of relief from OJ!) although Maxine gets a throw in among the forearms. Ivan gets a leg and levers Maxine intona corner.  Ward warns him off but Ivan lifts Brian in the corner trapping him in the ropes. Ivan gets a dropkick on the trapped Brian and pulls on the ropes to tighten them.  Ward frees Maxine but he is still selling the leg pain.  He gets a Headlock into forearm smash, a side chancery and gives Ivan some of his infamous sawing action, stopping only to prop up Ivan on his knees before continuing.  Ivan reaches for Maxine's head., gets up and gets a snapmare into a reverse grovit. He armdrags presses Brian, gives him some sawing action of his  own, puts a knee across the throat cutting off the air and for that is pulled off by Ward.  Maxine goes wild smashing Ivan with a throw thrown in. He corners and batters Ivan (no, a 70s British crowd doesn't count up the blows like can 80s WWF crowd!) Ivan slips out between Brian's legs and Brian hurts himself hitting the ring post by mistake. Ivan further capitalises with an arm wrench around the ropes and a kick as the bell rings. We are now into heel Vs heel with Ivan as the sympathetic heel.

Round 5 and Maxine offers a handshake but Ivan wants no part.  Maxine gets a front facelock into rear snapmare.  Maxine chokes Ivan on the ropes triggering another argument between the two Maxes.  Maxine finally gets a public warning of his own.  He elbows and throws Ivan and they cross cross until Ivan scores with a dropkick. He gets double legs into a front folding press for the equaliser, getting in a sneaky forearm after the bell.

Round 6, the final and decider. They exchange forearms and Ivan gets a far cross buttock throw.  Maxine cuffs him off and throws him twice, a mild bump each time. Ivan comes back with a forearm plus kneelift, another forearm, a posting, a brace of forearms in the corner.  Ivan goes for another posting but Maxine neatly legtrios him and gets a single leg toehold submit for the 2-1 win. To celebrate Maxinets his guitar in the ring and threatens to do a gig a la the HonkyTonk Man ( who would wrestle for All Star and TWA 25 years later.). Penzecoff, the sympathetic heel, gets two big cheers.

@ohtani's jacket, the second half is yours, the first half is mine.  Three rounds of splendid technical work (despite the brewing storm) and three rounds of wildness.

 

 

 

 

[David Mantell]

2 hours ago, David Mantell said:

We see a shot of his new album with Fairport Convention (not Ribbon Of Stainless Steel as Kent earlier claimed- that is the album title.)

For those who are interested ...

https://www.discogs.com/release/4505708-Brian-Maxine-Ribbon-Of-Stainless-Steel

[JNLister]

On 8/13/2025 at 11:46 PM, David Mantell said:

@JNLister you might want to add this clip to the Other Channels page on the  ITV wrestling site as the bout is not represented (Quinn Vs Johnny South, Hanley, February 1986. 

 

 

Thanks - have done so.

[JNLister]

On 8/17/2025 at 5:07 PM, David Mantell said:

1) The Victoria Baths in Nottingham were an example of the Baths Hall venues I mentioned recently in the French Catch thread discussion about Swimming Pool shows. Notice the white tiled walls, a common decor for old time indoor public swimming pools in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.2)Two points of interest to @JNLister - Firstly, you've got him listed as Bob Abbotts on your site in the 1973 page for both this and another bout later in '73 (and you've put "'72" in the date). Second, Kent Walton mentioned an earlier bout by Bob in Wolverhampton (presumably the 19th April 1972 taping, the most recent one in Wolves) that was filmed but not screened for reasons even Kent was unsure about but he suspected it was due to issues with another bout running too long. This may have been the fate of other unscreened matches from TV shows especially where the footage showed up on TWC years later.

 

Thanks - have updated with these corrections. There may have been something unusual with that Wolverhampton taping  as the TV Times has two matches (Tibor Szakacs vs Jack Fallon and Casanova vs Eric Wilson) listed for both Wednesday 19th (in one week's edition of the magazine) and Saturday 22nd (in the following week's edition), so that suggests a late change in scheduling for some reason.

[David Mantell]

Both sides of John Kenny in one match at his may have been his turning point from no  nonsense clean technician to vicious heel.

We start with the sight of Orig slapping a hold on co presenter Bryn Fon.  They settle down into discussing the matches on the show. 

Saint and Kenny shake hands and they're off.  Saint gets a headlock into wristlever.  Kenny rolls forward flips back and kips up and finally unpicks the wristlever with a foot and takes one of his own, quickly switching to front chancery. Saint feigns tugging loose before straightening Kenny's arm and going for a high whip but Kenny takes it well, rolling upright. He gets a standing side headlock into cross buttocks into side headlock in the guard, but Saint wedges out.  Kenny gets a rear waistlock but Saint gets one arm in a wristlever and switches to rear snapmare into rear seated chinlock but Kenny bars the holding arm and develops it into a kneeling back hammerlock.  Saint stands up and ducks down several times until he lures Kenny into ducking with him and unpicks the hammerlock with his foot from behind then gets a wristlever into hammerlock of his own, throws him in the hold and applies a headscissors.  Kenny turns into the upright position, turns to 90 degrees and forward flips to kip out.  He gets a single legdive and leglock. Saint widens his legs and turns to behind Kenny to slip out.  Kenny gets a font facing wristlock so Saint falls backwards to unhook it with his foot and gets his own wristlever, switching to front chancery. Kenny grabs the arm and forces a high whip but Saint lands even more neatly than .Kenny did earlier.  Kenny gets a side chancery and throws Saint with the help of the ropes but Saint takes it well and lands upright.  The first sign of heelishness from Kenny, he points and complains to Saint.  They interlock and Kenny gets a top wristloc into front wristlock.  Saint takes several horizontal turns to reverse the hold and pull Kenny down into the guard.  He weakens the arm with a kneedrop and stands back for a count. Kenny is up with a butt to the chest that floors Saint. He gets a standing full nelson, Saint uses the extra power of his own legs to break open and reverse the hold.  Kenny powers out, gets a standing full nelson of his own then quickly switches to side chancery throw into Headlock And Strangle (sleeper) . Saint baits Kenny with his usual self-hold into taking his hand for an Interlock into wristlever into back hammerlock in the mount with weakeners applied.  He turns his man over into a crosspress but Kenny keeps an arm up so Saint gives up. Kenny is up at 5 and gets a side headlock but Saint quickly breaks it into a top wristlock.  Kenny pulls him down into a kneeling side headlock converting to a standing wristlever. Saint rolls forward, gets a wrist of his own and high whips Kenny. This time, Kenny gets a bump. Kenny gets a quick rear waistlock into rear double leg takedown into single toehold. He pulls Saint up by the leg intending to smash Saint's kneecap into the mat but Saint stans up in that moment, legdives and leglocks Kenny.  He delivers a single leg weakener and releases. At this point, Kenny's heel turn kicks in, he smashes Saint in the back and illegally follows in by smashing his head on the mat, earning a private warning from referee Brian Dixon. They shake hands then Saint forces a bump with an over-arm whip then rolls on Kenny's arm to tighten it in an armlock with Kenny in the guard before switching to an armscissor.  He weakens Kenny's shoulder with a knee then pulls him up and goes for a posting. Kenny reveses but Saint takes the impact well and goes through Kenny's legs for his "Russ Abbot" sequence - full finger Interlock then step over each arm in succession, turn a budget a headlock into leapfrog into rear scoot through the legs then baiting Kenny into a legdive so he steps over him entirely and goes for a side folding press!  Kenny kicks out at 2, but the science there as he scores a concealed closed fist punch, flooring Saint.  He kicks the fallen Saint in the head several times, slamming the kicked head in the mat and headlocking it so Dixon calls for a break.  Kenny refusescto release so Saint elbows his way out and lands the first forearm smash of the contest.  Kenny again illegally punches his way out of a Saint pressure points hold and throws him off the ropes but Saint ducks down and then rolls over Kenny on the next rebound and dropkicks him.  He whips him into the ropes and gives him a high backdrop.  Saint goes for a flying tackle, Kenny initially catches him but goes down under the weight. He kicks out of a crosspress at 2. Saint leapfrogs Kenny and goes for the ball. Kenny takes a protruding arm but is rolled in for a 2 count.  Kenny snapmares Saint but Saint lands feet first, goes behind and gets a side folding press on Kenny for the win.

I'm not saying that this was Kenny's official heel turn but it's a convenient yardstick for how he was modifying his act away from the gentleman who faced Robbie Brookside in 1985 to the Permed and moustachioed ruffian who faced Flesh Gordon in France and Doc Dean in Germany.  The first 7-8 mins were pure classic Johnny Saint. The final 3 minutes were how Saint dealt with rulebreakers like Rocco and Finlay.

[David Mantell]

Marc Mercier Comes To Britain And ITV.

Mercier comes to the Fri g in a white/yellow hoodie like Roddy Piper at WM2 just two short years earlier. He is a total gentleman throughout this but the crowd are in jingoistic mood, whipped up by Jones, and don't really give him the respect he deserves until he gets a chance to dazzle them with his skills. He gets a rather undeserved boo at the start.  Ironically Kent Walton tells us how Marc was telling him how nice everyone had been to him over here. Kent namechecks Guy Mercier, not sure if he ever wrestled over here let alone on ITV.   Kent says Jones hasn't been to France but I seem to recall it was he who faced Rocco in the dark match of a 1978 TV taping over there.  

Round 1:  They twice lock up but hit the ropes both times. Jones gets a legdive  into toe and ankle and switches to a double arm press but Mercier bridges out of any pin attempt.  Jones breaks the bridge by loading his full weight on. He gets a finger Interlock, stands up, clips off one sided with his foot and makes a wristlever of the other side into a hammerlock.  Mercier nicely twists out.  Jones still has the wrist until Mercier rolls out and gets his own wrist. Jones rolls out just as smoothly but Mercier takes him down to the guard.  Jones tries turning into the mount then kips up and gets the wrist into side chancery throw into rear chinlock into H&S into a seated side chancery hold. Mercier breaks it open to get the armbar into front facelock but Jones gets the locking arm and makes another wristlever of it, into a sharp hammerlock and side chancery into headlock. The bell rings they cleanly break and shake hands and the audience starts to warm to Mercier giving them both a round of applause.

Cut to Round 3. (Before the bell goes, Kent cuts back in, giving Mercier's background, saying he has been professional for 10 years.  @Matt D  and anyone else who saw the cross reference in my Mercier-Sanniez review on the French thread, this is the reference I meant.  1988-10=1978.  Not that this means Mercier Sanniez was in 1978 but it explains where Marc's head was at when he posted that on his YouTube channel.)

Single sided finger Interlock and the standing Mercier turns horizontally then neatly gets a legdive and leglock. Jones tries to turn it into his Powerlock the go for a headlock, both fail.  He uses is legs to beautifully turn Metcier into a folding press but Marc has a shoulder up.  They rest and Jones gets a whip and butt to the stomach for 7.  Jones gets a lunge, side chancery throw and rear neck weakener as referee and former European Welterweight Champion Ken Joyce makes the count in French, reaching 8. Jones gets double legs into a Boston Crab.  Mercier resists long enough that Jones releases. They interlock and Mercier tries the same foot on shoulder trick he used on Albert Sanniez. This time he succeeds, he gets the other foot up for a straight legged huracanrana variant. It throws Jones who his down for 9 and gets up into a Metcier descending forearm.  (This is the wrong thread to talk of Manchettes!) Jones is up at 8 but into a posting for another 8 count.  Mercier does another descending blow and Joyce quietly warns Mercier for being a little too quick with these.-let the man up properly.  Mercier gets an underhook, tries for a suplex but Jones straightens out the arm and gets a flooring kick. The count is interrupted by the bell.  Jones is still selling wear and tear during the break.

Round 4.  Jones does not respond and gets a count.  When he does, he is straight into a posting. He kicks Mercier away but is still selling.  Mercier gets two forearms but Jones lands a felling one back. He gets a snapmare and a not very effective bodycheck.  They hit the ropes but Mercier ducks under the leapfrogs then gets a cross buttock throw and press but Jones bridges him off.  Jones gets double legs but Mercier counters with a backslide and gets the opening fall!  Some of the crowd are hostile but most politely clap good fair play when they see it.  

Round 5.  Jones still selling wear and tear takes a 9count and goes to the corner ASAP. He is a fall down and on the run.  Mercier gets a side chancery into Rude Awakening neckbreaker (he's been watching WWF on France's Canal + obviously!)  Jones fights back with a forearm smash and two postings. Mercier gets a side chancery throw, a body check no more effective than the one Jones gave him (a no-sell for a no-sell?).   Jones catches Mercier off the ropes with a standing full nelson, Mercier breaks one side and goes behind but Jones follows him round to reclaim the hold, drop to waistlock into double rear leg takedown. Mercier tries to reach through for a legdive to behind but Jones grabs the hands and gets a double arm hank. Mercier rolls back and Jones clamps down with his legs for the folding press equaliser.  Crowd is delighted. Some a little two happy. They chant Easy Easy despite Big .Daddy not being there.  

Round 6.  Finger Interlock and Mercier gets an armdrag and drops the one knee allowed on Jones's arm before backing off.  Jones throws Mercier to the ropes. ducks down and fired off a dropkick.  He gets a wristlever and Mercier takes the bump to untwist it.  Jones goes for the armhank. Mercier tries to stand init but Jones pulls him down.  Mercier flips over onto his front (Gilbert Leduc's old setup for the toupie out of armhank). He goes up into the handstand, swivels his legs and YES! a real live toupie on ITV 1988!  He then gets a forearm and up the top turnbuckle for a missile dropkick which gets muted applause.  Jones is up at 8, gets a wristlever into single leg takedown. He puts together powerlock but falls over into the ropes (keeping the hold strong while not making Mercier take the coward's way out of a rope break.).   Jones starts a chant for himself and the crowd go "Marty Marty". One kid in the audience has a Marty Jones World's No.1 sign.  Jones takes a wrist, spins horizontally and gets a drop toehold on it. Mercier is up and selling his leg.   Jones drop toehold the other leg.  The bell saves Mercier.

Round 7. Mercier gets a superkick but Jones stands back.  He keeps on stirring the pot with the partisan crowd who break out I to a round of Here We Go. Jones gets a slam and crosspress but Mercier's shoulders are up.  Jones gets a backbreaker on the knee and a piston top of that damage but Metcier gets a posting back and goes up the top turnbuckle but Jones catches and throws him.  He gets a missile dropkick off the middle rope then a double underhook suplex for the winning fall.  We cut short before the post match proceeding but both men were very sportsmanly and the audience finally behaved themselves towards Mercier.  

@ohtani's jacket   Dunno what YMMV stands for but I'm guessing along the lines of agreeing to differ. Personally I enjoyed this match at 14 when I saw the original transmission and I enjoy it still at age 51. A fine technical exhibition spoiled only by the annoyingly partisan crowd.  I suspect if not for them, Max Crabtree might have brought Marc Mercier back  for a couple more ITV appearances.

[David Mantell]

On 6/16/2015 at 2:31 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Ritchie Brooks vs. Mongolian Mauler (Corwen, taped 4/7/90)

Just looking at the name Mongolian Mauler tells me I would have been better off skipping this one, but I wanna give everyone at least one chance. Still, unless you're Killer Khan nothing good comes from a name like the Mongolian Mauler. Especially against Richie "the Yanks can take our TV spot, but they'll never outgrow our mullets" Brooks.

Well I just need one more British bout to make it two newies on all three threads so this will do.

Diamond Timothy Flowers' brother Peter, once dubbed the New Abdullah The Butcher by the Aptermags, recipient of short stints in both the WWF and WCW had a famously tumultuous time here in Britain at the turn of the 80s to 90s. Infamously, an angle at Victoria Hall Hanley where he hit Robbie Brooksiide with the same flagpole you see at the start, causing two ladies in the crowd to sneak off to the nearest payphone and bring the police down on the venue.  He formed a wild tag team with Rollerball Rocco and tried to negotiate a peace between Rocco and Kendo Nagasaki only for things to collapse after only one triple tag with Rocco feuding with Naggers again. Mauler took Kendo's side but soon had his own feud with the masked man.  He kept coming to the UK and even popped up in 1993 on Mr Brookside's Video Diary, singing a song with Paul Neu about wrestlers' hard lives and how they dream of being on wrestling magazine covers. 

We've seen him in camcorder footage on here against Dalbir Singh at Blackpool Tower Circus and on the German thread against Chic Cullen in Hamburg September 1992..  Here on Reslo in April 1990, he takes on another R.Brooks, former Golden Apollon, now something of a heel Ritchie Brooks.  This is a golden phase for Brooks - just seven weeks later he will get a controversial DQ Win over Danny Collins in Croydon for the British Heavy Middleweight Championship after Collins hit his head at ringside and dazedly attacked everyone and everything in sight. He would lose the title back to Danny later that year but progress further as a heel in the Sheffield Boys with Tarzan Darren Ward.

Straight off the bat, Ritchie gets the flagpole treatment and gets battered around the ring.  Brooks gets a big backdrop in amongst the various slamming sand smashings.  Richie fights back with a big back body drop breaks out of an over the shoulder backbreaker and takes his man down for a 2 count with a  flying tackle He stands the Mauler out with a flying tackle and leg flips him. Ultimately even being on a title push is no defence for Ritchie whom the Mauler finishes with a guillotine elbowsmash. Still not satisfied he bashed Ritchie with the time keepers bell.  He is very lucky not to have the decision reversed and Ritchie given another big DQ win in a matter of weeks.  

Flowers once told New Wave Wrestling magazine (and yes I think they put him on their cover, LOL) that "I am a total extrovert and (the British) weren't used to that." Indeed, ITV and Kent Walton would have been very circumspect about having him on so it was just as well he arrived in the UK after the end of ITV Wrestling. In the wilder environment of Reslo, especially 90s Reslo, he found a more welcoming home.