The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

3 hours ago, PeteF3 said:

Since he was considered "innocent", the documentary could not show the guy's face and censored his name

Well that kind of makes it hard to identify. 

Apart from Saville obviously I could tell you horror stories of these kinds about two other British wrestlers (as with any walk of life you get one or two rotten apples) but I'm not sure of the rules on naming and shaming on this board. (One of the two in question ended up in prison, the other, AFAIK, didn't and I'm not sure he's dead). A bunch of posts on another thread on here got deleted and I'm not sure if it's because stuff about a certain big former AEW star got discussed in those posts.  There are hills worth dying on to do with British and European Wrestling but this ain't one.

[PeteF3]

Well, yes, that makes it hard. That's why we're trying to crack the mystery. If they'd said his name was Joe Blow no one would be asking.

I have to assume that a 74-year-old ex-wrestler in 2004 is dead in 2025 though the post doesn't seem to say so definitively. So it's not a case of libeling the guy.

[David Mantell]

40 minutes ago, PeteF3 said:

Well, yes, that makes it hard. That's why we're trying to crack the mystery. If they'd said his name was Joe Blow no one would be asking.

I have to assume that a 74-year-old ex-wrestler in 2004 is dead in 2025 though the post doesn't seem to say so definitively. So it's not a case of libeling the guy.

I've sent you a private message.  I'm not sure of the forum rules on this sort of conversation so .I'll leave it there. 

Once I've dealt with the latest two French Catch matches to drop, I'll be on here with a great match to review from 1972.

[David Mantell]

And here it is:

I've got a tattered old copy of The Wrestler (Paul Lincoln Promotions version, NOT the Aptermag) from 1961 with Judo Al .Hayes as the White Angel (Ange Blanc knock-off who fought Paul's Dr Death alter ego just as the original across the English Channel feuded with Le Bourreau De Bethune) on the cover.  Inside is a feature on PETER RANN - MAT ARTIST showing a handsome young Blue Eye sports car driving dark haired Rann. Come 1972, the TV was in colour and Rann was on TV (if Granada has a stock of their cinema match films we may yet someday see the younger Rann) but more importantly he was grey haired and a heel. And a heel in real life too - he is alleged to have worked as a rent enforcer for a notorious shark landlord - some accounts say the infamous Michael Rachmann of Notting Hill Gate. His grey hair would have made him a good Vieux Pontoufle heel in France. 

Here he takes on future Carribbean Sunshine Boy Johnny Kincaid, still a beloved blue eye but sporting bleached hair a la African American heel Sweet Daddy Siki. (Bleached African hair would later become a hip thing in the UK black community especially among girls after David Bowie's girlfriend Ava Cherry sported the look - even Simone Thomas of early punk gang the Bromley Contingent had one.) The man who dyes his hair versus the man who ought to.

It's worth remarking how much Blue there is on screen for an early 1970s video production.  Blue was usually avoided as it was the colour traditionally used on British TV for Chromakey/ Colour Separation Overlay effects (Greenscreening now, Bluescreening then.). But here were have a blue mat -The same shade as Wanz/Wright Vs Kauroff/Lataserre in Graz 1996- blue rope, both men in blue trunks, Rann in a blue jacket, Kincaid in the blue corner, his second with a blue towel ...

Round 1: Rann gets a headlock but Kincaid breaks I open into a top wristlock and levers his man down into the guard.  He switches to H&S. Rann gets a double leg takedown and tries for a Boston Crab but can't turn Kincaid. Johnny gets a side headlock into wristlever into back hammer down in the mount.  Rann turns into the guard to straighten his arm.  He stands up, Johnny gets the hammerlock again in the standing position but Ran slips in his other arm for a hiptoss.  Rann shoulderpresses Kincaid with his legs but Kincaid uses a kip up to slide his arms out. Rann again hiptosses Kincaid and gets a straight arm wristlever and  Kincaid roles to untwist, goes into a bridge, turns into the guard and eventually forces Rann into a roll to remove the torque on his shoulder, leaving Kincaid on top. He converts the wrist lever into a ground top wristlock.  As he tries to press down on it like one of Jim Breaks' variants of the Breaks Special.  Rann snatches a headscissors.  Kincaid gets a bridge, turns the hold upright and handstands out.  Rann gets a chinlock (Walton says it's a too high stranglehold) Kincaid slips out behind and gets a grovit.   Ran eventually gets his head out to make a back hammerlock but again Kincaid loosens it by slipping into the guard and then kips up, but Rann twists the wristlever to haul Kincaid down and regain the hammerlock. So Kincaid changes tack, stands up in the hold  and uses the once-outlawed back elbow to Rann's head break his from and roll out, arm still in pinion position.  Rann scores a dropkick, rear snapmare and double kneepress but Kincaid bench presses him up by the lower legs Rann grabs both wrists and clamps down on both shoulders with both legs.  Kincaid bridges - Rann pushes him down but himself gets pushed backwards in his seating position.  A few repeats of this and Rann is backed up against the ropes and has to release Kincaid.  He gets Kincaid's wristband takes him down to the guard but Kincaid cheekily boots him in the back and gets free.  Still on the mat, Rann legdives and leglocks Kincaid who lever himself into the upright position just in time for the bell. Gentle patter of applause . Rann, amusingly, is captioned as being from "CAMPDEN Town" (my emphasis).  

Round 2. Kincaid gets a standing reverse armhank.  Rann pulls him over into a folding press for 1.  Kincaid makes it a sitting armscissor, Rann turns it back into the folding press. Kincaid regains the leverage then it goes back to Rann who gets the extra grip from his other arm.  He turns a bit too far and ends up back in the armhank, this time in a kneeling position.  He secures the other arm and uses the hold to turn into a shoulder press for a pin attempt but for reasons unclear referee Joe D'Orazio rejects it so Kincaid releases and Rann is also up at 2 sharpish.  Double finger Interlock and Kincaid unpicks one side with a foot, horizontally twists the remaining arm. Drops to a legdive into legscissor and seals it with a single toehold.  Rann tries to get a side folding press but Kincaid regains dominance easily. Ran tries poking a foot in but Kincaid makes it into an Indian Deathlock Rann takes the securing foot, slips it over his head, turns Kincaid into the mount by what remains and clamps down on both Achilles tendons but Kincaid stands up and gets the ropes break with his back to his man, narrowly avoiding tripping over Rann's feet as he walks away.  He gets a side chancery throw, a double kneepress for a couple of 1s, a crosspress (clamping a stray Rann arm with his foot)  for another 1 before Rann gets another finger Interlock, rolls back and gets a single legdive and leglock. Kincaid tries to probe his way out with his other foot but Rann nicely locks it in with a reverse folding press. Kincaid's shoulders are not down and he upturns the hold but Rann's feet touch the rope and it's a break.  Kincaid gets a single legdive and leglock. Rann stands up in the hold, leaps to put his other leg up and scores a fantastic monkey climb. Rann gets an over the knee backbreaker, Kincaid just barely managed to bridge out on his tiptoes before Rann snaps on a bodyscissors. Kincaid sits up in the hold. pushes to the centre of the ring  Rann turns into the mount turning Kincaid into a folding double leg nelson. Kincaid turns Rann back into the guard for a straight double leg nelson - Kent Walton is amused that they are both trying the same trick!  It ends in a stalemate and break. Kincaid gets two snapmares, a bodycheck and charges but misses and goes over the ropes on the bell.

Round 3. Kincaid makes it back in time but Rann throws him sharply on the back on which he hit the outside floor just earlier. He whips and boots Kincaid in the stomach.  Kincaid is up at eight but straight into another backbreaker on the knee from Rann who drops a knee a bit early and gets some heat and a quiet word from D'Orazio.  He gets a forearm smash, snapmare and double kneepress but the referee breaks it up as he doesn't like the work Rann is doing on Kincaid's knee.  Johnny is up at six into a headlock, concealed punch and forearm smash down.  He throws Kincaid across the ring, again snapmares and double kneepresses him but again works on the kneecap which upsets Referee Joe.  Rann gets a legdive and a leg weakener over his own knee. He shoves off Kincaid's boots to his head and resists a grab at his right elbow before standing and getting his reverse folding press from earlier but Kincaid can easily grab the ropes.  Kincaid tries a quick folding press but Rann's foot goes in the ropes.  Kincaid floors Rann with a headbutt but Peter is up at 8 and seeks sanctuary in the corner. It may get him jeers but he forces Kincaid to back off.  Kincaid gets a side chancery and stomp for 5.  Rann springs up with a wristlock  He takes  Kincaid down again into the guard by the wrist but Johnny swivels round on his head and rolls out, steps over and whips Rann down (to not much of a bump.) He slings him in the ropes, tries for a butt to the stomach but is too slow and Rann comes out better with a running knee  for 8. Rann gets double legs and a folding press for the opening fall and a chorus of boos. Not that he's done much dirty wrestling so far but because Kincaid's fall out of the ring at the end of the last round gave Rann the advantage. 

Round 4: Rann does the first serious dirty of the match, a knee in the legs while Kincaid was backed into the ropes. It earns him a public warning.  He gets the same standing chinlock that Walton calls a strangle as earlier, then makes it into the H&S, the sleeper that Americans recognise. It looks like Kincaid might slip out (scrunched up though his face is getting) so Rann reverts to the chinlock, now kneeling. He pulls out, leaving a back hammerlock.  Rann steps forward and threads himself through the ropes. Kincaid elbowsmashes him from behind -this gets a cheer from the crowd and is written off by D'Orazio as retaliation and allowed.  Kincaid gets the better of a finger Interlock test of strength with Rann on his knees and down into a shoulder press. He bridges up at 1 so Kincaid adds a knee and gets 2, almost a crosspress.   Rann gets his other leg in and uses his crossed legs to create space and hook him away by the head.  Rann turns him over and gets the crosspress for 2 - nearly a two-straight win there.  Kincaid bridges so Rann switches to double kneepress.  He headbutts Kincaid's thigh down which pleases neither the crowd nor the referee who orders a break.  Rann gets a snapmare and kneedrop for 6, a slingshot and knee on the rebound for 8, a legdive into single leg Boston Crab before Kincaid reaches the ropes.  Rann floors Kincaid with two sharp knees for 6.  Kincaid threatens fisticuffs before getting a full nelson into headbutt for 8, another for the same, a series of side headlocks changing arm to arm and a concealed closed fist punch just on the bell.  

Round 5.  If Rann can survive this round, then Kincaid cannot get a two falls/submissions win in the final round 6. It's been mostly scientific even with the increased heat in rounds 3 and 4.  Rann starts this one off rougher however with a kick to the stomach and forearm smash for 7. He gets a standing full nelson but Kincaid breaks one side and reverses. Rann throws him into an armlock against the joint in the guard.  When Kincaid gets up, Rann throws him back down again. Kincaid tries a headscissors but can't maintain it.  He turns to a kneeling position, shoves off the armlock and gets a legspread and toehold, turning him into the guard and stomping his heel. Rann is up at 7 and Kincaid goes in too quick for a hold but it backfires on him anyway as Rann gets the single toehold.  He switches to double kneepress (a mistake says Kent as he sacrificed a good leglock that was doing damage). Rann gets two before Kincaid slips both legs in for the double leg nelson but it ends in a double grapevine stalemate.  Despite their needle they shake hands on the stalemate and there is a clean break. Rann gets a wristlever and gets an armbar against the joint almost down in the guard. Kincaid works his way up to kneeling then gets n over knee backbreaker like Rann earlier, this one for 5.  Rann scores a fine dropkick and what looks like a powerbomb 20 years before Vader and Sid but was more likely a botch drop. Rann goes for a folding press but Kincaid sits up and flips him over for the double leg nelson. Rann escapes and it winds up in the same double grapevine stalemate.  Again a clean break despite the earlier heat.  Rann gets a full nelson into side chancery throw into another full nelson. But Kincaid gets an underhook into what was not then yet called the small package. He gets his equaliser and a shot at a decider that, with another 20 seconds,  would have been sealed off for him.  

Round 6 Rann gets a single leg and almost a Powerlock (upright figure four) but Kincaid topples him with a legspread and gets a single leg of his own.  He switches to a front folding press but Kincaid's foot brushes the ropes.  Kincaid gets a double legs and a folding press (without inadvertently inventing the Power Bomb two decades early!) Rann spins him out by the legs.  He gets a headlock, two concealed illegal punches and a forearm smash.  Kincaid gets a headlock and concealed punch of his own - recept paid although D'Orazio isn't happy.   Rann gets an arm, pulls Kincaid down and gets a leg up for a possible bodyscissors but it doesn't come off and Walton decries it as "clumsy" (another botch?)  Kincaid has a leg and an advantage until Rann curls his other foot around his man's jaw and pulls him down.  Kincaid turns him into the guard, tries a folding press but Rann slips out a finally gets the bodyscissors he was presumably after earlier.  He goes up on his feet and has Kincaid selling the pain.  Kincaid gets into a seated position and leans backwards for a reverse folding press with bridge but Rann's shoulders are up and he turns over on his side and then into the pain inflicting position again but can only briefly maintain it.  Kincaid tries a very high folding press in the scissors. He gets a 1, a 2 then goes for a Boston Crab but can't turn Rann into the mount. Kincaid double leg slingshots Rann but he falls narrowly short of the post pad Kincaid intended.  He gets a grovit and a headbutt for 8. Rann gets another fantastic dropkick for 6. Kincaid gets a headbutt for 7 before the kneeling Rann first an elbow upwards to Kincaid's stomach.  This gets him a second and final public warning but after Rann slings Kincaid to the ropes, the final bell goes. 1-1 Broadway. 

The MC calls it "one for Rann" (boo from the crowd) "and one for Kincaid" (cheer!) . It's the Wednesday night midweek slot so instead of his famous catchphrase "Have a good week till next week" Kent Walton says "Be happy until Saturday".  

Nice to see a bout that can stay reasonably technical even once the needle creeps in.  Fouls and blows never amounted to a brawling second half, they were static incidents in the generally technical bout.  I suppose OJ would say it never quite caught fire but it suited me fine. Even the two Rann botches seemed like credible screwups in the heat of competition.  A fine bout that I've been looking forward to writing up since seeing it at the weekend.

 

[David Mantell]

On 11/11/2014 at 3:56 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Johnny Wilson vs. John Elijah (7/11/84)

 

These are two of my guys, but even I have to admit that watching a 35 minute 8 round bout is tough going. It was everything I'd want out of John Elijah vs. Johnny Wilson in terms of strength holds and powering out of moves, but very much a one pace bout. And it went to a draw, which ain't much of a return on your investment.

I did a mini deep dive  Tarzan Johnny Wilson a while back stretching from 1970s matches through to 1995 camcorder footage from Portsmouth. We've seen how good a match Elijah could have with Big Daddy in 1977, now let's seem him against another powerhouse but a more naturally skillful opponent. A minority of the audience give Elijah a heel reaction but he and Wilson ignore this. Both men are called John

Round 1: Wilson rolls out of aln armbar into hammerlock. The two agree to a single side finger Interlock and Wilson turns horizontally to forum a top wristlock. Elijah throws his man off.  Elijàh goes for a straight arm lift but switches to a high whip but Wilson takes it nicely. Elijah gets a single legdive into toe and ankle hold. He tries to legspread Wilson who turns this round on Elijah until he has to quit. Elijah gets a side chancery into front facelock.  Elijah take it to the mat, straightens himself before diagonally hand standing his way out. Wilson gets a side headlock, Elijah throws him off but a bodycheck on the rebound moves neither man.  Wilson gets a double finger Interlock into Japanese Stranglehold but Elijah straightens the arms into a crossed double finger Interlock.  Wilson turns again and makes it an over the shoulder crossed interlock and, from there throws Elijah, a considerable feat of strength.  Elijah gets an armbar into standing hammerlock and trips Wilson into the  mount back hammerlock then turns him into the guard with the hammerlock underneath. He tries for a crosspress and is thrown off, landing on top of referee Peter Jay who takes it in better humour than some of his colleagues on the continent.  Elijah again singles legdives Wilson who gets a crossed headscissor, held nicely with the feat.  Wilson has to take care not to let his shoulders touch the mat as he throws Elijah in the scissors. Elijah gets a front chancery (not quite a grovit, as Kent points out). The Bear breaks oper the hold and again high whips Tarzan who takes it efficiently again. They lock up and Wilson gets a crank on the back of Elijah's neck as the bell goes.  They shake hands.

Round 2 :  Elijah gets an abdominal stretch and Wilson detatches the grapevines lower leg to unmoor the hold so he can cross buttock throw and press Elijah who pushes him off easily after all that effort by Wilson to trigger the throw.  Elijah gets an armbar against the joint, uses the hold to force his opponent over into the guard and slap on a headscissors.  Wilson turns it upright, goes for a headstand and gracefully levers out.  Elijah gets another wristlock and seems to go for a posting but then pulls his man back in and down to canvas as an arm weakener. (At first I thought Wilson had simply failed to "go with" a whip.). They half interlock with Wilson's uninjured arm involved but Elijah neatly switched to the same armbar against the joint on the hurting left arm.  Elijah again uses the abortive posting arm weakener.  He gets the arm a third time and develops it into a hammerlock on the mat with Wilson on his side, almost in the mount.  Wilson gets up but is dragged back down so instead he gets a headscissors, occasionally twisting Elijah's neck foreward to weaken it.  Elijah goes into the guard and turns the hold upside down and uncorks it with his feet.  Wilson gets a standing full nelson but Elijah easily powers out.  Elijah gets a side chancery.  and eventually a throw to go with it, but yet again Wilson rolls up beautifully.  Wilson gets a hard slap to the back of Elijah's neck which floors him . Wilson capitalizes with a snapmare and double knee press but Elijah lifts him off by the lower legs before any pinfall count can be made. They agree to a semi finger Interlock  but Elijah again gets the armbar into hammerlock.  The bell goes so he releases.

Round 3: Wilson gets a front chancery and elbowsmashes the back of Elijah's neck.  He collapses to the canvas and stays down for 8. Wilson slams and double knee presses Elijah and is again lifted off by the ankles.   Wilson gets a standing side headlock.  Elijah lifts him up by the folded knee and drops him on it. He is up at 4 but limping badly around the ring. They semi interlock and Elijah switches to a single legdive takedown into a single leg Boston Crab.  Wilson curls up and pushes his torso out to the front then boots Elijah in the head, flooring him!  In a role reversal, Wilson takes the arm and Elijah blasts him with an elbowsmash to the back of the shoulderblades.  Elijah resists a posting until kicked in the stomach at which point he goes.  They have a double finger Interlock and Elijah wins the initial test of strength until Wilson powers back up and scores with a lean back dropkick.  He follows with a snapmare and kneedrop.  Elijah gets a forearm smash in but Wilson gets a snapmare and seated reverse chinlock.  Elijah eventually extracts his head leaving a hammerlock on Wilson in the mount. He stands on the hammerlock and falls backwards scissoring the arm.  Wilson slowly reverses this into a Frank Gotch figure four toehold but the bell saves Elijah.

Round 4: Elijàh gets a front chancery shifting to side chancery.  He gets the throw but yet again Wilson rolls upright smartly.  Wilson again floors Elijàh with the slap on the back of the neck.  He next combineds the neck blow with a kneelift.  Then a cross buttocks and press but Elijah presses out at 1.  Elijah collars and forearm smashes Wilson who replies  with a hefty forearm smash of his own.  They exchange another two pairs of forearm smashes before shaking hands and agreeing to no more of that (much to Kent Walton's pleasure as they have too much skill to waste on a forearm smashing contest!   They half interlock and as in Round 1, Wilson twists horizontally into a top wristlock.  Elijah resists and overpowers Wilson, throwing him into  the ropes.Wilson gets a legdive and leglock then switches to Indian Deathlock. This ends in stalemate and the referee has to unpick the tangle of feet.  Elijah throws Wilson twice and he does not roll up so easily these two times, in fact on the second throw he ends up at ringside.  Wilson comes back and likewise throws Elijah to force him to ringside. Now they are even.  Back in the ring, Elijah gets a single legdive and leglock and Wilson counters with a legspread.  Elijah still has the toehold but releases.  They single interlock and Wilson takes the arm and makes a back hammerlock of it.  The bell goes before he can get a submission.

Round 5:  Wilson throws Elijah for a bump and count of 7 then gets two postings before Elijah comes back with a forearm smash.  Elijah gets his own posting, Wilson takes it well but is caught on the rebound with a kneelift which floors him.  Elijah gets the bodyslam and crosspress for the opening fall.  

Round 6:  Elijah forces a bump with a throw then gets a good long side Chancery throw then an over the shoulder backbreaker. Wilson unclamps himself and hits the ropes but come back straight into a kneelift for 6. Elijah gets an underhook and whips Wilson to the ropes but he comes back with a sunset flip into double leg nelson for the equaliser!

Round 7:  Elijah tries his forearm to the back of the shoulders but Wilson kind of no-sells it this time round.  Elijah gets an arm and scores a posting. Single interlock and Wilson gets an armlock then reverse double arms. It takes two attempts but Elijah reverses the hold. Wilson, as early in the contest, throws the big Bear over his shoulder.  He is up at 7 and applies his speciality bearhug.  He weathers a forearm smash in the hold easily and bounces him off the ropes to catch him and get a better grip. Wilson turns to almost a front facing position (rear waistlock in effect) that Elijah releases and blasts Wilson  with his back of the neck forearm smash. Elijah soon regains the hold. Wilson turns sideways in the hold and tries a snapmare but can't get it.  Instead he gets his arms and head through and lifts Elijah in a Fireman's carry. But he can't get the takedown and Elijah can't get a crucifix into further nelson, so Wilson puts him down and they shake hands.  Elijah gets the legdive and toehold but Wilson turns and spins him out.  Wilson gets a posting, it doesn't affect Elijah but something out there comes crashing down - Elijah looks around innocently, LOL.  Back to the serious stuff. Elijah gets a front chancery into side chancery throw for 3. Wilson gets double legs sand JUMPS into a Frank Gotch figure 4 toehold.  He gets in one more yank on the leg before the bell goes.

Round 8: Elijah counters a Wilson side headlock with an atomic drop.  He gets his long side chancery throw then a double legdive and tries for a Boston Crab but Wilson again spins him out for a bump landing for 7, then posts him.  Wilson rebounds from a throw into a flying tackle but Elijah catches and bodyslams him. Wilson however gets an almost vertical ground dropkick and cross buttock press for 2.  Elijah gets the wristlever but Wilson turns 90 degrees and slides in both feet for a legspread that floors Elijàh.  Wilson gets a kneelift, slam and crosspress but is easily thrown off. Wilson gets reverse double leg takedown into double leg nelson but Elijah sits up at 2.  To, Kent Walton's disappointed hey have another exchange of forearm smashes but to his relief they just as quickly abandon the bludgeoning contest - they have far too much skill to rely on that. Wilson gets a posting but Elijah doesn't sell it much.  Elijah gets an inverted rear waistlock on Wilson, trying and failing to get the over the shoulder backbreaker but still smashing him down quite viciously on his knees.  Elijah gets another slam and crosspress for 2, he himself takes 7 to recover from being thrown off only to once again take the smash to the back of the neck.  He comes back with an elbow to Wilson's stomach and another long side chancery throw.  He gets the single leg and this time gets the single leg Boston Crab he was after earlier. Again. Wilson comes through the front of the hold and boots Elijah down.  Elijah is up at 7 for a cross buttock throw and press but he rolls his man off at 2.  He gets in one last long side chancery throw but Wilson is up and the two men are circulating when the bell rings for the 1-1 Broadway draw.

Skill and Power rather than Skill and Speed is the watchword of this Heavyweight contest.  A lot of intelligent use of power, for more so than Elijah's bout with Daddy. I particularly enjoyed Wilson taking the roll ups from throws by Elijah and coming out upright.  Some stuff tended to be repeated a bit to fill out the eight rounds. These two were not Move Like Lightweights type of Heavyweights but they were mobile and adaptable and had clever ideas for using their power.  There were guys their size in the WWF at the time who could learn a thing or two from this pair.

 

[David Mantell]

By this time the Big Daddy formula was fully established although it took his war to shut Mighty John Quinn's mouth to really have Daddymania running wild.  Daddy only gets involved briefly, most of this is Tony dealing with two brute heavyweight heels.  Bruiser/Bully Boy Muir is a familiar enough piece of Daddy fodder. Bronco Wells had two notable headline matches, this one and earlier in '78 Kendo's first match as an unmasked wrestler in which Kendo totally dominated him (and the complained in his 2018 book that Wells was a lousy opponent..)

StClair nicely levers out of a Muir headlock for starters Then when Muir gets a single leg into toe and ankle, Tony rolls out (anyone else think he was going to leg-throw Muir and make the big bald baddy somersault?).  Muir gets a wristlever into armlock against the joint into hammerlock but Tony again rolls off with his arm in the hammerlock position. Disgusted, Muir tags Wells.  He tries a cross armed grovit but StClair cartwheels out.  Wells gets a hammerlock, takes Tony down in the mount, bars the other arm and turns Tony into the guard. and cross presses him for a pair of 1s.  Tony cartwheels again beautifully from a Wells throw.  Muir very reluctantly tags in (and he's not even facing Daddy.). Muir gets a wristlever but StClair rolls backwards then forward then back a bit and unpicks the hold with his foot and takes Muir's extended arm.  Sadly Muir does not roll out - he goes for the ropes to force the break. Muir gets a bearhug but has to lift Tony up to get it on leaving a lot of his own back available for attack. Tony considers an elbowsmash to the shoulders but goes for pressure points and a series offour big Bionic Elbows to Muir's shaven skull.  He gets his release on the third one and Muir collapses back in his corner, tagging Wells.  So far, no sign of Big Daddy, but Tony is doing so well in this quasi handicap tag anyway. He gets full finger Interlock and fires a lean back dropkick off it. Wells is jumping with rage and Tony slapping him around doesn't make him feel any better.  He gets dirty with a concealed illegal punch that floors Tony for four, a headlock on the ropes that has Daddy in and complaining and various illegal attacks on the prone Tony. Now StClair is fired up, he scores two mighty forearm smashes then tags Daddy. Wells tries to tag Muir who tries not to be tagged. In desperation they try a double team, each villain getting a top wristlock and for a while they do force him back into his corner, but Daddy overpowers both and sends them toppling. Wells then Muir then Wells take the bodycheck and they both flee outside.  StClair tags in to lure the villains back as it looks like they will just plain vamoose. They don't fancy facing StClair either - Muir is down at ringside and Wells nearly joins him but Tony drags him back. Wells finally gets the heat back, getting in an illegal concealed punch and a legal kneelift before tagging Muir.  He prematurely drags Tony off the mat and scores several blows of varying legality ending in a double team that again has Daddy complaining.  Muir gets a side chancery throw then full nelson and smacks Tony's head in the corner. He gets a hairpull and another full nelson and tries another corner move but Tony reverses it and scores a dropkick. He absorbed a posting well and lunges for Muir's stomach but bounces off.  Undettered, Tony gets double legs and a front folding press for the first fall!  Muir avanges his "honour" with a quick concealed punch to the triumphant Tony, doubling him up. It earns him a public warning.

Second fall.  Tony is recovered enough to go.  Muir still posts him, picks him up and posts him again so his back connects with Wells' fist in the corner pad.  Wells gets a bunch of elbows against the cornered StClair which earn his team the Second And Final Public Warning.  Wells continues the posting treatment but makes the mistake of posting Tony into his own corner. Tony uses Daddy's help to score a lean back dropkick then tags the big man in.  A bodycheck, three postings, a side chancery throw and the Big Splash is what it takes to get the Second Straight. Daddy and StClair win 2-0.

This is actually the second semifinal of a four team KO.  Earlier, Giant Haystacks and Big Bruno Elrington beat Wayne Bridges and Lee Bronson to win the first semi and now it is is time for the final, but instead two towels come down. Just three months earlier Haystacks and Elrington had upset Daddy and Gary Sensor in what would be Daddy's last ever TV defeat. The big villains did face - and lose to - Daddy and StClair in December as the Xmas Big Daddy tag.

Daddy's only in this for a minute or so, The rest is a rather interesting handicap tag of Tony StClair handling two big brutes.