The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

We've seen Jeff Kaye quite a bit lately as a referee.  We've seen him and Ian Gilmour tagging up as the Barons in both Britain and France. We've seen him sort out villains from Pancho Zapata in 1969 to Mike Bennet in 1985. Recently I saw him in Stampede. Calgary, commentating an early British Bulldogs match (No I'm not posting the video here but it's the new "Iconic Tag Teams' Debuts" video on the WWE Vault channel.). He was out there playing Tim White to Giant Haystacks when not refereeing, MCing or TV commenting. Now here he is having a top class clean match against another top class technician.

Round 1: Cortez gets a full nelson but Kaye throws him off and gets an in the guard wristlock.  Cortez kips up and gets dragged back down.  He tries again and Kaye armdrags him back down. Sideways moves don't work either. After the next kip up. Cortez side chanceries Kaye but Kaye takes his man with him and retains the hold.  He tries it again but as Kent Walton points out, he is only hurting himself and will have to think of something else "and knowing Cortez he probably will.". He's right.  Cortez drops to the mat, switches hands and armdrags Kaye to take over control.  Kaye kips up, cartwheels and whips Cortez who also cartwheels to avoid the bump and come out upright.  They go for a full finger Interlock and both get a short arm scissor and both agree to call it stalemate and break up .  Cortez gets a side headlock and takes his man to the mat.  Kaye tries to break it with an atomic drop but Cortez hangs on.  Kaye in the end handstands his way out of the hold.  Cortez armdrags Kaye for a 5 count.  Kaye gets a wristlever but the bell goes and he releases.

Round 2:  Cortez gets a single legdive. Kaye undermines Cortez's leg so he goes down and converts it into a seated leglock. Kaye turns into the mount so Cortez makes it a single toe hold. He lifts Kaye by the foot, trying to smash his knee into the mat but Kaye pushes up then rolls forwards and away.  Kaye tries a cross buttock throw but Cortez arrests his momentum with a side headlock then a hiptoss of his own.  Cortez now has the guard wristlock. Kaye rolls back and tenses his arm to resist a hammerlock attempt.  He twice goes up on his head and the second time looks to be trying a toupie but instead gets a headscissors. Cortez easily snaps out.  He backrolls off a half finger Interlock so Kaye rolls away.  Kaye gets a Fireman's Carry takedown into armlock with bar. Cortez rolls from the guard to the kneeling position then upright but Kaye still has a wristlever.  He rolls forward and spins horizontally on his backside till he takes down Kaye into an armbar in the mount.  He turns him over into the crosspress and only gets a one before being thrown on to the ring apron!  Back in, he gets a double finger Interlock into a double leg Nelson. It turns into La Bascule (back and forth double leg nelsons), occasionally turning sideways rather than just back and forth. They give that up and try another finger Interlock and Kaye makes a drop toehold of it, ending in a figure 4 legscissor.  They turn into a seating position but end up too close for an American figure four leglock so break (for once untying the legs without referee assistance.  Cortez gets a rear waistlock into full nelson, bounces Kaye off the ropes, drops down to trip him into a folding press but Kaye sidesteps out of the way.  Cortez gets an armbar and has Kaye in the guard again. Kaye tries to bridge his way out so Cortez turns him sideways, maintaining pressure on the upper arm. Kaye gets a headscissors but Cortez kips out quickly.  They lock up and hit the ropes as the bell sounds.

Round 3  Kaye gets a headlock and takes it to kneeling position. Cortez upturns it into a side folding press but Kaye uprights it.  Kaye gets another handstanding escape and a beauty like the last! Cortez throws Kaye who cartwheels out of trouble nicely.  Kaye leapfrogs Cortez and goes for a flip. Cortez tries to clamp down with a front folding press but Kaye throws him off and when Cortez rolls back from the armstrtch he in turn clams down for a folding press balancing on his elbows instead of bridging. It gets him the opening fall. 

Round 4.  Kaye tries for a leg but Cortez darts over him to get a headlock. Kaye slips out the back to make it a hammerlock.  Cortez turns into the guard straightening the arm and Kaye gets 1 before Cortez throws him off the crosspress.  Cortez gets a wrist into an armdrag, Kaye gets a headscissors and has it more firmly than earlier tries as Cortez cannot just kip out. He struggles to force the clamp open, goes into upright position and a handstand but can't maintain it. He tries again, turns 90' in the scissors and now falls out of the hold. Cortez gets a front chancery but Kaye straightens the arm , high whips his man till he bumps into the guard and gets the same guard wristlock on again.  Cortez goes up into the headstand and this time he is the one who gets the headscissors. Kaye has similar difficulties snapping out to those Cortez had but goes into a bridge, flimps back and forth between kneeling and bridging and so weakens the hold that he can, finally, kip out.  Cortez again goes for the front chancery, Kaye again straightens the arm and goes for the night whip but Cortez rolls up nicely.  Kaye offers a handshake. And Cortez accepts then tries to make a throw of it but Kaye cartwheels out. Fortunately he is a good sport about this but of mischief.  Kaye throws Cortez who cartwheels upright but bangs his neck on the rope but luckily it is nothing serious. Kaye gets a single leg, they agree to break it up but as they do Cortez tries a crafty drop toehold. Max Ward will have none of it.  Cortez backrolls off a half finger Interlock, bringing Kaye to his knees.  He takes Kaye down into a ground top double wristlock, resisting Kaye's attempts to push up until Kaye gets a headscissors.  Cortez turns into the front position, gets a headstand and lays his legs against Kaye's head.  The weight overbalances Kaye and Cortez gets up and makes his escape.  Cortez gets a legdive and toe & ankle hold.  Kaye crosses his leg to make a figure four. This tempts Cortez to try to set up an Indian Deathlock but Kaye turns into the mount and rolls away.  Cortez gets a foot and switches to a wrist and again spins horizontally on his behind to wind up the arm.  He then switches to a drop toehold and thence into a Frank Gotch figure four toehold, switching from side to side. He pulls up Kaye by the leg but Kaye rolls away and the bell goes.

Round 5 and Kaye gets a side headlock into  cross buttock and press. Kaye turns sideways and gets a side folding press for 1. He stands in the side headlock and leaps into a high almost headstand (more horizontal) to pull out.  Kaye gets a full nelson. Cortez reverses. He holds on despite being backed into twice and lifted forward in a throw attempt.  Forcing the hold open doesn't work but a side turning throw does, only for Cortez to reach up and get a headscissors.  Kaye turns it upright, escapes and even gets a leg out of it but hits the ropes and has to break.  Cortez gets an armdrag but Kaye headscissors him so Cortez goes into his usual headstand.  He gets out and tries for the leg but Ward says it's not part of the same move, so he gets a wrist and slings Kaye into the ropes, hiptosses and cross presses him on the rebound and gets the equaliser.

Round 6: Cortez throws Kaye (whom Walton thinks is developing back problems) into a hard bump on his back. He is up at 7 but still selling his back. Cortez gets an over the knee backbreaker and Kaye bridges to relieve the pressure. Kaye uses an inner arm blow - about the first striking move of the bout - to get out. Cortez gets a half nelson but Kaye uses a forearm smash over the head.  Kaye gets a rear snapmare and cross buttock throw but Cortez rolls upright and catches Kaye's incoming flying bodyscissors attempt by the legs, turns him into a full Boston Crab and gets the deciding submission. Cortez is the winner 2-1 on a late rally.

Not the fastest or most dazzling but still nice stylish scientific bout with Kaye showing what a skilled wrestler he was in his day and Cortez getting to show more flair and colour than he does against the likes of Keith Hayward.  Even if the wristlock in the guard is overplayed by both men, they find plenty of ways to try to escape and plenty more to prevent said escapes. 

[David Mantell]

On 5/2/2014 at 1:51 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

Pat Roach vs. Tiger Dalibar Singh (12/11/85)

 

This was another in Joint Promotions' endless series of knock out tournaments. .... Roach/Singh ended surprisingly quickly, just to maintain the veneer that anything could happen on any given night. None of this was offensive, but not too memorable either.

Okay. a quick one as the tablet is on 26% and I want to get out.  

Roch gets a side headlock. Singh straightens it out into an armbar and Roach rolls forward and takes the bump.  Gil keeps the guard wristlock. Pat gets up and gets half a headlock as Singh still has his wrist. Singh powers him down but Pat, impressively for a man of his size, goes into a bridge and turns on his skull into a forward kneel. Finally he gets an armbar of his own. Singh can actually properly roll through.  Roach forces him down but instead of the cross press turns him sideways, trying for a shoulder submission.  He does eventually try a pin but Singh has an arm up at 1 so he switches to a side chinlock.  Singh reverses it into his own armbar, right against the joint notes Kent.  Gil switches to armhank. Roach turns into the guard. Singh gets a finger Interlock and a 1 count. Roach bridges up, powers all the way upright, picks off one side of the interlock with a foot and uses the other side for a high whip, forcing Singh in turn to take a somersault bump. Roach has his shoulder submission back again.  he adds a leg around Singh's neck.  Singh resists long enough for Roach to drop it.  They exchange forearms, a Singh headbutt and a Roach bodycheck.  Roach gets a posting and slam and hits the ropes but Singh strikes with a sudden cross buttock and press pinfall. 4min 35 secs of a 15 min time limit.

Short and leveragy but it still contained more skill and ideas than Max Le Méchant had on the German thread just now (poor old Franzl!)

[David Mantell]

On 10/9/2025 at 12:56 PM, David Mantell said:

Have booked to see All Star at Dudley Town Hall on 28th October.  Will give a show report afterwards.

Pretty good show, sadly no clean matches but Joel Redman (he no longer uses his NXT name Oliver Grey) did some good moves in his bout with Kian the Fox Kelly.  Harley Hudson from TNA was there too. There was a Rumble at the end - Micky Long won, beating Kris Dekker who beat him in the opening match. Plus there was a TRIPLE TAG 😛match.

Tony Spitfire was MCing although the programme featured his heel "Loudmouth" persona, and it was a new programme.  I guess he must becstil doing it in other parts of the country.  There were plenty of WWE action figures on sale including a classic one of Jake Roberts - young Joe Dixon and I got chatting about Jake's UK tour in 2001- all before Joe's time of course but he's been brought up with it all like a bible story.

[David Mantell]

 

Quite a good docu piece on Masambula.

Tagging @William Bologna in this as he liked the last one I shared on here.

@ohtani's jacket The guys on here have an interesting take on whether people like Vic Faulkner or Masambula (and possibly Owen Hart in Europe) were comedy wrestlers or not.  They class them as "cheeky wrestlers" who were a separate category from the outright comedy guys like Catweazle/ Kevin Coneely/ Les Kellett.

[ohtani's jacket]

If you can explain the gist of what they're saying, that would be great. I tried watching the video but they behave like a pair of twats. 

[David Mantell]

5 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

If you can explain the gist of what they're saying, that would be great. I tried watching the video but they behave like a pair of twats. 

If you can specify parts that need explanation I can drill down further.  I'm not going through the entire piece.  I have to find some important documents right now and that is a bigger priority.

[ohtani's jacket]

The cheeky vs. comedy thing. 

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

The cheeky vs. comedy thing. 

The cheeky thing is not their actual gimmick. It's a part of their shoot personality written large. More importantly it takes a backseat to their serious technical skill and sportsmanship (and in Masambula's case the witch doctor aspect although this is discarded by the time the bell rings, a pointed difference from the likes of Papa Shango.  Vic Faulkner and Mick McMichael's banter as cheeky chappy and grumpy-but-with-a-good-heart is their way of articulating their sportsmanship and mutual bonhomie.  Against Johnny Saint or with Bert against the StClair brothers, he is simply a clean sportsmanly wrestler with a conspicuously cheerful disposition which neither opponents nor referees regard as a threat.)

Quote

I tried watching the video but they behave like a pair of twats. 

The two are radio DJs by trade. Being a pair of twats is a common occupational failing:

I disagree with a lot of stuff they come out with but this video and the video on Big Daddy's This Is Your Life are mostly spot-on.

Quote

 I have to find some important documents right now and that is a bigger priority.

(For anyone concerned, the AWOL university degree certificate has been located, scanned and sent to my new employer)

[ohtani's jacket]

On 10/30/2025 at 7:34 AM, David Mantell said:

The cheeky thing is not their actual gimmick. It's a part of their shoot personality written large. More importantly it takes a backseat to their serious technical skill and sportsmanship (and in Masambula's case the witch doctor aspect although this is discarded by the time the bell rings, a pointed difference from the likes of Papa Shango.  Vic Faulkner and Mick McMichael's banter as cheeky chappy and grumpy-but-with-a-good-heart is their way of articulating their sportsmanship and mutual bonhomie.  Against Johnny Saint or with Bert against the StClair brothers, he is simply a clean sportsmanly wrestler with a conspicuously cheerful disposition which neither opponents nor referees regard as a threat.)

The two are radio DJs by trade. Being a pair of twats is a common occupational failing:

I disagree with a lot of stuff they come out with but this video and the video on Big Daddy's This Is Your Life are mostly spot-on.

(For anyone concerned, the AWOL university degree certificate has been located, scanned and sent to my new employer)

Faulkner always came across as a smart ass to me. Cheeky is a nice way of putting it. It was absolutely part of his persona, and therefore part of his gimmick. He used comedy to varying degrees, depending on the venue and the matchup, but could also work as a pissed off babyface or a serious technical wrestler. The type of comedy that Faulkner and McMichael did, in my opinion, breaks the fourth wall and is a wink and a nod to the most astute fans in the audience, though I suspect the majority of the audience simply found it amusing. It's a reminder that the taped matches were in essence house show bouts, and you often find comedy in house show bouts.

I don't particularly like it when a face like Faulkner uses his technical skills to belittle or mock his opponent, even if the opponent is a heel. I find that type of behavior annoying. It makes me want to root for his opponent. I understand that the majority of the audience see it as the heel getting their comeuppance, or their just desserts, but I much prefer to see a guy like Faulkner become furious over a heel's tactics than act like a dick.

I do think there is a distinction between a guy like Faulkner and someone like Kellett, who was always dropping punchlines into his work. I would much sooner watch a Kellett match than a Faulkner match, for what it's worth. I dislike a lot of the other comedy workers, though. Kellett is interesting because of how crusty he is, and his reputation for being a hard bastard, while hamming it up for the audience. 

[David Mantell]

8 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

The type of comedy that Faulkner and McMichael did, in my opinion, breaks the fourth wall and is a wink and a nod to the most astute fans in the audience, though I suspect the majority of the audience simply found it amusing. It's a reminder that the taped matches were in essence house show bouts, and you often find comedy in house show bouts.

Faulkner and McMichael were like two friends in a bar who are both brilliant pool players and who like to have a banter with each other as an expression of their cameraderie, especially while having their friendly but high powered pool matches which would honour any Pool Championship.  When they get on the pool table together, the whole pub gathers round, partly to hear them mock-gripe in jest at each other but mainly to see them both do some amazing trick shots and other skilfull stuff on The Beize. 

We have access to four of their eight ITV matches and in three of those the focus is on both men's technical skills with their banter as nothing more than added spice.  The one time the banter is overwhelming, they only have two rounds to play with and were probably under pressure from Max C to get stuff in, so the more serious spots suffered.

The only other person McMichael had this on-screen banter with was Owen Hart in Germany/Austria and that was when Mick was refereeing.  As a referee in the German speaking territory, McMichael was grumpy but fair-minded as opposed to an out-and-out miserable bastard like Didier Gapp.  Actively wrestling in 80s Britain, he is an avuncular gentlemanly sort who, when disqualified for recklessly injuring an opponent, is prepared to own up to having messed up and takes his punishment like a man.

Vic against other blue eye opponents such as Johnny Saint or teaming with Bert against Roy and Tony StClair or even Masambula and Zimba, he used his tricks sparingly, but when he did, opponents and even the referee take it in good humour.  Saint, Faulkner and referee Jeff Kaye in 1981 are all good friends together having a fun sporting contest. When Vic tries it on with a heel, it only humiliates the heel because the heel treats it that way.  The heel hasn't got the self confidence to relax and laugh just like he hasn't the confidence in his abilities to play by the rules.

[David Mantell]

What I would really like to have would be a singles match between Vic Faulkner and Masambula. Two men from vastly different cultural backgrounds United in their shared values of technical wrestling excellence, sportsmanship and GSOH.  But there isn't one, nor is there a Vic Vs Tony StClair match which would have been rather good too.  But at least I found this - which doesn't seem to have been reviewed on here before.

 

A very young Steve Grey with sideburns, in against Vic. MC is Charlie Fisher -he was a European Champion in his day and I think one or two of his bouts have been covered on the French Catch thread.

Round 1 and the more experienced Faulkner goes to work with with a rolling single leg dive. Mindful of Running Out Of Mat, he drags Grey by the leg to the centre of the ring and turns him into a Gotch toehold but when he tries to stub Greys knee into the mat, Grey suddenly pulls himself upright, a common move of Vic's ironically.  Steve gets the better of a finger Interlock and has Vic down in an armlock in the guard but he kips up. Vic succeeds in getting Grey to look up and snapmares the distracted Steve but he keeps his hold and drags Vic back down in the guard.  Vic again tries the kip up and snapmares, with the same distraction, but also with the same result. So he changes tack and forward rolls out, kicks off the middle rope to push himself into a backwards roll that lands him standing in front of Grey. He uses his foot to pick off the wristlock and himself armlocks Grey on the other arm. Grey forward rolls twice and is out, to a round of applause.  Faulkner gets a figure 4 top wristlock into armdrag into long press but Steve turns him over. He gets a couple of 1 counts despite Vic having bodyscissors on him. Grey turns himself into a front facing position to work on breaking th3 lock at th3 ankles.Vic tries for the French "Ah Ouais"  style atomic drop but Grey puts his upright legs down like aeroplane wheels and stands up to break the bodyscissors.  Grey gets a headlock but Faulkner works on the ribs to force Grey to break the hold.  He wins a full finger Interlock, puts Grey's palms on the mat, holds them down with his feet and pulls up his chin.  Grey resists, even when Vic turns his neck.  Vic tries for a stomp but Grey pulls his hands back and scores a dropkick on his man!  They cross cross and Vic gets a forearm smash in but not much more.  Vic throws Steve into ropes, leapfrogs him on the rebound, then takes him down twice with a flying headscissors for five each. Vic rear double legdives Grey, runs up his length, gets the feet under the arms and turns him over into a double leg nelson into folding press with bridge.  It's a magnificent pin and it's successful. Faulkner, now ahead,  generously helps Grey back to his corner and even attends to him before going back to his own corner to get his own.

Round 2. Faulkner gets a full finger Interlock, leans back to turn him into a double leg nelson. Grey tries to force a Bascule but over shoots and Vic rolls through into his own double leg nelson.  Grey makes a better effort of getting a folding press but Vic just upturns the press. It ends with the flat two way leg nelson with both men getting an arm up at 2.  Vic tries a bridge loaded feet press but it doesn't change things.  All four arms up at 1 after 1. So referee Max Ward calls a break and they get up.  Vic gets a full Japanese Stranglehold, kicks out a Grey knee, lens back and gets the surfboard.  However he leans a bit too far back and to his surprise gets counted for 1 a couple of times before Grey rolls backwards and nearly has his own Japanese Stranglehold until Faulkner double knee chops him.  Grey gets a single side interlock and resists Vic's attempts to get the other side, picking it off with his foot.  Grey gets a headlock but again like round one Vic works on the ribs to break free. Also like round one, Vic gets a leg and turns Grey into the Gotch toehold - but this time Grey just rolls away.  Vic gets a collar and elbow into armdrag into bodyscissors, occasionally getting counted 1. Both try to divert each others attention upwards. From a waistlock position, Vic manages to push off and fall away leaving Grey to land on the canvas.  Vic gets an armbar and twists to force a somersault and bump on Steve.  He then gets a top wristlock on the mat, driving Grey back down when he tries to stand.   Grey does vertically stand, up a foot to unpick the hold, take the other hand and get a wristlever.  Vic similarly reverses the armbars back with a rear foot pick but Grey rolls out  and away.  Vic gets a straight arm over the shoulder, they march around in the hold then Grey leaps up on Faulkner's shoulders, scissors one arm locks the other and tries a crucifix takedown. He manages it with a grab of Faulkner's chin but once down in the further nelson Faulkner shakes himself free.  Vic gets a side chancery but Steve resists the throw. So Faulkner gets another reverse double arms, trying for another surfboard.  Grey flips out but lands in a double armstretch position. Grey tries to tempt him into a folding press with his legs but Vic will have none of it.  So Grey boots him away on the chin (or possibly the throat as Vic is selling his neck a bit)  and rolls off.   Vic kips up. Steve gets an armbar, passes it over his head and almost forces a somersault and bump- in the end Vic just rolls through.  He posts Steve but Grey takes the impact well, on his lower leg.  Vic gets a single legdive to drop Grey into the mount,  then adds a  single toehold with a foot in the back of the knee for extra torque.  He sits up but Grey turns into the guard, leaving Vic only with a single straight leg and anyway the bell goes.  They get a good long round of applause and shake hands.

Round 3 and Vic gets a standing full nelson Grey tries the lean forward escape and unpicking the clasp.  Neither have any success.  The straight arm drop escape does work but as he rolls over, Faulkner reapplies the hold.  The same thing happens a second time and then Grey breaks one side to go behind and apply a full nelson of his own.  Vic rears his way out and gets a sunset flip on the still doubled up Grey who uses a leg chop to break out.  Vic stays down til 9 to get some rest. Grey throws him and they bounce off the ropes until Grey tells Vic to stop (normally a mind game Vic uses) . Bewildered, Vic turns round and Grey strikes with a rear waistlock into front folding press for a surprise equaliser. One fall each.  Vic is exasperated with himself for falling for it but congratulates Steve regardless.  Grey offers Vic a bottle of water and toweling off as recompense for when H3 lost a fall in Round 1. Vic gamely accepts.

Round 4 and they finger Interlock.  Grey forces Vic on to his back and loads himself onto Vic's torso as Faulkner bridges up to avoid a pin.  He tries to drop his weight but Vic gets underneath and goes up into a monkey climb and flip. Vic goes for a double kneepress but Steve gets both legs in for a leg nelson. Vic kicks up and over into a folding press with bridge.  but Grey crawls out.  Vic gets a wrist and high whips forcing a somersault and bump.  Vic still has the wrist and kneedrops the bicep.  Steve stands up in the hold so Vic armdrags him back down again. Grey slowly backrolls and Vic gets a back hammer .  Grey gets both Vic's legs and lifts him, placing him on the top turnbuckle. An amused Vic shakes Steve's hand.  Vic gets a bearhug s and rope a dopes Grey off various sides. The third time, Grey comes back with a bodycheck then both men miss a splash apiece. Twice Vic gets double legs only for Grey to spin him off. A third time, Vic cartwheels upright and catches a charging Grey with a backslide for a pin and  2-1 win. They shake hands.

Grey would go on to many long years as British and European Lightweight Champion, only finally vacating the former title in 2021 (only a traffic holdup prevented him from refereeing current champion Nino Bryant's win over Lewis Mayhew for the vacant title.) He would also be Rick Steamboat to Johnny Saint's Ric Flair for the World Lightweight Championship with Grey's 1989 moment coming in 1992-1993.

A great Vic Faulkner bout, technical, sporting and cheerful. What I like about him.

 

[David Mantell]

A quick one to make up the numbers.

The third and at the time intended to be final installment of the Masked Marauders storyline. The all masked tag team (in itself a rarity on British TV)  beat Nipper Riley and Firearm Colin Bennett but then accepted a challenge from - and lost to - Big Daddy and Kid Chocolate on FA Cup Final Day World Of Sport.  Marauder Minor (Lucky Gordon) was last seen being dragged to safety by Marauder Major who takes on Daddy solo in a lumberjack match, 3½ years before ITV screened Hogan Vs Savage in an MSG one.  Just to warm up, Daddy arm wrestlers and beats the Marauder and armwrestles and SQUASHES perennial Marauders manager Gentleman Charlie McGeen, a UK knock-off of the then heel Captain Lou Albano.

According to legend, a German with a pay dispute tried to infiltrate the lumberjacks and, in a scene  cut from the broadcast, was frog arched out of the room by Daddy personally.  

This is KNOCKOUT ONLY oh yes.  Otherwise known as a Texas Death Match in America.  

The match is a squash too. Marauder gets thrown out by Daddy and helped in by heel lumberjacks. Syd Cooper and Banger Walsh each run in the ring to attack Daddy but are easily seen off. Charlie stays up on the apron like Marquis Richard's  butler in France. He and Marauder try  to double team Daddy but are each collared and thrown off. Two postings and a throw send the Marauder out and his future tag partner on TV Walsh tries again and gets the sane treatment. Marauder comes back and takes the double elbows backdrop for a KNOCKOUT.

He is now defeated and must unmasked. Daddy realises he hasn't splashed anyone so Charlie gets it.  Some lumberjacks including, ironically, Black Jack Mulligan while referee Peter Szacazs the kid brother of Tibor unlaces the mask and pulls it off. A load of light brown hair is underneath covering the face. He rolls out the ring and the heel lumberjacks cover his head with a towel and lead him away.

And that was meant to be the end of the Marauders gimmick but they had a second run in late 1983/ early 1984 with Mulligan replacing Lucky Gordon as Marauder Minor.  Major and Charlie even teamed with Giant Haystacks to beat a Big Daddy-lead side in an Xmas 1983 triple tag.   Finally Daddy and Pat Pattton defeated Banger Walsh and the Marauder who again unmasked and this timecwas clearly identified as Scrubber Daly.  He and Gordon later wrestled as Marauders without masks and lost to Big Daddy and Andy Blair.

If you like Ultimate Warrior Vs the Honky Tonk Man from Summerslam 88, you'll probably like this too.  Best watched through a child's eyes.

 

[David Mantell]

Quote

 

A travelling British wrestling fan's perspective of All Star Wrestling's 'American SuperSlam Wrestling' event held on Wednesday 26th February 2025 at The Forum in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, UK.

Founded in 1970, All Star is the UK's oldest and longest-running pro wrestling promotion, touring with family-friendly shows. This event featured former WWF Attitude Era star Gangrel, stars of NWA Powerrr and a Tag Team Over The Top Rope Survivor Rumble Challenge.

Video includes:

0:00 Intro

0:39 Train travel to Northallerton

0:53 Sights of Northallerton, including high street, market cross, town hall and All Saints church

1:06 Pre-show drinks at The Durham Ox, The Buck Inn (Wetherspoon's), The Little Tanner, The Stumble Inn and Origin

1:48 Arrival at The Forum :

2:13 ASW British Championship: Tommy Freeman (c) vs. 'Too Hot To Trot' Alex Taylor

3:36 Samurai Shinobi vs. Callum Andrews

5:36  ASW World Championship: Micky Long (c) vs. 'Thrillbilly' Silas Mason

7:24 Krissy Dekker vs. 'British Beef' Ricky Matthews

8:54 Tag Team Survivor Rumble World Riot Squad (Gangrel, Billy Wild, Silas Mason & Alex Taylor) vs. The UK All Stars (Micky Long, Tommy Freeman, Callum Andrews & Ricky Matthews)

12:21 Post-show drink at The Tickle Toby and train home

A vlog piece about a visit to an All Star show in Yorkshire back in February this year.

[David Mantell]

On 2/23/2025 at 1:15 AM, David Mantell said:

Been to Dudley Town Hall for All Star this evening. Good crowd 250-300 ISH.  Sadly no clean bout this time, in fact only 4 bouts in the show.  On the plus side, good old.  Lee Bamber was MC.

Star attraction was ex WWFer Gangrel who teamed with Jim Diehard of the Henchmen (see post a year or back about current superheavies) to lose to Jack Stars and Nathan Cruz. Starz had a good clean match in Dudley a year or two back with Elmar Stone who was in the bill today against a comedy heel Chocolate. Lee announced it as a Britain Vs American show but the two other Americans on the show, both NWA Power guys, faced off against each other - Silas "no relation to James nor Crusher. Vs Alex Taylor.

Here's a video snippet of a couple of nights ago in Aldershot.

https://www.facebook.com/allstarwrestlinguk/videos/645587201318918/ 

I've still got a nice surprise for the German thread tomorrow. Will look through it tomorrow..

This was my review of a show four nights prior to the show in the Northallerton video above. 

The Aldershot Facebook video linked in the post was two days before that (total six days prior to Northallerton.)

MC at Northallerton was Tony Spitfire who was on in Dudley last week in thecsane blue/grey tuxedo.

I shall try and find some similar modern stuff to post to the French and German threads.