The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

Okay, I posted a vlog about the CWA to the German thread and an interview documetary about Popoff and his Catch memorabilia collection to the French thread so what to post for this one?
Peter Thornley, the man behind the mask of Kendo Nagasaki has recently uploaded (and probably isn't done with yet) a bunch of interesting monologue videos about various old colleagues, contemporaries and stuff in the locker room to do with other wrestlers of which he was an onlooker/observer.  They make for an interesting testimony - here are the ones most relevant to this thread:

 

[David Mantell]

On 7/30/2024 at 12:54 AM, David Mantell said:

 

Can't find any previous reviews of this. A definite stepping stone from Collins after completely having Jim Breaks ' number, coming back from the loss to Grey and then becoming European Welterweight Champion to now beating the more experienced and heavier Johnny Kidd 2-0. ( He may be 18 but he has transcended TBW status to become, in Kent Walton's words, "a young master of his craft."

(Although Kent Walton seems to forget Dynamite Kid did the last step at 18 before Collins.  Also although ITV never acknowledged it, Collins was temporarily separated from his British title, jobbing it to veteran crumb heel Cyanide Sid Cooper on an untelevised house show the night after the Euro title win was filmed before heading across La Manchester for his first FFCP tour. He got it back that autumn and held on until he had to vacate in 1989 after beating Finlay for the British Heavy Middleweight title.)

No rounds, best of three falls We join the action about 4 mins in with Collins unfolding a crossface into arm armbar.  JK goes for a horizontal twist out and tries to widen Danny's stance but he falls forward on one hand and bounces back to a standing start.

Johnny gets a leg and tries to trip Danny down but he just hops out the way of the trips.  

Nice first pint by Collins, he goes for a mid ring sunset flip, Kidd rolls through and tries for a folding press but Danny preforms a toupee on him (he's obviously been swotting up on his Catch Francais ready for Euro title defences for Delaporte.) Kidd cartwheels back to a standing start and tries to legdive round into another Sunset Flip position but Danny does the Davey at SS92/Leo Burke fold down for a pin.

A great pair of near pins,  Collins comes off the top turnbuckle and leapfrogs Kidd but Johnny jumps on Danny's shoulders from behind to get Collins in an upright flying scissors. He goes to the victory roll but Collins folds down the legs to arrest the momentum for a pin attempt.  Kidd flips Collins off him and locks over his legs when he rolls back for a bridging folding press but Danny gets his head free and crawls out.

The second straight fall sees the tables turned as Kidd similarly arrests Collins's momentum and Collins goes for the flip off and locking down with his own bridging folding press but unlike Kidd he holds on for the three count. 

A world title was the best logical step for Danny, there was talk of a claimant from Panama City looking to defend against him.  In the event Danny went to Brian Dixon, moved up the weights and avenged several earlier beatings by, as above mentioned, taking Fit Finlay's British Heavy Middleweight title in 1989, the year after TV, before beating Owen Hart in a corker to become World Middleweight champion (the version last claimed a decade earlier by Adrian Street although the CWA had its own version since 1985 and Mal Sanders and Keith Haward had feuded over a version in SunCity SA in 1982.)

Damn, was planning to review this one at the weekend, but it seems I've already done it.
Never mind, I've got a great alternative lined up.

[David Mantell]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:32 PM, David Mantell said:

All Star typically puts a clean bout on as bout number 4 of a 5 bout bill.  Here is a typical example from Oct 2013.  One drawback to the lack of rounds is that in order to pace themselves, the wrestlers have to have clapping breaks to lead the fans in cheering.  Being the C21st versions of the good sportsmanly tehcnical blue eyes, Dean Allmark and Tony Spitfire encourage the fans to cheer each other.

( @El McKell as promised #1 of 2)

I frequently like to post the above Southport match as an example of the state of the Great British Clean Match in the C21st.  The only downside is that, having already posted it a couple of times early on, I feel like I've already covered it off.  So here instead for the blow by blow treatment is another bout from the same period a few weeks away at the Epsom Playhouse.

 

Unlike Southport, the Epsom video cuts straight to the action. They link up and Deano turns horizontally to convert a half Interlock into a standing armbar. Tony immediately positions himself for a cartwheel out.  He rolls forward, does a 180° spin on his behind and unpicks the wristlever with his foot á la Steve Grey, then horizontally swivels again to drop toehold Deano into the mount then rolls across him to apply a grovit on the mat. But Dean rolls round with his back to Tony's torso to reverse the grovit.  Tony stands up in the hold, feigns trying a waistlock counter then whips Dean overarm forcing a somersault bump, Still holding the wrist himself he rolls back to make another armlock. Deano stands and uses a rope assisted somersault to escape the hold, then  gets Tony's arm and deftly turns to get the wristlever again, forcing Spitfire to position for the rollout.  But Deano reverses the direction of torque forcing Tony to take a backwards roll and bump. Deano tries to bend the arm into a Jim Breaks Arm Submission position.  But Tony stands up (note his World Of Sport logo bicep tattoo!) and tries to hook Dean's head before Allmark forces him down again.  Dean goes back to work with the arm submission, even applying it backwards, until Tony gets up and this time gets a headlock. They hit the ropes in the hold, Tony is thrown off on the first rebound but on the second rebound he floors Dean with a bodycheck.  Allowing Dean up in compliance with the no follow downs rule, he gets a headlock and cross buttock throw into guard Headlock on the mat.  Dean turns into an upright kneel and then into a headstand in the hold and falls backward across Spitfire to escape the Headlock and get one of his own with his legs pointed securely away.  Tony uses a similar headstand in the hold to simply uncork himself.  The two exchange sportsmanship and start over. Tony offers a half interlock but then falls backwards and gets the crossed headscissor on Allmark. H3 turns round to get at Dean's legs and after pulling his hands away lifts him off ground by the knees. His power goes and Deano, still in the crossed headscissor tries a quick double kneepress and gets 2.  As they try to lock up, Dean gets a legdive, floors Tony, scissors his ankle and adds a wristlock on top.  He then switches to a side chancery hold (while maintaining the ankle scissor.) . Tony meanwhile has an incipient half bodyscissors in place with his free leg.  He forces the foot down to join the other ankle and complete the bodyscissors.  Dean tries to switch back to the wristlever but Tony gets it free - worse he is forced to ditch his own ankle lock to focus on prising Tony's bodyscissors open. Tony keeps the hold and turns Dean Allmark into the double leg nelson. But Dean leans forward, grabs both Tony's wrists from behind to make the surfboard setup but can't haul his man up in the hold.  He turns over and tries getting a double leg nelson but Tony resists being turned over and they start over. A collar and elbow becomes a Tony full armlock, driving Dean to his knees.  Tony makes a back hammerlock with Dean in the mount.  He half leg Nelsons Dean's other arm to turn his man into the guard and get a cross press for 2 from referee Frankie Sloan (cousin and then tag partner of Robbie Brookside.) and still has a wristlock on the arm he was hammerlocking earlier.  Deano springs up in the hold but Tony headlocks him (before he can roll out).  They hit the ropes and Deano gets free, drops to slow Tony to pass over but gets mown down with a Tony bodycheck on the third rebound. Mindful of the no follow down rule, Tony lets Deano up then takes him back to the mat with a side headlock.  Dean turns him sideways into a folding press but at 1 Tony regains his gravity and rolls back.  So Dean gets a headscissors  Tony turns it unto the upright position. Despite Dean obstructing with an elbow. Tony uses a headstand to uncork the hold and kneel on the scissors to form an incipient Indian deathlock.  Dean sits up but Tony gets a double underhook on him.   Dean gets a leg free and outstretched but Tony tries for a front hammerlock so Dean counters with a small package attempt for 2. They start over.  Dean switches from the double interlock to a rear waistlock and rides out Tony's escape attempts until Spitfire prises off one arm and wristlocks it in the guard.   Deano kips up and briefly gets a countering wristlock but Tony switches to a headlock and bounces them both  off the ropes.  Deano ducks under the rebound, leapfrogs the next one and cross buttock presses Tony but is caught with a ground position dropkick as he moves in.  Tony t gets a bodyslam but this time it's his turn to be caught by a ground position dropkick followed by a cross buttock into armlock.  Tony counters with a legdive into toe and ankle hold.  He loses his grip but manages to make a full Indian Deathlock instead.  A couple of times Dean's shoulders touch the mat for 1. Tony turns into the same front underhook from earlier - and again maintaining an existing leglock as he does so!  He tries to switch to some form of armlock but Deano rides out on top, gets a half nelson then a full nelson.  Tony gets into the seated then standing position.  He detaches the hands to make a backwards full interlock then backs Deano into a corner and throws him but Deano rolls through and upright.  They pause to encourage the crowd and shake hands before fully interlocking.  Tony gets the test of strength advantage but Deano forms a bridge. After Tony trying to break it with a couple of headbutts to stomach, Deano kips up and takes the advantage, having Tony in a double arm press for two before Tony pushes one arm up.  He counters a second attempt but pushing up his other arm and a third attempt with a bridge.  Dean loads himself on twice but does not break the bridge.  The third time, Tony has got his knees on an Monkey Climbs Deano. Both men are flat on the mat, each getting an arm up for two 2 counts from Sloan. On the third, both men bridge then Tony rolls into a double kneepress but Dean rolls him the rest of the way round with a double leg nelson.  They flip back and forth in "La Bascule" double leg Nelsons then a two way leg press before calling it a stalemate and getting up to soak in the crowd applause and shake hands.  They lock up again and Tony manages to get a Posting on Deano and follows in but Deano leapfrogs him in the corner (catching him slightly on the way over.)   He then handstands on the opposite top turnbuckle - although reminiscent of Masambula's pinfall celebrations, this is actually a trap move similar to the Johnny Saint/George Kidd/Rene Ben Chemouel/Vasilios Montopolous "Ball".  Tony pauses for thought before getting Dean in a powerslam position but it's not secure and Deano slips out behind  and gets a folding press for 2.  He gets a wristlever, a weakener before Tony can roll out and then a rear standing armhank.  He switches from there back to straight arm lever then a side headlock on the mat (sadly there is a cut in the video so we don't see how he did this) switching to a front facelock then the first forearm smash of the match before getting a posting but Tony takes it well, absorbing the impact on his knee and coming back with a sunset flip and takedown into double leg nelson for 2. Deano springs out and gets double legs into an inverted front folding press but Tony bridges out, turns Dean around into a front-facing rear waistlock position and then round into a backslide position but Deano gets the better of it and gets the backslide, securing it with a handstand, but can only hold it for 2.  Deano gets another forearm smash into posting but again can't get the full impact as Tony rear leapfrogs him and bodyscissors him  back into a somewhat clumsy sideways-held double leg nelson for 2 (I think it was meant to be held in top with a bridge!). Now it's Tony's turn to try the forearm smash and posting but Deano in turn takes the impact well, leapfrogs his man, crouches down, briefly gets caught himself in a double leg nelson for 2 but then gets free and grabs a double arm,  tricking Tony into rollin backwards right into a folding press with bridge for 3. Dean Allmark wins with the one required pinfall.  They shake hands and embrace.

If anything an even better match than the Southport bout (which has a bit less wrestling and a bit more crowd working, but has a more old school ring with red and blue corners which is more persuasive when showing to lapsed fans that old British Wrestling is alive and well)  Two guys in the 2010s giving me as much fine detail as any two no nonsense shooters in the early 70s.  Fantastic stuff.

[JNLister]

After a huge conversion project, I’ve now replaced the very outdated search tool at itvwrestling.co.uk with a dedicated database at database.itvwestling.co.uk (also accessible through a link on the main site.) It covers 1955-1988 and is fully browsable and searchable, with YouTube links where available. You can click on almost anything to get chronological lists of:
 

• Matches of a particular wrestler (and a win-loss record). In theory it should group together results from a wrestler who used multiple names or where there are spelling mistakes/variations in the listings.
• Matches from a venue.
• Matches from a particular episode.
• Matches for a specific title.
• Matches in a specific tournament.

There’s also an option to see listing with match results displayed or hidden.

One important note is that I can’t guarantee everything is completely correct as I had to develop automated processes for turning the (very inconsistently written and formatted) listings into database form. I’ve tried to fix most issues, but the main things to watch out for are two wrestlers being listed as the same person (eg I need to fix this with Peter & Jon Cortez) and cases where the wrestler ‘scores’ are correct but the wrong person has been the winner (this involved an extremely complex algorithm for the computer to understand who wins with particular combinations of scores.) I will be fixing any errors I hear about or spot, but it’s a process that needs to be done in batches rather than one at a time as I find them.

The main itvwrestling.co.uk continues as normal with the listings, which include additional details such as match and show notes, show times, post 1988 listings, listing from non-ITV channels, and bonus information and articles.

 

[David Mantell]

Sounds good!

20 minutes ago, JNLister said:

It covers 1955-1988

Will it/could it be extended in the future to cover the Reslo, Screensport and Grampian/STV material on the site?

(and the 2016-2018 "WOSW" TV show, come to that?)

[David Mantell]

On 10/23/2025 at 2:17 PM, David Mantell said:

 

2h 30min 10 secs in there is a mention of researchers going to Zambia a few years ago to search for Doctor Who episodes and instead finding loads of British Wrestling.

( @Dav'oh see, it WAS being sold all over Africa/Asia)

I've left a comment requesting more information.

 

@JNLister do you have any information on exactly what wrestling footage was found in Zambia?

(if not, suggestion - you may have the formal research credentials to contact these people and formally ask.)

[David Mantell]

It's been a while since we got bang up to date with a Rumble Wrestling match so here goes with a TBW clean match in the tradition of Peter Bainbridge Vs Gary Clwyd and Bernie Wright Vs Young David. By the way please excuse the decidedly non old school ring - Rumble has a big cage match on the show and their Traditional ring doesn't fit the cage.  (And should you query the presence of cage matches on old school shoes I will hurriedly muffle my agreement and point you in the direction of cage matches on early 90s Reslo or on All Star shows between Kendo and Rocco during the same period.)  They make up for the decidedly un-British looking ring with a real old time venue from the ITV era, the Woodville in Gravesend.

Craig is the one in the headband with the shorter hair,  Charley has the "Honey and lime" tights.  They shake hands and lock up with Charley getting an early grovit take down which Craig reverses in to one of his own.  Charley breaks it open and makes a  hammerlock of it.  Craig moves to a rear waistlock which Charey. reverses only for Craig this time to get the grovit.  Charley tries for a reversal but Craig rolls out.  They get a good round of applause and lock up again.   From here Charlie gets an armbar which Craig rolls through to get an wristlever of his own .  Craig tries an overhead reversal but Charlie twists through to maintain the hold. Charley hits a forearm smash and bodyslam.  Craig misses a retaliatory blown and Charley gets him with a side suplex. He gets a flying forearm smash across the ring and an underhook suplex for a 2 count.  Charley misses another charge and Craig nails him with a dropkick and monkey climb, a flying forearm smash of his own and another undrhook suplex for 2.  Charley gets an armbar into a Fireman's Carry but Craig turns 90 degrees into a sunset flip into double leg nelson. The centre of gravity shift back and forth before Craig turns Charlie 90 degrees into a further nelson position andd tries for a side folding press for 2.  Craig gets another armbar and converts to an armhank, turns round in the hol to face his man, grabs his other arm and rolls him over in another side folding press - a fine move that sadly only gets a 2. For his next trick he converts from the start of an armbar into a backslide for another 2.  The pair have a brief exchange of forearm smashes before Charley lands a flying forearm smash.  They exchange kneelifts they Charley gets a flying forearm, a backroll and dropkick.  Charley gets caught in the ropes and really referee Anton Green should have stepped in but he allows Craig his somersault dive and 2 count.  Some more forearm smashes and chops  break out  Charley gets a posting but Craig retaliates with a shoulderblock flooring both men for a double knockout. 

Until the brawling took over in the final minute this was a good promising scientific matchup with Craig especially coming up with some fine moves. I hope we see more of him on here in the future.

P.S. If anyone's still worried about the ring, Rumble have started putting up another show with the Old School ring back in business.  And guess what was on the bill?  Another Craig Vs Charley match!  Another fine scientific bout (mercifully without the brawl) this time with a winner - Charley.