David Mantell Posted March 15 Posted March 15 Staying with the modern era for a second week ... On 12/24/2025 at 7:42 PM, David Mantell said: Speaking of Rumble, I'm pleased to report that they have decided to eradicate the American concept of Champion's Privilege from their shows and will be changing titles on a disqualification like in the old days. Okay, let's see how this impacts on a title bout other than Nino's British Lightweight title. Sid Manelli turned heel for the second time last year and shortly afterwards lost his Rumble Championship to middle Bryant brother Zander. From the same Xmas Ditton show as Callaghan-Marley III (hence the Xmas decorations), here is the return match. As usual, Rumble employs female seconds. Sid comes out in a lavender towel of which more anon. Round 1- Like Dave Viking in Hanover 1981, Sid goes for the false handshake and when H3 gets the Fake Shake he goes for the eyes. He jans Zander in the ribs and downs him but while down there Zander gets a quick side folding press for 2. Things get more Traditional British technical from there, Sid gets a wristlever and passes it overhead to tighten it, Zander rolls out - back, forward, back, forward - and forces a high whip and bump on Sid, leaving him in a guard armlock. The sequence repeats and Sid heads to ringside to break the flow. He gets back in, goes behind and gets a snapmare but the bell goes. Round 2 - Sid is getting a lot of heat! He again offers a handshake but Zander kicks it away and gets a cross buttock throw into side headlock. Sid folds himself up nicely to get headscissors, Zander gets a kip up escape. then rearcdropjicks Sid into the ropes. He aborts a 619 as Sid dodged and gets an eye fake and big boot for 2. Sid and referee Dave Macro argue. Sid gets a standing double wristlock and jerks it, getting another telling off from Macro. He posts Zander then does a kind of self reversing posting twic3 on Bryant, following in with a boot, getting a crosspress for a 2 count which he claims was a 3 ("Sid can't count" chant the crowd.). He gets another posting and Zander -like Bernard VanDamme on the French thread - takes it by climbing the corner but unlike BVD misses his man. At that point, the bell goes. Round 3 - Sid gets some scissor chops etc in the corner. He goes for a posting but Zander reverses and goes in for a monkey climb. Sid overpowers and makes it a folding press. He has his feet on the ropes but Macro doesn't see it so the fall still stands despite Zander's protests and Macro's suspicions. Unlike on ITV, MC Stephen Barker is not entitled to be a second pair of eyes. So, 1-0 to challenger Sid. Round 4. Zander tires to equalis with a rope assisted front folding press of his own but Marco this time seems the legs. He doesn't penalise Zander as he took is suspicious of that last fall. Sid gets dirtier throwing Zander across the middle rope and booting him. He takes down the red corner pad and as Marco is busy fixing it, grabs his towel and chokes Zander with it, then wipes his face and puts it back. Macro is suspicious of the towel but Sid claims to have the flu! He boots Zander around but Zander, sat on a top turnbuckle gets a boot of his own and sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2. Zander gets a dropkick and 619 (this time it connects) and Superfly Splash off the top for an equaling pin. 1-1. Round 5. Sid walks out for a while but comes back -then jumps and stomps Zander. He goes for the blue corner pad and the towel, using the latter while Macro fixes the former. This time Macro catches SidMoran(filmed late 1986,screened ear Moran with the towel and an argument ensues. Sid pulls down a white pad and Zander goes for some revenge with the towel, using it to sling Sid to ringside but Macro catches him but as Kent Walton would say, puts it down to retaliation. Zander topes Sid at ringside, 39 years since Fuji Yamada did that move on ITV to Rocky Moran (filmed late '86 Lewisham, screened early '87). Zander goes for another flying bodypress but Macro is in the way. Zander jumps down, lightly taps Macro on the shoulder and tells him to be more mindful in future! Sid gets brawl some and end up in a shoving match with Macro that earns Sid a bump and a Public Warning. Zander goes for a charge on the corner but the bell goes. Round 6. The final round but no sporting handshakes. They slug i5 out and Zander gets several clotheslines and goes for another superfly splash but Sid puts his feet up in the air to spike Zander, then gets a stomp and crosspress for 2. He grabs the belt and marches around with it, seemingly aiming at Xander but "accidentally" striking Macro. Zander gets a superkick and cover but there is no ref. Zander goes to revive him but Sid gets a crotch shot and folding press for the winning pinfall. 2-1 to recapture the Rumble Championship from young Zander. Well the reintroduction of Mountevans Rules (minus no follow downs and still with a slower cadence for KO counts) didn't stop Sid cheating his way to a title, did it? The antics with the towel, eye takes and belt would not have been appreciated by ITV although Screensport would probably have OKed them. Still there was a lot of good competent technical wrestling in here from both men amidst the dirties and retaliations. If anyone's interested here is Zander's previous title win from just before the above ruling came into force.
David Mantell Posted March 18 Posted March 18 Just found this morning - Adrian Street on Russell Harty's chat show 1972. Context - Harty himself was screamingly camp and was outed as gay himself in 1987 a year before his death. He did some famous TV interviews with Bowie and Bolan. He also got slapped around once by Grace Jones who thought he was paying too much attention to another guest. Russell Harty - Wikipedia Near the start there is a previously unseen clip of The Hells Angels in action. Not sure who the opponents are - Possibly the Borg Twins at Wembley, screened 6th May 1972 taped 29th April 1972- but @JNLister might well want the clip for the ITV Wrestling site (same as with the Daddy & Stax Vs Kendo & Rex Strong bout clip from Dec 75). Less of a certainty that the full bout survives as this is from a 1972 programme while the Daddy/Stax/Kendo/Rex clip was from a trailer 33 years later in 2018.
David Mantell Posted March 22 Posted March 22 Yes I had a very nice day out for my birthday, thanks for asking. I think you all deserve an actual match, not just a clip (however rare) and chat show appearance (ditto) so here's a quickie: On 7/16/2014 at 4:24 AM, ohtani's jacket said: Giant Haystacks vs. John Cox (9/16/86) John Cox was a hard looking man. Since the WoS footage that aired on TWC is uncut, you often get a little insight into the TV set-up before Walton joins in on commentary. Here we got to see the MC warming up the crowd a bit, and what a shitty crowd it was. Hecklers and assholes doing football chants. Haystacks was big here and his mobility was starting to suffer. Cox jobbed, but it was really poorly orchestrated and about a 10th as well put together as a WWF Superstars match. Walton was at a loss for words and Haystacks got heckled on his way out. Quality! I'd say he had HEAT rather than was just getting heckled. "WORRA LOADA RUBBISH" is what football fans would shout at rival teams in that era.Stax had the gift of the gab anyway and could give more than he got verbally as we shall see at the fnh Round 1 - Stax easily throws off Cox's lock up attempts including a top wristlock, sending him down for a count of 4. Stax resists a legdive attempt and gets presssure points into a chinlock. Cox fires back with some forearm smashes but again Stax shrugs them off and bodychecks his man down before following in with his trademark guillotine elbowsmash. Cox is selling his ribs and the referee cuts the KO count short at 8 and awards Stax the TKO victory right then and there rather than wait the two seconds. I defy anyone to suggest that Cox is "protected" by this finish. Afterwards Stax give one hell of a powerful heel promo, waxing Alice Cooper - "No More Mr Nice Guy" and growling like an angry Bengal tiger - as the crowd in turn vents it's spleen at him. Cox was no enhancement talent but this quick squash was a vehicle to relaunch the Giant on TV after he'd been off touring the world as Kent says. Some of this we shall see - or have already seen - on the German thread. This was October 1986 and Stax had been off TV some 16 months since beating Marty Jones in June 85. This and a win over Tony Francis in November helped set up Stax for a big Xmas Triple Tag (Steve ("Roy") Regal's second TV bout and the final comeuppance of heel manager Charlie McGee).
David Mantell Posted March 28 Posted March 28 On 2/15/2015 at 3:25 AM, ohtani's jacket said: Clive Myers vs. Johnny Apollon (7/27/82) The story here was that Apollon had a rib injury but wasn't really experienced enough to threaten Myers anyway. More of an offensive workout for Myers than a truly competitive match, though Apollon did hang with him for five or six rounds. Myers' shit looked great, which isn't always the case with his Iron Fist shtick, and Apollon did a good job bumping and selling for it even though there was an apparent styles clash on the surface with Apollon being a legit amateur type. Worth watching if you're a Myers fan and want to see him do his shit with some extra snap to it. Back in Myers' pre Iron Fist days when he wore the Union Jack trunks, he was quite the purist-friendly technician and much of that carried over into Clive's Iron Fist days so I don't see why this would be a styles clash at all. Apollon was trained by Lee Bronson who himself was trained by Wayne Bridges and was the son of 40s/50s star Norman "the Butcher " Ansell. He is however no relation to "Golden Apollon" Richie Brooks, at this point a couple of years away from turning pro. We JIP at the start of Round 3 - the bout being a warm up match, the first two rounds having been scoreless and this being quite a short round. Apollon gets in quick with a snapmare and Legdrop Of Doom for a seven count then gets a posting in. Myers stalls i the corner breaking Apollon's momentum. Myers gets a snapmare into side headlock but Johnny neatly straightens the arm into a wrist lever then switches to another snapmare and twice tries a bodycheck but the first has little impact and on the second, Clive gets in a superkick. And suplexes his man, using his duplexing arm to get the cover (see also Myers and YAMADA Vs Kendo & Rocco from 1987) and the opening fall! Myers leads one-nil. Round 4. Myers is not the only one to have scored that Saturday afternoon. This being the original transmission, the latest football scores pop up and apparently bubble perked legend Kevin Keegan hàs got a goal for Newcastle Utd. Anyway, back to the match. Apollon goes from side chancery to front chancery to suplex and gets three before Myers craftily breaks the count by putting his hands behind his get a rope break with his elbows! Myers gets an arm, teases a Johnny Saint style stepover then forces a high whip and bump. Apollon absorbs it well, taking it on his behind and swivels into a position from which it is eay 6 to spring up. Nice absorption move by John. They single interlock and Myers switches hands to get a wrist lever and deftly develops it I to a back hammerlock then a double wristlock. He armdrags his man in the hold but Runs Out Of Mat as Apollon's legs hit the ropes as he goes over. Break and double interlock . Apollon tries a lean back dropkick but Myers steps back and John crashes. Myers gets collar & elbow into armdrags I to guard armlock but Apollon gets up swiftly and gets an armbar into posting. Myers resists the posting, squatting down like Ken Joyce. Apollon has more jo6 with a snappish monkey climb, but Myers then resists a snapmare attempt. Apollon gets an armbar into ankle lock on the standing Myers. He drops the foot back as Myers seeps to be planning a superkick. (Apparently Apollon had one planted on him in the untelevised Round 1.). Myers tries for a legdive but only gets a shove to the stomach, leaving Apollon down to get a legdive attempt of his own. Apollon gets an arm and tries an armdrag but Myers clamps down to make a long press for 1 . Myers tries a double arm stretch in the guard but Apollon picks them off with his feet in a bicycle motion. Apollon gets a wrist but the bell goes. They shake hands. Kent Walton mentions that Johnny trains at a gym in the Railway Tavern which later became the Bridges pub, home of Southern Wrestlers Reunions for many years. Round 5. Apollon gets a headlock but Myers counters with his backdrop suplex but isn't quite in the right position for another pin. So instead he gets an armscissor and side headlock on, adjusting as Apollon moves. Apollon gets a headscissors and so Myers drops his own holds to fight it. He bridges up and swivels into the front upright position, spreading his man's knees to release his own head with which he butts the legs. Myers gets off a legdive swatting away Apollon's attempt at a topé to spin him off. He switches to crosspress then armbar then an attempted straight arm lift but has to drop Apollon when he threatens a headscissors. So he ends up with just a guard armlock and Apollon aiming kicks at his back. A lockup goes nowhere except Apollon falls on his seat. Again he gets an arm but Myers resists the armdrags attempt that was actually intended. Myers also resists a side chancery throw but goes with an attempt at a long suplex which switches to cross press and slam. They try for some more lockups but the bell goes before anything substantial can happen. Again they shake hands. Round 6 Apollon gets a stomach jab and posting. Myers cartwheels out of a cross buttock throw but is caught by Johnny's dropkick and briefly tied in the ropes like late period Andre or the heel in a continental tag match comedy spot. He quietly untangles himself. Apollon finally gets his armdrag in finishing on a guard armlock. Myers is up and off the ropes but runs into a sharp Apollon elbow. Johnny capitalises with a side chancery (taking advantage of Myers' head not being quite up ) and Harley Race head-drop. then another armdrag into armscissor. He pulhes Myers back and slings him into the ropes but Myers again holds the rope to break momentum. He gets an arm. whip and superkick of his own twice . Myers gets the same suplex attempt converting to powerslam as earlier - practically a Goldberg jackhammer! - and gets the second straight fall with it. Myers the winner 2-0 What I like is how a seemingly inconsequential undercard bout like this can turn into a real clinic of " Human Chess,". Good match in a Territory where such things were common.
David Mantell Posted April 4 Posted April 4 Another good example of how many undercard bouts could be technical dark horses. Hayward is the former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist turned professional European Middleweight champion, quite outside the range of what the North American wrestling industry would consider hirable (a stint in Stampede notwithstanding). Here he has a veteran technician with whom to put on his scientific exhibition. Unlike such lighter or less experienced opponents as Tim Fitzmaurice where Keith's effortless superiority made crowds politely root for the opponent, Hurst is too experienced to get the sympathy vote. We join the action in round 4 . Hayward gets an arm weakener out of a one sided lockup. Hurst converts a double interlock into backdrop(putting his own head in an underhook to get it) into crosspress for a couple of 1s. Interestingly curling 1 leg to get extra downwards pressure. Hayward in the guard turns himself upright and gets an armbar in the process! He folds the arm into a hammerlock and hooks the other arm to turn Hurst into a crosspress, but his feet hit the ropes forcing a break. They are up and Lenny gets an underhook but Hayward pulls it straight and gets a weakener, (the second time he has done this in the bout instead of force a high whip plus bump . ) Lenny sells the pain, staying down for 6. Keith moves from single interlock to armbars to legdive. Hurst gets a retaliatory wrist lever. Hayward eventually re)eases the leg when Hurst figure four scissors the arm but instead lifts Hurst and places him on the top turnbuckle. They shake hands. Both men get a legdive - stalemate. A second try results in the same. Hurst gets a side chancery off a double Interlock and throws Hayward who rolls upright neatly. Hurst gets the same sid3e chancery throw but Keith takes it equally beautifully. Hurst gets a side headlock on Keith who makes it into a top wristlock and another armbar weakener. The bell goes as Hurst gropes for a leg. Round 5 starts with Hurst getting a side chancery off collar and elbow, getting the throw after some resistance. A second side chancery throw is more easily gained, even earning a 2 count. A third time Hayward stays down in a seated position and Hurst vertically splashes the back of his neck for a four count. He converts a fourth one into a kneelift.for another 4. A fifth side chancery throw and a standing full nelson ensue as Kent Walton wonders what has happened to the usually speedy Keith. Kent quickly gets his answer as Keith reverses the hold, slips down into a rear waistlock and gets his trademark German suplex finisher out of nowhere for the pin! Keith is 1-0 up. Round 6 and Hurst gets a wristlever from a collar and elbow. getting two twists and a long forward whip and bump. Any further and it would have been a posting! He gets the near posting whip again, getting even for the round 4 arm weakeners? Hayward is up at 4 but caught in a Hurst abdominal stretch, sideways on. Hayward won't submit so Hurst drives in a knee and gets another arm weakener before releasing. Hayward is up at 4 straight into another side chancery throw. Hurst whips Hayward into the ropes, misses a rear elbowsmash and gets hit with a flying tackle, but rolls over backwards as he goes down until Hurst has the cross press and an equalising pin! This finish is worth entry money in itself - a properly done version of what Wendi Richter and Leilani Kai BUNGLED at WM1. Round 7. Hurst gets a single leg off a single interlockbut Hayward leans forward, seemingly to get an inverted rear waistlock to start his trademark suplex. However the camera cuts to reveal Keith has reached all the way over and got a toehold. Stalemate and they start over. Hurst gets double legs and a lift but Hayward goes over into a sunset flip and double leg nelson attempt for 2 with Hurst giving it some SERIOUS "Aloha Arn" as he goes down. Hurst turns over and gets a high folding press for 1 but Hayward kicks out, himself getting a 6 count on Hurst. They single Interlock and this time it's Hurst who goes behind for the rear waistlock He takes Hayward down in the mount rather than attempt his opponent's speciality bridge ecsuple (I believe a relic of Hayward 's Olympic GR days.). Hayward easily twists out and gets a front chancery (allowed as Hurst is trying for a legdive on the mat.). but Hurst. Straightens the arm. Hayward briefly connects with the inverted rear waistlock - but can't get the weight for a suplex and Hurst regains armlock control with his man behind. He straightens the arm to a more conventional armbar shape Hayward does the traditional British rolloff and comes up with a sharp forearm smash. Hayward gets a double legs into folding press for 1, straight arm pres for another 1. Hurst bridges. They roll over and over with Hayward bodyscissoring his man. Both get long arm press attempts as they go on top. Hurst converts from bodyscissors to headscissors but Hayward uses the headstand escape. He lands in position to get a Gotch figure four toehold and augment it to make a simple cross surfboard. Hurst tips i5 over and lands on his knees. Hayward still hangs onto the crossface until the bell goes Round 8, the final and Hurst gets a dropkick, snapmare and twisting nose stomp. He gets an armbar into hammerlock from a collar and elbow but Hayward spins to untwist, single leg diving his man on the go and getting a single toehold, leg weakener and 5 count but is too hasty following in with another legdive and privately warned by the ref (the first such occurrence of the bout). who demands a start over. Hurst turns horizontally on a high Interlock to pull down an armbar and make another hammerlock. Hayward reaches back and tries for a rear snapmare but Hurst resists so instead Hayward reverse snapmares back over French Catch style and both men fire dropkicks, bumping heavily and both up at 9. Hurst gets a vigorous headbutt from above. Hurst gets another dropkick, Hayward a running elbowsmash, forearm and dropkick. The science seems to be fading in the final scramble for a decider, but it soon picks up again. Hurst can only get a 1 count from a crotch hold, slam and crosspress. Both men go down from a bodycheck for 8, a Hayward dropkick gets 5, a Hurst backslide gets 2 (after slipping grip on one arm first time - possibly a botch). as does a Hayward sunset flip into double leg Nelson. A Hurst side folding press hits the ropes and Runs Out Of Mat. Hurst tries leaning back from a full Interlock into a cross scissor toupie but as he locks on the feet and hand stands up, the bell finally goes 1-1 draw. Hayward looks a bit put out as a Hurst reaches for his water bottle then the Advert Break strikes, but one hopes it ended in handshakes. Several of Keith's exhibition victories including the Tim Fitzmaurice one saw Kent afterwards ponder what if Hayward faced a more experienced or heavier man. Here he gets one and doesn't get it all his own way but still,acquits himself well, getting at least 1 of 2 of his trademark bridging suplex pins. A fine technical match except for one short scramble in the final round. ,
JNLister Posted April 9 Posted April 9 On 3/18/2026 at 6:11 AM, David Mantell said: Just found this morning - Adrian Street on Russell Harty's chat show 1972. Context - Harty himself was screamingly camp and was outed as gay himself in 1987 a year before his death. He did some famous TV interviews with Bowie and Bolan. He also got slapped around once by Grace Jones who thought he was paying too much attention to another guest. Russell Harty - Wikipedia Near the start there is a previously unseen clip of The Hells Angels in action. Not sure who the opponents are - Possibly the Borg Twins at Wembley, screened 6th May 1972 taped 29th April 1972- but @JNLister might well want the clip for the ITV Wrestling site (same as with the Daddy & Stax Vs Kendo & Rex Strong bout clip from Dec 75). Less of a certainty that the full bout survives as this is from a 1972 programme while the Daddy/Stax/Kendo/Rex clip was from a trailer 33 years later in 2018. Thanks for this. Doubly helpful find as a few months back Tony Borg's son contacted me to ask if I had any footage of him wrestling as he'd never seen tape of his dad wrestling (though had seen him live as a very small child and may well have been at this match.)
ohtani's jacket Posted April 9 Author Posted April 9 23 minutes ago, JNLister said: Thanks for this. Doubly helpful find as a few months back Tony Borg's son contacted me to ask if I had any footage of him wrestling as he'd never seen tape of his dad wrestling (though had seen him live as a very small child and may well have been at this match.) FWIW, I helped send footage of Tony Borg to his family over a decade ago. They made a hidden video of Tony's reaction, which was delightful.
David Mantell Posted April 11 Posted April 11 The Borgs were wrestling in London the day I was born 21st March 1974. I have a copy of the Evening News for that evening with the bill advertised.
David Mantell Posted April 11 Posted April 11 On 1/3/2014 at 12:26 PM, ohtani's jacket said: Caswell Martin vs. Lenny Hurst (4/10/79) Caswell Martin was such a brilliant wrestler, it's just a shame that there's no one bout you could point to that shows it. You kind of have to watch all of his matches to get an overall impression. I was glad that they gave these two plenty of time, even if it was as obvious as the nose on my face that the bout would be inconsequential. Both guys seemed motivated working against one another and outside of the crappy booking the work was strong. I never get tired of watching Martin in the ring. Found this last week after watching Hurst Vs Hayward. A technical clinic although obviously the finish was not OJ's cup of tea. (My recommendation for best Caswell bout is Vs Marty Jones at the Royal Albert Hall - I think we've covered that one on here in the past.) This was taped at what in later life became a local venue of mine, the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington. All Star still ran shows here into the late 2010s and I've definitely posted at least one tag match from spring 2010 on here. The headline bout for both the taping and that week's screening was Big Daddy and Young David defeating The South London Hardmen (Mick McManus and Steve Logan MK1), a match Davey Boy Smith later claimed as an early landmark in his career. We join the action where WOS viewers presumably did, with no score at the start of ... Round 3. Hurst gets three side chanceries but Hurst is up each time at 3. He goes for a fourth but Martin gets on a side headlock then slips round behind to make it a standing hammerlock Cas then trip him forward into the mount and secure a double leg nelson. He goes to bridge back but Hurst secures a bodyscissors then turns onto his front to use the scissors to hold Martin in a folding press for 3. Hurst gets the opening pin. 1-0 to Lenny. Round 4 . Fresh off.scoring, Hurst rolls right up to Cas but it shoved down for 6. Hurst gets a single standing right ankle but Martin cartwheels out much the same as H3 might to untwist an armbar. Beautiful execution and it gets a round of applause so Hurst tries again and gets the same escape from Cas and the same crowd reaction. They double interlock and Cas puts his boot up on Hurst's chin and hammers his knee, driving the leg in and getting 7. Even Kent admits it's "a new one"Hurst can use his legs too, after sidestepping a lo kip he fires off a dropkick and dives on the fallen Martin all in one move for a front folding press but this time it's Cas who locks on a bodyscissors, bridging to hold Hurst in a kneeling position. Hurst counters by getting an underhook and standing up in the scissors. He reaches in for a crotch old and gets a body slam on Martin for 4. Hurst gets a toe and ankle in a kneeling position, Martin again twice tries to use his legs as a peg to shove Hurst away but this time to no effect. A third time he shoves Hurst off and into the ropes but Hurst cartwheels away to avoid rebounding into something nasty. Another double interlock and Hurst leans back and slaps on a crossed headscissors, possibly looking for a to7pibut Martin folds one leg to make a standing figure four leglock, holding the toe of the top foot down with his own floor and the straight underneath leg up by the heel. In return, Hurst pulls out Martin's own leg so he collapses sitting, then applies a leg spread. Cas can do the splits fine, butit does forc3 him to drop his leglock. Stalemate,. They double interlock and hit the ropes so Martin backrolls out of trouble. Another double interlock and Martin gets a fireman's carry, gorilla press and stomach breaker. He gets a 9 count - almost a knockout - and a single right leg but Hurst is on the ropes. Break. Hurst is still selling the stomachbreaker but he himself buts Martin in the stomach for 3, shoves him down for 2 and gets a backslide for 1 before Martin headstands out - a novel escape from a backslide if ever I saw one! Hurst gets a single interlock , twists on it to make a top wristlock and drags Cas down into a guard armlock but Martin rolls with the takedown so his legs pop up and clamp a headscissors on Hurst. Then he drags him down in the figure four headscissors and cranks forward with Hurst sell8ng the pain before dropping down. The bell saves Hurst. Round 5.- Martin reaches in and takes a single leg, (risking a front facelock there, it has to be said). Hurst counters with a one legged monkey climb but Martin lands feet first. Hurst gets two side chanceries for 2 each and a cross buttock throw for 3. They cross cross and Martin goes over with a leapfrog, under with a drop down and then he gets the trip into a reverse double leg nelson into folding press with a bridge he tried for in round 3 - and this time he gets the fall! 1-1 the score. Martin exuberantly backrolls out and the two shake hands again . Round 6 - they lock up and Martin gets a cross buttock throw into the guard and then switches to an ankle and putting it through several weakeners culminating in a bodily drop down on the crossed legs. Hurst is nearly KOd but makes it up after 8. Martin is clearly still after the legs. He gets a legdive but Hurst turns him into the ropes forcing a break. Hurst gets an arm, twists it good and then does a high forward whip forcing Cas to bump. and take a 7 count. A second go gets 6. Martin gets a rear waistlock but Hurst uses his own wristlock to break it open, sling Cas into the ropes and mett him with a bodycheck on the rebound. A second time H3 is caught and slammed but catches Cas with a quick ground dropkick before Martin can get upright. Martin kips up quickly though and leaps over Hurst into a sunset flip with Hurst again doing "Aloha Arn" as he goes down into a double leg nelson He is up quickly (as the ref trips on the ropes!) but spun off with a headscissors by Cas - almost a toupie - and not up until 8. He is soon back, dropping for a legdive into seated double anklelock. He leans back a bit too far as Martin tries various crossface and chi holds on him but holds firm on the leg until Martin uses his own other leg to pull Hurst off momentarily but he soon gets the hold back and Martin is reduced to th3 chin attacks. They are enough of a nuisance that Hurst finishes up with a mighty standing dropping leg weakener for 7. Both men legdive each other to form a standing H. Stalemate and so is a simultaneous legdive/arm taken. Hurst gets a dropkick and double legs and tries for a Boston Crab. But he can't get his man turned over and Cas goes up on his head. For a moment it looks like a toupie until Martin crawl on through Hurst's legs and huaracanranas him over then hooks booth legs as Hurst rolls back, for a rear folding press but Hurst bascules it into a front double leg Nelson. Martin tries a folding press but is spun off out of the ring onto the apron. They shake hands. Martin gets a side chancery throw and legdrop of doom for 8, another side chancery throw and walk over for 7. Hurst gets a rear snapmare and twisting stomp for 7 also. The two get locked up in a corner, the ref tells them to break and on top of all else the bell goes. This makes Hurst back off and the two shake hands. Round 7 -Hurst gets a wristlever, drives a knee in, forces a bump on a turn over knee height and rolls back and forth each way, delivering two legdrops to the bicep, scissoring the wrist and turning it into a guard top wrist scissors. He switches to basic wristlock as Hurst gets up, tries a headbutt but comes off the worst. Hurst gets a wrist, is thrown to the ropes but rebounds with a bodycheck. Martin kips up and takes his man down to the mount in a back hammerlock, turning him into seated and kneeling positions before making it a bar-hammerlock, still in the mount. Hurst tries to get up but Martin tightens the angle on the hammerlock. So Hurst tries the French Catch style reverse snapmare and goes over backwards - over the ropes to ringside, landing badly. Martin, the referee, MC Brian Crabtree and some St John's Ambulance personnel go to help but the contest is over. Cas is offered the TKO win but sportingly refuses. In consideration of the two falls, the ref calls it a 1-1 draw, not a no contest. Five good rounds of agile inventive athletic technical wrestling with two sophisticated and beautifully executed pinfalls. What more can you wish for on a Saturday? The first two rounds perhaps.
David Mantell Posted April 18 Posted April 18 On 5/26/2015 at 5:35 AM, ohtani's jacket said: Dave Taylor vs. Judd Harris (Llandudno, taped 7/13/83) Back to the early 80s. I much prefer this era of Reslo. Even the host is better with British Lions and Welsh rugby star Ray Gravell fronting the show. That won't mean anything to anyone except ButchReedMark, but's cool to have a Welsh rugby connection to Reslo. I've never been a huge fan of Taylor, but he was one of he stars of the Reslo footage (the complete master tapes of which have apparently surfaced, btw.) Harris had a huge beer gut. You don't get that sort of gut over night. That takes work, boyo. It's too bad he was extremely limited as he got fantastic heat. There were two young girls giggling their heads off in the front row, who were squirming like hell when Harris took a bump over the ropes and stumbled near them. That was more entertaining than the bout which was one of those heel wear down bouts that drag when you don't care about the heel or the babyface. Still love this era of Reslo, though. Hurricane Harris again billed from Australia even here in the UK. I just debunked Hebden Boy's Aussiness on the German thread. Dave is from a family of technical legends but also a big man equal to Judd. Maybe he can make him behave himself .. Round 1 As with against Johnny South in Germany a year later, here Judd starts by crushing Dave on the ropes. Conscious that perhaps S4C might be a bit more regulated than a single camcorder, he releases getting in a quick shove. Harris gets a front chancery but Taylor extracts an arm, forcing a high whip and bump for the bigger man. Harris gets the same leglock as against South. He switches to toehold but Taylor spins him off, an impressive feat for two men their size. Harris up at 4 gets a top wristlock down into the guard. Taylor is up and down - the audience claim hairpulling. Taylor gets a French Catch style Scisseaux Volees takedown. (Normally this doesn't work in Britain the victim lifts the flyer off and tosses them casually away.). Judd turns upright and forces Dave's knees apart through sheer slow power. He has a powerlock on and Dave is having to curl his shoulders to avoid a pin count. Harris witches to single bar to the knee. Again Dave spins him off (Not a toupie, he goes over on his hands not his skull). Harris gets in behind with a facebar forcing Dave to his knees. He switches to pressure points and drives a knee in, then a kneedrop and facelock. The audience aren't happy but the ref lets it go as all one move. Harris finally gets a bit dirtier with a hairpull and some kneedrops that were clearly not continuous motion from earlier. He forearms Dave and pounds him on the ropes, hits him in a headlock and follows down. Very much more British fouling than the South bout. The ref mainly tells him (in English) to "let the man get up". The bell goes, Judd basks in his own heat before getting a swig of water. Round 2. A more even forearm smashing contest sees Taylor floor Judd. Harris fires back and snapmares and foot drops Dave. Judd gets pressure points and a chinlock. He roughs his man up some more but Taylor reverses a posting and gives Judd a backdrop. Harris could really bump spectacularly for a man his size! Taylor, the blue eye, lets Judd up fairly, villain or no, before dropping a descending forearm on the back of the neck. More bursts of forearms including one in a chinlock to steady his man.Harris corners Taylor who reverses this but the ref does not allow much retaliation. Taylor complains but unlike some late 70s/early 80s French Bons we could mention he complies and would not dream of beating up Monsieur L'Arbitre. Harris chokes Taylor on the ropes but Dave rear snapmares him to ringside (whereas South just bucked him over.). The bell goes as Harris climbs in. Harris gets Taylor in a war of words, something he says is too much and Taylor flips him in and gets a public warning. Round 3. Harris gets a headlock and some fouls. They exchange forearms then Dave ties up his man in the ropes and flying tackles him.n He tries a second but is met with a Harris inner forearm (hey even in America they weren't yet called clotheslines in 1983). After some more forearms he gets a splash and an opening pinfall. Round 4 Taylor leaps across and goes for a monkey climb on the cornered Judd. It doesn't come off but does trap him untill he shakes Dave off and goes back to brawling. Taylor gets a dropkick, posting and a this time successful monkey climb (yes Harris could bump!). Dave dropkicks Judd out almost on the laps of those two gorgeous Welsh lasses OJ mentions (probably in their sixties by now, sadly) where he stays down for a KNOCKOUT. Or maybe Judd figured he'd pulled and threw the match to hang out where the action was. Obligingly after the match Dave dropkicks Judd who has got back in the ring back out to be with the girls. It's at this point I seriously think that was on purpose! Two superheavies of WWF size, one of whom later made it in WCW, trying to do a match for two lighter guys. Give them credit for trying, it was far better than the Harris South bout on the German thread.
David Mantell Posted April 29 Posted April 29 Seeing as I was in Blackpool this weekend (hence the delay) here's a battle royal from the Blackpool Tower Circus from 1990. I assume the video offered for sale at the start is this actual one. Pretty much your usual heaving mob until the unusual ending of one heel - Finlay - versus two blue eyes - Danny Collins and Marty Jones (ironically Jones and Finlay were, unknown to British fans, Finlay and Jones were tagging at the Wien Heumarkt.) The two good guys double team the bad guy and split the £1K purse 500 each despite Finlay's best efforts to taunt them into fighting each other. Way to round off a show, precursor to end of night Rumbles. Later that year Jones and Collins did indeed wrestle each other - cleanly for Jones's World Mid Heavyweight title on Grampian/STV. Danny had already taken the British Heavy Middleweight title from Finlay the previous year.
David Mantell Posted May 4 Posted May 4 Today in England and Wales (and possibly the rese of the Union). It is May Day Bank Holiday Monday, introduced in the 1970s by the Labour government as a British version of Labour Day(and seen ever since as an affront by Conservatives who want rid of it.) Back in the day, one of the last alternative timeslots to Sat afternoon on ITV after the demise of the midweek late evening slot was Bank Holiday Sports Special, a sort of World of Sport in all but name, including a couple of wrestling bouts in a similar teatime slot. With that in mind, I am posting a match from BHSS - from a May Day BHSS, no less- On 9/14/2014 at 11:35 AM, ohtani's jacket said: Keith Haward vs. Kurt Heinz (3/25/80) Heinz was this tattooed, shaven head guy who was quite an interesting looking fella for 1980 World of Sport. He lasted about 30 seconds into the second round of his television debut before being squashed like a bug. Walton cracked me up by saying he hoped to see more of Heinz because he's great~! This is from May Day BHSS 1980 and was a warm up to Steve Grey unsuccessfully challenging Johnny Saint for the World Lightweight Championship after having beaten the champion on TV a couple of times. As OJ mentions this was Heinz's TV debut but what was more important is that it was Keith Hayward's TV debut also and the start of a push that would see him spend the 1980s alternating with Mal Sanders as European Middleweight champion, th3 title he took off Mick McManus in 1978. Round 1 We JIP but only just and I think the actual transmission starts at the actual bell with Kurt trying to jump Keith and coming unglued. The clip starts with Kurt selling whatever it was, while getting a KO count from referee Peter Scacazs (brother of Tibor.). Keith quickly fells him again with a legdive and trip then a cross buttock throw across the ring. Kurt gets a wristlever and is starting to progress to a back hammerlock which Keith turns in on him, gets his head between his man's legs and delivers a backdrop. Keith gets a single I terlo k 8nto a very fast fireman's carry throw, resulting in more bumping for Kurt and more counting for Peter. These constant KO counts were/are the British equivalent of a long string of false finish two counts. Heinz gets a side headlock, Keith gets behind and snaps into a rear waistlock into side folding press but Runs Out Of Mat as Kurt's feet roll back upwards into the ropes. Kurt gets the legdive and toehold, switching to a leglock. Keith turns into the mount and for a mommt it looks like Kurt could make it a Gotch toehold - he gets the leglock but Keith just as swiftly presses up, ignores a flattening blow to the back and rolls away. On the warpath and shuffling foot to foot he easily slips on a quick standing full nelson then converts it to a crucifix takedown, scissoring the arm. Sadly there is a tape fault but when it clears Keith has Kurt in a front wide double leg nelson (rather than the further nelson press one might expect to follow a crucifix takedown. I'd love to see how he got from A to B!) Again the ropes save Kurt. He gets another finger interlock into leglock into Gotch toehold which Keith gets the advantage on but sadly anothe4 tape fault again stops us seeing how. When it is clear, it's Keith who has a standing (or forward leaning) toehold which he makes into a brutal stretching legweakener. Heinz is up and gets the full nelson this time, nicely converting to a rear snapmare. We cut to the round break without seeing the ending - I estimate there was about 30 seconds left . I would expect Heinz got a crossface from the snapmare from which Keith escaped - Kent mentions Keith getting in a throw which landed after th3 bell. Kurt is in a sour mood, shouting epithets at the crowd. Round 2. Keith tries for an arm lift. It doesn't come off but Kurt is selling the wrist no end. It's enough to encourage Keith to try again - with the same limited but detectable results. Keith gets a magnificently executed monkey climb, a whip into the ropes and two high backdrops (the second not so good) before finishing with an inverted waistlock slam and cross press for the one fall required. Nice short bout. Establishes Keith as the new scientific star on the block and Kurt as a good carpenter who knows a thing or two about working the crowd. IIRC we see more of Kurt including a Skinheads tag team with brother Karl. For Keith it's a long future path, generally upwards. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll get a glimpse of the BHSS studio - Dickie Davies is hosting like on WOS but there are no typists clattering away, just a simple photo blowup backdrop of various sports. @ohtani's jacket - correction, it's actually KEITH that Kent says he looks forward to seeing more of and calls GRREAT like he's Tony the Tiger and Hayward is a bowl of Frosties. And Kent certainly gets his wish.
David Mantell Posted May 9 Posted May 9 Amazingly this bout doesn't seem to have been covered on here, but here goes. Christmas 1979, end of a decade, welcome back to ITV after the weeks long Strike that put out the entire Network and with it all TV wrestling for a couple of months. It's the last time on TV that a Big Daddy match has a round break and the last time we get to see him do quite a fair few holds and moves, in fact. (A year earlier on Swindon Cable versus Dave Bond is the last we have of him seriously on the defensive unless you count Stax at Wembley 1981 kicking Daddy around as he bent down to help the injured referee.) Moreover, for five year old me, sat at home in Chigwell Essex, this was my first ever masked wrestler. Introducing to you journeyman wrestler Arthur "Buffalo" Bison/Bice making his one and only TV appearance and doing so in a hood. Round 1 Mama X's boy gets a headlock on Daddy who shrugs him off with power like he did to Kendo Nagasaki four Xmases earlier in 1975. The duo have a top wristlock battle which Daddy wins by stepping. Forward to gain leverage. X tries a couple of Daddy's own bodychecks on him to little effect. Daddy gets a full Interlock into a full Japanese Stranglehold, even tripping X neatly down to give himself the added height advantage.From there, he switches to an unsuccessful unmasking attempt and two hiptosses across the ring that get Daddy counts of only about 4 but no more. X spends some time outside recuperating. Back in the ring, a single finger interlock becomes a Daddy armbars into reeling in for a bodycheck. He is up at 6 but a double Interlock and low forearm smash fell him for another 6. X tries to rally himself with a jumping war dance but is bodychecked down for yet another 6. Daddy still has a finger interlock and uses it to give X the high whip and bump into a guard armlock. He drags X up and posts him. X tries that same side headlock from the start (and which Kendo tried in '75) and like both those times he is thrown off by bucking bronco Daddy who then gets a cross buttock throw into side headlock on X for 8, nearly a KNOCKOUT!!! Daddy converts from an interlock into a rather good inverted upper chest lock suplex but the bell goes. Max Crabtree has been reeling off Arthur's career highlights to Kent earlier that day and Kent duly repeats them to the viewer. Round 2 Daddy gets in a couple more throws. X retaliated with illegal concealed kidney punches which the referee spots and privately warns the masked man. X next tries for a posting but Daddy reverses it, gets a second one then finishes things with his second most famous speciality - the Double Elbows backdrop - the one Bret Hart recalls Max Crabtree paying wrestlers cash bonuses to risk their lives to take - for a count of 10 and a KNOCKOUT!!! Daddy is the winner. Afterbirth: The grotesquely overweight "Incredible Bulk" Fatty Thomas comes to the ring to challenge Daddy and the two stalk each other. Meanwhile X returns, determined to be unmasked and show his face on the Telly. Daddy duly obliges, dragging him in, unhooding beardy Bison and slinging him back out before he and the Bulk resume stalking each other. A last glimpse at an earlier Shirley before the hot tags and quick squashed took over.
David Mantell Posted May 10 Posted May 10 Wrestler and stand up comic Josh Faulkner (no relation to Vic) has done some vlogs on YouTube about British Wrestling. If you like the Wrestle M e vids on British Wrestling you should love these.
David Mantell Posted May 16 Posted May 16 And here is the man himself from four years ago just before the last pandemic legislation was cleared out. He faces Adam Mansfield, a 1990s graduate of NWA Hammerlock who went on to become a generic if entertaining heavyweight heel in middle age. Before the match gets underway, in a scene from the Torments of Terry Taylor debating with the crowd whether he is poultry or not. That settled, and after some more crowd work, JAdam gets a rear waistlock but Josh peels off an arm to get an armbar. After some selling, Adam does a standing horizontal swivel mount into a nice armdrag - he can wrestle, for all his "playing to the crowd" as Kent Walton used to say. Josh keeps hold of the arm arm. He gets a straight arm lift and drop into a standing hammerlock. Adam counters with a rear waistlock takedown but Josh keeps the arm and cowardly heel Adam forces a rope break, which Back In The Day would have gotten him massive heat. Mansfield continues to work the crowd. Faulkner gets a rear chinlock but the bigger man breaks it open, armdrags him down and builds up the armlock. He moves to a standing position but Faulkner reverses the hold and has Mansfield a good distance from the ropes. He bounces him off the ropes and gets a whip and bump before resuming work on the armlock. Mansfield forces him 8nto a corner and - ignoring the ref's call for a clean break - repeatedly shoulder charges Josh against the corner, an old time heel tactic. Releasing in time before he can be given a public warning, Adam smugs it for the crowd but Josh soon gets a posting and dropkick, armdrags and legdrop to the arm. Mansfield powers up and again corners his man, responding to a break call with an illegal kidney punch which actually gets some boos from older spectators in 2022, pleasingly enough. He hits him in the back and posts him, getting a knockout count of 5, given - again pleasingly - at the same cadence as a pinfall count (since then some Rumble refs like Dave Macro have opted for slower American style counts.). Mansfield then gets into dirtier tactics, choking Josh on the middle row then goes outside the ring to slap him. One fan calls for a public warning. And to his rage, he gets one! He also gets a snapmare and divebomb from Josh plus a crosspress for 2 (counted as part of the same move by the ref.). Mansfield fights back with a double leg takedown and knee to the stomach which looks like it might land a bit lower. However the ref does not punish knees to the back and even gives a 2 count on a follow up crosspress. Mansfield tries an over the knee backbreaker and another crosspress for a 2 and some 1s. He tries an octopus illegally using the ropes. Eventually he is caught but rather than order a break, the ref lets Josh get the cross buttock throw counter instead. Josh gets an inner arm smash (clothesline in Americanese) elbowsmash, bodyslam and crosspress for 2. He goes for a Fireman's carry but Mansfield uses an illegal eyerakes to escape. He gets a posting but runs into an elbowsmash from Faulkner. Faulkner goes to the corner, kicks away Mansfield's hands and gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for the one required fall. Some good moves here out the real selling point is Adam Mansfield's old fashioned heel heat act. He obviously knows his Cyanide Sid Cooper, his Lucky Gordon (no relation to Flesh)and perhaps most of all, his Pete Lapaque.
David Mantell Posted May 23 Posted May 23 And here indeed in Lapaque, an equally burly veteran, a 40 years earlier version of Adrian Mansfield. I thought about posting his 1992 match with Ian McGregor from the Crabtrees' Battle of the Brits VHS (later DVD) release but I came across this bout with the World Lightweight champion and just had to plump for it. Referee by the way is Martin Warren who apart from being a dentist was also later masked heel Count Von Zuppi. Round 1: Lapaque gets a hammerlock so Saint allows him to advance it into a back hammerlock so he can pick it open with one foot then grab the arm in an armbar of his own. For a big man Pete is agile and can roll through to untwist th3carm and make it his own armbar again. Saint drops forward, uses his own legs to separate Lapaque's then again uses the footpick escape into counter armbar. Lapaque uses force to break the hold and swivel Saint round for his own armbar. Saint drops into the seated position, again footpicks and swivels round to get a tighter armbars. Again uses the rolling reversal, Lapaque adds a half crossface. Saint drops to one knee and Pete abandons the chin but still has the armbars which he tightens with an extra swivel. Saint uses a knee and 180 degree swivel, switching arms as he goes, for the reversal. Lapaque gets back his half chinlock and forsakes the arm for a full crossface. wrenching back on the neck before switching to side chinlock. Saint gets out with an old bait and switch trick of his, tempting Pete with a waved hand which he goes for enabling Saint to peel of the chinloçk and take back the armbar - the story of this round . He switches to a front chancery and Pete counters with a high whip, trying to force a hard bump but Saint lands feet first. They start over and Pete gets a side chancery into rear neck crank. He leans back - too far back and Saint picks of an arm into that armbars again into a single legdive and leg weakener. Pete is up quick and not very happy. He gets a legdive into leglock. stepping ove4 for a possible switch to ankle scissors.. Saint sits up then leans on Lapaque's shoulder to stand, turn his leg free and get a legdive of his own and another leg weakener. Now Pete is really angry, jabbing his finger. The two double interlock and Saint rolls backwards but the bell goes. Pete gets a double arm shot in after the bell and ends up arguing with Warren. Round 2 Lapaque gets in some blows before getting the wristlock and half crossface. He switches to the armbar, adding weakeners and twists as he goes to get damage in before Saint can counter. He takes back the half crossface but Saint twists out into an armbar. Lapaque takes the somersault bump out, absorbing it well despite his size (or maybe the burliness acts as a bumper.). Saint rolls on the arm to twist it up and Pete sells the pain. Lapaque reverses a Saint posting but Saint also takes the impact well, diving through Lapaque's legs and into his Lady of the Lake sequence - double interlock, pick off a side, step over the other arm,turn and get side headlock into go behind into leapfrog into slide behind through the legs then back to offering the double interlock before dodging it and going behind for a sideways folding press. It's designed to confuse as much as anything and it works. Saint gets the three and the opening fall. Lapaque again argues with Warren. Cut to Round 4. Lapaque, remembering he's a heel, bashes and chops Saint down. Saint gets a countless rise because of Lapaque's consistent illegal following but Lapaque floors him with two elbowsmashes. This is more like 2022 Adam Mansfield! This time Saint gets a count and stays down for seven but then gets a free rise when Lapaque kicks him when down. Saint gets up into a headlock - and an illegal closed fist punch which gets him a first Public Warning. He gets another forearm smash, whips Saint into the ropes but the rebounding Saint rolls over the top of him. Saint parries a Pete legdive but misses a dropkick. Both men are counted -Lapaque is up at 4, Saint at 7 - but has his leg kicked out underneath him. They are up but Lapaque gets a knee weaker drop, a chop to the leg for an 8count and a single legdive into over the shoulder leglock submission for the equaliser. Lapaque is slow to release leading to another argument with Warren (and MC Brian Crabtree gets his tuppence in) Round 5 Both men dodge each other's legdive attempts, with Saint rolling away from one. Lapaque kicks him in the leg and tangled the limb on the middle rope, looking to build on his previous leg submission. He continues to batter Saint as he tries to get up and eventually gets a kneelift and a splash and stomp to the knee but they are not part of the same move and Warren gives a Second and Final Public Warning to Lapaque. Defiant Pete goes for another knee splash (reminiscent of Dane Curtis's knee splash as softener for anklescissor submission from 1972) but misses both this and a charge on a cornered Saint, who rolls away, leapfrogs over the next charge but is caught in a legdive. But Saint gets an arm while down. comes up with it and forces an overarm somersault bump on Lapaque into a guard wristlock. He then adds a roll on the arm and an armscissors to get the deciding submission and the 2-1 win. Lapaque sells his arm. Mostly good scientific bout. The only drawback to having a master like Saint in the ring is that it distracts from the point I was making about Mansfield/Lapaque, burly bully veterans who also cheat and crybaby and can make a blue eye the easy hero.
Matt D Posted Thursday at 05:54 PM Posted Thursday at 05:54 PM I'm going to do some sort of... thing on Twitter where I have everyone watch a match throughout the month of June and then post about it at the end. Just trying to get some more people into it and willing to give it a shot and discuss it. Twitter is obviously at terrible place to do it but i want to go to where people are. I had fairly solid traction on the post, 68 likes so I figure it's worth a shot. Even if a couple people give it a try and get into the style then it's a win. I was thinking starting with Steve Grey vs. Jim Breaks (5/12/81). What do people think of that as a starting point?
club Posted Thursday at 08:31 PM Posted Thursday at 08:31 PM It's certainly a great showcase. If the aim is eyeballs on WoS I'd also suggest something featuring recognisable names. Finlay, Sayama, Owen etc.
ohtani's jacket Posted Thursday at 09:18 PM Author Posted Thursday at 09:18 PM I haven't seen that match in years and have no recollection of how it compares to other Breaks or Grey matches. If you want to start with Breaks, I think the 1977 Vaulkner match or the Young David trilogy are good starting points. My own gateway to WoS was the famous Grey/Myes bout from the 70s.
David Mantell Posted Friday at 08:39 PM Posted Friday at 08:39 PM I'll review that one myself some time this month. But it's not June yet, so for now: From the October 1990 Aberdeen TV Taping that was the British equivalent of that Feb '91 tag bout on FR3 or the tour episodes of New Catch that made it on to TF1 in 1991. Scotland Vs Ireland clean match. Tony Stewart is the promising (ex?) TBW getting a push. Frank Chic Cullen is the former British and World Heavy Middleweight champion. Both destined for bigger things. Kent Walton back in the commentary position - Aberdeen 90 was his last ever gig. Stewart doesn't yet have a mullet hairstyle and probably hasn't yet taken up digging up the sand with a plank of wood for training. (See interview on the Wrestling Madness videotape) Round 1. After a few false starts Tony gets the wristlever Cullen briefly tries a fireman's carry counter before changing his mind and trying a rollout. It's not quite successful - Tony keeps the arm and gets a guard armlock. He lifts the arm up and bends the straight arm back against he shoulder joint (this is what Kent means with his whole "against the joint" thing.) Cullen kips up and gets a not very impactful cross buttock throw to free his arm. Tony gets a side headlock into other side headlock into his arm lever again, continuing the good work on the shoulder. Cullen refuses to roll out and into the guard so Tony applies weakeners to the shoulder. Cullen is at two but straight into a Tony rear waistlock into back hammerlock, pulling over the other arm to get the shoulders ready for a crosspress. Cullen tries bridging out.At that point the bell goes. They shake hands, the crowd claps appreciatively. Round 2 Cullen wins a double interlock test of strength with Tony resorting to a bridge. He powers back up but Cullen twists the arms into a Japanese Stranglehold getting a full surfboard out of it before having to release the feet. He still has the strangle and Tony tries a couple of reversals but Chic rolls with the hold back to having the advantage with it, . Until Tony wriggles downwards and takes the. Interlock through Chic's legs, forcing him to somersault bump out or be tried in a knot. He still has the interlock and extends Cullen's arms , pushing down on the shoulders. Cullen bridges up taking Tony's legs with him. Tony goes into the ropes so has to give Chic his break, which is a pity as that was a most interesting escape and Cullen was nearly completely escaped anyway. Cullen gets an "inside grapevine" (abdominal stretch held with a waistlock instead of an arm.) He releases and they start over. Tony gets an armbar into posting but Chic comes back with an elbowsmash and a side chancery into Headlock And Strangle. Into neck crank. Tony can bridge back to go with the crank so Chic switches to the wrists, bending both arms back and briefly adding a foot to the back of the shoulders. Tony somersault bumps out and Cullen goes for the crosspress but gets two 2 counts. Tony gets a posting into side chancery into kneedrop in one move. Chic is up at 9 into another side chancery into a Legdrop Of Doom. Cullen is up at 6 for a posting. He resists two side chancery throws so Tony jumps up on Cullen's shoulders and tries for a victory roll, but Cullen stops the roll dead with Stewart in a front folding press for the opening fall. Round 3 Tony actually tries the victory roll again! This time Chic bucks him off like a rodeo bronco. Tony gets a single leg takedown and applies weakeners on the limb.n. He gets the leg again and despite Cullen briefly blocking him with a reversed waistlock, gets a seated leglock. Cullen tries for a further nelson side folding press but only gets 2. Tony gets a full nelson into side chancery throw and takes the seat on Cullen's shoulders for seemingly another victory roll. Or at least a folding press, but he falls backwards and tries for a folding press held with the legs. Cullen gets his head free and crawls out to start over. He gets a wristlever into drop toehold then takes a leg and drops his weight on the knee. He gets another leg into a folding leglock over his hands and held by the crotch, switching to an over the shoulder leglock like the one we saw Johnny Saint win with last week. Chic releases but at the 5 count Tony strikes with a drop toehold into Gotch toehold, briefly getting the rest double wrists to make a surfboard. He can't keep the wrists but he keeps the Gotch toehold all the way to the bell! Round 4. Cullen gets a shove and kneelift, a whip and big backdrop. He gets a posting and a powerbomb! Next and over the shoulder backbreaker and a slam. But Tony does his version of Kid McCoy's Yorkshire Rope Trick into a cross buttock throw and press for a quick equalising fall. 1-1. Round 5. Tony whip his man and tries a backdrop on the rebound but it is nearly a disaster for him when Cullen counters with a sunset flip into double leg nelson but Runs Out Of Mat as Stewart's legs reach the ropes. To y gets a posting but Cullen absorbs it on his knee and comes back with a forearm smash. He misses a couple more and in the confusion gets a standing full nelson but Cullen breaks one side and goes behind for a full nelson of his own. Tony sharply rears out and rebounds from the ropes into a dropkick. Tony gets a kick and side chancery plus another Legdrop Of Doom but when he repeats this the Legdrop misses and Cullen takes a leg, kicks it a bit and gets a toe and ankle into toehold. He drives the knee in and gets all four limbs for a surfboard only for Stewart to arrest the momentum just short of being hauled up into the hold. Chic loses his grip and Tony falls free! He is selling his back however. Cullen gets a forearm smash and scissor chop but Tony gets in a ground dropkick. Tony goes from almost full nelson to forearm but Chic gets him with a better smash. Stewart is up at 8 and gets his man with an inner arm (clothesline) after Cullen missed one of his own. Cullen gets two back elbowsmashes and a long suplex and crosspress but Stewart easily gets a shoulder up. Cullen hooks a leg but Stewart kicks off at 2. Stewart gets a crucifix into further nelson and Cullen tries to bridge out. The bell saves him anyway. Round 6. Stewart gets elbowsmashes to the base of Cullen's spine and his shoulder blades. He gets a slam and crosspress but Cullen is easily out. Tony gets a posting but. following, is met with two kicks and a forward flying guillotine elbowsmash from Cullen. Chic gets a posting, slam and revrse splash from the top rope. He gets the double legs from behind and drops Stewart face first on the mat. He finishes Tony with a belly to belly suplexand small package pin. Cullen the winner 2-1 but Tony puts up a good battle to Justyna his push Ah. That was a beautiful start to the weekend. In a year from this Stewart would best Jimmy Ocean for the British Lightweight title and then in 1992 Cullen would beat Robbie Brookside to recapture the World Heavy Middleweight title and hold it until his 2002 retirement .
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