The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

As a rising star in the mid 1980s, Danny Collins just had to have some of his drive sucked away by big Daddy. Here however he gets to quite nicely shine against two jouneyman brute heels.

The good guys have a red/gold colour code, Daddy's sequin hat matching Danny's lamé jacket. Stuart's black singlet shows him as a heel like Bobby Heenan, late 80s Andre, Cyanide Sid Cooper and Billy Catanzaro circa 1971.  Each heel takes turns to be Daddies and thrown out so in comes Danny..Stuart tastes a dropkick and two armdrags.  He strikes a forearm and snapmare but Danny rolls right up, gets a go behind into reverse leapfrog, goes over and catches the Pretty Boy with a ground position dropkick, then scoots through his legs to score a second one. The crowd are delighted to see the bald bully get humiliated.  Stuart rallies with a snapmare and two bodychecks despite Danny diving under on the second. But Danny comes back with a sunset flip into reverse leg nelson and only Prat's intervention prevents an early first fall.  Prat uses the csame neck drop on top rope that Colonel  Brody used on Owen Hart in 1991 on the French thread and 5e Bull tags in.  He gets stomps, elbows a whip into back elbow and a PowerSlam but is so slow with the cover - definitely NOT continuous motion- that the pin attempt is disallowed.  Unperturbed, Prat gets another back elbow and an ove4 th3 knee backbreaker.  But Danny somersaults out of a second backbreaker attempt to tag Daddy who gives both villains his usual.  They end up at ringside with a rare for ITV out of the ring brawl as Daddy bodychecks Pratt.  Meanwhile back in the ring Collins faces Stuart. He tries a flying tackle, doesn't get the momentum but deftly switches tona legdive then a very high-looking side folding press.  Stuart kicks out so it doesn't matter that referee Peter Szacacs (brother of Tibor) is only just getting back.  Stuart gets a concealed illegal shot to the eyes and a snapmare attempt which Danny reverses into one of his own then a Legdrop which IS continuous motion.  Stuart gets a rear hammerlock but Collins chops both heels and an annoyed Bull comes in,but Daddy chases off both heels.  Collins gets a posting, back flip, go behind and yet another side folding press.  Third time is the charm, h3 gets the opening fall!

Second Fall.  Danny comes off the ropes but completely misses a flying tackle.  Stuart gets his throat drop on the top rope from earlier and Bull officially tags in on Danny. He gets an elbow, knee and PowerSlam. Dann6bgets the tag but the ref is distracted by the heels slow tag.  So they work Danny some more in their corner and Bull gets a kneelift and public warning and Danny  tags Daddy who throws Bull Prat out for a KNOCKOUT.

Danny handled most of the match and actually handles himself skillfully with two bigger men.  A dark horse of a match.

[David Mantell]

Josh Faulkner does it again, this time with a piece on Mal Sanders, whom the Wrestle Me boys previously touched on in one of their vlogs:

 

 

[David Mantell]

Another good vlog from Josh Faulkner, this time about Dave Taylor.

I'm tempted to suggest to Josh that. judging from comments on here, there are quite a few Brits that Americans don't get, including his namesake Vic.  LOL

 

[David Mantell]

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

Ray Steele vs. Caswell Martin (5/14/86)

So, as with all champions, Steele had the right to a rematch within 90 days of losing his title. You'd think they'd use the time between to put Ray over. That's what most promotions would do. But then Joint never really followed any rhyme or reason. This went to a draw, and again while it wasn't a bad bout, it was hard to see where it fit into the overall picture.

Spoiler (and I don't mean Drew McDonald in a mask). Steele never did regain the title.  Not that he was being de-pushed with this fine scientific bout.  CAS has a gold jacket with red linking - I think he has been clothes shopping in Paris with Black Shadow

Round 1.  Some early lockups hit the ropes before Steele gets a headlock. CAS breaks it open into a top wristlock but Ray gets the headlock back then converts to side chancery. CAS takes it to the mat and handstands his way out.  He gets a wrist lever and shrugs off a counter attack on his other wrist before Steele does the traditional a English roll through.  He tries for a chinlock but Martin regains the armbar.  Steele again rolls through, but Martin yanks him down into a guard armlock, lifting his shoulder to drive a knee into his left shoulder no.  Steele gets up and Martin walks round him maintaining the hold, trying for a rear hammerlock.  but Steele gets the other arm, switches to side chancery into side headlock. Martin grapevines Ray's leg (so says Kent, it's out of shot) and pressures that same shoulder.  Steele still has the headlock so Cas again tries a top wristlock.  . He relaxes and lets Ray slam shut the headlock but slips out at the last second and makes the bent arm into a hammerlock, but the bell goes.

Round 2.  Steele is in quickly with a standing full nelson but Cas breaks a side and reverses.  Ray bucks and throws him off forwards then collars him and breaks out the forearm smashes. Kent Walton is not happy - and see my reaction to the last 5;min or so of Jean Corne Vs Isha Israel earlier today on the French thread.  Martin uses one back rather than the headbutt Kent predicts.  Martin tries a flying tackle but Steele overpowers him, gets a slam and crosspress and the opening fall!!!

Round 3. Cas gets a quick armbar into hammerlock held from the front (hence why Kent called the other sort a "backhammer" ).  Steele tries to counter with a crotch hold and lift but can't get the slam and Martin keeps the hold.  Cas switches to yer actual backhammer and takes Steele down in the mount. Steele gets up, lands a couple more forearm smashes and gets free but Martin soon gets the wrist lever into hammerlock back on.  Steele twists round and makes it a top wristlock. It reverts back to a full interlock test of strength which Steele wins but Martin goes down in a bridge then powers back up.   Steele drops a side and makes the other into an armbar into side chancery then strikes another forearm smash.  He repeats the side chancery into forearm smash then FINALLY gets that headbutt Kent Walton predicted in round 1 .  Steele gets back to science with a side headlock into grovit, briefly releasing for an uppercut before reapplying.  Cas gets out and makes it a backhammer but th3 bell goes.

Round 4. Steele gets a single legdive but Cas counters with one of his own, flooring Ray and getting leg weakeners and a standing toe and ankle.  Ray spins him off and Caswell takes a somersault bump. Steele is up at just 2 and gets a side chancery. Martin tries an axehandle but Steele dodged and gets a side chancery throw, taking him down.  CAS tries bridging up so Ray switches to "Headlock And Strangle" (sleeper). He adjusts to side headlock and Martin gets free to make an armbar into grapevine. He tries to add a face bar - Steele slips free but Cas reapplies and cranks hard. Ray yanks off the face bar but still has the wristlever to deal with. He tries uppercuts but Cas hangs on, takes him down to the guard, drops a leg on the arm and folds and scissors the limb. He presses the other shoulder and gets a couple of pinfall 2 counts. Steele kips up and gets a Japanese stranglehold but Cas nearly reverses it until Ray throws him.    He gets a double locked wristlever and Steele face bars him when the bell goes.

Round 5 and Steele likewise double locks a wristlever with CAS behind him.  He tries to bend the arm for a hammerlock. briefly getting Martin on one knee and leaning on him back to back. Kent Walton talks up Steele for impeccable clean wrestling, never getting public warnings - ironically he would finally get to see Steele The Heel in the 1990 Aberdeen tapings for Grampian/STV.  Martin kips back up and lands some forearm smashes of his own. He chops Steele off but Ray drags him  back down in the guard.  This repeats until Cas leapfrogs and superkicks Ray then goes behind for a rear waistlock takedown into folding press for an equaliser.  

Round 6 and they shake hands but Steele does not want to lose heading into his return match.  He gets a side headlock and resists a waist lift before three more forearm uppercuts floor Martin.  He tries a side  chancery but gets a headbutt -Kent says it's the first of the bout but actually if you check back, there was one in round 3.  It gets an 8 count.  They interlock and Steele briefly gets a headloçk then they bodycheck each other off the ropes. CAS tries a flying tackle but Steele gets the bodyslam and a crosspress for 2.  Steele reverts to uppercuts positioned by side chanceries.  Another double bodycheck floors both men starting a double KO count - Steele is up at 8, Martin at 9 but he uses his underneath position to get a backside pin attempt for 2 - so both men have had a near thing decider attempt in this final round.  Steele gets more forearms then a cross buttock throw and press for 2.  He gets a top wristlock, clips both sides with a leg and delivers more positioned forearms then out of nowhere Martin has a go behind into side folding press for a two count.  That's FOUR near thing deciders, two to each man.  Steele tries to make it FIVE with a wristlever switching to double legdive but before he can get a front folding press, Martin locks on bodyscissors.  Steele tries a shoulderpress but only gets 1 then the bell goes.  1-1 draw.

To answer @ohtani's jacket's question, I guess Joint decided an exciting final round crave to the tape would be better wrestling action than a simple squash.  Martin was getting a push too - the following year he and Marty Jones would each have a rematch from their RAH classic, this time for Jones' World Mid Heavyweight title.  Anyway, I thought fans brought up on the American style LIKED lots of near 2 counts - that final round had five, Savage and Steamboat at WM3 had, what, seventeen?

Like Corne Vs Israel, a good scientific match impurified somewhat by too many Forearms/Manchettes.  Also not as wildly creative a bout as some other CAS Martin matches e.g. the aforementioned Jones-Martin RAH match.  At least the forearmsxwerevmorevthinky spread here than the slugfest the French match suddenly degenerated into in its final five minutes.

 

[David Mantell]

On 9/2/2026 at 6:02 PM, David Mantell said:

In other present day scene news, I've bought my ticket for All Star at Dudley Town Hall 30th Oct and will post a report here afterwards.

This Friday.  I've booked a day's leave from work, hoping to get next weekend's reviews done that morning.

🚨𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐌 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘🚨

The wait is nearly over! This Friday, All Stars AMERICAN SUPERSLAM WRESTLING TOUR gets underway as we hit the road for a huge run of shows across the country!

Joining us on tour are former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion ANDRE CHASE and TNA Wrestling star JOHN SKYLER, alongside the fan favourites of big time wrestling!🔥

From Alnwick to Bournemouth and beyond, we’re bringing the action to a venue near you!

HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN CATCH US:

⭐ Friday 23rd October – Hexham

⭐ Saturday 24th October – Alnwick

⭐ Sunday 25th October – Middlesbrough

⭐ Monday 26th October – Tunbridge Wells

⭐ Tuesday 27th October – Leatherhead

⭐ Wednesday 28th October – Aldershot

⭐ Thursday 29th October – Liverpool

⭐ Friday 30th October – Dudley

⭐ Sunday 1st November – Bournemouth

 

Nine dates, nine chances to experience All Star Wrestling LIVE!

Ready to rumble will be : 

ASW World Champion Tommy Freeman 🏆

The 19 stone Wrestling Machine Micky Long 💪🏼

British beef Ricky Matthews 🇬🇧

The gladiator Johnny Jupiter ⚔️

And a lot more! 

The tour kicks off this Friday! At Hexhams Willowburn Leisure Centre, 7PM ⭐️