The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

On 7/18/2014 at 3:27 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

. If Gravesend was the best venue for wrestling in the country

The above recent British Heavyweight Championship title change with Mickey Long beating Oliver Grey was in Gravesend.  Rumble also has (or has just had) a house show there.

[David Mantell]

On 3/31/2012 at 5:38 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

My ongoing list of recommended matches ...

Pete Roberts vs. Caswell Martin (4/4/73)

Is that ALL you have to say about this absolute MASTERPIECE?

 

This is a match with the one missing ingredient of Gilbert LeDuc Vs Bert Mychel - speed.

From the start they are moving for position in Roberts ' headlock which Martin makes a straight arm and Roberts rolls  out. son the situation is reversed with Martin rolling out of Roberts' armbars. They both go for folding presses with Pete cartwheeling out. 

Round 2 and Martin kips out of a headscissor. He gets Roberts in an interesting leglock, scissoring an ankle while gripping under the knee. Roberts undresses it my pulling out one atm and folding it into a double wristlock into hammerlock into overhead wristlock, adapting as Martin changed position. He started to regain the double wristlock but Martin reversed and dropped a leg on it. Martin tried an Irish whip but Pete landed on his feet. Martin got a front chancery, Roberts reversed it into a headlock but too near the ropes. Martin slipped out of a standing side headlock, folded Pete's legs into a Gotch toehold, turned the whole package over and dropped his weight on it. The final secs saw Roberts use a front chancery to fend off legdives from Martin.

The Third saw Cas get that leg and bend it on his knee. Pete snared a free arm , hammerlocked the other and wrenched. More arm weakeners and a throw. He tries for a folding press but Cas spins himout.  Cas downed Pete with a chancery and his special standing cross scissor weakener.  Roberts got a sidehealock but Cas unwrapped the arm and tried a double knee then folding press but Pete rolled away.  Roberts gets a leg plus face bar, Cas turns himself over, but Roberts retained the ankle scissor. He eventually released and Martin was setting up victory roll when the bell went. Halfway through.

Cas started round 4'with a rear waist lock but Pete scrambled out.  He got a leg from behind and lifted it to bash down the knee but Martin sprang upright. He went from standing full nelson to rear wristlock but Roberts got an arm and built it into a front chancery. Cas threw him but Roberts went over on one hand into upright and caught Martin with a backslide for a 2 count. He then got a hammerlock into further nelson on the mat  but Martin bridged then kipped up into a test of strength, getting Roberts on his shoulders briefly. Roberts powered  up and bodychecked free, hiptoosed and posted and slammed Martin, tried for the double knees twice. Martin snapmares and dropped an elbow on it.   Roberts tried a piledriver but it wasn't vertical enough and went into the ropes.  He next got a leglock but Martin got double arm s and a knee in for the start of a surfboard.  Roberts stood up into a test of strength when the bell went.

Round 5 and Cas powered Roberts down on his back from a top wristlock.  Things kick off, Martin boots Roberts into the ropes but Roberts cartwheels back and goes for a sunset flip but Martin double ankles mashes him. Roberts snapmares into a cross press but Martin bridges up. Gets a wristlever and protects it against a snapmares and grapevine and even a flying headscissor attempt before converting to a leglock, Martin turns it over to force a stalemate. He gets a standing octopus, Roberts slowly but surely throws him for a five count. Martin goes for a rear waist lock but Pete takes him down into a headscissors. Martin turns it into the front kneeling position then gets his knees in to pull the scissor off and dive straight in for a side headlock!  Roberts stands up in it, reverses it into a grovit, Martin throws him but again he goes over on one hand into a stand.   Roberts chanceries and throws Martin but he cartwheels into upright. He gets a legdive and is about to step over into something when the bell goes- not the first time he has been cut short.

Final round and Martin gets a long distance throw that keeps Roberts down until the seven count. Roberts went headlock into snapmares with a kneedrop on top for 4.  A throw of his own also got 4, another got him headlocked, a knee off the ropes set up a backslide attempt for two, Martin gets a side head chancery, Roberts pushes him off the ropes, shoulders him but gets nothing for it. He tries another piledriver, better than the last, then gets double arms, but it hits the ropes.  Martin snapmares and puts on his trademark standing cross scissor. Roberts grabs the calf muscle to block it but Martin falls forward to wrench on the scissor.  Both backdrop each other. Roberts gets a sunset flip for 2 then a headscissor throw for six. Martin cartwheels out of a legdive and into one of his own, taking down Roberts and folding the legs underneath.  He oddly puts himself in a headscissor (a blown spot?) then uncorks it with his feet. Roberts shoulder blocks, Martin gets a leg scissor.  Roberts turns it over into a Gotch toehold but Cas rolls out. They have a two way side chancery and are still grappling on the mat when the bell goes.

Absolutely perfect. Beautiful scientific nil nil draw. The crowd love it too and roar their appreciation.

[ohtani's jacket]

I probably wrote about it on another site or in a different thread. This thread began well after tellumyort began uploading matches from the Wrestling Channel. That was a fun time. I miss the excitement of checking out his daily uploads. 

[David Mantell]

14 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I probably wrote about it on another site or in a different thread. This thread began well after tellumyort began uploading matches from the Wrestling Channel. That was a fun time. I miss the excitement of checking out his daily uploads. 

Not as fun as it was to grow up in this territory and live with it on TV and live!  This is the wrestling that made me a fan.

[David Mantell]

A quite famous bout taped 1973, screened 1974, mainly famous for the pre-match angle where Street flicks a stray piece of glitter at McMichael who relatives by pulling Street 's gown to pieces, which has been conveniently loaded with Xmas tinsel and sequins especially to cause them to spill everywhere over the ring and ringside where elderly fans take to wearing pieces of the costume.  Ever since The Final Bell, this bout - especially the pre-match antics, has been a favourite of documentary makers not just for wrestling but for wider social history such as the I Love The Seventies series. The angle is also widely cited - alongside McMichael's mock-grumpy banter with Vic Faulkner (and later Owen Hart) as being the case for labelling Mick McMichael a "comedy wrestler" when most of the time he was anything but.

It's also one of only three Street ITV matches in wide circulation along with the late night 1974 match against Les Kellet's son Dave Barrie and the 1972 heel Vs heel surprise technical classic against Jim Breaks.  In fact, the only other pre-North America Street bouts in circulation are the 1960s fading colour 8mm fancam of the Hells Angels Vs Alan Dennison & Sid Cooper, early 80s CrappyCam against Axel Dieter in (IIRC) Hamburg 1981 and teaming with Steve Kelly to lose to the Pallos in the main event of their Great Yarmouth Hippodrome home video releases cum rejected TV pilot that same year. Six bouts for about 25 years of Ada's career.

Needless to say, Street is aggrieved by the incident which gets a massive Lex And Barry Beat Tully And Arn For The Belts @ Clash 1  pop.  The result is something of a wild brawl which @ohtani's jacket will love but both Kent Walton and myself found disappointing considering both men's technical skills (Kent often praised Mick's purist ability and as for Adrian, look no further than the Breaks bout.) There are however three great scientific pinfalls, they stick out like sore thumbs but taken in isolation they are a joy, especially Adrian's opening legdive and turnover into folding press with bridge, an absolute masterpiece.  After McMichael equalises with a neat double legdive and folding press, Street takes it home with a magnificent middle rope flying bodypress. Kent is gushing with praise for both Street falls, tinged with "why can't we see more of this from him?".

To be fair to Kent, in 1973 even a celeb like him did not have the option of dialling up the Breaks match with just a few clicks of the remote control. Mind you, in those days most TVs didn't even have a remote control.

P.S. I was going to review McMichael Vs the other Hells Angel Bobby Barnes as a follow up.but I already have on page 38. Notice McMichael is totally no nonsense in that bout and does a lot more technical work, despite the two opponents' similar gimmicks.

[David Mantell]

Kendo Nagasaki has recently been in action in Croydon.  At age 83, natch

[David Mantell]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BritishWrestlingRemembered/permalink/8717283868309545/

Highlights of McManus Vs Pallo 1960s. Sadly someone decided to add music which was in copyright so half the soundtrack is missing.

This, Thompson Vs StClair, the bits of Kaye Vs Zapata 1969 and Starr Vs Capello 1964 from The Final Bell 1988 and about 2 secs of Kellet Vs Hussey from 1967 in The Wrestler (camera converted from a shop window TV and spliced into the documentary makers'own footage of said bout) are the only pre-1970  ITV footage in wide circulation - unless people are prepared to share some earlier bouts featuring Ernie Riley etc mentioned elsewhere on this thread.

[David Mantell]

On 10/28/2024 at 9:08 AM, David Mantell said:

 

 

From 2003 at the Victoria Hall in Hanley. Mike Gilbert aka Mikey Whiplash Vs Dean Allmark - future World Heavy Middleweight Champion versus future British champion in all three top weight divisions (Heavyweight, Mid Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight).  Two of the then new generation of All Star talent rescued from the wreckage of Staffordshire garbage promotion GBH (shut down by the local council in 2000) and retrained as old school British wrestlers alongside Robbie Dynamite (Berzins), Kid Cool and Playboy Johnny Midnight.  Deano is also the dad of current All Star proprietor Joseph Dixon (grandson of Brian) .  This is also some of the earliest footage available of Allmark's then wife Laetitia (daughter of Brian and Mitzi Mueller, child star of various TV news items on Mitzi, see earlier in thread) as an MC. Whiplash has a crewcut and is not yet doing his Chippendale gimmick.

Bout starts off technical, both men reversing each others armbars, Whiplash using a cartwheel for one escape and eventually a nifty suplex to take things to the mat. Deano as blue eye works the crowd like James Mason before him and Robbie Brookside & Doc Dean even before that. Round ends with Whiplash working and ankle lock. Round 2, Allmark works over Whiplash's arm, whiplash gets to ankle lock from round 1 but Allmark spins him off.

Round 3 and Allmark fires off some kickboxing kicks and a monkey climb. Whiplash gets some 2 counts with a fireman's carry takedown  Whiplash uses the ropes to pin Allmark but the referee spots it so he fall is disallowed and Whiplash gets a public warning.  Round 4 Whiplash tries a powerbomb but Allmark converts it into a reverse victory roll and folding press opening pin! He nearly gets a second straight with a roll up from behind as Whiplash is arguing with fans. Dean tries a sunset flip but Whiplash puts his knees down and holds the ropes for a second dodgy pinfall, but again the ref sees him and he now has two public warnings instead of two pinfalls. Round 6 Whiplash gets a leg caught in the ropes and Allmark bounces him on the rope. Allmark gets a reverse top rope splash but only a 2 count.

Same again with an inverted flying bodypress.   The two clash heads, Deano stays down, Mikey struggles but fails to get up, bout is declared a Double Knockout. The referee declared Dean winner 2-1 on account of his earlier fall in Round 4. Whiplash protests but the ref, Laetitia and the crowd are emphatic. Allmark offers Whiplash one more round for a £50 side stake. Whiplash goes to get some cash, but doesn't return so Allmark's music plays and he steps out onto the stage.  Whiplash turns up with the money just as Deano is at the back of the stage, the bell rings and Deano scores a running dive across the stage and over the ropes to pin a furious Whiplash and take the cash.

Good blue-eye versus heel action bout from a time when rounds were just about hanging on in there. A war with rival Scot Conway's TWA had forced Brian Dixon to regenerate his product from the dark days of 1997-2001 with the UK Undertaker and Big Red Machine into a hot new home for new stars.

 

 

 

 

On 10/28/2024 at 9:54 AM, David Mantell said:

 

From the same venue 17 years earlier before Health And Safety banned fans from sitting on the stage leaving it free for the promoter to project nice swirly lighting patterns on it.

Some background - in early '86 Wayne Bridges had a real life disagreement with Brian Dixon and walked from All Star, taking his ball - or rather his red/white/blue World Heavyweight title belt he beat Jim Harris to win at Wembley '81- with him. All Star still had the original black belt first claimed by Spiros Arion in 1979 so held a tournament on All Star's TV show on Screensport (their audition forca share of ITV coverage.). StClair beat notorious Kendo Nagasaki impersonator Bill King Kendo Clarke, Quinn beat Johnny South and we were left with this final.

We join in progress.  Quinn doesn't particularly work the British style, he is soon getting a public warning from referee Frank Casey (recently kayfabe-suspended due to complaints from viewers about him being too lenient on villains.). StClair gets a 2 count with a missile dropkick.  Quinn throws him out but rather than try taking to KO win, follows him out and hits him with a (rather comfy-looking plush) chair. A heavily juiced StClair stumbles back into the ring but Quinn works on him with closed fist punches. What with that and the chairshot, I'm beginning to think the anti Frank Casey letter writers had a point. StClair fights back a bit but Quinn nails him with a Duthty bionic elbow and undoes a corner pad and bangs StClair into it. Chuckle Brothers on commentary are going crazy and so is the crowd. StClair still fights back, brother Roy is in his corner and he slams and cross presses Quinn for two. Quinn kicks StClair down, Casey inspects the cut and awards the bout and the belt to Quinn on a TKO. Quinn and StClair continue to have potshots at each other as Roy and a second (in green) tend to Tony. The ring is under siege from fans as Quinn puts the belt on. Chuckle Brother #1 Max Beezely, later an MC on ITV's All Star bouts gets in the ring for a French Catch style post match interview which cuts off before it starts.

Apparently this was the kind of envelope pushing stuff supporters of the Indies loved but the IBA would have blown a fuse over.  Quinn and StClair did have their wild brawl on ITV a year later when they were both DDQ'd and left Kendo Nagasaki and Neil Sands to finish a tag bout as a solo contest, but at least that time, the referee was able to assert control. Clearly Brian Dixon needed a good filter if he was going to stay on ITV once he got a slice of it.

 

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Again from Victoria Hall, Hanley 16th June 2000. Three years before Dean Allmark Vs Mikey Whiplash and 14 years after Mighty John Quinn Vs Tony StClair.  Kendo Nagasaki's "Millennium Comeback" was one of the bright spots of All Star's 1997-2001 dip period when Brian Dixon was supplementing his income with a sideline in male stripshows (the behaviour of female punters at which he later described as "the biggest education [he] ever had in [his] life.") and the shows were mostly headlined by the UK Undertaker and the Big Red Machine. A dead giveaway about the historical context is the signs saying "JABRONI" and "SUCK IT!" betraying that, somewhere else in the world, the WWF Attitude Era is in full throttle mode.

A month earlier, longtime traditional British wrestling phoneline Wrestlecall held a poll for Wrestler Of The Millennium which Naggers duly won. A trophy ceremony took place at the same Victoria Hall Hanley. For starters, Kendo was late according to manager Lloyd Ryan, then Tony Walsh's son Darren turned up with a note from former World Mid Heavyweight Champion Marty Jones protesting Kendo's poll win. This ended in an argument between Walsh and Ryan and eventual fisticuffs , at which point Kendo finally turned up, salt-bombed and Kamikaze Crashed Walsh and then finally got presented with his trophy.

Fast forward to this evening. There was originally a whole long bit at the start (which I've got on VHS)  where Lloyd Ryan was supposed to be the Tag Partner but his arm was supposedly broken so MC Gordon Prior had to go back to the dressing room to find another tag partner. Vic Powers got the gig. Cue the start of this video.

The first fall goes by without Kendo tagging in - Powers (whose brother Phil I saw live in Dudley back in the spring) has an even time with Walsh but is completely dominated by Jones. The crowd have completely forgiven Jones for his past eight years since 1992  as a heel (road tested in Germany 1990 as we have seen on the German Catch thread.). Jones taunts Naggers to tag in to no avail. Eventually Walsh gets the opening pin on Powers. Lloyd Ryan is furious claiming that there has been an illegal tag but the referee has none of it. A brief ringside brawl starts and the heels retreat to the dressing room but are coaxed back. Kendo gets a public warning for a weapon used in the brawl.

Walsh misses an aerial spot and after stomping him on the mat. Powers finally tags in Naggers. Kendo kicks Walsh around on the mat.flings him to ringside, VICIOUSLY whacks him with a chair and coffee table and whips him with a tag rope. The referee, for reasons out of camera shot, gives Jones a public warning.  Walsh is dragged back in the ring and double teamed. Even Lloyd joins in with his cast. Kendo finishes off Walsh for the equaliser with an old time combination of his, a backdrop and splash cross press pin.  Jones finally has enough, knocking out the ref (he's still a heel at heart.) attacks Kendo from behind, gets him on the floor and has a go at the mask. He pitches Powers out of the ring and beats down on an interfering Lloyd Ryan. While he is outside doing this. Kendo revives the referee then locks up with Walsh, at which point the ring collapses!  Kendo does a sort of belly to belly suplex and a slam on Walsh for the decider.

Needless to say Jones is unhappy, he and Kendo throw furniture at each other before Kendo leaves, chased away by Jones with a corner pad. Jones, aggrieved, demands a singles bout with Kendo  where if he doesn't beat and unask Kendo, hecwill burn his boots and retire.  No idea what happened next, but the Millennium Comeback continued another 18 months until December 2001 and Kendo's third retirement and only formal retirement match.

It's not very scientific but if @ohtani's jacket likes a good brawl, he'll love this one.  Very cod ECW hardcore of its time (Kendow as a fan).

 

Footnote to the above stories, All Star are due to return to the Victoria Hall Hanley 24th January 2025, 22 years after Dean Allmark Vs Mikey Whiplash, 24 years after Nagasaki & Powers Vs Jones and Walsh and nearly 39 years after Mighty John Quinn Vs Tony StClair on Screensport.

Wrestling underwent a brief break at the Victoria Hall when it was closed for redecoration 1996-1998, an event Simon Garfield latches on to in his book as a symptom of an "end" which in truth has still never come. (He quotes Klondyke Kate says that her friend she used to go to shows with was getting very emotional about it). Nonetheless life went on and wrestling resumed in the redecorated venue as you can see in the 2000 and 2003 bouts.

In the late 2010s a new manager took over who wanted to move the venue more upmarket so did a Greg Dyke job on the wrestling. This spurred plenty of protest and did score the one minor concession of a WOSW tour date at the venue in early 2019 before the pandemic put the mufflers on things generally.

Now in the mid 2020s All Star returns to the Victoria Hall Hanley.  Hallelujah 

[David Mantell]

Continuing from Prince Zefy Vs Colonel Brody on the German thread, here is another good technical bout that I didn't think was going to be one.

Sid, as mentioned in the commentary, did a heel turn on Breaks at one of Rumble's outdoor shows at the Oval bandstand in Cliftonville, Kent this past summer. I don't think I posted it here, but it's up on Rumble's YouTube channel (same source as this video) if you want to go have a look. However both Sid and the promotion have since got cold feet on the turn, with Sid behaving himself at every TV match since. Even so, I expected there to still be some needle between these guys.

In the event they have a good classy technical matchup with Sid showing a great deal of mastery of Breaks' trademark ankle scissor, first applying the hold himself and being able to twist Breaks up and down at will and then being able to simply step out of the hold when applied to him.  Manelli is also much improved with regard to rolling escapes from armbars, previously his lack of use of this tactic has dissuaded me from singing his praises but here he has that area of the British style nailed.  There's also a good section involving reversing standing Japanese strangleholds.It gets a little forearm smashes towards the end but Manelli scores a neat folding press for the winner.  Breaks looks stunned and for a moment teases a heel turn of his own before shaking Manelli's hand.

Presumably this is the last we shall see of the heel turn angle.  I am reminded of Dean Allmark and James Mason's matches together. The earliest James/Dean (see what I did there?) match on video is from 2003 when James was doing an experimental heel stint for a year as Bad Boy James Mason, just as Danny Collins and Robbie Brookside both did in the mid 90s. Fast forward to 2010 and James is back as a good guy but at the start of All Star's residency in Birkenhead James flirts with heelishness and gets a public warning against Deano before being TKOd. Deano seems ready to decline the victory but a dazed Mason goes wild and attacks Allmark with a bunch of other wrestlers holding them apart. Deano the challenges James to a rematch where James is the heel throughout (apart from a blue-eye ring entry). This leads to them being on opposite sides of a six man elimination tag match with James, swapping his red/blue ring gear for heelish black/white, on the bad guys side.  Versions of this were then redone on various holiday camp locations including one in which James appeared to have cheated to regain the British Heavyweight Championship from Deano only for guest dignitary Johnny Saint at ringside to alert the referee and get it reversed. However, when they met for said title at Fairfield Hall Croydon in November 2013 (one of the last shows in the Concert Hall before things moved to the smaller Ashcroft Theatre room in 2014) they had a FANTASTIC technical bout which I've previously posted on here and ends with a Deano win and a sportsmanly response from James and talk in the ring of a title rematch under full Mountevans rules. This never materialised but I still love to post that bout 11 years later as evidence of the survival of Traditional British Wrestling in the C21st. It's also two guys having a great clean match despite having a history of rivalry. Like this Breaks-Manelli match.

(One thing I'm NOT happy about however is the addition of American style crowd barriers which make the crowd look smaller and remove the connection where fans eg old grannies could go right up to the ring apron to make their feelings known.)

 

[David Mantell]

Bob Bartholomew was a long time supporter of the UK wrestling scene. Fan, second, timekeeper, publicist, he worked in many roles, particularly alongside Rumble promoter Steve Barker whom he met when the latter was still at school. He was also a nice guy to chat to on Facebook groups about British Wrestling and last summer he added me on Facebook as a friend - only to sadly pass away the very next day aged 72.

A four man KO tournament was held in his memory on the same Ditton show as the Jordan Vs Sid match I just posted. The semis are up on YouTube - they pitted British Tag Team Champions Mark Trew and Kieron Lacey (who before he turned heel had a great clean match in 2022 on a New School show versus the same Jordan Breaks, which I posted to this thread last year) versus brothers and two faves of mine whom I've raved about on here, British Lightweight Champion Nino Bryant and his 16 year old kid brother Leland.  Both Bryants beat a tag champ each, leaving us with an all brothers final.

And quite the British technical masterpiece it is, particularly between two guys both born after the millennium.  There are a couple of obligatory high flying spots off the top turn buckle and down to ringside where those wretched new fangled crowd barriers are, but for the most part it's technical work all the way.  Nino goes from being impressed but cocky at what his brother can do to being seriously worried until a little after ten minutes into the match, Leland uses a victory roll to pin his older brother for the win.

The two defeated heel semifinalists come to the ring- mercifully not for a beatdown but to receive runner up mini trophies along with Nino.  Leland, as winner, gets a full dinner plate sized shield Heels mostly behave themselves as Bob's son (I believe) dishes out the prizes.

With Leland Bryant over the past several months on here, we've watched the stages of the traditional TBW push from vulnerable newcomer to apprentice scoring wins to getting a bit win.  In this case a trophy tournament.  It isn't on the clip, but afterwards Leland put in a challenge for big brother Nina's British Lightweight title. The match has already taken place, it reportedly got filmed and I'm looking forward to sharing that match with you when I see it, so I won't spoiler you with the result.  Instead, let's have a look back in time at another tournament final between a British Lightweight Champion and a blood relative - in this case his dad ...

[David Mantell]

On 8/14/2013 at 2:08 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

King Ben vs. Kid McCoy (3/19/88)

 

In 1988, the father and son pairing of Ben and McCoy fought this rather novel final for the 1988 Golden Grappler Trophy. Instead of McCoy kicking Ben's leg out of his leg, they wrestled a really clean bout with the odd bemused look from the old man and plenty of jocularity. The YouTube fetishists kind of bit their tongue over this one, though there were some weird comments like, "did anybody wrestle their dad when they were a teenager?" The bout fell somewhere between watchable and a bit of a bore.

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Personally I like this match a lot as a pure "human chess" technical fest. (It was Gordon Solie who coined that "human chess" phrase yet I doubt he got to see too much - if any - British wrestling.) It's also quite good to hold up as an example of how BRitish wrestlers, particularly two blue-eyes could have a competitive match and not only be friends afterwards but actually during the match. 

In this case, they're actually father and son, which kind of makes look ridiculous and unneccesary a lot of the "bitter family feuds" between the Harts etc that we see in American wrestling - I look at those angle and wonder "what's the point? The Boothmans didn't need this nonsense". Having said that the second generation of the Knight family and Danny and Peter Collins did have some bitter brother vs brother fallout grudge matches in the late 90s (the Collinses) and the C21st (the Knights).

Kid McCoy was THE hot prospect of 1986-1989. He was defending Golden Grappler champion looking for a second year on top on this match. He beat Steve Grey for the British Lightweight title in 1987. He was being tipped as the heir to Johnny Saint's throne. He was the creator of the Yorkshire Rope Trick which Owen Hart borrowed for the Blue Blazer in the WWF. Unfortunately the older Boothman had an old grudge against Kendo Nagasaki going back to an incident in the late 60s when a young Kendo badly stiffed King Ben's trainer Ernie Baldwin then handled Ben when he tried to attack Kendo backstage. In Basingstoke 21st June 1990, the Boothmans were matched with Kendo and Blondie Barrett. Father and son overheard Kendo/PEter disparangingly recalling the late 60s incident and decided to take action in the match, pulling various tricks (including Ben overpowering Kendo in a test of strength.) Kendo eventually cut the match short scoring an early finish then went backstage to complain to Brian Dixon. As a result, the Boothmans' bookings were cut to near zero and All Star stripped McCoy of recognition as British Lightweight champion quietly hading the belt back to former champion Steve Grey. Max Crabtree's remnant of Joint Promotions continued to recognise McCoy as champion as did Orig Williams whose BWF produced Reslo, which gave McCoy a high profile World title shot at Johnny Saint. The Kid even made it onto the continent for New Catch (albeit only for a Squashing in France by Scrubber Daly.) But being blackballed by Dixon stymied McCoy's career and he retired in 1994, later starting a roofing business. 

The other promoters fell back into line and recognised Grey as champion and apart from a couple of losses to Jimmy Ocen in the 90s, he held onto it until formally retiring the title in 2021 with it being awarded to Nino Bryant after he beat Lewis Mayhew to win the belt. (Grey was due to be special referee for this Rumble promotions bout but traffic problems intervened on the night.)

 

Turns out I've already written a piece about this match so I'll go a different approach and go for the blow by blow description instead.  You all know the story, Mark Boothman aka Kid McCoy in 1987 was TBW of the year, holder of what is now Nino Bryant's British Lightweight title, winner of the first annual Golden Grappler trophy.  His dad, Phil aka King Ben, was a strength grappler who had made a few title tournament finals but never bagged a belt. This year, still champion, the younger Boothman again made it to the final - to face his dad.. 

********†*

Round one and after briefly hitting the ropes, Ben gets a wristlever on McCoy.  Kid rolls out and goes for a grapevine but King maintains the hold and takes him to the mat.  Kid tries again, this time rolls forward, cartwheels back. and then horizontally rotates out, leapfrogs dad and finishes with a neat snapmares, but dad is on his feet. Dad tries again, this time Kid turns over on his head using a bridge, then picks off the hold with his foot and grabs a wrist of his own and jerks upward.  Dad has to jump and take a bump on his back and now Kid has the hold. Kid switches from wrist to wrist including leaping over dad's back. Dad goes for a roll of his own to reverse the wrist, tries for a grapevine then gets Kid up in a fireman's carry.  He puts Kid on the ring apron, but Kid, sensing a trap, leaps over the ropes instead.  Kid snapmares Ben on the mat for 3 of a 10 count.  Ben gets another wrist but Kid is climbing up to try something when the bell goes.

Round 2: King Ben gets a wrist and goes in behind for a waist lock takedown but McCoy gets on top, almost with a waistlock of his own. Ben does the same the swivels round into a front chancery position then steps over his son and out  Kid goes for a leg, takes dad down and folds the leg up before switching to a wrist, dad who stands up and horizontally spins then snapmares Kid who yakes it well and is right back on his feet.  Kid forces dad to the ropes but Ben has an armlock on. Kid tries to throw Ben but Ben rolls through and is on top with the armlock.  Kid gets up one hold and tries the ropes again but KB maintains the hold. He tries a third time, gives Ben quite the bump with the resulting throw but Ben STILL has that arm!  Ben stands up and McCoy tries a French Catch style flying headscissors takedown but Ben (as is usual in Britain) throws him off.  Kid leaps over dad but dad pulls him back over and adds a headscissor but loses the arm and Kid easily gets his head out and kips up.  Ben twice snapmares Kid, both times the son goes over on his hand. Kid goes for a folding press but dad's legs are in the ropes.  Bell goes.

Round 3 : Ben nails McCoy in the stomach, McCoy overshoots on a sunset flip and lands on his back. Dad gets kid in a hiptoss into a side headlock on the mat. Kid forces back up so Ben comes off the ropes with a bodycheck.  Ben gets a full nelson but McCoy slides out and through dad's legs.  Ben gets the better of a flying tackle attempt by Kid, puts him down but when Kid hits the ropes again, gets a cross buttock and press for the first fall!

Round 4 and Ben has his son on the mat with another wristlever.  Kid gets up but Ben twists and  jerks his arm up to make Kid jump and take a bump like he made his father do in round 1.  Ben switches to  a finger interlock, but McCoy climbs the ropes, standing spins horizontally then backdrops dad.  Ben gets both legs on his son from behind but Kid goes between his legs to roll him in a folding press then hook both legs for the equaliser. 

Round 5: Ben snapmares and chinlocks his son He changes tack on posts Kid but McCoy bounces off the pad and rocks his dad with a dropkick. As they lock up, McCoy fires off the ropes but Ben stymies it, gets a side chancery on Kid, snapmares and bodychecks him. They hit the ropes again and Kid gets a cross buttock and press on Ben for a Two.  He gets it again but Ben kicks out.  Kid tries forcing down the King's shoulders but hasn't got the strength so sportingly helps his dad up. (Sorry, Americans,  but no major heel turn angle commences here.).  Ben goes for a double leg folding press but Kid crawls out the back way and gets up. They finger interlock and Kid drops down, reaches up with his legs and gets dad in a cross headscissor like he was going to do the toupee.  But first he crawls to the corner, claims up the rope with his arms and then finally does the toupee spin to throw dad. Kent Walton identifies this as the Yorkshire Rope trick although usually that means him climbing with ropes with his legs to flip over backwards over an opponent (also a favourite trick of Owen Hart around this time.) They lock up but Ben is backed into a corner and referee Max Ward calls for a break.  McCoy gets a leg but cannot turn Dad for a single leg Boston Crab. He switches from one wrist to another but Ben stands up and slips on the standing full nelson  Kid beaks it by blasting  backwards at Dad and comes of the ropes but gets and elbow in the chest. They hit the ropes again and Kid catches dad with a knee to the chest but the bell rings.

Round 6 and they shake hands. Ben gets a waistlock then Kid reverses then Ben reverses it back. Kid turns himself into the bearhug position (some wags in the audience joke "aah!" at dad and son hugging) and goes for Ben's head, then leans back in a bridge and slips through Ben's legs and takes his legs out under him. He hits the ropes and comes back with a flying tackle but dad kicks out a 2 putting Kid on the ring apron . He is back up at 5 and King Ben backs him into the ropes and sends him running but Kid comes back with a "inside forearm" as Walton calls a clothesline. Ben posts his son but McCoy comes off the middle rope to take Ben down with a sunset flip but Ben gets a leg free, spins round, drops both knees on McCoy's shoulder and hooks the legs for the deciding fall!  

*******

A fine technical masterpiece and one which ran about twice the length of Bryant Vs Bryant.  Like Leland getting his title shot at Nino, Ben was reported by TVTimes to be due a crack at the British Light Heavyweight title.  He did indeed beat Alan Kilby  (the man who once beat him in the tournament final to win his first title) for he belt, but lost it back on the 90 day clause return match later that year

 

[David Mantell]

Mid 80s. Older Zolly and three TBWs in a four man KO tournament. At least two - Kid McCoy and his semifinal opponent here Johnny Kidd (to be fair a twentysomething by this point. - went on to bigger things, the other was Jeff Kerry.  

God technical first round, Kidd forces a bump landing, Zolly makes had work on a headscissors, Kidd gets a chicken wing on which Boscik escapes the first time but uses the ropes the second time. Bit of needle in round two, Zolly using some fine legweakerners, tries his 3-in-1(Kidd sort of hiptosses out but hasn't the power to properly break) Zolly uses the ropes to break a Boston (seen as a cowardly heelish way out) Zolly gets the opener with another special leglock of his off the back of earlier legwork. Round 3 Zolly tries for another leg submission but Kidd equalises with a neat backslide. Zoltan carries on the leg strategy with ankle locks and legspreads. Kid dropkicks Boscik out a couple of times.uses a slingshot into the corner and backdrop. Boscik tries to step out of the ring but gets a second public warning for passivity. By round 6 it's getting heated, Kidd mises a flying tackle, injures his arm and goes down to Zolly's 3 in 1.

Nice bout with something for everyone.  Plenty of technical work for me, plenty of heel heat for you Americans.

[David Mantell]

On 8/23/2015 at 3:51 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Steve Grey vs. Ritchie Brooks (7/3/86)

 

Excellent bout, and refreshing too after watching so much shoddy wrestling of late. I have no idea whether I've seen this before as Brooks is the kind of guy I would have turned my nose up at in the past. Reminds me of the Sanders/Grey feud I overlooked in the past because of my prejudices. I'll have to take a look at the other Brooks matches, and the series with Danny Boy Collins as well, as Grey clearly wasn't as washed up as I thought in '86. It was weird seeing the beefed up, mulleted Brooks as a lightweight. He acquitted himself well, I thought. It was a title match, which naturally brought out the best in Grey, but Brooks showed more talent than I've given him credit for in the past. Egg on my face? A pleasant surprise? I won't mind being wrong if the other Grey matches are this good. Steve Grey is incredible. He really is. Every time you watch him it's the same thing yet every time it's awesome. How does that work? Such a class act.

Glad to read that OJ was acquiring a taste for these - clean cut TBW puts up a good show Vs clean cut veteran.  Ritchie later on became a heel. got a dubious British Heavyweight Middleweight title run off Danny Collins in 1990 and can be seen earlier in the thread heeling it up with Darren Ward, but here he's the nice respectful kid versus the great Steve Grey. The early rounds are mostly Grey except l Brooks gets a folding press opener held in place with a headstand in round 2. So Steve goes to work with forced bumps from jerked armlevers.  Brooks nearly makes it 2-0 with another folding press. He withstands a Boston Crab and is saved by the round 4 bell from a surfboard. Grey finally gets his equaliser in round 5 with another surfboard making the back weakeners pay off.   He becomes obsessed with another surfboard in round 6, failing three times, missing a dropkick and taking a 7 counts and getting caught in some arm weakeners until time runs out and the kid has earned a 1-1 draw with the legendary Grey. A step up the ladder for the younger man.