The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

3 hours ago, PeteF3 said:

Since he was considered "innocent", the documentary could not show the guy's face and censored his name

Well that kind of makes it hard to identify. 

Apart from Saville obviously I could tell you horror stories of these kinds about two other British wrestlers (as with any walk of life you get one or two rotten apples) but I'm not sure of the rules on naming and shaming on this board. (One of the two in question ended up in prison, the other, AFAIK, didn't and I'm not sure he's dead). A bunch of posts on another thread on here got deleted and I'm not sure if it's because stuff about a certain big former AEW star got discussed in those posts.  There are hills worth dying on to do with British and European Wrestling but this ain't one.

[PeteF3]

Well, yes, that makes it hard. That's why we're trying to crack the mystery. If they'd said his name was Joe Blow no one would be asking.

I have to assume that a 74-year-old ex-wrestler in 2004 is dead in 2025 though the post doesn't seem to say so definitively. So it's not a case of libeling the guy.

[David Mantell]

40 minutes ago, PeteF3 said:

Well, yes, that makes it hard. That's why we're trying to crack the mystery. If they'd said his name was Joe Blow no one would be asking.

I have to assume that a 74-year-old ex-wrestler in 2004 is dead in 2025 though the post doesn't seem to say so definitively. So it's not a case of libeling the guy.

I've sent you a private message.  I'm not sure of the forum rules on this sort of conversation so .I'll leave it there. 

Once I've dealt with the latest two French Catch matches to drop, I'll be on here with a great match to review from 1972.

[David Mantell]

And here it is:

I've got a tattered old copy of The Wrestler (Paul Lincoln Promotions version, NOT the Aptermag) from 1961 with Judo Al .Hayes as the White Angel (Ange Blanc knock-off who fought Paul's Dr Death alter ego just as the original across the English Channel feuded with Le Bourreau De Bethune) on the cover.  Inside is a feature on PETER RANN - MAT ARTIST showing a handsome young Blue Eye sports car driving dark haired Rann. Come 1972, the TV was in colour and Rann was on TV (if Granada has a stock of their cinema match films we may yet someday see the younger Rann) but more importantly he was grey haired and a heel. And a heel in real life too - he is alleged to have worked as a rent enforcer for a notorious shark landlord - some accounts say the infamous Michael Rachmann of Notting Hill Gate. His grey hair would have made him a good Vieux Pontoufle heel in France. 

Here he takes on future Carribbean Sunshine Boy Johnny Kincaid, still a beloved blue eye but sporting bleached hair a la African American heel Sweet Daddy Siki. (Bleached African hair would later become a hip thing in the UK black community especially among girls after David Bowie's girlfriend Ava Cherry sported the look - even Simone Thomas of early punk gang the Bromley Contingent had one.) The man who dyes his hair versus the man who ought to.

It's worth remarking how much Blue there is on screen for an early 1970s video production.  Blue was usually avoided as it was the colour traditionally used on British TV for Chromakey/ Colour Separation Overlay effects (Greenscreening now, Bluescreening then.). But here were have a blue mat -The same shade as Wanz/Wright Vs Kauroff/Lataserre in Graz 1996- blue rope, both men in blue trunks, Rann in a blue jacket, Kincaid in the blue corner, his second with a blue towel ...

Round 1: Rann gets a headlock but Kincaid breaks I open into a top wristlock and levers his man down into the guard.  He switches to H&S. Rann gets a double leg takedown and tries for a Boston Crab but can't turn Kincaid. Johnny gets a side headlock into wristlever into back hammer down in the mount.  Rann turns into the guard to straighten his arm.  He stands up, Johnny gets the hammerlock again in the standing position but Ran slips in his other arm for a hiptoss.  Rann shoulderpresses Kincaid with his legs but Kincaid uses a kip up to slide his arms out. Rann again hiptosses Kincaid and gets a straight arm wristlever and  Kincaid roles to untwist, goes into a bridge, turns into the guard and eventually forces Rann into a roll to remove the torque on his shoulder, leaving Kincaid on top. He converts the wrist lever into a ground top wristlock.  As he tries to press down on it like one of Jim Breaks' variants of the Breaks Special.  Rann snatches a headscissors.  Kincaid gets a bridge, turns the hold upright and handstands out.  Rann gets a chinlock (Walton says it's a too high stranglehold) Kincaid slips out behind and gets a grovit.   Ran eventually gets his head out to make a back hammerlock but again Kincaid loosens it by slipping into the guard and then kips up, but Rann twists the wristlever to haul Kincaid down and regain the hammerlock. So Kincaid changes tack, stands up in the hold  and uses the once-outlawed back elbow to Rann's head break his from and roll out, arm still in pinion position.  Rann scores a dropkick, rear snapmare and double kneepress but Kincaid bench presses him up by the lower legs Rann grabs both wrists and clamps down on both shoulders with both legs.  Kincaid bridges - Rann pushes him down but himself gets pushed backwards in his seating position.  A few repeats of this and Rann is backed up against the ropes and has to release Kincaid.  He gets Kincaid's wristband takes him down to the guard but Kincaid cheekily boots him in the back and gets free.  Still on the mat, Rann legdives and leglocks Kincaid who lever himself into the upright position just in time for the bell. Gentle patter of applause . Rann, amusingly, is captioned as being from "CAMPDEN Town" (my emphasis).  

Round 2. Kincaid gets a standing reverse armhank.  Rann pulls him over into a folding press for 1.  Kincaid makes it a sitting armscissor, Rann turns it back into the folding press. Kincaid regains the leverage then it goes back to Rann who gets the extra grip from his other arm.  He turns a bit too far and ends up back in the armhank, this time in a kneeling position.  He secures the other arm and uses the hold to turn into a shoulder press for a pin attempt but for reasons unclear referee Joe D'Orazio rejects it so Kincaid releases and Rann is also up at 2 sharpish.  Double finger Interlock and Kincaid unpicks one side with a foot, horizontally twists the remaining arm. Drops to a legdive into legscissor and seals it with a single toehold.  Rann tries to get a side folding press but Kincaid regains dominance easily. Ran tries poking a foot in but Kincaid makes it into an Indian Deathlock Rann takes the securing foot, slips it over his head, turns Kincaid into the mount by what remains and clamps down on both Achilles tendons but Kincaid stands up and gets the ropes break with his back to his man, narrowly avoiding tripping over Rann's feet as he walks away.  He gets a side chancery throw, a double kneepress for a couple of 1s, a crosspress (clamping a stray Rann arm with his foot)  for another 1 before Rann gets another finger Interlock, rolls back and gets a single legdive and leglock. Kincaid tries to probe his way out with his other foot but Rann nicely locks it in with a reverse folding press. Kincaid's shoulders are not down and he upturns the hold but Rann's feet touch the rope and it's a break.  Kincaid gets a single legdive and leglock. Rann stands up in the hold, leaps to put his other leg up and scores a fantastic monkey climb. Rann gets an over the knee backbreaker, Kincaid just barely managed to bridge out on his tiptoes before Rann snaps on a bodyscissors. Kincaid sits up in the hold. pushes to the centre of the ring  Rann turns into the mount turning Kincaid into a folding double leg nelson. Kincaid turns Rann back into the guard for a straight double leg nelson - Kent Walton is amused that they are both trying the same trick!  It ends in a stalemate and break. Kincaid gets two snapmares, a bodycheck and charges but misses and goes over the ropes on the bell.

Round 3. Kincaid makes it back in time but Rann throws him sharply on the back on which he hit the outside floor just earlier. He whips and boots Kincaid in the stomach.  Kincaid is up at eight but straight into another backbreaker on the knee from Rann who drops a knee a bit early and gets some heat and a quiet word from D'Orazio.  He gets a forearm smash, snapmare and double kneepress but the referee breaks it up as he doesn't like the work Rann is doing on Kincaid's knee.  Johnny is up at six into a headlock, concealed punch and forearm smash down.  He throws Kincaid across the ring, again snapmares and double kneepresses him but again works on the kneecap which upsets Referee Joe.  Rann gets a legdive and a leg weakener over his own knee. He shoves off Kincaid's boots to his head and resists a grab at his right elbow before standing and getting his reverse folding press from earlier but Kincaid can easily grab the ropes.  Kincaid tries a quick folding press but Rann's foot goes in the ropes.  Kincaid floors Rann with a headbutt but Peter is up at 8 and seeks sanctuary in the corner. It may get him jeers but he forces Kincaid to back off.  Kincaid gets a side chancery and stomp for 5.  Rann springs up with a wristlock  He takes  Kincaid down again into the guard by the wrist but Johnny swivels round on his head and rolls out, steps over and whips Rann down (to not much of a bump.) He slings him in the ropes, tries for a butt to the stomach but is too slow and Rann comes out better with a running knee  for 8. Rann gets double legs and a folding press for the opening fall and a chorus of boos. Not that he's done much dirty wrestling so far but because Kincaid's fall out of the ring at the end of the last round gave Rann the advantage. 

Round 4: Rann does the first serious dirty of the match, a knee in the legs while Kincaid was backed into the ropes. It earns him a public warning.  He gets the same standing chinlock that Walton calls a strangle as earlier, then makes it into the H&S, the sleeper that Americans recognise. It looks like Kincaid might slip out (scrunched up though his face is getting) so Rann reverts to the chinlock, now kneeling. He pulls out, leaving a back hammerlock.  Rann steps forward and threads himself through the ropes. Kincaid elbowsmashes him from behind -this gets a cheer from the crowd and is written off by D'Orazio as retaliation and allowed.  Kincaid gets the better of a finger Interlock test of strength with Rann on his knees and down into a shoulder press. He bridges up at 1 so Kincaid adds a knee and gets 2, almost a crosspress.   Rann gets his other leg in and uses his crossed legs to create space and hook him away by the head.  Rann turns him over and gets the crosspress for 2 - nearly a two-straight win there.  Kincaid bridges so Rann switches to double kneepress.  He headbutts Kincaid's thigh down which pleases neither the crowd nor the referee who orders a break.  Rann gets a snapmare and kneedrop for 6, a slingshot and knee on the rebound for 8, a legdive into single leg Boston Crab before Kincaid reaches the ropes.  Rann floors Kincaid with two sharp knees for 6.  Kincaid threatens fisticuffs before getting a full nelson into headbutt for 8, another for the same, a series of side headlocks changing arm to arm and a concealed closed fist punch just on the bell.  

Round 5.  If Rann can survive this round, then Kincaid cannot get a two falls/submissions win in the final round 6. It's been mostly scientific even with the increased heat in rounds 3 and 4.  Rann starts this one off rougher however with a kick to the stomach and forearm smash for 7. He gets a standing full nelson but Kincaid breaks one side and reverses. Rann throws him into an armlock against the joint in the guard.  When Kincaid gets up, Rann throws him back down again. Kincaid tries a headscissors but can't maintain it.  He turns to a kneeling position, shoves off the armlock and gets a legspread and toehold, turning him into the guard and stomping his heel. Rann is up at 7 and Kincaid goes in too quick for a hold but it backfires on him anyway as Rann gets the single toehold.  He switches to double kneepress (a mistake says Kent as he sacrificed a good leglock that was doing damage). Rann gets two before Kincaid slips both legs in for the double leg nelson but it ends in a double grapevine stalemate.  Despite their needle they shake hands on the stalemate and there is a clean break. Rann gets a wristlever and gets an armbar against the joint almost down in the guard. Kincaid works his way up to kneeling then gets n over knee backbreaker like Rann earlier, this one for 5.  Rann scores a fine dropkick and what looks like a powerbomb 20 years before Vader and Sid but was more likely a botch drop. Rann goes for a folding press but Kincaid sits up and flips him over for the double leg nelson. Rann escapes and it winds up in the same double grapevine stalemate.  Again a clean break despite the earlier heat.  Rann gets a full nelson into side chancery throw into another full nelson. But Kincaid gets an underhook into what was not then yet called the small package. He gets his equaliser and a shot at a decider that, with another 20 seconds,  would have been sealed off for him.  

Round 6 Rann gets a single leg and almost a Powerlock (upright figure four) but Kincaid topples him with a legspread and gets a single leg of his own.  He switches to a front folding press but Kincaid's foot brushes the ropes.  Kincaid gets a double legs and a folding press (without inadvertently inventing the Power Bomb two decades early!) Rann spins him out by the legs.  He gets a headlock, two concealed illegal punches and a forearm smash.  Kincaid gets a headlock and concealed punch of his own - recept paid although D'Orazio isn't happy.   Rann gets an arm, pulls Kincaid down and gets a leg up for a possible bodyscissors but it doesn't come off and Walton decries it as "clumsy" (another botch?)  Kincaid has a leg and an advantage until Rann curls his other foot around his man's jaw and pulls him down.  Kincaid turns him into the guard, tries a folding press but Rann slips out a finally gets the bodyscissors he was presumably after earlier.  He goes up on his feet and has Kincaid selling the pain.  Kincaid gets into a seated position and leans backwards for a reverse folding press with bridge but Rann's shoulders are up and he turns over on his side and then into the pain inflicting position again but can only briefly maintain it.  Kincaid tries a very high folding press in the scissors. He gets a 1, a 2 then goes for a Boston Crab but can't turn Rann into the mount. Kincaid double leg slingshots Rann but he falls narrowly short of the post pad Kincaid intended.  He gets a grovit and a headbutt for 8. Rann gets another fantastic dropkick for 6. Kincaid gets a headbutt for 7 before the kneeling Rann first an elbow upwards to Kincaid's stomach.  This gets him a second and final public warning but after Rann slings Kincaid to the ropes, the final bell goes. 1-1 Broadway. 

The MC calls it "one for Rann" (boo from the crowd) "and one for Kincaid" (cheer!) . It's the Wednesday night midweek slot so instead of his famous catchphrase "Have a good week till next week" Kent Walton says "Be happy until Saturday".  

Nice to see a bout that can stay reasonably technical even once the needle creeps in.  Fouls and blows never amounted to a brawling second half, they were static incidents in the generally technical bout.  I suppose OJ would say it never quite caught fire but it suited me fine. Even the two Rann botches seemed like credible screwups in the heat of competition.  A fine bout that I've been looking forward to writing up since seeing it at the weekend.

 

[David Mantell]

On 11/11/2014 at 3:56 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

Johnny Wilson vs. John Elijah (7/11/84)

 

These are two of my guys, but even I have to admit that watching a 35 minute 8 round bout is tough going. It was everything I'd want out of John Elijah vs. Johnny Wilson in terms of strength holds and powering out of moves, but very much a one pace bout. And it went to a draw, which ain't much of a return on your investment.

I did a mini deep dive  Tarzan Johnny Wilson a while back stretching from 1970s matches through to 1995 camcorder footage from Portsmouth. We've seen how good a match Elijah could have with Big Daddy in 1977, now let's seem him against another powerhouse but a more naturally skillful opponent. A minority of the audience give Elijah a heel reaction but he and Wilson ignore this. Both men are called John

Round 1: Wilson rolls out of aln armbar into hammerlock. The two agree to a single side finger Interlock and Wilson turns horizontally to forum a top wristlock. Elijah throws his man off.  Elijàh goes for a straight arm lift but switches to a high whip but Wilson takes it nicely. Elijah gets a single legdive into toe and ankle hold. He tries to legspread Wilson who turns this round on Elijah until he has to quit. Elijah gets a side chancery into front facelock.  Elijah take it to the mat, straightens himself before diagonally hand standing his way out. Wilson gets a side headlock, Elijah throws him off but a bodycheck on the rebound moves neither man.  Wilson gets a double finger Interlock into Japanese Stranglehold but Elijah straightens the arms into a crossed double finger Interlock.  Wilson turns again and makes it an over the shoulder crossed interlock and, from there throws Elijah, a considerable feat of strength.  Elijah gets an armbar into standing hammerlock and trips Wilson into the  mount back hammerlock then turns him into the guard with the hammerlock underneath. He tries for a crosspress and is thrown off, landing on top of referee Peter Jay who takes it in better humour than some of his colleagues on the continent.  Elijah again singles legdives Wilson who gets a crossed headscissor, held nicely with the feat.  Wilson has to take care not to let his shoulders touch the mat as he throws Elijah in the scissors. Elijah gets a front chancery (not quite a grovit, as Kent points out). The Bear breaks oper the hold and again high whips Tarzan who takes it efficiently again. They lock up and Wilson gets a crank on the back of Elijah's neck as the bell goes.  They shake hands.

Round 2 :  Elijah gets an abdominal stretch and Wilson detatches the grapevines lower leg to unmoor the hold so he can cross buttock throw and press Elijah who pushes him off easily after all that effort by Wilson to trigger the throw.  Elijah gets an armbar against the joint, uses the hold to force his opponent over into the guard and slap on a headscissors.  Wilson turns it upright, goes for a headstand and gracefully levers out.  Elijah gets another wristlock and seems to go for a posting but then pulls his man back in and down to canvas as an arm weakener. (At first I thought Wilson had simply failed to "go with" a whip.). They half interlock with Wilson's uninjured arm involved but Elijah neatly switched to the same armbar against the joint on the hurting left arm.  Elijah again uses the abortive posting arm weakener.  He gets the arm a third time and develops it into a hammerlock on the mat with Wilson on his side, almost in the mount.  Wilson gets up but is dragged back down so instead he gets a headscissors, occasionally twisting Elijah's neck foreward to weaken it.  Elijah goes into the guard and turns the hold upside down and uncorks it with his feet.  Wilson gets a standing full nelson but Elijah easily powers out.  Elijah gets a side chancery.  and eventually a throw to go with it, but yet again Wilson rolls up beautifully.  Wilson gets a hard slap to the back of Elijah's neck which floors him . Wilson capitalizes with a snapmare and double knee press but Elijah lifts him off by the lower legs before any pinfall count can be made. They agree to a semi finger Interlock  but Elijah again gets the armbar into hammerlock.  The bell goes so he releases.

Round 3: Wilson gets a front chancery and elbowsmashes the back of Elijah's neck.  He collapses to the canvas and stays down for 8. Wilson slams and double knee presses Elijah and is again lifted off by the ankles.   Wilson gets a standing side headlock.  Elijah lifts him up by the folded knee and drops him on it. He is up at 4 but limping badly around the ring. They semi interlock and Elijah switches to a single legdive takedown into a single leg Boston Crab.  Wilson curls up and pushes his torso out to the front then boots Elijah in the head, flooring him!  In a role reversal, Wilson takes the arm and Elijah blasts him with an elbowsmash to the back of the shoulderblades.  Elijah resists a posting until kicked in the stomach at which point he goes.  They have a double finger Interlock and Elijah wins the initial test of strength until Wilson powers back up and scores with a lean back dropkick.  He follows with a snapmare and kneedrop.  Elijah gets a forearm smash in but Wilson gets a snapmare and seated reverse chinlock.  Elijah eventually extracts his head leaving a hammerlock on Wilson in the mount. He stands on the hammerlock and falls backwards scissoring the arm.  Wilson slowly reverses this into a Frank Gotch figure four toehold but the bell saves Elijah.

Round 4: Elijàh gets a front chancery shifting to side chancery.  He gets the throw but yet again Wilson rolls upright smartly.  Wilson again floors Elijàh with the slap on the back of the neck.  He next combineds the neck blow with a kneelift.  Then a cross buttocks and press but Elijah presses out at 1.  Elijah collars and forearm smashes Wilson who replies  with a hefty forearm smash of his own.  They exchange another two pairs of forearm smashes before shaking hands and agreeing to no more of that (much to Kent Walton's pleasure as they have too much skill to waste on a forearm smashing contest!   They half interlock and as in Round 1, Wilson twists horizontally into a top wristlock.  Elijah resists and overpowers Wilson, throwing him into  the ropes.Wilson gets a legdive and leglock then switches to Indian Deathlock. This ends in stalemate and the referee has to unpick the tangle of feet.  Elijah throws Wilson twice and he does not roll up so easily these two times, in fact on the second throw he ends up at ringside.  Wilson comes back and likewise throws Elijah to force him to ringside. Now they are even.  Back in the ring, Elijah gets a single legdive and leglock and Wilson counters with a legspread.  Elijah still has the toehold but releases.  They single interlock and Wilson takes the arm and makes a back hammerlock of it.  The bell goes before he can get a submission.

Round 5:  Wilson throws Elijah for a bump and count of 7 then gets two postings before Elijah comes back with a forearm smash.  Elijah gets his own posting, Wilson takes it well but is caught on the rebound with a kneelift which floors him.  Elijah gets the bodyslam and crosspress for the opening fall.  

Round 6:  Elijah forces a bump with a throw then gets a good long side Chancery throw then an over the shoulder backbreaker. Wilson unclamps himself and hits the ropes but come back straight into a kneelift for 6. Elijah gets an underhook and whips Wilson to the ropes but he comes back with a sunset flip into double leg nelson for the equaliser!

Round 7:  Elijah tries his forearm to the back of the shoulders but Wilson kind of no-sells it this time round.  Elijah gets an arm and scores a posting. Single interlock and Wilson gets an armlock then reverse double arms. It takes two attempts but Elijah reverses the hold. Wilson, as early in the contest, throws the big Bear over his shoulder.  He is up at 7 and applies his speciality bearhug.  He weathers a forearm smash in the hold easily and bounces him off the ropes to catch him and get a better grip. Wilson turns to almost a front facing position (rear waistlock in effect) that Elijah releases and blasts Wilson  with his back of the neck forearm smash. Elijah soon regains the hold. Wilson turns sideways in the hold and tries a snapmare but can't get it.  Instead he gets his arms and head through and lifts Elijah in a Fireman's carry. But he can't get the takedown and Elijah can't get a crucifix into further nelson, so Wilson puts him down and they shake hands.  Elijah gets the legdive and toehold but Wilson turns and spins him out.  Wilson gets a posting, it doesn't affect Elijah but something out there comes crashing down - Elijah looks around innocently, LOL.  Back to the serious stuff. Elijah gets a front chancery into side chancery throw for 3. Wilson gets double legs sand JUMPS into a Frank Gotch figure 4 toehold.  He gets in one more yank on the leg before the bell goes.

Round 8: Elijah counters a Wilson side headlock with an atomic drop.  He gets his long side chancery throw then a double legdive and tries for a Boston Crab but Wilson again spins him out for a bump landing for 7, then posts him.  Wilson rebounds from a throw into a flying tackle but Elijah catches and bodyslams him. Wilson however gets an almost vertical ground dropkick and cross buttock press for 2.  Elijah gets the wristlever but Wilson turns 90 degrees and slides in both feet for a legspread that floors Elijàh.  Wilson gets a kneelift, slam and crosspress but is easily thrown off. Wilson gets reverse double leg takedown into double leg nelson but Elijah sits up at 2.  To, Kent Walton's disappointed hey have another exchange of forearm smashes but to his relief they just as quickly abandon the bludgeoning contest - they have far too much skill to rely on that. Wilson gets a posting but Elijah doesn't sell it much.  Elijah gets an inverted rear waistlock on Wilson, trying and failing to get the over the shoulder backbreaker but still smashing him down quite viciously on his knees.  Elijah gets another slam and crosspress for 2, he himself takes 7 to recover from being thrown off only to once again take the smash to the back of the neck.  He comes back with an elbow to Wilson's stomach and another long side chancery throw.  He gets the single leg and this time gets the single leg Boston Crab he was after earlier. Again. Wilson comes through the front of the hold and boots Elijah down.  Elijah is up at 7 for a cross buttock throw and press but he rolls his man off at 2.  He gets in one last long side chancery throw but Wilson is up and the two men are circulating when the bell rings for the 1-1 Broadway draw.

Skill and Power rather than Skill and Speed is the watchword of this Heavyweight contest.  A lot of intelligent use of power, for more so than Elijah's bout with Daddy. I particularly enjoyed Wilson taking the roll ups from throws by Elijah and coming out upright.  Some stuff tended to be repeated a bit to fill out the eight rounds. These two were not Move Like Lightweights type of Heavyweights but they were mobile and adaptable and had clever ideas for using their power.  There were guys their size in the WWF at the time who could learn a thing or two from this pair.

 

[David Mantell]

By this time the Big Daddy formula was fully established although it took his war to shut Mighty John Quinn's mouth to really have Daddymania running wild.  Daddy only gets involved briefly, most of this is Tony dealing with two brute heavyweight heels.  Bruiser/Bully Boy Muir is a familiar enough piece of Daddy fodder. Bronco Wells had two notable headline matches, this one and earlier in '78 Kendo's first match as an unmasked wrestler in which Kendo totally dominated him (and the complained in his 2018 book that Wells was a lousy opponent..)

StClair nicely levers out of a Muir headlock for starters Then when Muir gets a single leg into toe and ankle, Tony rolls out (anyone else think he was going to leg-throw Muir and make the big bald baddy somersault?).  Muir gets a wristlever into armlock against the joint into hammerlock but Tony again rolls off with his arm in the hammerlock position. Disgusted, Muir tags Wells.  He tries a cross armed grovit but StClair cartwheels out.  Wells gets a hammerlock, takes Tony down in the mount, bars the other arm and turns Tony into the guard. and cross presses him for a pair of 1s.  Tony cartwheels again beautifully from a Wells throw.  Muir very reluctantly tags in (and he's not even facing Daddy.). Muir gets a wristlever but StClair rolls backwards then forward then back a bit and unpicks the hold with his foot and takes Muir's extended arm.  Sadly Muir does not roll out - he goes for the ropes to force the break. Muir gets a bearhug but has to lift Tony up to get it on leaving a lot of his own back available for attack. Tony considers an elbowsmash to the shoulders but goes for pressure points and a series offour big Bionic Elbows to Muir's shaven skull.  He gets his release on the third one and Muir collapses back in his corner, tagging Wells.  So far, no sign of Big Daddy, but Tony is doing so well in this quasi handicap tag anyway. He gets full finger Interlock and fires a lean back dropkick off it. Wells is jumping with rage and Tony slapping him around doesn't make him feel any better.  He gets dirty with a concealed illegal punch that floors Tony for four, a headlock on the ropes that has Daddy in and complaining and various illegal attacks on the prone Tony. Now StClair is fired up, he scores two mighty forearm smashes then tags Daddy. Wells tries to tag Muir who tries not to be tagged. In desperation they try a double team, each villain getting a top wristlock and for a while they do force him back into his corner, but Daddy overpowers both and sends them toppling. Wells then Muir then Wells take the bodycheck and they both flee outside.  StClair tags in to lure the villains back as it looks like they will just plain vamoose. They don't fancy facing StClair either - Muir is down at ringside and Wells nearly joins him but Tony drags him back. Wells finally gets the heat back, getting in an illegal concealed punch and a legal kneelift before tagging Muir.  He prematurely drags Tony off the mat and scores several blows of varying legality ending in a double team that again has Daddy complaining.  Muir gets a side chancery throw then full nelson and smacks Tony's head in the corner. He gets a hairpull and another full nelson and tries another corner move but Tony reverses it and scores a dropkick. He absorbed a posting well and lunges for Muir's stomach but bounces off.  Undettered, Tony gets double legs and a front folding press for the first fall!  Muir avanges his "honour" with a quick concealed punch to the triumphant Tony, doubling him up. It earns him a public warning.

Second fall.  Tony is recovered enough to go.  Muir still posts him, picks him up and posts him again so his back connects with Wells' fist in the corner pad.  Wells gets a bunch of elbows against the cornered StClair which earn his team the Second And Final Public Warning.  Wells continues the posting treatment but makes the mistake of posting Tony into his own corner. Tony uses Daddy's help to score a lean back dropkick then tags the big man in.  A bodycheck, three postings, a side chancery throw and the Big Splash is what it takes to get the Second Straight. Daddy and StClair win 2-0.

This is actually the second semifinal of a four team KO.  Earlier, Giant Haystacks and Big Bruno Elrington beat Wayne Bridges and Lee Bronson to win the first semi and now it is is time for the final, but instead two towels come down. Just three months earlier Haystacks and Elrington had upset Daddy and Gary Sensor in what would be Daddy's last ever TV defeat. The big villains did face - and lose to - Daddy and StClair in December as the Xmas Big Daddy tag.

Daddy's only in this for a minute or so, The rest is a rather interesting handicap tag of Tony StClair handling two big brutes.

 

 

 

 

[David Mantell]

.I thought. this was already reviewed on here but apparently not. I thought it'd be a pallette cleanser after the Kauroff/Sasake Vs Steinnlock/Boyd match on the German thread. The two wonderkids of the mid 80s

Danny starts off with action and the big moves with a headlock into front chancery into two forearm smashes into dropkick (he sells his back a bit from the landing.). He gets an over the knee backbreaker (so now it's McCoy's turn to sell back pain) and a semi  Japanese Stranglehold which he unwinds and reels in for a bodycheck.  He tries this again but Kid gives him a backdrop.  He gets a posting but Danny knows and chops out of the follow up attack.  Danny follows up the back damage with a slam and rear snapmare and cross press for 2. The bout settles into more what I would expect from these two, Danny getting an armlock into wristlever and McCoy countering with rolls and cartwheels to untwist the arm.  Kid horizontally rotates in the standing position before kipping behind and leapfrogging front ways, getting a superkick as he lands.  Kid gets a waistlock suplex for 2  Danny rams Kid in the corner and dodges a sunset flip giving McCoy another back weakener. He gets a fireman's carry into stomachbreaker and a nicely done double underhook suplex into crosspress for 2.  More traditional Danny as he double legdives for a folding press and McCoy crawls out smartly.  Kid armdrags Danny who jabs Kid's stomach and whips him into the ropes but is met by a knee. Kid slams Danny and double underhooks suplexes him.He rolls over for the cover but only gets 2 so keeps the double underhook and switches to a single leg but Danny dropkicks with the other leg.Kid reverses a posting and gets a decent rear waistlock suplex.  He bashes Danny down to his knees then gets a H&ẞ on Danny. Collins stands up so Kid can get a victory roll for 2 Kid gets a lunge to Danny's stomach then a front chancery but Danny straightens the arm and gets a high whip and bump.  He then gets a straight arm lever but I'd withstands the pain so Danny drops him and quickly legdrops McCoy's arm.  Still with the arm, he gets a front hammerlock and slams his man on the locked arm.  Looking to continue the arm treatment he takes it and whips McCoy by it but misses a dropkick. This lands a back weakened and Kid is smart to follow up with a posting, snapmare and  Powerlock (Scorpion Deathlock.) Danny resists long enough for Kid to release but he is back on the back with a suplex and crosspress for 2. Danny gets a headbutt drop and straight headbutt and butt to the stomach.  He posts and spinning kicks Kid, side chanceries and forearm smashes kid who shoved him down.  He tries for another powerlock and then a Boston Crab but both times Danny resists being turned but more with muscle inertia than his usual contortionist skills.  He tries a crosspress but Danny rolls into the ropes.  He tries a rear sitting chinlock but gets a jawbreaker drop in response.  Danny tries a posting which Kid absorbs neatly and tries to reverse leapfrog but telegraphs it somehow so Danny deliberately arrives late then gets an arm i,witches to the other arm and gets a kneelift to the head. McCoy gets knees and a wristlock and long high whip and bump, right across the ring.  Danny is up at 9when .Kid gets a new folding press which Danny easily crawls out of.  Danny bodychecks Kid, gets an over the knee backbreaker, a single leg into a complete surfboard but Kid gets his arms free, turns over and gets one of his own but Danny's head touches the ropes, forcing a release.  Kid gets a good Russian legsweep.  Danny gets a butt to the stomach. Kid comes off he ropes with a sunset flip but Danny turns it over into a folding press plus bridge . Kid crawls out at 2 just as the bell rings. Time limit draw.  They shake hands.

Some good bits but I'm a bit disappointed. Not as technical as I'd hoped for Kid Vs Danny at this stage of his career, too much rough stuff - not as in dirty wrestling, just as in too much blows, headbutts, forearms.  I thought possibly Danny was preparing for his later metamorphosis into Dirty Dan but this was March 1989.  I also get the impression young Master Boothman wanted to strut his technical stuff but Someone wasn't in the mood!  He certainly didn't get to do either of his Yorkshire Rope Tricks.  This wasn't Dirty Dan, just Slightly Soiled Dan. A pity.

[David Mantell]

Just to show you how unpredictable life can be, I found another matchup between the same two and it's a lot better!  There's still a bit on the bodychecks, headbutts and forearm smashes (and Collins takes a good few out of the ring bumps) but it's all in more reasonable measure and they do get to show off their technical skills - indeed Kid McCoy gets to do BOTH versions of the Yorkshire Rope Trick.

Review to follow as I'm trying to charge this tablet but it'll be fun to go through this one, a lot more deserving of the blow by blow treatment than that last one.

[David Mantell]

Okay here's the review.

Referee is Martin Warren (Count Von Zuppi) MC is Gordon Prior who MCd for Joint on ITV.  McCoy is introduced as British Lightweight Champion despite having vacated the title the previous year after he and his father King Ben had a backstage despite with Kendo Nagasaki that spilled into a match.  Uncharacteristically McCoy wears long tights and equally uncharacteristically for this point in his career, Collins wearsca full leotard.

After a brief lockup that ends up in the corner. Collins gets a headlock into side chancery into wristlever. McCoy rolls out but grabs a headlock, Collins still has the wrist and reverses the torque to force McCoy to bump on his back. McCoy gets up, rolls forward, bridges and rolls round using his head as fulcrum and allowing him to pick open the wristlock in passing with his foot. McCoy then spins to force Collins to take a somersault and bump. Collins gets another headlock but McCoy breaks it open into a top wristlock and armdrags his man down into an armlock in the guard.  Danny gets into a kneeling position, flips over on his head (!) and kips up to convert his opponent's armlock into a back hammerlock of his own and takes him down into the guard.  McCoy reaches up with his legs to take  a scissorhold. Danny turns the hold upright and turns 90 degrees and kips up out.  He gets a headlock. throws his man tomthe ropes and bodychecks him down. Danny gets a side chancery throw into rear seated chinlock.  McCoy stands so Danny switches to side chancery then side headlock.  McCoy forces him to run the ropes, breaks free and ducks to the floor as Collins runs over, but he gets floored by another Danny bodycheck.  As Kid rises, Danny catches him in a cross buttock throw into side heädlock in the guard. He stands up, switches to side chancery, loosens up the arm to straight position then reels Kid in for another bodycheck  Danny again switches to side chancery and hits the ropes but Kid ducks under Danny's charge, leapfrogs over the next rebound, then on the one after that, catches Collins in a cross buttock and press for 2.  Collins goes for a legdive but Kid jumps back so Danny pounds on his back then delivers an on the knee backbreaker a la the Reslo bout.  He gets a posting, kick side chancery throw and kneedrop   McCoy is up at 7 and straight into a Collins side chancery. He throws him into the ropes and gets a butt to the stomach, then throws him the other way but McCoy gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2. Collins gets a jawbreaker then takes his man down to kneeling with pressure points into an H&S I to Japanese Stranglehold. MCoy stands and twice reverses the Stranglehold but Danny goes with the momentum until the Stranglehold is reversed back.  Kid finally gets the reversal so Danny throws him in the hold but Kid makes a beautiful feet first handspringing landing. Both men try a dropkick but miss and bump.  On the mat, McCoy tries to roll into a cross press but it is ruled by Warren as not continuous motion and anyway too close to the ropes.  Danny gets an elbow and knee both to the stomach then an on the knee stomachbreaker as per the Reslo bout.  He feigns a standing figure four to get a knee to the spine then gets the Japanese Stranglehold again.  He bounces him man off the ropes onto a shove that floors him then gets in a late kick that earns him a private warning from Warren. They lock up and Danny gets the armbar but McCoy rolls forward, cartwheels backwards, goes behind then leapfrogs to the front and lands a superkick.  kid gets a kneelift and posting. He backs Danny into the corner but Danny reverses, gets back to centre ring and lands a headbutt and side chancery into on the knee backbreaker.  He whips Kid into the ropes and catches him but Kid somersaults round,  throws Danny to the ropes and nails him with a dropkick. He picks up Collins from the corner and slaps him in the back before getting a headlock, switching from side to side.  Danny lifts and backdrops him, then gets a  double legdive into a Boston Crab.  Kid slides through to the front and turns onto his front with his legs on Danny's shoulder. He crawls to the corner and climbs it with his hands to throw Collins with his legs, forcing a somersault bump - one of his two Yorkshire Rope Tricks.  He posts and backdrops Danny who rolls out of the ring, hurt.  He gets Collins in a side chancery on his return, but Danny breaks open the hold into an armbar then lands a forearm smash, headbutt, chop and pressure points, booting kid in the back of the knees to force him to kneel. He switches to an armlever, takes it over his head, posts Kid and charges in but Kid dodges leaving Danny again sailing out of the ring.  Collins is back at 8 but McCoy cross buttocks and presses him for 2.  Kid gets a rear waistlock then turns Danny into the front facing position and drives him into the corner.  Collins gets an armlock but Kid smashes him down in the back.  Collins slams Kid but Kid surprises him with a ground position dropkick, a side chancery throw then his OTHER Yorkshire Rope Trick, the ropes assisted reverse snapmares. Kid gets a flying bodyscissors and turns his man into the double leg nelson for 2. The two shake hands and their sportsmanship gets then both a nice round of applause. Danny gets in a kick and whips Kid to the ropes but Kid comes back with a sunset flip. Danny counters with a vertical splash a la Earthquake (a decade before Tenta toured with All Star and TWA). Danny gets an overhead press into stomachbreaker over the knee.  Like in the Reslo match, he gets the parts together for a Surfboard and gets the hold but Kid reverses and gets it too.  (Obviously this was a regular spot of theirs.)  Rather than fall sideways in the ropes to force a break however, Danny falls forward and gets a folding press out of it.  Kid manages to turn sideways to escape. Another round of applause from the crowd.  Danny gets a crotchhold lift and backbreaker on the knee, then a beautiful long suplex into crosspress for a series of 1s. He keeps a wristlever and gets up to try some levering. Kid instead takes charge, mounting the corner and going top rope to top rope to flying armdrag Collins.  Danny shoulderblocks the Kid and they take turns smashing each others' heads in the corner before Kid again dropkicks Danny out of the ring.  Collins is back at six with an over the ropes dropkick.  He goes for a face first piledriver but Kid reverses and lands it, getting a long press for 2, then a backslide for another 2.  He gets a wristlever but Collins elbowsmashes out twice.  Kid is up with a single leg but Danny lands a spinning dropkick.  He throws his man to the ropes but Kid gets a side folding press for 2, then a snapmare and cross press for another 2 then a waistlock suplex for yet another 2. As with the Reslo bout near the end, they do the sequence where Kid gets a sunset slip on the run and Danny reverses it into a folding press with bridge but Kid crawls out.Kid gets a flying tackle but the bell saves Collins at 2. Another nil nil draw. They shake hands.

MUCH BETTER!!!  I wish this was the match we had professional TV footage of instead of a rather grotty blurry camcording.  As Gordon Prior puts it "Twenty Minutes Of Excellent Sporting Wrestling.". Far finer than fifteen minutes of slugging with the odd curate's egg good bit like the Reslo bout.

 

[David Mantell]

On 9/9/2025 at 11:28 AM, David Mantell said:

Steve Regal doing  Bobby Barron's Horseshoe Showbar shoot challenge booth to hide that he's  a TV Superstar on All Star's ITV episodes.   He's in his mask as The Destroyer taking on a punter at Blackpool's Horseshoe Showbar in the late 80s.  Except the punter is actually a plant. "Billy" from Glasgow is of course a young Drew McDonald, already with a couple of TV bouts under his belt including tagging with Big Daddy in the 1984 FA Cup Final day TV match to beat Giant Haystacks and Fit Finlay.   This match was a warm up to hopefully attract some genuine challengers later for Regal to cripple.

I'm not sure if that bald man doing the carny barking at the start is Robby Barron - we've seen a Robbie Barron with blond Rene Lataserre hair refereeing on All Star's ITV matches. But it's some damn fine carny barking to make Carny Town Blackpool proud.   Incidentally, THE Mighty John Quinn - a national hate figure just a few years earlier, is also up for offer. It's a wonder the crowd don't mob and lynch him. Maybe they think Big Daddy did an adequate job back in the day.

Once inside Round 1 sees "Billy" corner and throw the Destroyer who nonetheless takes him down with a toehold into headlock into various leg submission with a quarter nelson. Billy sits out until the bell goes. In the next round, Destroyer gets Billy down with a drop toehold into STF. He converts to a front facelock but Billy brawls his way out with a low kick and a load of punches that in a pro match would have earned McDonald a couple of public warnings. He goes for the mask - as I recall Regal mentioning in Walking A Golden Mile, real punters often wasted time doing this to impress their mates. Regal forgets that this is supposed to be a shoot challenge and posts Drew who likewise forgets and takes it like a pro (a genuine untrained punter would not go with the whip and end up with a strained arm. Possibly they would attempt a sit down block like Ken Joyce.) Destroyer finally gets that front facelock then pulls his man up and chops him down. "Billy" takes a nicely spread landing across his back, giving away that he has obviously been bump trained. So on to round 3. If you recall from the carny barking, if Billy survives this one he wins £100. We get another suspiciously well taken posting and a dropkick equally properly sold.  The Destroyer gives Billy a piledriver before making him submit with an armbar (so why the piledriver?  If you've made head contact with it, its ambulance time anyway so no need for a follow up submission. If not, you've exposed to the punter how the move is done in a work.). To be fair, Drew is selling his head, not his arm although even so it's his skull not his neck that is hurting. It's what the marks are supposed to believe a piledriver does to you.

They have pop music blaring between rounds a la Germany including The Final Countdown by Europe. Recorded 1985, released in the US in May 1986, released a a single in the UK in October 1986.  Unless this is the very end of the 1986 illuminations season  (or unless Bobby Barron's DJ was VERY well connected for new releases not yet hits) I guess this is the 1987 summer season at the earliest.

Good solid seaside fun but not a technical classic obviously.  Two young guys getting their foot on the first rung. Both went on to bigger things and are now reversed legends - a happy ending.

For anyone wishing to visit the scene of the crime:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.7931506,-3.0566097,3a,75y,87.15h,94.25t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sXrA3F7fjOy_p-m1ulhqVQg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-4.252965690547967%26panoid%3DXrA3F7fjOy_p-m1ulhqVQg%26yaw%3D87.15339199978982!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkwMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

 

Was in Blackpool on Tues/Wed this week soaking up the last of the seaside  summer sun - passed by (as I often do in these trips) the place where The Destroyer and Billy (Steve Regal and the late Drew McDonald) did battle nearly four decades earlier and I thought of this post.

[David Mantell]

This was from Joint's first TV taping since losing their monopoly on ITV wrestling , filmed Oldham December 1986, screened January 1987.  Belgium's Jean Paul Auvert (see him on some mid 80s German VDB videos. I think I've already posted one tomthe German thread.

Andy Blair from Scotland, no relation to Rusty (or Tony) was trained in 1982 as part of the same training camp that produced Superheavyweight Mac Hardimann aka Scrubber Daly.  Mostly he got used as a tag partner for Big Daddy  - masked duo The Spoiler &King Kendo or ex-masked duo of against Daly and his fellow former Masked Marauder Lucky Gordon (no relation to Flash.). Here, he takes a step up in the World, getting a British title shot at Light Heavyweight Champion Alan Kilby.  Deaf wrestler Kilby first won the title in 1985, beating the Birmingham Steve Logan for the belt after Marty Jones vacated it, and would go on to lose/regain it four times (the first to Golden Grappler trophy winner King Ben in 1988, then to Skull Murphy in 1995, then to Dirty Dan Collins in 1996-1997, the heaviest Danny would reach before his first retirement in 2002 and finally to Mad Dog Ian Wilson in a series for WAW of Norfolk in Oct/Nov 1988. Kilby was last seen wearing the belt to RBW shows aged 59 in 2003 before retiring a year later.

Round 1: Blair rolls his way out of wristlevers before using an elbow to pick away Kilby's arm force wristlever of his own.  Kilby can also roll out, take an arm back and use a cross buttock throw to transition to a side headlock on the mat. Blair gets a headscissors but Kilby quickly snaps it open and kips up.  Both men twice simultaneously go for a legdive, effectively blocking each other.  They both times politely shake hands which fans applaud.  Kilby gets a grovit into a side chancery throw but Blair rolls up nicely.  Kilby sandbags to block a cross buttock throw and gets a headlock, switches arm and takes his man down with his own throw.  Blair gets his headscissors again.  Unable to kip out this time, Kilby turns the headscissors upright, pulls his head out and neatly slips on a ground side headlock.  Andy stands up in the hold so Alan transitions to a side chancery throw but Blair rolls up nicely.  Alan appears to get the better of a finger Interlock test of strength but Andy leans back into a crossed headscissors (and gets 1-counted for his pains!) but Kilby spins round 180 degrees to make a front folding press then convert to a cross press for 1. Kilby gets a single leg and drops into a leglock, Blair crossfaces him in response. The bell goes, Kilby graciously helps Blair up and they shake hands.

Round 2: Blair gets a single leg and tries to turn the champion over into the mount forca Boston Crab but Kilby holds his body rigid and refuses to turn (actually quite an impressive feat of strength.) Andy gives up and Alan gets a wristlever with the palm and inner arm turning upwards. He twists backwards forcing Blair to roll and pounces-almost a Splash as his man is in the guard, but can't hold Andy's shoulder.  They break and Alan goes for an arm but Andy slips in behind with a standing full nelson into side Chancery throw into further Nelson and gets a couple of 1s.  Kilby gets a rear chinlock into seated side headlock. Blair stands and turns in the hold to face Kilby.  Kilby regains the side headlock p on and takes it down to a kneeling position but Blair nicely handstands up to uncork his head.  Blair gets another full nelson into side chancery throw but Kilby resists a bodycheck attempt, sidesteps a second one, throws Blair to the ropes, trips him on the rebound and catches him with a side folding press for the opening fall!

Round 3:   Blair gets a legdive into a legspread on the mat but Kilby adjusts both pairs of feet with his hands so as to reverse the legspread.  Andy resists however so Alan starts over. He gets a cross buttock throw but it goes into the ropes.  He gets a couple of throws which Andy doesn't roll up from so easily this time.  Andy gets single and then double legs and tries again for the Boston Crab but once again Alan holds himself rigging and will not turn into the mount. Andy releases and returns the compliment from the end of Round 1 by helping Kilby up.   The champion gets a full nelson, Blair is not strong enough to break by downwards bicep pulling but instead manages to lean forward so far Kilby cannot maintain his grip, so breaks the hold that way.  Blair gets a single sided finger Interlock - rather than go for a wristlever Hectakes thecarm out to weaken and strain the joints.  Alan follows suit but with more vigour and topping it off with a high whip forcing a somersault and bump.  He gets a side chancery throw and crotchhold into bodyslam. Blair gets another full nelson into side chancery but the stronger older Kilby resists a throw. The challenger switches to the underhook position but the bell rings.

Round 4: Blair straightens out a Kilby side headlock into an armbar and tries a posting but Kilby drops to the mat to resist a la Ken Joyce.  Blair walks into another finger interlock overpowerment and Kent Walton is critical of this but to be fair to Blair, from the upside down position he slips his legs over Alan's shoulders and flips him over into a double leg Nelson but Alan double leg chops out.  Blair gets behind and smashes the back of Alan's neck.  Alan shows him how to do it properly with a knee to double him up then a powerful elbowsmash to the back of Blair's neck. Touché.  They shake hands, but Blair isn't done with the power tactics, firing off four forearm smashes and a back elbow, flooring the champion for a  7 count. He goes for a rear chinlock into full nelson but Kilby hiptosses him off.  For once Blair gets a finger Interlock advantage - Kent is surprised -!and he gets a double armbar, the lower on held to the mat by his foot.  He gets the full double wristlock (step one towards a surfboard)  Kilby tries to power round on each side but can't make it.  He somersaults to the mat and Blair resists going for a double leg folding press, still maintaining the arms for the double armstretch. Kilby tries bridging to relieve the strain and looks to be trying something else when the bell goes. 

Round 5:  Kilby shoves Blair down and posts him twice.  Blair shoves him down, gets the single leg and again time turns him over into the mount for a Boston Crab but Kilby forces a wide legspread on Blair and rolls away.  He sportingly lifts Blair up and shakes his hand.  Kilby posts Blair who absorbs the impact well and goes for the legs but neither he nor the champion can progress from this so they reset.  Kilby gives Blair a chop tomthe back of the neck but misses a double leg takedown.  Blair gets behind for a waistlock into side folding press but Runs Out Of Mat (Kilby's soles brush the ropes).  Blair gets a side chancery throw into further nelson for 2.  Kilby gets a side chancery into posting, two more side Chancery throws and a Legdrop of Doom for 7.  He gets a legdive into Indian Deathlock. Blair sits up but Kilby throws him off a couple of times. The bell goes and referee Peter Szacazs has to untwist the legs.

Round 6:  Challenger Blair gets in behind with a full nelson, drops for a rear double legdive and folds up Champion Kilby's legs into a Frank Gotch figure four toehold and adding a half chinlock.  He tries to convert to the double rear wristlock to make a surfboard but is unable to get that first wrist, never mind the second, so settles for delivering a kneedrop to Kilby's back before releasing. Kilby jabs and twice posts the young challenger, gives him an over the knee backbreaker for 4 and collars him for a double kneelift for 5. He whips him into the ropes and catches him with a spinning kick to the torso and finally a crotchhold, bodyslam and crosspress for the second straight fall to defend his title 2-0. Blair congratulates Alan and puts the belt back around his waist.

A good sporting technical contest only lacking an equalising fall by Blair which could then give him the chance to score some almost deciders to be a nearly champion before finally going down.  Perhaps Kilby's pride as a shooter stood in the way of converting a fall to this relative newbie. Still it was a fine shop window for young Andy Blair's skills, a lot better than jobbing out to Richard "Red Ivan" Krupa or being rescued from monsters by Big Daddy.

After Kilby retired as champion in 2004, the title was revived by All Star in the early 2010s, mostly held by Dean Allmark.

[David Mantell]

Game For A Laugh was a hugely popular and utterly annoying Saturday evening light entertainment show which revolved around people playing ribs on each other and taking it in good humour, hence the title.   A big ingredient of this was studio games which revolved around giggling girlies throwing custard pies at their husbands and boyfriends. (For some reason they never had men throwing custard pies at their wives/girlfriends.  I wonder why not?). They also featured Candid Camera type hidden camera pranks overseen by presenter Jeremy Beadle.  (He would later go solo and do his own show Beadle's About which consisted exclusively of these hidden camera stunts.)  One subspecies of the hidden camera ribs involved couples going for an evening out at some public entertainment and one half excusing themselves only to suddenly reappear as part of the show.

Simon Hurst (not relation to Lenny - or AFAIK Patty) was an amateur wrestler and wrestling fan who had come into contact with Marty Jones and was learning the pro game from him. Master and student decided to contact Game For A Laugh and pull a stunt where the Hursts went to a wrestling show and Mister needed to nip of to the Gents - just in time to miss a bout where Ray Steele destroyed a Masked villain and then tore off his mask to reveal it was Simon.  At which point Mister Beadle came up to poor embarrassed Mrs Christine Hurst and told her it was all a glorious prank. Hahaha.   You get the general idea.

Anyway, in thie subsequent months, things have got more serious.  Hurst has actually turned professional and is now having his first TV match and once again his missus is at ringside. We've met his opponent, another Ray, this time Ray Robinson previously in this thread, a hard no nonsense type who would later flirt with being a Heel in the post TV years. It's a tough challenge for a newbie. And yes, Christine is at ringside in her usual seat - just as a fan. not as a valet or manageress or even personal second like the young Jeanie Clark.

Round 1.  Robinson sportingly lets rookie Hurst armdrag him a few times before getting a side heädlock on.  (Picture in picture of Christine watching).  He hits the ropes and bodychecks Hurst down, side chanceries and rear chinlocks him from the seated position. Simon breaks the lock and lakes an arm for a wristlever, leaping over from arm to arm and armdragging Robinson in for a crosspress for 2.  Robinson totally dominates Hurst with an up and down finger Interlock test of strength, before going for a wristlever of his own, but Hurst rolls out.  Ray gets front facing pressure points, occasionally releasing and rope-a-doping Hurst back into the hold.  After about 3 or 4 of these, Hurst uses the release to slip behind Robinson and roll him up in a folding press for another 2.  The pair have another finger Interlock, single sided this time and it's Simon who gets the advantage, bending the arm into a back hammerlock.  Robinson counters by putting his own head between Hurst's legs and backdropping him but Hurst goes for a sunset flip  on the way down and nearly gets it before Robinson powers his way out.  Hurst gets a single leg takedown and seated leglock from in front, changing to a standing toe and ankle before Robinson spins him out with a leg throw. Robinson gets a side chancery throw and further nelson but bridges out of the pin.  He Full Nelsons Robinson who tries bending over to throw his man off like Andy Blair did to Alan Kilby in the last bout. Having weakened his attackers arms with these, Robinson reaches behind his head, unfastens Hurst's hand and steps away.  Hurst gets a side headlock and takes Robinson down to the guard but Robinson wedges his head free. He gets a double underhook suplex on Hurst and cross presses him but has trouble getting the shoulders down and then the bell goes. (Contrary to what Kent says, Hurst is not saved by the bell, it doesn't get even to a 1 count.)

Round 2.  Robinson gets a side chancery and a good long throw across the ring with it. Hurst is up at 5, he delivers two forearm smashes which Robinson no-sells, nearly overbalancing on the second (rookie botch!). Robinson lands just the one forearm smash in return but it floors Hurst like a winning KO punch in boxing.  Once he is up,, Robinson posts him and tries for another. Hurst manages to reverse it but Robinson diverts himself to the ropes and comes back with a bodycheck to floor Hurst again. He then gets a posting, a powerslam for 6, a long vertical suplex and a crosspress for the winning fall.  Christine smiles sympathetically at her Man.

This was Hurst's first and (despite what Kent says) last proper TV bout, despite Jones training him.  He gets to show the tricks he has learned before being put away.  I wonder if he had yet been smartened to the business or if this was another case of Rip Rawlinson from The Big Time, being strung along while paying his dues.

Jeremy Beadle passed away of complications from leukemia in 2008 aged just 59.  A nation swallowed and  tried hard not to all cheer at once. Sorry, but he was an AGGRAVATING human being.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Beadle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_for_a_Laugh