The Beginner's Guide To British Wrestling

[David Mantell]

Staying with the modern era for a second week ...

On 12/24/2025 at 7:42 PM, David Mantell said:

Speaking of Rumble, I'm pleased to report that they have decided to eradicate the American concept of Champion's Privilege from their shows and will be changing titles on a disqualification like in the old days.

Okay, let's see how this impacts on a title bout other than Nina's British Lightweight title.  Sid Manelli turned heel for the second time last year and shortly afterwards lost his Rumble Championship to middle Bryant brother Zander.  From the same Xmas Ditton show as Callaghan-Marley III (hence the Xmas decorations), here is the return match.

As usual, Rumble employs female seconds.  Sid comes out in a lavender towel of which more anon.

Round 1-  Like Dave Viking in Hanover 1981, Sid goes for the false handshake and when H3 gets the Fake Shake he goes for the eyes.  He jans Zander in the ribs and downs him but while down there Zander gets a quick side folding press for 2.  Things get more Traditional British technical from there, Sid gets a wristlever and passes it overhead to tighten it, Zander rolls out - back, forward, back, forward - and forces a high whip and bump on Sid, leaving him in a guard armlock.  The sequence repeats and Sid heads to ringside to break the flow.  He gets back in, goes behind and gets a snapmare but the bell goes.

Round 2 - Sid is getting a lot of heat!   He again offers a handshake but Zander kicks it away and gets a cross buttock throw into side headlock.  Sid folds himself up nicely to get headscissors, Zander gets a kip up escape.  then rearcdropjicks Sid into the ropes.  He aborts a 619 as Sid dodged and gets an eye fake and big boot for 2. Sid and referee Dave Macro argue. Sid gets a standing double wristlock and jerks it, getting another telling off from Macro. He posts Zander then does a kind of self reversing posting twic3 on Bryant, following in with a boot, getting a crosspress for a 2 count which he claims was a 3 ("Sid can't count" chant the crowd.). He gets another posting and Zander -like Bernard VanDamme on the French thread - takes it by climbing the corner but unlike BVD misses his man. At that point, the bell goes.

Round 3 - Sid gets some scissor chops etc in the corner.  He goes for a posting but Zander reverses and goes in for a monkey climb.  Sid overpowers and makes it a folding press. He has his feet on the ropes but Macro doesn't see it so the fall still stands despite Zander's protests and Macro's suspicions.  Unlike on ITV, MC Stephen Barker is not entitled to be a second pair of eyes. So, 1-0 to challenger Sid.

Round 4. Zander tires to equalis with a rope assisted front folding press of his own but Marco this time seems the legs.  He doesn't penalise Zander as he took is suspicious of that last fall.  Sid gets dirtier throwing Zander across the middle rope and booting him. He takes down the red corner pad and as Marco is busy fixing it, grabs his towel and chokes Zander with it, then wipes his face and puts it back. Macro is suspicious of the towel but Sid claims to have the flu!  He boots Zander around but Zander, sat on a top turnbuckle gets a boot of his own and sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2.  Zander gets a dropkick and 619 (this time it connects) and Superfly Splash off the top for an equaling pin. 1-1.

Round 5. Sid walks out for a while but comes back -then jumps and stomps Zander.  He goes for the blue corner pad and the towel, using the latter while Macro fixes the former. This time Macro catches SidMoran(filmed late 1986,screened ear  Moran with the towel and an argument ensues.  Sid pulls down a white pad and Zander goes for some revenge with the towel, using it to sling Sid to ringside but Macro catches him but as Kent Walton would say, puts it down to retaliation.  Zander topes Sid at ringside, 39 years since Fuji Yamada did that move on ITV to Rocky Moran (filmed late '86 Lewisham, screened early '87).  Zander goes for another flying bodypress but Macro is in the way.  Zander jumps down, lightly taps Macro on the shoulder and tells him to be more mindful in future!  Sid gets brawl some and end up in a shoving match with Macro that earns Sid a bump and a Public Warning.  Zander goes for a charge on the corner but the bell goes.

Round 6.  The final round but no sporting handshakes. They slug i5 out and Zander gets several clotheslines and goes for another superfly splash but Sid puts his feet up in the air to spike Zander, then gets a stomp and crosspress for 2.  He grabs the belt and marches around with it, seemingly aiming at Xander but "accidentally" striking Macro.  Zander gets a superkick and cover but there is no ref.  Zander goes to revive him but Sid gets a crotch shot and folding press for the winning pinfall. 2-1 to recapture the Rumble Championship from young Zander.

Well the reintroduction of Mountevans Rules (minus no follow downs and still with a slower cadence for KO counts) didn't stop Sid cheating his way to a title, did it?

The antics with the towel, eye takes and belt would not have been appreciated by ITV although Screensport would probably have OKed them.  Still there was a lot of good competent technical wrestling in here from both men amidst the dirties and retaliations.

If anyone's interested here is Zander's previous title win from just before the above ruling came into force.