French catch

[David Mantell]

On 7/7/2025 at 12:26 AM, Phil Lions said:

Not his last televised match, nor did he retire that year (cagematch has the wrong year). His last televised match that we have, although it's not complete, is Gilbert Leduc & Walter Bordes vs. Paco Ramirez & Daniel Boucard 7/25/77. And as far as retirement goes, I can't confirm the exact year, but it was either 1982 or shortly thereafter. The latest date I have for him is 5/30/82 as it stands.

Talking of last matches, did that final comeback bout by Le Petit Prince in 2002 (before he went off to Thailand) get filmed at all?

[David Mantell]

Quote

MD: Disclaimer up front. This isn't exactly a match per se, but it does involve some of the names we've seen the most and it gives us a different cultural look at things and maybe a bit more about how Catch fit into the national consciousness by the mid 60s. If you didn't see the clips on Twitter that Phil Lions posted a couple of weeks back, go watch the video first and then come back and read this. This is sixty years old and a historical relic and like everything else, we will treat it as such.

 

Intervilles was a competition show where they pitted two different towns against each other. It had a cow/bull theme. They had four of the best wrestling on a mat in a field of sorts against each other in a tag with each representing one of the two towns. I always get the impression Bollet was a bit of a break out star but his movie appearances don't really kick off until 65. The Bollet/Delaporte album was 63 though. Regardless, he's not treated as more of a star here than the other three. In the early introductions, Di Santo has a very deep voice. Good to know.

 

We just get a few minutes of action before everything breaks down but it is interesting. They didn't have a lot of room to work with and whenever Zarpa and Di Santo got too close to the heels, they'd liberally throw shots without tagging and get yelled at by the ref. Even just a few minutes of this is worth watching to see what they do without ropes, when they just have a few feet this way or that to move in, what holds and throws they choose to do. I wouldn't want it to be someone's introduction to French Catch but it makes you wonder if they trained or practiced with a mat like this, etc. 

 

And of course, a few minutes in, it all comes to naught as they release the bull. The wrestlers retreat to the walls. The bull gets distracted by the rodeo clown (or what not). The wrestlers go back and wrestle a bit more. The bull comes back. The wrestlers retreat. It's treated as great comedy by the production even as the host basically calls the whole thing off.

 

Then he asks the wrestlers to help wrangle the bull and if you know anything about these four, you know that Andre Bollet is going to bump at least once for the bull, and after playing matador with some cloth or another, he does just that. Meanwhile, Bernaert (who had a close call himself) pulls the bull's tail. Anyway, they can't get the bull down despite their best effort and everything just disintegrates from there. So not a lot of actual wrestling to talk about but as we have more matches to come, it was worth sharing and spending a few minutes on. We do have another episode of Intervilles later (a swimming pool match), but YouTube isn't letting me share that so I did clip some of it on Twitter. 

 

SR: Well, they decide to put a mat in bullfighting arena and hold a wrestling match there. I didn't know France had bullfighting. They actually wrestle normally for about 2 minutes with things looking good as usual and then they let an actual bull in the arena and it all goes haywire because everyone's running for safety. They keep trying to restart the match and the bull keeps interrupting. At one point Bernaert gets tackled by the bull and the referee also narrowly dodges a charging bull while they wrestlers have to abandon the hold they were working. Eventually the seconds (people more experienced with bullfighting I assume) get into wrestling the bull with a few guys getting run over. Eventually they all try teaming up on the bull, with Bernaert pulling his tail and kicking, probably trying to pin him to the mat but they don't succeed. Well this was certainly the most animal cruelty I've probably seen in a wrestling match outside of Japan.

There's not a lot more to be said, but a couple of points I will pull up on.

1) Bollet (and Bernaert) don't just get YELLED AT by L'Arbitre for that punch of Bollet's, they get a Public Warning (Avertisement)

2) No I don't think they have bullfighting in France, this was just some craziness concocted by RTF's light entertainment department. Bullfighting is a lot nastier and a lot gorier although exposure to wrestlers blading would prepare a spectator.  Its main relevance to pro wrestling is that Plazas de Toros were often used as wrestling venues in Spain and this continued I to the 80s after the 1975 collapse of the CIC and subsequent invasion by various French promoters.

[Phil Lions]

53 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

2) No I don't think they have bullfighting in France, this was just some craziness concocted by RTF's light entertainment department.

They absolutely had bullfighting in France, and in fact it is still happening to this day in some parts of Southern France. There used to be bullrings for 10,000+ people such as Arenes du Bouscat in Bordeaux and Arenes du Prado in Marseille where some of the biggest bullfighting events would take place. There's also the large Amphitheatre of Nimes which hosts bullfighting even now.

All three arenas that I mentioned above have also hosted of pro wrestling cards over the decades.

[David Mantell]

3 minutes ago, Phil Lions said:

They absolutely had bullfighting in France, and in fact it is still happening to this day in some parts of Southern France. There used to be 10,000-seat bullrings such as Arenes du Bouscat in Bordeaux and Arenes du Prado in Marseille. There's also the large Amphitheatre of Nimes, which while not specifically meant to be a bullring, hosts bullfighting even now.

All three arenas that I mentioned above have also hosted of pro wrestling cards over the decades.

I stand corrected but it's not as essential to the local culture as it is in Spain.  Is the present day sport the full on bleeding dead animal show or is it more like the Portuguese variant with rubber protectors on the Hons and no sword or picadors?

P.S. been too busy visiting family and going swimming in the Mediterranean sun to experiment with my room TV to get it to show me LeDuc/Corne Vs Henker/Samourai.  Will try and see if my brother in law's parents  have any memories of Rafael Halperin - they would have made Aliyah just around the time of his 1973 retirement match. Most likely they'll only know him as a rabbi. #jjerusalemofgold

[David Mantell]

On 7/6/2025 at 10:49 PM, David Mantell said:

I'm about to catch a flight to go on holiday. I'll review it properly when I get to my hotel room (hopefully I can mirror my tablet onto the Smart TV in my hotel room.).  I've watched the first ten minutes and it looks pretty fun so far. 

Okay, I'll give it ago using just the tablet. I recognise L'Arbitre Jacques Groucier from other 1975 bouts. Guy in the Hawaiian shirt next to Couderc is, I believe Jean Pradinas who carried on directing matches during the Daniel Cazal 80s and all the way up to the March '87 TV double bill with the trumpet player. Henker looks VERY fearsome and powerful in colour.

Henker takes Leduc down in a grovit, he uses vaguely toupie esque motion. Henker forces Gilbert back down, he kicks back up and forwards into the ropes. Finger interlock and LeDuc releases and rolls  backward, curling Henker's arm into a top wristlock. The powerful Henker simply pitches LeDuc out of the hold like he is bowling a ball, Gilbert rolls upright. Samourai tags in and armdrags LeDuc twice. LeDuc whips then throws Samourai but he rolls upright nicely both times. Corne tags in. He accepts a finger Interlock and goes down but then scissors the masked man and gets him into a double leg nelson folding press. Samourai manages to rock through triggering a Bascule motion. He tries to get the position for a folding press of his own but Corne spins him out. Samourai gets a top wristlock and forces Corne down, Jacky goes for a kip up, Samourai puts a knee across Corne's windpipe. Corne manages to roll backwards over the knee!  Now he has the leverage advantage with the top wristlock and takes Samourai down. Corne whips Samourai but he again takes it well and rolls up nicely. Pleased with himself, Samourai uses a rolls to get to his corner and tag Henker.  Old enemies- Henker injured Jacky on TV four years earlier. Corne takes Henker down with a legdive and switches to an armbar. Henker responds with pressure points. Corne cross buttocks him and tags Leduc who takes a headlock. Henker tries an atomic drop and Gilbert a cross buttock throw. Neither achieves much. they each land back on their feet.Leduc still has his side headlock and gets his cross buttock thrown in to make it a mat side heädlock. Henker forces upwards into a standing position so LeDuc cross buttocks him again. Henk tries again, gets a rear waistlock, tries for another atomic drop but Leduc makes another feet first landing.  Unabashed, Henker whips Gilbert into the ropes, slams him and tags Samourai.  Corne also tags in.  He gets a great side chancery into rear snapmare into seating rear chinlock! Corne breaks it opening into a top wristlock but the masked Mechant uses an illegal hairpull to lock him back in.  Corne tries again with the same result.  On the third occasion he gets a standing rather than kneeling top wristlock.  Samourai gets Corne on the ropes and aims a Nagasaki style chop at his throat but Corne ducks and the masked man lands throat first on the middle rope. Corne pitches Samourai across the ring then cross buttocks him to ringside.  Corne tags Leduc who also cross buttock Samourai out of the ring. straight into Couderc's lap.  The two have a bit of a confrontation and Samourai storms off.

A fan calms him down with a pat on the shoulder and Samourai gets back in. Samourai gets a top wristlock but  Leduc pulls off one of the 3 classic French Catch counters, the headscissors takedown. Samourai turns the hold upright and folds the scissor to release his head but Leduc boots his man into the ropes and flips him on the rebound. He goes for the mask but Samourai gets free, lands a Manchette. Leduc lands a heavier one back, forcing the masked team to tag. Henker comes in, gets a top wristlock and forces his man to the mat.The hold has developed into a top hammerlock. Leduc is selling facially a lot to let us know he is being tortured by a CRUEL MAN.  He kips up into the standing top wristlock but Remy forces him back down.  The top wristlock looks like the weakening setup stage of a Jim Breaks Special.  Leduc kips up and gets the headscissors takedown counter - now he has done this trick on both masked men! When Henker gets the hold upright, Leduc starts unlacing la Cagoule. Henker pulls the legs down and open but does not try force a submission. He Manchettes his man and tags as does Leduc.  Corne and Samourai gets a finger Interlock.  Samourai floors his man but cannot shoulder press him down. Corne bridges up.  He eventually ends up with the advantage but Samourai uses the same powering up and bridge to avoid a pin.  Samourai monkey climbs his opponent - how often do you see a masked heel do that - and tries to flip over on top but Corne flips up and with both men handstanding, gets a bodyscissors on, taking Samourai down in the mount position. Corne boots and chops Samourai.who counters with a toehold and gets a single ankle scissor on. He pulls his man up and chops him down, following down with more chops. L'Arbitre orders him off so the masked team tags and Henker gets in a vicious a handle as the ref misses it., escorting Samourai out.  He proceeds to rope assisted stomps, whipping the referee to the opposite ropes and earning him his first Avertisement.  He tags Samourai who continues the treatment, chopping the kneeling Corne until the ref orders him off too.  Samourai gets a grovit on and rocks back and forth with it on the ropes until warned off. While he bows to the crowd in apology, Henker on the apron grabs Corne from behind. Samourai goes for a rear snapmare but Corne stomps the mat to resist, lands two Manchettes and tags Leduc.  Leduc lands two Manchettes of his own; the second sends Samourai over the ropes but he slips back in. A third one lands Samourai tied in the ropes, LeDuc considers an illegal punch but thinks better of it - and Samourai takes advantage of the pause to slip on an armlock. Leduc makes it a side headlock but Samourai leans into the ropes to force the break then tags Henker.  Like earlier they finger Interlock and LeDuc releases one side, rolls back and gets a side by side top wristlock, but Henker armdrags him and slaps on an armhank. Leduc tries to stand up in the hold but Samourai pushes him over, enraging the crowd especially one guy in a blue t shirt.  Three times LeDuc tries to get himself up in the toupie position to escape but it knocked down. He eventually falls into a kneeling position from which he achieves the desired headstand and uses the toupie to roll up his banked (Henked?) arm. He lands one Manchette on Henker who tags Samourai.  Leduc gets a handstanding cross headscissor on him, with the feet turned and grasping Samourai's neck neatly.  He performs this other toupie variant to throw the smaller masked man. He manages to repeat the throw despite Samourai blocking by grabbing the legs at the knees. He tries for a third one but Samourai has the block on more efficiently this time so Leduc hammers on his knee to boot Samourai over the top rope.  Leduc lands a couple of Manchettes and even Corne gets in a cheeky shot from outside. He tags in and superkicks Samourai, snapmares and neck wrenches him. Henker tags in but falls victim to a legdive takedown and toehold He tries some illegals to the hair and throat, a noogie and what might just be a clawhold. He gets free with some Manchettes on the mat but the ref stops his head slamming follow ups. He gets a standing Manchette and choke on the bottom rope before tagging Samourai who gets some chops but has an ankle caught by Corne.  Jacky pulls him down and wallops Henker for good measure. Leduc tags in and Samourai falls in his back begging for mercy. They finger Interlock and Leduc gets an armbar, upward whip forcing a hard bump and finally an armhank. He works on the wrist for some time before Samourai forces him off with pressure points and then a rear chinlock. He gets LeDuc to the ground with one more chop but Leduc gets up and they have a chopfight. Leduc ends up in Les Mechants' corner, Corne comes in to protest. Samourai uses a standing full nelson to throw LeDuc back to the centre. Henker tags in and Gilbert gets a spinning legdive on him. He gets an Indian Deathlock and works on the kneecap.  Henker tries foul means (hair pull) and fair (sitting up) - the ref stops the former, Leduc and his chop stops the latter.  Henker picks up LeDuc by the ears like he was Mick McManus ("Pas des orreils" quips Couderc.) Henker gets a full nelson but therefore breaks it when Samourai throws in his chops. Henker gets Manchettes, then another full nelson. Both illegal men run in, Leduc gets free as Corne slingshots Samourai into Henker. Leduc dropkicks Henker out of the ring while Corne slingshots Samourai again, this time into the corner before finishing him with an inverted waistlock suplex for the opening fall.

(There's a brief blackout on the tape - I thought it was a commercial break but we get a couple more later.)

Deuxieme Manche:  Samourai goes from armbar to cross hands grovit to front chancery to rear over the shoulder neck wrench.  Corne goes into the ropes forcing a break but Samourai lets him land badly. He tries stomping on Corne's neck with help from the top rope but Leduc at ringside pulls Samourai part way out of the ring by the leg.  The masked team tag, Henker tries for pressure points and a full nelson, Jacky gets four Manchettes, Henker gets an armbar assisted by a wrist scissors on the mat. This transitions to an armbar on the mat in the guard with a knee holding the shoulders down.  Samourai comes in to help with stomps and takes over the hold as L'Arbitre is distracted. Samourai eventually switches to Surfboard stage one with the twin wristlocks holding back the arms as the boot goes in the shoulder blades. Corne eventually flips out, rolls back and gets Samourai with a ground dropkick (this is the trick people are trying to do when they get folding press double leg Nelsonned like Bret at SummerSlam 92).  Corne gets a Manchette but misses a second and gets double teamed by Les Rouges.  Leduc comes in, Samourai gets him up against the ropes, bounces off but - as both Bons get out the way - cannons Henker to the floor.  Leduc uses Manchettes to take care of both Cagoules, throwing Samourai and dropkicking Henker out of the ring. Samourai gets back in and gets an armdrag  and armhank on Leduc. (Another tape break.) Leduc only takes three attempts instead of four this time to get up in the toupie and wind in the arm.  He manchettes Samourai and both sides tag. Corne whips Henker and butts him in the upper chest. He whips him off the ropes and  tries again but Henker is too quick with a kneelift. However, when Remy's evil alter ego tries for a splash, Corne catches him in a bodyscissors. For a moment it looks like Samourai will have to come to the rescue but Henker forces his way out, going for Corne's throat. He gets a rear chinlock and looks to be converting it to something like the Camel Clutch when Corne springs to life, rear double legdives the big man and slaps on a toehold. Der H uses a couple of illegal grabs to throat and hair to break out and get an armlock but Corne catches him with a headscissors in the guard. At least we know Henker won't use a toupie to escape.No, he tags Samourai who breaks it up. Corne takes Samourai down with a single legdive I to a toe and ankle grapevine (which could have been the beginning of either a Funk spinning toehold or an American figure four leglock (as used by the NWA champion Jack Brisco, just months from dropping the belt to Terry Funk) but instead turns out to be a Frank Gotch figure four toehold. Samourai escapes via a tag and the Bons tag also. Leduc enters and wristlevers Henker, high whips him to force a somersault and bump (impressive that Bayle could do that at his weight!) and stamps his hand!  Gilbert repeats the wristlever into high whip bump sequence but this time wraps a leg around the wrist of the stamped hand, like half an armscissor.  He works on the stamped hand. Henker reaches round with his other hand to get a grip and eventually pulls his man into a further nelson folding press, but Leduc reverses the momentum and is back on top working on the first, which Couderc reckons is turning white (something Kent Walton also sometimes liked to say in this situation.) Henker tries to grab the hair but is warned off by the ref. He tries this trick again but it is merely a decoy for a powerful -and legal- headscissors. Gilbert turns the scissors up right and tries for his corkscrew headscissors escape toupie but  Masked Remy turns it back sideways. Just for good measure he savagely cranks Leduc's neck forward with the scissors.  Leduc tries the toupie escape again with no more luck. He looks to be trying a third time but instead lands knees first on the crossed ankles, pinning them down to aid unplugging his head from the hold. Henker turns his man over into the guard, pulls him up by the ears. Manchettes him twice, bounces him off the ropes and gets a third one, flooring Leduc. He pulls him up and lands a fourth then gorilla presses him and stomachbreakers him over one knee. Leduc rolls off and tags Corne.  Finally only now do Manchettes take over - Corne lands six and the two alternate shots until Samourai grabs Corne from behind. The masked men double team himuntil he is rescued by L'Arbitre. Henker gets "un derniere Manchette"  (says Couderc, 9 years before the FR3 show) then gets an inverted waistlock and tombstone piledriver before tagging Samourai. He gets one chop in before Leduc also tags, gets in his own chops and double legdives Samourai into a slingshot into the ropes and landing alongside Leduc.  Henker tags in and he and Leduc exchange Manchettes. One of Henker's is so stiff, Couderc chuckles at it. The heels double team Leduc and Henker bounces off the ropes to charge Gilbert but is tripped by Corne from outside. The the Bons double team Henker . Corne does the same slingshot moves from earlier, again resulting in a heel tag.  He eventually does it to Henker then bodyslams and dross presses Bayle for the second straight fall. Gilbert Leduc and Jacky Corne are the winners 2-0. Les Bons raise their hands, Les Mechants sell their bumps before slipping quietly away in case any unmasking attempts take place. 

Refreshingly good human chess bout with little if any Manchette battles. At least 70% was good thinking scientific holds even if few lengthy chain sequences. A winner was us viewers!

 

[Phil Lions]

Just finished putting this together and figured I'd share it. A list of matches from Paris (1945-1965) that aired in highlight form either on French television or in French cinemas (99% of the post-1949 ones were on TV). When I say highlight form that means anywhere from a minute to seven minutes of the match. All of this footage exists. I still have a few matches left to figure out, but I'll leave them as they are for now.

year.month.day (all dates are the tape dates except for the ones with "air" next to them - for those I only know the air date)

1946.1.9 Harry Brooks vs. Mano Melas
1946.4.27 Butcher Johnson vs. Martin Butch
1946.10.5 Henri Deglane vs. Francis St. Clair Gregory
1946.11.5 Charles Rigoulot vs. Bill Garnon
1946.11.15 Henri Cogan vs. Charlie Fisher
1946.12.18 Louis Loew vs. Butcher Johnson
1947.1.15 Henri Deglane vs. Yvar Martinson
1947.2.10 Henri Deglane vs. Charles Rigoulot
1947.3.3 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Healion
1947.3.6air Butcher Johnson vs. Lew Roseby
1947.3.19 Al Cabrol vs. Phil Siki
1947.5.19 Henri Deglane vs. Yvar Martinson
1947.10.3 Henri Cogan vs. Charlie Fisher
1947.10.13 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1947.10.29 Andre Amerel vs. Savelian (?)
1947.11.3 Henri Deglane vs. Hans Buesing
1947.11.5 Rene Bukovac vs. Butcher Johnson
1948.1.9 Marcel Manuel vs. Jim Anderson
1948.2.2 Yvar Martinson vs. Stan Karolyi
1948.3.15 Yvar Martinson vs. Yvon Robert
1948.10.8 Louis Loew vs. Rex Gable
1948.11.8 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1948.12.6 Henri Deglane vs. Jim Burnett
1948.12.15 Al Cabrol vs. Big Benny
1949.1.24 Charles Rigoulot vs. Jim Burnett
1949.2.4 Al Cabrol vs. Rex Gable
1949.2.7 Charles Rigoulot vs. Bert Assirati
1949.3.7 Charles Rigoulot vs. Michael Ujevic
1949.10.19 Stan Karolyi vs. Sandy Orford
1949.10.24 Felix Miquet vs. Bert Assirati
1949.11.2 Jean Jourlin vs. Butcher Johnson
1949.11.7 Felix Miquet vs. Yvar Martinson
1949.11.21 Henri Deglane vs. Frank Valois
1949.12.5 Yvar Martinson vs. Frank Valois
1949.12.19 Felix Miquet vs. Frank Valois
1950.1.9 Frank Sexton vs. Yvar Martinson
1950.1.20or1950.11.10 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Andre Chauveau
1950.1.23 Frank Sexton vs. Henri Deglane
1950.1.27 Ray Bukovac vs. Marcel Nonest
1950.2.3 Marcel Manuel vs. Paul Leteurtrois
1950.2.10 Ray Bukovac vs. Jack Dale
1950.2.15 Butcher Johnson vs. Jef Labrosse
1950.2.17 Jean Jourlin vs. Vic Hessle
1950.2.20 Frank Sexton vs. Frank Valois
1950.2.24 Cesario Brossati vs. David Jons
1950.3.1 Al Cabrol vs. Jim Hussey
1950.3.3 Jean Jourlin vs. Vic Hessle
1950.3.10 Gilbert Leduc vs. Cab Cashford
1950.3.17 Henri Cogan vs. Henri Renault
1950.3.24 Ray Bukovac vs. Pat Curry
1950.3.24 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Johnny Peters
1950.4.28 Ray Bukovac vs. Georges Freymond
1950.4.28 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Andre Gasnier
1950.5.5 Marcel Nonest vs. Robert Joyeux
1950.5.5 Pat Curry vs. Charlie Fisher
1950.5.12 Gilbert Leduc vs. Dick Falls
1950.5.12 Henri Cogan vs. Kid Pittman
1950.5.12 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Henri Moreau
1950.5.19 Ray Bukovac vs. Marcel Nonest
1950.5.19 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Andre Coquard
1950.5.28air Guy Robin vs. Robert Joyeux
1950.6.28 Stan Karolyi vs. Big Benny
1950.9.23air Marcel Manuel vs. ?
1950.9.24 Georges Huard vs. Felix Frey
1950.9.24 Henri Deglane vs. Al Cabrol
1950.10.6 Mike Marino vs. Marcel Manuel
1950.10.13 Cesario Brossati vs. Mike Mazurki (not the original)
1950.10.13 Georges Freymond vs. Rex Gable
1950.10.20 Andre Chauveau vs. Gilbert Naudin
1950.10.20 Gilbert Leduc vs. Bill Hunter
1950.10.20 Vic Hessle vs. Jean Jourlin
1950.10.23 Frank Valois vs. Rene Florent
1950.10.27 Guy Robin vs. Guy Laroche
1950.10.29 Charles Rigoulot vs. Jack Pye
1950.11.10 Gilbert Leduc vs. Lee Stent
1950.11.20 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Guy Robin
1950.11.20 Yvar Martinson vs. Frank Valois
1950.11.24 Gilbert Leduc vs. Dick Falls
1950.12.4 Charles Rigoulot vs. Frank Valois
1950.12.4 Eugenio Gonzalez vs. Henri Bury
1950.12.15 Jean Jourlin vs. Jacques Ducrez
1950.12.18 Felix Miquet vs. Eugenio Gonzalez
1950air Jean Jourlin vs. ?
1950air Rene Ben Chemoul vs. ?
1951.1.2 Maurice Heros vs. Michel Gonthier
1951.1.5 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Guy Laroche
1951.1.8 Frank Sexton vs. Yvar Martinson
1951.1.12 Felix Lamban vs. Vic Hessle
1951.1.15 Eugenio Gonzalez vs. Frank Valois
1951.1.19 Claude Montourcy vs. Tommy Mann
1951.1.22 Frank Sexton vs. Felix Miquet
1951.1.22 Mickey Gold vs. Jean Jourlin
1951.1.26 Bolo Hakawa vs. Lou Rudelle
1951.1.26 Gilbert Leduc vs. Red Harrison
1951.2.2 Bolo Hakawa vs. Jean Jourlin
1951.2.16 Marcel Manuel vs. Pierre Boss
1951.2.16 Vic Hessle vs. Georges Freymond
1951.2.19 Felix Miquet vs. Yvar Martinson
1951.2.19 Yvar Martinson vs. Felix Miquet
1951.2.23 Bolo Hakawa vs. Marcel Manuel
1951.3.9 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Harry Fields
1951.3.16 Bolo Hakawa vs. Deo Crasti
1951.3.25air Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Harris (?)
1951.3.30 Vic Hessle vs. Jack LaRue
1951.4.6 Gilbert Leduc vs. Jacky Williams
1951.4.6 Pat Curry vs. Cesario Brossati
1951.4.14 Pat Curry vs. Guy Biados
1951.4.20 Guy Laroche vs. Kid Dickson
1951.4.25 Georges Freymond vs. Milo Popocopolis
1951.4.27 Gilbert Leduc vs. Marcel Manuel
1951.5.18 Marcel Manuel vs. John Swenski
1951.5.18 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Harry Fields
1951.5.25 Bolo Hakawa vs. Deo Crasti
1951.5.25 Claude Montourcy vs. Andre Gasnier
1951.9.21 Bolo Hakawa vs. Jack Dale
1951.9.21 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jack Cunningham
1951.9.28 Roger Guettier vs. Gilles Wacklis
1951.10.5 Guy Laroche vs. Robert le Boulch
1951.10.5 Vic Hessle vs. Deo Crasti
1951.10.11 Robert Charron vs. Jean Casi
1951.10.15 Primo Carnera vs. Frank Valois
1951.10.17 Bolo Hakawa vs. Cesario Brossati
1951.10.17 Michel Chaisne vs. Nick van Dyck
1951.10.19 Gilbert Leduc vs. Marcel Manuel
1951.10.29 Primo Carnera vs. Felix Miquet
1951.11.5 Yvar Martinson vs. Adolf Porizek
1951.11.8 Andre Chauveau vs. Felix Frey
1951.11.9 Felix Lamban vs. Jacques Ducrez
1951.11.16 Guy Laroche vs. Jorge Calvo
1951.11.23 Andre Chauveau vs. Ray Belzic
1952.1.7 Felix Miquet vs. Larry Moquin
1952.1.11 Jules Delmee vs. Albert Albisson
1952.1.18 Guy Laroche vs. Guy Robin
1952.2.4 Frank Sexton vs. Eugenio Gonzalez
1952.2.29 Claude Montourcy vs. Pierre Boss
1952.2.29 Eric Husberg vs. Ray Belzic
1952.3.6 Robert Charron vs. Robert Gastel
1952.4.28 Bolo Hakawa vs. Edmond Liehn
1952.5.12 Frank Sexton vs. Primo Carnera
1952.5.23 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Cliff Taylor
1952.6.25air Deo Crasti vs. Ray Munsten (?)
1952.9.21 Louis Thierry vs. Antonio Salinas
1952.9.26 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jim Londos (not the original)
1952.10.10 Bolo Hakawa vs. Tony Mancelli
1952.10.17 Guy Robin vs. Georges Huard
1952.10.17 Marcel Manuel vs. Black Kwango
1952.10.24 George Kidd vs. Guy Laroche
1952.10.26 Joachim La Barba vs. Rene Bouchoucha
1952.11.7 George Kidd vs. Rene Ben Chemoul
1952.11.10 Karl von Schober vs. Timothy Geohagen
1952.11.10 Roger Ruaux vs. Edmond Liehn
1952.11.24 Francois Miquet vs. Timothy Geohagen
1952.11.24 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Cliff Taylor
1952.11.30 Robert Charron vs. Robert Gastel
1952.11.30 Al Cabrol vs. Lino Di Santo
1952.11.30or1952.1.20 Max Renaud (Roger Delaporte) vs. Henri Viez
1952.12.8 Bolo Hakawa vs. Deo Crasti
1952.12.8 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jack Dale
1952.12.19 Gilbert Leduc vs. Marcel Manuel
1953.1.4air Guy Laroche vs. Guy Robin
1953.1.9 Gaby Calderon vs. Gilles Wacklis
1953.1.11 Jim Oliver vs. Pat Curry
1953.1.17 Suni War Cloud vs. Karl von Schober
1953.1.30 Albert Falaux vs. Guy Robin
1953.2.13 Jim Oliver vs. Tony Mancelli
1953.2.13 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Nick van Dyck
1953.2.27 Charlie Fisher vs. Marcel Manuel
1953.2.27 Gilbert Leduc vs. Jim Oliver
1953.3.7 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jack Quesick
1953.3.9 Francois Miquet vs. Suni War Cloud
1953.3.20 Jim Oliver vs. Vic Hessle
1953.3.20 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Dick Falls
1953.3.27 Felix Lamban vs. Bolo Hakawa
1953.4.12air Ray Belzic vs. Crosnier (?)
1953.4.17 George Kidd vs. Andre Chauveau
1953.4.17 Jean Jourlin vs. Charlie Fisher
1953.5.15 Bolo Hakawa vs. Pat Curry
1953.5.15 Gilbert Leduc vs. Jack Dale
1953.5.15 Rene Asselin vs. Roland Deconninck
1953.10.30 Roger Delaporte vs. Roger Laroche
1953.11.23 Robert Duranton vs. Charlie Green
1953.11.29 Stan Karolyi vs. Mohamed Djaber
1953.12.13 King Kong Taverne vs. Pat Curry
1953.12.13 Laurent Dauthuille vs. Paul Debusne
1953.12.13air Hoyos vs. Bosson
1954.1.3air Andre Poulain vs. Jean Casi
1954.1.17 Al Cabrol vs. Pat Curry
1954.1.17 Felix Miquet vs. King Kong Taverne
1954.1.24 Stan Karolyi vs. Pat Curry
1954.1.31 Laurent Dauthuille vs. Paul Villars
1954.2.14 Stan Karolyi vs. Lino Di Santo
1954.2.14air Lino Di Santo vs. Mohamed Djaber
1954.2.15 Frank Sexton vs. Hermann Reiss
1954.3.7 Al Cabrol vs. King Kong Taverne
1954.3.21 Laurent Dauthuille vs. Andre Chauveau
1954.3.21 Pat Curry vs. Liano Pellacani
1954.3.31 Laurent Dauthuille vs. Andre Chauveau
1954.4.16 Don Beitelman vs. Vic Hessle
1954.4.16 Guy Laroche vs. Peter Jones
1954.4.30 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Tommy Mann
1954.4.30 Robert Gastel vs. Buddy Jackson
1954.5.14 Gilbert Leduc vs. Robert Charron
1954.5.14 Roger Delaporte vs. Joachim La Barba
1954.5.21 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Claude Montourcy
1954.5.21 Roger Laroche vs. Guy Robin
1954.6.20 Lino Di Santo vs. Pat Curry
1954.9.24 Michel Chaisne vs. Jack Dale
1954.9.24 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jim Lewis
1954.10.17 Al Cabrol vs. Adolf Kaiser
1954.11.1 Francois Miquet & Felix Miquet vs. Eddie Brush & Jack Wentworth
1954.11.1 Mario Lotario vs. Leon Minissini
1954.11.15 Francois Miquet & Yvar Martinson vs. Eddie Brush & Jack Wentworth
1954.11.26 Felix Lamban vs. Cowboy Cassidy
1954.12.3 King Badu vs. Gaby Dumas
1954.12.3 Roger Delaporte vs. Eddy Wiecz
1954.12.13 Axel Cadier vs. Roger Guettier
1954.12.13 Francois Miquet & The Great Zorro vs. Eddie Brush & Jack Wentworth
1954.12.20 Robert Charron vs. Laurent Dauthuille
1955.1.10 Felix Miquet & Francois Miquet vs. Frank Valois & Larry Moquin
1955.2.9air Lino Di Santo vs. Jacques van Dooren
1955.2.20air Roger Delaporte vs. Eddy Koparanian
1955.2.27air Jean Rabut vs. Catourcy (?)
1955.3.20air Vic Hessle vs. Roger Guettier
1955.10.31 Edy Wiecz & Felix Miquet vs. Frank Valois & Legs Wilson
1956.1.24 Sky Low Low & La Panthere Noire vs. Lord Clayton Littlebrook & Tito Infante
1956.2.15air Jim Oliver vs. Bill Howes
1959.2.2 L'Ange Blanc vs. Roger Delaporte
1959.5.4 L'Ange Blanc vs. L'Homme Masque
1961.3.13 L'Ange Blanc vs. L'Homme Masque
1961.11.5 Jack de Lasartesse & Hermann Iffland vs. Horst Hoffman & Micha Nador
1963.2.6air Jack de Lasartesse vs. ?
1963.5.7air Gilbert Leduc & Jacky Corn vs. Kamikaze I & Kamikaze II
1963.10.13 L'Ange Blanc vs. Conde Maximiliano
1965.3.29 Eddy Wiecz vs. The Great Togo
1965.11.29 Eddy Wiecz, Warnia de Zarzecki & Josef Zaranoff vs. Andre Bollet, Rudi Saturski & Harry Wenzel

Also, a fun fact that I uncovered only recently. In 1943 the Germans were briefly running a television network out of Paris and at the end of November 1943 a pair of exhibition matches aired on the network. The matches took place at the Magic-City studio. Seems like they aired only highlights, or at least the existing footage is only about three minutes long. This German-run network had a very, very limited reach, but technically this would be the first (known) time that pro wrestling aired on TV in France.

P.S. If you pay close attention to the list of matches above, you might also spot an extra interesting tidbit in there - the alias under which one of French catch's biggest stars started his career. Little known fact. 🙂

[ohtani's jacket]

How much of this is in the archives? There are a number of matches I would like to see. 

[Phil Lions]

3 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

How much of this is in the archives?

All of it.

[David Mantell]

It's been four months since we last saw young bratty heel Eric Lacroix.  We last saw him against fellow youngster Jean Phillipe De Lonzac. Now here he is against another promising kid of the post broadcast TV era, Yann Çaradec of Brittany

We catch the end of a tag match Which as far as I can tell saw Lacroix  screw Caradec of a win- at least that's what Caradec has to say in a promo afterwards. Lacroix is defending his French  Welterweight title  and medal and has moustachioed manager Theo Pouzade in his corner. Referee is Chico Roberts on loan from Reslo.

They lock up and Eric gets a rear snapmare on Yann.who returns with a Cross buttock press and dropkick.  A couple of whips later Caradec gets Lacroix in a sunset flip  folding press and double leg nelson for 2. Next lockup, Lacroix gets a double arm lever into armdrag. He tries again but Caradec reverses and follows with two side chancery  throws and a dropkick..  He gets the next wristlever and makes a loose hammerlock of it.  Lacroix gets a rear snapmare in the hold.  The same sequence repeats until Caradec shrugs off the rear snapmare and LacroiX crash lands. A third time Lacroix gets the traditional French reverse snapmare but Caradec. He gets a shove and Manchette but Caradec gets two rear snapmares and a dropkick.Caradec gets a side headlock into wristlever into armdrag. He gets thrown out of another side headlock but rebounds with a Manchette off the ropes. A third side headlock is bounced off the ropes by Lacroix who backdrops him but Caradec ground dropkicks his man.  Caradec pulls him up but gets a manchette and guillotine elbowsmash in return. Lacroix fires off a powerful headbutt flooring Yann.  He whips and clotheslines him, then pounds him in the back and gets in three stomps(the first one legal, not so the latter two and Roberts warns him.  Lacroix throws the Breton boy out of the ring but Yan gets tangled in the ropes on the way out. L'Arbitre warns Eric and frees Yann. Eric gets a rear snapmare and some more stomps, again only the first one is legal.  Lacroix gets another clothesline and guillotine elbowsmash. He presses and splashes Yann's arm then pitches him out of the ring, this time Yann making it outside, feet first. He makes it back at 5 to get another rear snapmare.  Eric I cushions a corner and posts Yann in it. He leaps up for a monkey climb but Yann throws him off in something resembling a powerbomb.  Once Eric is up, Yann sends him back down with two Manchettes.  Yann side chancery throws and shoulderblocks Eric. He hits the ropes but somehow falls out and loses by TKO - it looks like manager Theo got involved pulling the top rope down but Chico didn't see it so the result stands - a successful defence for Eric Lacroix.

A lot of good moves, but a lot of spaces for encouraging cheering and booing.  Fits and starts match.

[ohtani's jacket]

1952.11.7 George Kidd vs. Rene Ben Chemoul

So this is the legendary George Kidd. I've waited years to see any sort of footage of Kidd from his prime, and the way the ITV archives operate, hell will freeze over before we get any sort of Kidd footage from them. There was a chance that after all these years of hearing about Kidd that he would disappoint, but that's not the case. He was surprisingly tough in these clips and took some rugged bumps. There were a few elaborate holds, but it was mostly his demeanor I was impressed by.

I was also pleased with Rene Ben Chemoul. Now THIS is the Rene Ben Chemoul I had hoped to see all along. Clearly, he was past his prime by the time TV came along. If you look at the clips listings, his name is plastered all over it and he was clearly having great match after great match with the cream of Europe's lightweight talent during this era. I may end up changing my position on Rene Ben Chemoul if I watch more of this footage. 

[David Mantell]

Quote

Vassilios Mantopolous vs Gilbert Lemagouroux 1/24/65

MD: As we're just on our last run (that we know of at least) of matches here, I love to look at the presentation and some of the cultural bits, even if they are still alien to me. This was another studio show. Here we have an announcement up from that conditionally, as it had not been confirmed, François Bonlieu, French alpine skier and gold medalist in the 1964 Winter Games, was going professional and would compete at the Professional Championships in the US. 

Bollet (introduced as a grand poet) was there and just nodded a long as they discussed the matches for the night. Starting with the lightweights (which were heavier than in boxing since the heavyweights were heavier). Lemagouroux was the champion of Brittany and Mantopolous the champion of Greece. When the fans got up for Mantopolous mid-match the commentary noted that this was France appreciating its Greek roots and applauding the legacy that Homer bestowed upon them. Funny stuff.

SR: Really good match. Part of me is just happy to see some wrestling after that travesty with the bull, but this was genuinely very good. I expected poor Gilbert, who didn't stand out in a big way in the tags we've seen him in, to be completely run over by Mantopolous, but he stood his ground and actually dominated quite a bit. Gilbert is really solid, goes along really well with Mantopolous stuff, really liked the ways in which he'd just yank Mantopolous down by a wrist or armlock. This was in front of a big curtain, like a theater, and it made me wonder if it was another studio match kinda deal. We don't see the audience, but we hear lots of applause, and the match was worked so simple that anyone can understand it. Textbook stuff kinda. There was a segment where Gilbert kept his opponent in a headlock, always resorting to hair pulls to maintain control, not something we've seen a ton of but it was really well done. And Mantopolous is always impeccable, really explosive and spectacular when it's time to make an escape. His flying headiscissors were just weep-inducingly beautiful. In the end Gilbert didn't stand a big chance but they topped it of with a perfect sequence. It's weird this kinda stuff doesn't stand out in a huge way in the grand scheme of French Catch but in another universe it's  like the best studio TV match ever. I'd part hard pressed to think of anything better to teach a new audience about the magic of Catch.

MD: I agree with Sebastian here. This is just perfect Intro-to-Catch, at least the lightweight style. As accessible as some of those shorter Prince vs Noced/Richard touring type matches. Like those, you could pull out any number of gifs such a Mantopolous getting out of a hamerlock by going not just up and over but through the legs to turn it into a roll up, or even the way he'd go up for a dropkick but do a headscissors takeover instead, or the multiple kip ups when he was armbarred before he escaped out of it, or the way he'd step up on Gilbert's leg to vault up and over him, and I can go on and on. But what made it all work was that he had to struggle for each of those escapes, that Gilbert sold them with frustration and meanness, coming back with enraged kicks and stomps, and that each and every one was built to in its own way. That's part of why this is perfect to show, because you see all the exclamation points, but also the meaningful, direct sentences that led to them. Just beautiful, beautiful wrestling all around.

Eddy Weicz vs Roger Delaporte

MD: Pre-show they had talked up Weicz as world champion and acknowledged as such by both Americans and Europeans. Carpentier is amazing. My appreciation has only grown and grown. He is a star. He always presented himself on TV better than his peers and this show gave him even more opportunity to do so. Maybe it doesn't always make for the best matches, but I always come out impressed by his savvy. He's always punctuating things, always getting an extra shot in, always standing up to the ref and his opponents. he has that underlying element of being a bully that fans love. Post match, when Bollet is checking on Delaporte, he dropkicks him for no reason and then hits a spin kick on the ref and the fans love it because of course they do. He's always reaching, always engaged, always putting an extra flourish on things. 

And maybe there's even an extra level of construction to the spots. If this was Delaporte vs Leduc they'd build to the toupie headscissors takeover by making Leduc really work for it. Here they do that (to a lesser degree) but then do a spot where Carpentier pumps it repeatedly and then one where Delaporte holds on to the ropes so he doesn't go over until he finally gets his comeuppance. I really do get the sense he was decades ahead of his peers in some ways and that's why his act transferred so well.

And of course, Delaporte is one of the great villains of the 20th century because he sells everything. He sells the indignity of life at every point. There's a moment towards the end where he tries for (another) cheapshot, Carpentier moves due to the crowd warning him, and then, just because he couldn't get his cheapshot, Delaporte has a fit. And it's awesome. It's selling the emotional blow of it all. That obviously resonated with both me and Sebastian as you'll read below. They'd do these bits where Carpentier would get the better of him repeatedly and he'd just lose his cool and start choking him. It was a moral victory for Carpentier even if it was Delaporte leaning down on him. And then when they got slugging, he was just so good at it. He's sort of unassuming at first and doesn't do the flashy things (even though he can) but what he does do he was as good at anyone doing, and as I said, this was just a perfect setting for these two.

SR: Well, maybe this is the perfect studio wrestling. Great mix of wrestling and bullshit. Wiecz is in a ridiculous striped shirt. Delaporte goes after him at the bell, and now the crowd seems indeed to know what's going on so maybe they aren't that unfamiliar with wrestling. Wiecz literally flips off Delaporte, cartwheels around him a bunch, does a weird hip shake, and Delaporte scurries for the hills, only to immediately try a dirty takedown through the ropes. Awesome stuff. They just keep going like this, always doing a little something to keep things engaging along with the wrestling, which is mostly Delaportes basic holds vs Wiecz more athletic stuff. A bitch slap here, a little kick in the taint there, some pretty hard looking knuckle punches etc. I love the crowd engagement. When Delaporte even tries to grab the ropes for the slightest advantage, they are immediately in on his case, alerting the referee. Later, Delaporte tries to sneak up on Carpentier from behind, but the crowd alerts him in time, allowing Carpentier to evade the assault. Of course, Delaporte cusses them out for that. Is it really such a surprise the fans were super engaged, when they could so vividly observe their engagement have an immediate effect on what happens in a match? That's what sets wrestling apart from movies and theater. You can shout at the movie all you want, the murder is still gonna happen. Not in wrestling though, you can participate. That kinda stuff is pretty much absent from modern TV matches where every move is carefully choreographed and there's little room for interactions like that. Maybe having every match go 20 minutes to allow for stuff like this really is the way to go. The finish here is cartoonishly violent as Wiecz puts the Inoki-style falling indian deathlock on Delaporte but instead of falling next to him he drops his bodyweight onto him, squashing poor Delaporte to a smear as is his rightfully comeuppance. After the match Bollet also comes in in a suit and gets a savate kick too for his troubles. Way too fun.

I'll deal with the first bout first and come back later for the other bout. So we're back at Maison de RTF, giant Not A Cinema Honest Guv place for the variety show with a couple of bouts.

The early stages of Mantopolous/Lemagaroux are fast paced if top heavy in armdrags, also with rear snapmares and reverse snapmares and one brief roll up. Things get serious when Lemagaroux gets an arm lever on the mat. Mantopolous gets up and gets a headscissors (like a French Catcheurs) but is thrown off by Lemagoroux (like a British Wrestler.)

We finally find out what the French name for The Surfboard when Vassilios gets one on - Le Prise Du Crab. (Crab Hold) 

Initially Vassilios  is the technician and speedster while Gilbert slows things down with armbars. Then Gilbert starts working dirty with kicks and stomps.  Eventually he got an Avertisement. Referee's name is  Bollett.- is  this Charley Bollet before he lost his hair?

 Vassilios also performs the George Kidd version of the Ball,darting out body parts to tempt and distract Lemagoroux. with brief flashes of arm and leg to grab at. Vassilios scores the winner when he cross buttocks throws and press for a pinfall.

I probably didn't do Mantopolous proper justice with this piece as there was quite a lot of small details in his work and it was late at night when I typed this.

 

[David Mantell]

9 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

1952.11.7 George Kidd vs. Rene Ben Chemoul

So this is the legendary George Kidd. I've waited years to see any sort of footage of Kidd from his prime, and the way the ITV archives operate, hell will freeze over before we get any sort of Kidd footage from them. There was a chance that after all these years of hearing about Kidd that he would disappoint, but that's not the case. He was surprisingly tough in these clips and took some rugged bumps. There were a few elaborate holds, but it was mostly his demeanor I was impressed by.

I was also pleased with Rene Ben Chemoul. Now THIS is the Rene Ben Chemoul I had hoped to see all along. Clearly, he was past his prime by the time TV came along. If you look at the clips listings, his name is plastered all over it and he was clearly having great match after great match with the cream of Europe's lightweight talent during this era. I may end up changing my position on Rene Ben Chemoul if I watch more of this footage. 

Where can this be seen?

P.S. Kidd did a WOS bout in early 76 against Maurice Hunter , 6-7 months after the Black Jack Mulligan + triple tag bouts.

[ohtani's jacket]

On 7/9/2025 at 3:00 PM, David Mantell said:

 

This was more entertaining than a swimming pool match. 

[David Mantell]

6 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

This was more entertaining than a swimming pool match. 

@Matt D seems to have disagreed.

[David Mantell]

Eddy Weiss Vs Roger Delaporte gets off to a lively start with Roger jumping Eddy from behind and Eddy fighting back including somersaults just to confuse and annoy Delaporte - a tactic that works as he storms out of the ring in a huff only to slip back in and sneak attack Eddy again! And so it goes on with Eddy a the technical "souple" one, even doing the distinctive French backflip off a top wristlock - and Delaporte as the cowardly crumb heel with a certain amount of grumpy old man comedy. A long way removed from his no nonsense hard nosed Arbitre self a decade later.

Eddy tends to use the ground top wristlock to slow things down - ironically the same tactic Lemagoroux was using in the first bout.  Delaporte also ues this tactic with a headscissors and a rear sitting chinlock during with he suddenly goes berserk with an absolute SPREE of fouling, even attacking L'Arbitre.  He gets no Avertisement for this, in fact the ref starts a knockout count on Eddy. Eddy in turn goes wild with forearms, also attacking the ref and he DOES get a first Avertisement.  This section is actually quite a wild brawl - I think OJ will like it.

Things briefly get technical again but then Eddy goes wild at some foul of Delaporte's and  actually SUPERKICKS THE REFEREE.  I can only assume this referee has past as a psychiatric nurse as he doesn't disqualify Wiecz, doesn't even give him a Seconde Et Derniere Avertisement, just gives him a stern ticking off!

Things go technical again, Delaporte has an armlock on the mat which he augments with a chinlock. Eddy counters with a crossed headscissor then goes up on his skull and does a toupie to make Gilbert Leduc proud!  He then comes down to earth with another crossed headscissors on Delaporte. When Roger stands up, Eddy toupies him again. And then they do it a third time, this time with Roger resisting and trying for a folding press and lifting an dunking Eddy up and down. The fourth time Delaporte tries to use the ropes for leverage in the folding press. Eddy still fights back and the referee eventually sees the rope trick and orders a break but only gets one after Delaporte tries to hammerlock Wies z against the ropes, triggering some more brawling. Eddy gets a fifth cross headscissor but Delaporte is in a kneeling position so folds Eddy's legs into an Indian Deathlock and punches away at his opponent's head with the odd illegal hairpull thrown in for good measure. He eventually switches to chopping his man in the neck while holding him up which earns him an Avertisement.

From there the bout becomes more sluggish and punch and headbutt with Eddy even administering one to L'Arbitre plus another superkick when the ref tells him off. For a bit even the commentator thinks a DDQ is coming but Eddie threatens Roger who cowers away for some time so the ref restrains himself to oversee this next phase of combat. Which mostly turns out to be forearm smashes with one Eddy superkick thrown in.  Roger pitches Eddy over the ropes but slingshots himself back in, scissors Delaporte and slings him out before getting back in.  Beating the count, Delaporte gets posted. Eddie then side chancery throws him down, delivers 3 somersault splashes, gets a Gotch toehold into Indian Deathlock and keeps dropping his weight backwards on Delaporte until the referee stops him and a Stretclothes clad ANDRE Bollet gets in. Wiesz superkicks both him and the referee before wandering off in disgust. He comes back and the referee declared him the winner before enlisting Andre Bollet's help to cart Delaporte away.

Brawl with a few technical bits including some nice toupies. Was Eddy German?  This ref bashing seems to have been going on longer there than in France (in Britain the ITA/IBA would have had KITTENS over it.)

 

 

[ohtani's jacket]

1952.10.24 George Kidd vs. Guy Laroche
1953.4.17 George Kidd vs. Andre Chauveau

A pair of contrasting clips. The first clip shows Kidd demonstrating some superb moments of skill but also gives us a glimpse at his selling ability. He seems highly adept in this area. He loses the match by submission and sells it like death. The second bout is against a heavier wrestler who is out of his depth and resorting to cheap shots. Kidd is awesome at retaliating back and looks like a great brawler. Chauveau has a go at him again after the bout and Kidd takes him down in awesome fashion. I wish there was more footage of him in the archives, but he looks like the real deal as far as I'm concerned. 

 

[ohtani's jacket]

1950.2.10 Ray Bukovac vs. Jack Dale
1952.12.8 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jack Dale
1953.5.15 Gilbert Leduc vs. Jack Dale
1954.9.24 Michel Chaisne vs. Jack Dale

Now for the find of the footage so far. This is Jack Dale of Dale Martin fame. I knew he was renowned as one of Britain's greatest ever middleweight wrestlers, so I thought he might show some technical flair in these bouts. However, this was towards the end of his in-ring career, (I'm presuming), and what we see instead is some of the best brawling Europe has to offer. This guy's selling was phenomenal. He sold the impact of a forearm smash better than anyone I can remember seeing. In the bout with a young Leduc, Leduc destroys him with manchettes and it's like nothing I've seen in catch. Tough as nails, equally adept at grappling and fighting, and just a monstrous amount of energy in every clip. It's heartening to know that one of the top promoters was such a spectacular performer. 

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Man, I watched Leduc vs. Dale again, and even though the clip is only 5 minutes long, it feels like one of the best fights you've ever seen. It's the gold standard for forearm smashes, that's for sure. 

[Phil Lions]

12 hours ago, David Mantell said:

Where can this be seen?

Not available publicly. Only over at INA as it stands right now.

I've shared some Kidd clips from the matches in question in this Twitter thread: https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1742250661205680175
 

33 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Now for the find of the footage so far. This is Jack Dale of Dale Martin fame. I knew he was renowned as one of Britain's greatest ever middleweight wrestlers, so I thought he might show some technical flair in these bouts. However, this was towards the end of his in-ring career, (I'm presuming), and what we see instead is some of the best brawling Europe has to offer. This guy's selling was phenomenal. He sold the impact of a forearm smash better than anyone I can remember seeing. In the bout with a young Leduc, Leduc destroys him with manchettes and it's like nothing I've seen in catch. Tough as nails, equally adept at grappling and fighting, and just a monstrous amount of energy in every clip. It's heartening to know that one of the top promoters was such a spectacular performer. 

Man, I watched Leduc vs. Dale again, and even though the clip is only 5 minutes long, it feels like one of the best fights you've ever seen. It's the gold standard for forearm smashes, that's for sure. 

Yes! Dale has been a revelation. His selling was absolutely outstanding.

I shared the Leduc/Dale finish over on Twitter a while back:
https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1926638762051698936

Great execution from both guys, but Dale's selling is what really made this finish.

12 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I was also pleased with Rene Ben Chemoul. Now THIS is the Rene Ben Chemoul I had hoped to see all along. Clearly, he was past his prime by the time TV came along. If you look at the clips listings, his name is plastered all over it and he was clearly having great match after great match with the cream of Europe's lightweight talent during this era. I may end up changing my position on Rene Ben Chemoul if I watch more of this footage. 

In the highlight footage Rene stands out to me as one of the most innovate guys of those years. For example, here's him casually busting out a Frankensteiner in 1954:

https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1934244007971811786

And he was also more or less doing huracarranas as early as 1950, which actually may predate the invention of the move in Mexico.

[ohtani's jacket]

1950.10.6 Mike Marino vs. Marcel Manuel

A young Mike Marino. Kent Walton used to rave about Marino. He was one of Walton's all-time favorites. Now whether that was because he had a close personal relationship with Marino or because Marino was the matchmaker at the time, we'll never know. As a wrestling fan, you'd like to think Walton was a wrestling connoisseur, but Walton had a public face and a private one and you can't explicitly trust everything he says on screen. Nevertheless, the footage we have of Marino is mostly from the 70s where he would work four round showcase matches that were typically dry but interesting nonetheless. Here, he was young, spry, quick on his feet and full of vigor. I don't know if this was how he was when he first appeared on British screens, but if this is the Marino that Walton was so fond of  then I completely get it. Very hard-nosed and skilled. 

[ohtani's jacket]

16 minutes ago, Phil Lions said:

Not available publicly. Only over at INA as it stands right now.

I've shared some Kidd clips from the matches in question in this Twitter thread: https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1742250661205680175
 

Yes! Dale has been a revelation. His selling was absolutely outstanding.

I shared the Leduc/Dale finish you're referring to over on Twitter a while back:
https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1926638762051698936

Great execution from both guys, but Dale's selling is what really made this finish.

In the highlight footage Rene stands out to me as one of the most innovate guys of those years. For example, here's him casually busting out a Frankensteiner in 1954:

https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1934244007971811786

And he was also more or less doing huracarranas as early as 1950, which actually may predate the invention of the move in Mexico.

I'm glad we're on the same page over this stuff. Those Rene clips are insane. I wonder where he got the notion to do some of this stuff from. There was a lot of innovative looking stuff in the Kidd clips too, so I guess Europe was ahead of the curve at this point. I do wonder if there was any resistance towards this type of work at the time.

[El-P]

On 7/9/2025 at 8:45 AM, Phil Lions said:

They absolutely had bullfighting in France, and in fact it is still happening to this day in some parts of Southern France. There used to be bullrings for 10,000+ people such as Arenes du Bouscat in Bordeaux and Arenes du Prado in Marseille where some of the biggest bullfighting events would take place. There's also the large Amphitheatre of Nimes which hosts bullfighting even now.

Ok, I saw that Intervilles clip some time ago. A bit of context here : France has bullfighting, although there's a real pushback lately as cruelty against animals is more and more frowned upon (thankfully !). However, what you saw in Intervilles, which was a TV show (and fuck me, they are relaunching this stuff this summer, without the cows) is based on a form of bullfighting called Course landaise (because it comes from the region of the Landes, in the south-west), and it only practiced with small cows called vachettes landaises, and there is no blood nor death. It's just based around a bunch of acrobatics. So, that was implemented in the TV show, and it really was the main attraction of it. Since catch was so popular back then, it's no surprise there would have been some of that stuff too, although how many times, I have no idea.

Fun fact, youtuber ArkeoToys made a video on Intervilles a few weeks ago, and at 0:48 you can see quick footage on some catch on a lake, so there at least has been one more occurence of it (much later, since it was in color) 

(and fuck me, one of these guys in the old Intervilles clip is actually pulling the poor cow's tail and kicking her ? What a piece of trash. He would have deserved a good horn shot in the kidney)

[Phil Lions]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Those Rene clips are insane. I wonder where he got the notion to do some of this stuff from. There was a lot of innovative looking stuff in the Kidd clips too, so I guess Europe was ahead of the curve at this point. I do wonder if there was any resistance towards this type of work at the time.

Historically the non-heavyweight guys have always been the ones innovating the most in terms of moves and acrobatics. By the 1950s the lightweights/welterweights/middleweights were no longer as featured in the States, but were all over the European scene, so in that aspect it makes perfect sense that Europe would be ahead of the curve.

In terms of Chemoul, it's difficult to say with certainty how innovative he really was. He comes off as very innovative compared to most of the other guys in the footage but most of the other guys featured in the footage were from the heavier classes. So it could be that the stuff that Chemoul was doing were standard fare for the lightweights, but we don't have enough footage of other lightweights to compare. Either way, based on the footage that we have, he certainly stands out in that regard and my gut feeling is that he really was one of the most innovative guys around back then. And as you said yourself, he's all over the footage. He made his pro debut in May 1948 and by 1950 he was already one of the most featured guys on TV, as was Leduc. Leduc and Chemoul were two of the guys Goldstein was pushing heavily at the time.

I haven't come across any push back against this type of work. I'd imagine there must've been some, particularly by some of the older school guys, but I haven't seen any of it myself. The press always talks well of the "voltigeurs" (acrobats), which is what guys like Chemoul were labeled as back then.

Speaking of innovation, another guy who caught my eye was Joachim La Barba, particularly for his top rope dropkick. A top rope dropkick in 1952. Imagine that! Here it is though: https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1883647945326972991

And one final note about innovating moves. Leduc was famous for his toupie (spinning top) and I can't say for sure who did it first, but in terms of footage Frank Sexton, of all people, is the earliest one we have on film doing a toupie. Although his version was slower and with less rotations: https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1940866938038898973

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@El-P Thanks for the context on bullfighting/Intervilles. @Matt D shared clips of that Invervilles match on the lake recently on Twitter.

[David Mantell]

9 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I do wonder if there was any resistance towards this type of work at the time.

Not really. Even someone like Tommy "Jack Dempsey" Moore was happy to work with Kidd.  It was considered a breakthrough when Kidd became a star in England - there had previously been a lot of resentment among the lower weights regarding the commercial preferences for heavies.  A common saying in the British locker room s back there as Bees do the work/Drones get the honey. Lightweights have the skil/ Heavyweights get the money." Then Kidd really broke through that particular glass ceiling and Johnny Saint later followed him through the cracks.

What I wonder is what went wrong with lighter weight wrestling in America?  There was George Bother in the early years of the C20th, he later referreed Caddock- Stecher and ran legendary shooter gym Bothner's Gym in New York.  After that you get the odd name like Ad Santel or Benny Sherman but by the start of the 30s there was virtually nothing left below Light Heavyweight and that title was also exiled to Mexico in the late 30s.

[ohtani's jacket]

1951.1.19 Claude Montourcy vs. Tommy Mann
1954.4.30 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Tommy Mann

We had already gotten Tommy Mann matches from the archives, but these clips reinforced that Mann was a class performer. I would go out of my way to watch any Tommy Mann footage we can find.

1953.2.27 Gilbert Leduc vs. Jim Oliver
1956.2.15air Jim Oliver vs. Bill Howes

Jim Oliver was the brother of Tony Oliver. IIRC, we have some of his matches already. He was the heavier of the two. Solid heavyweight. Skilled grappler. His brother left a huge impression on people, but this guy's more of a quiet achiever. The Howes clip was the shortest of the bunch, which was unfortunate as Howes was a hugely skilled British wrestler.