French catch

[ohtani's jacket]

Vassilios Mantopolous vs Gilbert Lemagouroux (1/24/85)

Hard fought but surprisingly low key match for a studio bout. It made sense from a wrestling perspective as Lemagouroux spent the entire bout trying to ground Mantopolous, but I would have expected a bit more razzle dazzle from a stylist like Vassilios. I also thought Lemagouroux was somewhat limited in his role. When he did ground his man all he could really do to him is stomp him and throw a manchette. 

Eddy Wiecz vs Roger Delaporte

It's been a while since I've seen Delaporte peacock around a ring. He really was one of the great pantomime heels. I've said many times before that I dislike Carpentier's work in France, but he did a good job of dishing out punishment in this bout. He overdid the savate kick, and there was too much bullshit with the ref, but overall I thought he projected a tough-as-nails image. He certainly wasn't able to take any shit from anybody. Everything felt well rehearsed, and I imagine Wiecz and Delaporte had this same match a million times, but it was well received by the studio audience and further proof of the mastery of Roger Delaporte. 

[David Mantell]

On 7/16/2025 at 12:20 AM, ohtani's jacket said:

a swimming pool match. 

Just had a brilliant idea while relaxing in the swimming pool at Jerusalem's Inbal Hotel in the Mediterranean sunshine today. What if promoters sold Bathing Room Only tickets and allowed fans to turn up, change into swimwear and watch the matches from in the water?

[David Mantell]

Talking of my family out Here

On 7/9/2025 at 9:56 AM, David Mantell said:

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

 I asked. No knowledge.  Halperin's retirement match in '73 was just before my sister's in-laws . 

It does mention on Wikipedia that he ran an opticians chain. This is true, I have seen branches of Optica Halperin around before.

[ohtani's jacket]

1950.3.1 Al Cabrol vs. Jim Hussey

Jim Hussey was the father of Mark "Rollerball" Rocco. He was a bigger man than his son, with a square build, but very skillful and athletic for his size. The apple didn't fall far from the tree in terms of pace and intensity. Even in this clip, Hussey is always busy and pushing the pace. He's another guy Walton always spoke highly of, and I imagine he had some good matches on TV. 

1950.10.29 Charles Rigoulot vs. Jack Pye

Jack Pye was one of the biggest legends in the history of British wrestling. He was an infamous rulebreaker and one of the great heels of the pre and post-war eras, and while his tactics would have been too rough for the televised era, he set the blueprint for the heels that followed in terms of his ability to work the crowd and send them into fits of anger. He was a tough wrestler and former coalminer, which lent an air of credibility to his violence. I've only see one other clip of his which shows off more of his wrestling acumen. He was much younger and lighter than here. The focus was mostly on Rigoulot, for obvious reasons, but Pye got in some decent licks.

Boy, they sure did like their big men in this era. There are some large heavyweights in this clips and a lot of meat in the ring. They were highly skillful compared to some of the larger heavyweights that came along decades later (not naming any names), though I suspect they were fitter men in their primes and had simply packed on the pounds. That said, across the continent the status of the big man seems to slowly fade as less and less heavyweights enter the sport. 

[ohtani's jacket]

1954.9.24 Rene Ben Chemoul vs. Jim Lewis

This was an interesting clip. Jim Lewis was a skilled welterweight , who actually rose to the top of his division in the 1950s, but chose to do a Gorgeous George style gimmick while before the likes of Adrian Street or Bobby Barnes. The clip doesn't show him doing anything overtly promiscuous, so I don't know how far he leaned into that side of the gimmick, but he threw a chair in the ring and kicked Rene in the groin after the bout, which led to Rene choking him out with his towel. A lively clip to say the least. 

[ohtani's jacket]

1946.10.5 Henri Deglane vs. Francis St. Clair Gregory

Henri Deglane is the man, who alongside his friend, Raoul Paoli, popularized French catch in the 1930s. You can read more about him in Phil's excellent work on the history of French catch. Francis St. Clair Gregory was the father of Roy and Tony St. Clair. He was a remarkable athlete and wrestler who was successful not only in the 30s but also in the Mountevans era. He had the honor of appearing in the first televised wrestling show in a bout against Mike Marino in 1955. Needless to say, for a short 90 second clip, there's a ton of history packed into this. They only show a few sequences, but the wrestlers look tough and legit. Deglane brawls a little more than you'd expect, but that's always been a part of wrestling I imagine. A nice time capsule. 

[David Mantell]

On 7/16/2025 at 10:38 PM, David Mantell said:

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.

Not a rhetorical question. Why did the lighter weights die off in America?

[David Mantell]

On 3/23/2025 at 2:39 PM, David Mantell said:

 

This all Irish bout was effectively Finlay's second bout on French TV, he and Ian Gilmour having dressed up as Scotsmen eight years earlier in a bout which might also have been on TF1. For French viewers, New Catch on TF1 was just a continuation of Old Catch on FR3 and previously A2 with shorter bouts, nicer rings and various British and German/Austrian talent popping up.

This copy is taken from the recap repeat broadcast on Eurosport early 1989 just after the Astra launch with English commentary by veteran MC./referee John Harris. I believe Hammill had also wrestled in France a few times in the 80s but not on TV AFAIK. Hammill is introduced as "Jimy" which Harris picks up on. He also notices Princess Paula 's absence.

Finlay can definitely get heat in France just as in Britain - this is the same year as the Croydon catch-weight bout with Johnny Saint on ITV. He has a headlock switching to front chancery now and then before finally switching to wristlever. Eddie takes two rolls to untwist then widens Finlay's leg stance to more easily fell him with a stomach stomp. This doesn't get the pop it gets in England,. Finlay is up and angry however. He gets a full nelson, spins and Manchettes him then gets pressure points. Hammill kicks and chops Finlay down and gets a flying tackle for a 2 count.  Finlay boots Kung Fu a couple of times, eventually getting his foot caught, being spun round, chopped and thrown out of the ring. The French fans, especially the little kids, are having GLORIOUS fun antagonising Finlay. He comes back with a wristlever into back hammerlock. Kung Fu tries for a crotch hold and slam but can't get the weight. Finlay gets in a concealed closed fist punch just like his dad taught Rasputin to do in the Fighting Finlays documentary. The ref complains but Finlay insists in was an open hand.  He gets pressure points bit Kung Fu gets a chop, posting and superkick. Another posting and Scisseaux Volees from Kung Fu. A posting, chop and snapmares follow. He goes for a lean back folding press on Finlay but only gets 2.  Finlay picks up Hammill by the hair and gets in TWO concealed illegal punches.  He snapmares Edie but misses with a kneedrop and Kung Fu further weakens the knee with kicks, then posts Finlay who comes back with a solid Manchette. He climbs the ropes but Kung Fu knocks him off. Another posting (breaking the top turnbuckle) and a backdrop follow. Finlay gets up, illegally punches Hammill again and pitches him out the ring. He catches Hammill returning and tries to bash his head in the corner.  He tries a missile dropkick but misses, due in part to the ropes still not being right says Harris. A reverse waistlock bodyslam finishes Eddie for the one fall required in little more than five minutes.

Mediocre OJ? I think Hamill gives it his all for good moves mixed with martial arts. Finlay was mainly concerned with getting over as a heel and a bully on national French TV and I guess he achieved that.  I shall have a look at their Reslo bout that same year. to compare .

 

Bumped up in memory of Mr Hammill as on the British thread. Not his first France appearance either although not on TV.  (Finlay's second French TV match)

[ohtani's jacket]

1947.10.13 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1948.11.8 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1949.2.7 Charles Rigoulot vs. Bert Assirati
1949.10.24 Felix Miquet vs. Bert Assirati

Someone needs to explain the appeal of Bert Assirati to me. I get that his strength was legendary and that he was able to legit hurt people in the ring, but I don't see a single thing about his ringwork that's remotely interesting. 

[ohtani's jacket]

I didn't realize that there is quite a bit of Deglane on YouTube. After watching some of his clips from the 30s, there's no doubt in my mind that he was one of the greatest French wrestlers of all-time. Even the clips of him training and chopping firewood are entertaining. 

Then you see Leduc from the early 50s and it's the next level. I've long held Leduc in high regard, but watching him when he was younger has been a revelation. What an incredible athlete. 

[David Mantell]

6 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

1947.10.13 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1948.11.8 Yvar Martinson vs. Bert Assirati
1949.2.7 Charles Rigoulot vs. Bert Assirati
1949.10.24 Felix Miquet vs. Bert Assirati

Someone needs to explain the appeal of Bert Assirati to me. I get that his strength was legendary and that he was able to legit hurt people in the ring, but I don't see a single thing about his ringwork that's remotely interesting. 

Vader with technical + shoot skills like Thesz.

[ohtani's jacket]

6 hours ago, David Mantell said:

Vader with technical + shoot skills like Thesz.

Not in the footage. I would argue that every one of his opponents looked better. That said, it was the late 40s. He may have been better earlier in his career. 

[David Mantell]

20 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Not in the footage. I would argue that every one of his opponents looked better. That said, it was the late 40s. He may have been better earlier in his career. 

Looked, maybe, but by that stage he was more dangerous with Wigan Snakepit skills and later on acquiring Indian folk wrestling knowledge.

He seems to have been a bit more willing to put others over than previously assumed, I have seen posed gym photos of him caught in a flying headscissors c/o a younger Mike Marino and grimacing like there had been a sewage leak.

If it was someone not remotely in his league it could get execution like eg with Blond Adonis Shirley Crabtree (threatened to do a runner)or with The Imposter Ghoul (ran round the ring for three minutes before suffering a back breaking injury.)

[David Mantell]

On 7/16/2025 at 11:14 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

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.

Is he playing the heels in these clips like in the previously atraced ones?

I had an older British fan tour him as an example of a no nonsense earlier generation. Then I saw his French TV bouts and there he was being a complete and total MECHANT!!!

[ohtani's jacket]

11 hours ago, David Mantell said:

Looked, maybe, but by that stage he was more dangerous with Wigan Snakepit skills and later on acquiring Indian folk wrestling knowledge.

Great stories, but it doesn't really mean much if it doesn't translate to ringwork. 

[ohtani's jacket]

6 hours ago, David Mantell said:

Is he playing the heels in these clips like in the previously atraced ones?

I had an older British fan tour him as an example of a no nonsense earlier generation. Then I saw his French TV bouts and there he was being a complete and total MECHANT!!!

I imagine he was. The clips don't make it explicit. The Rene Ben Chemoul match is hard fought and heated, but Rene raises Mann's hand at the end. 

[ohtani's jacket]

1952.10.26 Joachim La Barba vs. Rene Bouchoucha
1954.5.14 Roger Delaporte vs. Joachim La Barba

I had forgotten how talented Joachim La Barba was. He's another guy you wish there was a cache of footage available. One of those guys who's always in motion and always doing something to draw the crowd's attention. It was amusing seeing a young, skinny Roger Delaporte. He had the physique of a young Tony St. Claiir in this bout. He was still honing his act at this point and was a lot more physical and active than the grand stooge he'd become. 

[Phil Lions]

2 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

1952.10.26 Joachim La Barba vs. Rene Bouchoucha

Here's a fun fact about this one. This wasn't a professional wrestling (catch) match, technically. This was an "amateur catch" match. But as you saw there was nothing amateur about it - dropkicks, flips, cheating behind the ref's back, etc.

Amateur catch was such an odd, yet historically important, phenomenon in France back then. It was clearly pro guys doing pro matches, but the French amateur wrestling federation, and others, were passing off these matches as "amateur" in order to avoid taxes... until the French tax authorities caught on (thanks to a tip from Robert Lageat and company) and sued successfully for tax evasion.

[David Mantell]

Quote

MD: We encounter once again Jean Frisuk (who we now think the best spelling of is as seen above), a Franco-Polish heavyweight who we have spattered about in the footage. This is our first look at Batistou, though he may be out there in one other match not in the collection. He is also a heavyweight, apparently a former rugby player, here noted as the son of a blacksmith and an ironworker artisan himself. He has a small band, including an accordion player out there supporting him and does come off as a sort of folk hero type. 

He's also a heavyweight and this is a pretty measured one. The advantage of a heavyweight contest is that all the shots hit harder and have more heft behind them, that all of the technique has a bit more weight to it. And you do get some of the latter as Fryziuk uses a series of clever go behinds on Batistou. Batistou counters more with raw power and headlock takeovers and the like. Fryziuk had the skill and could out wrestle Batistou but Batistou had the heart and almost childlike temper. They tease animosity as it goes, a shove out of the corner, pushing the ref away at a key moment, that sort of thing, but everyone in that crowd is waiting for things to boil over and it takes its good time to get there. When it does, it's pretty good though, especially once the band starts playing which they note is like "spinach" for him. He has one flurry towards the end that is almost worth twenty minutes of very deliberate pro wrestling to get to. Almost. 

I think, in the end, if I was in that crowd, I would have rather seen a hard hitting middleweight contest, however. The big guys are good novelty but by 75, these two at least, couldn't quite keep up. 

SR: They had a band for this that kept playing this jolly music, making it easily the most whimsical match we've seen so far. The music was fun a bit unfittin at times like when they tried to tease an intense moment and then this jolly music starts blaring. This was mostly clean wrestling throughout. They tease tempers flaring a few times but mostly calmed it back down. Only at the end did they flare tempers. These are two chunky gentleman, and it's fun to watch them do some slick and fast movements. Nothing mindblowing in terms of technique but it was all well worked and kept a good pace. Fryziuk had this leg stretch that turned Batistou upside down that was pretty great. Fun match though it felt a bit like a preliminary contest.

The video opens with one of those endearing moments Kent Walton has on the uncropped TWC rebroadcasts where the cameras are running but the broadcast hasn't started. Testing testing etc. A director points out the camera to Couderc.  Only this would have been an off air recording.

Batistou I've only ever seen on camcorder footage from well into the 80s of his old age. Fryziuk had a couple of other TV bouts in the late 70s I've already reviewed.  Batistou comes to ringside with a Breton piper and accordionist whom Couderc labels l'Orchestre.  The accordionist looks suspiciously like Nick Bockwinkel. They carry on playing a minute or two into the match 

"C'est pas Lulu, c'est Batistou" he quips.   (I sadly  doubt he ever saw Lulu's Royal Variety Show performance with Jackie Pallo - he played a Mountie. she played a Squaw Native American Jackie: "First I had to wrestle that big old grizzly."  Lulu:"What big old grizzly?" Jackie: "Mick McManus! And then I got caught by the Cherokees."  Lulu "Oh, he very dirty fighter that Mick McManus.".  Well it's better than Jimmy Hart  saying that with his Barbered hair at WM4 "I look just like LuLuLu "{sic} .)

Twice Fryziuk gets double legs, twice Batistou headscissor spins him off (not up on his skull so not a toupie). Fryziuk then first off a rear snapmare into grovit but Batistou gets a grovit of his own and the two roll in their stalemate into the corner. Batistou gets a cross buttock throw but Fryziuk gets up sharpish and gets a side headlock into standing hammerlock into rear leg trip into folding press but sadly Batistou's feet are on the ropes.  They finger-interlock, Batistou breaks open one interlock with a knee, forces a whip on the other arm (with Fryziuk taking a mild bump) and gets an armhank.  Fryziuk tries standing up in the hold to get a pinning position - twice he is pulled down. Fryziuk legspreads and neatly unpicks the hold with one foot.  He looks to be going for a headlock but slips round the back into a hammerlock then round the front in an armdrags into an armlock on the mat. He picks his man up and throws him in the hold, maintaining the armlock throughout.  He still keeps holding even when Batistou forces up to his knees, suspends his weight from Fryziuk's shoulder joint, then goes fully upright for a hiptoss; even this does not break the Pole's grasp.  Batistou tries the shoulder weakener again, this time moving into a front chancery. Fryziuk replies with a crotch hold and bodyslam and STILL has the armlock!  Batistou tries another side chancery, Fryziuk breaks and gets a cross buttock throw but this finally breaks the armlock free.   So the Pole goes for the same side headlock to back hammerlock as before but this time transitions to the other arm and a top wristlock and forces Batistou back into the corner.  He is a bit slow releasing and Batistou shoved him down.  Luckily the needle calms and Batistou gets a wristlever into cross buttock throw, maintaining the wristlever.  Friziuk tries an atomic drop but Fryziuk rolls through and maintains the side headlock if not the wristlever.  Fryziuk tries but fails to get headscissors. Batistou switches to kneeling then standing position then transitions to standing hammerlock. Fryziuk turns himself round into the front facing hammerlock position and backdrops Batistou. Batistou gets an armlock and armdrag on Fryiziuk, turns him over in a hammerlock and gets headscissors which Fryziuk wedges out of, but Batistou keeps a wristlever and pulls him back in a couple of times.   He releases the arm and Fryziuk turns the headscissors upright.  He tries handstanding out (Couderc calls it a toupie, perhaps he thinks the Pole will go for Leduc's corkscrew escape.) but Batistou gives him a mini piledriver like Roland Bock would do to Antonio Inoki, and turns the scissor sideways.  Next Fryziuk turns himself into the guard and bridges up, pulling the scissor into a Frank Gotch figure 4 toehold position. Batistou releases and reapplies his legs trying for a bodyscissors position (adjusting for grip) but is held up by Frysiuk's bridge. He gets a finger Interlock on the mat and comes off the bridge, Frzyiuk tries to power up but is forced down into front  shoulder press for 2.   Fryziuk fights back to standing finger Interlock but Batistou monkey climbs him, flipping his across the ring. Batistou gets a single legdive and pinions the leg applying pressure. A couple of times Fryziuk relaxes ands ends up getting his shoulders counted for 1!  Batistou drags his man around by the other leg before resuming weakening on the original leg in a more advantageous part of the ring. He applies the legspread to Fryziuk who sits up but is chopped down twice. The third time he gets a blockbuster suplex from a seated position and throws Batistou out of the ring.  The Breton gets back sharpish and reapplies the legspread, chopping down a couple more Fryziuk sit-ups and again falling victim to the seated Blockbuster suplex ejection. He tries a third time and Fryziuk tries his blockbuster a third time but Batistou Lang's short of the ropes, gets up and bodychecks the Pole.  He gets finger Interlock into çrossed scissor hold and looks like he's trying an actual toupie but can't get up and Batistou forces the legs down into the guard toehold people normally get after they escape a headscissors. He gets a couple of one count pins from this position.  Batistou drags him backwards away from the ropes but Fryziuk bounces him off the other ropes and flips him with his legs on the rebound. With Batistou still selling his back from this. Fryziuk pulls off two monkey climbs in succession. He posts him and goes for a front waistlock.posdibkybto get a belly to belly suplex, but Batistou turns him round into the corner, forcing a break which the Breton hesitatingly complies with. They shake hands, this has been a good sporting contest, no need to spoil it with temperament.  Fryziuk gets a single legdive and grapevines the leg.  Batistou tries to force the chin away but a quick strong wristlock wrench breaks it. Fryziuk releases and reapplies his leglock for a better grip, forming a sort of Indian Deathlock. He deflects another chin grip with another wrench of the wrist and transitions to the Gotch toehold. Batistou gets a leg free, Fryziuk wrenches on the other leg but it backfires as he ends up pulling Batistou over entirely and the Breton's feet hit the ropes, forcing a break. Fryziuk tries for another legdives but only gets a shove and Batistou easily backs off the ropes and bounces forward. He gets another shove, this time actually flooring Batistou and takes an arm as his man rises, whipping him into the ropes but Batistou cames back with a sunset flip for 2.  Fryziuk fires off three Manchettes - the first ones of the bout but they make no impression. The shove to the midsection is more effective, flooring Batistou.  He gets up, fires off two Manchettes of his own and has Fryziuk trapped in the ropes but the ref warned him of further attack and bravely halts a charge from off the ropes by Batistou.  Fryziuk gets a rear waistlock and drops Batistou on his knee. He gets the rear waistlock again then into full nelson then into further nelson shoulder press but with a leg under his man's shoulders looking more like a submission than pin attempt.  He pulls the leg out, drops a heel on Fryziuk's chest, puts it back and uses it to work over the back of Batistou's neck.  Batistou frees his arms and thus the rest of himself and gets a Gotch toehold of his own.  Fryziuk twice presses up but is hammered down by Batistou who then turns him into the guard, kneel son the toehold to form his own Indian Deathlock and considers punching his man but thinks better of ruining a good scientific match and instead twists his man's head sideways and shoves him down.  Fryziuk sets up and gets a waistlock of which which another shove down takes care.  For his next attempt he gets an arm and pulls his man over in a seated armdrag then gets a headscissors on him.  Batistou turns his man upright and pulls his head out putting the knee in instead but Fryziuk shoved him off - into the ropes. L'Arbitre tries to pull him off but Fryziuk shoves him away and continues to punish his man on the ropes, earning himself a first Avertisement (much to Couderc's amusement fcr some reason.) It looks like the bout is finally going nasty with only 6 minutes of clip left.  Batistou snapmares his man and chops him when down. the first barely legal as continuous movement, the next two dubious. He gets pressure points into a rear chinlock into a neck wrench as a setup for a chop.   He next gets a rear snapmare but Fryziuk gets headscissors.  Batistou slips out and Fryziuk lifts him up off the mat (the ref is not happy.). The Breton gets up and the Pole lands something dangerously close to a punch. L'Arbitre isn't sure but lets Batistou have a free climb upright. Fryziuk charges him twice in the thighs. felling him on the second attempt and getting a KO Count (for 5) unlike the previous time.  Batistou gets up and shoulder drives Fryziuk into the ropes, but is warned off following up by the ref. He complies only for Fryziuk to land a Manchette.   Batistou has finally had enough, unloading with a whole flurry of chops and Manchettes.  He snapmares his man only for Fryziuk to knock him down onto the bottom rope and attack him from the standing position. The ref pulls him off and Batistou takes a long count. When he is up, Fryziuk gets a side heädlock into cross buttock throw. He follows with a nice monkey climb. Batistou gets a single leg takedown and legspread. Fryziuk get to detach a wrist, manages it with some effort and gets the arm bent ready for a top wristlock but Batistou slugs him over the head.  He pulls his man up and delivers three Manchettes. Fryziuk replies with a headbutt and a few Manchettes of his own that leave his man reeling on the ropes.  L'Arbitre tries to stop but he lifts him out of the way and carries on.  He nearly gets a knockout count on the floored Breton and carries on with the Manchettes until Batistou, stops, drops goes through his man's legs and trips him into a side folding press for the one fall required.  Twenty minutes of good clean wrestling and five minutes of dirty brawling. They make it up at the end, shaking hands. 

The first 20 minutes until it broke down was very much the heavyweight version of clean wrestling, not as fast and furious as the lightweight version but such is the price if you insist on big men.  I am thinking of finding a similar British match for the British thread, probably from around the same time.

[David Mantell]

On 7/20/2025 at 10:05 PM, David Mantell said:

What I wonder is what went wrong with lighter weight wrestling in America?  There was George Bothner 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.

On 7/20/2025 at 10:05 PM, David Mantell said:

Not a rhetorical question. Why did the lighter weights die off in America?

In the absence of a response I am bouncing this one off to a thread of its own

https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/57860-why-did-the-lighter-weights-die-off-in-america/