French catch

[David Mantell]

Quote

Tuesday is French Catch Day: Tom! Lang! Mercier! Sanniez!

 

Tiny Tom vs Cowboy Lang 7/3/82

 

MD: This is one we thought we had at some point and that might be out there but we never did find it until now. We come in 10 minutes JIP and go another 10 and it was quite good actually. Delaporte is the ref and of course he was perfect for this scenario. What i liked about it though is that there was a decent amount of wrestling between the comedy spots. They went hand to hand repeatedly and Lang especially had some nice stuff including a roll back wristlock takedown and a roll through double arm where he tied Tom up. Tom was more apt to use roughneck tactics, step on the toes or toss Lang out. I bet if we had the first ten there'd be even more wrestling and this would be even better.

 

The comedy absolutely hit. A lot of it are spots you've seen before like Delaporte catching Tom out of a pin attempt kick out or Tom being pushed off on a figure four and crotching Delaporte. High class stuff but Delaporte's reactions pushed it all over the top. Right at the twenty minute announcement they went home with it with Lang winning on an airplane spin (though making sure to dizzily wave to Delaporte before falling on Tom). And everyone was happy with what they got.

 

Marc Mercier vs Albert Sanniez 7/3/82

 

MD: How good is even old Sanniez? Let me put it this way. If this had been the first Catch match we came across, instead of Cesca vs Catanzaro, we would have thought that young Marc Mercier was one of the best wrestlers in the world. Sanniez is just that good. We had a few matches of his throughout the footage but not nearly as many as we would have liked so it's great to see him here, even if a lot of the goal was to put a spotlight on Guy's 20-21 year old kid. 

 

The first ten minutes of this was Sanniez really putting him through his paces with a lot of great wrestling, hold after hold, with Mercier having all the counters you'd want, including up and overs and everything else. At the ten minute mark, Mercier did a cartwheel out of a throw and Sanniez got annoyed and clocked him and the match opened up. Lots of little moments of personality here where he'd feign that he didn't use a closed fist. Mercier was rough around the edges but he had a wild sort of abandon which made some things look better and some worse. Sanniez went for a flip bomb at one point and Mercier didn't make it over and landed in a nasty way. 

 

They'd ground things back down with quick pin exchanges or other bits of wrestling before going back to the moves and it was all quite good. Mercier took a nasty bump over the top and sold it big until his comeback, which didn't quite connect for me. Just lack of experience and an unwillingness to look vulnerable. If he had gotten leaned on just a bit longer it would have meant all the more. But in general, this was good and I'm putting most of that on Sanniez.

 

SR: It's a look at late career Albert Sanniez and young Marc Mercier. God what a size mismatch this was. Mercier towered over the old veteran. But all that be damned, they did some really good wrestling here. Mercier is a perfectly competent young athletic guy and Sanniez is too much of a master to not go hard into some slick exchanges. Some really good stuff early on. For some reason we haven't seen many highly technical matches in the colour footage, maybe they didn't make TV, maybe they weren't archived, maybe no one could do them anymore, so this was a bit of a flashback to the glory days of lightweight catch. Sanniez ended up dropping Mercier on his head with an ill fated attempt at a powerbomb and it seemed they lost their way a bit at that time. The bout fizzled along with Sanniez being seemingly too proud to let Mercier outwrestle him and the bout failed to build steam. There were some sick manchettes and both guys threw punches, so it's not like it was a bad bout or anything, but it made me want to go back and check out the matches from the glory days. This had a good ending though with Mercier hitting a missile dropkick of all things and then at least getting a good win over the old coot.

 

Labels: Albert Sanniez, Cowboy Lang, French Catch, Marc Mercier, Tiny Tom

Reviews to follow. We've featured a large chunk of the the Mercier- Sanniez match on here in the past which I shall bump up before doing my own review (possibly re-review in the case of Mercier-Sanniez). but Mercier himself seems to think that the match took place in 1978 - that's what he has it labelled as on the FFCP's YouTube account.

[David Mantell]

Just now, David Mantell said:

@Matt D wrote: 

If this had been the first Catch match we came across, instead of Cesca vs Catanzaro, we would have thought that young Marc Mercier was one of the best wrestlers in the world.

Of course in my case my first taste of Marc was his unsuccessful shot at Marty Jones in 1988, so I knew the score with Marc back in the day when I was 14.  I think I shall either bump that one up too or else do a new review over on the British thread.

[Phil Lions]

24 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

Mercier himself seems to think that the match took place in 1978 - that's what he has it labelled as on the FFCP's YouTube account.

INA's own listing aside, Tiny Tom and Cowboy Lang weren't around in France in 1978 so Mercier is 100% wrong about the year.

[David Mantell]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:35 AM, David Mantell said:

Marc Mercier vs. Alex Sanniez (1978)

 

Mercier was a young French talent who appeared on WoS once facing Marty Jones. He had a car accident in 1989 that forced him to retire and later became a promoter reactivating the defunct FFCP promotion in 2006. Here he was a skinny second year man, and if you're familiar with Euro wrestling you'll know that skinny means skinny. This was quite a decent bout and I thought Sanniez did a great job of keeping it tight. But again there was no finish, perhaps deliberately so to only upload part of the footage.

On 8/27/2024 at 12:35 AM, David Mantell said:

 

 

ALBERT Sanniez was going heel at this time and turning into a Jim Breaks style Horrid Little Man. Mercier was 20 years old and still had a TBWvibe to him, his kid brother Pierre even more so There's a definite feel of Jim Breaks Vs Danny Collins here with Mercier as the spectacular young whizzkid- all scisseax Volees,  crucifix/further nelson takedowns, reverse snapmare s and other flashy tricks - and Sanniez as the increasingly stroppy dirty wrestler getting shown up by the kid.

I guess the clip you watched cuts off the same point as this does.

This is my previous review of Mercier - Sanniez. I might write on a longer review as I recall it's quite a good technical mat h.

.No luck with Jones Vs Mercier, I shall have to do that from scratch..  

[ohtani's jacket]

Jones vs. Mercier wasn't very good. Marty seemed to lose a clip after the outstanding match against Bull Blitzer (Steve Wright) in '86. I don't think he was ever the same. I'm not a big fan of the Owen match, however, so YMMV. 

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Jones vs. Mercier wasn't very good. Marty seemed to lose a clip after the outstanding match against Bull Blitzer (Steve Wright) in '86. I don't think he was ever the same. I'm not a big fan of the Owen match, however, so YMMV. 

I'll argue those. mainly the Mercier one, on the British thread when I get to them. The crowd take longer to warm to Mercier than to .Owen and both labour somewhat under Jones's rather jingoistic "Eng Er Land!!!" crowd working which is one thing against a heel like Finlay Bull Blitzer or Jean .Paul Auvert but a bit irritating in the case of Johnny Foreigner who happens to be a gentleman and a skilled technician like Owen or Marc.

[David Mantell]

The midget match first,  set at Alphaville a charity kids' establishment we've seen on here before.  The manager gets interviewed by Couderc. Cowboy Lang (dark hair, moustache) has a full nelson on, Tiny Tom (ot Teeny Tom as Couderc calls him) bouts his legs on the ropes. Delaporte calls for a break so Lang lets him drop.  This starts the first of many arguments between Tom and L'Arbitre.  Lang has Tom in a front facelock which Tom escapes somehow (between them the two Rogers prevent us seeing how - Delaporte obstructs the hard cam while Couderc calls away the shot for a while.). Tom slaps Delaporte while in a hold and really gets beaten up by the full grown referee.  The two stom each others hands and Tom gets into arguments with Delaporte.  This goes round round until Lang gets ejected to ringside. Lang sneaks to the other side, re-enters the ring and blindsides Tom with an atomic drop while he is still arguing with the ref (demanding a KO count).  Tom suplexes and cross presses Lang who kicks out at 2 , sending Tom flying into Delaporte who throws him back to Lang who kicks out at 2 leading to another Tom/Delaporte argument.  Tom eventually gets an Avertisement.  He gets tied I the ropes and Lang ducks through Delaporte's legs to get him.  Delaporte picks Tom up like a child to get him free.  Lang throws Tom outside. Back in,  Lang gets a rear legdive on Tom who kicks him into Delaporte's crotch, hurting him.  Tom gets a headlock, they go off the ropes and Lang uses the "something in the air" distraction spot to Manchette Tom.  This goes on far too long as Lang continues to convince Tom and the referee that something has fallen from the roof. They run the ropes, ducking each others charges until Tom's hand gets stamped on. More criss-cross until Lang gets an aeroplane spin and giddily gets the pin. They shake hands afterwards. It makes a change from stomping. Some kid gets interviewed between bouts.

Too much repetitive comedy.  There's only so many times you can find a hand being stamped amusing.

[David Mantell]

Okay, here goes with the serious bout, the uncropped Marc Mercier Vs Albert Sanniez.  From 1982, not 1978 apparently although check out a comment by Kent Walton on the Mercier Jones match when I post my review to the British thread. 

Marc, the less experienced and younger man has a clear size advantage over Sanniez who as a heel became a French version of Jim Breaks, not so much in terms of verbals but in the general vibe of being a Horrid Little Man.

Sanniez gets a side headlock takedown to the mat but Mercier wedges out and kips upright.   Marc cartwheels out of Sanniez's throw. He dives through Sanniez's legs, gets double legs, goes for an early Boston Crab but Sanniez leg throws him off but Mercier again cartwheels out. Sanniez gets a top wristlock, throws the taller Mercier and has him in the top wristlock still in the guard. Mercier kips up but Sanniez pulls him back down, dragging him to the centre of the ring. Mercier is up again and over with the power advantage so Sanniez uses a trip to get him back down. Sanniez again drags his man to the centre and throws him. keeping the hold nicely. Mercier kips up, backflips in characteristic French style to a better position and then high whips Sanniez, forcing a bump.  Sanniez gets back the top wristlock. He switches to side headlock to top wristlock on the other arm in a neat transaction sequence. Albert once again throws Marc down. Mercier powers up again but another Sanniez trip sees to that.  Marc powers up and does another back somersault, possibly narrowly missing getting the French style  Scisseaux Volees takedown. He twists to reverse the wristlever that remains of the top wristlock. Sanniez grabs a side headlock and switches sides. Mercier gets one of his own but Sanniez breaks it open right back into that top wristlock again!  He takes his man down. Mercier kips up and this time gets the Scisseaux Volees and takes Sanniez down (confirming my suspicion that the two earlier somersaults were failed attempts to get this hold.)Sanniez after some struggle, twice kips out only to be twice clamped back in again due to Mercier keeping a wristlock to reel him back in.  Sanniez changes tack and uses his legs to uncork the scissor. They double finger Interlock, Sanniez pulls Mercier's arms downwards and switches to kneeling side headlock. Mercier pulls upright and extracts his head leaving a standing back hammerlock.  Sanniez gets Mercier's spare arm, throws him and comes out back with an armlock in the guard.  Mercier turns round into the guard and pulls upright taking control of the armlock and making another back hammerlock. Sanniez stands up attempts a fireman's carry but Mercier underhooks him and makes it almost into a side folding press but Sanniez gets a leg free. It's enough for Mercier to slip free if the armlock despite Sanniez's desperate attempt to take it back. Mercier forces Sanniez into the ropes, giving an extra little shove before releasing. Sanniez is unhappy and complains. They finger Interlock and Sanniez gets a full nelson from it.  Mercier uses downward arm force both sides to break and reverse the hold.  Sanniez tries legspreading Mercier but the younger man's size advantage means he easily keeps his balance.  So Sanniez instead uses a short sharp downward arm force but it only breaks one side and when Sanniez goes behind to reverse, Mercier follows suit to reapply.  Next Sanniez tries the downward arms into back roll but Mercier catches Sanniez's legs on the turn and from there regains the full nelson as the somersault completes. Sanniez tries the go behind again, Mercier rears into him and floors him but Sanniez kicks him into the ropes and leg flips him on the rebound.  Sanniez bodychecks the bigger man (!) as they come off the ropes but Mercier leapfrogs and dropkicks him.  Mercier gets a standing side headlock.  going down to kneeling, then seated position.  Sanniez tries some sort of handstand escape- unfortunately the camera switches to Couderc at ringside and by the time it cuts back, Mercier is back in control - we never find out how but Couderc says a toupie variant was being attempted.  Sanniez uncorks his head and makes a hammerlock of what is left.   Mercier gets his head between Sanniez's legs and gives him a mighty backdrop.  Mercier gets a standing side headlock and cross buttock into side headlock on the mat. He resists a Sanniez reverse crossface attempt and a side folding press counter attempt.  Sanniez pulls up and throws Mercier off but he rebounds with a bodycheck and then with a bulldog into side headlock on the mat.  Sanniez tries an atomic drop but Mercier flips back and dropkicks him from behind.  They finger Interlock and Sanniez pulls down until Mercier has a knee on the mat. He forces up into a back to back position and rolls over Sanniez to face him. Sanniez switches to a front piledriver that doesn't quite come off then a leglock and possible folding press Mercier boots him off and flips him on the rebound (Couderc calls it a "Planchette Japonaise but it's not quite a full monkey climb.) Sanniez gets two side chancery throws but Mercier catches him on the second with a ground dropkick. He cartwheels out of a Sanniez throw. Sanniez on the other hand takes a Mercier throw by rolling British style.  Another finger Interlock and Sanniez gets an armbar and kicks it, flooring Mercier and getting Sanniez some crowd heat.  He floors Mercier with two Manchettes.  Once Mercier is up, he gets a third then a headlock into go behind and a Smash along the spine.  Mercier gets a single leg on his way up but Delaporte disallows it. Sanniez gets in a shit as Mercier breaks, annoying Delaporte and the crowd.  He gets Marc with a blow as the ying man gets up but he responds with an almost punch and an actual Manchette of his own. It looks like the technical portion of the bout is over and we are into brawling. Mercier lands three Manchettes. They finger Interlock, Sanniez unpicks one side, twists out of the other and lands a chop flooring Mercier. He next lands a blatant closed fist punch which enrages both the crowd and Delaporte.  Sanniez side chancery throws Mercier and Frankensteiners him down into a folding press but it turns into a Bascule stalemate of back and forth leg Nelsons.  Sanniez eventually gets the standing folder position but Mercier goes up on his head,Sanniez resists arm presses , turns his man over with his legs and gets his own folding press but again this descends into back and forth Bascule stalemate.  Sanniez tries the folder ineclast time and is leg thrown by Mercier, staying down for 4.  Mercier makes fist gestures and Sanniez complains of being punched. Delaporte isn't too sure but has a quiet word with young Marc nonetheless. Sanniez gets a wristlock and takes Mercier down with what looks suspiciously like a hair pull.  He doubles up on the wristlock and disputes Delaporte and the crowd's objections.  Sanniez shouts abuse at one particularly vocal audience member (to whom Delaporte subtly directs Sanniez's attention!)  Sanniez kicks Mercier's arm. Mercier kips up but Sanniez again pulls him down by the hair! Mercier lands in the ropes and Delaporte calls for a break so Sanniez drags him to the middle of the ring. He gets a nasty kick into Mercier's arm before releasing.  Delaporte reads him the riot act but still no Avertisement. Mercier gets an arm and switches to the other arm and throws Mercier. He drags his man to the centre of the ring in the garden with a wristlock on, deflecting two attempted Mercier boots out. Mercier kips up, steps over the wristlever, breaks it, hits the ropes but Sanniez ducks and two rebounds later takes him down with a cross buttock throw. Mercier bridges out of a pin attempt. They get up and finger interlock.  Sanniez gets a wristlever and trip to get Mercier down in the guard. He sees off grabs to his chin.   Mercier kips up but Sanniez pulls him down and makes an armhank of it.  Sanniez kips backwards and forwards to break free.  Sanniez again uses the hairpull to take down from a wristlever. He shrugs off grabs to his chest flesh.  Mercier cycles and kips up and gets a leg up for the Scisseaux Volees but Sanniez pushes it off.  He still has a wristlever. Mercier tries the same trick with the same result. He kips up again but Sanniez pulls him down.  Before Delaporte has time to reprimand, Mercier gets the break he wanted with the step over move and gets an underarm into backslide but only gets a 1 count.  He whips Sanniez into the ropes and goes for a backdrop on the rebound.  Sanniez counters with a sunset flip but Mercier leg chops out. Both men are selling the wear and tear, staggering around clutching their heads as Couderc goes into silly singing - Ding Dang Dong. Sanniez lands a powerful Manchette which has Mercier down for eight.  He whips Marc into the ropes and gets a heel of fist on the rebound then as many kicks as he can claim as continuous motion on the fallen Mercier, then some more for luck despite Delaporte's protests then pulls his man up for a Manchette.  Delaporte has a serious word with Sanniez about attacking a fallen opponent but this just antagonizes Le Mechant to land an extra stomp, pull him up by the hair and land a hand  heel blow, an illegal punch and another heel. Finally Delaporte gives him that Avertisement he so long deserved. Apparently this is a Deuxieme, I'm not sure when Le Premiere was and even Couderc is a little nonplussed.  Sanniez land another mighty Manchette and throws Le Gosse Du Guy to ringside. A second and Couderc help Mercier up as Sanniez and Delaporte cross their arms and their words. L'Arbitre protects Mercier until he is back in the ring, still selling his back from the landing outside. Sanniez is back in with a Manchette ASAP. He snapmares and Manchettes Mercier who Manchettes back seven times until the older man drops tomone knee to Couderc's amusement. An eight Manchette sends Albert into the ropes.  Mercier throws Sanniez who takes the bump and a nine count. Mercier wades in as Sanniez still holds the ropes. Delaporte gently warns him off, as Kent Walton would say, allowing for retaliation.  Both men waves fists at each other until Delaporte intervenes.  Mercier gets some borderline legal jabs, a Manchette and a posting, flooring Sanniez. He threatens Sanniez with windmill punch gestures which Couderc compares to Don Quixote, waits for Sanniez to charge and throws him twice.  They finger Interlock and Mercier forces a high whip and bump. They exchange Manchettes until Sanniez falls out of the ring.  He comes back into a Mercier side chancery throw and you g Marc nips up to the top turnbuckle and scores a fine missile dropkick.  He then gets an actual proper Planchette Japonaise (as opposed to the simple flips both men did earlier) . Sanniez gets a backdrop but Mercier gets a ground dropkick then flips backwards into a cross press for the winning fall.The local Mayor enjoyed it.  

The first half was classic technical Catch Francais. The second half was a French version of Jim Breaks Vs Young David 1979 (minus the verbals) with Sanniez as the poisonous Jim Breaks heel and Mercier like Smith as the naive curly haired kid who gets one up on him.