French catch

[Phil Lions]

New Catch/EWF on Eurosport. I had always had a rough idea, but I had never really looked into the exact timeline of when New Catch/EWF was airing on Eurosport. So today I dug through the TV listings and pieced together the history of pro wrestling on Eurosport until the mid 1990s*. It goes like this:

- WWF: November 1989 through May 1991
- New Catch/EWF: September or October 1991 through May 1992**
- WWF: September 1994 through early November 1994
- NJPW: November 1994 through December 1996***

* This is based on TV listings from Continental Europe.
** The September listings just say "Wrestling", but don't specify what wrestling (I'm guessing it was New Catch/EWF but can't confirm). The ones from October specifically say "Wrestling from Europe" and then from December onward it's "New Catch".
*** The New Japan shows were originally branded as "World Superstars of Wrestling" and then rebranded to "Ring Warriors" in May 1995.

So yeah, that was the New Catch/EWF run on Eurosport TV in Europe. Not even a year. The show aired at various times: 1 pm, 6 pm, 10 pm, 11:00 pm, etc.

[David Mantell]

So why do a lot of what we know to be the 1988 TF1 Episodes circulate with Eurosport idents on them?

We know more episodes were made after the TF1 run because for example the Superflies did not yet exist as a tag team in 1988.

Also Bull Power's vacant CWA World title win over Rambo took place December 22nd 1990, this was screened as part of a New Catch episode which I have on VHS with a Eurosport idents and English commentary by Orig Williams.

(For what it's worth I saw a few of the New Japan episodes while on my ERASMUS year in Metz, France in Spring 1996.)

[Phil Lions]

TF1 wasn't co-owner of Eurosport until mid 1991. It doesn't make sense for their New Catch show to be airing on Eurosport before that. The TV listings back that too - the last mention of WWF on Eurosport is exactly May 1991 when the co-ownership was about to switch to TF1, and then later in the year TF1 brings on New Catch.

I'd guess some of the 1988 New Catch stuff was re-aired in 1991/1992. Yes, some CWA matches were for sure aired on Eurosport as part of New Catch.

[David Mantell]

Yes, this could possibly explain why tape traders like Adam Mumford's EWV claimed a 1991 date -just before Rocco's retirement - for the Rollerball Rocco/Danny Collins Paris World HMid title bout (We now know this was on TF1 in 1988)

Some 1988 episodes rescreened on Eurosport have John Harris (the MC from the Kendo Nagasaki Vs Skull Murphy bout recently on the British thread) instead of Orig Williams as English commentator. Mainly the ones with the MAXI CUISINE ring canvas.

Most of the non 1988 episodes have a Eurosport logo on the shiny blue ring canvas.

[Phil Lions]

Speaking of the midget wrestlers, I just randomly stumbled upon this information while looking for something else. Hassan, apparently, used to be the mascot for the AS Saint-Etienne football club. Saw this mentioned in a 1988 article for a FEC show. Then I googled it and the second photo below popped up. It's said to be from 1976 and lists him as Hassam Handami (it's probably Hassan and they misspelled it).

[El-P]

16 hours ago, Phil Lions said:

- WWF: November 1989 through May 1991
- New Catch/EWF: September or October 1991 through May 1992**
- WWF: September 1994 through early November 1994
- NJPW: November 1994 through December 1996***

No idea how in the hell some WWF episodes ended up on Eurosport. I don't remember, did Canal + owned a part too ? They must have, since they had the WWF rights until the end of 1997 (then switched to WCW). 

Fascinating to finally have dates for the NJPW run, which was my very first taste of Japanese wrestling (and really, major non WWF wrestling). I thought it lasted longer than this, but then again. I'm pretty sure parts of the Super J Cup were showed. I absolutely remember watching Benoit and Malenko there before they got to ECW/WCW.

As far as New Catch goes, yeah, after two or three ill-fated weeks on TF1, they just dumped that stuff on Eurosport until they didn't. Needless to say, nobody watched that stuff.

[David Mantell]

49 minutes ago, El-P said:

No idea how in the hell some WWF episodes ended up on Eurosport.

Simple, it was co-owned by Sky until TF1 bought it and was on the same Astra satellite as part of the same package of satellite channels as Sky. It stayed on there after the buyout.

As I think I mentioned, any household in the UK capable of getting WWF (other than the bits ITV screened on the specials 1987-1988 and the small hours 1988-1989) could get New Catch too. Whereas in France you already had Canal + for the WWF.

49 minutes ago, El-P said:

As far as New Catch goes, yeah, after two or three ill-fated weeks on TF1, they just dumped that stuff on Eurosport until they didn't.

Preview run for the new revamped channel.

I equate that run with the Oct 1990 Joint Promotions ITV tapings in Aberdeen.

[Phil Lions]

On 10/21/2025 at 2:10 PM, El-P said:

No idea how in the hell some WWF episodes ended up on Eurosport. I don't remember, did Canal + owned a part too ? They must have, since they had the WWF rights until the end of 1997 (then switched to WCW).

Yep, like David said, Sky (who already had a deal with WWF in the UK) co-owned Eurosport until May 1991 when TF1 replaced them as co-owners of the network. Back in that 1989-1991 period Eurosport was airing the syndicated WWF TV shows like Superstars of Wrestling and Prime Time Wrestling, but also showing some of the PPVs too. For example, I came across WrestleMania VI and VII airings (90-minute broadcasts, about a month and half to two months after the PPVs had taken place).
 

On 10/21/2025 at 2:10 PM, El-P said:

As far as New Catch goes, yeah, after two or three ill-fated weeks on TF1, they just dumped that stuff on Eurosport until they didn't. Needless to say, nobody watched that stuff.

On 10/21/2025 at 2:59 PM, David Mantell said:

Preview run for the new revamped channel.

Doesn't look like it was a preview - it looks like in 1991 it was already airing on Eurosport, before it aired on TF1.* The history of New Catch on TV goes like this:

- October through December 1988 (part of "Minuit sport” on TF1, New Catch actually replaced AWA and was then replaced by WCCW)
- September or October 1991 through May 1992 (New Catch on Eurosport)
- November 1991 (on TF1, only four episodes)

* I say it looks like, because I can't 100% confirm what was airing on Eurosport in September and October 1991. The September listings say "Wrestling". In October it's "Wrestling from Europe". First mention of "New Catch" on Eurosport is December 3, which coincidentally is the last TF1 date too. I guess it's possible some CWA stuff may have aired in September and October, but I think most likely it was New Catch and they just hadn't started listing it like that in the listings.

-----------

Another thing that struck me while researching this is how many upstart European TV networks used wrestling as featured programming to establish themselves on the market. Sky Channel launches in the UK in 1984 - they immediately start airing WWF. Canal Plus launches in France in 1984 - within 9 months they start airing WWF. Eurosport launches in 1989 - within a few months they start airing WWF. DSF launches in Germany in 1993 - they start airing WCW and GLOW right away. Etc.

[El-P]

10 minutes ago, Phil Lions said:

Yep, like David said, Sky (who already had a deal with WWF in the UK) co-owned Eurosport until May 1991 when TF1 replaced them as co-owners of the network. Back in that 1989-1991 period Eurosport was airing the syndicated WWF TV shows like Superstars of Wrestling and Prime Time Wrestling, but also showing some of the PPVs too. For example, I came across WrestleMania VI and VII airings (90-minute broadcasts, about a month and half to two months after the PPVs had taken place).

For whatever reasons I was thinking about the Canal + version of the WWF shows, which obviously would not have been on the English speaking channel anyway, so yeah.

12 minutes ago, Phil Lions said:

Doesn't look like it was a preview - it looks like in 1991 it was already airing on Eurosport, before it aired on TF1.* The history of New Catch on TV goes like this:

- October through December 1988 (part of "Minuit sport” on TF1, New Catch actually replaced AWA and was then replaced by WCCW)
- September or October 1991 through May 1992 (New Catch on Eurosport)
- November 1991 (part of “3ème mi-temps” on TF1, only four episodes)

Yeah, it wasn't a preview at all. The first show on TF1 in November 1991 was sold as "the big comeback of catch on TF1". Which was of course a laughable idea.

14 minutes ago, Phil Lions said:

Canal Plus launches in France in 1984 - within 9 months they start airing WWF. 

It was part of the Canal + strategy to import some american entertainment that had not been seen in France before. I dunno when they started airing the NBA, but it was a "big" deal (under quotation because Canal's paid audience was not that big, which is also one reason pro-wrestling never became big in France until the 2000's when it moved onto the TNT). They also imported the american talk-shows formats which really did not exist on French TV before, at all. So as far as Canal went, it was clearly part of a global strategy, where the modern TV entertainment was seen through an anglo-saxon, and very much americanized, lens. I think this is something that all private medias all over Europe went through to some degrees during the ending of the 80's and the 90's.

[David Mantell]

4 hours ago, Phil Lions said:

Doesn't look like it was a preview - it looks like in 1991 it was already airing on Eurosport, before it aired on TF1.* The history of New Catch on TV goes like this:

- October through December 1988 (part of "Minuit sport” on TF1, New Catch actually replaced AWA and was then replaced by WCCW)
- September or October 1991 through May 1992 (New Catch on Eurosport)
- November 1991 (part of “3ème mi-temps” on TF1, only four episodes)

Okay, how about "Sampler" then?

I seem to recall someone saying (possibly on here) that a few other Eurosport shows got the same treatment.

It occurs to me that New Catch was always meant to in some way become an international deal, given all the CWA and British talent on board, either unknown to French audiences eg Eddie Kung Fu Hamill or dim memories eg Fit Finlay, last seen on French national TV eight years earlier claiming to be a Scotsman in a kilt.

[David Mantell]

Anyway. speaking of 1991:

Quote

Tuesday is French Catch Day: Finale 2! Parmentiers! Rockies!

Michel Parmentier/Daniel Parmentier (Tony Lamotta) vs. Les Rockies du Ring (Eric LaCroix/Domingo Valdez) 2/17/91

MD: This last gasp of French Catch is from a show called the "3rd Half" or something along those lines, just a sports variety show. This one covered a Karate competition and then this fairly long (30+ mins) match. Michel is Marcel Parmentier's son. Daniel is Tony Lamotta, who we saw in a match from 1980. The Rockies were "Spaniards," but I'm not convinced in LaCroix' case. But despite it being 1991, the stylist side absolutely knew what they were doing and for the most part, this felt like it could have happened in 1976.

Just if it did, the commentary would be sharper, the camera wouldn't miss so many of the bits, and the heels would have been able to base just a bit better for some things. There were a few definite moments where they lost the plot, not going down for a leapfrog or up for a 'rana (I couldn't tell which), Lamotta doing the climb up takedown out of top wristlock only to sort of stumble over (it still worked). And maybe most jarring at all was the Rockies using both a clothesline and a front vertical suplex, neither of which ever showed up in the old footage, not even once until now. 

But the things that shocked being poor probably weren't as shocking to me than the things that went well, which was most of everything, even over 30 minutes. Lots of fast exchanges, lots of mares and takeovers and all the stuff you'd expect out of the back half of the footage (70s and on). They had holds to start, then rope running, then some hard shots and comeuppance. The Rockies controlled by cheating whenever they got close enough in the corner. I think at one point, the crowd gave a bonus, and they interviewed Daniel on the apron mid match. If this is the last match we have from the footage (and it is), it was nice to double back to a lot of those elements and the sheer technique that at least the Parmentier "brothers" brought into play. The commentary talked about the heyday of the 60s and 70s with the names you'd expect (Duranton, Delaporte, L'Ange Blanc, etc) but I'm more open to the idea that these guys were running small scale opposition to a small scale Flesh Gordon operation in a way that gave fans a more genuine traditional experience. The fans for this match seemed to be enjoying themselves at least. This was not without some missteps but in general, it's a nice way end our French Catch journey for now, on the notion that somewhere, even as late as 1991 at least some wrestlers were keeping at least some of the old magic alive.

SR: This was pretty fine. With it being 1991 you kind of fear French Catch might have turned into some kind of travesty (it was certainly going there with Flesh Gordon committing his horrors on New Catch) but wherever this was held they were still holding it high. The technicos looked old as heck but were still pretty spry and it was a long 2/3 falls tag with a quick pace just like in the glory days. The wrestling wasn't quite as mindblowingly fast and inventive but you still got your share of smooth ranas and guys getting bowled around. The rudos - Los Rockies - were a bit generic but solid hands. There was even some cool armworks which lead to some decent reversals. Tony Lamotta looked old as hell here with his balding head but could still deliver, and he looked fired up when he started handing out the manchettes. It does go a bit long but that's kind of the tradition with these.

I'll have a good overview this later over dinner.  I'm not doing the review now as this tablet needs putting on charge.

I wouldn't swear to it but Les Rocky's Du Ring look more than a bit like Kato Bruce Lee/Kato Gypsy and Elliot Frederico Rocky Du Ring/Grims Rocker (with hair grown out - Grim was Spanish so if the one I think is him turns out to be Domingo Valdez then I'm convinced ).

Tony LaMotta also appeared on New Catch -IIRC against Jacky Richard ( still a Marquis, not yet a Travesti Man.). So three of these four guys did New Catch anyway.

[David Mantell]

Hold your horses - I've just remembered EXACTLY who Eric Lacroix is!

On 7/15/2025 at 3:14 AM, David Mantell said:

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.

In which case I wonder if Domingo "No Relation To Princess Paula" Valdez is actually Theo Pouzade the manager from New Catch and he's just got comedy attachments to his moustache when in character as Pouzade?

It still means at least 2, possibly 3 of these four guys  were on New Catch at some stage in its existence.

Incidentally, here's my review of Tony LaMotta Vs Marquis Jacky from New Catch season 1 in 1988

Quote

 

Another New Catch bout, this time featuring two survivors of Old Catch. Jacky Richard you should all know about, there's plenty enough on this thread 1970s-C21st. LaMotta (no relation to Marcello Motta in the last bout) had at least one previous French TV appearance reviewed by OJ on page 11 where he and a pre Flesh Gordon taken on the Golden Falcons/Halcones de Oro in 1980 (I may well dig that one out myself.) This is in the early Maxi Cuisine sponsored ring so filmed in 1988 and originally screened that year -not Kong before The Final Bell in the UK - on French Catch's now privatised ancestral home TF1 before being repeated on Eurosport early the following year. German commentary presumably by Peter Wilhelm.

Richard is in the full Marquis getup with wig, tricorn and velvet greatcoat. LaMotta has a red sequin jacket. Call it New Romantic Vs Glam Rock. Coats off. LaMotta is a baldy old guy like Axel Dieter Senior but Richard swaps his old black tights for purple and pink Jerry Lawler leotard. Possibly the beginnings of his morph into the Travesti Man. The butler Paul Butin De Luchard is in full effect, combing Richard's also balding locks. The referee is also dressed for the occasion in a shiny silver smoking jacket.

Down to business: they go into the ropes and Paul trips Tony. Richard tries for a quick pin but Tony kicks out and goes on the rampage. Despite their age, Tony gets a bunch of good fast moves off the Marquis - two snapmares, full nelson into another snapmares, double legs and neatly spins out of whatever response Richard is trying. More hiptosses and the Marquiss rolls out. Once back, Richard gets a standing full nelson. LaMotta slips down to escape but rolls over and Richard gets the hold back so LaMotta reverses it. The Marquis powers the hold open, comes off the ropes and is legflipped He bodychecks La Motta but is caught coming off the ropes in a crosspress for 2, saved by Paul running in and flipping La Motta off. Tony tries an armbar and forces the Marquis to take a bump. He maintains the wristlock on the mat for some whille. dragging him up to force another bump. Richard does the same back and gets a straight headscissor. He pulls the tights the first escape attempt but LaMotta gets out on the second try. A round break and Paul the butler prompts Richard who walks into a dropkick early in Round 2. LaMotta forearms Richard and ties him in the ropes and flings out Paul when he tries to free his master. He goes for a second charge but Paul trips and backdrops him and Jacky who has freed himself splashes him for the one required fall.

Short and to the point from two veterans of Old Catch. A good crossover bout between one era and the next. Watch it if you have issues accept hat New Catch was the rightful continuation of classic French Catch.

As the review mentions,Tony teamed with a pre-Flesh Gerard Hervé to take on the Golden Falcons.  There's a review of that in the archive but you'll have to go look it up as it's less relevant to the point of this post.

[David Mantell]

So anyway, the bout.  There's about 5 min of studio preamble in a studio set with storage draws and various trophies, footballs and other bric-a-brac that make it look like a 1970s episode of British infants' TV show Play School.  As Matt mentioned, the presenter goes on about the Good Old Days so presumably this is either a one-off or a first with possibilities (possibly squashed by New Catch resurfacing on Eurosport.)

It's an unashamedly retro presentation like the 1990 Aberdeen ITV taping,  the 1998 VDB video, Premier Promotions' merch table VHS tapes from Worthing Pier Pavillion (examples have been posted to the British thread) and perhaps most pertinently, the show in the tiny room from somewhere in Paris 2096 I posted clips from to this thread a couple of years ago.  So yes, Matt. there is life after this for this sort of show.  Except for the lack of cords halfway down the ropes, the ring looks like a late 70s/early 80s relic, exactly like the ones on La Dernière Manchette in fact with the red ropes and dull green mat.  (If the INA ever does chroma recovery on its prints of late 60s/early 70s Channel 2 bouts. expect a lot of those rings to be that same colour combination.) The venue is a sports hall with basketball hoops and climbing bars in the background but happily the lighting rig is properly focussed on the ring.  

Yes, that's the same nice red sequin jacket LaMotta/Daniel is wearing as on New Catch.    Michel has a nice spangly jacket too, in Cyan with matching trunks. Les Rocky's, as Méchants, are both in black. Curiously the fans give them a big pop.

LaCroix is the youngest by far and very much the star turn despite his Mr Spock hairdo.  He bumps around for the elderly Bons taking their side chancery throws, cross buttock throws etc. He leg throws Daniel (I must remember not to call him Tony LaMotta for this one) who spins out nicely- he hasn't lost it.   Valdez does the same for Daniel.  Hilariously the commentator calls a dropkick (saus chassé) a flying headscissors (Scisseaux Volees) !  Michel rolls nicely out of and up from Domingo's throws while Domingo takes a bump when the tables are turned.  Michel does huracanranas - somebody has been watching Scott Steiner on WCW! At one point we see Michel go up in the air and it's in excessive close up so it looks like he's going for a reverse snapmare but he comes back down the way he went up and bulldogs Valdez down back into a side headlock on the mat.  When Eric gets back, he is getting real heat, not like the cheer at the start. He flexes his biceps a lot. an odd thing for a Welterweight to do.

LaCroix kicks out of a crosspress and lands Daniel on top of Monsieur L'Arbitre. The second time it happens, Daniel gets a public warning. Other than this, the referee stays away from trying to be the heel.  Things slow down with Valdez in the ring, he gets an armbar in the guard and uses fouls to keep him there, eventually gets a bunch of Manchettes for his troubles. Eric carries on with the arm work on Daniel, he and Michel have a pretty good top wristlock battle.  Michel and Domingo end up outside with the Spaniard giving a ringside fan a lapdance .  The two brawl outside the ring.  

Eric headstands out of the headscissors on a second attempt and gives Daniel a hearty slap across the face.  Michel makes the hot tag, throwing the heels around before scoring the opening fall with a sunset flip mm double leg nelson despite protests from Eric.   Daniel does a promo while standing on the tag rope on the apron, just as Les Méchants are double legdiving Michel and kicking his knees in in stereo. Despite all this, Les Bons get a Deuxième Et Derniere Avertisement.  They flirt with a DQ after making a pile of   villains and ref.  Michel goes for a finger Interlock but Eric snatches away like Adrian Street and pouts lie Ada too.  

LaCroix gets a GREAT equaliser with a long suplex. Fans give it The Bird (ouch my ears!).  Michel gives a mid match promo calling it Epouvantable.  Domingo kicks him in the back midway.  We are past 30 mins of the clip and La Belle is only a few minutes long.  Very French Catch and can aspect of match structure @ohtani's jacket complains about in the old reviews.  Daniel gets a combination flying headscissors and flying headlock on both heels sending them both flying.  He gets a great flying bodypress on Eric, beautifully filmed but it only gets a 2.  A reverse leapfrog into front folding press finally does the job.  Yup that's about 3 mins of belle. Daniel does another in ring.  We get the credits over a soca track and match highlights before back to the studio and the presenter calling wrestlers Grandes Voltigeurs.  (Great High Flyers.)

Fast action packed bout but little in the way of chain sequences. Moves tend to be isolated spots unto themselves.  I DEFINITELY feel LaCroix deserved better than putting over two old guys. Eurosport New Catch and the French Welterweight Championship gave him that opportunity and the chance to work with other rising stars like Yann Caradec and Jean Phillipe De Lonzac.

 

 

[David Mantell]

10 hours ago, El-P said:

The first show on TF1 in November 1991 was sold as "the big comeback of catch on TF1". Which was of course a laughable idea.

You'd love the  Americanised New School promotions in Britain - always telling the same old lie that British wrestling "Died" in 1981 and that they are The Great Renaissance.  Then a few months later, they keel over while All Star just goes on and on for decades.

One unanswered question about New Catch is how the flame was kept alive for the concept over the course of 1989 and 1990 between the two blocks of episodes filmed.   There was hardly a lack of other new wrestling shows in Europe during the period - Catch Up on RTL,  Reslo on S4C, ITV's Aberdeen taping on Grampian and STV (and later Granada) and of course the above return to FR3.  Yet during this glut, New Catch found its way back.

[David Mantell]

I've been rewatching the LaCroix Vs de Lonzac bout and Orig Williams says in the English commentary that Pouzade was not Eric's manager. just his tag partner (which further fits him being Domingo Valdez) and Miss Paris being the actual manageress.

I'd quite like to see in full the tag match Caradec was complaining about in that promo (there is a short snippet).

[David Mantell]

On 10/21/2025 at 7:06 PM, David Mantell said:

@Matt D wrote:

I'm more open to the idea that these guys were running small scale opposition to a small scale Flesh Gordon operation in a way that gave fans a more genuine traditional experience.

I'm leaning more towards the idea that the promotion itself may have been doing as you say but the wrestlers were free to accept work anywhere they darn well choosy.  I base this on the point that (at least) three of the four, including one entire tag team, showed up on New Catch at one point or another.

[David Mantell]

On 10/21/2025 at 8:50 AM, Phil Lions said:

Hassan, apparently, used to be the mascot for the AS Saint-Etienne football club.

Commentator does mention this in the 1986 match.

The bit in the midget match where he marches round (with Puma in a headlock) singing the Laurel and Hardy theme song out of tune comes from French school playgrounds. (Grown ups do it too when very drunk.) 

[David Mantell]

Since we're talking Eurosport, here's a fairly important match from its run. Presented in two language options, English and German.

Herodes came from Mexico. We've already seen him in tag team action against Flesh Gordon, now they go at it solo. Herodes wears a Demolition style face mask not far removed from Cybernic Machine the next decade.  He has a big barrel cheered Remy Bayle/Bearman John Elijah physique.  Flesh is still in shape at this stage but he's pretty much a full heavyweight who could get work in America with a build like that.  In shor5, one can expect a very strength based match.

So it's no surprise when Herodes gets the standing full nelson easily. Even when Flesh breaks the clamp, Herodes turns it into a rear waistlock.  Flesh breaks on side and converts the other arm to a standing back hammerlock .  That's two transitions already. Herodes uses his other arm to coral in Flesh's head for a side Headlock.  And it doesn't stop there, Flash pulling open the headlock to mak3 a top wristlock but Herodes throwing him to the ground, assisted by a naughty hair pull. Herodes gets a wristlever and forces Flesh to the ground with it.  But Flesh kips up, spins 180 degrees and armdrags Herodes - who ironically complains about a hairpull. Herodes begins knocking Flesh about, headbutts him tomthe mat, chokes him on the ropes.  hammerlocks him around the top rope (a public warning offence in Britain.)  Flesh rallied, trips Herodes twice, cross buttocks him and dropkicks him but misses a second one. He gets the wrist in the guard again but Flesh throws him across the ring. He hooks his feet on the ropes to prevent a fall to  ringside but Flesh turns him off and his back hits the floor.  Herodes sits in a ringside seat and  sells it while Flesh poses for the crowd.   Flesh in the ring and Herodes outside shout abuse at each other.  The big Mexican makes it back, pounds on Flesh's background headbutts him, flings him out  and follows him outside where the two brawl, Herodes getting an H&S  in an aisleway. Gordon reversing a ringside posting, Flesh smashes Herodes head in the ring apron.  Flesh, back in the ring, is the one who gets the blame, picking up an Avertisement.  He gets the pinfall with a leapover into armdrag into cross press for the one required pinfall to win the match.  Afterwards Herodes complains and Flesh celebrates with some young kids. 

Strength with some remaining agility from lighter days versus pure strength.   Some good surprising moves from Herodes.  And I think OJ will like the ringside brawl

Funny bit- on the English commentary, Orig Williams calls Les Pieux "Les Poos".

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/21/2025 at 1:51 PM, Phil Lions said:

• November 1991 (part of “3ème mi-temps” on TF1, only four episodes)

Hang on, isn't that the name of the FR3 sports show that transmitted the Parmentier Brothers Vs Rockys Du Ring back in February 1991? That's what the caption slide said on the video.

[Phil Lions]

52 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

Hang on, isn't that the name of the FR3 sports show that transmitted the Parmentier Brothers Vs Rockys Du Ring back in February 1991? That's what the caption slide said on the video.

Ah, good catch! Thanks. I had read this incorrectly in my notes. I'll correct it now. New Catch in 1991 on TF1 was its own standalone show, for those four weeks. "3ème mi-temps" was the magazine show that aired the Parmentier brothers tag on local Reims TV.

[David Mantell]

A full hour of 5 bouts. Pretty good considering Old Catch, back in the day, was often a single standalone 30 minute tag match (the FR3 broadcast back in February having complied with this format.)

[David Mantell]

No French Catch Tuesday this week. Is that the end of the new bouts? (Or are you down to just the ladies'mud match from 86.)

If it is then I shall just have to get back to working my way through the stockpile of old matches, probably at a weekend with my British and French reviews.

Okay, let's do one. From 1973, set in OJs favourite venue, a swimming pool oh yes.

Just three years after this in 1976, Caclard and Saniez would be teaming up, in snazzy trunks, in that TF1 bill filmed in colour presumably as a test since the station only went full colour a year or so later.  The film print has been through the wars a bit, you can see scratches and tramlines on it. I thought the INA had cleaned the footage up?  There are quite a few second-long jumps that indicate some lost frames possibly also resulting from film damage (this can be fixed with software like Gazelle as used on 1967 Doctor Who episode The Faceless Ones pt3)

1er Manche. Caclard and Hassouni are in the ring as we start, Bernard does a finger Interlock into Planchette Japonaise on KH and goes for double legs but Khader spins him off then folks with a snapmare and a long hiptoss. Caclard lands well on his feet so Khader takes him down with Scisseaux Volees.  Les Berned tag and Pierre is in. He gets a finger Interlock and leans back to get a crossed headscissor that takes Hassouni down.  Khader counters nicely by turning into the kneeling position, lifting his head out and making a Gotch figure four toehold from what is left. Pierre is about to roll out so Khader let's him go anyway. (A kid in the crowd shouts something and the commentator replies "yes, like he said").  Pierre gets a top wristlock takedown and briefly lets Khader up to get a better position then reels him back down.  Khader bridges up and narrowly misses getting the Scisseaux Volees takedown, it slips past Bernaert's head- possibly a botch?  Pierre gets a grant facelock but Hassouni forces his way up, straightens the lock into his own armbar and gets a high whip and quite a bump. Sanniez tags in.  They finger Interlock which Albert reverses inton double arms from behind.  Bernaert gets behind but Sanniez slips backwards through the legs and gets three dropkicks from behind.  Caclard tags in and we have a battle of future tag partners.  Caclard gets two armdrags and and armlock in the guard.  Sanniez kips up but gets another armdrag for his troubles. Sanniez kips up and rolls backwards so Caclard give him yet another armdrags and slaps headscissors on with a wristlock. Sanniez kips out but the wrist pays off to reel him back in.  Caclard leans forward to put pressure on with the headscissors.  Sanniez headstands and bridges out quite beautifully.  He gets a back hammerlock out of a finger Interlock, turns his man round and gets what would later be called a Powerbomb although the fact that he's not a monster like Vader or Sid undemines that aspect. Sanniez gets a rear snapmare then tags Khader back in.  He gets an armbar into high whip and bump.  Caclard kips up so KH gives him the whip and bump back down again.  He kips up again so Khader armdrags him back down.  He gets a headscissors so Khader turns it upright, folds the legs the widen them and springs out backwards. Pierre tags back in.  He gets a full nelson into snapmare into chinlock but Khader gets his head out to make it a back hammer.  Pierre gets a leg through his own legs put Khader pushes him off to the ropes and meets him on the rebound with a big backdrop. Pierre goes from full Interlock to single wrist forcing a backwards somersault bump.  He drops knees on the bicep.  Hassouni works Pierre's spine overcwith his boot and Pierre, suspicious, releases and gets away quick.   He gets a top wristlock, taking Hassouni down. Hassouni is soon the main on top.  Bernaert misses a headscissors He does get a single legdive but Khader kicks him off.  Sanniez tags in.  He gets a top wristlock but Pierre gets the better of it and makes a high whip and bump of it.  They interlock and Sanniez gets a side headlock into top wristlock out of it.  Bernaert tries reversing  but Albert grabs a headlock.  When Pierre tries an atomic drop, Albert takes him down under his own weight into a cross buttock throw.  Good clap from the audiences. Sanniez maintains the headlock . Commentator tells us his is a top footballer and gymnast too. Bernaert tries another atomic drop but yet again Sanniez rolls him over in a cross buttock.   Pierre tries for crossfaces but Sanniez just shrugs them off.  He stands and throws off Sanniez to the ropes but Sanniez regains the hold and again throws his man back down.  Sanniez lets him up a bit then goes for the rear waistlock and rolls back into a forward folding press.  He Runs Out Of Mat.as Bernaert's feet hit the ropes. Pierre offers a handshake  - and then pulls his man in for un Manchette, unsporting but not illegal.  The science is giving over to something else, Pierre is pulling him up and slapping him down.  Caclard tags in and gets a suplex.  Sanniez is up at 5:but his future partner Manchettes him down.  He gives him another suplex and a crafty boot to the head.  Sanniez gets a surprise elbow up from the mat but Caclard boots him down again.  He gets one more forearm smash then tags Bernaert.  Bernaert mixes Manchettes with naughtier stuff like hair pulls and eye rakes.  Khader runs in and attacks Pierre. He is escorted out while the heels double team Sanniez.  Bernaert slams his head into the mat until L'Arbitre warns him off. He gets a slam for 5 and a kneelift for similar.  Sanniez fight back and tags Hassouni who really lets rip with the kneelifts. It's more of a brawl now.Khader goes after both men with stomach butts and headbutts. Caclard gets a crotchhold and lift and threatens to dump Hassouni sur l'eau Sanniez protests. Caclard settles for chopping him on the middle rope and more brawling and dirties.  Caclard tries for a reverse snapmare but Khader makes it an atomic drop and a fair bump.  Caclard tries again and gets over and lands a Manchette to the back, dives for a headlock and misses as Hassouni gets a back hammer on the mat. Caclard kips up rather nicely but then it's back to brawling again. Bernaert is back in as Khader takes a long count. He semi Japanese Strangleholdd Khader and drags him down by the hair, keeping the hold on the mat.  He gets one more chop in before contemptuously throwing the Algerian to his corner to get the tag. Sanniez is in, dodges a charge but misses a dropkick Pierre gets a finger interlock into snapmare into kneedrop and applauds himself.  Another snapmare into kneedrop and he antagonizes Khader on the apron.  More chops and a bearhug but Sanniez chops back.  Bernaert throws him off a full Nelson. He gets acgood double leg slingshot but tries again and Hassouni lands feet first, back leapfrogs his man in the corner, backrolls away and gets two  dropkicks and a splash for the opening fall as Sanniez prevents his future partner interfering.  One nil to Les Bons.

2eme Manche. Sanniez gets a couple of good throws but misses a dive and takes the first water bump of the bout.  Caclard chops and hairpulls him around.  Sanniez comes back from a rope whip through Caclard's legs and double legdives him. He is spun off but gets a Scisseaux Volees takedown. Bernaert tags in, whips Sanniez down and slaps on a headscissors. Sanniez uses the same bridge escape as earlier, getting a slap in on the heel's face before tagging Khader who gets a side chancery throw into a chinlock.  Bernaert is doing something dirty to annoy him (we can't quite see what as the camera is too zoomed in) so Hasouni pulls him up by the ears and headbutts him like Johnny Kwango sorting out Mick McManus.  He gets snapmare and a legdive into toe and ankle plus legspread. Sanniez jumps on the leg - in Britain this would be a nasty heel tactic and an automatic public warning Perhaps L'Arbitre put it down to retaliation. Khader switches leg and Caclard runs in but also ends up in the sane hold next to his partner.  Sanniez climbs the corner, descends on both joints and gets at least a private warning. "La symertrie est parfait" says the commentator, well that's one way of looking at it.  Hassouni throws Bernard back to his corner and continues the leg weakeners on Bernaert. Sanniez tags in, takes the other leg, waits til Khader is out and switches to the weakened leg., giving it a hearty leg stretch. Caclard tags in and gets snapmared and Manchetted. Sanniez corners him, flips off and chops him.  Caclard goes for a tag so Sanniez chops them both.  Les Bons tag off screen but Khader runs into trouble, snapmared then double teamed. Sanniez gets in and full Nelsons Caclard, throws him to the corner just as Khader breaks free, cannoning Bernaert into the water, a moment fans have been wishing on the Vieux Pontoufle Méchant all match long.  Caclard nearly follows him and the two heels try to trag Hassouni out before L'Arbitre warns them off.  Caclard is angry, all Manchettes and kicks (one at Sanniez on the apron) He slams and stomps him and tags Pierre who continues the dirty treatment as some of La Publique call for L'Arbitre to do something about it.  As the heels get their heat, we see the commentator (young longhaired flowery shirt type) interview Roger Delaporte about the period of a swimming pool match (he would have one himself later that year). He talks of the perils of drowning the way American colour commentators talk of being smashed into the steel bars/fence in a Cage Match. The commentator mentions their Souplesse and Delaporte concurs, especially Hassouni. He runs down their amateur and pro backgrounds. Things must be getting nasty in the ring meanwhile, we hear a chant of Aux Chiottes L'Arbitre.  Back to the ring, evidently Hassouni has been getting double teamed.  Caclard Manchettes  and splashes his man for the equaliser. Les Méchants double post Hassouni but L'Arbitre misses it as he is fixing a corner pad.

La Belle. (Parce-Qu'Il Y A Eu) .  Sanniez tries the old Ill start the fall trick as Hassouni appears to have shell shock, but the ref will have none of it. Hassouni is snatched up and double teamed by the heels. Caclard gets a legsweep into kneeling leglock.  Apparently the heels got an Avertisement at some point says the commentator but the crowd still want to ref matched off aux Chiottes with the rest of the Chie.  Caclard gets more leg weakeners then tags Pierre.  Hassouni absorbs Manchettes before striking the Hot Tag. In comes Sanniezwith chops, a hiptoss and dropkicks.  He tags Khader back who misses a grab to Pierre's head  but fights back with chops and headbutts and a pressure point.  Pierre tells his partner to Regarde what he does.  He goes for a slam but Hassouni blocks it so he tags back Caclard who has the same problem. Khader dropkicks Caclard in the back, cannoning him into Bernaert who goes in L'Eau. Meanwhile, Sanniez shoves Caclard down but he kips up and shoved Sanniez down. He goes twice off the ropes before Sanniez strikes with a Scisseaux Volees and comes back from a good backdrop with a ground based dropkick.  The two hit and miss stuff until Pierre tags back in. Caclard fouls his way out of a side chancery and into dominance. Hassouni tags in a d rolls on a single finger interlock to wind Caclard into a full Japanese Stranglehold. He rides him to the mat as Bernaert tries to interfere but slips over on the mat.  L'Arbitre babyfaces himself to the crowd by booting Pierre into the water but Caclard has meanwhile reversed the hold. Hassouni reverses it back, leapfrogs and superkicks his man.  Pierre tags back in and Hassouni headbutts both men. Some arsehole in the crowd is blowing an airhorn.   Sanniez gets a Headlock into back hammer into Manchette. Both teams tag and brawl frequently. The horn is blown by the aforementioned sphinctre in the audience.  Sanniez gets two dropkicks in on Pierre before he tags.  Khader gets an aeroplane spin on Caclard, Bernaert tries to intervene but his own partner's leg boots him into the water yet again.  Hassouni drops Caclard and strikes with a flying tackle for the winning pin. Les Bons win 2-1. Les Méchants both end up with one more soaking each.

Good technical match in parts especially the first 8 minutes, good brawling fight elsewhere, the sort of thing OJ would like if not for la piscine.  

[Phil Lions]

Now that the new footage well has dried up, it's a good moment to post this. Here's a list of French catch matches that most likely aired on TV, but we don't have the footage. Some of these I have mentioned previously. I say "most likely" because these were advertised in the TV listings, but there's always a possibility a different match may have aired instead or there might have been no catch broadcast at all that night. It didn't happen often, from what I can tell, but last minute changes definitely happened on occasion. I'm also including a few matches that I've seen mentioned on live event posters as being TV rematches, and a few that were in the TV listings but I don't think they aired.

- March 22, 1954: Primo Carnera vs. Hermann Reiss + Francois Miquet vs. The Great Zorro [first ever live broadcast]
- March 20, 1959: L'Ange Blanc vs. Roger Guettier [advertised, but likely didn't air because the masked wrestler TV ban came into effect right before this]
- April 26, 1959: Pierre Boss vs. Ami Sola [as part of "Télé-dimanche"]
- June 27, 1959: Gaby Calderon vs. Karl von Chenok [I'm guessing it didn't air]
- July 23, 1959: Jacky Corn & Roger Laroche vs. Pierre Bernaert & Eric Husberg
- February 26, 1960: Roger Delaporte vs. Jose Arroyo + Robert Duranton vs. Lino Di Santo
- November 4, 1960: L'Homme Masque vs. Ray Hunter + [potentially part of] Dr. Adolf Kaiser vs. Al Hayes
- March 11, 1963: Roger Delaporte vs. Rene Ben Chemoul + Andre Bollet vs. Jimmy Dula
- October 3, 1963: Vega Dingo vs. Cheri Bibi + L’Ange Blanc & Gilbert Leduc vs. Robert Gastel & Jack de Lasartesse
- November 25, 1963: Roger Delaporte & Andre Bollet vs. Pat O’Conor [Murius Servais] & Mr. Montreal
- January 23, 1964: Ricki Starr vs. Robert Gastel
- January 30, 1964: Hercules Cortez vs. Le Grand Vladimir + Andre Drapp & Mr. Montreal vs. Roger Delaporte & Pierre Bernaert
- April 10, 1964: Ricki Starr vs. Ski Hi Lee
- before July 12, 1964: Roger Delaporte & Pierre Bernaert vs. Mr. Montreal & Lino Di Santo [listed as a TV rematch on a poster]
- October 9, 1964: L'Ange Blanc & Gilbert Leduc vs. Hercules Cortez & Robert Gastel
- December 4, 1966: Guy Mercier vs. Roger Molar
- February 26, 1967: Rene Ben Chemoul & Walter Bordes vs. Daniel Boucard & Jose Gonzales
- March 26, 1967: Kamikaze vs. Gilbert Cesca
- 1968 or 1974: Le Petit Prince vs. Kamikaze [listed as a TV rematch on a poster, year not clear]
- April 26, 1969: Jean Corne & Jean Mahieu vs. Michel Falempin & Serge Reggiori
- January 11, 1971: Gilbert Leduc, Jacky Corn & Guy Mercier vs. Les Kamikazes & Jo Marsallon [also listed for January 25]
- June 13, 1974: Robert Duranton & Firmin vs. Jean Corne & Michel Falempin
- August 29, 1974: Rene Ben Chemoul & Walter Bordes vs. Les Green Squal’s
- November 30, 1974: Bobby Genele vs. El Kaci
- 1975: Zarak vs. Mr. Montreal [exact date unknown]
- March 8, 1975: Zarak vs. Jamaican Jo + Michel Debyser vs. Paco Ramirez
- May 24, 1975: Le Petit Prince & Angelito vs. Jacky Richard & Zoltan Boscik
- June 28, 1975: Johnny Saint vs. Michel Falempin + Zarak vs. Michel Debyser
- January 19, 1976: Walter Bordes vs. Daniel Boucard
- March 28, 1976: Inca Wiracocha vs. Batistou
- February 19, 1977: Michel Di Santo vs. Rudy Croser [likely didn't air]
- February 27, 1977: Jose Gonzales vs. Gerard Taysse
- June 12, 1978: Jacky Corn vs. Jacky Richard + Gilbert Leduc vs. Zorba
- October 22, 1978: Zorba vs. Jean Menard
- before April 21, 1979: L’Ange Blanc & Eddy Mores vs. Robert Duranton & Firmin [listed as a TV rematch on a poster]
- December 7, 1981: Walter Bordes & Claude Roca vs. Anton Tejero & Albert Sanniez
- August 7, 1982: Guy Mercier & Jean Corne vs. Jacky Richard & Guy Renault [only footage of the finish is available]

All in all, there seem to be over 150 French catch broadcasts (from 1954 to 1985) that we don't have footage of. Most of them, unfortunately, are only listed as "Catch" in the TV listings and there's no mention of the matches that were to air.

In the list above I didn't include some matches that I think were likely repeats. For example, the TV listings mention a Duranton/Lamar match airing in 1972 and 1974. INA has a Duranton/Lamar match from 1973. I highly doubt three different Duranton/Lamar matches aired on TV in consecutive years. I think most likely it was one match that was re-broadcast a couple of years later, and INA's date is wrong (the TV listings have Leduc & Corn vs. Fryziuk & Schmid airing on that night in 1973).

I'll also say that in comparing the TV listings with the INA dates it becomes apparent that some of the INA dates are the taping dates, not the air dates. I'm too lazy to make a list of the discrepancies though.

[David Mantell]

3 hours ago, Phil Lions said:

- 1975: Zarak vs. Mr. Montreal [exact date unknown]

- March 8, 1975: Zarak vs. Jamaican Jo + Michel Debyser vs. Paco Ramirez
- May 24, 1975: Le Petit Prince & Angelito vs. Jacky Richard & Zoltan Boscik
- June 28, 1975: Johnny Saint vs. Michel Falempin + Zarak vs. Michel Debyser
- January 19, 1976: Walter Bordes vs. Daniel Boucard
- March 28, 1976: Inca Wiracocha vs. Batistou
- February 19, 1977: Michel Di Santo vs. Rudy Croser [likely didn't air]
- February 27, 1977: Jose Gonzales vs. Gerard Taysse

How many of these were on TF1?  I recall there were four in 1975.

[Phil Lions]

1 hour ago, David Mantell said:

- 1975: Zarak vs. Mr. Montreal
- March 8, 1975: Zarak vs. Jamaican Jo + Michel Debyser vs. Paco Ramirez
- May 24, 1975: Le Petit Prince & Angelito vs. Jacky Richard & Zoltan Boscik
- June 28, 1975: Johnny Saint vs. Michel Falempin + Zarak vs. Michel Debyser
- January 19, 1976: Walter Bordes vs. Daniel Boucard
- March 28, 1976: Inca Wiracocha vs. Batistou
- February 19, 1977: Michel Di Santo vs. Rudy Croser [likely didn't air]
- February 27, 1977: Jose Gonzales vs. Gerard Taysse

The ones in bold - TF1. The rest - A2.

The last TF1 broadcast that I have a record of is from October 15, 1977 (Zarak vs. Jean-Pierre Le Comte + Le Petit Prince vs. Albert Sanniez).

INA has two additional shows from 1978 (April 4 and May 17) in their TF1 archive, and the footage is out there already, but INA's actually got those two listed as "taped" as opposed to "broadcast" so it looks like those two were taped for TF1 but not aired on TF1.