Steve Grey

[ohtani's jacket]

Steve Grey vs. Ritchie Brooks (6/11/86)

 

This was the bout where Brooks upset Grey to earn a shot at his British Lightweight Championship. Only the scoring action was shown and it was a bit of a disappointment really. Brooks' upset was nothing special, especially compared to some of the other WoS boilovers. The crowd weren't in sync with it and no-one seemed to particularly care, which suggests the workers' timing was off. One of the few times I've been disappointed in a Grey bout (or clip, I should say), but he made up for it with an outstanding title defence.

[JerryvonKramer]

Steve Grey vs. Mick McManus (5/11/77)

 

Dug this match a good bit. McManus has great character work and can get nasty when he wants to. Grey is the archtypal plucky underdog WoS babyface. Was surprised to see that this wasn't reviewed anywhere by OJ or Magnum Milano. Definitely a worthy addition to the resume of both guys. Steve Grey is great at flying around making McManus look dangerous. Very enjoyable bout.

 

****

 

Steve Grey and Alan Sarjeant vs. Zoltan Boscik and Sid Cooper (8/13/77)

 

Johnny Saint is injured with Sarjeant subbing but Boscik claims there's nothing wrong with Saint, he's running scared. I have to say, I much prefer Boscik as a weasely, stooging, cowardly heel than I did with him a babyface in 1972 (vs. Breaks).

 

I had quite a hard time telling the difference between Saejeant and Grey in this match because they were wearing the same tights, are the same size, and has the same hair. Both are excellent all bumping babyfaces. Sort of like WoS versions of a Rick Martel, only skinnier, paler and less good looking.

 

Sid Cooper looks a decent heel, kind of felt less technical and more brawl-y than your typical WoS worker, he was doing stomps. But I thought Boscik totally outshone and overshadowed him in this match. His character work is really good. So damn stoogey.

 

Pretty good tag.

 

***1/2

 

Steve Grey vs. Zoltan Boscik (3/18/78)

 

Grey is just a phenomenal bumper and seller. Boscik is incredibly heelish, I feel in terms of actual cheating and begging off and so on, he's possibly even more heelish than Breaks or McManus. The other two do more general moaning, but Boscik is just fucking dirty. Don't think he did a single hold without using the ropes behind the ref's back.

 

One of the things I enjoyed about this bout was the suddenness and explosiveness of some of the attacks, from both guys. Grey really does work from underneath a hell of a lot, so it is mostly Boscik controlling with filthy tactics, with the occasional hope spot from Grey.

 

One cool spot Grey does is the kick to the leg, followed by the single leg takedown. Just a great visual and it looks like it has real impact. Boscik tends to go for the arm more, and does a pretty fly arm ringer. Also more Irish whips and stomps than we typically see out of Breaks. Surprisingly less mat orientated. He does a guillotine over the top rope too, which is a standard US heel spot. Pretty accessible worker I'd say if you are a US fan who has struggled to get into WoS.

 

I honestly thought this was an excellent match. Exciting with Grey making Boscik look a million bucks and putting on a real comeback story for a hot finish. Just some great pro wrestling here.

 

****1/2

 

Steve Grey vs. Jon Cortez (7/27/81)

 

One of the funniest things about this is that Kent Walton is palpably irritated by the fact that both go are wearing black trunks and he's struggling to tell them apart. At one time he says, grumpily, "I've been trying to tell the wrestlers for years to wear different coloured tights" Ha! Ha! He comes back to not being able to tell them apart another five or six times during the match. I imagine he was furious.

 

This is unusually heated for a WoS match. Cortez shows a lot of aggression, but even Grey is forced to bust out some really stiff forearm smashes at one point. Very good match, but I thought the finish was pretty terrible.

 

First, I had to laugh out loud when the St. John's Ambulance men were like the cast of Dad's Army, the one guy must have been in his late 70s. Second, it's just a super disappointing finish to a match that had been simmering until boiling point.

 

Some really good stuff here, with the two babyfaces surprisingly getting in each others' faces which makes up for the lack of a heel and face dynamic and the general heel character work that can keep one hooked to a WoS match. But I just can't forgive that finish, and it brings this down a good bit. Could have been a classic.

 

****

 

Steve Grey vs. Jim Breaks (5/12/81)

 

Not sure of the date on this, but figure it is 1981 based on the fact that Walton mentions Breaks had recently lost his European title to Cortez, which as he tells us in the previous bout I watched was in March of 81. Also Breaks looks older and is wearing those yellow bumble bee tights.

 

This had a weird quickness to it, almost like watching an old black and white silent film where the people are moving a bit too quickly to be natural. Grey does a bit more limb selling here as Breaks, of course, lasers in on the arm setting up for that Breaks Special. Grey is not above going for the dreaded Breaks nose either, and is in danger of getting a public warning! Goodie two shoes Grey sternly told off by the ref. Ha ha.

 

The psychology around Grey's left arm is really good here. Fans of limb psychology would love this match. And I, of course, am such a fan. And yes, I love this match. Just excellent work all round here. And yet another near-classic Breaks match.

 

****3/4

 

-------

 

Steve Grey might be the best babyface I've seen in WoS, he's just so good at bumping and selling and making his opponent look good. He is able to show fire on occasion too. Especially in those last two matches I watched when he got more aggressive.

[GSR]

Steve Grey vs. Mick McManus (5/11/77)

 

Dug this match a good bit. McManus has great character work and can get nasty when he wants to. Grey is the archtypal plucky underdog WoS babyface. Was surprised to see that this wasn't reviewed anywhere by OJ or Magnum Milano. Definitely a worthy addition to the resume of both guys. Steve Grey is great at flying around making McManus look dangerous. Very enjoyable bout.

 

****

 

If that's the one fall match on Cup FInal Day I watched it just last week for the very first time. There is every chance I'll stick up a review at some point but I've that much paper work that needs to get typed up it's just a matter of time. I really enjoyed it, especially McManus' heeling it up.

 

I watched that tag match when I was on a Sarjeant binge and here is what I wrote about it:

 

Steve Grey & Alan Sarjeant vs Sid Cooper & Zoltan Boscik (8/13/77)

It's a shame that of the seven matches on film that this is one of them. Sarjeant is a replacement for Johnny Saint here, and sadly this match does nothing for him. In fact he's the weakest of the four and it's more a showcase for Grey who at one point pulls out this fantastic double top wristlock reversal into a dropkick on both Cooper and Boscik. It was a decent match up until the first fall with some good double teaming behind the referee's back from the heel team, especially from Cooper who was someone that I've never really cared for in the past. The match went completely to pot after the first fall with Grey getting the equalizing pin in 27 seconds, then the heels were DQ'd in the third fall at just 37 seconds. It's actually pretty heated in the crowd at the end with an old lady trying to pull Boscik off Grey, someone sliding into the ring and grabbing referee Max Ward's leg and another member of the crowd throwing punches at the prone Cooper! One for the Sarjeant completists only, and I'm glad that I know it'll get much better for him from now on.

 

I was watching it predominantly for Sarjeant, but wasn't as high as you were on it. Maybe it will get a re-watch at some point.

 

I nominated Boscik for GWE primarily off the back of that match with Grey and I'm still super high on Grey vs Cortez despite the finish. Never seen that Grey vs Breaks match so I'll add it to my list of his to watch. I've a bunch of stuff I saved off YouTube for Breaks to get through first (vs Tom Thumb, vs Kid Chocolate and vs Nipper Riley) and a Marty Jones vs Alan Wood match that I'm really looking forward to.

[WingedEagle]

Parv, is this the '81 Breaks-Grey match above?

 

[JerryvonKramer]

No, it's this one:

 

[WingedEagle]

Thanks, will check it out.

[ohtani's jacket]

Parv, is this the '81 Breaks-Grey match above?

 

That's their Cup Final Day match from 4/19/78.

[Britwresdvds]

I know this is an old topic, so apologies for bumping it.

I'm currently re-watching all of my Steve Grey footage for a DVD project. It's proving very enjoyable.

It's interesting to note the differences in character, depending on the match type. It really pads out his reputation as a good, versatile all-rounder, rather than just a technical whizz.

Championship defending Steve Grey, for example, is noticeably different to technical exhibition match Steve Grey, even in title matches against other blue eyes. The intensity and focus is clearly stepped up, and little details like the lack of handshakes between rounds emphasise the importance of the occasion and his focus, etc, whilst the handshakes still taking place after falls keep the sportsman-like nature of his persona highlighted. Nice to see that level of detail.

[Matt D]

Never apologize for bumping a Steve Grey thread.