German catch

[David Mantell]

On 7/13/2025 at 6:57 AM, David Mantell said:

Not sure of the storyline background but Collins' new mid 90s heel persona (as also seen in Britain) made another enemy in kilted referee Mick McMichael to the point where he put the tights back on.

 

Okay, here's what went down the previous evening at the Heumarkt 

 

Dirty Dan teams with  a man he once faced and pinned in a 1987Daddy :tag, Mad McDonald the Ultimate Chippendale against a firework bearing Ulf Herman and Joe Joe Lee (relative of Kwik Kick, Sammy and, er Bruce.) Kilted Mick is the ref. Fairly generic action with Ulf in. Apparently German fans like to sing Old McDonald Had a farm. Lee comes in and karate kicks everything in sight. Danny scores the first fall, Ulf gets the equaliser on Drew. In the decider, Danny is choking Ulf on the mat when Mick From Doncaster grabs him by the hair and throws him out the ring. Danny at ringside makes the challenge.

So that's how it happened.

 

[David Mantell]

On 9/7/2024 at 2:41 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

Have you seen Steinblock vs. One Warrior Nation? Apparently, it has the lowest rating of any match on Cagematch.

No but I'll tell you what I have seen 

And no I'm NOT gonna do a blow by blow account.  Although Warrior did surprise me at one point with a rear snapmare.  One of those rare scientific holdsbe would occasionally pull out and do as a spot, like the suplex at WM6.

Ulf tried his best.  At 10 mins this would have made a passable WWF TV match circa 1989-1991.  At 20 mins without Pat Patterson nor Randy Savage to direct traffic, it does drag on. Holds used as rest holds American style.  Ringside brawls, Ulf doing a flying move and mercifully Warrior catching him.And on and on ..

Warrior wins a World Wrestling trophy.  He and Ulf shake hands and both lift it up.  Jerry McDevitt has prevented use of Unstable so Warrior celebrates to, of all things, We Are The Champions by Queen.

Lord knows what referee Mick McMichael Of Doncaster (minus his kilt) was thinking. This man was a far cry from his old mate and sparring partner Vic Faulkner.

P.S @sergeiSem  I got told off once many years ago for for calling this a CWA bout - are you sure that's correct?  Apparently it was some other promoter (I forget who.)

[David Mantell]

Some more Flying Funaki for you, this time in a 1988 clean match at the Heumarkt against Tony StClair.  I'm getting ready to go out for the night but I might do a fuller account of this tomorrow or sometime. It's a really good scientific match but it's undermined by two problems 

1) large sections cropped out - it's basically edited highlights.

2) Didier Gapp and his "comedy" Humourless Officialdom Miserable Git act as referee.

Some really great moves especially Funaki, look out in clip 1 for him bridging up to almost upright then getting a rear snapmare on Tony even before fully standing. It ends in a draw with Funaki almost getting a pin when the final bell goes.  Nice to see since mostly the Japanese in Germany/Austria played street thug heel characters (notable exception Jushin Liger in 1992 and that was with his internationally famous mask on, not as Fuji Yamada.)   Hopefully one day we will get footage of the Yamada/Funaki tag team in either the UK or Germany/ Austria.

 

[David Mantell]

Oh and you'll never guess what the algorithms on my Smart TV YouTube app put up for me to watch after that Heumarkt footage:

Bless 'em.

[David Mantell]

A few minutes of Schumann in August 1986 putting up a good fight against big Swiss Rene.including the same rear snapmare while almost up from a bridge as Funaki did in the previous videos.

Proceeded by a Ringerparade including Leon White still in white meat babyface Baby Bull persona complete with baseball cap as pictured in PWI Scouting Reports when he was the big young kid who just might give AWA World Champion Stan Hansen a hard time.

 

[David Mantell]

On 7/26/2025 at 6:00 PM, David Mantell said:

Some more Flying Funaki for you, this time in a 1988 clean match at the Heumarkt against Tony StClair.  I'm getting ready to go out for the night but I might do a fuller account of this tomorrow or sometime. It's a really good scientific match but it's undermined by two problems 

1) large sections cropped out - it's basically edited highlights.

2) Didier Gapp and his "comedy" Humourless Officialdom Miserable Git act as referee.

Some really great moves especially Funaki, look out in clip 1 for him bridging up to almost upright then getting a rear snapmare on Tony even before fully standing. It ends in a draw with Funaki almost getting a pin when the final bell goes.  Nice to see since mostly the Japanese in Germany/Austria played street thug heel characters (notable exception Jushin Liger in 1992 and that was with his internationally famous mask on, not as Fuji Yamada.)   Hopefully one day we will get footage of the Yamada/Funaki tag team in either the UK or Germany/ Austria.

Okay here's the fuller account as promised.  Funaki comes to the ring to 1981 kitsch pop hit Japanese Boy by Anika which is as good music for a Japanese blue-eye as any.

They lock up, hit the ropes and start over. Tony gets a standing sife headlock into cross buttock throw into mat side headlock. Funaki goes for further nelson pin attempt but gets a 1 before Tony turns it upright again.  Funaki forces upwards, breaks the headlock open into a top wristlock and gets an armdrag takedown into a wristlever on the mat w ith Tony in the guard. He backrolls upright to standing then front rolls to untwist the arm but Funaki reverses the leverage forcing Tony to fall backwards into the guard.He kips up, rolls back and forth and uses his foot to unlock the writlock and takes Funaki's wrist for himself. Funaki is already promising at the British style, he rolls forwards, backwards, forwards and then forces a high whip but Tony is able to somersault through to a standing start, making a feet first landing without taking the bump.  The Heumarkt crowd applauds but Did blows his whistle at something, leaving both wrestlers staring askance at him. I did warn you

Cut to Funaki cross buttock throwing Tony. He takes the count for a rest in the mat until 9 a la Vic Faulkner. He gets an arm at into a hammerlock.

Sudden cut (I did warn you about this too) to Funaki with a wrist lever into armdrag takedown to the same ground armlock in the guard. Funaki stands for extra leverage, Tony kips up and rear snapmares him down but Funaki keeps the hold. Tony kips up again into a top wristlock position. Funaki forces him down so Tony backrolls out then front rolls and horizontally swivels on his behind and puts his leg in position for a kickoff and boots Funaki backwards. Tony has the toe and ankle but Funaki puts the other foot in and throws Tony with his feet, forcing a somersault and bump. Funaki is up and gets half a finger Interlock then backrolls to get a top wristlock and force Tony down in the guard again but the ging (bell) sounds for the end of the round. Clean break, handshake.

Cut to Round 2 possibly JIP. Funaki gets a side chancery. Rather than go for a throw, he takes Tony down into the guard. Sadly the ring apron edge gets in the way of seeing how but Funaki gets a crosspress for three 2 counts.  Tony gets up and Funaki gives him a bodycheck and side chancery throw into his favourite armlock in the guard. He takes his man up, seemingly for another side chancery throw but Tony gets an underhook, crotch hold and slam. Funaki still has hold of the armlock however.

Cut - Tony drops down on the mat as a rope bouncing Funaki goes over him. Tony gets a cross buttock throw and follows down on top with a shoulderpress but Funaki gets the bridging upwards rear chancery throw  that caught my eye on the first viewing (and that Franz Schumann did in the video in between.) for a shoulderpress of his own.  He takes his man up again in the side chancery for another throw but Tony blocks three times by stomping hard on the ground, the third stamp unfortunately landing on Didier Gapp's toe.  Gapp is a lot less understanding than Dave Reece in the recent Pat Roach/Colin Johnson bout on the British thread (5.5 years earlier in real time)  he blows his whistle, sells the foot and reprimands Tony while ignoring Funaki's pleas for clemency.  He reaches for his cards in his pocket.

Cut - and Didi is reprimanding Tony for something else. Funaki gets a single legdive takedown into kneeling toe and ankle hold. He applies weakeners then settles into a seated leglock. Tony pulls him over into the folding press but barely gets a 1 count before Funaki rights himself.  He switches back to the same standing toe and ankle with the same jumping weakeners (Gapp is lucky Funaki doesn't also accidentally stomp his toe.) and stands back for a seven count.  Funaki goes for a legdive to continue the treatment but Tony gets his arm first.  Funaki gets a riding rear waistlock counter as the gong goes. Another handshake, another appreciative clap from the Heumarkt fans. 

Round 3 (presumably) JIP, it's Tony's turn to get an armdrag into an armbar in the guard. Funaki stands up and tries to bounce StClair off the ropes but he uses the same stomp block and armdrags Funaki back down to the guard. Cut to StClair again using a stomp to block a Funaki bounce off the ropes.  Funaki leans on Didier Gap to help back somersault out.  An English referee like Jeff Kaye would usually laugh this sort of thing off, but not Didier Gapp. He reads both men the riot act until they both corner him and Tony plonks him on the top turnbuckle like the Ultimate Warrior did to one of the Hebners during a match with Randy Savage in early 89.  Gapp jumps back down and does a comedy landing on one side. angrily getting up and blowing his whistle.  Bout pauses for a spot of cheerleading encouraged by both wrestlers.  Tony gets the single legdive into toe & ankle into seated leglock, this time.  He brushes off a couple of Funaki chinlock attempts and gets upright to deliver similar weakeners as Funaki delivered before.

End of clip one, proceed to clip 2.

Tony is standing back while Didi counts Funaki. He gets a leg but Funaki stays standing, does a standing backflip and dropkicks Tony.  He gets the cross buttock into ground side headlock.  Tony gets just 1 with the folding press counter both men have previously tried in this situation.  Tony standing up in the hold, throws Funaki off and catches him on the rebound with a shoulderblock, flooring him with a blow to the back.  Funaki is up and Tony whips him into the ropes but he rebounds with a sunset flip and double leg nelson. Tony gets the double ankle smash in before any pin count can take place. They start over and Tony gets the armbar in a kneeling position. He turns Funaki over, drops a couple of knees and the gong goes.  More good sportsmanship.

Round 4 presumably, JIP, Funaki goes to work with martial arts kicks like Sammy Lee, eventually felling Tony with a spinning kick.  He whips him off the ropes and catches him with a reverse flying shoulderblock. He rear snapmares him. Switches to the leg and turns Tony into the single leg Boston Crab. Tony sells the pain but does not submit and eventually releases to try something else.  He throws Tony into the ropes. Agets a mild chop the first time and misses with the spinning kick the second time. The third, Tony strikes with a lariat .  He catches Funaki getting up and delivers an uppercut and kneelift. Funaki is up at eight for a posting. Cut - and this time Tony delivers an oven the knee backbreaker to Funaki.  Tony gets double legs into a scorpion Deathlock, the hold a young Sting ea making famous that year but both these two menin 1988 associated more with Masa Chono.  Cut to Tony getting a double legdive into Indian Deathlock from the side.  Gapp calls for the break for some reason (has Funaki reached the ropes?) and demands they disengage.  Tony asks for help in untwisting their legs. Didier. unlike British referees somehow managed to trip over the pile of legs, landing on his back! This is the man German and Austrian fans consider a cult comedy hero.  He angrily blood his whistle and eventually Tony goose steps over to him menacingly as if to imply another stomped foot is on the way. A scared Did retreats to the top turnbuckle.  Tony his the ropes but Didi blows his whistle to stop everything. Cut and the three men are standing around, Didi and Tony arguing.  He goes over to say something to the judges. Cut and there is a round break, the two principles are in their corners.  

Round 5 starts with a handshake. Tony offers a one sided finger Interlock, Funaki responds with martial arts kicks to the knee then the chest, the last flooring Tony.  The exchange Tony's forearms and Funaki's chops before shaking hands. Tony gets a single legdive takedown into leglock on the mat.  Funaki gets a wristlock on one arm, uses his free leg to hook Tony's head and is left with a nifty armhank. Tony rolls over in the hold, Funaki converting to a lengthwise headscissors before Tony rolls into the ropes,,  forcingna break.  Once free, he shoulders his man, whips him into the ropes and lands him on the rebound with a back elbow.  Funaki, up at 4, goes back down to an uppercut. Tony whips him off the ropes but misses with another back elbow and Funaki strikes with a flying tackle, getting a 2 count.  He whips Tony and dropkicks him down on the rebound   Funaki gets another single leg into seated leg lock, again shrugs off Tony's chinlock attempts and like Tony earlier, is pulled over with the other leg and guillotined with the leg instead of an.armhank. As they get up, Tony gets a rear inverted waistlock and tombstone piledriver and shoulder press for 2 before presumably Funaki reaches the ropes.  Tony gets an uppercut, Funaki gets one too and a martial arts kick and spinning kick that floors Tony.  Tony lunges, floors and covers Funaki but Gapp breaks it up due to lack of continuous movement.  Tony posts Funaki and gives him a sharp kick. Funaki posts Tony back, climbs him and back somersaults off him, backdrops him and dropkicks him.   He goes to the top turnbuckle and scores a perfect flying bodypress but only gets 2.  He gets a dropkick but misses with a reverse flying shoulderblock and Tony scores with another lariat. Funaki is up at 6 and gets a small package but the gong goes at the 1 count. Both men exchange handshakes and bows.

An excellent scientific contest except for the two problems described.  

 

 

[David Mantell]

Quote

Klaus Kauroff vs. Vader (10/26/86)

All this 80s stuff is clipped to the equivalent of 8mm reels, but it's fun to watch none the less. ... the final Vader brutalises Kauroff. Kauroff was this short, stocky guy who tried to dish out some punishment with worked pro-wrestling style strikes and Vader just potatoed him. It was fun watching two in shape fat men pummel it out, but Kauroff was out classed. It's really hard to get a decent grasp on how good Germany was in the 80s because of the footage issues, but England had gone pear shaped around this time and Germany was much more interesting through to the end of the decade. How we're going to represent that on the Europe set I'm not sure, because you can only really rate and compare the longer Germany footage whereas this stuff would make a yearbook project. Still, if you liked Vader on the AWA and NJPW sets, you should fill in your Vader watching by checking out these clips.

Yes I thought OJ might like this.  Personally I find it rather slug and punch like the Piper/T boxing match at WM2, even when it ended up outside the ring (and I don't get why White's count was stopped. He gets forever before the count is restarted.) Maybe one or two side chanceries throw from Leon, that was the only technical moves of the bout.

Crowd take Kauroff's side despite his long heel history while Leon White was the pure and innocent Baby Bull in the AWA just months earlier.  Here he gets the win with a Big Daddy Splash and the crowd gives him the bird.  Despite everything KK and Bull Power are good sportmanly chums at the end - maybe this is how Kauroff went back to heel afterwards.  

Dodgy trippy title sequence - trying to make a test pattern tone signal and the dying moans of a geriatric relative plus video feedback effects generated by the on-screen lettering look and sound like the Saturday night horror show.

(Re. the Britain comment - this is from the year that Danny Collins feuded with Marvellous Mike Bennett with Mike winning the Grand Prix Belt, Roy (Steve) Regal and Kid McCoy's ITV debuts, Steve Wright as Bull Blitzer winning the World Mid Heavyweight Championship off Marty Jones, the UK Greg Valentine winning the Golden Grappler trophy, Fuji Yamada's All Star debut, the World Heavyweight title tournament at Hanley won by Quinn, Rocky Moran and Kung Fu as British Heavyweight Middleweight champions ...)

[ohtani's jacket]

I am a huge fan of Mike Bennett, but that Collins stuff was from the end of '84 to early '85. Blitzer vs. Jones is one of my all-time favorite WoS bouts, but the rest I can live without. There was a serious drop off after '84. It really began earlier than that when people started jumping to All-Star, which diluted Joint's talent pool. There is some good stuff post-84, but not very much of it. I doubt Germany/Austria was much better, to be honest. The early 80s in Europe wasn't as good as the 70s, which wasn't as good as the 60s, which wasn't as good as the 50s. 

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

that Collins stuff was from the end of '84 to early '85.

I stand corrected but the Grand Prix belt tournament win WAS 1986.

The things I listed were all more my cup of tea than Bull Power Vs Kauroff.

I mentioned some All Star stuff as for 1986 we do have the Screensport show.

[David Mantell]

A year earlier.  . Steve Wright was a fantastic wrestler but I'm a bit lairy of feeding him to King Kong Kirk.  Still it last 15 minutes, maybe it won't be a squash... The  disco plays Don't Let Me Down by ELO - a portent? Kirk's navy blue tights look bright magenta dure to a combination of lighting and cheap videotape. Referee is Jeff Kaye, formerly of the Barons in the UK and France. Kirk apparently gets himself counted out at the start having an argument with a fan (although all we can see in the gloom is one safety light.) Steve leads the crowds in a mocking chant.

Down to business, Steve cartwheels out of pressure points. He armdrags the big man and dropkicks him out.  A knockout count is interrupted by the bell.  By the next round Wright is down and himself thrown out the ring.  Kirk follows him out and presumably they brawl, it's impossible to see in the light. Wright gets back first and the round ends with Kaye pointing Kirk out ominously to someone at ringside.  Round 3 and Kirk is being counted again.  He gets alright on the ropes bashes him,,misses and Wright knocks him down.  He snapmares, stomps and Ivan Koloff style flying kneedrops his man. Cut to Kirk back in charge until Wright suddenly snaps up and dropkicks Kirk out of the ring. Kirk gets to advantage back.  Then Wright gets a missile dropkick on the bell.  DJ plays 99 Red Balloons - are Wright and Kirk's bald heads two of the 99?  Wright gets a shot in at Kirk between rounds and Kaye tells him off. Wright charges a cornered Kirk despite Kaye's instructions not to and gets a yellow card. He carries on battering Kirk. Cut to them having a sit down slugfest.  Wright flying tackles Kirk, gets slammed but dodges a guillotine elbowsmash. Kirk has Wright balancing precariously on the top rope but Wright soon has Kirk tied up. He attacks but Kirk gets free and clotheslines him down.  A round ends with the MC threatening someone with a second and final public warming and Weight choking Kirk with a towel.  Kaye gently rebukes him. Cut to Kirk back in charge in the next round.  Kirk kicks Wright out and they have another brawl in the dark.  Wright makes it back and Kaye has grave words then starts counting Kirk.  Kirk gets back in but a posting, four armdrags  and two dropkicks later he is back out.  Cute to Wright doing a tope on Kirk. Kaye joins the boys outside to sort things out.  Cut to Kirk in the ring,  Kaye at ringside talking to someone and Wright on the mat. Kirk has got himself DQd.  He puts his hands on his hips in a WTF gesture of exasperation and sits down in his corner. Wright recovers and is proclaimed winner,  he jumps up and down with excitement and clears off.

Not the squash I feared but still not an appropriate use of Steve Wright's skills..

[David Mantell]

Yes THAT Lance Storm, on his way to US success, taking on Danny.  A year before hec himself wrestled Danny, Mick McMichael has the kilt on as referee.  Dirty Dan has a weapon, Mick confiscates it.   Oh look there's Lance doing the whole German dancing babyface thing, so much for dignity for a man who in 2014 would rather write a long boring essay than do his ice bucket challenge.  

Oh dear, it sounds ominously like it's going to be a chain match. That explains the weapon Dan brought in.  Bell goes, after some cheerleading they lock up. No chain. PHEW!! Still not much technical work. Storm gets Dan to catch a leg. Aflips over on it and gets an armdrag intonarmlock- NOW you're talking. Dan gets a rope break. More cheerleading. Collins bodychecks Storm who leapfrogs and cross buttocks and presses him for 2. Collins gets a semi Japanese Stranglehold and clothesline and a diving headbutt. Danny side chancery throws Storm, comes off he top turnbuckle but is dropkicked by Storm.  Storm gets a side chancery throw to cross press for 2.  Collins pitches Storm to ringside and keeps him there. Storm comes back in on a sunset flip for another 2. Danny argued with Mick and Storm folding presses him for another 2. Storm gets some Lucha esque huracanrana variant. Danny pitches him out but only gets him on the apron from where Storm fights back. He smacks Danny's head on the top turnbuckle and gets a flying bodypress for 2. Storm dropkicks Danny to ringside and sliding dropkicks him to keep him there. Collins takes over with the fouls. He posts Lance who tries to do a Flair Flip and Flops to the Floor (of the ring.)  Collins gets a fireman's carry and dumps Storm throat first on the top rope. He somersaults over Storm who somersault bodypresses him for 2.  He gets a spinning kick then goes a bit wild and Mick calms him down. Danny gets an ambush but Lance karate kicks him. 

Suddenly Finlay runs in and attacks Storm (helping Collins his old late 80s enemy who in 95:still has the British Heavy Middleweight title won from Finlay in 1989.  Tony StClair and Franz Schumann  come to the rescue.  . Storm is DQXwinner but he gets in the miç and demands that chain match they made noises about earlier.  

The best of today's three German bouts despite all its faults. Not as good as Lance vs Danny Boy could have been.