German catch

[David Mantell]

Meanwhile as promised, here is a bout from just under 3 years later, kindly donated by @El McKell.

Paco Ramirez, as many of you are aware was a heel from Spain.  He faced Gerard Hervé, the future Flesh Gordon, in the latter's 1979 French TV debut.  He also infamously played the race card after losing a tag match to reformed ex méchants Daniel Schmitz and Remy "Henker No Longer" Bayle that saw the tag team Pat Roach ran into the ring to protest about in 1974 now nine years later a well behaved pair of Bons. 

Anyway here he faces Adrian Street who was on good sportsmanly terms with Axel Dieter earlier in the tournament, here being treated s a Les Kellett style comedy babyface tormenting the villain.  Paco wears a big red hat and red/gold sequin waistcoat. Adrian comes to the ring in his purple robe to Imagine What I Could Do To You with the beard from the Pallos' video. 

Runde 1: The bout doesn't begin until over 4min in.  He is limbering up while Paco cowers in fear from whatever emasculating fun Adrian will have. He has the German audience in stitches with his antics.  They finally lock up at 5:49 when Paco gets a standing full nelson out of which Ada promptly shimmies.    At 6:06 they try again as Ramirez gets a side headlock into back hammerlock into top wristlock. I think Adrian misses his way out of that one. The crowd love it.  They love it even more when Street leaps on the referee and forcibly snogs him.  Just before 7  minutes, Adrian gets a full nelson of his own.  They take turns reversing.first Paco then Ada then Paco then Ada then Paco to which Street viciously back elbows him off - the same back elbow that when Street used it on ITV against Dave Barrie 1974, Kent Walton flagged it up as something that would have been a Public Warning offence a few years earlier.  Adrian skips around in an interlock and takes several rolls to free himself.  Paco gets the advantage with a wristlock in the guard.  Ada tries kipping up, eventually turning himself over with a kick on Ramirez's shoulder.  He goes top armbar ton standing rear armhank to armscissor on the mat to double kneepress while fixing his hair.  The bell goes for round 1 and Street just about untangles the hold.  The DJ plays British ska band Bad Manners' version of the Can-Can, Street eventually dances to it - with more grace than singer Buster Bloodvessel did.

Runde 2:  Paco gets a side chancery throw and three bodychecks. He stops doing a Fourth when Adrian pelvic thrusts at him and pinches his  bottom.  Adrian goes for a piledriver, Paco counted with a backdrop attempt but suddenly puts him back down. An argument between the ref and Street ensues.  Paco wins an interlock test of strength and has Street bent over his knee but Street bridges up and scuttles off backwards.  He gets a hammerlock with bar, turns Paco by the leg into the guard and gets some cross press 2 counts.  He goes from full Interlock to cross headscissors to boot to the head.  Paco forearm smashes him, Street gets a front-facing double wristlock.   Paco tries for a crotchhold but suddenly doesn't fancy it and backs into the ropes.  Street gets his vertical flying bodyscissors -getting in a crafty kiss - then gets a headlock. Paco straigtens the arm into a wrist lever but Street rolls away.  End of round.  They tentatively shake hands.  

Runde 3:  Ramirez runs away from Street until, backed into the corner, he suddenly gets the front folding press for the one required fall. Paco is the upset winner.

Comedy bout with Adrian as a camp Catweazle.  It amused the German audience but Street can do better.

 

 

[David Mantell]

On 2/23/2025 at 1:25 PM, David Mantell said:

 

Okay, over on the British and German threads I promised you all something special.

AND HERE IT IS!!!

Roland Bock Vs Antonio Inoki 1977.  In full.  With absolutely no awful thrash metal on the audio. Three years before Otto Wanz Vs Don Leo Johnathan, two years before Otto Vs a heel Chief Jay Strongbow. As deep a dive into Seventies German Catch as Clay Thompson Vs Tony StClair 1967 was into Sixties British Wrestling,

This match seems to be regarded as legendary among Japanese fans. For us, it's a chance to really get stuck into the old slow methodical style of German Catch before Steve Wright changed everything.  I don't believe, as some Japanese fans seem to do, that this is a shoot. There are too many dropkicks and forearms for that. It's just an old style very earnest Teutonic bout such as Dieter Senior  and Chall would work.

Ring is the same design as in the Hoover camcordings 1980-1981 and a lot of later footage.  Only advert on the ring is something on the ring apron about Schwaben Brau.(Swabian Brew? Beer, I suppose.).  No other commentary audible beneath the Japar. I guess Inoki's camp did a Reslo and brought their own OB crew over to shoot this.  Bit of a longer journey though. Cardiff Vs Tokyo.  Inoki has a nice purple robe, Bock a hooded jogging suit decades before the Hoodie Fad. National anthems are played. The Japanese one sounds a lot nicer than when that bloke sung it at Summerslam 93. I guess he deliberately sang it badly to get Yoko some heat.

So down to business. The referee gives instructions, then they shake hands, go back to their corners and the bell rings.  After stalking each other they lock up and Boch backs Inoki into the ropes.  They breaks abd try for armlocks, hands adjusting positions on forearms like chess pieces until it hits a corner, They try again and Bock gets and armbars plus a leg grapevine, takes Inoki down into a cross press and gets a series of one counts.  Fans are noisily chanting for Bock. Inoki gets his leg on the ropes, so break.  Inoki goes for the leg, Bock counters by going for Inoki's hip and throws him down into a leglock position. They breaks and Inoki gets Bock in a left hand front chancery, switching to a side headlock and then riding him down to the mat in a rear chinlock. Bock maintains height off the mat, topples Inoki and gets a leglock but it goes into the ropes.  Inoki gets in a quick kick to the thigh to make all the fans of his Ali fight happy. Bock gets a fantastic double underhook belly to belly suplex on Inoki, sending him flying!  Inoki catches Back with an upward kick to the jaw as Bock was backing off for the count.  Bock takes down Inoki in the mount and turns him into the guard. Inoki gets a foot under Bock's jaw but can't push off with it. Inoki gets a headscissors and twists to get the pressure. It's going to be very interesting to see Bock's escape but sadly the bell goes.

Sadly no disco between rounds. Was it not invented yet or was this too solemn an occasion? Or maybe the Japanese TV crew were worried about copyright issues. Nice split screen of each man in their corner being tended to buy their seconds. (just like Britain and France ) Round 2:  they stalk each other, Inoki drops to the mat and kicks Bockmin the shins like in the Ali Fight, Bock gives Inoki a football kick back in retaliation.  Bock rear waistlocks Inoki and gets a fantastic belly to back suplex which could have been a great pin attempt but Bock instead rides Inoki into the mount. Inoki gets an armlock on the behind Roland.   He tries to develop it into a hammerlock but Bock has the muscle strength to resist. Bock doesn't try to roll out. Inoki gets on top with the hammerlock, turns it into a ground full nelson then further nelson, the ref checks shoulders but it doesn't reach even a one count. Bock gets back in the mount but Inoki still has the hammerlock on top, developing to a double wristlock. Bock forces it to the ropes and has Inoki's leg, ready to pitch him to riingside but the ref breaks it up.  Bock gets a slap and two forearm smashes but Inoki gets the leg and pulls Bock down ... right into the ropes! Break (eventually) and reset. Bock gets a standing toehold. Inoki gets the ropes, break and reset.  They start to feel for a lockup but the round apparently ends (can't hear a bell.)

Round 3: as they lockup, Inoki fires a dropkick but Bock no-sells it.  Inoki legdives and standing toeholds Bock.  Bock tries to push off with the foot but Inoki makes it a double leglock.  Bock goes on his head and toupees Inoki into a headscissors, converts to armhank, pulls Inoki upright and toupees him again into another headscissor, gets a few one counts, converts to armhank, lets him up and pulls him down. Inoki rolls inwards ito get a mat side headlock on, convert to cross press, gets a one before Bock rolls him off. Break and a fists/chops brawl, a brief down trying to catch an armlock and collar and elbow into the corner for another break. Bock grabs Inoki's throat holding a closed fist menacingly (Michel Saulnier in France would have roasted Bock for this) but another inaudible round bell.

Round 4: Bock considers fisticuffs but gets a grovit instead. Inoki hiptosses Bock down but he gets headscissors.  Inoki gets into the front kneeling position for a rollout, Bock pulls him up and gives him a mini piledriver. Inoki recovers and turns into the guardand bridges until the headscissor is dislodges and folded into a Frank Gotch toehold but it's in the ropes.  Bit of a slap fight into a Bock full nelson but into the ropes again. German audience starting to behave more like typical German audience singing songs in support of Bock like on 80s/90s videos.  Bock gets a belly to belly suplex on Inoki and cross press for a one, then a two!  Inoki gets kneeling front chancery on Bock but it goes into the ropes.  Inoki gets a legdrive but it's not a clean break so the ref has none of it- Inoki gets a quick toehold and kick in before breaking, getting some heat (the bird, mostly) from the crowd, he glares angrily at them.  Bock front chanceries Inoki who degdives him but the bell apparently goes again. They snap at each other on the way back to their corners. Needle.  

Round 5 Inoki gets a front chancery, tries for a snapmare, Bock resists, tries again and takes Bock over into a kneeling front chinlock.  Crowd are rallying Bock for a jawbreaker escape so Inoki switches to side chinlock. Bock struggles and gets Inoki into a fireman's carry takedown but Inoki gets another upwards kick from the mat.  Inoki fires a dropkick and cross presses Bockmfor one, gets another dropkick but has to stand back for a knockout count. Confused and frustrated at the German rules, Inoki stomps Bock which gets him a private warning and more heat from the crowd (the British fans would be LIVID over this.)  The count resumes and Bock is up at eight.  Inoki gets a  side chancery into snapmares into chinlock. The crowd forgives and claps this.   Inoki converts to headscissors and has it on for some time when the bell goes (first time since Round 2 I can actually hear it.)  MC goes "Stop, break. Interval" and Inoki gets the idea and releases. Bock still sells in the mat before heading back to his corner.

Round 6 Inoki takes down Bockmin a chinlock. Bock tries to twist Inoki's leg to Inoki switches for a crosspress for 2 then 1 then Bock bridges out but collapsed and Inoki gets another couple on 1s then switches to an armscissor.  Bock rolls Inoki into a folding press then lifts him in a non comedy version of British C21st midget wrestler Mark "Little Legs" Sealy's Human glove before dumping him in the ropes for a 7 count. Bock gets a standing full nelson and giant swings Inoki into the mount on the mat.  Inoki pushes up but Bock maintains the hold until Inoki reaches the ropes. Up and they both try for a cross buttock but the bell goes.

Round 7 and Inoki goes for the legs and misses. Bock gets double legs and secures a Boston Crab but Inoki makes the ropes. Break. Inoki gets a headlock, Bock tries for a legdrive but Inoki gets the hammerlock as he goes down. Bock gets the head and pulls round into a grovit cum shoulder press on the mat which gets a couple of 2 counts.  Bock pulls up into the hub side chancery and back down into the shoulder press. Inoki escapes and Brock gets a front chancery and tries for a leg but it doesn't work out and he breaks. Inoki gets a side headlock. Bock takes him down and breaks it open into a top wristlock but Inoki turns himself on top.  He gets a couple of 1s then so does Brock and they break.  They lock up, go into the ropes but break bad tenperedly and Inoki is getting another private warning when the bell goes.

Round 8 . Bock gets a wrist lever, Irish whips Inoki down for a soft bump, briefly put a knee on Inoki's chest then tries again for the whip and this time forces Inoki to take a harder louder bump.  Bock puts the footin then armdrags Inoki whom comes back with a headscissors to which he adds a wristlock.  Bock tries a headscissor of his own then briefly considers an armlock before returning to the scissor. Two way headscissors.  Referee reckons it's a stalemate and calls for a break but Inoki puts on a headlock and keeps reapplying. Referee has finally had enough and gives Inoki a first yellow card! Crowd gives Inoki the bird again. He seems to be the subtle heels who doesn't get the European rules.  Bock is angry too, goes for three forearm smashes, bodyslams and posts Inoki. Crowd are behind Bock the babyface. Brock goes for double legs into a Boston Crab. Inoki makes it to the ropes but Bock is slow to release. Kent Walton would call it allowed-for retaliation by Brock.  Inoki legdives but Brock turns it into a loose side folding press for a few ones. The bell goes and it almost looks like Brock has got the fall but it's just he end of the round.  Crowd is singing, Bock is pacing around like a bull waiting to charge

Round 9. Inoki gets the leg but Bock turns him over into a pinning position. He gets a one. Inoki kicks out but then completely misses a dropkick.  The crowd pop but Inoki doesn't sell it that much.  They slap around then Inoki gets tangled in the ropes. Bock goes for him but Inoki hauls him out the ring  before following him out. Bock slugs Inoki a couple of times in a ringside brawl Kent would NOT have approved of (or the IBA).  Referee does at least exert authority and pull them apart. Bock marches back into the ring, Inoki follows. Bock lays in FIVE headbutts before throttling Inoki.  He modifies to an open grovit but the ref still isn't happy and orders a break. Enough retaliation says the ref.  Inoki gets in a headbutt of his own and some chops against the ropes. Ref calls break and gives a stern private warning to Inoki.  Bock delivers a standard front piledriver and side chanceries Inoki to the ropes and ties him up to pummel him but the ref says no. Gives Bock a definite private warning too. They lock up but the bell goes.  Into a music package of highlights so far with some late 80s synth music in top. Very Jim Crockett Promotions - think Starrcade 85 or 86. 

Not the end. Round 10 and Boch is hammering Inoki with headbutts before pitching him out of the ring. A visibly angry Inoki returns to the ring. They lock up and Bock clobbers Inoki in the back three times before Inoki dumps Bock over the ropes at point blank range. In Britain this would have been a second Public Warning for Inoki but the ref is trying to be lenient over a heated contest.  Bock gets a belly to belly suplex on Inoki. He holds off a crosspress with one arm but Bock still gets the odd one count. Inoki rolls in top but into the ropes for a break. Despite this, he keeps chopping away on the fallen Bock and finally gets a Second And Final Yellow Card.  They breaks and lock up.  Bock gets a front chancery, Inoki tries for a slam, Bock tries for a double underhook suplex. Neither succeeds and they break and re-engage. Bock batters Inoki with five forearm smashes flooring him on the third and fifth and getting a 6 count on the latter.  He twice slams and splashes and covers Inoki for a 2 count. Inoki fires back with a dropkick.  They lock up and fall into the ropes when the final bell goes. 

Three ringside judges give their score (see also old Spanish Catch, 1930s British All In and JCP Clash of the Champions part one although none of the judges look like pet of the month - this being Germany. pet of the month would be a large Alsatian dog!) First judge scores for Inoki to catcalls. Second and third to Bock. Clearly those two Yellow Cards cost Inoki dearly. So Bock is the winner on points. A big celebration breaks out, people run the ring, they try to lift Bock on their shoulders but he is too heavy for them. I think Bock gets a belt - he certainly gets a cup from a dignitary and a big bunch of flowers from a pretty blond girl. Inoki watches it all in disgust from his corner but chills out when the blond girl gives him flowers too plus a smaller cup. Bear in mind Kent Walton forgave Bret Hart for a lot worse in his match with Marty Jones in 1981.

So that was the German style pre 1980s. Look at what Bock does in this match with the slower more protracted more worked on holds and the styles of Axel Dieter, Achim Chall. Mile Zrno and others of the pre-Steve Wright era. I wish we had more full bouts from this far back but this is where the German scene was back in 1977 contemporary with Dynamite Kid's rise, Big Daddy's establishment as People's Champion and starting his feud with Giant Haystacks, Kendo Nagasaki 's unmasking, TF1 going colour, Albert Sanniez turning heel and Michel Saulnier starting to become can Arbitre Chiotte. And if course Otto Wanz coming back from South Africa with the CWA belt in his paws. THIS IS SEVENTIES GERMAN WRESTLING.  And I could do with some more. Where is the raw footage of Inoki-Lasaterre?

Bumping up the classic Bock/Inoki match plus review in tribute to Roland Bock RIP

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, David Mantell said:

Quote

Phil Lions wrote:

Roland Bock has passed away, at the age of 81.

Have moved the bumped-up Bock Inoki match to the new page.   In it's original place I will say a few words of tribute to Bock.  One of two Tectonics along with Otto to bring a foreign World title to Germany and Austria in 1978.    A no nonsense working class German babyface with a big beard who probably owned a ferocious Alsatian and smoked a pipe, lik3 they all do.  An easy babyface for Germans to understand.

The Inoki match is pretty legendary among Puro circles,  although clearly not a shoot it's a very stiff no nonsense bout.

It would be great to view in full, Der Sportliche Helde and also th3 full TV show with Bock in a tag match and Brock Vs a bear.

[David Mantell]

Christmas in Bremen 1982 with a triple tag match putting Caswell Martin, Bobby Gaetano and Wolfgang Saturski to face Judd/Gunboat Harris, Indio Guajaro and Rasputin (Johnny Howard/Shawn Doyle - this is just months after one very different Raspoutine popped  up on FR3 although the "II" billing is more in reference to Frank "Wild Angus" having used the Rasputin name in a lot of Europe.  Referee is Mick McMichael in his kilt - probably thesecond best technical wrestler in the ring after Martin!  Harris and Doyle were well known Daddy fodder when not popping up on the recently launched Reslo). while Gaetano had been Marty Jones's opponent in his initial World Mid Heavyweight Championship win as seen on the British thread.  

The source tape has been through the wars - seemingly all colour signal has been scrubbed off through decades of heavy duty playback and generations of copying.

First session Gaetano and Guajaro start, Bobby offers a handshake, Indio will have none of it. He throws and stomps Bobby who cartwheels out of trouble and hits repeated dropkicks.  Cas and Judd tag in.  Harris gets a grovit, snapmare and bodychecks Martin who comes back with a leapfrog and legflip.  Rasputin tags in and gets a legdive and trip into standing single toehold and spread but Cas spins him off with a bump.  Cas cartwheels off a single finger Interlock and gets a crosspress for 1.  Rusputin gets a suplex but Martin's fett his the ropes and he forms a bridge. Rasputin chops it down but only gets 1, twice. He perseveres and ends up with a double anklesmash to the head.   Martin, a frequent tag partner of Georg "Schurli" Blemenschutz in these parts (against all three of the heel team) , lands spinning kicks and forearm to Judd and Indio, clearing the ring. Judd tries his luck but Cas dropkicks him then tags Saturski. Wolfgang gets posted by Indi9 headlocks him but the Judd runs in with a forearm. Satursk8 hangs on, withstands an Indio bodycheck and armdrags his man three times. Cut to Wolfgang double legdiving and slingshotting him first to the top turnbuckle then to ringside. 

For some reason there is "Ein Pause" in the bout. everyone gets in the ring and the DJ plays a record even though nothing is scored and  rounds are only in singles match.  Perhaps @Jetlag or any other German speakers can explain. 

One and a half ??? Session.  Rasputin resumes with Saturski and Fireman Carries him down into a front chinlock.  Bobby tags in. and chinlocks Rasputin. Caz tags but Rasputin works him over, illegally hair drops him, Cas retaliates with a grab of the Irishman's beard which McMichael breaks up physically. Martin gets his own chinlock on and works Rasputin's ears with his fett.  Harris tags in but Martin avoids a legdive, gets a leapfrog and superkicks.  Harris gets back with a battering of blows. Indio and Wolfgang tag in.  Indio gets an arm, drags Saturski to his corner and all three men work on the limb.  Bob y and Caz come to the rescue and  Bobby tags in, works on Rasputin's arm and superkicks him.  Rasputin steps out in protest. In the end Wolf tags back in and gets a Headlock then tags Bobby and hands the hold to him!  No escape by complaining.  He throws Rasputin down and gets him in a full nelson, drops to a rear legdive, hits the ropes, comes off with a dropkick then tags Martin. 

Another of these round breaks.  DJ plays Scotland the Brave for Mick who wasn't real Scottish (Doncaster being in South Yorkshire.).   Just as curiously it all springs back into action with a triple bulldog head slam and six man rowboating then three posting and beatdowns.  It ends with  Rasputin Fireman's Carrying Martin, dropping him on the ropes and choking him.  Wolf to the rescue drops Rasputin on the ropes.  He tags in, Rasputin tags Harris who batters Wolf and fishhooks his nose until Mick pulls him off.  Guajaro tags in headlocks Wolf, Wolf tries a Fireman's carry lift but Harris punçhes Wolf in the stomach and Indio beats him down.  drags him by the hair, smashes him into Rasputin's knee and finally gets a standing full nelson. Harris takes over the treatment Wolf again tries the Fireman's Carry, this time it's Rasputin who makes the save.  Wolf tries again and this time pitches Harris to ringside.  Martin comes in on the hot tag, go8 going on a  dropkick rampage on all the heels.  Rasputin gets a toe hold and Indio a slam but Cas gets a ground dropkick.  Harris is soon back beating on and chinlocking Cas but he ties up Jadd and Guajaro in the ropes to get them. Guajaro is soon free and has pressure points onBobbhho gets free and ties Harris up, cartwheels over to Rasputin's side and ties him also.  Bobby dive bombs them both and all three faces drive Indio into Rasputin then tie him also and bomb him.  McMichael frees Harris and Rasputin but leaves Indio - Wolfgang, pretending to be Indio's seconds, fans him with a towel, Bobb6 pours a water bottle, the DJ plays something childish and sarcastic in German.  It looks like another of these odd round breaks. 

The bell goes and Rasputin pounds on Ca and throws him. Cas tries a flying tackle, Rasputin gets a slam. Cas gets a ground dropkick.  Caz tries another flying tackle, takes Rasputin down but he bridges out and flings Caz to ringside.  But Caz comes back with a sunset flip and double leg nelson for 2.  Indio tags in and Caz tags Bobby who ducks under, leapfrogs. dropkicks , climbs the corner and gets one missile dropkick, climbs another corner. gets a flying bodypress and what appears to be the first actual fall . Babyfaces one up.   

Cut to the finish of the seconds straight fall - Saturski has the bigger Harris beaten from pillar to post. He gets him in an aeroplane spin, lets him fly and splashes him for a second straight. Babyfaces win.

A lot more action packed than I expected. Round breaks in a tag were confusing

[David Mantell]

From the long and boisterous to the short and scientific.  Staying in Bremen but hopping forwards 12 years, Tony StClair takes on a young kid called Wolf Trenker.  Again Mick McMichael is referee in his kilt.

Runde 1:  they shake hands, always a good start.  An Initial lock-up hits the ropes.  Tony gets a wristlever, Wolf rotates 90' horizontally on his back on the roll through before completing the kip up.  He gets a wristlever of his own but Tony reverses it so Wolf uses the same two stage counter with the horizontal turn using his behind as axis. Tony switches to a single leg takedown into another wrist lever. Wolf is trying a third time for the escape so Tony startsto fold the arm into a hammerlock. Wolf flips overc and takes a bump to straighten out the arm. An interesting idea but Tony gets a headscissors on.  Wolf turns it upright and uncorks his head, but Tony deliberately stays down til 9, perhaps a tip of the cap to his and Mick's mutual friend and opponent Vic Faulkner.  It amused the audience, even those who don't know Vic.  Trenker gets a side headlock switching to wristlever then back to side headlock, taking his man down and down.  Tony turns him into a side folding press and only gets 1, then 2 on a second attempt.  Tony gets up, throws his man off but a bodycheck attempt floors them both.  Tony gets a side headlock and cross buttocks Wolf down to the guard in the hold.  Now it's Wolf's turn to try the turnover into side folding press. He gets 1 twice then a headscissors. Tony easily kips out and lands with a mild bump.  Tony gets a single leg into mat leglock, Wolf reaches forward for a crossface but the MC gets Mick to call a pause on things, so they break.  The crowd clap whatever it was. the wrestlers shake hands and resume.  They lock up the Tony switches to a legdive into toe and ankle.  Wolf turns out laterally so Tony releases, retakes the hold, gets a leglock on but th3 bell rings for an end of round (so that earlier holdup was not one, whatever else it was.  Something in German,  late 80s power-ballad . I guess a French fan is in the audience as so done offers to pay a tip to both men.

Round 2.  Tony gets an arm, briefly tries a front facelock, goes back to th3csrm, whips is man off the ropes and backdrops him but Trenker gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for 1. They get up.  Tony gets a side headlock, comes off the ropes in a flying tackle but Wolf catches and plants him. only gets the 1. They reset but Tony shoves Wolf down. forearm smashes him into the corner, long suplexes him and rolls over into a cross press for the one fall required.  Handshakes all round again.

Short but sweet. Probably the best technical wrestling I'll review today.

[David Mantell]

My last two posts to the British were a pair of tag matches from 2012 and 1982, both resting a visiting American trying to fit in.  Now here's another one from September 1999. Four brilliant European tradition technical wrestlers (including referee Jeff Kaye) and, er. Black Navy Seal *shrug*...

Seal's real name was Lenny Howard, he was trained in Florida by Jim Backlund , he served time as a jobber in the WWF and WCW, he really had been a US Navy Seal and that- as Kent Walton would say if masked wrestlers - is all I know about him.  Karsten you'll have seen have a couple of great matches on this thread and you'll also have heard me sing James Mason's praises on the British thread.  This is back in the days when he had hair.  As for the Wildcat, he was on fire at the time as the biggest heel in Germany.  

Seal and KK kick things off, Seal shoving Karsten around.  Karsten ducking all Seal's moves then going to work with dropkicks before getting In Ames in to double dropkick Seal out of the ring.  Robbie is at ringside, griping and cussing. He steps up to face James - about 12 years later I saw these two have a fairly decent clean match in Dudley circa 2011.  Here Robbie gets the dirties in first before whipping James who backwards scoots through Brookside's legs and  dazzles him with various blows and a flying bodypress for 2.   Karsten tags in, Robbie gets a side headlock into wristlock.  Karsten, one of the post Steve Wright generation, rolls out and takes a wrist of his own, advancing to a full armbar.   Robbie direties his way out and drags KK over to the heel corner and tags Seal who goes to work with the illegal punches.  Jeff Kaye gives him a first yellow card and the MC growls at him like a judge pronouncing  death sentence but Seal just glowers back like a big American psycho heel who cares not for European rules and the more civilised wrestling here.  He has a rather good spinning kick and a Big Boot to give all you Hulkamaniacs a warm feeling.  Eventually Karsten catches one of Seal's kicks and atomic drops him.  He mostly sticks to clotheslines because Seal knows how to sell these.  Seal has a surprisingly good leapfrog himself and a somewhat over-energetic flying forearm smash that sends both himself and KK tumbling to ringside.  Seal does a suplex at ringside - if not for that last detail the best scientific move so far in the bout - and gets back in the ring.  The ref and MC are angry at seal some more and James goes to help his partner back into the ring - and straight into another Seal onslaught.  KK is kicked back out the ring and kept out with a frankly rather good sliding dropkick.  Karsten takes better care coming back this time, dropkicking Seal as he vaults the ropes.  James tags and goes to work but Seal shuts him off, slams him into Brookside's boots and himself makes the tag.  Brookside gets a side chancery throw and  both heels kick James on the mat.  Robbie and referee Jeff have a lengthy argument then Robbie gets a full nelson on James. Seal comes in but James backdrops him over both himself and Robbie! James then does the flying Headlock/flying headscissors on both opponents.  He and KK grab Robbie and drive him into Seal's chest in the corner.  Both heels drop to ringside as the faces celebrate.  KK and Robbie gets set to resume, but not before Robbie has a gob of abuse at the crowd and moans about something.  Robbie fouls both men and gets into a row with James and Jeff while Seal works on KK in ht he  corner. Seal, astonishingly has another good more. a powerful grovit.  KK tries to force back to his and James's corner.  He does well but James decides to jump start the hot tag and is correctly reprimanded by Kaye - which allows Seal and Brookside to corner and double team KK.  Robbie and James are both in exchaning forearms.  James tries to flying headscissor Brookside off the corner post but Robbie sort of powerbombs him and finally shows his scientific skill with a neat front folding press for the one required fall. Robbie comes up to camera and smirks.  Doctor Frankenstein has found a new pet.

Not the technical classic you might expect from James, Robbie and KK.  Mostly it's a vehicle for building Seal as a Euro version of Zeus with Robbie as his Macho King Randy Savage and the two youngsters as jobbers.

 

[David Mantell]

Off to the Heumarkt in August 1992 for a Battle Royale.  

Pretty much a who's who of the CWA 1992 including Steve Regal and Paul Neu, gets in and has a fairly generic battle royal.  The images freezes up a few times. Didier Gapp and Mick McMichael in his kilt can be seen wandering past the camera.  It comes down to Rambo Vs two heels double teaming him who screw up, collide and end up being eliminated for a big babyface win.

Talking of the Heumarkt, Getty Images has a whole load of good pic of Vienna tournaments from the 50s/60s

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=vienna+wrestling+heumarket&iar=images&t=euandroid&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fc8.alamy.com%2Fcomp%2F2X136HR%2Fvienna-on-july-17th-1990-big-otto-wanz-l-and-his-wrestler-troup-battle-royal-presented-their-new-single-dynamite-in-viennas-heumarkt-arena-19900717-pd0002-rechteinfo-rights-managed-rm-2X136HR.jpg

[David Mantell]

Five years earlier in Hamburg, French born. Germany based promising youngster Dennis Goulet has a good sporting go at carrying Billy Samson to a decent scientific match.

The DJ plays something Latin American sounding.  Goulet looks like a member of the Midnight Express or the RPMs in his purple and silver jacket plus headband.  The two shake hands ..

Runde 1:  Samson gets a front chancery. Goulet uses a spinning motion to not only uncurl it I to an armbar but also get a high whip and bump- Samson seems shocked by the impact!  Goulet this time gets the front chancery and an underhook.  Samson lifts him for a backdrop but instead places him in the ring apron and graciously holds the ropes open for him- Goulet accepts and bows in response. Samson gets a rather nice snapmare into front chinlock.  Goulet powes his way up but Samson forces him all the way down.  Get lifts Samson on his shoulders and deposits him on the corner post.  Samson gets an arm and makes an armhank on the mat of it., catching Goulet 's head to make a headscissors.  Goulet gets into an upright kneel but Samson drags  him back down.  The bell goes, Samson releases and they shake hands.

Runde 2. Samson throws Goulet who comes back with a flying tackle for 1.  Samson whips .Goulet and goes for a backdrop bt5 Goulet gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson for 2.   Goulet gets an armlock sideways on.  Samson cross buttock throws him but Goulet uses the momentum to armdrag the bigger man!  He ends up with a guard armbar.  Samson forces his way up and tries another throw but  Goulet ends up armdragging him again, right back into th3 guard armlock.  (Some annoying guy in the crowd is blowing on a birdie whistle.). Samson pulls himself up and this time twists the arm backwards before hiptossing him and finally gets the desired bump for his man.  Goulet goes from collar and elbow to legdive but Samson spins him off, bumping Goulet again. Samson this time gets the leg and put on an Indian Deathlock at 90'.  It ends in stalemate and the referee has to  untwine the legs.  The bell goes, more handshakes.  

Runde 3 and Goulet gets a slam and bodychecks Samson down.  He charges but Samson ducks under and then gives Goulet a BIG backdrop like he tried in round 1.  He splashes Dennis for the one pinfall required.

Quite a pleasing match, Samson's strength being used intelligently and he has a surprising array of skillful moves.

[David Mantell]

On 1/1/2026 at 11:07 AM, David Mantell said:

Talking of the Heumarkt, Getty Images has a whole load of good pic of Vienna tournaments from the 50s/60s

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=vienna+wrestling+heumarket&iar=images&t=euandroid&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fc8.alamy.com%2Fcomp%2F2X136HR%2Fvienna-on-july-17th-1990-big-otto-wanz-l-and-his-wrestler-troup-battle-royal-presented-their-new-single-dynamite-in-viennas-heumarkt-arena-19900717-pd0002-rechteinfo-rights-managed-rm-2X136HR.jpg