German catch

[David Mantell]

On 5/6/2020 at 8:34 PM, Ricky Jackson said:

This bad boy just turned up yesterday 

Has anyone committed the time and know if it's worth a watch? 

It's my birthday this weekend so I'm going out so I'm getting this done early.  We're between 1981 and 1983 on here so I gave this 1982 epic a proper long watch through.

It's 1982 so Sarge is moonlighting between being NWA World tag team champion with Don Kernodle, being a WWF heel with the Grand Wizard and this.  He's announced as Bob Slaughter and wears a cummerbund instead of his military uniform.  I expect this was shot in colour but a combination of many generations of copies and heavy playback has worn off the colour signal entirely.

It's no scientific classic - in fact a lot of the wild out of the ring brawling is very @ohtani's jacket- friendly.  The Cobra Clutch does pop up a couple of times, the bell saving Wanz one time (is this what Sarge meant when he complained about the confusing European rules?). Wanz uses a couple of leglocks/toeholds and gets the one required submission with a full Boston Crab.  Otherwise it's all very slug and punch, particularly the poor old referee who gets it badly from Sarge.

After the match Wanz gets his belts and enough bouquets to restock Adrian Adonis's Flower Shop while Sarg3 the  soldier gets a medal for valour.  All te3 while through the end celebrations your eyes are on Sarge to see if he will trigger an after birth.  In the end Wanz offers hima handshake but he refuses and storms off in a strop to return the next year.

[David Mantell]

Another clip of Roland Bock from Der Sportliche Held has turned up.  This time he's up against Billy Samson.

Fans are shown pouring into the venue and giving their comments rather like a similar piece at the Heumarkt  in the 60s. We then cut to Billy with Bock in a chinlock, chin against the inner joint.  Bock gets Billy up into a Fireman's Carry Takedown and throws him off.  They exchange forearm smashes then Samson gets a snapmare and reapplies the chinlock in one movement.  Bock seems to be going for another Fireman's Carry. aiming at Samson's ankle, but the Runde ends there (with a whistle, not a ball.). Cut to Samson getting a legdive into leglock/toehold. He works the hold for some time before switching to a standing single toe and ankle hold.  Bock has to pull his shoulders forward to avoid a possible pinfall count. Occasionally he relaxed and takes a 1 count. He tries kicking Samson off, succeeding at the second attempt.  Cut to Billy powering out of an armlock - he is standing and front facing - so Bock slams him down, restoring things to Bock having an armlock in the guard. Samson stands up again and gets a cross buttock throw but Bock rolls with it and so keeps his guard armlock.  Samson powers up yet again and this time it's Bock who goes for the cross buttock to take things down again.   Cut to Bock with the chinlock from earlier regained.  Samson gets up and bounce-throws Bock off the ropes but Bock parries the throw and instead takes Samson down, back into the guard armlock. Cut to Bock getting a posting and a double underhook suplex for another 2 count.  The ref is knocked over but Bock picks him up and sets him on his feet again.

Cut to an interview with Nico S of the VdB. Then cut to a four man brawl at ringside with Nico dangerously close and distinctly annoyed!  

Bock Vs Samson is real old time German stuff, everything slow and deliberate with the last option tried being the one that  works.

Back to 1983 at the weekend.

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/5/2025 at 2:53 PM, Jetlag said:

Quote

Blond giant Brit Dave Morgan didn't have his Maschke on and was in a good mood on this early 1983 show until a much smaller German called Gunther (not that one, he wasn't even born for another 4 years) Wagner stung him badly in this match.  It's a spliced together highlights package unfortunately but let's make the most of it.

Wagner is part of the same old school as Roland Bock, Axel Dieter Senior and Achim Challenge and he works the same methodical stoic style that was characteristic of German wrestling until Steve Wright changes things.  The David Vs Goliath angle here spruces things up somewhat. (Even if this Goliath happens to be called David.

You've got these two badly confused. Wagner is the taller German, and Dave Morgan is the shorter Brit, who notably spent a lot of time as a globe trotter and eventually settled in Germany. Wagners reputation as a worker really wasn't very good.

Okay, here we go with 1983  this time. I've got the correct one for Gunther.  Curly lighter  hair, tall. gold trunks.  Teaming with Bobby Gaetano and behaving himself to face John "Judd"/"Gunboat" Harris, a Brit like Morgan and Indio Guajaro, Germany's answer to France's Black Shadow.

There's quite a bit of stop and start title sequence added years later before  the bout commences.  (Ther3 ar3 also so e odd voiceovers I don't understand.) 

When it does get going it's pretty much your typical fun 'n family friendly German tag match. The two big men start with Harris getting the early advantage with a mix of strength and dirty moves . Indio continues the trestment then Harris is back with a legdive and leglock. Th3 heels double cream Gold Gunther but  a high energy Gaetano gets the hot tag, Ali shuffling, snapmaring Indio, leapfrogging Harris so H3 bodychecks the ropes and falls over for 6,   Indio takes back the heat with a snapmare into some illegal stomps on the fallen Bobby, then Harris gets to forearm smashing, illegal choking work.  Gaetano gets a hope spot cartwheeling out of an Indio  cross buttock, leapfrogging to behind his man and scoring with some dropkicks and a chinlock.He eventually ties up both heels in the ropes and he and Gunther do all, the old battering ram spots to the baddies.   By the time this is done we are 2/3 of the way through this clip.  Gunther gets cornered by Harris a d the heels double team to get back their heat till Harris gets a pin on Gunther.  

Second fall, Gaetano tags in bu5 things still go the heels' way until Gaetano goes on a dropkicking rally, finding Harris to ringside and flying tackles Indio down for a cross press equaliser to make it 1-1. 

At this point things wrap up quick - between falls the two heels attack Gaetano and the referee   forcing a DQ. They beat on until Gunthre comes to the rescue.

Fun but lightweight compared to Myers-Apollon on the British thread..

TBC