German catch

[David Mantell]

On 7/18/2026 at 11:28 PM, David Mantell said:

We've finally reached our last 1986 bout and it's a special one:

 

Two big men go at it that summer.  Otto is now obese,  eight years into his second CWA title reign. Next year he and Peter Wilhelm will seize the IBV from Nico S and turn it into Catch Wrestling Austria. Andre has let the Machines angle get its own steam and is off having a rest , filming the Princess Bride,, chilling out - and having this match.  Andre had plenty of visits eastwards across the Rhine before moving from  France to Quebec.

This is part of a professionally filmed Otto's Greatest Fights videotape - we see a caption slides with an image of the CWA belt.  

Runde  1 is very much built around armlocks,double wristlocks, Hammerlocks from front,  position armbars.  If Andre doesn't have a kimura/double wristlock/ hammerlock with bar in place, he is desperate y trying to get one, try to bend a straight Otto arm into a figure four position. It's very much an old German.Wrestling, the slow leverage battles of Axe CV6 Otto tries to counter with a crotch holds, trying for a slam.  Andre is hesitant to release on the bell and although his alliance with Heenan is 6 months off, he settles into the heel role for this bout from this point.  To be fair he only knew much of rounds from trips to the UK, Spain and Germany/Austria.

Runde 2 is more of a slug and punch brawl. Otto slugs out of the armlock attempt and off they go.  Andre tries choking Otto who shoves him to ringside and later ties him up.  Otto is now  the one trying for a double wristlock.  He levers Andre down, turns him into the  Guard, tries and tries for a cross press but Andre turns him over and gets an American small package for  one (or maybe it was a very messy side folding press.Andrecgets up but misses a splash and is kicked around as he gets the ropes.  They brawl in the ropes as the bell (hooter goes). 

Runde 3 - more of the same - armbars on the ropes - slug and punch.  Andre gets a leglock on the mat.  Otto gets a top wristlock on the mat then an armhank.  Andre sells it noisily.  Aand eventually gets his own leglock.  Into Gotch toehold!. Otto tries to push up and holds on until the hooter goes.

Runde 4. Andre gets long knockdowns from an elbow and a headbutt then choked Otto until Wanz reverses on the ropes. Wanz ejected Andre sits on Otto like he did in the WWF.to opponents such as Ax.  Otto gets a front chancer.y into abdominal stretch.   The hooter goes.

Runde 5. Oddly like the finish of WM3. Andre goes to work, misses a boot, Otto gets a slam and somersault splash but Andre puts up a boot to catch Otto on the chin.  Andre covers Otto and eventually gets a very slow 3 count for the one fall required

Found a promo for this match:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1572592804362902/

 

[David Mantell]

On 8/1/2026 at 11:11 AM, David Mantell said:

1988 - 17 December, on the day of ITV's The Final Bell

And therefore already not a happy day in the life of Martin Ruane. The above was his starter for 10. And then THIS happens

 

(Haystacks here is called Luc Haystacks, a reference to his early ring name Luke McMasters.  This makes for extra confusion as Rambo's real name is Luc Poirier. So we have the battle of the Lucs.)

For a good three Runden or so Stax takes out his frustrations over Greg Dyke on Poirier, sometime putting pressure points on but ,let's just bludgeoning him.  Eventually Rambo Hulks up, gives Haystacks a solid pounding and -astonishingly- scores the one required pinfall! He gets a massive pop as Didier Gapp raises his hand, astonishingly when you consider that up until this point he has been a hated heel in the German speaking world.

So that's the match done but the video clip is still only halfway through.(Did you really think Stax was going half an hour?). We get what looks like a Ringerparade except most people are dressed in street clothes including some smart suits.  Samoan Sika Anoia in particular turns out to be quite the snappy dresser when not being a Samoan savage. Everyone including Fit Finlay's missus Princess Paula gets presented with bouquets of flowers although Colonel Brody ignores his. A couple of trophies also get handed out.  Haystacks turns up late to the party, no doubt sulking over his defeat.

[David Mantell]

Franz Vs Frank.  I thought we'd seen some Merckx before but can't find any.  I shall call them Z and K after the different letters that end their otherwise similar first names.

K is a big man, I think he's black.  Hard to tell from the longshot and poor colour (apart from a yellow sign an a couple of pastel coloured ladies cardigans.). The MC calls him Mercier but he is no relation to Guy, Marc and Paul. They stall a lot. Z wedges out of a Headlock on the mat and there is the odd good throw. Z spends forever trying to rest snapmare the much heavier K, does it in the end.

And so it goes on. Z gets a nice French style flying headscissors takedown.whenever Z makes a good move he gets a oop, sadly including an airhorn.  K starts doing punches and the MC tells off "It's not boxing!". K is getting dirty, chokes on the ropes. "SCHTOP!!!"

About 30min into the match, two guys run in the ring, beat up both competitors and are escorted out. Not sure if this is a run in angle or crowd rowdies. I think they could even be plants paid to spice things up.  A little under 10min later Z gets the one fall required with a flying tackle.

Very long and ponderous. A throwback the the pre Steve Wright days.

TBC