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

[David Mantell]

Otto versus the visiting American, Black Bart, former World Class champion and sometime WWF jobber has Orig Williams in his coner, Otto has Steve Wright in his.   A man with a trumpet plays the US and Austrian National anthems.  He's not the only only horn player here, dozens of the crowd have those airborne you Americans HATE.  There's also a jazz funk version between rounds of Time After Time, a song by former WWF Diva Cyndi Lauper.

It's a professional multi cam  set up but let down by a lighting failure,  the match taking place in shadowy darkness like that WWF In You House where they had a power cut. Lights only improved about 5 minutes from the end.  The match is your usual Otto Brawl and your usual Cowboy Bart brawl Little to write blow by blow about.  Otto gets the odd good side chancery throw on Bart.  They also brawl outside the ring a lot -;OJ will like thafThey have an electronic sound effect instead of a bell for Runden.  

Otto gets the win with a bodyslam and big splash pin .  The public charges the ring like that old Bob Backlund clip from a title sequence.  You get what you pay for with an Otto mat frankly. 

 

[David Mantell]

Okay, at least one of these guys is a European with technical skills. The ref is Didier Gapp former French Arbitre Méchant turned comedy hero of Germans and Austrians.  Plus we postpone thhe battle of two Superheavyweight blobs for next weekend (you'll see).

Runde 1 sand both absorb each others bodycheck attempts til Zrno dropkicks Rambo and twice armdrags him.  Quite a lot installing.  Twice Zrno gets a hammerlock and Zrno goes straight for the ropes, major heal heat throughout Europe. The second time Zrno kicks Rambo's behind.  Crowd are chanting "MILE MILE MILE".  Rambo twice uses a hairpull tho win a top wristlock battle. Mile gets a headlock and plans to forerarm smash Rambo. The bell goes but Mile presses ahead and is warned by Didi. Mile and Didi have a blazing row.

Runde 2. The first good scientific move of the bout - Mile rolls therefrom and kips out of a Rambo armbars.  He forearms the Quebecr who pulls him down by the hair.  Mile kips up , forearms, is hairpulled down, then in a second scientific move and a real beauty, steps over Rambo's head, unrolls himself and coils back up with a ground position dropkick.  Mile gets a Headlock, Rambo a rear waistlock.  There is a battle to throw each other. Zrno wins.  Cut to Mile battering Rambo with kicks.  Mile gets a drop toehold into Gotch toehold and leans back to make an Indian Deathlock.  Cut to Rambo clotheslining Zrno and repeatedly stomping on him, breaking the KO count.  A brawl erupts, Zrno swings at Dido and gets a First Yellow Card.  Rambo stomps a fallen Zrno again as the bell goes. He carries on and and gets a first yellow card of his own.  Even that does not deter him as he posts Mile back to his corner. Didi holds the yellow card up again- not sure if this is a Second And Final or just a reminder to Rambo

Runde 3   Rambo gets a front facing back hammerlock.  Zrno tries to slam him but to no avail.  Rambo  batters him down.  He gets a full Boston Crab. Zrno does not submit so Rambo, bored, drops the hold and stomps Mike in the back.  He actually lets him up before smashing his head into the corner.  Rambo hides a concealed punch from Didi but Gapp is suspicious.  Rambo gets a posting for 6, a side headlock into concealed punch. Another posting Zrno converts into a flying bodypress but only gets 1.  So he lands three uppercuts and dropkicks Rambo out of the ring.  Cut to the bell going but Zrno gets in a stomp this time.  

Runde 4 JIP  and Rambo is staggering.  Zrno dropkicks him and rear snapmares him and flying cross headscissors him twice with Rambo taking spinning bumps.  Another dropkick sends Rambo to the apron.  Zrno tries to stomp him off.  He gets a not very good shoulderblock, tries again but Rambo gets a big boot.  He smashes Rambo's head twice in the turnbuckle, posts him, bodyslams him and gets the one required fall. Rambo is the winner.

The scientific European Vs the Arrogant North American with total contempt for European rules. A common enough trope in all Europe.  A few real bits of sparkle, mainly from Zrno,- the unroll and recoil into ground dropick.  Rambo won and he went on to bigger things in the CWA, mainly against another arrogant American, Bull Power.

 

[David Mantell]

Sadly there is nothing suitably short from 1988 Germany/Austria to serve as a second bout like the British and French threads so here instead is a music video from the people who gave you We Are Dynamite. Worth watching for the sight of Haystacks in a sun visor. shades and Hawaiian shirt.  Oh and Paul Neu is a much better singer than rapper.

 

[David Mantell]

On 9/5/2026 at 5:41 PM, David Mantell said:

Plus we postpone thhe battle of two Superheavyweight blobs for next weekend (you'll see).

I did warn you

Like Otto vs Black Bart, I've linked to this in the past but not reviewed it.  Yokuzuna the future extended interim WWF World Champion.

Runde 1 is mostly a brawl OJ will like, occasionally settling into a Kokina nerve hold or Otto getting a toehold.  

Cute to Runde 3 - more of the same. some okay snapmares from each other. Kokina spends a lot of the round being dormant.

Runde 4 Still much the same to be honest.

Runde 5 dItto

Runde 6, Otto gets the win with a clothesline, somersault splash,,slam  and crosspress for the pinfall win.  

It made a lot of drunks in Bremen happy.

Here is a fan cam off YouTube:

 

 

 

 

[David Mantell]

Okay that just leaves 1989 and 1987 which we already leaving til last due to sheer volume of footage. So here we go with 1989

 

We begin this week with a bout later rescreened as part of New Catch Season 2 on Eurosport in 1991.  Mick McMichael from Doncaster in his kilt refereeing. German commentary by Peter Wilhelm.   (I've heard the Zenglish version- Orig keeps calling Sasake a Kamikaze pilot!)

Three years before Rambo loses the CWA title to Hawk, here he faces Hawk's future Hell Raisers partner.

Runde 1 - Sasake is the heel here, getting the brawling going with stiff chops to which Rambo (whom Wilhelm calls "Rocky Montana's) responds, knocking Sasake out of the ring.  Rambo gets a double wristlock but it goes into the ropes.  Sasake kicks out of a double Interlock and they hit the ropes, Rambo getting a flying elbowsmash and clothesline. Sasake leaves the ring them corners and beats down Rambo., continuing to slug and kick him down before following down with a throttle until McMichael calls him off. They are both up and Rambo is no selling punches, Hulking up somewhat. He slugs, posts twice and slams Sasake. Rambo gets a good backdrop and a camel clutch.  I don't hear a bell but Mick sends the both back to their corners and the DJ puts something jolly on.

Runde 2 - Sasake races in and pounds Rambo.  He gets a dropkick (the first bit of skill from Kensuke) but misses a second one.  Rambo gets a suplex and pin.

Short brutal fight.  You can see why Hawk teamed with this guy.

 

[David Mantell]

Having started 1989, I'm going to pause it a couple of weeks. Here is a tag match from 1983 at the Vienna Heumarkt:

Axel Dieter&Eugen Wiesberger vs Ivan Strogoff&Klaus Wallas .  Dieter is the old Only Shooter here who got fed dog food by Dynamite Kidd. Strogoff we've seen some of on French TV.   Wallas was a judoka who flipped between good guy and bad guy status, fighting Mamdouh Farag on Egyptian TV.  Eugen I know nothing off.  I don't expect it to outdo Corne Vs Richard for my Match of the last 2 weeks 

This was filmed in cheap Amber lighting (filament floodlights)  so looks black and yellow.  Strogoff is bald and beardy, the same as we know him on French TV.  Klaus has long hair and a big body.  The good guys are smaller, Diete with refeeding hair.

Someone gets a folding press early on. Lots of finger interlocks and long guard armlocks . This Eufen has some good snapmares and flying headscissors.  The two villains have the power edge. The story is all monster heels Vs plucky but probably doomed babyfaces - Powers of Pain Vs Rockers. Or maybe Haystaks and KIrk Vs Marty Jones and Steve Logan MK2.j. One babyface gets a yellow card for coming in without tagging.  Eugen makes a hot tag.  Bit of a pile up in the corner near the end.  One babyface, Eugen scores a beg submission. Cue awful, whistly Austrian folk music, like pigeons singing the Blue Danube. 

Second session. Wallas and Eugen slug it out. Dieter comes in. Time runs out. I think babyfaces get awarded the win for a 1-0 lead at time. A difficult watch and best left to drunen bear festival goers 

1986 bout next week then back to 1989.

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/15/2024 at 11:16 AM, David Mantell said:

Oh yes and here is Laurent Bock (relation? alias?). wrestling in a TV Studio in Germany before doing an angle with a bear (don't worry he doesn't wrestle it, the critter was probably just a fan).

This show was NOT a wrestling show, just a general sports magazine show that did a wrestling feature in the studio one time. I think there is a similar snippet in the into to the  Lasertasse-Inoki clip. Having said that, their Studio Wrestling footage looks a lot more impressive than anything WTBS could manage at Techwood drive, never mind the other Southern US TV studio rasslin' shows. Not bad for beginners. @Jetlag you're German, do you recognise the show?

I've found out a bit more about this. It took place in 1976.  Bock and some Blond guy Vs  Danny Lynch and Peter "Tally Ho" Kaye.  Lynch started  headbutting the blond guy and the TV host throws a wobbly.  He thinks it's all nasty and violent and calls a halt. Poor old bear never ever got its match.  I hope it got paid. The handler for the bear was the owner of the local circus from whence it came.

This is the only colour VT  of German/Austrian Catch to predate the Japanese tape of Bock vs Inoki from Nov 1978.  

[David Mantell]

On 9/27/2026 at 3:23 PM, David Mantell said:

1986 bout next week then back to 1989.

Actually I've also found a 1985 bout also. But that can wait til next week.  In the meantime 1986.

Three of the four plus the referee are Brits familiar to any ITV fan.  Mister Only One Shooter Here is the other man.  We start with Rasputin getting a toehold on Axel and spinning on it. He tries again with the leg and leans forward to make a one legged folding press of sorts but Herr Dieter gets Herr Doyle in a crossed head scissors, goes up in a couple (hence the recording hairline) and takes him down. Cut to them in standing position then Tom Wright offering Brody a handshake which the Colonel refuses.  The Colonel gets an arm and Wright goes over on his head, legs in a Y position, then goes into his bouncing  back and forth trick before kipping up and stepping over the armbar and getting a side chancery throw into rear chin lock.  Rasputin jumps on top with his own headlock so Axel comes in and boots Rasputin in the back, causing him to rear up. Wright escapes and Rasputin falls back forward and applies the hold again - on the Colonel!  The penny only drops as Axel quietly steps in and looks on, hand on hip, with sheer SCHADENFREUDE at the sight of one heel healocking the other. It takes a lot to make me like Mr Dog food Eater but I think this just manages it!   Somewhat anticlimactically Wright leaps off the top turnbuckle into precisely nobody and he and the Colonel resume.  Brody gets front pressure point but Steve gets double legs and shoots the Colonel over the ropes (Brody has a district slow ringside bump- spot him doing the same in 1991 Vs Owen Hart in New Catch Season 2 on Eurosport.- "OVER goes the Colonel!"- Orig). Then we see Rasputin take a similar bump then Steve slingshots the Colonel in, ties him in the ropes and catapults Rasputin at him then Steve and Axel use Rasputin to ram Brody.  Cut to Brody and Wright again, Brody puts Wright on the apron ready for a superplex. Then cut to all four men in the ring. The Colonel stomps Steve as Mick McMichael warns Rasputin not to interfere. Brody posts, side chancery throws and stomps Steve. Wright posts Brody and gets a folding press from behind for a pin.

Second fall - Wright, like Jean Corner, does Vic Faulkner's cease gag then sends Brody to again do his favourite bump.  Finally A el comes in, forearm smashes Rasputin but then in cornered by the villains. They double team- Brody holding, Rasputin charging.  The second time Wright grabs the Irishman but is shrugged off. The third time, he trips Doyle flat. While Wright and Rasp argue, Axel gets free and smashes Rasputin down, standing on his blind hair until McMichael warns him off. Rasputin gets a posting but Axel reverses one then falls for a backdrop and cross press to make it a Two Straight win for the good guys.  Fans getting up to leave near the camera shout stuff at Rasputin and he jumps right up above the cameraman going "WHY DON'T YOU SHUT YOUR ..."

A simple crowd pleaser.  Better technical value than Flesh-Khan. Okay 1985 next week THEN we resume 1989.

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/4/2026 at 6:41 PM, David Mantell said:

Actually I've also found a 1985 bout also. But that can wait til next week

I think Freddy is the one with the Magnum TA moustache (he reminds me of old time English cricket player Ian Botham). Both men get a good cheer coming in the ring, I think this will be a clean match.  They quickly touch hands as if to confirm that, then lock up.

 

Runde 1 - most of these moves are off the back of a referee's hold (collar and elbow lockup).  They rear snapmare each other a few times, each bounding up nicely. Freddy gets an armbar but Markus gets a rope break - this would be serious heel heat in Britain but not here.   Freddy gets a throw but Markus is up sharpish.  Then it's his turn but Freddy does not pick himself up as smoothly.  Markus gets an arm but backs Freddy into the ropes. Freddy gets a full nelson but Markus gets behind to reverse it. Freddy throws him off and gets a 3 KO  count.  Markus gets a monkey flip on Freddy for 4. Freddy hip tosses Markus for 4.  Freddy gets a semi Japanese stranglehold, Markus leans backwards and is thrown down hard by Freddy for 6 and is selling his head when he arises. Freddy gets a underhook into bodyslam ffor 5.  The runde ends   a nice round of applause.

Runde 2. Markus gets a couple of cross buttock throws for 2 or 3.  Freddy gets some back. The last one he converts into a power slam and gets the one required fall. They shakes hands, crowd cheers, clean match as predicted.

It was pleasant enough, had the speed and athleticism, but maybe didn't get off the blocks in terms of technical creativity.  The best clean matches have technical ingenuity to blow your mind. These two mostly relied on the same few throws. Still it was refreshing after too many German Superheavyweight bouts and good to get to the roots of German Catch before it went all International Tournament.

Back to 1989 next week and I have another clean match for you to look forward to.

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/11/2026 at 10:10 AM, David Mantell said:

Back to 1989 next week and I have another clean match for you to look forward to.

As promised:

Two Brits in Austria. One future WCW TV champion, the other the Father of a future WCW TV Champion. Scion and patriarch of two legendary technical wrestling families.

Only one snag, the referee it's every German's favourite example of jumped up petty officialdom, ironic comedy hero Monsieur Diddier Gupp of Paris.

Before things get underway we get a brief Ringerparade and then both competitors entering the ring to the tune of "I'm You Man" by Wham - four years earlier since when Andrew. Ridgely (the Marty Jannetty of 80s pop) was ditched and George Michael(s) started sniffing his arm armpits while wearing a biker jacket like someone else did while ditching their tag partner.  However I digress.  They shake hands and the crowd shouts something at Didi. He gets annoyed and blows his whistle but the fans carry on as both wrestlers "conduct the orchestra" .  

Runde 1  Dave throws Steve who takes it cartwheeling, stabilises on the ropes and gives his customary little bow despite being neither Japanese nor doing a martial arts gimmick.  Dave repeats with the same result then Steve does it to Dave - with ditto including the same little bow.  Dave gets a legdive into toe and ankle but Steve spins him off and he takes a bump and 5 count.  They double interlock and Steve deliberately goes down then locks his legs over Dav3 Taylor's arms, pulls him over by the head and tries for a double leg nelson but Taylor's leg strength straightens things out and we 3nd up with La Bascule see saw double leg nelson action.  Dave tries to slide forwards into a rear folding press but Wright turns it upside down into a double leg nelson which soon becomes La Bascule again.  He tries it a couple of times then they have one two way flat leg nelson for 2 each before they give up and get up.  Cut to them crisscross  the ring before Dav3 trips slightly on a bottom rope.  For some reason Didi blows a fuse and starts screaming and waving his yellow card about. Cut to Steve in a side chancery resisting a throw there times before the gong (bell goes.

Runde 2. Steve has a headlock, Dave breaks it open into a top wristlock then uses it to hiptoss Steve down into a guard armlock. Wright goes up on his head - shades of Gilbert Leduc and his toupie - but instead of that, clamps on a headscissors.  Dave kips out and upright.  H3 does a bow like Wright, who does one to Didi.  They lock up and Dav3 gets a side chancery throw and bodycheck Steve ducks under and leapfrogs the next two charges before going down and catching Taylor with a flip but Dave lands on his feet only to get dropkicked out of the ring.  Taylor gets back at 7 and straight away gets a legdive into side folding press . Steve kicks out  and forms a Johnny Saint/George Kidd ball.  Taylor threatens to karate chop Steve but Didi blows his whistle, warns Dave and gets Steve to unwrap.  Cut to Steve with a full nelson on Dave who tries throwing his opponent but to no avail.  He  then tries a go behind reversal only for Steve to catch him halfway through with a side chancery throw into sideways further nelson for three 2 counts.  Cut to Steve getting an Indian Deathlock.  Dave won't submit so Didi unties them both, not a smoothly as. say, Jeff Kaye - in fact he falls over the two wrestlers!  He gives them both a severe reprimand.  Wright gets a snapmare and flying tackle but Taylor pushes out at one with Wright landing on Didi just as the gong goes. They both help Didi up bu5 he is furious.

Runde 3. Steve has a low reverse wristlock. Dave tries to counter with a grovit but Steve possibly uses the wrist attack that Dynamite Kid described in Pure Dynamite to get free the armdrag Dave down into a guard armlock. Cut and we see them up and Steve again thwarts the grovit- even if not with the wrist attack, it's still strong enough for Dave to sell it. Dave tries a rope assisted throw but Steve brakes and again armdrags Taylor into the guard.  A third try brings no mor3 luck but on the fourth try Dave uses Didi's shoulder to flip over and get an armlock of his own.  When Vic Faulkner tries this on Jeff Kaye, he laughs it off. When Owen Hart tries it on Mick McMichael he grumbles but accepts. Didi however is furious.  Anyway Steve gets a rear  waistlock and trip but Dave slips out from underneath and gets an armbar into wrist lever. Steve uses his most famous counter. going over on his head then bouncing back and forth on all 4 limb joints before kipping up.  He flips backwards, forwards and gets in a monkey climb but still Dave has the wrist!  Cut to Steve getting a top wristlock into back hammerlock.  Dave runs forward, drops and trows Steve off the hammerlock and out of the ring then then gong goes.

Runde 4  Dave gets an uppercut, a posting and another uppercut.  He stands back to allow Steve up. Cut to him doing the same. He gets another forearm smash but Steve kips up and returns fire, flooring Dave.  Steve gets uppercut, sid3 chancery throw, forearm smash, hits the ropes. Dav3 leapfrogs but injures himself coming down.  They lock up but Dave is still selling.  Didi rules the bout a TKO for Steve but he refuses the victory.  Somewhere @ohtani's jacket is spitting fumes but the Heumarkt crowd are totally appreciative - there are shouts of Bravo and they don't mean Dino.  They flap and the MC says what a fine sporting contest it was up until that point.

Good elegant stylish technical match, despite Didi's best efforts.

P.s. I've just turned up another mid 80s tag match that got missed so we'll do that next weekend then the rest of 1989.  We're getting there.

 

[David Mantell]

On 10/17/2026 at 5:34 PM, David Mantell said:

P.s. I've just turned up another mid 80s tag match that got missed so we'll do that next weekend then the rest of 1989.  We're getting there.

If you're eagerly awaiting the resumption of 1989 then you've got a bit of a wait. This tag match from 1986 comes as a package with two singles matches. We covered into those, Cabanas Vs Franz der Söldner yonks ago but I've also uncovered a Rudi Pegac Vs Dirty Harry singles bout and another Pejac solo contest in that rather nice German village beer garden we visited long ago. Once they're done, hopefully we can clear off the rest of 1989 before going back to tackle the mountain that is 1987, which will take us the best part of a year.  

Quick who's who -  Franz and Rudi are babyfaces in red, Gil and Harry heels in black strappy gear, somewhere between Ludvig Borga and that badly made Demolition outfit they gave to Crush in summer 1990 that did up the wrong way at the back (eg on SNME vs the Rockers).  Franz is the face with a Tache on his face. On the heel side the top lip growth is Canada's , the Dirty one has the blond mullet.    This is in a tent at a fairground with a brightly lit ride swinging round and round outside the window.  It's a good little venue with a decent crowd as some swing camera shots reveal.

Teil 1:  cut from a long boring MC speech about music to Franz having Harry in a full nelson. switching to side chancery and throwing him down, armdragging him into the guard.  Harry shows how Dirty he is by hair-dragging him over then cornering the Söldner and double teaming him with Gil.  The ref disappears off to deal with a complaint from OOV Rudi while the MC begs the bad guys to SCHTOP doing their evil double teaming. We swing over to see the ref and Rudi having a blazing row as Gil full nelsons Franz for Harry's blows.  One good long heat sequence. Franz fights back and tags the older Rudi while Gil also tags. Rudi legdives Gil, Franz comes back and grab the other leg. They throw the ref and Harry on top in a big pile and get a Yellow Card for it.   Pegac (pronounced "peg ash") and Gil full interlock but Rudi kicks both arms away and gets a high whip forcing a somersault bump and a pop.  But Harry grabs Rudi from behind so Cabanas can wallop him extensively before hiptossing him back to centre.  Uppercuts, a headbutt and illegal stomps on a fallen opponent before he gets pressure points. Franz complains to the ref. Gil makes a headlock, walks Rudi around, dumps him in the corner for more double teaming. But here comes Franz and the good guys tie up the villains in the ropes and bomb them.  This gets a grand pop, Suddenly the heels leap into action and Gil pins Franz.  I guess that's the first fall.  Cut to Gil locks up with Franz and the heels corner and double up on der Söldner.  Harry finally tagging in and getting a backdrop,  Franz gets a sunset flip into double leg nelson.  I think that's one fall each now.

Teil 2:  Franz and Harry continue despite Gil trying to take over.  Harry throttles Franz and backs him into the heel corner for more double teaming.  Rudi comes to the rescue and full nelsons Harry as Gil in the corner does terrible fouls to Franz who breaks free and grabs Gil as Rudi grabs Harry.  Each face headlocks a heel and they bulldog them together- into the referee!  The crowd loves this and we swing round to view one end of the tent.  The heels soon regain their heat and double team some more.  Which brings in Franz to dtopkick them both out.   Rudi is ready in his corner and Franz is on the apron but the heels are hesitant to come in. Cut to the heels with a headlock each looking to copy the faces' trick but end up slung into each other.  The faces then do the old time rowing boat spot.  Franz headlocks Harry, headscissors Cabanas and does the old Koko B Ware spot on the Islanders from WM4. Gil and Rudi full interlock and Rudi - like Cas Martin on the British thread - falls backward in to a bridge.  He lets Gil try breaking it then moves out the way so Cabanas crashes to the match. He takes a five count and three count- the five because Rudi stops the count. then another three before Gil snaps into action with forearms and elbowsmashes before Rudi surprises him with a cross buttock throw and press for the 2-1.   A bald old guy presents Harry with a trophy and he and some girls give the faces. a trophy each and some kisses (not the bald guy).

Basic face Vs heel tag, got a good reaction but nothing to write home about for technical skill.