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 fkagg3d i5 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 bandBad 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.