German catch

[David Mantell]

 

Question for @Jetlag, @Robert S and anyone else native to the Germany/Austria wrestling territory:

 

How did EWP get set up? Was the CWA reconfigured into EWP upon Wanz and/or Wilhelm's retirement or was it just the right company that came along at the right time to fill the gap in the marketplace?

[David Mantell]

Two different recordings of the same bout. One fan cam and one CWA OB multicam home video match licensed to Eurosport New Catch.

Colley still looking like Detroit Demolition from Southeast Continental. (Ironically his Demolition co-founder Bill Eadie also wore that style of leotard in his later years.). His bone is the only part of the Moondog gimmick on show.   Scientific Steve makes a breath of fresh air from Obese Otto as an opponent, confounding the big clumsy American heel with all sorts of technical and acrobatic tricks en route to the win.

Now personally I prefer a good two way scientific match but I know a lot of you Americans think this is how things should ideally be, a scientific good guy Vs a big brawly brutal bad guy to emphasise the face/heel divide. So I suppose you should all like this. Me, I'm just happy to see a CWA match with some technical work in it, even if one sided.

[David Mantell]

French Wrestling in Germany. I'm classing this as German Catch despite it being two French stars, not so much because it took place in Germany but because it was a CWA show. By my rules, the Pete Roberts Vs Dave Bond 1978 FFCP bout on Antenne 2, and Rocco Vs Danny Collins and Scrubber Daly Vs Kid McCoy on 1991 EWF New Catch tapings are both French wrestling. However Summerslam '92 counts as American Wrestling, the EWP's show in Kent 2003 counts as German Wrestling and Joe E Legend Vs Chad Collier on an All Star show in Croydon 2004 counts as British wrestling.

Flesh Gordon we all know about, Kato may be the same person as Kato Bruce Lee on Antenne 2 1983-1985. By American standards this would be scientific albeit slow. Holds are worked for long periods without counter, most of the first half is each man applying a standing wristlock. Kato eventually does a British style rollout and Flesh does some traditional French counters- backflipping in a top wristlock, the flying headscissor take down.

This was for a World Mid Heavyweight title which Flesh won from Kato. I wonder what referee Mick McMichael (kiltless for once) English commentator Orig Williams or more to the point Mountevans champion Marty Jones thought of that.

[PeteF3]

9 hours ago, David Mantell said:

Now personally I prefer a good two way scientific match but I know a lot of you Americans think this is how things should ideally be, a scientific good guy Vs a big brawly brutal bad guy to emphasise the face/heel divide. So I suppose you should all like this. Me, I'm just happy to see a CWA match with some technical work in it, even if one sided.

You can have a contrast in styles and personalities without having a total style clash, though there is a certain freakshow appeal to that, also. (Robinson vs. Brody in All-Japan comes to mind, as does the glorious trainwreck that is Hansen & Brody vs. Mil Mascaras & Dos Caras.)

And also...nice enough guy, as far as I know, but Randy Colley kinda sucked. In any environment whether odd fits like Germany or something more conducive to his style. The mere fact that he contrasts with Wright isn't enough. (Now, Wright vs. Moondog Spot on the other hand, I might buy a ticket to see...)

Like I think I said earlier, I didn't want to watch Johnny Saint vs. Colonel Brody, but I did like watching Saint having to go out of his comfort zone against a guy who could at least meet him halfway like Finlay. 

[David Mantell]

I was mainly thinking of the criticism levelled at people like Ted DiBiase for being a "wrestling heel."

Some of that mindset existed even in Britain. Steve Logan MK1 (the heel South London Iron Man one) was once in the gym shooting and coming up with some really great moves. A watching and impressed Johnny Kincaid asked him afterwards why he didn't do more of this in his pro bouts.  Logan replied that with a face like his who would want to cheer him. Though what that had to do with using good technical moves is anyone's guess.

[ohtani's jacket]

I would love to watch a great technical match from Germany, but it's fairly obvious from the footage that Germany and Austria, at least in the 80s and 90s, were predominantly brawling-focused territories. And even if there was a good technical bout, I doubt that it was shot in full or clear enough to see. Wright pulling off some tricks against Moondog Rex isn't particularly exciting to me, but it's the match that they booked and sometimes you have to accept what's in front of you and see what the workers are capable of. Wright had an advantage in being a good brawler. In fact, I'd rather watch his brawling than his technical stuff any day of the week. Wright in the mode of Rudge, Regal and Finlay is much more appealing than Wright doing flips and cartwheels. Even when he was doing that sort of thing in the early 70s on WoS it never really resonated with me. 

[David Mantell]

Germany had a technical style but it was a slower more ponderous one than Britain or France, with holds worked for longer periods.  People like Axel Dieter, Achim Chall and Rolo Brasil all worked that style, the likes of Mile Zrno and Louis Lawrence carried it on to the next generation. You see more of it on the VDB CrappyCam footage than you can on the IBV/CWA broadcast quality multicamera footage.

What the Germany/Austria really needed was its own firebrand skill-and-speed lightweight superstar like George Kidd, Le Petit Prince and Johnny Saint who could have really shaken up the scene. German fans got the point of Johnny Saint but German promoters didn't.

Steve Wright was the nearest Germany/Austria had to a resident technical wizard and he was an import, but he seems to have managed to produce a bit of a revolution. By the 90s we suddenly have a new generation like Steve's son Alex Wright,  Ecki Eckstein, Ulf Herman and Michael Kovacs who worked a more British style and could have British style technical matches with visitors like Danny Collins, Robbie Brookside, Jason Cross and James Mason. Case in point the Kovacs Vs Cross match I previously posted:

On 8/13/2024 at 10:58 AM, David Mantell said:

Clean wrestling between local Austrian star Michael Kovacs and European Middleweight Champion Jason Cross (he still technically is dormant champion in 2024 after 29 years but would have to drop 5 stone to defend it.) here wins another title. - the inaugural IWW* Jr Heavyweight Championship. This I believe wasin about 98/99.  Good technical wrestling and some bad broken English from the commentators.

* not to be confused with Irish Whip Wrestling,  an Americanised promotion in Noughties Republic of Ireland.

Otto Wanz Versus The American Stars was, as I've said, was merely the Austrian/German equivalent of Big Daddy Tag Matches in Britain or Flesh Gordon And The Cartoon Characters in France.

[Jetlag]

On 9/18/2024 at 5:10 AM, David Mantell said:

 

Question for @Jetlag, @Robert S and anyone else native to the Germany/Austria wrestling territory:

 

How did EWP get set up? Was the CWA reconfigured into EWP upon Wanz and/or Wilhelm's retirement or was it just the right company that came along at the right time to fill the gap in the marketplace?

A good summary on EWP from Cagematch:

"In the 1980s and 90s, Hanover was one of the major catch strongholds in Germany. The Catch Wrestling Association, led by Otto Wanz, held its annual "Catch Cup" on the local Schützenplatz, a tournament that brought catch entertainment to Hanover every evening for two months. This took place for the last time in 1998, before the CWA left this territory and stopped organizing catch events a year later. Christian Eckstein, who first appeared in the ring for the CWA in 1996, then founded his own promotion with the aim of continuing the catch scene at the Schützenplatz. Between 2001 and 2005, he still organized a 10-day festival every year, before the last gong on the Schützenplatz fell silent on October 29, 2005. In December 2005, the first show was held in the "Hangar No. 5" event hall, which is still the venue for three shows a year. In addition, an open air event is held once a year at Lake Steinhude. Small events are held every now and then in the premises of the in-house "Wrestling School" where the young wrestlers can demonstrate their skills. The fact that tradition is very important to Eckstein can be seen in the fact that some elements of the old catch-as-catch-can style are still included in the shows today. For example, title matches for the World and Intercontinental Title are held in rounds and with the participation of a second in each corner. But there is also a touch of tradition in the air during the "normal" matches: there are fines and yellow cards for misconduct, before disqualification is issued with a red card for the third serious offense. Technically, the EWP offers a mix of traditional catch and modern wrestling."

 

This article is now slightly out of date, as like I said earlier, in 2013 Ecksteins Co-Promoter Jörg Vespermann left EWP to form POW, with the help of Tony St. Clair, and POW went on to run shows at the Schützenplatz again. Eckstein retired from EWP at some point in the last couple years and EWP rebranded to CWP, now running shows on a much smaller scale. And POW will be running its last shows in October this year.

 

As far as technical wrestlers from Germany go, well, its a complex topic. There simply weren't many actual Germans around in the scene from the 80s onward. Axel Dieter could go on the mat, as he proved in his early 80s matches again Steve Wright and Mile Zrno, and he was a heavyweight too. Supposedly someone like Achim Chall was also a pretty decent technician, he was said to have an interest in Judo and Sambo and incoorporated those in his style, he also supposedly had a 60 minute match against Rene Ben Chemoul at one point, so he must have been a pretty decent wrestler, though there is no footage to prove it. Horst Hoffmann was very well respected and looks like a beast in his French match against Lino Di Santo, tho he was also a heavyweight. Guys like Franz Schumann could also wrestle pretty well, and here's a pretty interesting match between Bernie Wright and young Markus Buchholz that has some more british style wrestling. Other than that the German scene was simply set up in such a way that most wrestlers appearing were travellers and the local scene only had a few regulars like Mile Zrno or Dave Morgan to occupy the limited spots of clean technical guys. And once again, there is simply so little footage of guys like Jörg Chenok or Karsten Kretschmer in his early days. And also, technical wrestling simply fell out of vogue with the crowds as the American influence started rolling in.

 

[Jetlag]

Also Rolo Brasil was a wrestler from Colombia, like Billy Samson. His grappling is more lucha libre than German, fitted to a European style, so you can see him doing things like a Reverse Gory Special. As we know from the French footage it wasn't unusual for South Americans to come over and find work in Europe.

[David Mantell]

4 minutes ago, Jetlag said:

Also Rolo Brasil was a wrestler from Colombia, like Billy Samson. His grappling is more lucha libre than German, fitted to a European style, so you can see him doing things like a Reverse Gory Special. As we know from the French footage it wasn't unusual for South Americans to come over and find work in Europe.

He seems to Euro it up pretty effectively in this match:

On 9/10/2024 at 9:57 AM, David Mantell said:

At least, a clean scientific match after all these American monster heels coming to the CWA to take on big Otto.  Bearcat Wright has switched back to being plain Bernie and grown his hair out. In long thunderbolt tights and curly hair, he resembles Brian Adidas in World Class around this time.  Back home he takes on opposition like Marty Jones, Ray Robinson, Steve Casey (McHoy) and a maturing Ian McGregor. In Germany he does the same with Rolo Brasil, a far more agile and imaginative wrestler than the old ball generation of Dieter, Chall etc. 

Rolo and Bernie reverse each others writers nearly with Rolo showing he can go over from cross buttocks throws. on double hand spring ups to get upright just as well as Wright can!  Rolo legspreads Bernie but Wright cartwheels out of being knocked down The round ends with the ref having to untangle an Indian Deathlock. Rolo gets in behind and uses his head and a shoulder to take down Wright for a leglock. Rolo has a look of puzzled innocence at times, no doubt some people might mistake  for being a comedy worker.

Start of round 4:  Rolo puts on an interesting reverse surfboard backbreaker but it doesn't work. Another good move is a backbreaker draping Wright behind him over his shoulders by the knees. It weakens Bernie that once dropped he has to take most of a knockout count.  Next up is a cal clutch. Then a full nelson, Wright really selling his back. Round 5 and Wright gets in some back weakness of his own and goes for a folding press but only gets a  two count.  Wright still selling his back.  They end up going over the ropes onto the timekeeper's table for a double TKO.

Probably my favourite German match so far. Nice to see the VDB fans appreciating the skilll and sportsmanship. Some people round here won't like the finish but c'est la vie.  I would have liked to see these two have a 1-1 Broadway but it was a busy tournament and they had a   lot to fit in that day.

 

 

[David Mantell]

13 minutes ago, Jetlag said:

Guys like Franz Schumann could also wrestle pretty well

Yes, we examined him earlier.

On 9/10/2024 at 4:57 PM, David Mantell said:

YAY! Another good scientific match. And this time between two actual Germans/Austrians rather than it taking a Brit to get things going on the technical front. From VdB's brief dabble with good broadcast-quality TV/Video production in January 1998 in Berlin in a nice hotel dining room.

Franz Schumann is already a familiar figure, Karsten Kretschner an unfamiliar face.  Although like the old generation of Chall, Dieter senior etc they work and sell holds over longer periods, these guys do know their escapes, especially very British inspired ones like rollout from wrist levers ( both KK and Franz who goes over on his head like Owen Hart.).  When Franz falls out of the ring, KK sportingly holds the ropes open for him to get back in.  Franz uses a neat trip into Gotch toehold at the start of Round 2, developing it into a surfboard.  He nearly gets a pin with a double underhook suplex and cross press.  KK gets a DDT but due to the no follow down rule has to stand back for a knockout count, Franz is up at 8. KK reapplies the initial front facelock of the DDT but Franz turns himself round so it becomes a standing chin lock. He then reverse snapmares himself behind KK, comes off the ropes, leaps into a crucifix and takes down KK in a further nelson for the one required pinfall.  

A real tonic this match and an antidote to Otto. Bull Power and CG/Neu.

I would refer in particular to this comment: "Although like the old generation of Chall, Dieter senior etc they work and sell holds over longer periods, these guys do know their escapes, especially very British inspired ones like rollout from wrist levers ( both KK and Franz who goes over on his head like Owen Hart.). "

[David Mantell]

35 minutes ago, Jetlag said:

And also, technical wrestling simply fell out of vogue with the crowds as the American influence started rolling in.

Are we talking Otto versus the Americans or the WWF/WCW invasion?

Alex Wright as well as Brits like Regal, Taylor and Finlay were if anything pumping up interest in the European style in America and hence among European fans of American Wrestling. In Britain there was the realisation that this strange exotic style came from our neck of the woods and was something we had grown up taking for granted - I imagine the same was the case in Germany/Austria/Switzerland.  (Alex actually got a bigger push in WCW than the Brits- none of them progressed beyond the TV title but Alex got to be a World Tag Team Champion. Regal and Finlay only achieved things like World tag or secondary (IC/US) singles titles in WWE in the Noughties.

[Jetlag]

27 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

Are we talking Otto versus the Americans or the WWF/WCW invasion?

Alex Wright as well as Brits like Regal, Taylor and Finlay were if anything pumping up interest in the European style in America and hence among European fans of American Wrestling. In Britain there was the realisation that this strange exotic style came from our neck of the woods and was something we had grown up taking for granted - I imagine the same was the case in Germany/Austria/Switzerland.  (Alex actually got a bigger push in WCW than the Brits- none of them progressed beyond the TV title but Alex got to be a World Tag Team Champion. Regal and Finlay only achieved things like World tag or secondary (IC/US) singles titles in WWE in the Noughties.

Both were a factor. Looking back at the late 90s transitional period, you can find matches where the likes of Ecki Eckstein are forsaking the traditional european uppercuts and hip tosses for the sake of US-style stomp punches an DDTs.

[David Mantell]

4 hours ago, Jetlag said:

US-style stomp punches an DDTs.

There was always a slow accretion of bits and bobs of American wrestling in all Euro territories.  Cages. Chains and wrestlers carrying snakes were all cited as examples of the vulgar barbarism of the American game in one BBC breakfast TV news panel of promoters in 1988 but by 1990 Reslo had given us the first two and a decade later we had not only a snake but Jake himself to administer it (until he had to flee the country after he starved it to death.)  Ultimately British and therefore European wrestling was the mutant love child of 1920s newsreels of Strangler Lewis era American Wrestling and the legit Lancashire Wrestling scene. So I am cautious about lamenting such impurities as the beginning of the end.

Closed fist remained enforcedly illegal and could still get heat from a crowd in Britain even in the Noughties - recently Rumble has been enforcing the no closed fist rule but it's not getting the heat it would have 20-30 years ago.

A DDT is just a front chancery and drop - legit enough for FILA to ban it from Olympic Freestyle.

The likes of Ecki were also working for Germany's New School Americanised promotions like WXW and the GWF (French equivalent was ICWA, British equivalents were UWA, FWA, LDN post 2012), so they had to wrestle Americanised some of the time. 

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Rambo & Bull Power vs. Eddy Steinblock & Steve Wright (Wien, Summer '87)

Leon gets a partner this time, the incredibly shitty Rambo (though in Leon's case, I guess he just needs a body.) We get plenty of Bull Power vs. Steve Wright in this. That's a match up that makes perfect sense on paper but you don't realize is so great until you see Wright up cutting Leon in the corner. Once again, Eddy Steinblock was perfectly acceptable in this. Poor misunderstood Eddy Steinblock. I love Vader taking arm drag bumps. There's some cool continuity at the beginning as well with Vader cutting a promo about John Quinn. 

[David Mantell]

13 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Leon gets a partner this time, the incredibly shitty Rambo (though in Leon's case, I guess he just needs a body.)

Interesting considering the wars those two later had over the CWA World title. A male German version of Klondyke Kate and Naughty Nicky Monroe's mid 80s heel team (except they later reconciled) with Mitzi Mueller as Otto Wanz.  Or maybe the Haystacks/Daddy mid 70s tag team before the feud.

[David Mantell]

Terry Funk around the peak of his ECW World title. He was 52 - the same age as Kendo Nagasaki when he retired the second time in late 1993 and was the toast of internet smarks. Fin Martin was praising him to the hilt while at the same time calling the younger and far less shopworn Kendo Nagasaki old and stale in his 2020 compilation book.   Hypocrite.   The Funkster comes to the ring to Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA, also used by the squeaky clean US Express of Mike  Rotunda and Barry Windham, 

Franz comes to the ring to 2 Unlimited's No Limits, continuing CWA babyfaces' Dance & Wrestling Connection (see Taylor, Dave andd Wright. Alex.) Some German fans cheer Funk can you imagine him dancing?). Lots of standing around with US and Austrian flags. Tony St Clair is in the ring too., I think as Frank's second. 

Funk getting out the ring a lot but "Franzi" plays cat and mouse with him. Just starting to get technical with a wrist lever when the bell goes for the end of Round.

Plenty of brawling and out the ring action in Round 2 to make @ohtani's jacket happy.   A fatter than ever Otto Wanz at ringside. Funk DDT's Franzi just as the bell goes on another round!

Round 3 Funk goes for a piledriver. Franz  turns it Into a huracanrana.   More out of ring brawling including the branding iron.  24 min into a 31 min video Terry Funk finally gets a yellow card (public warning.) Schumann juicing heavily.  Between rounds Funk stagers around at ringside as the DJ plays We Will Rock You by Queen favourite ring entry music for heels facing Big Daddy circa 1990.  It all ends with Funk cornering Franz, striking referee Mick McMichael, throwing a chair in the ring, attacking StClair and anyone else. Funk cuts a promo saying that Schumann and the German people can drink his piss. Schumann gets presented with a title belt, not sure whose it was to begin with.

 

[PeteF3]

According to my listings (so take with a grain of salt, but I got it from somewhere) that match was for the CWA Middleweight Title. Because who personifies "middleweight" more than Terry Funk? I can't confirm if Otto wrestled Cannonball Grizzly for the Lightweight title as the semi-main event on the same card or not.

[David Mantell]

8 hours ago, PeteF3 said:

According to my listings (so take with a grain of salt, but I got it from somewhere) that match was for the CWA Middleweight Title. Because who personifies "middleweight" more than Terry Funk? I can't confirm if Otto wrestled Cannonball Grizzly for the Lightweight title as the semi-main event on the same card or not.

Quite a few people from America had the CWA World Middleweight title during its 1985-2000 lifetime, see also Eddie Gilbert and Paul Roma.

It wasn't the sole World Middleweight title active in Europe at the time either.  Danny Collins had won a claim on the title in 1991 after beating Owen Hart in Bath, England.  He renounced the title in 1995 to focus on light heavyweight (Dirty Dan would go on to beat Alan Kilby in 1996 but lose it back in 1997) and Rumble Promotions set up a tournament to crown a replacement (released on video and up on YouTube) won by James Mason. Over the coming months Mason lost it to Mal Sanders who lost it to Steve Grey who then resigned to focus on his British and European Lightweight Championships leaving the CWA as Unified Euro version.

The World Middleweight Championship came from Joint Promotions in the UK but was transplanted to Spain's CIC in the sixties. The CIC shut down in 1975 and two years later Brian Dixon set up a version for Wrestling Enterprises Of Birkenhead (as All Star was then known) which Adrian Street and Jon Cortez traded back and forth- this is the "amateur ranks" version Gordon Solie would refer to Adrian having held, I'm sure Dixon was really happy about his organisation being called the amateur ranks." When Adrian went off to America the title was abandoned.  Mal Sanders and Keith Myatt briefly feuded over a version in South Africa at Sun City but that was that for the title until (1) the CWA title in 1985 (2) Danny Vs Owen in 1991

[David Mantell]

Here is the CWA World Middleweight title history. No mention of Terry Funk though:

https://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/germany/cwa/eu-cwa-m.html

Also here are the British and Spanish versions which Hisa used to display all on one page:

https://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/uk/uk-world-m.html

https://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/spain/sp-world-m.html

 

[PeteF3]

13 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

Here is the CWA World Middleweight title history. No mention of Terry Funk though:

 

Well, yeah, it's a list of the champions, not a complete catalogue of title defenses.

[David Mantell]

14 minutes ago, PeteF3 said:

Well, yeah, it's a list of the champions, not a complete catalogue of title defenses.

So did Schumann make a successful defence then?  I shall have to recheck the start of the video.

I've not studied German although I did French and Spanish up to degree level so have no problems with the French Catch commentary.  Mind you I've never studied Welsh either but that's never been an obstacle with Reslo.

[David Mantell]

1 hour ago, David Mantell said:

I shall have to recheck the start of the video.

Done so, he's got a belt on, the same one he gets back at the end, and the ring announcer says he's a champion.

The flags thing was used for international title match in Britain and France, even in the 80s. (When Rocco regained the World H Mid title in Catford 87, he had a Union Jack and Fuji Yamada had a Rising Sun flag but the South London Hellcrew crowd still cheered for Yamada.).  In the 2020s, Rumble Promotions plays God Save The King (formerly Queen) before Nino Bryant's British Lightweight Championship defences.

Eight years after this, I saw Terry live at Coventry SkyDome for the FWA.

[David Mantell]

Hansi Rooks - 350 pounds, blond hair and able to hold his own with King Kong Kirk but can actually work. Like what Big Daddy Vs KKKmight have been like in 1976 before Max C ordered his brother to work strong.

Talking of Terry Funk, Kirk comes to the ring to Funk's 1989 WCW music. 

Round : Kirk gets a full nelson. Hansi tries to throw him off before breaking it with arm power then knocks Kirk out of the ring.  Same principle again-; Kirk bearhug, Hansi tries cross buttock throws, undresses hold with force, floors Kirk with series of forearms. Hansi has Kirk in an Indian Deathlock.

Round 2: Kirk going for fouls during collar and elbow lockup. Headbutting Hansindown for 6 or 7 counts.   Hansinsnapmares Kirk and does Chinese Burns on his bald scalp.  

Round 3: Hansi has Kirk strched awkwardly across the top rope, referee Mick McMichael warns him off a nut shot. Hansi has a loose standing hammerlock. kirk frees himself by running fast so Hansi can't keep up with the hold. Kirk bouncing off the ropes and running back and forth is a sight to behold- he can move!  Hansi catches him with a cross buttock throws and press but only gets a 2 count.  Kirk blows Hansi in the gut and they have a kneeling forearm smash contest. Kent Walton once said that referees do not tolerate that, but McMichael just flaps around powerlessly. Hansi eventually floors Kirk for an 8 counts then ties him in the ropes, gets one shot in before the bell.

Before the bell for Round 4 Kirk charges into Hansi's corner and batters him. Gets a severe private warning from McMichael but no card. Kirk corners Hansi again but Hansi clops Kirk over the head with a heel and fights his way out with forearms. Three postings and a cross buttock and press only gets a 2 count. Kirk misses his trademark guillotine elbowdrop and Hansinhits a flying tackle for the one fall required. Kirk looks dejected. Picks himself up. Crowd shout something sarcastic at him.

Kirk Vs Big Daddy was probably a lot like this in 1976 before Max Crabtree spoiled things.  (Kirk teamed with Kendo against Stax and Daddy a few times that )year). Not a technical bout but a good fight and the sort of battle of the giants the German audiences liked.

 

[David Mantell]

Probably a bit later than 1980. Dunno which is which. Blond TBWish babyface Vs heel with a mullet/pudding bowl haircut and I think a tache. Hells kicks and fouls babyface. Referee gets in the way of the camera.  Face gets one good monkey climb in but heel dominates, garottes babyface on ropes despite MC repeatedly telling us Ng him to Stop. Camera relocates so we never do  find out how face escaped but still in big trouble.   Heel taunts fans during round break. Face tries for a flying bodypress but heel catches him and slams him for the pin. We still don't find out who is who. Anyone know?

Verdict: would make decent American TV squash match to get mid level heel over. Lady in audience walking around in very 1980s layer skirt. If this was WCW at Disney MGM I'd say she was a plant.