This is a show I bought from IVP Videos, which is being sold there under the title "Best of the UK V.55". It's handheld footage from an All Star show in Plymouth from 13 years ago, and had an interesting enough line up to convince me to check it out. It also comes with bonus matches at the end, which is nice
Legend of Doom vs Mustafa the Turk
LoD is Johnny South in his Road Warrior tribute/rip-off gimmick. Mustafa, bless him, is a generic "evil foreigner" heel. Mustafa dominates to start, before LoD sends him from the ring with a series of clotheslines. South grabs Mustafa's leg out from under him, toppling the big man like a tree, which gets a nice pop, and some brawling in the crowd also gets a good reaction. They work a rest hold into the match, and already South is selling more than the real LoD normally would. A missed avalanche in the corner sees Mustafa take a big spill to the floor, and back inside LoD nails a second-rope clothesline to pick up the win. Perfectly decent wrestling.
American Avalanche vs David Sierra
It's PN News vs the Cuban Assassin in a battle of former WCW stars. Sierra is accompanied by his manager Fantasy, and the camcorder zooms RIGHT IN on her breasts as they approach the ring. Sigh. Sierra attacks from behind, but makes the mistake of attacking the vast stomach of Avalanche. Avalanche keeps it simple, whilst working in crowdpleasing spots like holding onto a headlock when Sierra tries to fire him into the ropes. The headlock is held a tad too long though, and they bizarrely do the arm dropping spot on Sierra, who managed to get his arm up on two, despite being heel. Big bump is taken over top as Avalanche missed his namesake move in the corner. A 2nd rope cannonball senton misses, but AA gets fired up by the "belly" chants. An Avalanche DDT puts both men down, they then do a double clothesline spot to keep them down longer. Sierra tries using his Cuban flag on Avalanche, which the ref prevents, and the distraction lets AA hit a standing avalanche for the win. Not one to remember.
Marty Jannetty vs Totoru
Man, we certainly didn't get Marty Jannetty when I went to an All Star show 2 years after this. Totoru is a masked chap, allegedly from Thailand, in Super Dragon-esque pyjamas who trips as he comes into the ring. After Totoru spends ages stalling, he suckers Jannetty into posing on the turnbuckle, then attacks him. After Jannetty gets the upper hand, Totoru exits the ring and stalls for even longer. Jannetty dominates, throwing Totoru from the ring with a sunset flip, where he gets bullied by kids. For some reason, Totoru's trousers fall down, just fucking awful "comedy". Totoru gets back in the ring, and in the process of pulling himself to his feet, he pulls ref trousers down. Oh, hilarious. At this point, the ring announcer announces that 10 minutes have gone by, 10 minutes where we've seen barely any fucking wrestling. Jannetty misses a corner charge, giving Totoru his only offensive flurry, where he repeatedly whips Marty to the corner. Marty even cracks out the 360 degree clothesline spell, which is wasted on a load like Totoru. This lasts barely a minute, before Jannetty reverses a backdrop into a facebuster for three. A steaming sack of shit.
Chad Malenko vs Jonny Storm
You may know Malenko better as Chad Collyer, so this has the chance of being decent. Hilariously, he still has the initials "CC" on his trunks. Malenko tries to get a "USA" chant going for some easy heat. Nice little mat sequence gets us warmed up. I love the simple touches, where Storm asks the crowd if he should wrench Malenko's arm again, while Malenko shakes his head. They work a nice sequence of counters and reversals, which ends with Storm on top, which must seem like manna from the Gods for this crowd after some of the earlier toss on this show. Malenko takes control and slows things down with a chinlock. He sends Storm high into the air with a massive flapjack. This is being worked very simply, like a good TV match, with Storm getting a few hope spots on his comebacks before Malenko cuts him off. Makes sense, as this isn't a crowd that wants long indy-style matches (which these guys could certainly do). Top rope rana and a moonsault press by Storm gets a good reaction from the crowd. The end comes as Malenko blocks a second top rope rana and hits a tornado DDT for the win. Really enjoyed this.
James Mason & the Legend of Doom vs Hollywood Blonde & Bad Brad the Nasty Boy
Poor James Mason must feel left out at not getting an early 90's tag gimmick to work here. Couldn't he have been "the Natural Disaster" James Mason or something? This is a tables match. No idea who are portraying the heels, but Blonde looks like Brian Pillman playing at being Curt Hennig. The match starts and Bad Brad can hardly bump on an armdrag. Bodes well. Blonde at least looks competent, but Brad is working lighter than a feather. A brief heat spell sees a hot tag to Mason, and he looks top drawer here, hitting a sweet flipping senton. He gets caught by a Blonde DDT though to become face-in-peril. Blonde works in some nice heel spots on the apron, while his useless partner distracts the ref. Mason gets his comeback from out of nowhere, almost as if he just decided that Brad was too shit to keep selling for. The faces clean house, as the crowd start getting excited about seeing a table spot. It soon comes, as Mason blocks a top rope superplex attempt by the Blonde to put him through a table. The fact that this was still fun despite Bad Brad being utter shit is a testament to the work of the other three.
The crowd disperses as the MC offers photo opportunites with the Cuban Assassin and the camera zooms in on his manager's backside. So classy.
The two bonus matches at the end comes from an All Star show in Bristol from 22/2/01.
Jonny Storm vs Chad Malenko
This was filmed 3 weeks prior to the other match, so it'll be interesting if they just had a stock touring match. Seemingly not, as Malenko stomps the shit out of Storm in the corner to start. No mat work, just the more muscular Malenko hammering away on Storm. Storm sends him packing with some dropkicks, playing up his speed advantage. There is a mat section after this, but it's nice to see they mixed it up a little bit. They're definately working some different bits into this match, with Malenko doing a nice little showboat by running round whilst holding a delayed vertical suplex. Malenko keeps control on Jonny, with a nice single leg crab and an STF. Jonny's comeback here includes a nice rana in the middle of the ring, but Malenko catches him leaping off the top for another rana and plants him with a powerbomb for three. Another good bout between these two.
The Barbarian vs American Avalanche
This is joined in progress. I'd have fucking loved to have seen the Barbarian in action when I went to All Star. Barbarian is busy nailing AA with a chair as we come in. He misses a diving headbutt and a DDT puts him down, totally going against all wrestling has taught me about him having a hard head. Avalanche splashes a chair onto Barbarian for two. A chairshot to the head gets the win for Avalanche. Short and sweet.
Showing posts with label Johnny South. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny South. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Monday, 29 November 2010
Best Of Reslo: Volume 1
Another fantastic purchase from IVP Videos, this time a compilation of the awesome Reslo show that used to air on S4C in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Hosted by the ever-so suave Bryn Fon and Welsh wrestling legend Orig Williams, the Reslo broadcast would generally show two matches and featured a style of wrestling that is distinctly European, focusing on matwork and wrestler schtick to entertain the crowd. As a half-Welshman, I felt it was my patriotic duty to dive straight in...
Johnny South vs. Frank Lopez
First thing to notice is how much of the audience is made up of kids, which is great because all these kids are clearly into the matches. They react to everything, which really helps a match like this shine. As matches go, it’s pretty basic, but both guys do things purely designed to get the crowd reacting- Lopez, the face, chants and claps to rally the kids behind him, South begs off and pleads with the kids to be quiet. The result is that the whole match entertains without being that good. The ending confuses, South has control over Lopez, but then elects to whip him with a chain, drawing the DQ win for Lopez.
Robbie Brookside vs. Lee Thomas
Brookside is a wrestler I’m very familiar with, having seen him live in 2004 dragging a decent match out of Darren Walsh at an All Star show in Leamington. Brookside is again awesome here, and this match is far more fast-paced than the last, for sure. Brookside takes control of the match early doors and works in quite a few spots where he outsmarts Thomas, much to the delight of the child audience. Thomas looks like the love-child of Bobby Eaton and Chris Candido, and, while not up to the high standard of either, he does keep up pretty well with Brookside. Brookside hits a nasty looking backdrop suplex, then hits a springboard suplex for the win.
Franz Schuman vs. Salvatore Bellomo
This is from the CWA promotion in Austria, and works under a round system. To be honest, this is a really dull match. Bellomo brings nothing to the table except some chokes and tedious brawling, while Schuman may have the right look (imagine a third Young Stallion) but none of the in-ring chops to back it up. Schuman rolls through a crossbody for the win.
Giant Haystacks vs. Pat Roach
Another match fought under a round system, this time best 2 out of 3 falls. Here we get 2 legends of UK wrestling, with Roach being the only person bar Harrison Ford to appear in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Sadly, the match is awful. Haystacks dominates most of the match, and his moveset is based entirely on restholds, be it chinlock or nerve hold, and Roach doesn’t help by making his first offensive move a bear hug. Haystacks wins the first fall with a sleeper, before Roach FINALLY fires into life with a series of running shoulder blocks to win the second fall. Roach continues where he left off for the final fall, but collides with the ref, allowing Haystacks to hit an elbowdrop for the win.
Dave Taylor vs. Drew MacDonald
Not just Dave Taylor, but “Dancing” Dave Taylor! So unusual to see the future Squire Dave as a happy, smiling babyface, but it actually works, with Taylor showing some great babyface fire. MacDonald dominates the early stages and, like Haystacks, uses a nerve hold to down Taylor. However, unlike Haystacks, MacDonald really works the hold, grinding a forearm into Taylor’s face at the same time. Taylor makes a neat face comeback, using moves like a flying forearm and a splash which are more likely to pop the crowd. He also still has a ridiculously good European uppercut. Dancing Dave gets the win with an anticlimactic suplex, but this is the best match on the disc so far.
Danny Boy Collins vs. Kid McCoy
Until now, that is. This is a fine junior heavyweight match between two guys who seemingly have no problems getting a little stiff with each other. Collins impresses more initially, with a nice snap to everything he does, including a swish floatover butterfly suplex. McCoy seems to take a bit longer to warm up, but soon gets into his stride until he’s confidently working Mexican surfboard reversals with the seemingly more-experienced Collins. For an early 90’s match in the UK, it seems very ahead of it’s time, and it’s a shame when it finishes with a time limit draw, could happily have watched more of this.
The Superflies (Jimmy Ocean and Ricky Knight) vs. Tony Stewart and Geraint Clewd
You only have to look at the Superflies to know they’re heels: with bleached blond mullets and garish multicoloured tights, they ooze scummy heat. Stewart and Clewd seem much younger and less experienced, but have a great babyface energy and swiftly win the first fall with a Clewd rollup on Ocean. The ‘Flies pull out all the stops from the “Heel Tagteam” playbook, with tag-rope chokes and ref distractions a-plenty. A handful of salt to the face of Stewart evens the score to 1-1. A pin in the corner with feet on ropes almost earns the Superflies the win before the ref spots it, before allowing the young faces a chance to make their comeback. At this point, the Superflies turn into stooges of the highest order, frantically grabbing the ropes to avoid submission holds and each taking huge bumps to the outside from face offence. Clewd and Stewart more than hold up their end of the bargain, and pick up the win when Ocean accidentally hits Knight with some barricade meant for Clewd, allowing the face to pin Ocean following a sunset flip. Good tag action made more enjoyable by the efforts of the heel team.
Kensuke Sasaki and Klaus Kauroff vs. Eddie Steinblock and Hercules Boyd
Back to Austria we got for this largely pointless tag match, again best 2 out of 3 falls. Boyd overpowers Sasaki to start before Steinblock gets the first fall for his team with a power slam. Orig namedrops Antonio Inoki while Sasaki is in the ring, though I can’t tell you what he said due to the fact I don’t speak much Welsh. Boyd and Steinblock continue to out power Sasaki, before Boyd pins Kauroff following a hiptoss. Too short and a not particularly fun squash.
Johnny Saint vs. Barry Douglas
Johnny Saint was one of my main lures behind buying the DVD, as he specialises in the fluid, clever and above-all, fun matwork that the UK scene was known for. Saint comes to the ring to Reslo’s rather excellent theme tune, which is another reason to like him. The overall feel of the mtch is that Saint is letting Douglas get him in holds just so he can try and work out some elaborate way of escaping, which he does time and again. The highlight of this is a swank escape from a headscissors into a Boston crab. Saint is always one step ahead of Douglas, and the end comes as Saint outmanoeuvres and confuses Douglas, allowing him to get a roll-up for 3. A good, fun exhibition of a style that is becoming a lost art.
There is a ladies match from the US next featuring Heidi Lee Morgan and another, unknown, wrestler, but it isn’t much cop and is pretty short, so I’ll move on to the last match, which is...
Col Brody vs. Boston Blackie
Brody looks like your stereotypical 1940’s military man, down to his thick moustache which Blackie threatens and pulls on to the delight of the crowd. Brody does a great job of keeping the crowd into the match, bumping huge for Blackie (including a big spill to the outside) and always allowing Blackie to stay one step ahead of him. A missed knee drop allows the Colonel to work over Blackie’s knee, including a pair of snapmares which send Blackie knee first into the ropes; After Blackie misses a top rope splash, Brody wins by ramming him chest first into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting a fireman’s carry roll for the three. Fun match made all the more enjoyable due to Brody’s antics and selling, and a good way to end an unique and entertaining collection.
Johnny South vs. Frank Lopez
First thing to notice is how much of the audience is made up of kids, which is great because all these kids are clearly into the matches. They react to everything, which really helps a match like this shine. As matches go, it’s pretty basic, but both guys do things purely designed to get the crowd reacting- Lopez, the face, chants and claps to rally the kids behind him, South begs off and pleads with the kids to be quiet. The result is that the whole match entertains without being that good. The ending confuses, South has control over Lopez, but then elects to whip him with a chain, drawing the DQ win for Lopez.
Robbie Brookside vs. Lee Thomas
Brookside is a wrestler I’m very familiar with, having seen him live in 2004 dragging a decent match out of Darren Walsh at an All Star show in Leamington. Brookside is again awesome here, and this match is far more fast-paced than the last, for sure. Brookside takes control of the match early doors and works in quite a few spots where he outsmarts Thomas, much to the delight of the child audience. Thomas looks like the love-child of Bobby Eaton and Chris Candido, and, while not up to the high standard of either, he does keep up pretty well with Brookside. Brookside hits a nasty looking backdrop suplex, then hits a springboard suplex for the win.
Franz Schuman vs. Salvatore Bellomo
This is from the CWA promotion in Austria, and works under a round system. To be honest, this is a really dull match. Bellomo brings nothing to the table except some chokes and tedious brawling, while Schuman may have the right look (imagine a third Young Stallion) but none of the in-ring chops to back it up. Schuman rolls through a crossbody for the win.
Giant Haystacks vs. Pat Roach
Another match fought under a round system, this time best 2 out of 3 falls. Here we get 2 legends of UK wrestling, with Roach being the only person bar Harrison Ford to appear in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Sadly, the match is awful. Haystacks dominates most of the match, and his moveset is based entirely on restholds, be it chinlock or nerve hold, and Roach doesn’t help by making his first offensive move a bear hug. Haystacks wins the first fall with a sleeper, before Roach FINALLY fires into life with a series of running shoulder blocks to win the second fall. Roach continues where he left off for the final fall, but collides with the ref, allowing Haystacks to hit an elbowdrop for the win.
Dave Taylor vs. Drew MacDonald
Not just Dave Taylor, but “Dancing” Dave Taylor! So unusual to see the future Squire Dave as a happy, smiling babyface, but it actually works, with Taylor showing some great babyface fire. MacDonald dominates the early stages and, like Haystacks, uses a nerve hold to down Taylor. However, unlike Haystacks, MacDonald really works the hold, grinding a forearm into Taylor’s face at the same time. Taylor makes a neat face comeback, using moves like a flying forearm and a splash which are more likely to pop the crowd. He also still has a ridiculously good European uppercut. Dancing Dave gets the win with an anticlimactic suplex, but this is the best match on the disc so far.
Danny Boy Collins vs. Kid McCoy
Until now, that is. This is a fine junior heavyweight match between two guys who seemingly have no problems getting a little stiff with each other. Collins impresses more initially, with a nice snap to everything he does, including a swish floatover butterfly suplex. McCoy seems to take a bit longer to warm up, but soon gets into his stride until he’s confidently working Mexican surfboard reversals with the seemingly more-experienced Collins. For an early 90’s match in the UK, it seems very ahead of it’s time, and it’s a shame when it finishes with a time limit draw, could happily have watched more of this.
The Superflies (Jimmy Ocean and Ricky Knight) vs. Tony Stewart and Geraint Clewd
You only have to look at the Superflies to know they’re heels: with bleached blond mullets and garish multicoloured tights, they ooze scummy heat. Stewart and Clewd seem much younger and less experienced, but have a great babyface energy and swiftly win the first fall with a Clewd rollup on Ocean. The ‘Flies pull out all the stops from the “Heel Tagteam” playbook, with tag-rope chokes and ref distractions a-plenty. A handful of salt to the face of Stewart evens the score to 1-1. A pin in the corner with feet on ropes almost earns the Superflies the win before the ref spots it, before allowing the young faces a chance to make their comeback. At this point, the Superflies turn into stooges of the highest order, frantically grabbing the ropes to avoid submission holds and each taking huge bumps to the outside from face offence. Clewd and Stewart more than hold up their end of the bargain, and pick up the win when Ocean accidentally hits Knight with some barricade meant for Clewd, allowing the face to pin Ocean following a sunset flip. Good tag action made more enjoyable by the efforts of the heel team.
Kensuke Sasaki and Klaus Kauroff vs. Eddie Steinblock and Hercules Boyd
Back to Austria we got for this largely pointless tag match, again best 2 out of 3 falls. Boyd overpowers Sasaki to start before Steinblock gets the first fall for his team with a power slam. Orig namedrops Antonio Inoki while Sasaki is in the ring, though I can’t tell you what he said due to the fact I don’t speak much Welsh. Boyd and Steinblock continue to out power Sasaki, before Boyd pins Kauroff following a hiptoss. Too short and a not particularly fun squash.
Johnny Saint vs. Barry Douglas
Johnny Saint was one of my main lures behind buying the DVD, as he specialises in the fluid, clever and above-all, fun matwork that the UK scene was known for. Saint comes to the ring to Reslo’s rather excellent theme tune, which is another reason to like him. The overall feel of the mtch is that Saint is letting Douglas get him in holds just so he can try and work out some elaborate way of escaping, which he does time and again. The highlight of this is a swank escape from a headscissors into a Boston crab. Saint is always one step ahead of Douglas, and the end comes as Saint outmanoeuvres and confuses Douglas, allowing him to get a roll-up for 3. A good, fun exhibition of a style that is becoming a lost art.
There is a ladies match from the US next featuring Heidi Lee Morgan and another, unknown, wrestler, but it isn’t much cop and is pretty short, so I’ll move on to the last match, which is...
Col Brody vs. Boston Blackie
Brody looks like your stereotypical 1940’s military man, down to his thick moustache which Blackie threatens and pulls on to the delight of the crowd. Brody does a great job of keeping the crowd into the match, bumping huge for Blackie (including a big spill to the outside) and always allowing Blackie to stay one step ahead of him. A missed knee drop allows the Colonel to work over Blackie’s knee, including a pair of snapmares which send Blackie knee first into the ropes; After Blackie misses a top rope splash, Brody wins by ramming him chest first into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting a fireman’s carry roll for the three. Fun match made all the more enjoyable due to Brody’s antics and selling, and a good way to end an unique and entertaining collection.
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