Tuesday is French Catch Day: Corn! Lamare! Peruano! Labat! Straub! Mann!

Sergio Reggiori vs Guy Mercier

MD: This is the last four or five minutes of a thirty minute match. It's a shame we don't have the whole thing. Mercier had his throws with a real power behind everything he did, more leverage and oomph in his movements than most people we see (and it seems technique based as opposed to just raw strength). Reggiori is a guy we'll just get bits and pieces of, but he was a mean striker, who was outmatched and took advantages to make up for it. Every time he did, Mercier would fire back with uppercuts. There's a great fall-away slam at the end, which would have been one of the most believable finishing moves we've seen but the time runs out a little while later instead.

SR: Guy Mercier, baby. I have no idea if his uncooperative style and suplexes are due to his legit background or because he was trained in some old philosophy of Catch that was forgotten over the years, but he is awesome to watch even in his young age. There was about 6 minutes of this and it looked like a fantastic match. Reggiori was a prick and Mercier just tried smashing his head in. No idea how French guys had better elbow smashes than anyone now but they looked awesome here. Really liked how Reggiori just dumped Mercier over the top rope like a piece of shit, and the overhead suplex Mercier hit was awesome. Hell of a clip.

Jacky Corn vs Ted Lamare

MD: Just good, struggle-filled wrestling. Here, they had a lot of time and they used it to create plenty of build which got paid off at the end of long holds and at the end of the falls. That was most evident at the end of the second fall, where Corn managed to get the better of one punishing hold after the next, ending with a long short arm scissors. It was enough to frustrate Lamare and once he finally got out (by sending both of them through the ropes to force a break), he started unloading shots. This let Corn go through the legs and get a pin. In some of the other matches we'd see, that'd be the end of it, and that'd be satisfying because it felt like real storytelling. In this one though, they seemed to always take an extra couple of loops around and that led to one of the best finishing stretches to a fall we've seen full of quick counters and attempts to put each other away. The match was full of extra flourishes. Earlier in the second fall, they set up a pin > bridge > bodyscissors catch spot, that we've seen a bunch, but went around an extra time first by having Corn shoot up suddenly before landing it. Little bits of variation like that matter to me and they had to matter to an audience that regularly watched these matches. There were a few things that I can't remember seeing in 50s Catch here too, a straight up Corn powerbomb (as opposed to a flip or a catch) and great Rude Awakenings, as well as some sort of flipping thing that didn't work out for him as he got caught and powerbombed (which set up the end of the first fall), and Lamare hitting a running (walking) power slam. A big chunk of the third fall was a sort of short leg scissors, where the two were quite tied up before things escalated into bomb throwing, both some of the aforementioned moves and an amazing Lamare flurry of uppercuts, punches, and headbutts against the ropes. Good stuff.

SR: 2/3 falls going about 35 minutes. This was certainly a 35 minute long match that flew by. Jacky Corn seems to be the go to guy at this point for these type of long technical lightweight matches. We won‘t see Lamarre again until 12 years later, and he looked good here. This felt a bit like the Atlantis/Panther of lucha. Jacky Corn may have absolutely no charisma, but you can bet matches with him will have a ton of that clinical French hold for hold styled wrestling. There was a great double leg split spot. Eventually, Corn lost the advantage and the second fall, which lead to him staging this great comeback against Lamarre. Some spots were not hit clean it felt like it needed a bigger crescendo at the end, but if I was to demonstrate the quirks of a technical French bout, this would feel like one of the go-to display objects.

PAS: This was a long technical match, and it is always impressive how much more dynamic the French versions of these matches are then the US versions. This had way more flash and excitement then your average Dory Jr. or Backlund match. Matt is right about the big bomb portion of this match, that Rude Awakening looked nasty and their forearms were about average for French Catch which makes them top 10% ever. All of the rolling leg work in the third fall was really cool, and I thought they did a bunch of cool stuff with the knuckle lock and short arm scissors exchanges. 30 minute plus matches are tough for me at this point of my life, but this kept moving at a nice pace. 

Inca Peruano vs Jo Labat 

MD: I really liked this pairing. Peruano is explosiveness and creativity, marred dramatically by a penchant to hang out by the ropes and take every advantage. Labat's the perfect straight man, technically sound, bemused at every moment of cheating and quick to want revenge and often get it. Peruano manages this expertly though, slipping back to the ropes with a scalded dog expression and then, as Labat turns again, only having been able to get in about a third of the damage he wanted to do, bursting back out with a trip or a shot to the back. This was JIP as the announcer was talking to the wrestlers from the later match, but it started with such a burst of energy and abandon before settling down into the format mentioned above. Peruano had such a way of luring an opponent in, drawing him to the ropes so he could shoot him off neck first or, when he could do it, locking in that hanging headscissors, or just setting up a double knucklelock entry that he'd step through over both hands to win the advantage on. Once he got it, he'd sneak in rabbit punches. Labat, on the other hand, just had to get his hands on Peruano cleanly to hit his uppercuts, knee crushers, or everyone's favorite, that trademark shoulder blast. Peruano would just slip through his grasp before long, however. That's why the rolling leg nelson with the stomps and face-rubbing was the most satisfying thing in the world. Even that didn't last long and it ultimately opened him up to Peruano's trademark cradle, though for a nearfall. It was hard to hang on to Inca Peruano for long. Eventually, Peruano just exploded on the arm and locked in the nastiest step over armbar for the win. Peruano is the most watchable guy in all of this footage, I think. You don't want to look away for a moment.

SR: We get about 15 minutes of this 1 fall match, which is nice. Before the match, Tommy Mann and Luc Straub are interviewed, which was cool. This started with some fast smooth exchanges of monkey flips and snapmares before it became pretty much an Inca Peruano tour de force. We know Labat is a good worker, but Peruano is just busy doing things you‘ve never seen before and it‘s a spectacle. Labat sinks in some of those cool armlocks we also saw in the Sola matches, but Peruano comes back fast and completely annihilates him with some ridiculously sharp arm work of his own. The fact that arm work led to a quick ending made this feel a bit like watching an Inoki match. It‘s cool to see competitive matches but I‘m all on board for the Inca Peruano megapush. Also, we get a good look at his amazingly detailled trunks design here.

PAS: Peruano is a revelation, what a unique freaky master of a wrestler. The overall skill level in this French footage is so high, but there isn't a giant difference between someone like Labat or Corne or Sola, which can make their matches a bit dry. Peruano is a one of one. He is always attacking from odd angles grabbing legs and arms, slithering out of holds, grabbing roll ups from the bottom. He almost reminds me of a jujitsu master, like watching Demian Maia. That finish was something, he just tears up Labat's arm until trips him and and locks on a violent step over armbar. One of the most dominant finishes we have seen.

Luc Straub vs Tommy Mann

MD: Here's another look at Mann (our last) and our first look at Straub, who's listed, like half the people we encounter, as a former champion of France. The first fall was generally very even with both wrestlers quite even and neither keeping a hold for long. I liked Straub's escapes which often had him two movements ahead (he'd work the back to get the head, etc.) and Mann was very good from going from one hold to the next. After Straub went up and over (with a bit more of a headscissors than usual) Mann had enough and unloaded with great hammering forearms. That gave him the total advantage, allowed him to hit a slam and pick up the fall, angering the fans. Mann came out punching after the break, but Straub was ready for him, getting some quick revenge, right until Mann cut it off with a rabbit punch while in a hold. From there, things start to break down, with Mann focusing on the throat and doing that cardinal sin that we saw him do last time, locking in a hold too long after bodily contact. The crowd goes unglued at this and starts launching things at him, including a newspaper, with the front row hammering the ring intensely. They ratchet it up a little more but then Straub comes back with a spin kick, driving Mann to the ropes, where a fan summarily takes a whack at him. The fall continues that way, with Straub locking in triumphant holds and Mann using cheapshots and late grappling until it escalates to a full nelson exchange and roll up. The final fall was more of the same, cheapshots by Mann and big moments of comeuppance from Straub. Towards the end, a woman rushes to ringside brandishing a cigarette and hammers the mat and it sums things up as well as anything else. We all love short arm scissors around these parts so for the finish to be one that rolls back and forth was equal parts tremendous and underwhelming considering the other holds we see in most of these matches. I think that was part of the point though. Mann just got all the more heat for submitting to it and avoiding more punishment. Straub was fine and could substitute for a lot of the babyfaces we've seen, but Mann was masterful in manipulating this crowd. It was amazing how much heat he could get for just doing a basic action at a time when the crowd absolutely thought he should be keeping his distance. It's also amazing that so few other wrestlers we've seen have gone to that length. That, in part, opens the door. If every heel did it in every match, it wouldn't stand out. When you get a foreigner coming in and just stomping all over the accepted norms, that's huge heat though.

SR: 2/3 Falls match going about 23 minutes. Both men are interviewed briefly at the beginning of the episode, while standing at the bar. Luc Straub is apparently the ex-champion of France. He is another somewhat nondescript, gentleman looking French wrestler and you cann pretty much know what to expect from this. Lots of Mann handing out grizzly snake pit styled cheapshots and Straub retaliating. Mann has really great cheapshots though, so it‘s a winning formula. At one point, he even does the Terry Rudge punch with the opponents arm behind his back. Man took the 1st fall early, which added a ton to the match as the crowd got REALLY into it and began willing Straub on. Straub doesn‘t do a a ton to distuingish himself from other French babyfaces, but I loved his rolling short arm scissor and the fact that it got a submission, even.

PAS: Man oh man Tommy Mann. He is the grandfather of that British asskicker style, Finlay's great uncle, Terry Rudge's mean stepdad. Just a heat seeking asskicker. He riles up the crowd by crowning Straub with vicious uppercuts, forearms and stomps and holding every hold a bit too long. The crowd goes bat shit throwing shit into the ring and pounding the mat, I am surprised no one took a swing at him. Straub was there mostly to be an opponent, but his rolling short arm scissors was an appropriate triumph of good over evil.

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Tuesday is French Catch Day: Mann! Montourcy! Black Salem! Pellacani!

Tommy Mann vs. Claude Montourcy 10/17/57 - GREAT

PAS: Another week, another pair of awesome guys I have never heard of. Pretty classic French Catch heavyweight style match, with some really cool matwork a nasty cheating heel, and a finishing run full of violence. We even get a countout finish off a big bump, which seems to be a finish used a lot. I like well done formula wrestling, and this was very well done. Montourcy really works over the arm, including a great spot where he climbs Mann's back to clasp an arm. Mann is a guy with stiff cheapshots, and he had especially good looking uppercuts, landing right in the mandible. He looked like he was going to dislocate's Montourcy's jaw. The finish bump by Mann was a pretty big one, and I liked how he sold his arm like he cracked his forearm on the chair.

MD: Despite being billed as American, Mann is definitely British. He was on Benny Hill. He's a stocky grizzled, hard-nosed character and we're lucky to have any footage of him. Montourcy is a quick and fiery (when pushed) French babyface. I had some concerns in the first few minutes as the chain wrestling seemed okay but not particular dynamic relative to what we've been watching, but then Mann forearmed him out of nowhere and everything was okay once more. Mann either really understood or adroitly adapted to the crowd. Much like British rules, you have to chain your offense together in French Catch. If you knock someone down, you can't then go in and lock in a hold if bodily contact was broken and it wasn't all one movement. If you do, the ref will break the hold. Mann, however, kept going for unattached chinlocks, getting big boos each time. It's one of those things that probably wouldn't have worked in front of any other crowd of any other era but it made him reviled here. This turned into a good mix of slugging blows (including Montourcy affronted comebacks and bits of revenge) and punishing holds; Mann was especially good at turning one hold into the next as Montourcy shifted positions. Given the length of these matches, there are generally a lot of momentum shifts, which makes each individual comeback somewhat less memorable then it might be in a shine-heat-comeback formula, but there was a beautiful stepover (with the leg hooked every so slightly under the arm to give the flipping torque) cross-arm breaker with the leg clapping down over the face repeatedly, that really got the crowd up, including the Martian at ringside. Anyway, things escalated to some bumps out of the ring and a countout/TKO that protected Mann well enough while putting over Montourcy. We'll see the latter a few more times but Mann only once more I think.

SR: 1 Fall match going almost exactly 20 minutes. Tommy Mann was a British grappler who was looking quite lumpy and aging in this, while Montourcy is a slender young technician. Odds that this was gonna turn into a brawl were high, but they engage in some quite good grappling. It soon became apparent Montourcy would have the upper hand, so Mann decided to crank up the viciousness with nasty forearms and clubs. Really liked his backbreakers and the finger bending that he did which is exactly what you‘d expect from a crusty old veteran carny. Montourcy was slick as hell and looked like one of the better workers around. Predictably good match.

Jacky Corne vs. Rafael Blasco 11/29/57 - FUN

MD: This was something. We just get ten minutes of it but Blasco, who is a Spanish Light Heavyweight who I don't think there's any footage of but this, is an amazing striker and just pounds the hell out of Corn. He has this high torque twist out into a forearm or a punch that's brutal and he does it again and again. He also picks Corn up and charges him into the corner multiple time. Corn is a fighter as always and comes back to the crowd's delight, but ultimately it's too much. I liked the gamesmanship here: when Corn was coming back, Blasco tossed him out; when Blasco used the same tricks too many times, Corn was able to dodge away or deflect, but really this was all about the strikes and how much heat Blasco was able to generate from the crowd.

PAS: I am not going to complain about a match where a guy brutally punches another guy until the towel gets thrown in. It was pretty one-dimensional, but that is a hell of a dimension. The rainmaker into a punch was really cool, and it is fun to see how many 50s French Catch guys have cooler Rainmakers than Okada.

SR: About the ending of what looks like a pretty heated match. Mostly Blasco beating on Corn with nasty forearm shots until his corner man throws in the towel. Blasco also really likes a move where he puts Corn in a japanese strangelhold and spins him around like a Rainmaker. I would‘ve liked more Blasco as he came across mean and tough but this is his sole appearance.

Black Salem vs. Liano Pellacani 11/29/57 - GREAT

MD: Pellacani is one of the greatest heatseeking villains we've seen. Remember, he's the guy we saw someone throw a lit cigarette in one of our first matches. Here, he's not just facing Black Salem, but the ref and the crowd and the world itself. Ultimately, what that means is that we don't necessarily have a great match, but we do absolutely have an amazing performance. Salem was fairly big, with a great headbutt and some questionable strikes (kicks especially) and and throws/holds. He reminded me a bit of King Kong Taverne, where he could do the moves of the day, but not nearly as smooth as others. I get the sense that some of the technical masters we've seen could walk him through a really interesting match. That's not what Pellacani was there for though. He was there to enrage everyone in the crowd, especially the lady wearing the giant cross that may or may not have been a nun. Oh and the guy that pounded him when he was on the apron at one point. And the ref (though that was worked) who kept kicking him in the head repeatedly when he wouldn't break a hold. With almost every heel we've seen, there's a Tully-ian moment of at least trying to wrestle before going to the cheapshots. Not with Pellacani. He rushes right in at the bell and never looks back. If the ref hits him to break a hold, he makes sure to kick Salem in response. He jaws with the ref or the crowd as a distraction so he can lunge in at his opponent. When he hits something he's happy with, he'll do a little strut or a finger motion with a smug look on his face. Sometimes he even feigns contrition, as if it was an accident. And his shots all look nasty and brutal and sound even worse. Pellacani was truly the best at being the worst.

PAS: Pellacani continues to be great. You really don't need much on the other side, he is going to throw those big shots and try to fight everyone in the audience. He has some real shoulder separators for forearms, and knows just when to cool a crowd down and to heat them up.  I enjoyed Salem, his stuff didn't always land but he timed his stuff really well and that headbutt was class. I also like the spin kick, it didn't always land great but it looked cool.  Pellacani was the story though, he is really an all timer.

SR: With a name like Black Salem, you hope for some kind of esoteric mat wizard, but this turns into a brawl pretty much from the get go with Pellacani barraging Salem with his stiff forearm blows, punch combos and thudding kicks. Black Salem fought back with good looking dropkicks and big headbutts. Pellacani looked good in the Takashi Ishikawa role of psychotically potatoeing a guy, at one point he even started doing these stiff low kicks. Also liked Pellacani taking swings at the audience which gave the whole thing a vibe like something was about to break out. Pretty short at about 15 minutes and felt like it could have been more. Atleast we got a rough looking end sequence leading to the pinfall.

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