I just rewatched the World title match between Rocco and the Frenchman Joel de Fremery. So what do we know about de Fremery ? Had he been here before ? Did he stay and wrestle others ? What was his reputation in Europe ? To me he seems no where near in the class of opponent who should have been taking on Rocco for the vacant title. Compared to Sammy Lee who should have been there, he seems laboured and very pedestrian in his style. No where near a classic bout and I think one of Rocco's worst opponents in any of his televised bouts. Was it a case of Max having to find an opponent from abroad to make the match at short notice ?
top of page
bottom of page
Max didn't pay as well as the Japanese promoters,no wonder the guys left.
I think that Max Crabtree had been put in an awkward position by Sammy Lee (Satoru Sayama) going back to Japan and did have to find an overseas opponent for Mark Rocco at short notice. Maybe Joel de Fremery had been a very good wrestler but if so, he did look a bit past his best in this bout against Rocco.
During the bout Kent Walton said that Sammy Lee had needed to drop put of his scheduled world title bout against Rocco because of 'a family bereavement'. Sammy Lee (Satoru Sayama) had actually gone back to Japan to start wrestling as the masked wrestler Tiger Mask. Kent Walton could hardly give this as a reason for dropping out of a world title bout, could he?
It seems that we missed out on seeing some great bouts between Mark Rocco and Sammy Lee. However, apparently on the recommendation of Satoru Sayama, Mark Rocco was chosen to be the wrestler who was Tiger Masks main rival in Japan, The Black Tiger. They did have a series of great bouts together wrestling as Tiger Mask vs Black Tiger in Japan, instead of Mark Rocco vs Sammy Lee in this country!
You are virtually "unbeatable" Ron
Not many I can't find these days. He was on TV against Jon Cortez at Wembley in August .
Not sure how or why he was chosen, but then again, that's Wrestling for you.
He wrote to the British Wrestlers Reunion earlier this year (he had visited the reunion at Wayne Bridges pub in 2009, to receive and award, presented by Bob Kirkwood) and said
"...'I have a lot of memories my 1st coming in 1965. I was 21 now 76. I met all the great stars of that time : Mick, Jackie Pallo, Steve Logan and had a tv with Jon Cortez. I would like to come back at that time. In 1982 I met Mark Rocco 4 the title. Best regards Joël'..."
So he would have been 38 when he wrestled Mark Rocco.
His earlier visits were under the name "Vicounte Joel De Noirbruea" (or De Noirbreuil), and he was trained by Albert Ben Chemoul, the father of Rene Ben Chemoul.