NAGASAKI VS DOCTOR DEATH VS WHITE ANGEL!

I was trying to see that tattoo on the arm which would be a sign of the real L'Ange Blanc.

I sported a big checked jacket in the early seventies just like that outstretched arm, and that was when the original was in UK. The trend didn't last long!

On the negative side: a missing apostrophe ... and what are those two last letters?

And the physique isn't really swarthy enough for a 40+ year old Spaniard.

Plus ... didn't he wrestle maskless on that tour? Certainly on tv against BBD.

In conclusion: I don't know ☺

This thread shows how dire things had become in the late 1970s and why so many of us had cleared off to do other things. No criticism of the many good wrestlers still around (and into the 80s) blame lay entirely with the management.

By that time the business had been taken over by a man with an independents background. Now you all know I'm an opposition supporter, but it was in their shows we were familiar with fake names and lots of substitutes. Regular opposition fans forgive them because the shows were usually good. If you're not convinced head over to the Wisbech Chronicles.

Transferring these practices to Joint Promotions and tv exposure was just too much. It was a case of not being able to fool all of the people all of the time.

As for Norfolk Snake, brilliant post. Thank you Vladimir Volkov.

I think a lot of the points such as this one, discussed at length on hind sight still keep missing the fundamentals of the wrestling business. Most of it was all one big 'work', not that i'm decrying it. At the time we all lived and breathed it as reality, very few knew it as anything else. We might have had suspicions but the true professional manner of the real workers always kept most punters believing. The few championships of the golden days seemed real, as most champions really looked (and indeed could handle themselves) the part. I think a lot of punters thought of the wrestling business as being in two parts at shows - the real wrestlers and the overtly show biz gimicky showmen - that was how the punters at my Norfolk halls used to believe and not believe - even after Pallo's book and the various exposes in the papers, most regular punters still wanted to believe - thats the impression I still get on even reading these various posts - we still want to believe Mike Bennet really smashed Danny Collins to smithereens ! - it still looks so real - but I'm sure it was a very heavy 'work' , only those in the know will really know. In essence that was why it rates highly in my favourite TV bouts of the 80s, if it looked the business even to other wrestlers you knew it was bloody good ! Back to topic, all these discussions of championships, belts, masked men etc - we are missing the point they were integral tools for the promoters. Random masked men (particularly on smaller independent shows) could be created at a whim to pad out the show when they were a man down and as has constantly been said recently the promoters had no scruples - no American, lets create one, no German lets create one !. True back in the 60s we had real foreign wrestlers but come on Max Crabtree, why recreate old timers such as Texas Ted heath, Bull Blitzer, Baron Von Schultz, Ray Stomper Thunder, Bearcat Wright etc...the list goes on, why did he insult the intelligence of his old faithful punters ?. True we had no internet, youtube or anyway of knowing what was going on down the road a hundred miles, we lapped up Kent Walton's commentary, we believed every word in The Wrestler and the programmes. So Max Crabtree talking about smoke and mirrors in one of his interviews pretty much nailed it. I guess what really pissed off a lot of punters was the no shows in latter days, wrestlers billed who never turned up, it really took numbers down at places like King's Lynn - every week a different bill to that advertised with poor substitutes. But that was the wrestling business....on my comeback I was Vladimir Volkov...former lightweight champion of Kazakstan ....first thing I did was get out the Atlas !!

At least we know it couldn't have been Steve Williams. He was still at school in Oklahoma until '78

These are late 70s posters. By this time Paul Lincoln was long retired and Al Hayes was off in the States and had become a heel manager. Loads of wrestlers have used both names especially Doctor Death. There was one on the Crabtrees' Battle of the Brits video in '92 and I knew a bloke called Alan in 1988-1989 who claimed to have been a Doctor Death at one point.

Ian Burns masterminded the replacement of Martin Conroy with Tug Wilson then had to explain to the paymaster when it went disastrously wrong.

I Burns? Anyone?

This is an important thread.

The comments highlight the various errors by the promoters.

Using the big names of the day in no way that was respectful of the fans, supporting wrestlers, or the long-term good of pro wrestling.

Damning evidence of negligence in a position of responsibility.

Love your wording, Ron: "his White Angel". Poor te666x has joined in imagining that there was some semblance of normality, strategy, respect for wrestling, long-term vision, seriousness. Whilst there was none.

Why Wolverhampton? Was there something about the audience make-up there that made the promoter want to get away with this lazy nonsense? Was it free digs for all at Nagasaki Towers afterwards?

Desperate programme compilation, too. Best Wryton seem to have been the worst. But they did try to fill the space with a now interesting trio of JP directors. Who's that third one, please, Main Mask?

I recall seeing Smut Smith versus Mal Crossley on quite a few Crabtree shows when Crabtree first took over. The poor beggars (who were very good) had to wrestle a lengthy bout because the rest of the bill, although looking exciting on paper, featured wrestlers who could only work for a few minutes. The other three bouts on that Wolverhampton bill would all have been over quite quickly.

Crabtree seemed to have been reading American wrestling magazines and just copied the names (Greg Valentine, "Black" Jack Mulligan etc). Rocky Johnson was another (the original, Dwayne Johnson's dad). I recall this bout, Crabtree versus Johnson, taking place on one of Crabtree's first TV outings when Crabtree was still playing the villain. It went out on the late Wednesday night spot. Perhaps one of your more knowledgable contributors might know Rocky Johnson's real name (I recall around this time both Crabtree and Two Rivers had several bouts with The Mighty Yankee and he turned out to be a guy from Spennymoor, County Durham, called Ian Glassmore).

I didn't see Joe Romero as The White Angel but I do recall him being The Mad Axeman at Liverpool Stadium. Daddy demolished him within minutes. Kendo defeated Mike Marino (this one lasted a little while longer) then, in the final of this four man K.O., Daddy faced Nagasaki for another brief encounter. With support match Honey Boy Zimba versus Peter Kaye being a short-lived affair, it again fell on Smith versus Crossley to do six cats to make up the time.

And this White Angel was Francisco Farina ? And who was The Outlaw ?

Matey Dave, most wrestlers did not know or have any say over who they fought.

They just turned up and then saw the bill.

I think Nagasaki used Gypsy Joe as his White Angel. It was underwhelming.

Big Daddie in a minor bout: nice.

Very well put, Main Mask, about phonies denegrating pure wrestling heritage, and their opponents being guilty by association.

Shocking that that Dr Death didn't even put up a performance. Wolverhampton sure attracted the big names but the promoting seems to have been atrocious.

Were Wolverhampton fans so undiscerning?

Agree with Ian ref The Katt photo.

big daddy fighting the rock, bit strange.

to my straight thinking surely was unethical for a wrestler to take on a fake wrestler. why did Nagasaki feel the need to go in against an artificial dr death, unless it was the money and he got a kick out of conning the public

another reason I felt he was over rated

Hi Adrian, I think that Photograph on poster was actualy (THE KATT) alias John Foley.

Regards Ian.

The SAME Match at KINGS HALL BELLE VUE MANCHESTER!

I was at This Show Myself and apart from This Bout-it was a Great Bill!

I have NEVER seen such a Lack of ANY kind of Offence from a MASKED

Wrestler-He Offered NO Offence whatsoever just being thrown from Ropes

to Post by KENDO!!-I didn't even Recognise this MASKLESS 'DOCTOR'??

either??-Very Disappointing!

MAIN MASK