French Catch
Based on what we have available to us, French wrestling was certainly the most exciting wrestling in the world for at least the 1950s and 1960s. Without getting too into specifics, procuring this footage from the INA archive was the virtual equivalent of me putting on a wig and mustache and checking into a hotel room under a pseudonym. We have seen footage of many great wrestlers about whom we likely wouldn’t have known with this stuff being unearthed, and the quality tends to range from fun to mind-blowing. Special thanks to the team at Segunda Caida for making sense of the footage, recommending the best matches and providing some much-needed context.
67 topics in this forum
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French Catch 1957 and Before #01 (1948-1957) #02 (February 1957) #03 (March-April 1957) #04 (May 1957) #05 (May-June 1957) #06 (June-July 1957) #07 (July-September 1957) #08 (October-December 1957) #09 (December 1957-February 1958) 1958 #10 (February-May 1958) #11 (July-August 1958) #12 (August-September 1958) #13 (October-December 1958) #14 (December 1958-January 1959) 1959 #15 (January-March 1959) #16 (March-May 1959) #17 (May-June 1959) #18 (June-July 1959) #19 (July-September 1959) #20 (September-October 1959) #21 (Octobe…
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French Catch #1 (02:14:39) Matches from 1948-1957 TEDDY BOYS vs GILBERT CESCA & RENE BEN CHEMOUL (1948; French Catch; 00:17:10) FRANK SEXTON vs YVAR MARTINSON (1950; French Catch; 00:01:44) ALBERT FALAUX vs GUY ROBIN (1953; French Catch; 00:03:15) EDDY WIECZ & EDDY KOPARANIAN vs ANDRE BOLLET & GEORGES GUERET (02/23/1956; French Catch; 00:48:56) JACKY CORN vs LUIS EL GAYO (01/11/1957; French Catch; 00:25:02) LINO DI SANTO vs JACK VAN DOOREN (01/11/1957; French Catch; 00:13:01) JOACHIM LA BARBA vs INCA PERUANO (01/17/1957; French Catch; 00:25:31)
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French Catch #2 (02:09:21) Matches from February 1957 ISKA KHAN vs JIM OLIVER (02/01/1957; French Catch; 00:21:23) JEAN BOUT vs LIANO PELLACANI (02/15/1957; French Catch; 00:38:49) BERT ROYAL vs TONY OLIVER (02/22/1957; French Catch; 00:39:55) CLAUDE DREYFUS vs UNKNOWN WRESTLER (02/22/1957; French Catch; 00:06:57) DR. ADOLF KAISER vs MICHEL CHAISNE (02/28/1957; French Catch; 00:26:17)
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French Catch #3 (02:19:04) Matches from March-April 1957 JOACHIM LA BARBA vs ROGER LAROCHE (03/07/1957; French Catch; 00:38:06) AL HAYES vs GUY ROBIN (03/22/1957; French Catch; 00:27:55) DR. ADOLF KAISER vs WARNIA DE ZARZECKI (03/29/1957; French Catch; 00:19:02) INCA PERUANO vs COMANCHE INDIAN (03/29/1957; French Catch; 00:23:02) ANDRE BOLLET vs HENRI BURY (04/26/1957; French Catch; 00:30:59)
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French Catch #4 (02:11:59) Matches from May 1957 GILBERT CESCA vs BILLY CATANZARO (05/02/1957; French Catch; 00:33:11) LUIS EL GAYO vs RENE GERBER (05/11/1957; French Catch; 00:27:57) AMI SOLA vs ROGER TRIGEAUD (05/17/1957; French Catch; 00:23:21) DR. ADOLF KAISER vs INCA PERUANO (05/17/1957; French Catch; 00:08:15) AL HAYES & RAY HUNTER vs ROGER DELAPORTE & ROGER GUETTIER (05/24/1957; French Catch; 00:39:15)
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French Catch #5 (02:13:58) Matches from May-June 1957 MARCEL PARMENTIER vs JEAN FRYZIUK (05/24/1957; French Catch; 00:08:52) GILBERT LEDUC vs WARNIA DE ZARZECKI (05/30/1957; French Catch; 00:34:58) JEAN MAUJEAN vs GUY ROBIN (05/30/1957; French Catch; 00:08:04) LINO DI SANTO vs MICHEL ALLARY (06/07/1957; French Catch; 00:29:43) INCA PERUANO vs CHERI BIBI (06/14/1957; French Catch; 00:22:06) JOE BENARDO vs ERIC WASBERG (06/21/1957; French Catch; 00:04:20) ANDRE DRAPP vs JACK LASKIN (06/21/1957; French Catch; 00:25:55)
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French Catch #6 (02:28:41) Matches from June-July 1957 PAUL DEBUSNE vs AMI SOLA (06/26/1957; French Catch; 00:08:19) PIERRE BERNAERT vs LAURENT DAUTHILLE (06/26/1957; French Catch; 00:22:07) JO RINALDI vs ROBERT MOINE (07/11/1957; French Catch; 00:13:44) PIERRE BERNAERT vs MICHEL CHAISNE (07/11/1957; French Catch; 00:23:06) ROGER DELAPORTE & GUY ROBIN vs JEAN FRYZIUK & FISCHER (07/19/1957; French Catch; 00:40:31) AL ARAUJO VS JIMENEZ (07/26/1957; French Catch; 00:40:54)
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French Catch #7 (02:08:26) Matches from July-September 1957 ROGER DELAPORTE vs KING KONG TAVERNE (07/26/1957; French Catch; 00:30:43) CHERI BIBI vs HENRI CHEAUVEAU (08/02/1957; French Catch; 00:12:13) MICHEL CHAISNE vs JO LABAT (08/02/1957; French Catch; 00:26:15) JACQUES COUDERC vs AMI SOLA (08/08/1957; French Catch; 00:20:46) MOISE BESCH vs JOE BERNAERT (08/08/1957; French Catch; 00:08:34) GILBERT LEDUC vs MICHEL CHAISNE (09/20/1957; French Catch; 00:06:06) RENE BEN CHEMOUL vs JOAQUIM LA BARBA (09/20/1957; French Catch; 00:23:59)
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French Catch #8 (02:04:47) Matches from October-December 1957 GUY ROBIN vs ERIC DELOUR (10/04/1957; French Catch; 00:26:38) TOMMY MANN vs CLAUDE MONTOURCY (10/17/1957; French Catch; 00:24:23) BLACK SALEM vs LIANO PELLACANI (11/29/1957; French Catch; 00:17:44) JACKY CORN vs ROBERTO BLASCO (11/29/1957; French Catch; 00:10:29) AL HAYES vs JEAN CASI (12/07/1957; French Catch; 00:27:31) AL HAYES vs JULIO GASPARRINI (12/12/1957; French Catch; 00:18:02)
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French Catch #9 (01:57:41) Matches from December 1957-February 1958 RAY HUNTER vs KING KONG TAVERNE (12/12/1957; French Catch; 00:26:59) ERIC HUSBERG vs JOSE ARROYO (12/27/1957; French Catch; 00:38:16) JOSE ARROYO vs PIERRE BERNAERT (02/11/1958; French Catch; 00:06:22) JO LABAT vs AMI SOLA (02/11/1958; French Catch; 00:25:19) JACKY CORN vs INCA PERUANO (02/21/1958; French Catch; 00:20:45)
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French Catch #10 (02:17:44) Matches from February-May 1958 MICHEL CHAISNE vs JO LABAT (02/27/1958; French Catch; 00:34:29) ANDRE DRAPP vs YVES AMOR (03/27/1958; French Catch; 00:36:52) KARL VON KRAMER vs SERGE GENTILLY (04/29/1958; French Catch; 00:36:42) ROBERT DURANTON vs PIERRE BOSS (05/02/1958; French Catch; 00:29:21)
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French Catch #11 (02:02:50) Matches from July-August 1958 AL ARAUJO vs MARCEL PARMENTIER (07/25/1958; French Catch; 00:03:38) ROGER DELAPORTE & PAUL VILLARS vs GORDON NELSON & BUD CODY (07/25/1958; French Catch; 00:44:36) JO LABAT vs AMI SOLA (07/31/1958; French Catch; 00:23:38) ROBERT DURANTON vs MICHEL CHAISNE (07/31/1958; French Catch; 00:24:01) CHERI BIBI vs PAUL DEBUSNE (08/16/1958; French Catch; 00:26:57)
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French Catch #12 (02:16:22) Matches from August-September 1958 RAY ASSELIN vs MOISE BESCH (08/16/1958; French Catch; 00:19:22) JACKY CORN vs TED LAMARRE (08/23/1958; French Catch; 00:38:26) SERGIO REGGIORI vs GUY MERCIER (08/23/1958; French Catch; 00:06:24) INCA PERUANO vs JO LABAT (09/05/1958; French Catch; 00:20:03) LUC STRAUB vs TOMMY MANN (09/05/1958; French Catch; 00:26:16) GUY ROBIN & EDMOND LIEHN vs BERT ROYAL & VIC HESSLE (09/11/1958; French Catch; 00:25:51)
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French Catch #13 (02:07:34) Matches from October-December 1958 JOSE TARRES vs JACK VAN DOOREN (10/10/1958; French Catch; 00:31:08) PAUL DEBUSNE vs SERGIO REGGIORI (10/10/1958; French Catch; 00:08:59) GILBERT LEDUC vs ROCCO LAMBAN (10/30/1958; French Catch; 00:30:58) NIKOLAI ZIGULINOFF vs ROBERT GASTEL (10/30/1958; French Catch; 00:09:00) LINO DI SANTO vs LIANO PELLACANI (12/13/1958; French Catch; 00:32:12) RENE GERBER vs JEAN RABUT (12/13/1958; French Catch; 00:15:17)
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French Catch #14 (02:01:42) Matches from December 1958-January 1959 ROBERT DURANTON vs JIMMY DULA (12/26/1958; French Catch; 00:40:21) PAUL VILLARS vs JUAN BOTANA (01/01/1959; French Catch; 00:17:13) TONY OLIVER vs SERGE GENTILLY (01/01/1959; French Catch; 00:31:36) JOSE TARRES vs DR. ADOLF KAISER (01/02/1959; French Catch; 00:32:32)
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French Catch #15 (02:18:36) Matches from January-March 1959 L’ANGE BLANC vs PAUL VILLARS (01/09/1959; French Catch; 00:36:33) GUY MERCIER vs ROBERT LE BOULCH (02/05/1959; French Catch; 00:01:07) LE BOURREAU DE BETHUNE vs GILBERT LEDUC (02/05/1959; French Catch; 00:24:51) ROBERT GASTEL vs GABY CALDERON (02/05/1959; French Catch; 00:08:16) JOHNNY STEIN vs JEAN BOUT (02/27/1959; French Catch; 00:46:20) AL HAYES & RAY HUNTER vs KARL VON KRAMER & DR. ADOLF KAISER (03/06/1959; French Catch; 00:21:29)
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French Catch #16 (02:24:07) Matches from March-May 1959 L’HOMME MASQUE vs ROGER DELAPORTE (03/06/1959; French Catch; 00:25:43) CHARLES HUMEZ vs PAUL DEBUSNE (04/02/1959; French Catch; 00:16:30) JOSE TARRES vs KARL VON CHENOK (04/02/1959; French Catch; 00:34:28) JO RINALDI vs GASTON MAUJEAN (04/30/1959; French Catch; 00:01:55) ROGER LAROCHE vs HENRI LAMBERT (04/30/1959; French Catch; 00:33:01) JEAN BOUT vs JACK VAN DOOREN (05/09/1959; French Catch; 00:32:30)
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French Catch #17 (02:15:14) Matches from May-June 1959 KARL VON CHENOK & ROBERT GASTEL vs CLAUDE MONTOURCY & GILBERT LEDUC (05/23/1959; French Catch; 01:03:34) ROGER DELAPORTE vs ROGER GUETTIER (05/30/1959; French Catch; 00:36:57) ISHA ISRAEL vs JEAN RABUT (06/04/1959; French Catch; 00:34:43)
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French Catch #18 (02:25:28) Matches from June-July 1959 JAMES MCTIFFIN vs ROGER GUETTIER (06/19/1959; French Catch; 00:26:35) MARCEL PARMENTIER vs BOB PLANTAIN (06/19/1959; French Catch; 00:02:58) CLAUDE MONTOURCY vs ROBERT GASTEL (06/26/1959; French Catch; 00:13:56) VASILIOS MANTOPOULOS vs ROBERTO RICETTI (06/26/1959; French Catch; 00:32:08) JACKY CORN vs GEORGES GUERET (07/09/1959; French Catch; 00:34:58) ROGER DELAPORTE & PAUL VILLARS vs ARABET SAID & LEON MINISSINI (07/16/1959; French Catch; 00:34:53)
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French Catch #19 (01:53:51) Matches from July-September 1959 SERGE FRANCILLE vs PIERRE BERNAERT (07/16/1959; French Catch; 00:15:15) CHERI BIBI & PIERRE BERNAERT vs AMI SOLA & JO LABAT (08/06/1959; French Catch; 00:40:39) JOHNNY STEIN vs MICHEL ALLARY (08/21/1959; French Catch; 00:39:03) JEAN CORNE vs ROBERT LE BOULCH (09/03/1959; French Catch; 00:18:54)
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French Catch #20 (02:05:48) Matches from September-October 1959 ROGER DELAPORTE & PAUL VILLARS vs YVES AMOR & GEORGES GUERET (09/05/1959; French Catch; 00:39:22) ANDRE BOLLET vs ISHA KHAN (10/02/1959; French Catch; 00:43:42) JAMES MCTIFFIN vs JOHNNY STEIN (10/02/1959; French Catch; 00:09:25) PIERRE LECOQ vs ARABET SAID (10/10/1959; French Catch; 00:26:04) JOSE ARROYO vs GEORGES GUERET (10/15/1959; French Catch; 00:07:15)
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French Catch #21 (02:25:26) Matches from October-November 1959 LINO DI SANTO vs LE KRA (10/15/1959; French Catch; 00:27:03) JOSEF KOVACS vs GABY CALDERON (10/23/1959; French Catch; 00:04:49) QUASIMODO vs GILBERT LEDUC (10/23/1959; French Catch; 00:28:43) DOVISKOFF vs DELACOUR (11/20/1959; French Catch; 00:02:42) JOSE ARROYO vS MICHEL CHAISNE (11/20/1959; French Catch; 00:34:55) GUY ROBIN vs AL ARAUJO (11/27/1959; French Catch; 00:15:49) RENE BEN CHEMOUL vs GILBERT CESCA (11/27/1959; French Catch; 00:31:25)
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French Catch #22 (01:33:42) Matches from December 1959-January 1960 CHERI BIBI & PIERRE BERNAERT vs WARNIA DE ZARZECKI & AMI SOLA (12/11/1959; French Catch; 00:12:19) JAMES BROWN vs ROBERT GASTEL (01/14/1960; French Catch; 00:18:42) QUASIMODO vs JOSEF KOVACS (01/14/1960; French Catch; 00:25:10) JACK DE LASARTESSE vs MICHEL ALLARY (01/22/1960; French Catch; 00:27:56) JEAN RABUT vs VENTA COSTELLA (01/22/1960; French Catch; 00:09:35)
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French Catch #23 (01:33:06) Matches from January-February 1960 MICHEL ALLARY vs PAUL VILLARS (01/22/1960; French Catch; 00:27:07) PIERRE COMBROUSTE vs TED LAMARRE (01/22/1960; French Catch; 00:13:01) AL HAYES & RAY HUNTER vs ROGER DELAPORTE & ANDRE BOLLET (02/01/1960; French Catch; 00:31:31) ANTONIO MONTORO vs PIERRE BERNAERT (02/12/1960; French Catch; 00:21:27)
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French Catch #24 (02:30:04) Matches from February-May 1960 ARABET SAID & SERGE GENTILLY vs YVES AMOR & GEORGES GUERET (02/12/1960; French Catch; 00:12:01) JEAN CORNE & ISCHA ISRAEL vs MARCEL MANNEVEAU & CLAUDE GESSAT (04/21/1960; French Catch; 00:30:02) ROBERT LE BOULCH vs JEAN MARTIN (04/29/1960; French Catch; 00:03:06) SPARTACUS vs ERIC HUSBERG (04/29/1960; French Catch; 00:21:51) RENE BEN CHEMOUL & GILBERT CESCA vs CHERI BIBI & PIERRE BERNAERT (05/06/1960; French Catch; 00:40:32) ROGER DELAPORTE vs COWBOY JACK BENCE (05/26/1960; French Catch; 00:42:32)
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