Catch Wrestling Association Appreciation Thread

[DLVH84]

When I started following pro wrestling in 1988, I was living in Frankfurt, Germany. And the very first promotion I followed was my home promotion at the time, Catch Wrestling Association. They ran shows in Germany and in Austria. They used European Wrestling rules, dividing the match into rounds and possibly winning a match by knockout.

Here's a couple of music videos...

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-18YEqZY1DY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YdHJmlnG3jg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

AMAZING, you gotta post more!

[Jordan]

Black guy in the first video can sing, whoo! What a song

[Jordan]

Okay this is my favorite thing ever.

[Jordan]

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/da2-3wCGTeI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

Seriously though, this is really entertaining. I'd love for somebody to parody this ala Stranglemania/Mystery Science Theatre.

This is like the origin of Chikara, do they have awesome music videos?

[CSL]

they have awesome videos that sometimes have music in them from an entrance, a dance off or a giant dragon attacking the ring, dunno about music videos per se

[Jordan]

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JpTwWjr66Gg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is the shit.

[DLVH84]

Here's much of the December 1992 Euro Catch Festival in Bremen, Germany. The World Tag Team title match is missing...

Dave Taylor vs. Giant Haystacks
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UoorGnwFTPE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Body Slam Challenge: Cannonball Grizzly vs. Bruiser Mastino
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EY0r8-Co2PM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA World Middleweight Championship Tournament Qualifying Match: Fit Finlay vs. Eddie Gilbert
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/k_DNG-7OGjQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Match: Heavy Metal Buffalo vs. The Warlord
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0a70k3TVix4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Franz Schumann
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rO1-J7lm-gc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q-VDm5Hfemg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Road Warrior Hawk vs. Rambo
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4Bn27BXWpE4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tFpCu8FzIII" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

Vader is throwing legit punches to the nose in that one, check out a fucking stiff affair in that vid.

[Jordan]

Who is Rambo? Also, thanks! This is WRESTLING, in ever sense of the word. So do you have anymore awesome 80's music videos?

[DLVH84]

Who is Rambo? Also, thanks! This is WRESTLING, in ever sense of the word. So do you have anymore awesome 80's music videos?

Rambo is Sniper from The Truth Commission, when he was in the WWF in 1997.

[Jordan]

I wanna know what Seth 82 thinks of CWA.

[DLVH84]

Wendi Richter vs. Madusa Miceli

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K4OR6KepCqg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ez-MMUnCjFg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[DLVH84]

Here's another version of "Young, Strong, and Healthy," featuring highlights of one of the best technical wrestlers in the world...Tony St. Clair. St Clair, unfortunately, retired in 2006, after 40 years in the ring.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aVGGWZ3pZ54" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

That simply looks like the funnest locker room in the history of wrestling. I so badly wish there was an in depth documentary on this company.

[DLVH84]

So would I. I was saddened when CWA shut down at the tail-end of 1999, and I would like to know why it shut down. I know near the end, Franz Schumann developed an NWA territory there called NWA Germany, which lasted until his retirement in 2002.

[DLVH84]

Here's a clearer version of Hawk vs. Rambo, with additional video camera footage in the beginning.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c-X_zbgcRYA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F3i0wxvUffU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

Awesome! Man, this is kinda hard to define but it's like a wrestling company from an 80's movie or something. It's really damn cool and I wish there was something with this kind of energy today.

[DLVH84]

Thank you, Fragile X. I'll post some more CWA matches soon, so stay tuned!!!

[SaskatchewanChamp]

So would I. I was saddened when CWA shut down at the tail-end of 1999, and I would like to know why it shut down.

Because it was shit?

[DLVH84]

Because it was shit?

No, it was never shit. It was because Otto Wanz probably lost interest in running the promotion, and Franz Schumann was starting up NWA Germany, which ran shows in the same area CWA held.

[DLVH84]

Tony St. Clair vs. Masaharu (Masakatsu) Funkaki, 1988

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EozKB79vWwI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vqMfD316M1w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tony St. Clair vs. Hart The Barbarian (Dave Sullivan/Equalizer), 1991
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h6X4ZyUF90Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rambo vs. Bull Power, 1991
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vyT5fNr3Djw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Franz Schumann vs. Takayuki (Takashi) Iizuka, 1991
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N1nVLrwS_Wg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

More to come...

[whiteyford]

Is this the same company Jericho/Storm/Foley etc did tours for?

[DLVH84]

Is this the same company Jericho/Storm/Foley etc did tours for?

Yes, it is.

[DLVH84]

Here is the July 1994 Euro Catch Festival in Graz, Austria.

Ulf Hermann and August Smisl vs. Primo Carnera III and Giant Haystacks
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AthDBHmj0gQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SACQR4yGkww" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F8pTz6bRiRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H5tMzNhjUiY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hiro Yamamoto (Hiroyoshi Tenzan) vs. Ice Train
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YKolI4E6rvU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J4n7szUBiuY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA World Tag Team Championship Match: Texas Hawk (JBL) and Fit Finlay vs. Tony St. Clair and Steve Casey
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c-Q1JQb2h24" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vaTE41kyyp8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_VqhRlHrsiI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA World Middleweight Championship Match: Barry Horowitz vs. Franz Schumann
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RDs0ALu33N4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q3Wge4GMF9I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CwnelX9-rVo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vRWYy0uP2gY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ue4zHU2HbRQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Cannonball Grizzly
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FnCdEkQq0Mo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wqra7kN_0is" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EsjIKlxMJGU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rambo vs. Papa Shango
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lg-9WAKp7qA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/acivdMWo-is" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QVgxppz2Yos" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Jordan]

So whats up with Franz ripping off The Hitman's gimmick?

[DLVH84]

So whats up with Franz ripping off The Hitman's gimmick?

This was one of those coincidences that Franz Schumann and Bret Hart have in common. They're alike in look, they're both nicknamed "The Hitman," but the difference is that Franz doesn't have a set color pattern, his signature move is the German Suplex, and is three years younger.