I arrived at The Bridges pub just after 8.30 a.m. to a deluge of torrential rain,and thought this is the kiss of death for the 15th Reunion!!

Pub regular Rod set about erecting the large gazebo in the car park,standing in huge puddles. Myself,Rocker Richards and Bobby Stafford put up the posters around the walls in the pub. Wayne Bridges who was hobbling around in agony on his crutch like long John Silver,felt despondent that he couldnt do more to help.

Bob Moncrief and his lovely wife arrived to wire up the P/A system which they had to place in plastic bags in the sopping garden. Sarah Bridges and her helpers were busy attending to the food ,which had to be left inside. Ian Woodlow attended to the name badges at the bar. Paul Douglas who had slept on the pub floor having arrived with his pal from the North of England the day before,got to work on the awards.

Ginnie Huckles ,a long standing fan and former M.C.,brought in a magnificent cake in the shape of a wrestling ring complete with ropes. Another fan contributed with a box full of digital clocks made from CDs and with wrestling action shots of the boys on the faces. Yet everyone was pretty glum thinking of the day ahead that we had worked all year to plan and wanted so much to be a success.

However we reckoned without the great British spirit.

By 10.00 a.m. there were over fifty people in the pub,with more arriving in droves. We couldnt believe that so many wonderful people would make the journey in that awful weather. At 11.00 a.m. it was noticed that Mick McManus hadnt arrived and following a call to his home established that a member of his family had been taken ill necessitating him to miss the Reunion for the first time in fifteen years.

We also received apologies for absence from…

Bobby Barnes who was at his villa in Bulgaria,following knee surgery ( fully recovered now).

Ray Fury who is at his Turkish home following the death of his wife Paula.

Johnny Czeslaw who is also mourning the sad loss of his wife.

Bazal Riley who has emigrated to Tenerife.

Danny Lynch who could not travel.

Doug Williams,Jonny Storm,Phil Powers and the UK Pitbulls who were all working,Johnny Elijah who was sick,as was Joe Cornelius and Spencer Churchill.

After such a great start,nothing could stop us and even the weather decided to behave. At one point we counted over three hundred and thirty people packed into the pub and gardens. Legendary names from wrestling,acting,movies,too numerous to mention mingled evenly with our American stars of today and over fifty of the young brigade of wrestlers who currently thrill our audiences every night.

The badges worked well and we were able to identify many new old friends who were reluctant to come forward .For instance how many of you recognised Gordon Quirey Ray Leslie,or Peter Deacon ??

A comprehensive list will appear in the next newsletter that I am currently writing and also on the Reunion web site which is undergoing a face lift.

During the awards ceremony,some of the expected honourees and presenters had not arrived due to adverse conditions,causing myself to ad lib like mad,although I was assisted greatly by the evergreen after dinner speaker Banger Walsh and the very Professional Neil Sands,not to mention Peter Baines who had travelled from Scotland.

All was well in the end however and the icing on the cake was the unscheduled appearance of the inimitable Cry Baby Jim Breaks all the way from Gran Canaria and of course the main eventers in the form of Rollerball Mark Rocco and his legendary father: Jumping Jim Hussey. Jim delighted the crowd with his quips and sense of fun,while Mark’s speech was fantastic and said everything that needed to be said.

There were even tears by our beloved Founder Joe DOrazio,after a moving tribute by his old tag partner and lifelong friend the immortal Dr. Death himself: Paul Lincoln.

It has since been widely reported in feedback that this was the best Reunion ever and we are all so proud and delighted that you thought so.

Like any well planned event however things do go wrong,and this year was no exception :- Sarah had catered for 400 portions of food,buying in excess of 500 worth of ingredients,but having prepared everything religiously,we did not govern the tables properly ,with the result that a certain faction of younger guests took up to 10 and 15 sausage rolls at a time for instance,which they could not possibly eat but proceeded to flick around at each other.

Sadly many folks did not get any food as a result,for which we ardently apologise. During the melee we also forgot to present and share the cake,which has since been distributed to an old folks home.

Since the Reunion,the car park has been re surfaced in tarmac to be flatter,and a gateway is to be built between the garden and food area.

We shall purchase two more large gazebos which will enclose the whole car park area,and now that the viaduct renovations have been completed ,shall invite stall holders to trade under one arch,with things like book sales,Tee shirts,memorabilia,DVDs etc.( come on you entrepreneurs).

The second arch ,recently paved,will have new tables and chairs and serve teas coffee etc.. for those non drinkers,or anyone wanting a quiet sit down area. The garden is to have new bench seats and umbrellas,as the award ceremony will be under cover next season,with a podium and steps being made already.

The food gazebo will have two tables only and everything will be served by the volunteers,to ensure even distribution. Guests will be asked to refrain from touching the food.

Photos of the day will appear shortly on Furnace Hot gallery ( courtesy of Chris Owen who travels from Cumbria) and also the reunion website.

Finally on a personal note,I was humbled and honoured to be thanked publicly for my part in the preparation of this great day out,but must say that we are all a team of volunteers working together to bring you one day a year when everyone : wrestlers,allied workers,fans and families,can relax and mingle in friendship and dignity to Promote the ring of friendship.

The Committee salutes and thanks everyone who attended and made this the best one ever !!!.

The British Wrestling Reunion Committe – Wayne Bridges,Sarah Bridges,Joe D'Orazio,Bobby Stafford and Martin Berry have asked 1StopWrestling to send out a very special thank you to Frank Rimer for all his hard work for this years Reunion. Wayne Bridges stated that "without Frank,we would not have been able to do the Reunion the way we did it this year. It was Frank that made arrangements for the American wrestlers who attended,and he helped me a lot after I hurt my back and basically took over for me amongst the many other things he did for us. He even took over on the day with leading the award cermony (as seen on the left with Steve Grey in a picture taken on the day by Wrestling Furnace),as well as finding the time to introduce people to each other. He is a big part of the reason the Reunion was the sucess it was this year,and we are grateful to him" 1StopWrestling would also like to add their thanks to Frank Rimer for his insight which he shares on this website,and the time he has made for us over the years.

Brett contacted me over a month ago to write another column. I couldn't then – I was halfway through a month long tour of Korea,Japan,and Guam,and it's taken me this long to catch up enough to sit down and write something halfway coherent.

The first suggestion was writing about the British fellows I've worked with over here,and how they adapted to the states,etc. Then,the suggestion was more along the lines of the guys I've worked with and met here.

So…….. I'm going to try and combine the two. As far as adapting,I couldn't figure what Brett meant. The older guys all came from a place that worked regular. The territories were still in full swing then. WWF and WCW kept guys busy. The only "adapting" I could think of would be the distances,etc. Then I realized he meant more in the way of the British/American styles.

Here goes,from personal experience.

The first man I ever worked with from your side was Adrian Street. In fact,Adrian was only the second Brit I had ever met in my life. Growing up in south Texas and south Oklahoma,we didn't get exposed to "other folks" that much.

I was all of 21,and I knew just enough to be dangerous. Mostly to myself. I walked into the Beaumont,Texas Arena and saw my name next to Adrians. I knew the name and had even seen a few photos. Believe me,black and white photos didn't do the man justice. Adrian was so far ahead of his time. SOO FAR it's not even funny.

He was explaining his gimmick to me,and made sure I knew it was nothing personal when he kissed me. I must have had one hell of a look on my face. He just laughed and told me not to worry. As we worked that night,I was amazed how I went from being kissed to hooked in a way I couldn't move if I tried. I would have Adrian in a hold. He would reverse me,and then end up in a hold himself. And I had no clue.

I was telling this to Luke Williams,and he commenced to telling me about the Snake Pit. And how Adrian could tear up most anyone he wanted. Adrian,Linda,and I became good friends while he was this direction. I have to admit he taught me so much about the wrestling business. All the while,doing everything HIS way. Simply an amazing man.

The next fellow from England I crossed paths with was Les Thorton. There may have been better workers before and since,but I honestly can't think of anyone that was better on the mat. Some call it technical wrestling. Anyway you describe it,Les helped write the manual.

We met in the old Central States territory,and somehow,I ended up with a couple of NWA Jr Heavyweight title shots. I had no business working for this belt,even as "buried" as it was. Yet,I was there. Les sent a finish across,and that was it. After about 30 minutes of having no clue what,why,or how I was doing anything,we went home. And folks from Bob Geigel to Les himself were tellng me how great it had been??? Les did it all. I remember one of the matches,we both took one bump. And hit the ropes a total of 4 times. In 30 minutes. It's the kind of match you never forget. Especially when you consider the fact your opponent is putting himself in all the holds and so on. Les didn't adapt to us as much as we just went along for the ride. He was that good.{mospagebreak}

Chris Adams. The man on this list I knew the best and spent the most time around. In the ring,he's the one that adapted the American style the most. By the time we worked,which happened more than a few times,he didn't do any of the trademark stuff from the English guys. Except for the uppercut forearm which knocked the piss from a man every time he threw it. He worked just like anyone else that had come thru Texas. I liked Chris,and always considered his self destruction such a waste. There's not much more to be said there. Most by now know the sad stories he created for himself.

Dynamite and Davey were next. Another pair of stories that should have never ended they way they have. I always got along with Davey better than DK. None of that changes the fact DK was another ahead of his time. DK never did much in the way of the British style by the time I was around him. He,by himself,changed so much in this business. Some for the better,some for the worse. He was the first I ever remember seeing blend so many styles into what he did. Putting personal feelings aside,I'm afraid DK will become some sad footnote in wrestling history,while he deserves to be remembered for what he accomplished. Davey… another wasted talent. Nothing I can add to that.

This leaves the two greatest workers I've ever been in the ring with. Fit Finlay and William/Steven Regal. And that's saying a lot considering a few of the guys I've worked with. Including a couple in England by the name of Robbie and Doug.

These two will never be flashy. No matter what bright idea creative might have,these two will always be what they are. Technicians that know how to get it done. And they both blend all the styles so well. Regal more than Fit in that regard. But then,is there anyone that doesn't believe in Fit's work?

Even those that sit with a pencil and paper,looking for flaws?

I know Steve fairly well. One of the nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of being around,and one of the most serious when it comes to his craft. Steve may work your style for a while,but you'll always end up doing what Regal wants. And after seeing a few things I've seen,he'll never get an argument out of me.

Fit is in a world all his own. This is one of the toughest humans living with so much talent. I don't lay claim to knowing him well,but I don't need to. He's the real deal,and he missed the boat staying in England so long. These past few months are proving that. After a 5 year lay-off,he's back working his style and getting over bigger than anyone the WWE is actually pushing.

I've said it before. The fans in England have had it so good for so long,they didn't know what they had. These guys prove it. They made careers from what they learned that direction. It has always interested me,who is the "ground zero" or "starting point" for all these guys? That's the man that deserves the praise.

Universal Pictures are releasing Doom,available to buy and rent on DVD and UMD,on 3rd April 2006. The movie is based on the hugely popular video game and stars former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dwayne The Rock Johnson (The Mummy,The Scorpion King). To find out more about the movie and find out how you can win yourself a copy on DVD,click here to visit our doom competition page.

On Saturday the 28th of January I had to help a friend move house and returned home early in the afternoon to find my wife sat on the couch crying. "Whats wrong",I asked,to which she replied "theres a message for you on the answering machine,Black Cat is dead". I was in shock as I listened to the dreadful news from Bryan Parker,one of Black Cats closest friends. Black Cat had gone to bed at 9.30 the night before but couldn't sleep and at roughly Midnight got up to watch TV. His teenage son,Akira,found him dead on the living room floor a few hours later,he was just 51 years old! He wasn't a Super Star who abused himself with drugs,he was a just a man worried about his family and future as New Japan had recently been taken over by an electronics company and were about to get rid of a number of their staff. I don't believe Black Cat would have been one of them,he was a really important part of the company,training the young wrestlers ( the best wrestling trainer I knew ) refereeing,and looking after the foreign wrestlers who worked for New Japan,but he was worried,he told me so at Christmas,and the stress caused his heart to stop. Born Victor Manuel Mar in Mexico,with a Mexican Father and Japanese Mother he went to Japan in 1981 as a wrestler for the New Japan Pro Wrestling Company. They liked him straight away and he went to live in Tokyo and became a full time member of their crew. He was a great character in the ring and got over great with the Japanese fans,but being only half Japanese meant he would never reach the very top in Japan,but even so New Japan soon realised his potential and within a very short time he was training the younger guys and because he spoke English,Spanish and Japanese he was looking after the Gajins who worked for them. And that's how I came to meet him in 1984. We had just done a 4 week tour of Japan and then went to Taiwan for an extra week. On the first night I had to wrestle Antonio Inoki and after about 10 minutes he threw me into the ropes and as I came back to him he hit me full in the mouth with a spinning kick which shattered my front 4 teeth. I don't remember much apart from waking up in the dressing room sometime later to hear Black Cat in his Spanish accent saying "hay baby,wot hapa yu". We both started laughing until I felt the pain in my mouth and he handed me the remains of my front teeth. The next morning at 7am Cat was knocking on my room door and took me to a dental clinic and within 12 hours I had a temperary bridge fitted. That night Inoki came to my dressing room to say how sorry he was and that when I got to England I should get my own dentist to make a better bridge and give him the bill next time I went to Japan. He said sorry so many times I was starting to get embarrased and all I could think to say was "dont worry,it ain't ballet we do out there" ( A famous line stolen from Steve Williams ). That was the start of my friendship with Black Cat and also the reason why I respect New Japan so much,for me they will always be the best promotion there is. Over the course of the next 20 years my friendship with him grew and grew. Whenever I needed help in Japan he was there for me,even on his days off in Tokyo when he should have been at home with his family he would help me find things,or change air tickets,or buying presents,any help you needed he was there,and not only for me,people like Chris Benoit,Fit Finlay,Steve Regal,Marty Jones,Rollerball Rocco and a thousand others,he helped us all and he enjoyed it,nothing was ever too much trouble. I dont think I have EVER heard anyone say a bad word about him and in the wrestling business that's a very rare thing! During those years I also got to know his Wife and Son,Yukie and Akira,and they have become dear friends to my wife and I and my heart goes out to them at this tragic time,and if it had been at all possible I would have made the trip to Tokyo for his funeral but I couldn't get there in time,but have made a promise to meet Bryan and we will visit his grave together in the very near furure. On Saturday just gone I made one of my rare appearences in the ring when I acted as tag partner for Crazy Johnny Tiger,a young German wrestler that I trained a few years ago and before the show started I went alone in the ring where we had a minutes silence in respect of Black Cat,and I can only say thank you to the people in the hall and all the other wrestlers there for even though they didn't know Black Cat they showed the upmost respect and you could have heard a pin drop. I also met two young wrestlers from our Isles at the weekend,Joey Cabray from Ireland and Jay Phoenix from Scotland. I found them both to be very talented young men with a lot of respect and enthusiasm for wrestling. They asked me a thousand questions about Black Cat and how he trained people,and also about many of the older wrestlers who were around in my time. I wish them lots of luck for the future as I believe they both have something to offer in the world of Wrestling. Unfortunatly they will never have the pleasure or privilege to learn from my Amigo. God bless you my friend,Tony

Hi dudes its Charlie Rage here to fill you guys in on what happened at the November WWE UK try-outs in Manchester Myself and 14 other British wrestlers came to the Manchester Evening News Arena. We all had to meet at 1pm sharp at the back gates,which me and ‘Beautiful Danny Becks made by the skin of our teeth after being pulled over by a jobsworth police officer just outside Manchester. When we arrived we rushed through the back gates at exactly 1 pm and were taken to this dark changing room where we were told to get changed. The Try-out would later start at around 2pm. Fit Finlay pretty much ran the try-out alongside Ricky Steamboat while Shelton Benjamin and Kurt Angle would give advise in the ring. The trial consisted of wrestling twice and cutting two live promos in front of a number of representatives from WWE. During the trial I wrestled Gavin Best and Chris ‘The Bambi Killer’. I really enjoyed the try-out and felt that I had done well. Shelton and Ricky gave me really encouraging advise. One man however who spent a lot of time with me was Kurt Angle. He gave me a load of advise,saying he really liked my selling,charisma and technique although felt I should trim up on the size I’ve already got. He also mentioned that The UK Kid reminded him of Chris Benoit and had also done well during his tryout and we were the two main guys who he would make sure our videos were sent to Vince McMahon to have a look at. Despite all this he attacked me from behind during my appearance on Sky Sports News! It was shown about 7.30 that evening,and it’s nice to see that although it was a feature on the WWE,it was a chance to promote the qualities of British wrestling. We also filmed some footage for WWE programming,giving a promo on how we felt about the trial and telling WWE about ourselves. Nikita was also on sky sport news earlier in the morning. After the Try-out,Fit Finlay invited me to come to the Raw taping the following Monday for a dark match in Sheffield. After we had changed we were all given some tickets for the house show that night. After the show we had a few drinks back at the hotel with some of the WWE guys like Mike Chioda,Jimmy Tillis,Carlito,John Cena,and Shelton Benjamin which also included a toast to Eddie Guerrero,a very emotional moment. I had an awesome day which left me with a real dilemma. I was invited back for the WWE dark match on the raw taping in Sheffield,however I was already booked that same day for Rikishis Nu Wrestling in Italy,one of the fastest expanding promotions in Europe. WWE had meant a lot to me however I felt the best thing was to be professional and fulfil the bookings I already had. I hope WWE understood this. It was a great experience as not many people get the chance to wrestle in front of professionals like Kurt Angle,Shelton Benjamin,Fit Finlay and Ricky Steamboat. I will use the advise given that day and apply it to my wrestling around the UK and Europe which will be an Exciting schedule in 2006!

To coincide with the Real Quality Wrestling event this Saturday at the Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Southampton,entitled No Pain,No Gain,we have three official RQW t-shirts up for grabs. All you have to do to win is e-mail us with your name,hometown,and the answer to the following question: Which four wrestlers will compete in a TLC Match at No Pain,No Gain,for a shot at the RQW Championship? Send your answer to chris.hatch@1stopwrestling.co.uk. The deadline for the competition is midday Sunday,January 29th. You will find the answers on this website! Tickets are still available for the event from the Real Quality Wrestling website. Good luck!

I was asked to write another column about some of the differences in the British talent and the American talent. I have sat here and racked my brain,trying to come up with ways to relate this,when I realized that there are 3 distinct groups of wrestlers just in the states. While in Britain,there was only one type I was ever around. Sadly,when I was there last,I saw signs of another group creeping in. And in the past 4-5 years,I'm afraid they've multiplied in number. Here in America,the 3 groups are fairly simple. There are different levels in each group. But each and every wrestler I've ever met here falls into one of the following. The largest group… and the saddest. Those that have no clue about the wrestling business. The past,the present or the future. All they know is that they can do a 360 and a moonsault. They know their friend will put them on the odd show. And that night,they get to dress up and play wrestler. No matter how out of shape they may be. Or how thin and anorexic they look. Doesn't matter that they don't own one piece of proper gear. Training?? Don't be ridiculous. They can do a moonsault and a 360. Payday??????? They know they're worth nothing,so that's what they ask for. This talent is also content with what they are and where they are. Sooo,they end up dragging the business down to fit their definition,knowing full well this is as good as it will ever be in their world. The next largest group. These are the fellows that grasp the concept,but haven't caught that break that takes them to WWELand. Mixed in with the older guys that have already been that direction,and won't be back. This group knows what it takes. And they do what it takes every night they wrestle. Some nights,it's on shows filled with talent like I've just described. Some nights in on truly professional shows. Most nights,it's on shows mixed with all kinds of talent. This group is capable of being booked by real promoters. This group still takes pride in what they do. It's just a sad fact that they sometimes have to swallow pride in order to pay the bills. These guys know what's what,where and how. They just aren't getting that big exposure and constant check. Then the smallest group. The talent in the WWE(and to an extent TNA). These men and women live for the wrestling business. They eat according to the wrestling business. They train for the wrestling business. They sleep according to their training schedules. Wrestling is an obsession with them. These aren't always the best. Just watch,you'll see what I mean. But,they live the life Vince expects from them. The huge money is gone for most,but they still make that decent check every 2 weeks. And get to see themselves on TV. The majority have no concept of the wrestling business itself. Vince keeps it that way. But they've made it to the top. In Britian,I saw one type of wrestler. A wrestler. Men and women that understand the concept of what we do. Talent that knows what they do is their profession. Talent that's proud of what they do. And proud of themselves. But for the most part,the British talent understands it is all about asses in the seats and money in the pocket. They didn't have some of the petty arguments I've seen on the indy scene here in the states. I have watched men bitch about doing a favor in their hometown. Or in front of someone. In Britian,it was always business. And THAT is what it's all about. Business. Once business is taken care of,life becomes enjoyable. Another concept lost forever on this side. A concept guys like Drew,Robbie,Doug,and a few others embrace. I mentioned earlier that I saw signs of the larger US group beginning to catch hold in Britian. That's sad. I hope that the real talent has kept a tighter rein on that situation than here. If so,you fans in Britian will always have it so much better than the fans here. Your wrestling talent understands.

We are pleased to announce that after working through the many entries we received for the Universal Uproar DVD competition and sorting all those with the correct answer of Paul Travell,the winners are as follows. Paul Marks Lisa Search Becky Singleton Congratulations to them,if you were unlucky then remember the DVD is still available from Red Church Productions along with the Wrestling Expo,Mick Foley Training Seminar,and FWA Last Fight at the Prom DVDs.

“”Simply The Best”",an official shoot interview DVD with former British wrestling star and now regular referee in Germany,Ton St Clair,has now been released. St Clair,who has wrestled all over Europe,been a regular in Japan and is one of the most well known stars of the “”The World of Sports Era”",now resides in Hannover and has filmed a lengthy interview on DVD for which members of the 1StopWrestling forums decided the questions. The DVD includes Tony answering the fans questions,a private conversation with Terry Funk and commentary on a full length match against his arch rival Fit Finlay (Terry Funk joins Tony on commentary). Also,this DVD features highlights from many matches as well as two music videos (Yes! Tony St. Clair was also a singer and released two CDs!). The DVD is priced at 9 (including p&p),however you can also order your copy of Simply The Best along with a special edition calendar for 2006 featuring wrestlers such as Doug Williams,Joe Legend,and many more for 14.50. More information and orders can be made by e-mail.