A look at... Franz Schuhmann

   

Franz Schuhmann vs Dean Malenko, Bremen 11/12/1994

Great match. Dean Malenko sure has fallen out of favour but I have no problem calling this a great performance. This match was less about friendly sunset flip rollup sequences, it was more about Dean Malenko the great technician coming in and putting the local babyface under pressure by kicking the shit out of his leg. The crowd was absolutely boiling hot for this, totally backing Franz all the way although some chants for Dean broke out later. They absolutely were having a blast. In a way the crazy crowd heat and european rounds system alone helps a lot, there’s nothing quite like Franz Schuhmanns title defenses. Here Schuhmann was really milking everything for maximum drama, and Dean busts out a lot of cool stuff. Dean hits a really fast snappy dropkick to Franz neck, a really cool tiger spin into a low dropkick, then they do this extended sequence with Dean working a reverse surfboard to try and force a pin that I’ve never seen quite like that before. It helps that Schuhmann actually sells that he’s taking damage to the leg and favouring it, making Deans subsequent methods to get his leg even better, including a really sweet rolling takedown. Franz is very content taking his time here but when he does bust out a comeback he pulls of some pretty epic shit. He has this great surfboard stretch just as the bell for the end of the round rings, an awesome pop up dropkick where he just launched himself straight to the ceiling, a really sweet frankensteiner off the top rope into a straight pin. It also helps that things like a dive to the outside or German Suplex feel a lot harder and unexpected in this kind of European style match. My favourite spot may have been the flying crucifix pin that Dean tries to struggle hard against, it was straight out of an epic lucha title match. The final pin that Franz scores is totally awesome in the way that it’s set up and executed. The match is a bit slow here but can you blame them taking it slow when the crowd is this hot? And that fucking ending?! They had them celebrating this finish like Germany just won the football world cup, and Franz isn’t even a German. The start and stop rhythm of the rounds works very well for Deans somewhat disjointed approach to wrestling and there are some fun moments where he gets frustrated and heels it up a little. Most importantly the feel of a big time title fight is here with both guys pulling out some great stuff. Well worth powering through the video quality to watch this, don’t worry the guy starts zooming in about a minute into the bout and it gets more watchable, jesus can you imagine watching this on a VHS?! Great bout anyways, nothing quite like it.

Terry Funk vs Franz Schuhmann, 11/29/1996

Terry Funk in a European ring! It feels so odd but you know, he’s the GOAT so he can just show up wherever and do his thing. Knowing Terry was a really great technician in his prime made me wonder what him in a proper technical rounds match would look like but this is chaotic brawling Terry. It very much feels like Terrys doing his own version of his younger self vs Abby and Sheik here. 1^st round is all Terry trying to force the match to the outside and Franz thwarting it by rolling back in. They proceed to not waste much time as Franz starts going for punches early, with Terry doing some fun stooging and bouncing around in the ropes, Terry Funk style, before he takes a tumble over the announce table right into Otto Wanzs lap. There’s some fun logical wrestling as Terry is able to reverse an attempted suplex into a neckbreaker and then he drops Franz with an absolutely harrowing Ganso bomb on that completely unforgiving European style ring. Franz is able to reverse the next one into a rana and he does the right thing and instead of going for a pin he goes to pound on Terry with some more punches. Terry eventually gets ahold of his branding iron and is able to hit Schuhmann in the leg to take over. There’s even a bit where Tony St Clair who is seconding Franz tries to have a go at Terry with Terry hitting Schuhmann in the head with the branding iron again while the referee is distracted. Franz starts bleeding and Terry slaps him around and punches and this is pretty great. Schuhmann gets one brief comeback but soon looks like he is bleeding out, and Terry punches the referee for the DQ. Fun chaos and after match Funk takes another chair to Schuhmann (with St. Clair hilariously standing right next to it and doing nothing to stop it) and gets on the mic saying the word PISS a lot. Schuhmann wasn’t exactly a Memphis level puncher here but he knew what to do, and nobody could do it quite like the Funker.

Franz Schuhmann vs Fit Finlay, Reslo ??

Totally sick match which really feels like one of the greatest TV match ever. It’s just a total fight with both guys hitting each other in unhinged ways. Finlay was just trying to knock Schuhmann head off with insanely hard clotheslines, kicking him in the ribs and stomping on his fingers constantly. His signature apron spots also looked especially brutal here. Schuhmann was giving back as hard as he got, hitting some really hard clotheslines and uppercuts of his own. These two also must have fought each other like 500 times so all their stuff looks super good and seamless. They were just working some snug holds and back and forth, with Schuhmann busting out some fun wrestling. At points both guys would deconstruct the Reslo barricades to beat on each other with those planks. There’s something said about a wrestling match so wild they end up taking the arena apart. Loved Schuhmanns reckless dive over the top rope too. Great stuff, one of the hardest Finlay matches of the 90s.

 

Franz Schuhmann vs. Doc Dean, Hannover 9/27/1997 

Yes, Doc Dean, the British guy who was in WCW for a minute! This is probably his longest match on tape and it's a fun look at a worker that most people would remember as a jobber. At this more different influences were coming to a boil in the territory. You still have the rounds KO 10 counts, but also get some big bombs like Schuhmann busting out a really hard suicide dive, Dean spiking him with a totally nasty death valley driver etc. Dean is nice and aggressive early and goes for some more 'modern' submissions like straight armbars and rear naked chokes. The commentator talks about how Dean beat Jushin Liger in England and that sounds pretty fun. Loved how Dean would really fight for his life when Franz would try to lock in a surfboard hold or sharpshooter. Franz is still spry and his big suicide dive looked amazing. Then he honest to god tried to submit Dean with an ultra-tight headscissor that the crowd was hot for. Schuhmann ends up bleeding and we get Dean punching and biting the cut. The finish felt a bit random but I always like bomb dropping more in a rounds match with KO 10 counts, and they dropped some good bombs. 

80s Europe #7

 Alan Kilby vs. King Ben, WoS 10/7/1981

Really unique match. I know Alan Kilby can be pretty great, while King Ben hasn't done anything for me, but they both went all out here in a contest that was basically worked greco roman mixed with some shootstyle holds and stiff strikes. Forget about the classy british grappling and reversals, most of this was built around really intense lockups, attempted and failed throws and struggling over pin attempts. At one point Ben breaks out a top wristlock, Kilby starts working an armbar on the ground... add in some stiff, awkwardly landing strikes (including a flying headbutt from Ben that almost KOd Kilby) and sheer wild eyed determination from Kilby and you've got yourself one hell of a match. This match felt like it belonged in the 1960s rather than 1981, but the folks sat there in awe and really appreciated this contest that just kept building and building. Great finish too.

 

John Elijah vs. Ray Steele, WoS 7/22/1982

John Elijah was this bear of a man, who looked like he had insane upper body strength. And this had a bunch of great hold for hold work mostly focussing on the upper body. Elijah had this way of selling when he was forcing his way out of Steeles holds as if he was performing insane feats of strength. There‘s an artform to working this way that is lost now, and they executed a really good match in this style. Slow paced but the crowd was hot for it and there were some great holds and generally really good work.

Fit Finlay vs. Young David, WoS 3/13/1982

A look at a Finlay match where he doesn‘t cheat. He doesn‘t even step on Davey Boys hands. This had some really good matwork and holds. You get the sense Finlay vs. Atlantis would‘ve been amazing. David didn‘t leave his mark on the match as much as Finlay, but he looked intense. A lot of this was like if you‘d ask what junior wrestling between two super athletic guys with no high flying would look like. Finlay had some awe inspiring bridging and both guys had some great looking suplexes. Overall good technical action although it didn‘t have as much heat or story as their better bouts.

 

80s Euro Compendium 

2 Cold Scorpio Documentation #1

 

Fit Finlay vs. Too Cold Scorpio (CWA 11/27/1994) - EPIC

Scorpio is really a phenom. No matter the environment, he rules. This is all about Scorpio unloading his ridiculously high end flying offense and paying for it by clashing with the archaic euro rules. Finlay is at his usual heel game here, but the match is all about Scorp. Even with him rolling out high spots, there are fun bits of simple wrestling such as the spot where they struggle over a backslide as the crowd is roaring. This basically opens as a long Scorpio shine segment before Finlay takes out his leg. Finlay taking out a leg is fun and it sets up the great last round where Scorpio sells the fuck out of that leg. He hits a gorgeos moonsault and basically has Finlay beat but the rules won‘t allow it and he gets carded. Really dramatic and well executed stuff, and a very satisfying dream matchup.

 

Tamon Honda vs. 2 Cold Scorpio, NOAH 3/21/2003 - GREAT

This is a matchup you can‘t really wrap your brain around. Obviously both guys are good, but Honda is very different from Scorpios usual opponents. But they mesh really well. Scorpio is ultrasharp as usual, busting out some great looking strikes. Honda was great in the early minutes, constantly going for chokeholds and suplexes, which Scorpio sells great. You get the sense that Honda makes up for his lack of mobility by just glueing himself to his opponent. We get Scorpio working over Hondas leg, doing some cool sharp legwork and Honda having some great selling. Honda. Honda countering a superkick into the Olympic Hell was really choice, as was the finish. Short but good, and felt like it could end at any time.

2 Cold Scorpio Documentation