1986 in whimsical Walkden

Bull Blitzer - a dastardly German from Nuremberg whose shaven head, West German flag and habit of goose stepping around the ring betray his thoroughly reprehensible nationality. It would've been slightly less impressive had he used name by which he was known throughout the rest of Europe, Steve Wright. He is also the father of former WCW competitor Alex "Berlyn" Wright (who was once referred to by a confused ring announcer as "El Wunderkind").

Marty Jones - amidst the dross you would occasionally find wrestlers who were great. I mean really great. Marty Jones was really great. A contemporary of David Smith and Tommy Billington, Jones didn't take the chance to go to Canada and from there on to the bright lights of the World Wrestling Federation. Jones was in his native Lancashire and was hugely popular. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was fighting a despicable Nazi, the likes of which we haven't seen since the war-time Sherlock Holmes movies.

Right from the beginning we are trained to hate Bull Blitzer. He angrily castigates the referee for not giving his pre-match talk in German (needless to say his delivery was pure WWII). His post match interview consisted of him saying he'd won it for "the father land" and he celebrated his victory by goose-stepping around the ring in that way Germans do when they win things. Obviously.

"Who won the war anyway?" shouts a young boy from the audience. He must've been the only person there under sixty.

A three fall contest for the world mid-'eavyweight championship, we saw a good half hour of grappling action. Bull won the first fall with a sort of powerslam-cum-belly to belly suplex. Jones equalised with a folding press and Blitzer got the decisive pin with a tombstone piledriver.

This is the first wrestling bout I can clearly remember watching. I was only nine at the time and was distraught that the nice Englishman had lost his belt thingummy to the nasty old German. I even remember some six months later when Kent Walton explained that Bull Blitzer had relinquished the title because he didn't defend it within the required 90 days. I was pleased. But I was ten by that stage so I was less prone to showing it.

We lost an empire, we lost our place on the world stage, we lost 3-2 despite being world cup holders and now we lose the world mid-'eavyweight title (and belt) to West Germany.

Good 2-3 Evil

We were sporting two black arm-bands in May of 1986 - Marty had lost his title and Doctor Who was in the midst of the infamous "hiatus".