Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling (lost early BBC televised professional wrestling matches; 1938-1939; 1946-1947)

Earl McCready, who competed in the first televised professional wrestling match.

Status: Lost

Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling, known simply as Wrestling from 1946-1947, are a collection of professional wrestling matches broadcast on BBC television from 1938-1939, and from 1946-1947. A match featuring Earl McCready against Percy Foster is considered to be the first televised professional wrestling match.

Background

Getting its name from the combat sport style popular within British wrestling, Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling debuted on 12th March 1938, featuring a match between Canadian and then-NWA British Empire/Commonwealth champion Earl McCready against South African wrestler Percy Foster. McCready would later appear in the next two televised matches, firstly against English opponent Chick Knight on 31st August 1938, and then fellow Canadian Leo Lefebvre a few days later on 2nd September. Prior to BBC Television Service ceasing transmissions on 1st September 1939 following the outbreak of the Second World War, seven other matches would be shown, one match pitting Lefebvre against Bob Lengedin being broadcast as part of Seconds Out!. The final match prior to BBC Television Service ceasing transmissions was between Harry Anaconda and Dave Armstrong, broadcast on 26th August 1939.

Anaconda would later be involved in the first BBC televised match following the Second World War, facing Bert Assirati on 10th June 1946. The BBC would broadcast a further 25 matches, the last of which featured Kid Pitman against Johnny Lipman on 28th June 1947.

Availability

Like other early BBC television broadcasts, these professional wrestling matches were performed and broadcast live and were not recorded. Therefore, all matches broadcast during this time period are now permanently missing. The synopsis provided by Radio Times issues helped document the lost matches.

Gallery

• 

  Listing of Earl McCready vs Percy Foster in Radio Times.

• 

  Listing of Earl McCready vs Chick Knight in Radio Times.

• 

  Listing of Earl McCready vs Leo Lefebvre in Radio Times.

• 

  Listing of Harry Anaconda vs Dave Armstrong in Radio Times, as part of Seconds Out!.

• 

  Listing of Harry Anaconda vs Bert Assirati in Radio Times.

• 

  Listing of Kid Pitman vs Johnny Lipman in Radio Times.

See Also

Professional Wrestling Media

• AJ Styles vs Kenny Omega (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2006)
• Alberto Del Rio vs CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler vs Jack Swagger vs John Cena (partially found master tape footage of untelevised Hell in a Cell match; 2011)
• Awesome Kong vs Melissa Anderson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2009)
• Bill Longson vs Whipper Billy Watson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 1947)
• Blood Circus (partially found Santo Gold film; 1985)
• Braden Walker's "Knock Knock" promo (lost original pre-tapes of WWE backstage segment; 2008)
• Bradshaw vs Christian (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2001)
• Bret Hart-Hulk Hogan photoshoot (lost professional wrestling promotional photos; 1993)
• Bret Hart vs Tom Magee (found untelevised professional wrestling match; 1986)
• Celebrity Wrestling (partially found ITV professional wrestling reality show; 2005)
• Chowdaheads (partially found unaired professional wrestling cartoon show; 1999)
• Collision in Korea (found professional wrestling event in North Korea; 1995)
• Collision in Korea wrestler sketches (lost North Korean pencil sketch portraits of professional wrestlers; 1995)
• Cultaholic (lost debut video of professional wrestling YouTube channel; 2017)
• ECW Anarchy Rulz (lost build of cancelled Nintendo 64 port of professional wrestling game; existence unconfirmed; 2000)
• ECW at E3 2000 (partially found footage of professional wrestling at gaming trade event; 2000)
• ECW Hardcore TV final episodes (lost episodes of Professional Wrestling Show; 2001)
• FMW at E3 2000 (partially found footage of professional wrestling at gaming trade event; 2000)
• The Game (partially found Disturbed cover of professional wrestling theme song; mid 2000s)
• GFW Amped (partially found unaired professional wrestling show; 2015)
• The Giant's moonsault (lost footage of professional wrestling move; existence unconfirmed; 1990s)
• Girls Gone Wild: Live from Spring Break (found WWE/Girls Gone Wild crossover special; 2003)
• GLOW (lost unfinished final season of Netflix comedy-drama series; 2019-2020)
• Goldberg's pre-television debut matches (lost footage of professional wrestling dark matches; 1997)
• Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1908)
• Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1911)
• Jake "The Snake" Roberts DDTs Hulk Hogan (lost Snake Pit segment; 1986)
• Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream (lost footage of alternate finish to professional wrestling match; 2019)
• Kurt Angle vs Owen Hart (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 1999)
• The Last Battle of Atlanta (found untelevised professional wrestling steel cage match; 1983)
• Lita's training matches (partially found training videos of professional wrestler; late 1990s-2000)
• Low Ki & Mercury vs Ric Blade & TCK (partially lost footage of hardcore wrestling tag team match; 2000)
• Mark Jindrak in Evolution (partially found unaired vignettes of professional wrestling stable; 2003)
• Pat Tanaka vs Rocco Rock (lost footage of "Body Count" professional wrestling match; 1993)
• "Plane Ride From Hell" (lost photographs of drunk wrestler incidents; 2002)
• Radio WWF (lost professional wrestling radio show; 1993-1994; late 1990s-2000)
• Screwed: The Bret Hart Story (lost unfinished wrestling documentary film; 2005)
• Sex University (lost WWE webshow; 2006)
• Shin Nihon Pro Wrestling Gekitou Densetsu (lost build of unreleased Virtual Boy wrestling game; 1995)
• Strange Kentucky People (lost recording of Chris Jericho "tribute"; 1994)
• TNA Impact! 2 (lost build of unfinished professional wrestling game; 2009)
• TNA International and TNA Wrestling Collection (completely lost pro-wrestling TV shows; 2006)
• TNA Xplosion (partially found TV series; 2002-2016)
• WCW 2000 (lost work on unfinished PlayStation 2 game; 2000)
• WCW All Nighter (partially lost professional wrestling compilation show; 1994-1995)
• WCW Classics (partially found professional wrestling compilation show; 2000-2001)
• WCW Internet-only Special Events and PPVs (lost audio streams; 1997-1998)
• WCW/nWo Live (lost build of cancelled PlayStation professional wrestling game; 1998)
• WWE 24x7 (lost professional wrestling compilation show; 2007)
• WWE Brawl (lost build of cancelled fighting game based on professional wrestling; 2012)
• WWE Crush Hour (lost build of cancelled Xbox port of vehicular combat game; 2002)
• WWE SmackDown vs Raw Online (lost build of cancelled online professional wrestling PC game; 2010-2011)
• WWE Wrestlemania 36 (lost footage of alternate finishes to professional wrestling matches; 2020)
• WWF Attitude (lost professional wrestling recap show; 2001-2002)
• WWF Backlash (non-existent unfinished Nintendo 64 professional wrestling game; 2001)
• WWF Excess (partially found professional wrestling talk show; 2001-2002)
• WWF In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog (partially found untelevised professional wrestling matches; 1996)
• WWF Livewire (partially found professional wrestling recap and talk show; 1996-2001)
• WWF No Mercy (lost Game Boy Color games based on Nintendo 64 wrestling game; 2000)
• WWF Shotgun (partially found July to December season of syndicated wrestling show; 1997)
• WWF Xperience (found pay-per-view event footage; 1996)

Early BBC Sports Television

• 1931 Epsom Derby (lost televised footage of horse racing event; 1931)
• 1937 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1937)
• 1937 International Imperial Trophy Race (lost footage of motor race; 1937)
• 1937 Wimbledon Championships (partially found footage of tennis tournament; 1937)
• 1938 Ashes Series (partially found footage of international test cricket match; 1938)
• 1938 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1938)
• 1939 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1939)
• 1947 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1947)
• 1953 British Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One race; 1953)
• 1955 Scottish Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1955)
• Archery (lost early televised toxophily; 1937-1938)
• Arsenal 7-1 Hibernian (lost footage of charity football match; 1952)
• Arsenal vs Arsenal Reserves (lost footage of early BBC televised football match; 1937)
• Barnet 3-2 Wealdstone (lost footage of Athenian League football match; 1946)
• The Boat Race 1938 (partially found footage of rowing race; 1938)
• Charlton Athletic 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (lost footage of FA Cup match; 1947)
• Darts and Shove Ha'penny (lost early BBC televised darts matches; 1936-1939)
• England 0-1 Scotland (partially found international football match; 1938)
• England 1-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
• England 16-21 Scotland (partially found footage of rugby match; 1938)
• England 3-0 France (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
• England 3-0 Rest of Europe (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)
• Falkirk 3-2 Newcastle United (lost footage of football match; 1953)
• Horace Lindrum vs Willie Smith (lost footage of televised snooker; 1937)
• Scottish Universities 1-1 English Universities (lost footage of international football match; 1952)
• Woods and Jack (lost early televised lawn bowls; 1937; 1946)

Early BBC Television

• Alexandra Palace's wartime television demonstrations (lost footage of private television transmissions; 1943, 1945)
• An Inspector Calls (lost television adaptation of play; 1948)
• Ann and Harold (lost early BBC drama television series; 1938)
• BBC Election Night (lost coverage of British general elections; 1950-1951)
• The Care of Your Car (lost early BBC motoring show; 1947)
• Cook's Night Out (lost early BBC cooking show; 1937)
• Craftsmen at Work (lost early BBC documentary show; 1938, 1946)
• Dish of the Month (lost early BBC cooking show; 1937)
• First Aid (lost early BBC medical show; 1937)
• Foundations of Cookery (lost early BBC cooking show; 1939)
• Marcel Boulestin television shorts (lost early BBC programs; 1937-1939)
• Masks through the Ages (lost early BBC history talk show; 1937)
• Opening of the BBC Television Service (partially found coverage of inaugural day of high-definition television service; 1936)
• The Orchestra and its Instruments (lost early BBC music talk show; 1937)
• RCA recording of BBC Television Service (found footage of pre-Second World War BBC television broadcast; 1938)
• Sea Stories (lost early BBC talk show; 1936-1937)
• Spelling Bee (lost early BBC game show; 1938)
• Telecrime (lost early BBC crime drama; 1938-1939; 1946)
• The Wasp's Nest (lost early BBC television adaptation of Agatha Christie short story; 1937)
• Weaponless Self-Defence (lost early ju-jitsu television program; 1936-1937)
• The World of Women (lost early BBC talk show; 1937)

Early Sports Television Media

• 1934 Philo T. Farnsworth broadcasts (lost early television demonstrations; 1934)
• 1936 Summer Olympics (lost television coverage of Berlin Games; 1936)
• 1938 Pennsylvania Quakers football season (lost early televised college football games; 1938)
• 1960 Daytona Races (lost CBS and NBC televised footage of NASCAR prelude events to Daytona 500; 1960)
• Bill Longson vs Whipper Billy Watson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 1947)
• Brooklyn Dodgers 2-5 6-1 Cincinnati Reds (lost footage of MLB doubleheader; 1939)
• Brooklyn Dodgers 23-14 Philadelphia Eagles (lost footage of NFL game; 1939)
• Columbia Lions 1-2 Princeton Tigers (partially found footage of college baseball game; 1939)
• Fordham Rams 34-7 Waynesburg Yellow Jackets (lost footage of college football game; 1939)
• Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)

External Link

• ITV Wrestling listing all BBC televised professional wrestling matches.