MSG Oldies - Video Review

This edition of The Two Sheds Review is going old school, and when I say old school, I mean old school. Yours truly has managed to get his hands on some classic wrestling footage, a one hour video labelled “MSG Oldies”, a chance to look into the past and a chance to see how wrestling has changed over the years.

The video begins with a match dating back to 1920, as Joe Stecher takes on Earl Craddock. It’s an interesting look into the past, and shows just how different wrestling was back then. This bout resembles an amateur-style contest, with lots of submission holds, and no high-flying or running of the ropes. The bout, lasting over two hours (edited down here to about twenty minutes), was won by Stecher with a wrist lock/body scissors combination. Although the footage here was poor, and difficult to watch at times, it certainly was interesting to see.

We then move forward twelve years, as Ed “Strangler” Lewis goes up against Dick Shikat. I found myself enjoying this match a great deal. Like the previous bout, it was very much submission based, with a few body slams and forearms thrown in for good measure. After over an hour’s wrestling (again edited down), Lewis got the pin while applying a headlock to his German opponent. A very good and very enjoyable match.

In conclusion - an interesting look into the past, and a good history lesson for those of us into that sort of thing. It shows just how much professional wrestling has changed, and even though some of the footage was poor, it’s understandable when you consider that some of it’s eighty-five years old. If you consider yourself a true wrestling fan, and you don’t mind doing a bit of hunting around, then I’d suggest trying to get a hold of a copy. You won’t be disappointed.