Gallery 827
Mark Lewin & Spiros Arion vs
Blackjack Slade & Hans Schroeder
Here's a
hot match from the Golden Age.
In the early years of Australian pro wrestling, the baby-face Tag Team
of Mark Lewin and Spiros Arion helped the sport soar in popularity. Lewin
is the thick, hairy stud, and Arion is the smoother, leaner pretty boy.
Mark Lewin
Spiros Arion
The announcers always pointed
out that Lewin was as handsome as a Hollywood screen idol. Little
comments like that helped the television audience figure out which wrestler
to cheer for as their hero.
The cute "Golden Greek" Spiros
Arion got plenty of whistles and screams from the excited fans as well.
Their opponents are a pair of ruthless, bearded brutes. Blackjack
Slade is a big, vicious biker and Hans Schroeder is a sadistic Nazi.
Blackjack Slade
Hans Schroeder
The big heels adjust their
too-tight gear and discuss strategy. They decide on some vicious
tactics to employ on the pretty-boys, Lewin and Arion.
The match begins and Lewin
faces off with the bearded German beast, Hans Schroeder. They cautiously
lock up as the fans perch on the edges of their seats.
Lewin quickly gains the advantage,
applying a wristlock that forces the big German to his knees. The
fans love seeing that Nazi suffer.
The Australian fans go wild
as their handsome hero continues to own the cruel German. They scream
"Break it off!" so Mark flexes his muscles and the victim lets out some
loud groans to further excite the bloodthirsty audience.
All eyes are on brawny Mark
Lewin in his tight black trunks as he and his victim parade around the
ring in a display of power and domination. This was back when pro
wrestlers were real men with natural bodies and tough, masculine no-nonsense
attitudes.
This match is from 40 years
ago, but the attraction of pro wrestling hasn't really changed. It's
still about observing different -- usually attractive -- male bodies exposed
and on display in scenes of control and submission, punishment and domination,
the same basic formula that the fans enjoy today.
Lewin's partner watches from
their corner as Hans Schroeder reaches desperately for a tag. Lewin
is a smart Tag Team wrestler and will not allow the kneeling man to tag
out.
Blackjack Slade, meanwhile,
watches his partner's suffering in helpless anger from outside the ropes.
When he gets his hands on Lewin, he will make the pretty-boy pay
for this humiliating display.
Schroeder groans in agony as
the stronger man grips both his wrists and yanks back his arms. Lewin
is just toying with this big beefy German!
The ref asks Schroeder if he's
ready to surrender, as Lewin continues to twist his arms out of their sockets.
The German shouts "No! NO!" so he's either refusing to submit,
or begging for mercy from Lewin.
Now Spiros Arion enters the
ring and also grabs the kneeling man's wrists. It's his turn to make
this wimp suffer for the fans' enjoyment. The handsome young studs
are showing this cruel German the same agony he has inflicted on many other
opponents.
Nice build on this Spiros Arion,
especially since this was before advances in the science of body-building
and nutrition (and the juice that so many pro athletes use today.) He
is large and in charge over Hans Schroeder.
We are several minutes into
this classic match and we've only seen a couple very long-held holds. This
was back when the fans had more time to calmly enjoy the suffering, really
savoring the wrestlers' bodies on display, moving slowly, almost erotically,
through the various holds and positions.
Slade continues to smolder
in the far corner, like a tiger at the zoo when a bunch of kids start
spitting and tossing garbage at it. Filled with rage, the animal is
eager to break free and unleash some violence on its tormentors...
Again both Baby-faces are in
the ring, working over the German's arms. The fans don't seem to mind
when the Good Guys cheat during a tag match!
The studs bend Schroeder over
into a degrading position, continuing to dominate their bitch two-on-one.
Schroeder is a willing participant, allowing his gorgeous opponents
to abuse him.
Blackjack Slade tries to attack,
but the ref forces him to stay out of the ring. Is this ref new or
something? Doesn't he know when to look the other way and allow the
Bad Guys some lee-way??
Again Lewin forces the German
to kneel before him in that Double Arm Stretcher. Every time Lewin
flexes, the victim yelps in pain, further inciting his partner outside the
ropes.
For greater pressure, Lewin
plants his black boot in the victim's upper back. Seeing this pose
of domination, millions of Australian wrestling fans suddenly fall in love
with this manly, powerful Alpha Male.
In the far corner, Blackjack
Slade is like a man possessed. He can hardly restrain himself from
storming into the ring and attacking Lewin.
Some of you may be thinking
this is a boring match by today's standards. True, there are
fewer moves per minute, but plenty of wrestling fans love this slow, calm
style of mat grappling over the high-flying spot-fest excitement of modern
slam-dance wrestling.
Finally Schroeder is able to
escape and tag his partner. Blackjack Slade now faces off with Lewin,
itching for some revenge.
The fans cheer their young
hero as Lewin takes control of Slade as well. Lewin forces the big
biker to the mat, mounting his back like he's riding a horse. Lewin
applies a Chinlock, bending the big man's spine in the wrong direction.
Blackjack Slade sells the pain,
putting Mark Lewin over with the fans. This match has been pretty much
all Mark Lewin so far, and the Australian fans can't get enough of him.
Lewin calmly flexes his big
biceps and tries to rip Slade's head off. The big biker screams like
a little girl whose had her hair pulled, as the ref asks him if he's ready
to submit.
The Rear Chinlock continues.
Slade was known as a fearsome bad-ass heel, but like all great wrestlers,
he also knew how to sell the pain like a little jobber bitch.
The German tries to enter
the ring illegally, but Spiros Arion rushes over to punch him in the face.
The Golden Greek teaches that dirty Kraut to obey the rules or suffer
the consequences.
Here is one fan's description
of young Mark Lewin:
"Mark Lewin was a
big star in Australia during the late 60's to the early 70's. Lewin
was usually the number two babyface behind Spiros Arion. The sleeper hold
was Lewin's finishing move...
"He formed a long running team with
Arion and King Curtis to battle a team of heels. Lewin was usually the
spokesman of his team. His interviews were so "sweet and humble", and he
had a strong sense of fair play. He was very popular with the female fans."
Lewin continues to put on
a rassling lesson. He rolls Slade over and embraces the biker between
his thighs, scissoring him around the waist.
It wasn't often that Lewin used his thick legs to dominate his
opponents, so this was a real treat for the fans. Blackjack Slade
is one lucky wrestler as Lewin continues to squeeze him with those tree-trunk
thighs in that tight Body-scissor.
An
online history of wrestling describes Lewin's amazing effect on the
Australian wrestling fans:
"In no other part of the world did television wrestling
win such widespread mass appeal in the sixties as it did in Australia...
"As part of the face team known as the People's Army, King
Curtis, together with Mark Lewin and Spiros Arion, played a large part
in making television wrestling part of everyday conversation across Australia
during the so-called "Golden Years" of the Jim Barnett promotion, roughly
1964 - 1975."
Later in his career, Lewin
would turn into a vicious heel and "Maniac", become a mind-slave of
Kevin Sullivan, and be re-named the "Purple Haze". But as a rookie,
he was a popular, humble American boy next door whom the Australian fans
just loved.
Blackjack offers big Mark
Lewin a "Test of Strength" and despite the warning screams of the fans, the
gullible rookie agrees. "OOFFF!" Lewin suffers a surprise
kick to the crotch.
The fans scream in rage as
Lewin is in trouble now due to Slade's dirty trick. The sadistic
biker continues to punish him, preventing him from rising to his feet.
Slade goes ape-shit on the
helpless rookie, gripping him by his thick curly hair and drilling him
repeatedly in the face.
What the hell is going on
here?? Slade works his fingers into Lewin's throat and claws away like
a starving bear. He must be choking young Mark Lewin!
This brutality is out of control!
Judging from that expression on Lewin's handsome face, he can't
breathe!! Somebody stop this beast from destroying the young hunk!
The camera continues to broadcast
Mark Lewin's agony all over Australia, and the fans are glued to their
tellies. The crual biker continues to work his claws deep into the
helpless man's throat as the Wrestling Fans at home go crazy with frustration
and rage.
"Invariably,
exotic foreigners would arrive on Australian shores with much-hyped killer
holds against the good guys. Curtis, Lewin, Arion and Mario Milano met
them in a range of stipulation matches (cages, strap matches, loser-leaves
town contests) which bought television wrestling to a level of mainstream
popularity possibly never achieved in any other country before or since."
Hans Schroeder gets some revenge
for his earlier beat-down. He jumps in the ring and kicks the helpless
Lewin square in his exposed stomach. UGHHH!
Can't the
ref control these brual bastards?? This is illegal double- teaming!
Get that dirty cheating Nazi out of the ring!
Lewin collapses to the mat
in agony as Blackjack Slade continues to choke him out. Lewin sells
the pain, looking like he's slowly passing out thanks to those fingers
gouging into his carotid artery.
The fans are about ready to
riot as they watch this handsome, honest young athlete being strangled
by the fierce vicious Biker.
The fans at home are treated
to a zoom-in of the hairy-chested stud, growing weaker and weaker due to
those strong hands clamped around his neck.
Once again Schroeder enters
the ring to boot Lewin in the gut. The ref tries to restrain the
big cheater as an angry Spiros Arion watches from the far corner.
Poor Mark Lewin can no longer
defend himself. His arm appears to be paralyzed, his fingers curled
up and powerless thanks to the heel's relentless clawing.
Just in case the fans haven't
seen enough of Lewin's suffering in this dirty choke hold or nerve-claw,
the camera zooms in for another extreme close-up of the handsome wrestler's
defeat as his cute face grows limp.
Another brutal kick from Hans
Schroeder has the fans wishing the ref was more effective. Poor
Lewin is helpless here, nearly out cold, yet the vicious German continues
to kick him with those tall leather SS boots!
Blackjack Slade dives on top
of Lewin and, according to the announcers, begins biting the helpless man's
throat! Does this beast think he's a vampire or something??
The cheater continues to bite
the other man's neck. Is he trying to give Lewin a "Hickie"??
Lewin lays helpless on his
back, submitting to the other man's mouth-work on his neck. Why is
the ref allowing this unusual Man on Man action?
Slade continues to subdue
poor Mark Lewin on the mat, while Schroeder viciously stomps him yet again.
These animals have thrown the rule-book out the window, fans!
Lewin
reaches desperately for a tag, just inches away from his partner's hand.
As usual, Lewin is in over his head and needs to be rescued by handsome Spiros
Arion. Blackjack yanks him back to the center of the ring before he can make
a tag, and the crowd cries out in frustration.
With the stud back in their
corner, the cheaters again work him over, two on one. What did Mark
Lewin ever do to deserve this abuse?? (Other than showing up in Australia
looking that gorgeous.)
Lewin's body is just a chew-toy
for these rabid dogs. They brutalize him as the ref takes his sweet
time coming over to stop this ruthless beating.
Finally, an exhausted Mark
Lewin is able to make the hot tag with his partner, the Golden Greek. The
fans go wild cheering for their Number One baby-face hero.
Sprios Arion scoops up Hans
Schroeder and drops him in an Atomic Drop. The German collapses to
the mat in pain and Arion easily pins him for the Three Count.
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a wrestler easily defeated by the Atomic
Drop move!
Your winners: Mark Lewin
and Spiros Arion! The fans cheer as the big studs stand in cocky victory
over their suffering foe.
Just to give their fans a little
more face time, the winners agree to give a shirtless post-match interview
at ringside.
Puffing out their chests and
trying to look tough and sexy, the studs explain how much they love their
fans and how they plan to rid the wrestling world of cheaters like Slade
and Schroeder. As usual, Lewin's interview is "sweet and humble", selling
his image as an honest, friendly boy-next-door.
Again the camera zooms in on
handsome Mark Lewin's good looks. He looks a bit like a chubby Elvis
in this shot.
Lewin goes on to explain that
they've come here to wrestle, and their willing to take on anyone who is
man enough to crawl in the ring with them. He knows that will get many of
the fans' attention.
To watch this match on YouTube,
click the play button below:
