Telecatch was a Brazilian professional wrestling TV program originally called Telecatch Montilla. It was broadcast by TV Globo from 1967 to 1969. The name of the program would later be changed to Os Reis do Ringue in the 1970s by RecordTV, which translates literally to "The Kings of the Ring". In 1965, TV Excelsior premiered the program with the name Telecatch Vulcan. For reasons of economy the chain of stores Imperatriz das Sedas (the main sponsor) and associated companies decided not to finance Telecatch and to definitively finish the program.
It was similar to American professional wrestling with its diverse and colorful ring performers and predetermined outcomes. The formation of the show was the direct result of the public's shock at the brutality of vale tudo, which used to air on a TV show that originally aired in the time slot of Telecatch Montila. It was decided by the TV executives that a show with predetermined outcomes should replace the unpredictable and brutal vale tudo show, thus the creation of televised professional wrestling in Brazil. Due to the popularity of the program, even today Telecatch is sometimes used as a synonym for pro wrestling.
An Italian-born Argentinian pro wrestler who went by the name of Ted Boy Marino signed on in 1967 and became the promotion's biggest star as a baby face. The show was a big success on the TV Excelsior and its run lasted until 1980.
Telecatch was criticized by Hélio Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, who expressed concern about the "fake fights" that characterized the show. Gracie, a pioneer of vale-tudo and inspiration for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), always defended the practice of real and effective fights, considering that Telecatch distorted the image of legitimate martial arts.[1] He appeared alongside Ted Boy Marino in an episode of the popular comedy show Os Trapalhões.[2]
In 2012, Telecatch was revived by the Brazilian Wrestling Federation (BWF) as the "BWF Telecatch" in attempts to revive professional wrestling in Brazil. A few years later, others companies such as FILL (International Luta Livre Federation), EWF (Extreme Wrestling Force), Action Pro Wrestling (APW) started to bring a similar product to the table. The most recent promotion is Dungeon Pro Wrestling (DPW), founded in 2019 but started their activities in 2024 with the objective to bring international learnings to the Telecatch tradition. Of those, only BWF is broadcast to national television, having a contract with Rede Bandeirantes.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Gracie se diz preocupado com falsos lutadores que prejudicam o jiu-jitsu". Jornal do Brasil. 17 June 1971.
- ^ "Relíquia: O dia em que Helio Gracie ensinou Jiu-Jitsu e defesa pessoal nos Trapalhões | Graciemag". www.graciemag.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "Fenômeno nos anos 1970, luta livre nacional volta à TV aberta na Band; saiba detalhes". F5 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
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