Contrary to previously published data (Mustroph and Each, Z. Chem, 1985), we have found that the reaction product of CX-benzenediazonium fluoroborates (X = H, NO2) with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-(alpha-acet-ethylidene)-pyrazol-5-one corresponds to 5'-hydroxy-5,5'-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1'-(4-X-phenyl)-1',5'-dihydro-2H-[4,4']bipyrazolylidene-3-ones (4a,b) and not to compounds 3. The structural elucidation is based on analysis of H-1, C-13 and N-15 NMR spectra of non- and N-15-selectively labelled samples. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.