THE SQUARED RING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 294, 24 September 1936, Page 3

THE SQUARED RING

STILL THEY COME. EMPIRE MAT STATIONS. (By “Referee.”) Wherever a party of men get together and form an organisation for the promotion of wrestling contests it seems to he incumbent upon them to dig up a champion of somewhere or other. This is particularly desirable where two “camps” are working in opposition to each other; New Zealand experienced it last year, America has the complaint in a highly-advanced form, and Australia is similarly troubled. Not only does Tom Lurich, the “big shot” of the Leichhardt Stadium, claim an Empire title in opposition to that of Earl McCready (and also, presumably, to that of George Walker), but also Lurich and other claimants have to contest the merits of the claim put forward by the irrepressible Billy Meeske, Brisbane’s wrestling hero.

Bout with Maori. Meeske has been beaten in an Empire title bout with Walker, hut his memory on such matters is not of the longest. Consequently, it is not surprising to learn that Meeske was the defender of the British heavy-weight championship in a recent contest at Adelaide, his opponent being Hori Tiki (16st 21b), of New Zealand,. It was described as a wild ten-round contest and resulted in a draw after the Maori had exercised his right to demand two extra rounds, each man securing a fall. On the same night Glenn AVade was also in action at Adelaide, gaining a decision over Joe Dawson (15st), of England. Another interesting wrestling item from Australia is to the effect that Tom Lurich was to have revived the sport at Melbourne last week. He was to be opposed by Fred Atkins, with the winner having the prospect of opposing Mike McGill, an Irish-American who beat Lurich in his first Australian bout.

Olympic Wrestling. Tho Australian, R. E. Garrard’s experience in his wrestling contest against the Italian, P. Romagnoli at the Olympic Games, when the judges unanimously ruled against him, although onlookers through he won easily, is similar to some of the happenings at past Olympic Games. Mr Alfred Taylor, a boxing and wrestling instructor, who has been a resident of Sydney for 23 years, related to the “Herald” how he was treated at the Olympic Games in 1912.

“I was one of England’s representatives at Stockholm,” said Mr Taylor, “in the featherweight wrestling. Catch-as-cateh-ean was the universal style throughout Great Britain, but there was considerable surprise when it was learned three months before the Games that Graeco-Roman wrestling had been placed on the programme. In the brief spaco of time at our disposal we were compelled to learn a style we had not previously understood.

“Conditions were that competitors should wrestle for half an hour, and if no fall was secured, or the points scored were not decisive enough, a further similar period was to be ordered, with a limit of one and a half hours, when an v award was compulsory. I was the last of the English competitors, and my opponent was the champion of Sweden. Extraordinary Methods. “The extraordinary methods of Continental officials may he estimated by what followed. The referee was a Sw r ede, and the judges were never of the same nationality as the competitors. From memory I think the judges in our engagement were a Frenchman and a German. I considered I had outpointed my opponent after hair an hour’s wrestling, and I was quite pleased when I found the judges agreed in |my favour. ‘No,’ said the referee, ‘the decision is wrong. I order another half an hour,’ and so the judges’ verdict was overruled.

“It was a very hot day, and the wrestling was in the open air. W e were tired, but Peter Klein, a German, who trained the English team, said to me, ‘Never mind, you wrestle again; you will beat him.’ So after two minutes’ interval wo resumed. At the expiration of the second half-hour both judges again decided in my favour, but again the referee said ‘No.’ The English manager, Air Percy Longhurst, said, ‘lf they do not give you the decision now, I will withdraw all our wrestlers.’ The referee insisted upon another round, and our manager stood to his decision. There were no Englishmen in the remaining competitions.’’

Bishop Goes Weil. There was every variety of punch in the fight before a record crowd of spectators at the reconstructed Olympia stadium, Melbourne, recently*, when Herb Bishop, ex-Australian lightweight champion, defeated Terry Riley and won the Australian junior welterweight championship on points in fifteen rounds. Inspired by the enthusiasm and barracking of the 2500 patrons, Bishop and Reilly fought themselves right out and pleased everyone. They had previously fought a drawn battle, and Bishop was compelled to rest for a long while with a damaged rib. Bishop came into the ring looking soft and pale, while Reilly appeared trained to the minute. Bishop, however, provided a complete surprise. Although it seemed certain that he would succumb to the avalanche if blows landed on him in the first round, he took all that came his way in the way of fierce loft and right hooks and swings to the body and head, and at the sound of the gong for the minute respite, he walked steadily to his corner, apparently unscathed. Then late in the second round he

rallied, and sliding in close launched powerful blows to his opponent’s ribs.