MAT ARTISTS AT GRIPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 86, 13 April 1926, Page 15

MAT ARTISTS AT GRIPS.

SPECTACULAR WRESTLING.

MEESKE BEATS ANDERSON

LATTER A COMING CHAMHON

T e \,7 "Marked 'last night's clash at the thei. st; 7 ' Australian Biliy Meeske ™7__lA7 Zealand champion. Era Ander6C d the 77 furniture was nut exempt f 7 ,ht7" a eir'iocs of the girthy gladiators several Umes sent chairs flying and _____L ™4es from one side of the ring to fX, Lite a whiff from the forgotten Stt when small purses and hard-fought Pou,s were the order of the day m indoor „°. : mc two champions toiled and strained fhrr.,'7l ten =tr-:nu.->us rounds until their fled, fiery red under sweat?uch an exhilarating exhihitiob as last night's match series proved to be should give the sport an immense fillip in Auckland. Billy Meeske. who cones with th" title of cruiser-weight champion of Australia, pitted science, coolness, aud ringcraft of a high order against a younger and less experienced rival, whose strength, gameness. and determination carried him to within an ace o ; victory The meritorious loser was Em Anderson, New Zealand light-heavyweight title holoder, whose performance last night goes to prove that there is a new star on the wrestling horizon.

Dunns the evening n challenge to Anderson lor ihe New Zealand title was made on behalf of Joe Dufty. <-f Hamilton, and S. I'hillipson. of Auckland, also expressed an official desire to relieve the winner of the Cumberland style of his new-found honours. Two sparkling preliminaries hy amateur contenders ushered in the big match. The respective contestants took their corners welshing 13.0 and 13.5. Anderson stripped well, clad in a pair of dark shorts, which enabled his seconds to give him the benefit of plenty of leg massage during the bouts, ileeske. on the other hand, favoured shorts and tights well-padded inside the knee. He, too, looked to be in the pink of condition.

In the first round, Meeske unavnillngly tried lo pin his opponent with a series of wrist locks, but Anderson countered effectively with a powerful arm roll. Towards the finish of the bout Meeske exploited the toe hold, and in The closing stages nearly pinned his man on two successive occasions, but Anderson twisted clear. The round ended with Meeske being stood on his head by his opponent. Indecisive.

In the second fracas, both men pleasantly began poking straight lefts with the open hand at each other's features. Following a strenuous set-to, the pair crashed into the Press tables, and. while busy scribes were collecting their scattered notes. Anderson got his opponent's head into chancery, and applied the bar lock. Meeske, however, wriggled out of danger, and another indecisive bout concluded.

The third round had not gone long before Meeske drove in with beads of sweat glistening on his copper-coloured skin, and bleeding slightly from the right arm. Lifting his opponent clean off his feet, he cheerfully spread-eagled him on the mat, tout Anderson made light of the incident, and very soon the pair were back again at the gentle diversion of sparing at each other's faces. Then Meeske bailed his man up against the platform at the back of the stage, exerted more pressure, and lifted him right up on the staging, off the mat altogeether. There were cries of "Break!" Meeske, however, continued the tussle. The referee then took a hand, and, after a lot of strenuous pulling and pushing, got them back on to the mat. Here he had a word or two with the Australian on the, subject of obeying his admonitions more promptly. This round, too, was resultless.

An unexected prelude to the serious business of the fourth round was furnished by Anderson who nearly lost a fall by his slowness in rolling out of one of hia opponent's holds. Both men got leg holds at the same instant, and commenced tugging away for all they were worth. Finally. Meeske gave this up in favour of & head lock. Both men then rolled off the mat Meeske having the advantage. "Get back," ordered the referee. Meeske was deaf to the repeated admonition, and the official, who by this time had removed his sweater, started a little private match of his own with Meeske, who reluctantly forsook his grip on his opponent and returned to the tarpaulin again. Meeske then back-heeled the Southerner, .who landed on his back with a crash that could -be heard all over the theatre, but the impetus enabled him to roll out of danger. Meeske next fell on his opponents face, and followed this up with a head hold and a bar lock, whioh looked like providing him with something to write home about. The referee thought so, too, and stood over the straining, visitor in the attitude of an expectant householder about to swat a blowfly. The threatened touch of the hand in token of a fall however, did not eventuate. Anderson brought his favourite arm roll to his aid. and wriggled out of the way. Then the gone went.

A ss ellson displayed more aggression in the fifth round. He exploited a body hold and back heel against Meeske's wrist lock with distinct advantage to himself, and narrowly failed to get his man. Both then rolled off the mat. The referee had to pull Meeske off again, hut 'the fault wasnot altogether with the Australian. It was becoming more than a coincidence that when danger loomed. Anderson was shrewdly seeking the bare boards outside the tarpaulin-covered; area. A moment later the referee was again bnslly engaged in endeavouring to get the two contestants back on to the mat. In the last minute ot the round Anderson got a strangle hold on his rival. With his head and shoulders firmly held. Meeske swung his legs and body in a desperate effort to free himself and at last succeeded in breaking from a dangerous hold- Another indecisive round.

In case any of you have forgotten," the announcer -was moved to observe to the •auditorium when the gong clanged a"aiii this is the last round." In this set-to' Meeske showed considerable skill in throwing his weight about with least injury to himself, and as much discomfiture to his rival as possible. Things started to move with a vengeance this trip. Meeske made a rush, and the pair stampeded across the mat into Meeske's corner. The latter's second hastily dived for cover.A torrid 30 seconds nearly- ended in Meeske pinning Ms mail with a crutch and head bold. "They'll get peeved soon, and start to throw the furniture around." observed a mat-sider, as the proverbial skin and hair commenced to fly "One minute to go." yelled the timekeeper' Meeske looked surprised. "Xo." cut in the timekeeper a second time, "two minutes to go." Whatever it was it did not affect the bont. which, like the other five, was barren of a deriding faJL

'Meeske gets, the decision on points," said the referee, placing his hand on the visitor. Ihe auditorium signified its approval.

In tie first bount of the Cumberland style, Meeske had the better position at the start. After a good deal of sparring for position, tioth men locked their hands. Twice Anderson lifted his opponent clean off rhe floor and spun him round like a whirligig. J"he third time Anderson not only lifted him off his feet, but followed this up b3* "hyping" his opponent and winning the £*st fall.

The second time out, Meeske cleverly got position, and turning sideways for the crossbuttock hold, suddenly pulled and heaved like li.htning with his hips. Anderson went hurtling through the air. and struck the mat scarcely three seconds after the two had come to grips. All square—one each. The last bout concluded tamely. "While the two men were manoeuvring for position. Anderson managed to pull Meeske so that his knee touched the floor and, of course, the referee had no option but to award the bout to Anderson. Meeske looked puzzled at the unexpected finale. Followed a consultation between the referee and the two men. after which the former came out to the front of the stage and announced that the two men could not agree as to how the deciding event should be contested. "Put the gloves on." •-homed _ raucous voice from the back, amidst laughter. .

Eventually, it was decided to draw lots. Tho verdict was in favour of Meeske's choice—catch-as-carch-ean style. The Australian looked full of business when the gong went. He made a rush at -■inncrson. and the pair went flying into the referee, who got jammed against the platform at the back and could not get clear for several seconds. Taken all In all, that official was having a strenuous -time of it. Anderson again gave ground to Meeske's second onslaught, and the two contestants v.ent slap-hang into a row of spectators on the far side of the stage. Meeske's third .iitac_ drove both men into the ropes, v-hicli sagged perilously. A benevolent-i-.oking old gentleman in the stalls got out "t nis seat to pasli the contestants back «uh his walking stick, but the referee j-aved him -the trouble by grabbing Meeske n.v the hair, .and dragging him back to the mat. A few seconds later, a reverse arm jock gave Meeske the deciding fall and the match. AMATEUR BOUTS. Sadgrore, 0.6. v. Pilkington. 9.s.~Sadgrove won the first bout -with the leg scissors and arm lock. Tie second was Inde- «.««.._* Sa<i! *rove clinched his -victory at XOLL meeting with a head and arm

Bedmead, 10.4. v. Pollard. 10.11.—A1 well-matched pair, but hoth men lost opportunities owing to lack of aggression. All J three rounds were evenly contested, and a draw resulted. Bedmead v. Taylor.—Taylor proved the quicker of the two in the first bout, and was on the aggressive most of the time, finally taking the bout with a half Nelson. Bedmt ad took a turn in the second, putting his man down with a half Nelson and a scissors hold. The third was very evenly Contested, and the referee's decision —a draw —met with the approval of the crowd.