—BUT NO PIES!

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 157, 5 July 1937, Page 11

—BUT NO PIES!

AS THEY WRASTLE.

TONY TURNS TURTLE.

AND WALKER WINS AGAIN.

If Charlie Chaplin had walked into the ring in his seven-league boots, swinging his jaunty cane—if Chester Conklin had peered over the mat with his crossed-eyes, no one at the Town Hall on Saturdaynight would have wondered. But Mack Sennett had not produced that piece of entertainment—there were no custard pies! It was a wrastling bout between the Come-back-man George Walker (15.8) and Tony Felice (16.0), and George won again. They had a fall each, Tony taking one in the third, and George one in the sixth. Tony, unlike George, didn't come back. It really wasn't a screen comedy, but a heavy-weight wrestling bout under the auspices of the New Zealand Wrestling and Athletic Club. They did wrestle, too, at times; but Tony, for one, can't help ! being comic, and, well, George is George— still popular with the crowd, still good humoured, still big, etill the wrestler wbo plays a waiting game until he gets his opportunity, and still gorilla-like ae he ambles in, head down and arms swinging, or Jumps up and down on the balls of his feet. The crowd adjusted itself, and had its fun. Worrying Over it. "Ah-h-ses" growled Tony, like a big mastiff (of kindly nature) over a bone, as he worried George in wrist and toeholds at the start; and that growl lasted in crescendo and diminuendo throughout the bout until the crowd joined him in the chorus—and beat him to it with his "Aw, shut up!" when it broke on him that he was not singing a solo. The referee, Mr. C. Pearce, broke a one-finger hold on Tony Felice, but Tony jumped on George's toes to break a following hammerlock—and ran. He came out of that with a head-scissors on George, and was in full chorus. "Qh, you, you. . ." as Felice was held in a hammerlock again, but the. crowd was not privileged to hear his personal opinion of George, for George made it a 'barred wristlock, and had Tony in retreat under a slapping contest—to stop a knee in the stomach at the gong. One finger work on George,- who also stopped a bite in the ribs, two kicks to Tony's stomach, and two resounding headtosses for Tony, who was, twice also held in hammerlocks, and once in a full-nelson with the legs made up the budget for the second, with Tony's full-throated growl as a marginal note. Then, the third, with Felice looking very pained in a barred armlock, but that was a mistake. . . .

"Will you give in** queried thoughtful Mr. Pearce. "No, I like it!" said Tony. It was just encouragement apparently, for he broke and applied a figure-four armscissors and wristlock —and George gave in. He must have, for they went back to their corners and George rubbed his arm. George Gets There. "Aw, shut up," said Tony with a fullmoon grin at the crowd, but his "Ar-r-sss" changed to a sudden "Oh-ho," as George's knee contacted (American business dictionary) his stomach, and Felice was in a toehold. From under the ropes Tony came, back to try for a press, but they changed position withont result, and Tony came on top again with a reverse barred wristlock on George. Strong man George broke it, threw Tony .under the ropes in a headlock and jumped on him. George broke a headlock, too, and applied a hammerlock that lasted to the gong. "That's half a pint," came the call as the referee picked up a third thrown penny from the ring. A head toss for Tony and exchanged strangles had sudden ending when Tony took a jolt to the stomach—"Garsh!" George went to the corner, and was followed by Tony, who stopped another backward kick and was down in a toehold — "No-noho '•" But it was so; ; and there was a standing splits on Felice to follow. Felice looked pained obligingly for a photographer as he was held in a hammerlock; and it came to the sixth. George took everything with him— including a towel—as he went in at the gong with action in his eye. It was. Twice he head-tossed Tony; then Tony tried one, was picked up and dumped hard for a press, and fall. _ Like a sack Tony was dragged back to his chair, and like a sack he sat there. Smelling salts brought action. Tony fell off the chair and he was still there at the gong, and for quite a time afterwards. "All-in" Amateurs. The preliminaries were amateur, but "allin"—and the boys took the liberty with liberty. They had the crowd excited, but it wasn't exactly commendable, i W. Donovan 10.5, took a fall from H. Carey 10.12, with a press following a series of punch-jolts. N. Sakey 9.6, and N. White 10.0, had a drawn bout, one fall each. V 'Carey 12.8, and D. Skelton 12.8, took a fail each and a draw. R Smerthwaite 11.5. beat Alf Greene 11.2, with a fall with a press in the third.

McCREADY BEATS KIRILINKO

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Sunday. Making his first appearance in New Zealand this season. Earl McCready, 16.13, won by the only fall registered in a wrestling contest against Matros kirihnko, 16.0. The winner gave one of the fastest, cleanest and most scientific displays ever seen in Dunedin. . . In spite of the fact that it is over six weeks since McCready was in action he looked in perfect condition, and gave the impression that he is a good deal faster than when last in the Dominion. Although lighter and not bo strong, Kirihnko gave the Canadian a great battle. McCready took a fall in the eighth round with a body press following a flying body-scissors.

LITTLE WOLF'S REVENGE.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Sunday. The Indian wrestler, Chief Little Wolf, pained a decision on points over Stein last evening. Each -wrestler secured a fall in a willing contest. BLOMFIELD AND SPELLMAN. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Sunday. A wrestling bout between Blomfield and Spellman drew a capacity house last evening, one of the best contests seer, in Gisborne resulting in a draw. Each wrestler secured one fall. Blomfield secured a fall in the sixth round after a series of flying tackles, and Spellman equalised in the eighth with an Indian death lock. SAVAGE TOO GOOD FOR SZABO. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) j WELLINGTON, Sunday. In a wrestling bout staged at the Town Hall last night between Steve Savage and the' Hungarian Louie Szabo, the former had an easy victory. Savage took a fall with a body press in the third round and in the fourth Szabo threw himself out of the ring in a flying tackle and knocked himself unconscious. The bout, which lasted less than half an hour, was wholly one-sided. COX AND RUMBERG DRAW. (By Telegraph.— Own Correspondent.) TAUMARUNUI, this day. In an exciting match on Saturday night King Kong Cox and Hal Rumberg shared the honours. Rumberg scored a fall with a flying body scissors in the fourth round and Cox equalised In tne seventh when he caught his opponent with a jolt to the jaw and slammed him.