DEAN ONE UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 167, 18 July 1938, Page 11

DEAN ONE UP.

BUT MEEHAN FOUGHT.

MR. McLEAN FOUGHT, TOO.

iXTHEN WORDS AND FISTS FLEW

Fists flew between Dean Detton (155) and Pat Meehan (16.4).

Words flew between the referee, Mt, J, McLean, and Detton.

All in all it was an exciting time at the Town Hall on Saturday night, when the "Mormon Flash/' Dean Detton, immediate past heavy-weight wrestling champion of the world, showed his paces again in Auckland after an absence of four years. It was a rather different Dean; etill fast, etill epectacular, but not eo boyish, and with an added ability in referee-baiting and crowd roueing. Mr. McLean was determined to maintain the proprieties, and the opening rounds made him ae much a competitor as Meeaan for the upper hand over Dean. However, Dean survived the warning and took the victory by one fall in the seventh. Meehan made a valiant fight for it, but Detton was the master through the greater part.

The compact body and fine poise of Detton offered little gain to the hardworking Irish-Canadian at the start and, slipping from underneath, Detton took a hard headlock. Pat repaid with a headscissors—but Dean just pushed him >f heelbarrow fashion under the ropes! Detton was on top again with a hammerlock and a -fcody scissors. . . . "Oh! Somebody say something!" came a call to laughter ae the crowd watched in unusual silence, but there was noise in plenty as Meehan came up with a double leghold, only to lose it as Dean applied an Indian deathlork with his arm as a bar. Meehan squirmed as Dean put in the pressure. "Did you feel that one?" he grunted, and swung hie fist. "Keep that fist quiet " ordered Mr. McLean, and there was action as Detton squirmed out of a headlock. More Debate. Meehan was down in a body-scissors and headlock-cum-strangle in the second, and —"I won't warn you again" called the referee as Detton put in his fiet. For a moment elbowe flew and then the Dean was in rapid retreat. Meehan took a reverse wristlock, but it was fought down and Detton clam>ped on a short-arm scissors. Pat strove hard, but wae held, and —"Watch those shouldere, ref.," said Dean—but Meehan got a foot in position and a moment later Dean's face said "Golly!" as hie short legs were tortured in a standing splits to the gong.

Median paid for that in a Japanese headlock at the start of the third, and Detton .demonstrated just how active he could be as Pat tried to lift him for a Boston crab. Again Pat was in trouble in a leghold and reverse headlock. Mr. McLean was curious—"Get away, you big stiff," said Detton. However, Pat had his say with a toehold on Dean before face-roughing put Dean on top again. He bounced his knee on Median's stomach to break an arch, and was in heated argument with the referee again as he was pulled off a certain press fall for a warning. Dean wae again in trouble as he used his knee in Pat's neck while applying a wristloek. Meehan, however, took a body-scissors and then a head-sciseors.

Yet another form of headlock was exhibited by Detton at the etart of the fourth, and it brought trouble. They came to their feet, elbows flying, and Meehan was held to the ropes as they thudded in. The referee joined in and he, too, was collected by Detton, who landed two "crackers" to Meehan'a jaw before he was dragged away. Now Meehan opened up and Detton n»de a rapid tour of the ring, kicked off an attack and was bundled through the ropes. He came back over with a bound and rush —but Pat looked menacing and Detton changed his mind. Detton took a wristlock, though, and made it a etretch, but was kicked off by Pat with a hard one to the jaw. Detton broke clear, but was due for another warning as he swung a rabbit punch—and , went over the ropes to avoid a hammerlock. Pat tried again and stopped a back-swung elbow. Again a strangle by Detton was broken and he was taken in an armchair splits to the gong. i

Detton Lets Fly. From a butting match Detton took Meehan down in a body scissors in the fifth and tried for a press, but changed to a heaj-lock, in which he up-ended Meehan and was himself up-ended in turn. From the ropes Meehan head-threw Detton— and then took him down in a headlock, but Detton broke with a head scissors. It was "reversed aa quickly, and it ieemed that Meehan's weight waa telling. Howeven, Detton was on top with a. double arm hold at the end.

There was sensation at the sixth aa Detton flew from his corner, dressing gown still on his shoulders, in a dropkick. Meehan missed the full impact, but was head-thrown and had to fight hard to avoid a press —with blows to the stomach to make hie position harder. He cleared well, however, with a lying splits on Detton, and switched rapidly to a standing splits and then step-over toehold. It hurt, but "No, sir," "No, sir," ground out Detton—and it ended with a leg-tangle under the ropes. Detton stopped two -jolts, but a moment later tossed Meehan out of the ropes. Pat took his time, but he went out the ropes again Dean followed in, was held off by the referee, and took a butt through the ropes from Meehan—that had him breaking the record round the ring again. He looked for an opening to tackle, but Pat waited stolidly, threw Detton in an effective flying mare, but was held in a barred toehold.

"C'm on out of it," invited Detton spiritedly at the start of the seventh. Pat, flyishly, responded, and the elbows worked overtime, with Meehan getting the worst of it. However, suddenly Pat flew in a tackle, and Detton went down. Again aud again Detton was down—a thud, and as Meehan came in he was taken in a crotch hold, hoisted high, whirled in an aeroplane spin and dumped for a fall.

Meehan came to his feet just before the last round and Detton went in hard and tossed him in a headlock. The crowd was roaring in excitement, which increased as Meehan rolled on top. He fought hard for an equaliser, but the gong came with the decision unchanged.

The professional preliminary between M. Maich, 14.6, and F. Boric, 13.8, was billed as the "Dalmatian championship of Auckland," but there was no "dilly-dally" in the work of the two men, who made things interesting all the way. Maich took a fall with a Boston crab in the third —and the title.

Amateurs Rouse Interest. | Olympic rule wrestling was persevered J with in the amateur bouts, and there was reward in three well-contested, short bouts. I The spectators, coached by a leaflet explaining the rules, showed keen interest in their applause. Messrs. C. Browne and G. Heald were judges, and Mr. Jim Brown was referee. B. White, 11.2, showed good judgment in his bout with B. Watene, 11.4, but lost in ' seven minutes with a pin fall from a' double-arm scissors. Watene was the more active, while White conserved his energy. j B. Frenke, 10.4, took a fall with a press from J. Moore. 10.5, in three minutes. F. Whitcombe, !).8. slammed H. Franklin, 9.4. for a fall in five minutes. Whitcombe wrestled with a tine sense of balance.