WRESTLING.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 8 August 1932, Page 6

WRESTLING.

MUIR BEATS WILSON. EXCITING PROFESSIONAL CONTEST. In the most exciting professional wrestling contest of the 1932 season in Christchurch, Bonnie Uuir, of Australia, beat George Wilson, of America, on a referee's decision, given at the end of a thrilling eight-round bout in the Civic Theatre on Saturday night, in which eath man had secured one fall. The pair were well matched and there was a lot of spirited action and clever wrestling ir the contest.

The referee for the big bout was Mr A. Craig, itnd for the amateur preliminaries Mr J. Shaw.

h'or tho professional contest, Muir was first to enter the ring and his weight was announced as 14st olb, while Wilson was introduced as weighing in at 13st 10lb. There- was action Uoui the very firat gony. Wiison dived in from '.he releieu's hold to secure a punishing forward headlock with which ho brought the Australian down heavily. Muir Bj..>un over and out of it, but Wilson felled lulu again with a standing wnst-lock. The pace was fast and in a lino whirl on tho mat there waa some clever wrestling. Muir'a hist attaching hold was a straight sirni-bar secured on the mat and developing with it a head scissors; the crowd were shouling for ii fall as the Austialiun worked hard on top of his opponent. Wilson jerked free and 111 turn applied a load seissors and arm-lock in v|,jcb Mujr whirled and spun before finally -reakihg it, Wilson forced home an advantage with Muir tropientarily caught off balance, and was developing a hammer-lock when he suddenly changed to » figure four arm-bar which had Muir in difficulties. Showing great strength, the Australian lurched to his knees and i cached for and finally applied a toe-hold which caused Wilson to break the bar and took for another means of attack. With a shoulder spin Wilßon came' out but Muir dived for a tackle and followed it with another toe-hold. Wilson got ono, too, and the ciuol was willing Muir worked on top, and after several unsuccessful attempts to complpte a cradle hold, changed to a crutch hold and dumped the American hard. The topes saved him from trouble and Muir reopened his attack from the referee's hold with two headlock throws. lie was going in rapidly to get another when Wilson charged him with a flying tackle which threw the Australian across the ring. Warily Muir ilragged himself to his knoes preparing to counter a further tackle. It did not come but the men locked on the mat and Muir applied a short arm scissors and arm-bar to good effect. Wilson broke these holds awl spun cleverly to avoid the full shock of a back slam with a crutch hold that Muir was about to complete. Muir dashed in again and at the gong had Wilson in trouble v/ifh a series of side 'head-locks.

Wilson opened the offensive refreshed in the second round. He tried two forward chanceries but Mmr buret free and rei lied with a flying tackle which knocked the American spinning across the ring amid the shouts of the crowd. Each wrestler landed heavily with open-handed slaps and on the mat "Wilson completed a fi?ure four arm-bar and held to it tenaciously as the pair twisted and turned in the centre of the ring. Muir's speed finally enabled hinj to force Wilson to let go, and following another cmtch hold thiow Muir applied, a reverse wrist-lock. Wilson countered with a head scissors to which Muir replied with a severe double toe-hold in which Wilson writhed and finally wriggled through the ropes to have broken. Uo stayed outside tpo ring for twelve seconds while the crowfl hooted him roundly. Ho was not done with, however, as taking Muir unawares, the American went for and landed 1 eavily with two of his characteristic flying tackles in rapid succession Muir waa again wary and was hard to coax from the mat to withstand a further battery. Just before the pong to end the round, Wilson applied a short-ami scissors and arm-bar which in •iffect was a reverse, cnioifix. It was a hold Wilson had not used before here but one with which lie persevered throughout the r.nut and which troubled Muir a Rood deal. Only the Australian's agilitv and strength in bridging and spinning "out of the hold avoided troublo for him. As the rounded oi.ded Wilson was seeking the ropes for Bufety, again punished by one of Muir*a strenuous aide headlocks. The pace was still getting faster and the third round was a whirl of fast wrestling. Muir felled the big American twice with standing wrist-locks, but when he attempted a third ho was taken unawareß by a wellexecuted flying body scissors combined on tuo mat with a face arm-bar. Muir worked over to complete a reverse wrist-lock which caused abandon his attack momentarily for defence. As far as the crowd was concerned the majority had given their suptort to the Australian because it was disposed by Wilson's tactics in staying out of the ring when he had wriggled bis way outbids the ropes to have punishing holds broken. In this round he was out for 18 seconds, following a double toe-hold which he could not break.

As Wilson prepared for the referee's hold Muir missed a flying tackle, and in a brush on tho mat Wilson thrilled tho crowd by picking Muir up and throwing him heavily. Muir now commenced to exploit the figure four arm-bar and one he completed cramped the American's arm badly. Hs got to the safety of the ropes again and there was ruoro demonstration of the crowd against linn. Wilson was fiercely on the offensive again when lie returned to the mat and had thrown Muir with a headlook and had applied his peculiar hold—the reverse crucifix—as the gong sounded.

A fall was imminent at the opening of the fourth, when Muir nearly had Wilson pinned with a aide headlook and body press. Wilson spun completely oyer, forcing Muir off balance again and himself nearly got a fall with a similar hold. The variety of holds at this juncture was excellent and from one to another the two men developed at gieat speed and with exceeding cleverness, first Wilson had to spin out of a head scissors, but Muir was on him again in a dive and applied a sitting splits which he held for 40 seconds until Wilson pulled himself outside the ropes. In 16 seconds' ha came back and felled Muir with a reverse wrists 'ock. Muir face arm-barred Wilson away and {rot the sitting splits again. Wilson whirled up and reached for a toe-hold but failed and sought the ropes, tie nearly over-stayed his tinip of grace on this occasion as the referee was within one second of the disqualification time of 20 seconds when the American climbed back That Wilson was a master tactician was displayed immediately. Ho was apparently groggy from two severe slams from headlocks the Australian applied and Muir was eager to be at him again, when villi a cat-like leap the American launched his deadly tackle charge. It sent Muir flying twelve feet across the mat, but Wilson overestimated its effect, for when he dived jn to force a fall with a body press Muir whirled on him, and at the gong had almost completed a fall himself with a head scissors, and arm-bar, and a body press. Muir's attack developed rapidly at the opening of tha fifth round. He brought Wilson down with his punishing wrist-lock. On the mat he upplied a head scissors and armbar. That he changed for an arm scissors and straight arm-bar was due to the fact that Wilson was countering splendidly and revealing speed in mat work defence. Muir, worked off his balance, was finally thrown on ope side and from that position Wilson applied a sitting splits Muir's counter was to push himself to an upright position to throw himself over and clear of the deadly splits. However, it was brief respite. Wilson did cot complete a cradle hold but changed it successfully to a standing splits, and when Muir broke that one he applied another and a more punishing one Muir kicked out after 70 seconds, and there was uproar as a series of flying tackles executed Ivy both men followed. Muir missed, then Wilson missed, and Muir missed again. The rnly tackle to find its mark was the final one by Muir which spread-eagled Wilson on the far side of the ring. Muiy was scoring points in mat work when the gong; ended the refund.

The wrestling thud been strenuous and fast to this stage, and with both men taking opportunity to rough it, quite a good deal it was not surprising that the pace was slower at the opening of the sixth round, in which came the first fall of the bout. Both fenced cautiously for an opening, when Wilson, after breaking a stapding wrist-lock, swung over with an open-handed right, which caught Muir fairly behind the ear with a sounding smack. The Australian was obviously incensed, and flew at Wilson. Four times in rapid succession he slammed Wilson to the mat with forward headlock throws, and with the American dazed, junjped on him to secure a fall with a body press. The round had lasted 42 seconds. Wilson was Unable to go to his corner for 6omo time and sat on the mot exhausted. The seventh round was equally exciting, and it was ••* very eventful eight minutes which led up to Wilson's fail which evened matters, ifuir was eager to press home his advantage of the previous round, but was soon on the defensive trying to ease the full effect of a bummer lack which Wilson could iiot quite complete, and then a Japanese arm-bar, combined with a head scissors Tw.ice in succession Mulr was hard pressed to avoid conceding a fall, Wilson was varying his attack neatly, and when he applied his reverse crucifix again Muir Was worried with continued effort* to kjep out 9? difflsujti»i- ' *wi*» Wljsoa »ppH«4 •)**•

headlocks which threw Mulr heavily, M»4 when the Australian struggled to his feet and went for a crutch hold slam Muir spun free, but wa» back like a (Hash with n flying tackle which ihook Muir severely. He tried to rally, hut Wilson launched his tackle thrice more In rapid succession, and with Muir exhausted gained an easy {all with # body press, The round had lasted S minutes 24 seconds. With one fall to each wrestler th# crowd was on its toes for the final round* Muir secured a side-headlock and opened the offensive of the round, but Wilson broke the hold with a face bar and developed an arm bar from it which troubled Muir. It nearly ended in a bammerlock position, but Muir spun over to avoid the deadly completion of that hold, only to fall into a body scissors with which the American combined a straight arm-bar. Muir reached and completed a toe hold to counter, hut was still being shaded at this stage hy the American's clever matwork. Ho burst one of Wilson's ho4y scissors, jerking himself free in araaiing fashion and flung himself at Wilson in an endeayour to secure • flying pody scissors. Wilson caught him coming in in a crutch hold and slammed him to the mat, but the Australian turned the tables by rolling over and Wilson again had resort to a period of grace outside the ropes to avoid Muir's retaliation. Furiously each was working for a decisive hold after Wilson returned, with Muir now dominating the position. In two minutes the Australian had brought his man down with a wrist-lock, worked on him on the mat with a head seussors and a straight arm-bar, and finally had the American making for the ropes again when he completed a severe toe hold. Muir was compelled to loose the hold and Wilson flew at him with a flying tackle. Muir propped to withstand the assault and replied with another tackle. He missed. Wilson rushed in for another. He also missed. Muir missed with a tackle to reply again and the two were hounding around the ring trying to launch a barrage which would end the bout. Once Wi)son missed a tackle and went bead first through the ropes with his own impetus, Muir was very wary still, and with a threat of a tackle he propped on his knee to withstand the impact better. He caught Wilson at last and applied a severe sideheadlock, but (he American got an armlock, then a face arm-bar, and lastly a head scissors, which had Muir smothering in defence until he reversed the pqsition by completing a figure (our arm-bar. Wilson got to his feet and Muir had to loose the hold, and when he wen£ in to resume Wilson clapped on a forward chancery and twice, in succession threw Muir with a crash to the mat. A fall seemed at hand, as Muir appeared shaken, but he had not lost his caution, and as Wilson launched his terrific flying tackle to try to win the bout Muir Slipped sideways neatly and Wilson shot into the ropes in a neutral corner on hi? face as the final gong sounded. It was a fitting conclusion to an exciting match. The referee awarded the decision to Muir on points. There was not a great deal in it, but the Australian certainly had been slightly more aggressive, and Wilson's use of the ropes lost him points. AMATEUB BOUTS. The following were the results of the amateur preliminaries:— Ught-Weight. A. Jones (9st 61b) beat J. Webber (9»t 131b) by on« fall, secured with a cradle hold in the second round. A fast bout. Welter-Weight. W. Mitchell (10st 51b) beat J. Oorry (IQst 91b) by two falls. Bach was secured with a cradle hold. Mitchell proved himself a clever wrestler. Light Heavy-Weight. D. Lloyd (Auckland) ((list 101b) beat S. W. Bennett (13st 31b) by two falls. Lloyd was superior to his opponent in all departments. The first fall was front a "body scissors and straight arm-bar, and the second from a body press a n d arm-bar. In a splendid exhibition bout J. Mugseu and J. Shaw provided one of the best displays of clever wrestling seen in Christchurch. There were' three rounds and no ■falls, and the ovation, the two men received was a fitting tribute to their fine mat work.

ROUGH BOUTS Ifl[ SYDNEY. IfJIITEr- PBKSS TEiiEOKiPH^COPTEIOBT.) SfDNET, August «. . Wrestling s t the Sydney Stadium, Karasick received a decision over Mamos in the seventh round, in spite of the fact that Mamos was severely butted In the back fey his oppanept w}io, according to the cr"ow|, should have fceen diswallfled. Mamqs " was unable to resume. Anotfeejj joukh eshJWtisn too* »?»«» ft 6t»aiu», v*a?« Tarn l*ul& 4*