WRESTLING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25207, 11 June 1947, Page 4

WRESTLING

MCCREADY BEATS BELL Earl McCready, of Canada, gained a onefall decision over Kay Bell, of the United States, in an unconvincing exhibition of professional wrestling at the Civic Theatre last evening. The colour which sometimes brightens these contests was usually lacking, and, where present, was poorly applied. Wet weather and lighting restrictions failed to keep a large crowd from coming to see McCready win again. Bell entered the ring, over the top rope, with a resounding war cry. This impressive entrance, however, did not earn him as much applause as greeted McCready, whose arrival was much more sedate. Early in the first round it was evident that Bell was the noisiest of this season’s crop of wrestlers. He began with monologue dealing chiefly with McCready’s allegedly unfair tactics, and although McCready also spoke up later, Bell had to carry the burden of conversation throughout the bout. By the end of the second round Bell, who stubbornly refused to break without a final kick or jolt, was in firm disfavour. In the following round Bell began boxing, but in the next McCready caught him in a reverse wrist lock and his activities werg limited for some time. Bell made several attempts to flatten McCready with a flying tackle, bouncing to and fro across the ropes with a bewildering speed. McCready watched him patiently, with his arms mentally folded. The fifth round was devoid of incident. Bell, perhaps feeling the effect of 15 bouts in less than two months, was content to keep the small talk alive. In the next round, however, McCready gained a fall. Bell held him in a short arm scissors, but McCready stood up and pushed Bell’s shoulders on to the mat. It was as simple as that. The crowd demonstrated noisily aganist the decision. In the seventh round McCready twice had Bell in position for the rocking-chair splits; but on each occasion Bell managed to hook a foot into the ropes. This was disappointing, as McCready’s rockingchair splits is almost as deadly a weapon as Blomfield’s unpleasant-sounding clamp. In the final round there were some desultory elbow jolts, with pauses between them for heated conversation. There were also some dumps, and once, with a flying tackle, Bell sent McCready down with the rapidity of the level at Lake Coleridge. The di’alogue which opened the bout marked its conclusion. In a professional light-heavy-weight contest, J. W. Duke, 12st 91b, drew’ with F. Pope, 12st, each gaining one fall. In an amateur bout, P. Long (list 91b) beat A. Atkinson (list 71b) Uy one fall.