WRESTLING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25243, 23 July 1947, Page 9

WRESTLING

BLOMFIELD BEATS KUSS "Lofty” Blomfield, of New Zealand, beat Otto Kuss, of the United States, in a professional wrestling contest in the Civic Theatre last evening, but not before he had experienced all the vicissitudes usual to the occasion. There were mdments when it seemed Kuss might win, but the referee, making one of his few popular moves of the evening, awarded Blomfield the bout on points after each man had gained a fall, and the spectators departed in a happy frame of mind. The bout was without much colour, and bore a very marked resemblance to the others which had preceded it. Both men began breathing stertorously in the first round, an indication of the whole-hearted way they went to work. But the ohly incident of note in the early stages occurred when Kuss, holding a body scissors, mounted Blomfield’s back and cheerfully patted the referee’s head. The crowd, a discerning one, immediately recognised this as showmanship. There was a little more movement in the third round, and the breathing grew heavier, the bustle and noise being reminiscent of a railway station a few minutes before the departure of an express train. Blomfield then ran Kuss’s head into a ring post. This was one of the cleverest forms of attack .since one of his contemporaries had done the same thing two weeks earlier. There was some boxing, ear pulling, and kicking, and in the fourth round Kuss gained a fall. Blomfield had given Kuss a ride pick-a-back before emptying him through the ropes, and Kuss displayed a base ingratitude in hitting Blomfield once or twice and putting his legs round his head to take a fall. The bout had started late, but the fall was not well received. Most sporting crowds are known to be fickle. Kuss became most unpopular in the fifth round, when he massaged Blomfield’s face with his foot, but the spectators should have drawn comfort from the knowledge that Kuss was sure to pay, as he eventually did. By now both men had warmed up, and they were so intent on their work that each in turn failed to hear warnings from the crowd that the other was in the process of gaining a counter-hold. Time after time apparently unbreakable holds were reversed while the spectators shrieked in dismay, and the fact that men of such long experience in the ring did not seem aware of what was going on spoke well for their intense concentration on the matter in hand.

The sixth round brought Blomfield a fall. There were some elbow jolts and before long Blomfield applied an agonising hold which could only have been the octopus clamp. When he had completed his preparations for the hold, he stood up, with the triumphant smile of the conjuror producing his inevitable rabbit. Kuss, who had failed to submit for some moments, had to be helped to his corner. There was little of note in the remaining two rounds, and as there were no more falls, Blomfield’s win on points was practically assured. In amateur preliminary bouts. D. Boskell (Bst 101 b) beat E. Rickerby (Bst 41b) by two falls; L. J. Brady (Bst) beat A. Winn (Bst 41b) by two falls to one; M. Flaws (7st 111 b) beat L. J. Keats (7st 21b) by two falls, and J. Genet (list) beat A. Atkinson (12st) by one fall. In a light heavy-weight professional contest, L. J. Coughlan (12st 71b) drew with F. Pope (12st), one fall each.

MCCREADY BEATS WRIGHT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 22. No falls were gained in a professional heavy-weight wrestling contest to-night between Earl McCready and Jim Wright. McCready twice applied his rocking-chair splits, but on both occasions Wright managed to free himself. McCready won on points.