SOUTH ISLAND WRESTLING

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27990, 9 June 1956, Page 3

SOUTH ISLAND WRESTLING

Title Meeting Next

Month

For the first time in 20 years, the South Island is to have its own wrestling championships. On July 7 representatives of Southland, Otago, West Coast. Nelson, Marlborough, South Canterbury and Canterbury will meet in Invercargill to decide the South Island's champions and representatives to the New Zealand championships, which will be held the following m n nth at Dunedin.

The heavy-weight division should provide an easy win for Harry Pitama of Canterbury. Pitama has been in sold training for the last three months and with his weight reduced by three stone to a modest 18 stone, he looks a certainty.

The light-heavy-weight class is very open, with D. Cowie, of Southland the present New Zealand title-holder' a likely winner, but Ron Moir the present Canterbury title-holder and former New Zealand champion in this weight, could upset calculations with M. Fernley, who holds the Canterbury heavy-weight title, also a threat Canterbury will not have a strong middle-weight representation and W Denley may find. R. Ballantyne, of Southland, too experienced and rugged for him.

Unless Gordon Hobson, of Canter.2’’ .1 a , n $ om pete. Jack Monaghan, of Southland, appears to have a mortgage on the welter-weight section. Monaghan, the New Zealand champion. has represented his country at the Empire Games and at the world’s championships at Tokyo, but Hobson who has also been an Empire Games representative, has more than held his own m bouts with him. It is to be hoped that the minor operation Hobson recently underwent will not pre- - X ent re P res “nting his province. Kay Harris and Dini Jackson will also be wrestling in this grade. Both have ; been previous title holders. Although it. is hard to see either winning, they will make their presence felt. Brj r n Roberts and Don Lanini will be Canterbury’s representatives in the light-weight division, and they will be opposed by Ellis, of Southland, and Lawry, of Otago, two seasoned campaigners and wrestlers of more than average ability. This class is the hardest and the most open of the tournament and should supply the hardest wrestling. It is expected that the finalists of the feather-weight class will be D Keats, of Canterbury, S. Pascoe of Southland, and W. Jackson, of Otago, but there could be a surprise in this class.

Christchurch has strong representation in the bantam-weight class with the de Malmanche brothers and John Genet, a son of the noted former champion of Canterbury and New Zea"land. Joe Genet. It is reported that in Timaru several high-class bantamweights are in training, and a surprise could come from them. P. Moore, the Canterbury fly-weight, looks the best in another very open division. Moore has come a long way and he has the temnerament of a true champion. He recently beat the Canterbury champion, R. Cavanagh, and his recent two-fall win over F. Paviell was impressive.

To make the championships more of an inter-provincial affair. Mr J. Mclnnes, recently selected to judge and referee wrestling at the Olympic Games at Melbourne, has presented a cup to be held by the province winning the most titles.