STRONG MAN BEATEN

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 247, 16 July 1935, Page 16

STRONG MAN BEATEN

Wade’s Surprise Win Over Hopkins in Sixth Round

STOLID NEW WRESTLER

Stolidly, showing sensational strength and little imagination, the English wrestler with the 19in. neck, George Hopkins, ambled through some of his paces to impress in the Wellington Town Hall last night a fairly large crowd and the American, Glenn Wade. The bout had a surprise ending. Hopkins secured an easy fall in the fourth, and continued to carry his opponent, treating him gently until the sixth, when Wade suddenly dropped Hopkins to the mat. Hopkins fell on his head and was knocked unconscious.

Wade, a strong man whom the Englishman occasionally made look a kitten, worked stoutly, but until bis sudden victory was fighting a losing battle all the way. Wade’s weight was announced as 15st 101 b., and Hopkins’s as a stone heavier, but the latter, from his height, breadth and amount of surplus condition, appeared to have a considerably greater advantage than this. At the first gong Wade went co the mat, struggling against a strong wristlock. He seemed powerless to do any harm with a headlock, and, when be was applying a half-developed crucifix, fell into a splits, and then a leg-scissors. Hopkins seemed unconcerned after he bad been thrown heavily, but when Wade secured a Japanese leglock, he had him writhing in the corner for half a minute. Hopkins found a headlock, and, Wade having broken from it, had just pulled himself out <if a full nelson at the end of "the round.

Hopkins threw his man in the second round, and had an arm-scissors for a short time before Wade took the offensive ; Wade held a toelock and a headlock, but each seemed to make no impression on his opponent. Hopkins attacked again, using headlocks, an arm-bar. and a standing splits. Before the gong Wade ha.fl the satisfaction of throwing the Englishman with a headlock.

Twice near the beginning of the third round Wade tried to throw Hopkins over the ropes, the referee interfering each time. With a headlock and then an armscissors’ Wade took the first effectual hold. When he was working for a hammerlock Hopkins easily resisted, and again Wade seemed well out of his depth when Hopkins, rocklike, took a good rest, despite the fact that Wade was straining to push his right shoulder to the mat. Makes Up His Mind. Wade was slightly provocative in the fourth round, and Hopkins seemed to think he should do something about it. He almost lifted Wade into the air with a series of arm jabs to the stomach, and slowly tossed him about, the ring as if he were a bag of straw, varying the performance with downward arm blows. He secured a shoulder-press at Imin. I'isec. Wade showed bis annoyance in the next round by manhandling Hopkins with a standing splits for a very short time, but his attempts at other holds were borne phlegmatically, with the crowd showing amusement at Hopkins’s supine lack of concern. Nothing serious happened until Wade, by now covered with perspiration, strove against a bodycissors, which Hopkins held at an unvaryingly strong pressure for four minutes, until the gong. After pulling out of a headlock in the sixth round, Wade at last secured his hammerlock. It was fully developed, but Hopkins steadily straightened his arm. The end was all the more surprising because it came at this stage. Wade lifted Hopkins high above the canvas ami dumped him heavily. Hopkins struck the mat with his head and shoulders, and hung limply when Wade hammered his shoulders three more .times to the mat before falling across him at 2min. 55sec. Hopkins showed next signs of consciousness four minutes later when a doctor was bending over him. The crowd fulsomely applauded as he was supported out of the ring. Amateur Bouts. Five amateur preliminary bouts were held. F. Gooch (Ost. 11b.) beat R. Harrison (Ost. 41b.). with two falls. O. Cutts (lttst. 61b.) beat F. Alexander (9st. 81b.), w.ith a fall in the third round. B. Scholes (list 61b.) beat J. Pedersen (list. 61b.). with two falls. I). Wrigglesford, Kilbirnie (sst. 21b.), took a pointe decision over B. Willets. Johnsonville (sst. 31b.). K. Pajo (12st. 31b.) drew with N. Razos (12st. 41b.)