MORE WRESTLERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 216, 9 June 1936, Page 14

MORE WRESTLERS

Sam Leathers Arrives

(By

Back Slam.)

qpHREE more noted American wrestlers -*■ arrived by the Aorangi under engagement to the Dominion of New Zealand Wrestling Union this week. They were Sam Leathers, Bob Kruse aud Chris. Zaharins. Sam Leathers, accompanied by Walter Miller, dropped in to "The Dominion” oilice yesterday to pay his respects to -Back’Slam.” Thirty-six years or age, 6ft. Ilin. in height, and scaling just over liist., the American certainly looks "the goods.” He learned the art of wrestling at an early age from Dick Daviscourt, of Holenberg, Washington, U.S.A., who was a specialist in leg holds. Leg wrestling came natural to young Leathers, and he developed this type of wrestling until he became known in the States as “The Dian with the Educated Legs.” That Leathers is a class wrestler is clear from the fact that the men he has defeated include Gus Sonnenberg, Jack Patterson, Dr. Myers. Abe Coleman, Sovoldi, Chief Little Wolf and Ole Andresen (twice).

Ho is declared to be the only man who has broken Chief Little Wolf’s deadly Indian death-lock, and he not only got out of the hold but actually reversed it on his opponent, and won the match. This happened at Lethbridge, Canada, about two and a half years ago. About 18 months ago Leathers wrestled Dick Shikat to a draw, the bout lasting for an hour and a half, and a year ago he wrestled Steve Savage to a draw at Kansas City in an hour of gruelling mat work. *

Leathers will make his first public ap; pearance in New Zealand at Wanganui to-morrow night, when he will meet Earl DleCready.

The first Japanese coach to be sent abroad by the Japanese Swimming Federation is Takahiro Saito, the. noted coach who developed Hiroshi Negarni, who visited Brazil last year at the invitation ot’ the Brazilian Navy’s Athletic Association. The standard of the Brazilian swimmers, both men and women, showed marked progress following Saito’s arrival in that country. Practically all of the swimming records of Brazil were bettered by the swimmers who underwent his training. Saito was once the back stroke champion of Japan. He was also a member of the swimming team sent to the eighth Olympic Games, in 1924 in Paris, and a member of the swimming delegation to the sixth and seventh Far Eastern Championship Games. Based on his experience and his knowledge of the strokes by veterans of various nationalities, he has developed his own stroke, one which has done much to advance Japan's swimming.