WRESTLING SET-TO

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 229, 24 June 1936, Page 6

WRESTLING SET-TO

Forsgren Again Beaten By “Lofty” Blomfield

FAST, WILLING ENCOUNTER

In as willing and gruelling a wrestling contest as has yet been seen in the Town Hall, Wellington, Lofty Blomfield beat Jack Forsgren last night by two falls to one. When he knocked Forsgren out hi the sixth round, a holiday crowd that packed the main hall went wild with excitement. The match was at times more like prize-fighting than wrestling, producing little straight mat-craft, hut it, was unusually hearty and spectacular. Forsgren was out to have quick revenge after his recent Wellington defeat by the New Zealander, and was trying hard to batter hie opponent into unconsciousness with double-handed rabbit punches when a penalty fall was awarded against him in the first round, within a minute of the commencement ci hostilities. In the fourth round Forsgren obtained a fall by. dazing Blomfield with elbow jolts and pinning him. Blomfield, showing amazing virility, , came back again and again after receiving heavy punishment, and eventually knocked out his opponent with a long series of elbow jolts to body and jaw. He himself was almost completely exhausted. Probably no other wrestling match in "Wellington has roused the spectators to quite such a pitch of excitement Throughout the contest, time and .again Forsgren tried for his pet boston , crab, but each time Blomfield managed to kick or wriggle clear. Once when Blomfield evaded the crab by crawling under the topes Forsgren did a war dance of rage in the centre of the ring, the crowd howling with mingled derision and delight. Blora- . field had no better luck in his single attempt to apply his octopus clamp. For nearly a minute he worked at it studiously, grinning with satisfaction, having brought the Canadian down and trapped his legs. But just as the gordian knot was being tied Blomfield lost both his balance and his hold. The crowd, which had been alternately breathless and squealing with expectancy, sighed collective .sympathy. Blomfield weighed in at 17st., Forsgren at 16st. 101 b. The first round lasted only 40 seconds. Immediately it opened, Fors. gren-knocked Blomfield down three times in succession with heavy elbow jolts. While he was still on the mat trying to rise, Forsgren struck him repeatedly with rabbit punches, for which a penalty fail was awarded against him. Furious, amid the hooting of the crowd, Forsgren followed 'the referee' round the ring, brandishing his fiats and protesting vehemently. ’ .••■■■•■ Early in the second round Blomfield landed a heavy punch, thrust Forsgren against' the ropes and delivered a series of elbow jolts. He forced the Canadian to the mat with a four-finger hold, which he changed to a reverse wristlock. Forsgren retaliated with jolts, and Blomfield threw him with a headlock, and as he rose seized.him by,both legs. Almost at once Forsgren obtained a barred toehold and Blomfield countered with a similar, grip, followed by a keylock. The rest of the round had the crowd on tiptoes, a lively exchange culminating with Forsgren being battered into a corner with elbow jolts. Forsgren came back and at the bell ,he .was striving to create an opening for a boston crab.

In the third round Forsgren threw Blomfield with a headlock, which he repeated when the other tried to rise. Blomfield secured a sitting splits, but Forsgren shot clear and clamped. on a full nelson. Blomfield broke it by throwing himself to the mat on top of the Canadian. Displaying anger, Forsgren ran Blomfield through the ropes, clapped on a boston crab, but lost it when Blomfield crawled under the ropes. There was another exchange of jolts, ending with the pair on the mat, where Blomfield tried hard for his octopus clamp, but overbalanced and lost it. . : At the opening of the fourth round Forsgren knocked Blomfield ■ down with a knee jolt, held him in an'arm-stretch, and rolled his knee, painfully, first on his biceps and then on his face. Blomfield furled Forsgren over with a head scissors and gave him a taste of similar medicine. Jumping up, Blomfield added a rabbit-' punch, and was warned by the referee. Rushing at Blomfield, Forsgren knocked him down for the count of four with an elbow -jolt to the jaw, and repeated this twice. The third time he had to pick Blomfield -up in order to knock him down again, at the same time lodging a kick with the side of his foot. Blomfield lay supine and Forsgren took a fall with a press. The fifth round, honours even. Forsgren tried again for his crab, but Blomfield broke clear and struck Forsgren down, twice with elbow jolts, but the second time Forsgren in falling landed a foot on the other’s back. Forsgren in turn jolted Blomfield, forging him into a corner and administering heavy punishment. When brought out by the referee Forsgren yet again tried for his favourite 1 crab, but changed it into a toehold. Blomfield escaped, but Forsgren*bowled him over with an arm jolt. Jumping up again Blomfield tried the same tactics, going oqe better by jumping on the Canadian. Holding Blomfield in a body scissors and wristlock, Forsgren had the advantage of the early stages of the sixth round. He turned the grip to an armstretch, and held it until, cleverly. Blomfield countered with a standing splits. Blomfield began to shape bis octopus clamp, but failed to complete it. Blomfield ran Forsgren into a corner, and shook him with repeated elbow jolts. Twice Forsgren got away and sent back a blow, but Blomfield dropped him with a head kick, and then again and again with elbow jolts to the bead. Forsgren staggered blindly round the ring, dazed, until lie was sent down for the last time, with Blomfield pinning him. The round had lasted eight minutes. Both men were exhausted. Mr. A. Jenkins was the referee. Amateur Preliminaries. A. Wilson Ost.) and J. Lockwood opened the evening with a drawn bout, one fall each, G. McDonald (list.), with a single fall obtained by a legliook and body press, beat B. Scholes (list. 71b-), after a virile and spectacular bout. F. Spalding (lOst. 91b.) beat A. Smith (list. 91b.) on points, after a fall each. Smith took .his fall with a back slam and body press: Spalding’s was obtained with a flying mare, dump, and press. R. Hutcheson (Ost 81b.) beat L. Ham cock (To°t. 31b.), by two falls to nil. Ilutcbeson’s first fall was with a cradle hold, his second when he turned Hancock on the mat and pinned him. 11. Dooly (6st. 111 b.) and ; B. Damon (7st. 41b) drew with one fall eneli. Damon obtained the first fall, and appeared to have the better of the contest, until Dooly threw him with a back slam, and pinned him. Next Week’s Match. “Sad” Sam Leathers will make his first appearance at the Town Hall, Wellington,,next Monday, night, when he will meet Blomfield. RUSSELL BEATS KENT By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, June 23. A solid exhibition of wrestling, enlivened at intervals by more spectacular exchanges, was witnessed when “Cowboy’' Russell, lost., defeated Harry Kent, 16st 61b., by one fall. Conceding an advan tage in weight and strength, Russel, gave a scientific exhibition and fully de served his victory, although he was fully

extended during the final round in keeping his opponent at bay. WOODS AND BOESCH DRAW By Telegraph—Press Association. Gisborne, June 23. Before a crowded house Joe Woods, 15st. 31b., defeated Paul Boesch, 16st. 101 b., on points, each man having secured a fall. Woods scored in :be fourth round with two dumps and a body press, and Boesch evened in the seventh round with a series of drop kicks. McCREADY HELD TO DRAW By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, June 23. In the dourest and most colourless bout, of the season Sam Leathers, lOst., wrestled Earl McCready, 17st., to a nraw this evening, neither man securing a tab Leathcns did a good deal of attacking ii. the early stages of the contest, but in the last three rounds was wrestling main!} on the defensive and using the ropes i good deal. NO DECIDING FALL By Telegraph—Press Association. Timaru, June 23. Eight rounds of solid wrestling were witnessed to-night when Mehringer and Zaharias drew. In the third rouhd Mehringer submitted to a hammerlock. At the start of the sixth Mehringer equalled after a scries of flying tackles. Both men were obviously done in the last round, when jabs were freely exchanged, but neither secured a deciding fall,