BLOMFIELD’S OCTOPUS CLAMP

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 186, 4 May 1937, Page 2

BLOMFIELD’S OCTOPUS CLAMP

Rumberg Incapacitated

TENTACLE-HOLD DECIDES WRESTLING BOUT

“Lofty” Blomfield's dreaded octopus elamp won him the decision over Hal Rumberg iu the professional wrestling bout at the Town Hall. Wellington, last nitoi. Rumberg, American wrist-lock expert. gave Blomfield the worst of the early rounds, and took a fall with a flying body scissors and press in the fourth round. In the seventh he knocked Blomfield down three times with elbow-jolts, but when he rushed in again Blomfield tripped him and entwined him in his celebrated tentacle-hold. Rumberg yielded a painful submission fall. Gamely he crawled out on to the mat for the last round, -but as he was in no shape to continue, the referee, Mr. A. Jenkins, awarded.the decision to Blomfield. The pair were in marked contrast, Rumberg being as fair as Blomfield was dark. The latter, at 16st. 101 b., was a mere 21b. the heavier. Rumberg took the initiative throughout file early phases. He began by forcing Blomfield to the mat with a wristlock. Failing to break it by pulling his opponent’s nose Blomfield tried a head-scis-sors; it succeeded. Rumberg let fly the first elbow-jolt, and then held Blomfield down with a headlock. Again Blomfield escaped. A third time the blonde American brought Blomfield to the mat, but this time Blomfield had recourse to a useful wristlock. When he rose he landed an elbowjolt with small effect. Rumberg’s kneebar he attempted to convert to an octopus clamp, and on his second attempt developed it as far as the toe-hold stage before Rumberg escaped. A violent battle of jolts followed, both wrestlers flinging their arms about wildly, until Blomfield connected and Rumberg went down. He bounced up again iu a flash and pursued the elusive Blomfield, but the gong ended the round. Rumberg, in his corner, rubbed his jaw tenderly. Sitting impotent in a splits, Rumberg massaged Blomfield’s ear with an unfriendly elbow. When Blomfield rocked him he countered with a wristlock, and so untied his bonds. But he did not relax his wristlock. Instead he reinforced it with an arm-scissors on Blomfield’s free limb. Blomfield cunningly twisted free, fastened Rumberg’s feet in a manual death-lock, and planted a firm palm in Rumberg’s face when he tried to sit up. A smile played over Blomfield’s features, but vanished suddenly, as he found himself in a short-arm scissors. Long he thrashed before the pair rolled into the ropes. Blomfield, grasping Rumberg by a. handful of his fair hair, pulled it violently, but a moment later was involved in the short-arm scissors again. The bell came to liis rescue.

Thus far Blomfield’s wrestling was a , disappointment to his supporters. Now he fell a victim to a painful body-scis-sors. Rumberg, lying on his back, lifted I Blomfield bodily in the air and smacked him repeatedly on to the mat. Rumberg punished him further with his fist, at which the referee expostulated. After another exchange of jolts, Blomfield held Rumberg in an arm-stretch, kneeling on his biceps and bouncing, umberg got away by use of a splits, but Blomfield soon had him pinioned again in the same way. They rolled out of tha ring. When Blomfield tried to lodge some elbow-jolts, knocking Rumberg backwards on to the ropes, the American rebounded in a flying body-scissors that bore Blomfield to the mat. He there pinned him in 3min. 7sec. The fall was surprisingly sudden, but it was more or less decisive. None the Less Decisive. Three hard headlock throws sent Blomfield spinning across the ring. When Rumberg shaped up for the third, to his surprise he was met by a firm shoulder, that bowled him over. Blomfield obtained a short-arm scissors. He bumped Rumberg about until he had taken ample revenge. Sitting extended in a splits, Biomfield clutched at the ropes, but lound the referee an embarrassment. He escaped, only to fail a victim to a wristlock. An arm-stretch aud drumming on his opponent’s brawny chest with one heel, gave him respite, until once again Rumberg established a splits. Blomfield tied his arm in the ropes, and when he got up landed a forearm jolt after the bell. The referee objected. Again and again Rumberg threw Blomfield across the ring with headlocks. He countered a sitting splits with a toe hold; then rose upright in an Indian deathlock. But Blomfield grasped his free leg and rolled him over. He held him iu a splits. Rumberg sank prostrate on his back, but, as the referee’s hand beat one mat, sat up again hurriedly. A foot iu the chest knocked him backward. But he saw his chance and took, it, and there was Blomfield prostrate iu a vice-like toehold. He rolled free aud snapped into action. He pitched Rumberg about with headlocks; he jolted him with forearm blows. But without avail. Blomfield doubled Rumberg over the ropes, and the referee had to disentangle him. He promptly inserted Blomfield’s head between upper and second rope in a “hangman’s hold.” This proved much more difficult for the referee, especially as Rumberg hampered his efforts. Blomfield, in the seventh round, took one or two spectacular tosses, but retaliated with shoulder-butts. Rumberg knocked him down with jolts and picked him up to knock him down agaiu. Then Blomfield tripped him aud rolled him over. The crowd broke into roars. For Rumberg was threshing ou the mat in the agony of Blomfield’s octopus clamp. He submitted at 2inin. 48see. When the bell went tor the. last rouud, Rumberg was unable to continue. He fell forward from his chair on to all fours. After the decision his seconds carried him from the ring. Amateur I’reliminaries. Middleweight: J. Lawrence (Island Bay, list. 71b.), beat G. McNeil (Kooiman’s, 12st.), on points, after a hard • ■ Featherweight: K. Ruby (Kilbirnie, Sst.), beat E. Toobill (Kilbirnie, Sst. 61b.). Ruby took a fall early in the first round with a headlock and body press, and a second by similar means in the third. ;T . . Light-heavyweight: I. Palmer (Koolnian's, 13st. 51b.), beat L. Liddle (Johnsonville, 12st. 61b.), by two falls. Palmer took a cradle-hold fall in tbe second, and another with a body-press in the third. Middleweight: R. Allen (Lacks, list. 21b.), beat L. Spalding (Lacks, list.) on points. Mr. H. Thompson refereed the amateur bouts.