WRESTLING PUZZLE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 56, 4 September 1934, Page 6

WRESTLING PUZZLE

AVALKER'S INACTIVITY

"GRAND TOURS" MISSING

r*y "Aeneas.

Mure th:iu usuiil iutonrv :;tt;u-hos to the wrestling positi'iu in I In? Dominion just now, Iliei'O. bcin;,' sevonil cx-

tiiunHius factors bavin;* ;i bearing on Icn-iil conditions. There are ;it present | on the active list of professionals only six men, and two of these, Dan Koloff and George Walker, for various reasons, are not in the h'cld to Ihe same extent as the others. Dean Dettun mid Dr. i'rod Meyer seem to bo shouldering the responsibility of meeting the | demands made by several of the associations affiliated to the union and they, with Tony I'Y'lice and Ali Bey, are thus being called upon to do the impossible. With regard to the champion, Dan .Koloff, there are somu who say that it is almost a pity that a man of such outstanding qualifications, which seem to be some distance 'ahead of the others who have been included in the team, should have' been included among those working in the Dominion this year. • WALKER-KOLOFF RETURN MATCH. This difficulty would not be so accentuated if it weru not for the fact that, for reasons best known to the man. himself, and perhaps to the controlling authorities, hu is not being matched with (iuorge Walker. His matches with, other members of Uio team, suc-h as that against Detton. at the Show Stadium last. Monday night, do not seem to have attracted puulic notice to tho extent or' drawing "gates" belitting tne appearancus or. such a man. There can be no doubt that this circumstance has very largely accounted for ivoloff's inactivity.

There is also another factor to winch attention might be drawn, and that is the restricted programme being followed by George Vvalker. Comment was freely liiado locally regarding the cancellation by him of the match intended to be between himself and Dean Detton at the Show Stadium on. Monday, in which Koloff took the ring as. a substitute. It is reported that Walker i 3 suffering from a wrenched knee, a recurrcucc of trouble he hiid in the same limb' last year. IS WALKER DISSATISFIED? Suggestions have been made, however, that the Auckland man is not very happy about the conditions prevailing this year. It is said that it has been found difficult to induce him to accept matches outside of Auckland. , It will be recalled that on a recent occasion Walker made one of his spectacular tours, visiting several centres, down as far as Dunedin, with the aid of an aeroplane; but of course it cannot be au easy matter for the union, the i local promoting bodies, and, particu-1 lady, for the other wrestlers, to accom- j . modate themselves to "stunts" of this i sort.

Further, it is an open secret that (ho Americans are by no means well disposed towards providing the necessary material to enable these grand tours to bo made. When one comes to think of it, it is a matter for surprise that these elements have been so amicably ovcrcomo in the past, not only this season, but also in previous years.

However, it cannot be denied that Walker still retains liis drawing capacity, but this docs not answer the question as to why the Koloff-Walker return match has not bcon held before this. Recalling the conditions prevsi'iling for two or three weeks after the first meeting of these two at Welling-

ton, it is safe to say that had the return match been available, it could have been staged to full houses in each of the main centres. BIG "GATES" IGNORED. Whether nr not the omission was due to the visit made by Koloff to Australia is open to doubt, but taken together willi Walker's inability to take what might be considered as the next biggest draw, liis third meeting with Ih'i'iii Derton, one might be excused for speculating as to what is-behind it all. hig "grr.es" seem to have been de-li,Vi-;iti>lv allowed to go by the board. The- issues become further compliIc.'i'rd wh"n coiisideriition is given to II:-.' fact that in the near future some finlhi.T exchanges with .Australia are to take place. " Gus Sonnenburg and Hairy Mamos are scheduled to return in about two weeks' time, and it is I more than probable that Koloff will lake Sonne.nbui-R's place in Australia. i .Should the changes take place as outlined, it would appear that the big "gates" referred to are to bo further disregarded, thus making the position lextremelv difficult to understand when: considered from .the point of view of finance. The circumstances as they appear at present make it seem unlikely that many matches will be held in the near future.