ON THE MAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 83, 7 April 1936, Page 20

ON THE MAT

iTOESfPLERS GET. GOING

M«GRBWW; MD. KENT DRAW

LARGE ORENING CROWD

Since the preliminary announcement of the Dominion Union's team was made it has been apparent that the opening of the 1936 wrestling season was arousing keener interest than for some years and the strength of the enthusiasm could be gauged by the near-capacity crowd which greeted Earl McCready (Canada) and Harry Kent (U.S.A.) when they stepped into the ring at the Town Hall last night for Wellington's opening bout. In quantity, at least, the spectators received good value, for the bout went the full eight rounds. No falls were scored and the referee gave a popular decision of a draw. So far as the quality of the display fe-as concerned there was little room for criticism, though a section of the house showed signs of impatience in the concluding stages when the pace began to tell on the two men who have not yet had an opportunity of working into proper fighting trim. Ptiyisically they were well matched, though IJCent scarcely looked the 17st 21b creditled to him in, comparison with Mc'Cready's 17 stone. It seemed as though Ithe figure of 16st 41b which was given |as Kent's weight at Auckland a week 1 ago would have been nearer the mark. McGready's qualities are well enough ; known and attention last night was i concentrated mainly on his opponent, i Kent came through the trial well, 'showing himself to be a well-developed 'athlete with youth and vigour on his side. He displayed strength and speed ,and showed that he knows the game | from Ato Z. He should figure prominently in the season's activities. McfCready was the first to hit the mat, do[ing so rather heavily three times in ('succession, but he kicked his way out !of a double barred toe hold which followed. Smartly side-stepping a flying tackle, McCready watched warily while ithe Oregon lad shaped up for another i charge. Kent was making the runj'ning, but he found many pitfalls of | McCready's 'making on the course. There was always something doing and it was done with a purposeful air which became keener as the men warmed to their work. A sortie with flying elbows added to the crowd's excitement ! without damaging the grapplers, and the latter were told to break when i they became entangled in the ropes. SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR. A twist of his body and McCready had Kent writhing in a head scissors early in the second round. It was not long sustained and a flashlight cut through the gloom as a photographer caught the men on the verge of toppling off the staging. Kent more than once had the satisfaction of getting McCready's shoulders near to the mat, but it was the vital last inch or two that proved beyond him. The ; crowd simmered with excitement wheniever Kent crouched for a charge, but !he was wasting no ammunition and would not let loose unless he had reason to feel sure of his target. He made panther-like springs from side to side of the ring, .only to abide rby the warning in the alert McCready's eyes. After suffering -the indignity of beiing hurled about the ring in the third .round McCready checked his opponent !with a charge in the midriff, but landed 'harmlessly on all fours when he atj tempted to ram another charge home. (Getting down to business on the mat the men tied their legs into a tangle, each one working strenuously on an enemy foot. "Oxford and Cambridge," called a wag resignedly as the impasse '■ continued, and eventually the referee ordered the Gordian knot to be untied. Following the hard work of the previous round skirmishing with the elbows marked the opening of the fourth. A variety of manoeuvres were tried, until Kent secured a body scissors of some permanency. The ever-useful toe hold ended it but an arm stretch showed McCready that he was not yet out of the bush. Whether he felt that danger lurked where it was not apparent to the majority of the spectators, the fact remains that Kent seemed to sacrifice the chance of a fall before the round ended. A series of charges with the force of battering rams levelled McCready in the dust, but Kent stood off .-while his opponent lay dazed in a corner and did not come in again until WlcCready had shaken the fog out of his head. Again in the fifth round Kent seemed to lose a golden chance, though MciCready probably-had more than a little to do with-it this time. Kent hoisted the Canadian on to his .shoulders and looked to be all set for an aeroplane spin and dump. Before he could slam McCready down, however, he found, that he was carrying a veritable Old Man of the Sea who could not be unseated without considerable risk. Sure enough, when : McCready was lowered gently' to the 'mat it was he who was in the better (position. Kent continued to play a 'prominent, part in the proceedings and did some good work with a hammer lock before the round ended. DUMPS PROVE FRUITLESS. Some solid work on the mat in the sixth round was varied by a dump or two by McCready, but each time Kent's feet broke his fall. Each man's head was bumped on the canvas and then McCready hit the mat under the force of the best dump up to.that stage. ! As a variation in the seventh round Kent rushed McCready to the ropes and forced him backwards across them until the referee pulled him off. He then flicked McCready's ribs and face with his elbows but it was apparent that McCready's signs of, distress were nothing more than "foxing." The three men in.the. ring then took a trip out of it, the wrestlers falling to the ringsiders' feet. Next came the spectacle of McCready being rolled about in one of his own specialties, the spreadeagle, or "rocking chair splits." He was scarcely given a fair sample of what he has handed out to others, however. Just as he was starting to show how it should be done, the bell rang. • . . An ineffective. flying tackle or two, with equally harmless dumps in the final round, payed the way for something more serious but neither man appeared actually to be in danger and a flurry of arms indicated little more 'than that the men were tiring under the strain. • Mr. A. Jenkins was the referee. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. The results of the amateur preliminary bouts were:— A. Mulholland <6st 131b) drew with h. Dayman (7st), each boy securing a fall. In the course of an interesting bout the pair exhibited a good, variety of holds. L. Hancock (lOst 41b).beat L. Welch (lOst) by a fall in the third round of a willing and exciting bout. F. Gootch (9st 81b) beat C. Flett Opt 121b) by a fall in the third round. G. McDonald (list 91b) and B. Scholes (list 61b) drew with a fall apiece. Mr. J. H. Thompson was the referee.