TOUGH WRESTLING

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 23

TOUGH WRESTLING

CHIEF CHIWAKI

Ask Pat Meehan, ex-Canadian mountie, who is the toughest proposition he has encountered in his career as policeman and professional wrestler, and he will probably tell you that the "honour" belongs to Chief Chiwaki. So far as Meehan is concerned you can have your Stanley Pintos, Man Mountain Deans, and the whole of the Dusek "Riot Squad," but if you are really looking for trouble, hunt round until you cross the trail of Chief. Chiwaki. Many wrestlers have unpleasant ring habits which make them highly unpopular with the crowds and, temporarily at least, rouse the ire of their opponents, but none- has earned the undying unpopularity among his fellow competitors as has fallen to the lot of Chief Chiwaki. And this holds good among a fraternity which has survived —or not—the Man Mountain's flying broad -jumps. „. „ . 1 Chiwaki believes that all-m wrestling lays the way open for an enterprising competitor to take into the ring with him whatever he can secrete in his trunks or grab as the bout goes on. Some of the weapons of offence that he has smuggled on to the canvas have been so bulky that it is an everlasting wonder how he managed to get them out of his corner. Certainly it is hard 'to imagine, for instance, John Spellman concealing a flatiron 'in his abbreviated trunks. ■ One .of Chiwaki's little efforts was to endeavour to strangle an opponent with a wire coat-hanger which he surreptitiously took along with him and, on another occasion, he hit an opponent over the head with a water bottle, laying him out flat on the pieces of broken glass which made quite a mess of th« victim's bare skin. A little trick lik« having cayenne pepper sprinkled in his trunks is nothing to the chief. The Chief is not a Red Indian,' but a gipsy and he gained some, prominence as a boxer before he took up wrestling. His greatest achievement with the gloves was to knock out Max Schmeling the first time the German heavyweight visited the States. He was then known as Gipsy Daniels.

Meehan counts himself lucky that the time lie came up against Chiwaki the latter was carefully searched before he could get into action, with the result that the men were left to settle the matter with nature's -weapons. Meehan subduing the Gipsy without • great deal of trouble.