"A-JOLTING WE WILL GO"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1938, Page 18

"A-JOLTING WE WILL GO"

"LOFTY" AT TOWN HALL

NUMA BATTERED TO THE MAT

The presence of "Lofty" Blomfield in a wrestling contest has come to mean two things—big houses and jolts. Last night he was at the Wellington Town Hall to fulfil an engagement with Leo Numa and the consequences were as per schedule. Prior to the fortnight's break due to the hall not being available the attendances had shown a falling-off tendency; last night there was scarcely a spare seat in4he house. Jolts, of course, have never been far away but last night they were on display in greater force than ever, with the popular "Lofty"'handing them out with his accustomed lavishness.. Jolts, as a matter of fact, decided the issue. A fall to Blomfield from a Boston crab in the fourth round was wiped off in the sixth when Numa executed his "hammer-throw," and so they went into the seventh all square. It proved to be one of the most remarkable rounds ever seen here. For more than three minutes the men did not attempt to apply a hold but simply went after each other with jolts until both had the appearance of being out on their feet. Eventually Numa fell down, Blomfield fell on top of him, and it was all over. Even the Town Hall crowd which has displayed an almost insatiable appetite for jolts had had its fill by the time the fall came. Any who were at all squeamish had probably, had more than their fill. It was the climax to a bout which had earlier* shown signs of leading up to such an ending. In the opening rounds quite a few holds were exchanged but then the men got bitten by the jolting bug which has been as prevalent as the measles germ this season. The weights were: Blomfield, 16st 71b; Numa, 16st. NUMA'S NOSE BLEEDS. The men took the initiative in turn when the firs'; round got under and things really got going when Numa took Blomfield down with a wrist lock but was pulled out of it by a head scissors. A dash of jolting added spice to the fare and Numa quickly developed a bleeding nose. A smart sidestep saved "Lofty" when Numa backed against the ropes and rebounded for a flying tackle. The American hurled Blomfield across the ring a couple of times with chancery throws, and the crowd began to,enjoy themselves when Blomfield proceeded to irritate Numa by whipping a hand across his face. Blomfield was doing some bear-hug-ging against the ropes In the second round when he was forced to backpedal to save himself from being emptied out of the ring. Numa proceeded to 'make his presence felt with an arm bar but a reverse head lock enabled Blomfield-to get some of his own back. With a lightning dive Numa secured a Pat Fraley toe hold and they proceeded to bend each other's toes until the referee stepped in and ended the deadlock. After reciprocating with jolts the pair provided the crowd,! with a thrill, Blomfield diving for a toe hold and Numa desperately kicking free as he felt the tentacles of the clamp. Jolts soon started to fly in the third round, but there were variations, largely the result of use of the ropes. Once i "Lofty" bounced back off the ropes I with a butt which sent Numa flying, with " 'Lofty' tumbling after." Numa laid a charge of illegal headlock work which was held "not proved," so he replied in his own way with a flying tackle. Later on Blomfield tried for a boston crab only to find himself lying flat on his back with Numa sitting on his chest, and bending his head for-i ward. Resorting to- his old favourite, Blomfield locked Numa's legs in the clamp, but the bell rang before he | could stand up. j FALL TO BLOMFIELD. After Numa had escaped from a splits by bouncing up and down on Blomfield's ribs in the fourth round they mixed jolts until Numa was called to order for letting fly with a nifty upper cut. Once more they went to itj and this time Blomfield dived for Numa's legs, upended him, and took a fall with a boston crab at the 3-minute mark. "Lofty" sank a right cross to the ribs in the fifth round, but it was on the blind side, and, although the referee was suspicious, there was nothing he could do about it. Numa was getting no. rest, and, from being held in a splits, he found himself caught in the clamp again. He succeeded in preventing Blomfield from standing up, however, and his release was ordered when he rolled under the ropes. He came back at Blomfield with a hammer lock, but soon found himself at the receiving end of one instead. By. the end of .the round such keen feeling was aroused that the referee had to spring between them to check some guerrilla fighting after the bell. When Blomfield secured a crucifix in the sixth round he tried various little ways of aggravating it, but after the referee had objected to each he finally threw up his arms in disgust. A lively jolting rally was in Numa's favour, and, after he had battered Blomfield to the mat he picked him up in the hold for" his "hammer-throw" and levelled the fall* at 3min 18sec by successfully executing his specialty. The crowd, incidentally, was well pleased. . The seventh round lasted 3min 4sec, and Was occupied with jolts until Blomfield took the winning fall. Mr. Alf Jenkins was the referee. Amateur preliminaries. Results of the amateur preliminary bouts are: J. Hill (Petone), lOst lib, beat B. Monastra (Kilbirnie), lOst 71b, on points. B. Beard (Kilbirnie), Bst 41b, beat A. Thompson (Island Bay), Bst 51b, by two straight falls. J. Henderson (Petone), sst 71b, beat D. Morton (Kilbirnie), by a fall in the first round. This was the final of the ] flyweight championship of the combined clubs. . . , B. Russell (Koolman's), lOst, beat G. Richardson (Hutt Workshops), lOst, by a-fall in the last round. '

Mr. J. H. Thompson was the referee,