WRESTLER FINED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 47, 24 August 1939, Page 10

WRESTLER FINED

STRIKING OF REFEREE

ACCUSATION OF LOSING

HEAD

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 23. That he did strike Thomas Marriott (Jack) McLean with his hand on the face in the Auckland Town Hall on August 21 was the charge to which a plea of guilty was entered by Ted Cox, otherwise known as "King Kong" Cox, wrestler, in the Magistrate's Court before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., today. "On Monday night," said Sub-Inspec-.tor Pender, "the defendant was engaged in a wrestling contest with' 'Lofty' Blomfield. McLean refereed the bout, which was full of showmanship and rough tactics. Cox secured a fall against Blomfield in the fourth round and Blomfield got a fall in the sixth round. After that Cox seemed to lose his head, and wanted to clean up everything before him. When the referee stepped in between the two wrestlers to stop the rough tactics, Cox put a headlock on him and also gave him a severe elbow jolt, which knocked McLean off his feet to the mat. Police entered the ring and stopped the. contest. ' "Cox is a very respectable and quiet man outside the- ring, but, when inside, appears to lose his head. When a referee is interfered with, the crowd gets hostile and is difficult to control." "I didn't put my.arms around the man," Cox told the Magistrate. "The elbow jolt missed 'Lofty' and the referee came round and got it. When the referee came round me, I pushed him over the ropes. I didn't lose my head." The Magistrate: Why plead guilty to the charge then? "But I hit the man down," replied Cox. The Magistrate: You wouldn't be here if it were pure misadventure. It is suggested that you lost your head. Cox: Perhaps I did, but plenty of referees get knocked out in boxing matches. I did hit him. Remarking that it was probably difficult to distinguish between showmanship and something else, the Magistrate imposed a fine of £2 10s and costs 10s.