ON THE MAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 96, 23 April 1940, Page 5

ON THE MAT

NEW SEASON OPENED

RAINES AND CORBETT DRAW

With an unusually large house for such an occasion, the 1940 professional wrestling season was opened at the Wellington Town. Hall last night. The contestants in the main bout were Dick Raines,. 17st, who was out here in 1938, and Joe Corbett, 16st 121b, who was [making his New Zealand debut. The result was a draw, Corbett taking a fall in the fourth round and Raines drawing level in the sixth. Raines was the wrestler. the public came to know on his previous visit. Corbett, with good looks and exceptionally fine physique to commend him, made a favourable impression as a wrestler who knows how to make arid break holds a..d also how to "mix it." He refused to be perturbed by Rairies's Tarzan stance and medieval practices, and came out the white-haired boy. In its more lively moments, the bout aroused the noisy element iin the audience, but those who went to see wrestling were mostly left unsatisfied. Hair-pulling, use of .fists and knees, illegal use of the ropes, and emptying out of the ring occupied far too much of the time.

COURSE OF HOSTILITIES The first round was of an exploratory nature and Served mainly to/ allow Corbett to reveal to his new public something of his knowledge.of the application of holds. In the second, however, there was a rapid warming-up, with some decidedly hectic moments. It started with Raines beginning to fall foul of the referee, mainly for .not breaking'cleanly. It was a short stage to. jolts,s tackles,! etc., etc., with both men breaking -off. to, make protests to the referee, which failed to rise above the din. Finally Corbett launched a tank,'attack which battered Raines on to the Press* table. . They were sorry to part company when the rest period earner /•' ".■;;•. >.' :■,- '. ' ,- .

■A nice little jolt by Raines, which called forth. a, shattering counter-blow by Corbett, opened the third phase of the battle. They then dug in for some solid; trench warfare. "Activity by raiding parties" covered what action there was until ;the end of the round, when Corbett was twice rammed head first against the ropes in the corner. More of this treatment in the fourth round sent him out on a "blitzkrieg" campaign, and he tossed and twirled Raines,into a fall at lmin 15sec. The fifth round was another : quiet spell but Raines was all the time looking for a chance of using the ropes, or whatever else came to. hand, to help things along. By such means tie was able to-make Corbett a fit'victim for his celebrated "back-breaker," with which 'he levelled the falls after the sixth round had been in progress 2min. It was "winter quarters" .again m the seventh round in which Gorbett

worked on,, Raines's wrist while holding a hammer lock. Even pegging continued.in the last round in which quite a lot of time was spent scrambling off the laps of the front-row spectators. Corbett was bleeding freely from the mouth and, with his, fist, was doing his best to leave Raines in like state. There was a lot of yelling and excitement until the bell and even then the wrestlers were ready for more. The referee (Mr. Alf Jenkins) signified that he had had enough and that had to go for the wrestlers too; : . THE PRELIMINARIES. Results of the preliminary bouts are: B. Hayes (Koolman's), lOst 101b, beat F. McKenna (Koolman's), lOst 31b, by a fall in-the first round. ''.-,. J. Prestney .(Kilbirnie), lOst 21b, beat R. McColl (Kilbirnie), 9st 101b, by a fall in the first round: J. Pike (Koolman's), list, beat A. Adams (Koolman's), lOst 121b, by a fall in the first round. J. Bailey (Koolmah's), lOst 91b, beat C. Louisich-(Kilbirnie), lOst 21b, by a fall in'the first round. : In a "semi-professional" bout, B. Monastra (list 21b) and Pi McCashin (list)'-drew, one fall each. W. Peterson (Kilbirnie), Bst, beat R. Carr (Kilbirnie), 7st 61b, by a fall in the second round. ,Mr. R. Allen was the referee.