WRESTLING SURPRISE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 8, 9 July 1940, Page 15

WRESTLING SURPRISE

M CCREADY BEATEN

KATAN GETS EMPIRE TITLE

The second major surprise of the present wrestling season occurred at the Wellington Town Hall last night and, like the first, it involved the defeat of Earl McCready. There was a difference, however. Last night McCready was opposed by John Katan, another Canadian, and his defeat carried with it the loss of the British Empire title.

A large crowd saw the championship change hands and during the crucial stages the excitement was intense. Up to the seventh round the wrestling was vigorous with McCready shading his opponent, but in that round Katan put himself in a strong position by securing a fall. Zn the last round Katan played for time despite McCready's appeals to him and to the referee that he should come and get on with it. In the last minute of the round McCready had Katan on his back but could not press his shoulders before the bell rang. While the crowd wildly cheered the new champion McCready still tried to get the fall which had eluded him but the referee finally managed to persuade him not to waste his time. McCready's weight was given as 17st lib and Katan's as 16st 101b.

Keen manoeuvring for holds marked Hie start of the first round, with McCready generally the aggressor but it was not long before Katan used his elbows to bustle McCready through the ropes and from then on the jolt figured prominently in the proceedings. The second round was mainly solid wrestling, although the crowd near one corner started to jump clear when McCready threatened to throw Katan among them. A firm grip on the top rope saved Katan. McCready was doing most of the work towards the end of the round and he was also on top in the third. Some of Katan's tactics began to fray McCready's temper and he proceeded to square things up by hammering Katan with jolts. He also rubbed the challenger's face on the top rope until the referee asked him to stop.

There was a laugh in the fourth round when Katan groped hopelessly for the ropes while held in a splits in the middle of the ring. The wrestling was still keen and vigorous, with orthodox holds and counters varied by jolts and chancery throws. Some of the latter came close to giving McCready a fall in the sixth round, but the best he could do was to tie up Katan in a vice-like body scissors.

McCready made a rush at his opponent in the seventh round and nearly fell through the ropes when Katan slipped out of the way. Katan came back and bailed McCready up in a comer with jolts. He beat the champion to his knees, dragged him out into the open, and applied his specialty toe hold. This was resisted so he converted it into a jack-knife, rolled McCready on to his shoulders, and took a fall at 2min 52sec. Throughout the last round Katan simply walked round the ring, stood outside the ropes, and otherwise evaded McCready's efforts to come to grips. All but a small section of the I crowd were prepared to applaud his strategy. Mr. Alf Jenkins was the referee. THE PRELIMINARIES. Results ;Of- the amateur preliminary bouts ■were.v—, M. Upchurch (Kilbirnie), 7st 81b, beat J. Bell (Hutt), 7st 91b, -by two falls in two rounds. C. Teagle (Koolman's), lOst 91b, beat I. Upchurch (Koolman's), lOst 61b. Upchurch did not take the proceedings seriously enough and was disqualified. J. Drylie (Hutt), list 51b, beat T. Irvine (Koolman's), list 41b, by two falls. G. Wales (Koolman's), 9st 91b, beat A. Thompson (Kilbirnie), 9st 61b, by two falls. In a five-round professional bout Syd Scott (list 21b) beat Colin Croskery (list 31b), by a penalty fall.

Mr. Ray Allen was the referee.