EXCITING WRESTLING

Evening Star, Issue 21722, 17 May 1934, Page 2

EXCITING WRESTLING

MAMOS BEATS SHIKINA SOME LIVELY EXCHANGES Opening the wrestling season at tlie Town Hall last night with the first combination catch-as-catch-can and jacket jiu-jitsu contest held in Dnnediu, the Otago Wrestling Association was rewarded with a bumper house, some A,OOO spectators witnessing the match between Harry Alamos and the Japanese Oki Shikina, the former taking the first fall under catch-as-cateh-can rides and the Japanese apparently evening up when he forced Alamos to submit after two rounds of jacket jiujitsu, introduced more or less as a novelty. The remaining two rounds were under catch-as-catch-can rules, Alamos winning the match on points. Prior to the match it was announced by the AI.C. (Air C. L. Finer) that the bout was listed as catch-as-catch-can to the first fall, the men would wrestle with jackets to the second fall, and if each secured a fall the remaining rounds would be wrestled catoh-as-oatch-can. If there were no fall by the end of the sixth round, the jackets would go on. Alamos secured the first fall in the fourth round, however, and the Japanese forced Alamos to submit to a variety of strangleholds in the sixth. It was a colourful bout all the way, and at times the spectators were in an uproar with excitement, the match being of the kind to their liking—heavy bodies hurtling through the air, punishing headlocks, and flying tackles at times tempers became rather badly frayed, the referee (Mr W. J. Goughian) having no easy task in separating the combatants at times when punches were being exchanged. At 15.0, Shikina was half a stone heavier than his opponent, hut he was shorter and more compact than his opponent, though both men revealed great strength. The Japanese, who wrestled in his bare feet, quickly ensconced himself as the favourite with the crowd, his agility, spectacular flying tackles, and flying kicks, and his clever work with his feet bringing forth roars of approval. Nevertheless, he showed an unconscious inclination to slip on jiu-jitsu holds at the slightest provocation, and it was here that Alamos’s experience and generalship was in evidence, and while both men introduced a clever variety of holds, there was more finish about those of the Greek, and, working close to his man, he had the' better of the tight rallies, although Shikina showed cleverness in using his feet to keep his opponent off Ins balance. Alamos threw his opponent around the ring with as many as six headlocks in one round, but the Japanese landed easily and apparently assimilated the .punishment withdut a great deal of ill-effect. The jacket jiu-jitsu was a different story, for here Shikina was at home, and, rarely letting go his hold of the jacket, he subjected Alamos to a very trying two rounds. In this style of wrestling both men are clad in white jackets, tied with a belt, and apparently no holds arc barred, since the strangle was frequently in evidence. Shikina subjected his opponent to a good deal of punishment, and it said something for- Alamos’s recuperative powers that he was able to finish so strongly over the last two rounds under the modern style. THE MATCH DESCRIBED.’ Some willing rallies in the first round put the spectators in a good humour. Alamos brought the Japanese down cleverly with a double leghold, but Shikina put on a reverse wristloek. Alamos bringing him over nicely with his leg and putting on a body scissors and chinloek The Japanese obtained a splits, and converted it into a toehold. Alamos was coming round smoothly, however, and, getting out, heaved Shikina around the ring with three headlocks, putting his knee in at the same time. Making off close to his man, the Japanese put in flying tackles and had Alamos on the retreat, an exchange of blows taking placo in mid-ring. Alamos was working very smoothly, and grabbed the Japanese by the hair in a desperate attempt to break a short-arm scissors. The Japanese missed with a series eff flying tackles, and the crowd demonstrated its appreciation of a spectacular first round as the gong went. The men worked close at the start of the second round, and after Alamos had dug his elbows into Shikina’s chin the Japanese retaliated by running his two thumbs under Mamos’s ear and making the Greek break a facebar. Alamos became very annoyed and started to cut loose, the referee intervening while the crowd booed the Greek. A series of reverse headlocks did not seem to take the sting out of the Japanese, who sent his body hurtling at Alamos, the Greek seeking the refuge of the ropes. Alamos put on a strangle, which the referee broke, and then secured a toehold, Shikina pushing the Greek off balance with his feet. It was then the Japanese’s turn, but Alamos again made for the ropes, the referee hauling him back. Alamos got clear, and, standing on Shikina’s face, put on an annstrctch, which was followed by a figure-four scissors on Shikina’s head. Alamos trying' hard to force Shikina'.s arm up into a liainmerlock. The men were moving from hold to hold with groat speed, and the Japanese stood on his head and broke clear of a headloek. As the round ended, Shikina applied a. head scissors and Japanese armba’r, twisting Alamos’s wrist round and round for all he was worth. In the third, Shikina secured a good toehold, but Alamos broke it, only to fall victim to a beautiful splits, a dead snreadeagle. Alamos pulled himself to the ropes, hut the Jap. secured a double toehold, only letting go to send himself hurtling round the ring in a scries of flying kicks, with the crowd roarimr. Alamos waited for him. however, and threw him with a headloek, then clamping on a series of reverse headlocks, following with a toehold. It had been hard, fast wrestling, and in the fourth Alamos attacked hard at the outset, but was brought down with a hying scissors on the leg. Alamos sat down and kicked the Jap"s feet from under him. and then went for a hannnerlock. Tilings did not look too promising for Shikina, but lie managed to put the stopper on the hold, only to find Alamos coming at him relentlessly. Shikina put on a Japanese wristloek, and further arm-scissors, but he could not keep Alamos off, the latter applying a facebar and loglock. working from tlio hack of his opponent, who was forced to concede a submission fall

as Alamos applied In's Greek cross in the manner described, and commenced to shut off the Jap’s supply of wind. Then followed the two rounds of jacket jiu-jitsu, and both in the fifth and sixth sessions Maraos showed his disgust for this style of grappling by expostulating with the referee in midring and tearing off his jacket only to don it again. The Japanese Was getting the right leverage by hanging to the jacket tor all he was worth, but after working for a hold Alamos would become impatient and let go of the jacket. There were some fierce exchanges at one stage when both men forgot all about jackets and proceeded to fisticuff's, the referee intervening. The Jap just about wrenched Mamos’s jacket off, and in the sixth round crossed both hands and secured a strangle Sitting on the Greek, Shikina forced Mamos’s head down, and the Greek submitted. Mamos stalled at the start of the seventh, bat the pair were soon going at it strongly, and the Greek sent Shikina around the ring with a series of reverse headlocks, the Jap retaliating with flying tackles, while Mamos retreated under the ropes. Slukina was unable to hold a wristloek or toehold, and Mamos followed a couple of reverse headlocks with a ahort-ann scissors, the Jap kicking himself out of it. The Jap broke a hammerlock, and Mamos obtained a. punishing toehold, the round ending in uproar as both men mixed it at the corner. Mamos wrestled very strongly in the eighth, and stopping a hammerlock, he slipped back and arm-rolled Sbikiua, following by dumping the Jap with a series of headlocks and reverse headlocks. Mamos pulled Shikina down as the latter tried to get clear, and tlve Greek obtained a toehold, the Jap doing little damage when ho started somersaulting round the ring with a series of flying kicks. Mamos was doing the solid work on the mat as the gong went, and the decision in favour of Mamos was the right one, though it met with a storm of disapproval from the crowd. The. bout was scheduled for eight teumiuuto rounds. TH E PRELI MIN A HIES. Lively wrestling was provided by L. Keich (9.10) and A. APGunn (10.0), and the former’s experience and cleverness was offset by the. vigorous and willing methods adopted by bis opponent. Keich showed more variety, but the latter came with a grandstand finish, and was on top of his man for the greater' part of the last round. Neither man took a fall, and the bout ended in a draw to the great satisfaction of the crowd, which thoroughly enjoyed the affair. D. Stevenson (9.9) and ,1. White (9.7) were a fast and clever pair, the latter taking a fall in the first round with a body press following several well-applied headlocks. Stevenson wasted no time in getting a bit of his own hack in the second round, and quickly lifting his opponent from the mat, he dumped with an aeroplane spin and evened matters up. The third round was marked by sonic even rallies on the mat, but, wrestling on lop, Stevenson eventually took the deciding fail with a body press. Stevenson the winner by two falls to one. A. Beveridge (9.4) and N. Thompson (9.G) were another well-matched pair. Thompson secured a fall in the first round with a cradle hold, Beveridge evening up in tho second with a splits. Tight wrestling followed in the third, and the bout ended in a draw. . L Goughian (11.1) was too fit and fast for A. Rae (11.10), hut the former’s effort to make an open go of it were frustrated by Rao, who was content to let Goughian do the, work, Rac being satisfied if he could keep out of danger. It was a bit willing at times, but Goughian did much flic hotter wrestling, ami thoroughly deserved the verdict of the referee. The preliminaries wore scheduled for three five-minute rounds, am] wore refereed by Air Frank Anderson.