RINGSIDE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 22193, 22 November 1935, Page 5

RINGSIDE TOPICS

WRESTLING AND BOXING NOTES [By Hooker.] FIXTURES. November 22.—J. Jarvis (holder) v. C. Rayner (light-weight title), at Eltham. November 23.—W. Aitken v. W. M'Kay, at Hastings. ■ November 30 (tentative). —Ray Niopl v. Harold Reeve (light-heavy-weight title), at Palmerston North. December 2.—V. , Luttrell v. S. Wells, at Auckland. December 4.—Don Stirling v. F. Hutchins, at Hawera. SIX BOUTS-SiX WINS Harold Reeve’s amateur record consisted of 61 contests for 56 wins, his successes including the New Zealand light-heavy-weight championship in 1932 and the Manawatu light-heavy and heavyweight championships for two years running. His professional record is as follows : —1934. February 16. —Beat Val. Luttrell at Pahiatua. October 11.—Beat Jim Bolton at Masterton. —1935. August 22.—Beat Ern., Jacobs at Wellington. September 10. —Beat Ern. Jacobs at Feilding. September 30.—Beat Les. Brander (N.S.W.) at Invercargill. November 2.—Beat M. O’Brien at Pahiatua. WADE'S OFFER Glenn Wade, the American professional wrestler, has written to an exchange as follows:—No doubt subscribers to your paper have read, and possibly heard, something of my challenge and offer of £IOO to George Walker. Well, for the benefit of those who are not aware of the facts, I crave your indulgence to grant me space in which to state them. “ Eight years ago I defeated George Walker in Ohio, United States, and very much want to repeat the performance to prove to him and the wrestling public that lam still his master. I am not given to bragging as a rule, but on this particular matter I feel that I have a right to talk with some assurance. I hold nothing against Walker personally, but I do not consider him. to be a better wrestler than myself, and I am writing this in the hope that some union association in your district may note my desire, and if possible arrange a match between myself and Walker. There is just the chance that Walker might be prepared to wrestle me in your territory in preference to facing me in Wellington. “Here is my offer to Walker: If I fail to secure two straight falls in eight rounds he can take the gate money, and I will give him a further present of £IOO. Also, if Walker should last eight rounds, or if he should get a single fall against me, he wins; and if I beat him by two falls within eight rounds he can have the loser’s end of the purse. Surely Walker cannot refuse this generous offer if he thinks anything of his chances against me.” TITLE RETAINED Tony Canzonefi retained his world’s light-weight championship at the Madison Square Garden, New York, easily outpointing the Bronx boxer, A 1 Roth, over 15 rounds. The fight, which was described as being one of the most thrilling ever seen *at the Madison Square Garden, was watched by a frenzied crowd of 14,000. Canzoneri fought masterfully, and dealt out a terrific amount of punishment during the first 12 rounds with savage two-fisted attacks to Roth’s jaw and ribs. Rapier-like left to Roth’s nose caused it to stream with blood, and Roth was knocked down for a count of nine in the third round. He fought back strongly in the twelfth round, and landed a very hard blow to Canzoneri’s mouth, splitting his lip. Both boxers by this time were absolutely covered with blood, and ,were a terrible sight. They fought on well, however, and the last three rounds were fairly even. A -fight started between two spectators, but they were roughly ejected from the arena by the police. Both boxers scaled 9st 741 b. , OLYMPIC NOMINEES A GORDON-FISHER TRIAL? The nominations for the Olympic Games at Berlin next year, which were decided upon by the New Zealand Boxing Council last week, are of interest in that they represent a choice from the three divisions between featherweight and welter-weight inclusive, and particularly because Gordon is near the upper limits of the feather-weight class and Fisher is a light light-weight (says the Wellington ‘Post’). In view of the fact that athletes almost invariably put on weight in travelling overseas it has been the practice of the council in the past to nominate its Olympic representatives for the division in which they compete in New Zealand as well as the one next above. As it is impossible to enter two competitors for the same event that procedure could not be followed in the present instance as it would result in both Gordon and Fisher being nominated for the light-weight division. It is apparent, therefore, that one of them will have to be left at home, and

there can be only one satisfactory method of deciding which one —hy matching them in the ring. './hen the secretary of the council (Mr G. P. Aldridge) first announced tho three names he was recommending exception was taken in Taranaki to the order of the placings—Arbuthnot, Fisher, Gordon—and local opinion was strongly in favour of Gordon being placed ahead of the other two, and certainly ahead of Fisher. It was pointed out that 12 months ago, at Hastings, Gordon beat Fisher decisively in the first round of tho feather-weight division, and that since then Gordon had not been defeated, beating most of the Dominion’s best light-weights, although 'still within the feather-weight bias's. ’ , . ~ • In' order to settle the 1 issue tho Hawera ’ Association is. making an attempt to bring Gordon and Fisher together as a preliminary to the Hut-chins-Stirling bout which is to be staged there on December 4'. STRICKLAND’S CONQUEROR It was no discredit to Maurice Strickland, the former Now Zealand heavy-weight champion, to be outpointed by Tommy Loughran for the American is not only a former light-

heavy-weight champion of the world, but one of the greatest boxers America has ever developed. He is still rated eighth in ‘ The Ring’s ’ world ranking of heavy-weights. , It is worth noting that the famous Jim Corbett considered Loughr.au the finest feinting artist of modern fighters. Loughran is now 33 years of age. REAL WRESTLING GLEN WADE IN GOOD FORM Jaget Singh may not have such a big record of wins as some of the overseas wrestlers at present in the Dominion, but on the other hand his losses do not predominate, for he has wrestled to a draw against some of the best men in the country at the present time, including Glen Wade, Lofty Blomfield, and 010 Andreson, and no one who attended last Saturday’s match, between the Indian and Glen Wade,’ will say that Jaget Singh did not play his part in making for one of the 'best displays of real wx-estling seen hero this eason. Jaget Singh would have won against a less clever defensive wrestler than Glen Wade, for it was only the latter’s beautiful defensive work at times that prevented the Indian from putting on holds that would have spelt disaster to a less experienced man. Jaget Singh wrestled even better than when he met Lofty Blomfield here earlier in the season, and on his feet he was always dangerous, moving smoothly and being ever on the alert for an opportunity to apply his celebrated deathlock. This came in the fifth round, and it gave the Indian the first fall, but Wade, wrestling at a great clip, evened up in the seventh with a fall from a spear dump, staging a. grandstand finish to take the decision. The Indian docs not confine himself to his own special holds. He is a very good exponent of the wristlock, and he can also use the headlock effectively. He had the misfortune to meet Wade at the top of his form. The Nebraskan gave another fine display, and on the mat his work was of the highest cl as. He had difficulty in holding the Indian with a headlock, but his reverse headlocks and yoke holds did the Indian no good while he introduced variety into his work by tho use of cradle splits and rocking-chair splits. Both men- showed fine balance, •and the Indian demonstrated that he knew his leverages. There were fewer frills than nsnal, but it was hard, solid wrestling, and it was appreciated by the crowd. The amateur bouts were good and bad. Action is always desirable, but when two wrestlers of the ability and calibre of F. Iveach and G. Terry started out to rough it and forgot all they ever knew of wrestling it is time to call a halt. It was the poorest dis play given by either of these wrestlers in many a day. Harold Stevens and Archie M‘Millan provided a bout that was one of the best seen here for a long time, and the result, a draw, was a satisfactory ending to a very bright bout. Stevens is in° bis first season at the Anderson School, but he has developed some of the professional holds with rp---kal-V. facility, his attack even extending to the Indian death lock, which tho referee promptly barred. a--.Mii all was slow by comparison with Stevens, but he displayed good ringcraft and quick thinking when Stevens was about to dump him, turning in mid air and taking the fall from his opponent with a body press. A return between this pair would be welcomed.

Alan Beveridge wrestled well to beat E. Cockburn, showing better balance and more finish than his opponent Making their first appearance in the Town -Hall, Jack Hunt and W. Tregonning wrestled to a draw in a not uninteresting match. KRUSKAMP BARRED One of the events of the week that have troubled wrestling promoters was the disqualification imposed by the police on Hardy Kruskamp. This wrestler was one of the team first to arrive in New Zealand this _ season under the direction of the union. He incurred the displeasure of that body, by which he was disqualified, and then left for Australia (says a Wellington writer). The National Sporting Club invited him to come back, only to find that the police authorities had also blade-balled him for rough tactics, Kruskamp will thus follow Cy Williams in the doubtful consolation of knowing that the “ rough-house stuff ” is not wanted here. NEW SPORTING BODY Registration was effected during last week of a company under the name of Sporting Enterprises Ltd., with headquarters at Wellington (says the ‘ Post ’). The objects of the company are to promote sporting events of all kinds, and, although not specifically stated in its articles,, it is announced

that the company will feature professional wrestling in Wellington as well as. in other centres. The chairman of directors is Mr Allen Grey, and the secetary is Mr S. C. Childs. Although the company is epneentrating on plans for next season it will endeavour to stage matches for the remainder of this season regardless of party affiliations. HERE AND THERE Don Stirling, the New Zealand professional welter-weight champion, has been matched at Hawera with F. Hutchins on December 4. A wrestling match between M'Cready or Wade and either Walker or Duala is not likely to take place before the season closes (says the Wellington ‘ Post ’)• As recommended by the Wellington Association the New Zealand Boxing Council decided last week to lift the suspension imposed on Billy Aitken as from November 10 The Otago Wrestling Association should take pains to see that its pro. fessional match does not start later than 9 o’clock. Last Saturday’s big contest was too late in finishing, and the suggestion made by a well-known local enthusiast that matches should be of 10 six-minute rounds instead of eight 10’s is one that is worthy of con sideration.

Now ranked third in the lightweight ratings in the United States, is Wesley Ramey, who visited Australia a year or so ago. In 113 professional battles Ramey has won all but nine contests.