ACTION AND THRILLS

Evening Star, Issue 22413, 10 August 1936, Page 14

ACTION AND THRILLS

KRUSE’S CLEVER WRESTLING M'CItEADY HELD TO A DRAW In one of' the most' thrilling and strenuously • fought wrestling contests ever staged in Dunedin, the brilliant American wristlock expert, Bob Kruse, obtained a draw with the British Empire champion, Earl M'Cready, over eight ten-minute rounds, at the Town Hall on Saturday night, each man securing a fall-—Kruse took the first from a dump in the fifth round, M'Cready evening up in similar fashion in the seventh. Kruse’s weight was announced as 15.6, obviously a most flattering figure, and jVl'Cready’s as 16.12, but to the close observer* "there appeared to . be nearly four stone in M'Cready’s favour. The bopt provided an audience which almost completely- the hall with on# of the finest exhibitions of straight wrestling yet seen here, but it Was not of the dour, colourless type that marked Kruse’s match with Forsgren. Rather the bout was full of action from'first gong to last, and the lively exchanges between . the two , men had the crowd roused ■to a high pitch of excitement,' .even if it left "many of .the onlookers wondering. what, if any, distinction there happened to be between the. legitimate forearm jolt, the elbow jab, and " the straight-out punch. Kruse’was a blaster of all these forms of ‘attack,, and, despite the referee’s repeated intervention, persisted in them. Indeed, just before, he, took the first fall he connected with several short punches to the jaw which escaped the notice of the referee, and it was only on rare occasions that M'Cready was roused to retaliate in like manner. When that did happen, Kruse usually got behind the referee or made a dive for the ropes.' - Notwithstanding this, however, Kruse gave one of the cleverest displays seen in Dunedin ;for many a long day, his wristlpckmg from all angles and positions being something to marvel at. He showed perfect balance, and also used his feet, very cleverly at times, introducing quite pleasing variety into his work.

It' is safe' to say that no man in the Dominion • at the present time could have tied M'Cready up so completely or have made the big fellow move so fast from the start. M'Cready has not been beaten in. New Zealand, and Kruse’s. only defeat was at the hands of M'Cready at Wellington earlier in the'season. His clever offensive work, especially over the earlier stages, thoroughly entitled him to a draw on this occasion, and when M’Cready failed to even .up in the sixth round it appeared, for , a while as though the Empire champion might be on the way to his first defeat in New Zealand. He made a strong rally in the seventh, however, and, following a couple of deadly flying tackles,_ he picked Kruse up for the. dump which gave him the equalising fall. _ _ M'Cready tried for the decisive pin in the last , round, but Kruse defended desperately and came through with honours even. »M‘Cready was given the hardest tussle he has ever had in Dunedin; and, though lie countered brill ia’ntly , at. times, Kruse’s speed in working his holds threw M'Cready out of gear, at times, and he was kept off .balance more than’ usual. It was a great bout, and one which indicates that‘Kruse is entitled to be rated in the very first flight. Mr Maurice Goughian was the re.eree, and Mr F. J. Campbell M.C. THE MATCH DESCRIBED. _ The first round was contested at a ‘ast clip, Kruse having M'Cready cm a is - toes all the time and slipping on wristlocfcs from all angles. He started by taking the Canadian to the mat with a reverse headlock, and when M'Cready came to his feet Kruse put in a couple of forearm jolts which paved the way for a wristlock. M'Cready tried to force his hand lip, but Kruse brought him over. M'Cready countered with a head-scissors, but Kruse spun out and then started to exploit the wristlock again, Showing splendid balance. M'Creadv forced his arm up, but it was not long before Kruse came . in., again with forearm jolts preparatory, to putting on a wristlock. With the men on the mat Krnse put the elbow into his opponent’s stomach on the referee’s blind side, and then secured a bammerlock and facebar.' The referee broke the men up on the ropes, and Krnse appeared to get quite heated about the whole affair. When M'Cready tried for a crotch hold Kruse grabbed the ropes. He kept M'Cready from getting too close and brought the Canadian down _ with ■ .a nice buttock. M'Cready spinning out of, a headlock to_ put on a , very effective short-arm scissors. At the. gong Kruse held M'Cready with a reverse headlock. .The second round opened with Kruse dropping to one knee to put on a wristlock. M'Cready countering with ;v forward headhold. M'Cready took Krnse to the mat with a full-nelson, and in a vicious attempt to 'break it Kruse' tugged at M'Cready’s hair, the referee; breaking the men up when they were on the ropes. M'Cready was, endeavouring to trap_ Kruse for a dqmp,. and several times the latter sought the refuge of the ropes. MfCready put in several solid ' forearm jolts; and the referee again spoke sharply ;to Kruse for hanging on to a bodyhold when told to let go on the ropes. . The referee and • Kruse again exchanged words, when the latter made another grab at M'Cready’s ■ hair “ Get away from me,” he ; yelled to the referee. Kruse was still concentrating on wristlocks, though he shifted from a body »scissors and armbar to-a crucifix. M'Cready broke clear, and

slipping round the back of his opponent put on a back duplex and Drought him over with a half-nelson and body scissors at the end of the round.

Lively rallies marked the third round, with both men doing their share of the attack. Krn.se slipped on a hammerlock, but M'Cready got both hands round quickly to stop it from going up. M'Cready secured an armlock and Kruse put in a forearm jab to break it. They went to the mat again, and Kruse endeavoured to secure a eross-barrcd toehold, but M'Cready countered by his opponent’s toe quickly. When M'Cready missed in going for a fullnelson. Kruse brought him down with a Swiss headthrow and shifted to a short-arm scissors. ■ Showing nice balance, Kruse brought M'Cready back sei'eral times, using his feet under M'Cready’s body. M'Cready countered with a double-barred toehold, Kruse kicking him off. M'Cready brought Kruse down with a buttock and the latter hung on to the ropes. At this stage M'Cready brought Kruse down with a double armlock and came fight over on him with a backdrop. Kruse got clear and threw M'Cready with a buttock, shifting his clutch to ; a wristlock. M'Cready broke it by rubbing bis opponent’s spine. Kruse started to use the elbow jabs, and finally M'Cready was roused to retaliate, Kruse getting in behind the referee just before the gong. Kruse took M'Cready to the mat with a yoke hold in the fourth round and started to - put his knee into the stomach, M'Cready countered with a figure-four head-scissors with the arm in, and also secured an armbar, shifting to a hammerlock. The men got mixed up on the ropes, and as the referee broke them up . Kruse put an elbow into M'Cready’s stomach. When Kruse slipped! on a wristlock M'Cready put on a flying body scissors to break it and put on an armbar. Kruse endeavoured to come round, but M'Cready forced him back. Kruse tried several counters to break the hold, and when he secured a wristlock M'Cready brought him down again with a flying head-scissors. Tempers became a little frayed towards corners, and the bell saved trouble from developing. Coming out for the fifth, _ Kruse grabbed M'Cready by the hair, and the referee made him let g<p by hitting him sharply on the wrist. Kruse brought M'Cready down with a reverse headlock, and lying on the mat put in some short punches to the jaw. When the men came up Kruse put in several elbow jabs to the chin, and threw M'Cready three times with a wristlock. Almost before the crowd realised what had happened, Kruse went in and lifted M'Cready bodily with a crotch hold to dump him and take the first fall of the match with a body press. M'Cready tried hard for a dump in the sixth round, but .Kruse stood well out, and let go a series of forearm jolts in an effort to keep M'Cready off. Every time, M'Cready endeavoured to get close Kruse sought refuge in the ropes, the referee breaking them up on more than one occasion. M'Cready tried for a forward body press, but Kruse slithered out. When Kruse secured a hammerlock, M'Cready countered with a rocking-chair splits, giving his opponent an uncomfortable few minutes. Kruse broke it by putting on a wristlock very cleverly from this position, but M'Cready secured the splits again, Kruse working to the ropes and breaking it. M'Cready put on a reverse headlock and wristlock, shifting to a figure-four scissors on the head and an armbar. Kruse defended stoutly and secured a toehold, shifting to’a headlock. While the men were on the mat, M'Cready slipped on a punishing hammerlock, the gong bringing Kruse relief. When Kruse let go a number of forearm jolts to the chin in the seventh round. M'Cready tried for a dump, and then secured a hammerlock which Kruse broke. Kruse put in some elbow jabs to the chin, aud M'Cready floored him with two flying tackles and quickly threw him again with a rolling chancery before picking him up again to take the equalising fall with a solid dump. The last round was solidly waged, Kruse opening with a wristlock and shifting to a hammerlock. M'Cready countered with a punishing twisted barred toehold which be changed to a double barred toehold. Kruse became desperate and connected with a couple of elbow jabs and slipped, on a wristlock, M'Cready going for a crotch hold. Kruse made a dive for 'the ropes_ and then let go some forearm jolts, M'Cready headlooking Kruse, who secured a hammerlock. While on the mat, M'Cready tried for a forward body press ,nnd when Kruse slipped on a wristlock M'Cready put on a flying body scissors to break it The referee’s decision was a draw, and' this met with the approval of all but a small section of the onlookers. THE PRELIMINARIES.

—F. Keach (10.7) beat J. Dougherty (10.7) by two falls.—

This was a well-contested bout, both boys working fast in the first round and varying their attack nicely. Keach worked well over his man, and'took a fall in the first round with a forward bodv press. The men tightened up a little in the second round, but both men continued to work well. When Dougherty tried for a Swiss headthrow Keach countered with a side-drop, and towards the end of the round be threw his man twice with side-chanceries. Keach took his second fall in the last round with, a body scissors. —A. Beveridge (9.7) defeated D. Thompson (9.0) on points.—

Making his first appearance this season, Beveridge, the former Otago fea-ther-weight champion, shaped up well, doing most of the attack and slipping on wristlocks very cleverly indeed. He found Thompson a hard man to pm, and the latter "also countered well, working fairly surely on his holds. Thompson tired a little in the second round, but though Beveridge kept on top of his man throughout tho third Thompson fought desperately to prevent a fall, Beveridge gaining a well-earned decision on points. Thompson was loudly applauded for, a, plucky display. —A. M'Millan (11.3) heat F. Monson (11.0) by oue fall.— Monson was making his first appearance in competition, and against a man of M'Millan’s experience put up a very creditable showing. M'Millan attacked strongly in the first round, but Monson employed some good counters, using his legs well to get out of trouble. M'Millan brought Monson down with a bear hug in the second round, and pinned him with a forward body press. Both introduced variety into their work in the last "round, but there was no further fall, M'Millan being the winner. —L. Goughian (12.3) beat ,H. Munt (13.3) by one fall.—

Munt gave an improved display, and introduced some action into his work. He worked hard in the first round, and secured ■an armroll which Coughlan broke. Munt slipped on a wristlock nicely, Coughlan being content to wrestle on the defensive, though lie held his opponent with a half-nelson and bodyhold at the gong. Coughlan worked well over his man in the second round and tried hard to pin Munt, first with a head scissors and body press and then with, a headlock. Munt fought

hard, but Coughlan took a fall with a, forward body press within a minute of the gong. Coughlan tried to dump Munt in the third round, but the latter rolled clear and pub on a head scissors. Coughlan was all over Munt in the closing stages, but there was no further fall.

Messrs W. J. Coughlan ant! S. Paris refereed . the amateur bouts.