AMATEUR WRESTLING

Evening Star, Issue 22414, 11 August 1936, Page 4

AMATEUR WRESTLING

OTAGO CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT HIGH STANDARD OF ELIMINATING BOUTS Wrestling of a uniformly high quality was provided by the competitors in the eliminating rounds of the Otago amateur wrestling championships at the Concert Chamber last night, and the excellence of the matches augurs well for the finals, which are to bo decided to-night. No fewer than 45 entries were received for the tournament by the Otago Wrestling Association, and with very few exceptions these represented competitors who have had a good deal of experience in the game or at least have appeared in preliminaries during the present season. The matches were decided under the most stringent amateur championship conditions, and, though these naturally have a tendency to tighten things up, there was not a dull bout during the evening, and except in a few instances the. matches were very well contested. Len. Goughian, former New Zealand middle-weight champion and present South Island light heavy-weight champion, competed in both the light heavy and heavy-weight classes, defeating H. Hunt in the heavier division and E. Swain in the light-heavy class. The match between Goughian and Swain was one of thb most willingly contested seen here for a long time, and an extra round had to be wrestled before the decision went to Goughian. Archie M'Millan also contested both these classes, winning over B. H. Lcatbam in the light-heavy division, and against G. Thom in the heavy-weight class. He gave very sound displays in each case. George Terry won two bouts in the middle-weight division, but be had to give of his very best to dispose of IT. Stevens in the semi-final. R. Tmrell another very promising wrestler, won in this class, and should give Terry a good go in the final. As anticipated, the light-weights provided some fast and clever wrestling, a particularly stylish exhibition being given by ,Les. Small, who last year won the most scientific award. He gave a particularly good display, while A. Beveridge also scored a good win in this class over the consistent Noil Thompson.

■ Some bright bouts were provided by the lower divisions, and in the bantamweight ’ division the promising schoolboy, H; Vent, who is not long out of his teens, scored two wins. A. Sands doing likewise in the feather-weight doss.

A long programme was put through without delay, the referees being Messrs W. J> Goughian, M. Goughian, .and J. Hall. Messrs T. M'Cracken and A. Clark were the timekeepers, and Mr F. J. Campbell the M.C., Results:— ■ FLY-WEIGHT. G. Murray (8.0) beat E. Grindlay (8.0) by two straight falls. Murray was on top all the way, and after ta.king his opponent down with headlocks, . pinned him in the ...first and second rounds with body presses. BANTAM-WEIGHT. H. Yent (8.6) beat ; G. James* (8.5) by two straight falls.' .. ;,V Both boys a good display of wrestling, showing plenty of variety. James worked his holds well, but threw himself, and Vent took a fall with a cradle hold in the second round, and another with a reverse body press in the third round. B. Marks (8.-1) beat H. Taylor (7.13) by two straight falls. Marks was much too strong for his opponent, and took the first fall in the first round with a head scissors and armbar. In the second round Marks punished his opponent in a head scissors and armbar, eventually pinning his man. C. Bewley (8.2) a bye. SEMI-FINAL. H. Vent (8.6) beat C. Bewley (8.2) on points. A closely contested match went to Yent, who showed more finish than Bewley, though the latter was a strong wrestler. Vent nearly took a fall with an armbar in the first round, but Bewley was on top in the second round, Vent being more effective in the last round and gaining the decision. B. Marks a bye. FEATHER-WEIGHT. A. Sands (8.13) beat 11. Percy (8.7) by two straight falls. Sands made quick work of his lighter and less experienced opponent, taking falls in the first and second rounds by means of a forward body press. G. Reid (8.12) beat A. Logan (8.12) by two straight falls. Reid secured a fall early in the first round with a body press, and Logan launched a hot attack in the second session, throwing lleid with a nice cross buttock. Reid clamped on a headlock and pinned his man with a body press. S. Taylor (8.11) a bye. SEMI-FINAL. A. Sands (8.13) beat S. Taylor (S.ll) y two straight falls. Sands carried too many guns for Tayur. taking a fall with a headlock and locly press in the first round, and another in the second round with a body press. LIGHT-WEIGHT. Les Small (9.6) heat S. Blakeley (0.9) by one fall. This was a bright bout, Small showing cleverness, style, and very good balance against a strong opponent. Small showed pleasing variety, and worked surely on his holds, Blakeley fighting hard to prevent a fall. Small brought Blakeley down in the third round with a reverse body hold, and took the only fall of the match with a headlock and body press. A. Beveridge (9.9) defeated N. Thompson (9.8) on points. This was a well-contested bout in which Beveridge did most of the attack, but he displayed a very bad habit

when in a good position behind or anywhere jelse of letting go his holds and when in front of turning his back and running away, while he also tried to use the ropes several times to get momentum. Thompson employed good amateur holds, Countering very effectively. Beveridge kept on top throughout the last round and gained the decision on points. MIDDLE-WEIGHT. G. Terry (10.6) beat A. M'Dowell (10.13) by two straight falls. Terry was all over his man in the first round, but could not pin him. though he worked on headlocks and top body scissors, being inclined to press his opponent’s shoulder on his own instead of getting on top and pressing them on the. mat. Terry did not waste much time in going for a fall in the second round, and pinned Ins opponent with a reverse headlock and body press. Terry secured another fall in the third round with a reverse body hold. R. Taurell (11.2) beat J. Henry (11.3) by two straight falls.

Taurell took the first fall with a body press in the first round and brought Henry down again in the second round. with a reverse double armhold. pinning his man with a body press. Taurell gave a good exhibition of wrestling. H. Stevens (11.2), a bye. SEMI-FINAL.

G. Terry (10.6) beat H. Stevens (11.2) by one fall. In one of the most solidly contested matches of the evening Stevens and Terry had a very close go. Stevens applied his holds well, and held the lead entering the last round, but when Stevens missed a forward chancery and fell Terry secured a double armhold to take the only fall of a good match.

LIGHT HEAVY-WEIGHT. —A. M'Millan (12.4) beat B. H, Leatham (12.2) by one fall.—

This was a tight contest in which M'Millan took no risks and worked well behind his man. He secured a fall in the first round with a headlock and reverse body press. Leatbam worked hard in the second round, but M'Millan staged a good finish and worked behind his man in the last round, taking the match by the only fall recorded. — Jj. Goughian (12.1) defeated E. Swain

(12.4) on points.—

This was the most strenuously contested match of the evening, with Goughian meeting with one of his hardest opponents to date. Swain proved a very powerful wrestler, and although Goughian did more of the attack Swain stopped him from the effective use of many of his holds and also showed good balance, moving very nicely. So closely contested was the bout that the referee was unable to separate the men at the end of three rounds, and an extra round of one minute was ordered, Goughian going after his opponent ail the way and gaining the decision. HEAVY-WEIGHT. —L. Goughian (12.1) beat H. Munt (13.1) by two straight falls.— Goughian outclassed Munt, being on top of his man throughout. Ho took a fall iu the first round with a top body press, and pinned his man in the second round with a body press after he had brought him down with a headlock. —A., M'Millan (12.4) beat A. Thom (13.4) by one fall.— Thom proved hard to pin, but M'Millau kept on top for the greater part of the bout, securing a fall iu the second round with a dump and body press. DRAW FOR TO-NIGHT. The finals will be decided this evening, the draw being as follows: Ply-weight, final: G. Murray 8.0 v. H. Taylor. Bantam-weight, semi-final: J. Donaldson 8.3 v. B. Marks 8.4. The winner will meet H. Vent 8.6 in the final. Feather-weight, final: C. Reid 8.12 v. A. Sands 8.13. Light-weight, semi-final: A. Beveridge 9.9 v. J, White 9.9, L. Small 9.6 v. D. Thompson 9.9. Welter-weight, final: G. Terry 10.6 v. F. Keach 10.5. Middle-weight, final: R. Tourell 11.2 v. G. Terry 10.6. Light-heavy, final: L. Goughian 12.1 v. A. M'Millan 12.4.

Heavy-weight, final: L. Goughian 12.1 v. A. M'Millan 12.4.

WRESTLING ROUGH TACTICS (Ter United Press Association.! WELLINGTON, August 10. To-night Jack Forsgren’s title to “the bad man of the wrestling mat” was wrested from him by .the American giant “ Wee ” Willie Davis, who was making his first appearance in New Zealand. The bout, remarkable for rough tactics and an utter Jack of science, went to the eighth round. Davis took tlie first fall halfway through when he threw Forsgrcu repeatedly in sustained headlocks and finally pinned him. Forsgren, however, clapped on a back-cracking Boston crab, to which Davis submitted. Honours were even, when, after a stand-up battle of elbows, Davis pitched Forsgren clean out of the ring, and on In’s return dumped him. For once the crowd’s sympathies were with Forsgren, and it must have been a new sensation for him to have Wellington enthusiasts cheering him while the boos were for the other fellow. SNOW SPORTS AT MOUNT COOK MR BARRY CAULFEILD’S SUCCESS Mr Barry Caulfeild, the distinguished ski expert, is having another successful season as demonstrator and “ coach ” at Mount Cook. He has the happy knack of being able to give beginners a quick mastery of ski on the great snowfields by the Ball Hut. Those who wish to take advantage of the easy lessons arc advised' not to miss this season, for the possibility of Mr Caulfeild’s return for another winter is remote. •