“KING KONG ” COX FINED

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 4

“KING KONG ” COX FINED

PLEADS GUILTY TO STRIKING REFEREE ROUGH WRESTLING TACTICS [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 23. That he did strike Thomas Marriott (Jack) M'Lean with his hand on the face in the . Auckland Town Hall on August 21, was the charge to which a plea of guilty Was entered by Ted Cox, otherwise known as “ King Kong,” a wrestler, in the Police Court before Mr P. H. Levien, S.M., to-day. “On Monday night,” said Sub-in-spector Pender, “ the defendant was engaged in a wrestling contest with “ Lofty ” Blorafield. Mr M'Leau was the referee of the bout, which was full of showmanship and rough tactics. Cox secured a fall against' Blomfield in the fourth round, and Blomfield got a fall in the sixth round. After that Cox seemed to lose In's head, and wanted to clean np everything before him. When the referee stepped in between the two wrestlers to stop the rough tactics Cox iput a headlock on him and also gave hm a severe elbow jolt which knocked M'Loan off his feet to the mat. The police entered the ring and stopped the contest. Cox is a very respectable and quiet man outside the ring, but when inside appears to lose his head. When the referee is interfered with the crowd gets hostile and it is difficult to control them.” “ I didn’t put my arms around the man,” Cox told the magistrate. “ The elbow jolt missed ‘ Lofty ’ _ and tho referee came round! and got it. When the referee came round me I pushed him over the ropes. I didn’t lose my head.” The Magistrate: Why plead guilty to the charge, then? “ But I hit the man down,” replied Con. The Magistrate: Yon wouldn’t ho here if it was pure misadventure. It is suggested! you lost your head. “ Perhaps I did, but plenty of referees get knocked out in boxing matches. _ I did hit him.” Remarking that it was probably difficult to distinguish between showmanship and something else, the magistrate imposed a fine of 50s and costs (10s).