ASSAULT ON REFEREE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 August 1939, Page 2

ASSAULT ON REFEREE

“KING KONG” COX FINED. [PER press association.] AUCKLAND, August 23. That he did strike Thomas Marriott (Jack) McLean 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," wrestler, in th© Police Court, before Mr Levien, S.M-, to-day. “On Monday night,” said SubInspector Pender, “defendant was engaged in a wrestling contest with Lofty Blornfield. Mr McLean refereed the bout, which was full of showmanship and rough tactics. Cox secured a tall against Blornfield in the fourth round, and Blornfield got a fall in the sixth round. After thaft, Cox seemed to lose his head, and wanted to clean up everything before him. ’When the referee stepped m betwen the two wrestlers, to stop the. rough tactics, Cox put a beadlock on him, and also gave him a severe elbow jolt, which knocked McLean 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 he appears to lose his head. When the referee is' interfered with, the crowd gets hos-I tile, and it is difficult to control them.”! “1 didn’t put my arms around thet

man,” Cox told the S.M. “An elbo jolt missed Lofty, and the refere came round and got it. When the r feree came round me, I pushed hi’ over the ropes. I didn’t lose my heai The S.M.: Why. plead guilty to th charge, then? “But I hit the man down,” replie Cox. The S.M.: Yen wouldn’t here it were a pure misadventure. It suggested that you lost your head. “Perhaps I did, hut plenty of r forces get knocked out in boxir matches. I did hit him,” said Cox Remarking that it was probab difficult to distinguish between shot manship and something else, the SA imposed a. fine of £2/10/-, with 10 costs.