WRESTLING McCready Defeats Kenneth

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 June 1946, Page 7

WRESTLING McCready Defeats Kenneth

Colourless Contest at

Greymoiith*

In the first professional wrestling bout staged at Greymouth for about five years Earl McCready,- 17st 11b, of Canada, the British Empire champion, defeated Ken Kenneth, 17st, of Hamilton, by one fall to nil, in the Town Hall last evening, after a colourless exhibition. There was a fair “house,”-but the enthusiasm of the patrons was seldom raised during the contest, which went the full eight rounds. McCready secured his fall in the sixth round with a rockingchair splits. After this Kenneth went after McCready in an effort to equalise, but McCready was too clever on the mat for. the comparatively inexperienced Kenneth to pin. McCready allowed Kenneth to do most of the forcing, and the New Zealander worked hard throughout. Kenneth repeatedly tried to dump McCready over the ropes, but succeeded only once, and it was Kenneth who tried most of the illegalities, but he responded quickly to calls from the referee to desist. Elbow and forearm jolts were used sparingly, but when they were McCready usually secured the better of the exchanges. Generally, it was clean, hard wrestling, but it lacked something in “life”.

Scored Early Points Kenneth scored points in the first round with a good barred toe-hold, and later with a head scissors, which he held for some time. Twice in the second round Kenneth held McCready in a splits, and he had McCready’s shoulders down for two seconds, but McCready secured a good barred toe-hold, with which he punished Kenneth. Kenneth used a good hammer-lock on McCready and forced him over the ropes until broken by the referee, and at the gong Kenneth was holding McCready with a wrist-lock and a body press. Twice at the start of the second round there were exchanges of jolts, and • Kenneth forced McCready through the ropes. McCready used a head-scissors effectively, but Kenneth came out of it with an armstretch, with which he punished McCready, and then the Canadian held a similar hold on Kenneth. This was the best round of the bout at that stage. * Kenneth brought McCready down hard with a headlock at the start of the fourth round, and' when McCready broke away Kenneth secured a head-scissors. Kenneth bowled McCready over with a flying tackle but failed to follow up his advantage. With head-locks, and arm bars each had the other’s shoulders down for a count of two in the fifth round, and Kenneth was warned by the referee for rough tactics —using his hand on McCready’s face and hairpulling to assist in holding McCready down. ~ Kenneth rushed McCreaay to the ropes at the start of the sixth round, and dumped him twice, but when he came in a third time McCready smartly applied a splits, with which he rolled Kenneth several times before pressing his shoulders down for a fall. Lively Exchange Kenneth opened the seventh round with elbow jolts and there was a lively exchange as they stood toe to toe. McCready hold a body scissors on his opponent for some time, and at the gong Kenneth was holding a head scissors. Kenneth went right alter McCready in the final round. He threw the Canadian out of the ring, dragged him back and punished him with a hammer-lock. Towards the close o the round Kenneth had McCready in trouble in a corner of the ring and almost had his shoulders oown, but the wrestlers became entangled in the ropes and the referee broke them. The round and the bout ended with Kenneth still the aggressor, but one fall down. A _ , The referee was Mr A. Beban.

Amateur Preliminaries There were only two preliminary bouts, but in spite of the short notice given the amateurs who have not had active competition for many years, the four men gave good displays. Both bouts were drawn. The first bout of four five-minute rounds was between K. R. Fisher, Greymouth, and J. Waterson Dunollie. Fisher, the stronger of the two, secured a fall with a body pi ess in the second round, and Waterson pinned Fisher to equalise in the final 10 The other bout contained nearly all the elements of a professional bout with J. Moar, 12st 61b of Camerons who wrestled H. Panther, 12st lib, of Greymouth, showing more knowledge of showmanship than wrestling Panther, the quicker and more experienced of the two, secuied a fall in the second round with a body press With an arm scissors and a body press, Moar gained the equalising fall in the third round. It was a lively bout and provided bright entertainment.