BAULKING OF BELL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22406, 13 August 1947, Page 7

BAULKING OF BELL

OCTOPUS CLAMP VERDICT TO BLOMFIELD EACH TAKES A FALL With fails even the New Zealand champion, “Lofty” Blomfield, was given the decision over the American, Kay Bell, in the Gisborne Opera House last evening following six rounds of hectic wrestling marked by a liberal proportion of rough-house tactics. Bell gained a fall after a series of dumps in the fourth round. Blomfield equalised in the sixth session when Bell had to submit to the Aucklander’s octopus clamp. After being untangled by the referee and a second. Bell lay prone in the ring during the twominute spell allowed after the fall. When the bell sounded for the resumption he staggered up, but was unable to remain on his feet and the referee, Mr. Tom Smale, stopped the action and awarded the bout to Blomfield. Bell showed signs of violent disagreement as he had done with other opinions of the third man during the bout, but would have gained scant support for his objection had a vote been taken in the well-filled house.

Bell’s weight was announced at 17.2 and that of Blomfield at 17.0. They appeared a well-matched pair of big athletes as they circled for the opening hold, though Bell had a slight advantage in height. Chops and Jolts

Bell opened hostilities with a forward leg-bar and converted it to a toe-hold, Blomfield countering with a head scissors and using the same tactics a few seconds later to escape from a reverse whist-lock. Rabbit punches by Blomfield met with displeasure from his victim and also from the gallery. In the next exchange, Bell used a forward toe-hold and Blomfield countered with a barred toe-hold. The use of his fists resulted in Bell being admonished by Mr. Smale, the American showing signs of annoyance and attacking with forceful head-throws, but running into trouble when Blomfield employed a punishing short-arm scissors. The bell sounded amid a furious exchange of chops and jolts with the house in an uproar.

Bell opened the second session with a flying bodyrscissors and Blomfield appeared in difficulties till he fought clear and almost succeeded in applying a Boston crab. Bell went over the ropes in the next exchange when Blomfield used a head balch. Further head halches by Blomfield led to a sei'ies of flying tackles which ended when Blomfield ducked and Bell dived through the ropes. Blomfield then went down before a reverse wrist-lock which Bell changed promptly to a Japanese arm bar. Blomfield came back with a forward head-lock in which Bell was held as the bell sounded. Attacking in the third session with a chin-lock, Bell followed with a spreadeagle which Blomfield evaded and replied with reverse version of the same form of torture. Bell almost pinned himself when he employed a bodyscissors and Blomfield stood up. A few seconds later Bell was complaining to the referee of punching when Blomfield replied with punishing elbow jolts to Bell’s use of his knees to the body, the bell interrupting a torrid exchange just after Bell had attempted his first use of the drop-kick. First Fall to Bell Blomfield opened the fourth round by depositing Bell outside the ropes. Bell vaulted back to the ring and went after Blomfield with a series of dumps and jolts which softened him for a pin with a body press, Blomfield being dazed and being assisted to his corner with blood streaming from a damaged ear. Blomfield went in seemingly to apply his octopus clamp in the first minute of the filth session, but Bell escaped and was soon holding Blomfield in a toehold, Breaking free, Blomfield replied with a figure-four head-scissors. Bell then spent a period in an arm stretch from which he eventually plunged free and again the bell sounded during a belligerent exchange of jolts. Early in the sixth round Bell climbed the ropes in a corner to escape a hammer-lock. A figure-four headscissors applied by Bell was swiftly turned by Blomfield into a standing splits and he then went into the complicated application of his octopus clamp to which Bell had to submit, after being extricated by the referee and a second he spent the two-minute spell lying on the mat.

Apparently wanting to fight, Bell staggered before Blomfield’s attack to open the seventh session, but was unable to maintain his feet and within a minute the referee stopped the bout and awarded the verdict to Blomfield.