Wrestling

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 89, 31 March 1926, Page 3

Wrestling

BILLY MEESKE RETURNS LOOKING FOB ROBIN. Auckland, March 30. The Australian light-heavy wrestling champion, Billy Meeske, reached Auckland on Sunday by the Aorangi on his way back home, after a trip to America with a view to trying his luck in that Mecca of sportsmen. Chatting with a “Star” reporter this morning, he stated that his success in the States exceeded his expectations, and he managed to win the world’s lightheayy title by beating the holder, Mike Yokel, at Portland, Oregon. As a matter of fact, he won 26 out of 28 matches he had in the States. His troubles really started when he had got to the top, for then he was put on for two or three matches a week, travelling from 300 to 500 miles in between, and had to go on the mat in a tired condition. It was to this he attributed the two losses he had. Incidentally he remarked that the public in America were the most one-eyed partisans, and the outsider <r got nothing” from them when it was a matter of competing against local talent, while mat tactics were allowed that he felt certain would be jumped on very strongly by a referee in a British country. Billy Meeske will spend a week or two at Auckland and Rotorua, and ho anticipates having a bout in Auckland before he leaves, with Anderson or Dufiy. He is also trying to arrange a meeting with Ike Robin.