WRESTLING SENSATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 304, 8 December 1931, Page 3

WRESTLING SENSATION

WALKER BEATS PINTO. AMERICAN LEAVES THE RING LN EIGHTH ROUND. Auckland, Dec. 7. Rough wrestling was witnessed at the Town Hall this evening when George Walker, heavyweight champion of the British Empire, was awarded the decision in the champion of champions match against Stanley Pinto, of America, who was recently acclaimed champion of New Zealand. Pinto secured a fall with a body press following a dump in the fifth round. Walker became very aggressive in the sixth and seventh rounds. In the latter round he tried to lift Pinto several times, but the American invariably twisted either an arm or a foot round the ropes, thus preventing Walker from lifting him. The referee gave Pinto plenty of latitude, but after numerous warnings awarded Walker a penalty fall. The American greatly resented this. When the gong sounded for the eight round, Pinto stepped through the ropes. The referee argued with him for half a minute and then commenced the regulation count of twenty. Before he could proceed far with the count, however, Pinto made off toward the dressing room to the accompaniment of a storm of hooting from the crowd. A section of the crowd then assisted the referee with the final portion of the count, and when Walker’s hand was raised as the signal that he had been awarded the contest there was a deafening outburst of cheering. The bout was characterised by roughness.