WRESTLING

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 221, 14 August 1930, Page 4

WRESTLING

KALA PASHA BEATS TOM RAY. AMERICAN INJURED. EXCELLENT AMATEUR BOUTS. The Turkish wrestler, Kala Aslilan Pasha, defeated Tom Ray, United States, before a very large attendance at the Opera House last evening. The two matmen had met previously in Wellington, when the Turk secured the decision, and last evening he put Ray out of action with a submission fall in the fifth round. The American, who had obtained a fall in the second round, succumbed to the Boston crab hold. In the process his back was injured and he was unable to continue. He was subsequently admitted to hospital suffering from strained ligaments in the back. The contest was held under the control of the Manawatu Wrestling Association, which must have been delighted with the support accorded its second venture this season. The chief feature of the programme was bright and fast, with flashes of the spectacular. Ray’s weight was given at 12.9, and Pasha’s at 12.10. . The Turk was the fitter of the two men, and his agility and extraordinary strength for his weight made a favourable impression. Ray was clever, and did all the forcing. However, Pasha was wily and gave the impression that he did not produce all he knew. He worked his plans out carefully, countering his opponent’s speed of action with his strength and agility. Both wrestlers introduced a variety of holds not previously seen in Palmerston North. The “crab” that proved Ray’s undoing has never been applied so neatly in a contest in this city. The programme of preliminary events was an attractive one. BRIGHT OPENING ROUND. The first round opened with a series of rapid evolutions by both men. Pasha slid down Ray’s back and the American tried to pin him with a full Nelson, following it with an. armlock and head scissors. The Turk countered an attempt at the crucifix with a side chancery, Ray using his spectacular corkscrew spin to roll* clear. The Turk then applied a hammerlock, with one foot on the back of his opponent’s neck to secure pressure, but Ray stepped out and made a dive at Pasha’s ankles. The Turk leapt nimbly out of i the way, and Ray skidded on his nose under the ropes. Both men secured headlocks and rolled round the ring, Ray working free to use his head as a battering-ram to Pasha’s stomach. He followed up. this treatment by securing a chiropractic lieadlock and

rubbing his fist in the Turk’s nose. Ray then applied pressure with a toehold and Pasna writhed, but would not submit when the referee went to tap the American’s shoulder. He stood it for another half-minute, showing remarkable endurance, then worked himself into a frenzy and kicked clear. Ray made a dive at him, but missed, and shot head first through the ropes. Pasha essayed a flying mare without success and countered another attempt by Ray to secure a toe-hold by pushing his heel under the American’s chin and turning a back somersault. The round was fast and bright. RAY SECURES FALL. A neck and armlock forced the Turk to the mat in the second round, but the latter put his weight into a toehold. A short-arm scissors had Pasha in trouble, but the pair rolled round the ring until the hold was broken. The Turk made overtures for an aeroplane spin, but., Ray refused the application. Ray then secured a body press. Pasha bridged cleverly, but the American maintained the pressure to secure a fall. Early in the third round Pasha s head was wrenched with a forward chancery, but he threw his opponent with a headlock without any apparent effort. Ray then applied a Japanese ann-lock, Pasha exerting enormous strength to free himself with one arm. Ray rolled out of the ring when the Turk tried to obtain a double wrestlock, but a moment later he had Ray in trouble with a strong forward lieadlock. A bite on the hand made him release the hold, and there was a lively interlude on the mat, Pasha again demonstrating his penchant for the toe-hold. DIVE THROUGH ROPES. Butting his opponent playfully under the chin with his head, Ray nearly secured a fall early in the fourth round when he obtained a well-forced headlock. The Turk broke, but was trapped in a toe-hold. Swinging one leg round Ray’s neck he got free, and threw the American witli a series of side-chan-ceries. He followed this by standim up with Ray draped round his neck and followed him in a dive to the mat. The spectators roared with delight as the pair nose-dived through the ropes. Ray countered a Japanese arm-lock with a full Nelson, and earned the disapproval of the crowd when he dropped the Turk to the mat with a rabbit punch. The pair were bouncing round on the mat when the gong went. AMERICAN TRAPPED. The end was reached early in the fifth round. Ray found his head in side-chancery, and kicked himself free, only to be thrown clean. Ray then applied a body scissors. And here he was trapped cleverly. The .Turk, stood up, turned the American over on his stomach, and in a flash had applied the Boston crab to secure a submission fall. Ray lay on the mat and was unable to continue when the ' gong sounded, Pasha’s hand being raised in victory. Mr J. B. Ferguson was referee. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. Principal interest in the preliminaries attached to the meeting of A. Godfrey (Wellington) 12.7 and J. W. Thornton (Wellington) 13.2, Godfrey securing the decision. Godfrey made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a crab, and Thornton secured a fall in the first round with a body press. In the second session Godfrey was ag r gressive, using his strength to slide out 'of a Japanese arm-lock and he secured a fall with a body press. With honours even there were fireworks in the last round. Godfrey was thrown, but somersaulted and applied a double wristlock. Thornton broke, but a minute later Godfrey sat on his back and wrenched his head back with both hands to secure a submission fall. G. Graham (P.N.) 10.0 proved too expert for S. Ward (P.N.) 10.0 and won by two falls in a good display. Graham secured a submission fail in the second round with a lieadlock. He limped when Ward put pressure into a toe-hold, but he obtained another strong headlock which he maintained to force his opponent into submission. B. Bullock (Wanganui) lOst was too powerful for W. Nicholls (P.N.) and won by two straight falls in- the first and second rounds. Nicholls went for a back body press early in the first round, but his opponent obtained a similar hold to secure the first fall. Nicholls could not pin the Wanganui boy with wrist and toe holds, and near the end of the second spell he was himself pinned with a back body press. D. Hopewell (Palmerston North) 10.8 and A. Stratton (Palmerston North) - 10.6 were well matched, and gave a bright display. The gong saved Hopewell when he was pinned with a Japanese arm-lock in the first round, but Nearly in the second he threw' his man with a quick crotch hold. Wriggling out of a headlock he attempted a full Nelspn and body scissors, only to be thrown heavily and held in a well-Worked headlock and body press that had him in trouble when the gong went. The last round was very even, and a draw was well received. A. Marsh (Wanganui) 12.0 secured a decision over R. Newth (P.N.), 12.1. A fast pace was' set, and Marsh took his man by surprise to secure a fall with a body press. However, the Palmerston North wrestler had the better of the second round, following a reverse headlock with a double leg hold. A head sissors caused Newth trouble, but he broke and applied an arm bar, Marsh being in distress when the gong- sounded. Marsh quickly got a fall with a body press in the final round. „ Mr A. Anderson refereed. The officials were as follow: Announcer, Mr J. M.'Pearson; timekeepers Messrs Weston J. Smith and.N. D.’Stubbs ; official seconds, Messrs M. O’Brien and J. Smith.

REFEREE’S STATEMENT. Considerable comment was passed at the conclusion of the bout on the apparent delay of the referee (Mr J. B. Ferguson) m awarding a submission fall to Kala Pasha. To those near the ring it appeared that Ray’s arms were beating the mat as a sign of submission at least three seconds before the Turk’s back was tapped by the referee to denote a fall. The “crab” is a hold impossible to break, and when it is applied wrestlers usually submit immediately, as if too much pressure is exerted there is a likelihood of breaking the back. Approached, by a “Standard” reporter after the contest Mr Ferguson stated that it had been clearly agreed between himself and the wrestlers at the outset that a submission was to be indicated by taps on the mat or by grunts. “The trouble was that they were grunting all the time, and in the first round I nearly made the mistake of giving a submission fall to Ray when he exerted' pressure in a toehold,” said Mr Ferguson. “It has been stated that a submission fall should be given if the Boston crab is applied, as from this hold it is impossible to escape. However, this is not the case. Until a man feels pain he will not submit. As soon as Ray indicated he wished to submit I tapped Pasha on the back. It was no fault of mine that Ray was injured.”