VISITING MATMAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 244, 12 September 1935, Page 2

VISITING MATMAN.

A COLOURFUL CAREER. Known as Sweden’s “rubber son,” although he was actually born in America, Uie Andresen, who met Glenn Wade at the Opera House in the professional wrestling match last night, has seen a good deal of colourful life in his 30 vears. During his ’Varsity days Ai\dresen undertook freelance journalism for some of the city papers, yet he found time to fill a place in the college football team, and the experience gained in that strenuous pastime, for it differs in many respects from the Rugby game so wellknown to New Zealanders, served as a stepjiing stone to the wrestling game. However, Andresen retained his amateur status and, indeed, it was not till some years later that he entered the professional ranks. On leaving college Andresen secured an appointment with a big constructional firm which was operating in Central America, Ins commanding pliysique making him a splendid overseer or labour gangs. Surveying littleknown territories, excavating irrigation ditches, building bridges and tlie laying of roads all came within Ills activities. It was in the 1931-32 season that Andresen decided to enter the professional wrestling ranks, and then commenced the arduous task of climbing the ladder to tame and prominence. Commenting upon his career, in an interview, yesterday, Andresen mentioned that lie had met . the majority of America’s best, having beaten such men as Browning, “Strangler” Lewis, Londos and Chief Little Wolf, but modestly added that he had suffered defeats in turn. In those days it was not uncommon to be wrestling every night of the week and few had the fortune to emerge without some defeats figuring in their records. It had been his fortune to be matched with Chief Little Wolf on two occasions in successive weeks, and he had registered two wins. In view of the great heights to which the Indian, who was an exponent of the “death-lock,’ had risen, the visitor felt that those two wins ranked among the best in his long list of successes. _ , _ „ Although he had taken up wrestlm o professionally in all seriousness in j 1932, Andresen, with the thriftiness of his forefathers, sought work in otherdirections also and he was employed on laving down the foundations of the Golden Gate bridge which links up ban Francisco with the other side of the bay a little higher up from the bridge which will link up ban Francisco and Oakland, an undertaking which will cost in the region of £15,000,000. The visitor in making reference to this topical subject, stated that the new bridge will connect the city with the island Yerba Buena—a naval base which lies out id the harbour. Jhe bridge on the city side will be of the suspension type, carrying two decks for rail and vehicular traffic, but it will enter a tunnel on the island and then emerge to continue on to a fixed structure linking up the island with Oakland. At the present time the standards to carry the huge cables for the suspension bridge are in position, but while they stand some 500odd feet high, they fall over 200 feet short of the standards on the Golden Gate bridge on which lie had been employed. Since his arrival in the Dominion on July 20, Andresen has had a dozen matches, winning eight, drawing two and losing two. The two occasions on which he has tasted defeat were at the return meeting with McCready at Dunedin (their first meeting at Christchurch during race week lrad been productive of a draw) when the referee ruled in favour of McCready, although each man had registered one fall each; and against Blomfield at Auckland -when a foul cost him the ( honours. The visitor thus has a vordthy record behind him, while . his manner. out of the ling is bound to win him friends, for he is of a most unassuming type. His readiness to assist the amateurs wherever he has been has won the admiration of the officials of the wrestling associations in the Dominion, and recently at Dunedin lie stayed two days beyond his time to put some of the amateur wrestlers through their paces, demonstrating holds and counters to an appreciative class of youths. “I am a lover of hard work,” commented the visitor at the close of the interview, “and am prepared to meet anyone in the Dominion. Throughout my life I have been anxious to earn the additional dollar, and I was never< afraid of getting my. liands dirty, i While a stiff collar may bring with it dignity, I have forsaken the channels of my college days for the professional ranks, and have no reason to regret it meantime.” Andresen has a brother- 1 in-law who is a city editor on the Buf-j falo Evening News.