WITHIN THE RING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 197, 21 July 1937, Page 6

WITHIN THE RING

CHIEF LITTLE WOLF. INVENTOR OF DEATHLOCK. (By “Ringsider.”) Chief Little Wolf, who wrestles Marshall at Palmerston North tomorrow evening, in addition to being the inventor and demonstrator par excellence of the Indian deathloek, which, he says, lie originated about eight years ago, lias a speciality in a “bulldog and headlock,” which lie evolved from his experience in bulldogging steers (says an exchange). In his wrestling career this particular Indian brave has been on the warpath lor some time, and still is. Firstly, he is looking for the scalp of Jim Londos, who walked out on him in a match at Lcs Angeles about three years ago, and he also carried a hatchet so far as Detton is concerned, as he considered that the crown that Detton wears should bo on his otvn head.

The only title match he has had was with Dan O’Mahoney, who beat him, but the men he has beaten make an imposing company. He claims to be the only man who has beaten Man Mountain Dean four times, and lie says that levelling his .huge opponent was just like chopping down a tree. “I just hammered hint with flying tackles,” lie said, “until he fell over.”

He claims that his deal block, once it has been properly applied, is inescapable unless the victim makes useol the ropes. Once, however, he had the experience of losing a match even though the deathloek remained firmly slut t.

This was against Lopez after the famous Los Angeles tournament, when he was brought across from the East to wrestle the winner. While Little Wolf held the deathloek Lopez caught him across the'face with an elbow and stunned him sufficiently long to take the winning fall. Doyle Interrogated. Jack Doyle, tho English heavyweight, left for America in the Normandie in June with a smile on his lips and a patch of adhesive tape across the knuckles of his right hand, says the London Daily Telegraph. He had just spent three-quarters of an hour before the British Hoard of Boxing Control explaining why he had cancelled his fight with Gunner Baerlund (since beaten hv Strickland), which had been arranged to take place at Earl’s Court on June 28 in aid of hospital charities. He showed them a doctor’s certificate saying that his hand would not be fit for six or eight weeks. Mr I’. J. Moss, chairman of the board, said later: “We bad a look at Doyle’s hand and we are quite satisfied that .he• is not fit to train and box. It will be a couple of months at least before lie is ready. We are also satisfied that Doyle did his best to fulfil liis contract.

“As to the action of Doyle and his manager, Mr Dan Sullivan, following his injury, the council will hold a further inquiry into the matter on Doyle’s return from America.’Doyle’s explanation is that his hand ‘went’ while punching the bag.” Len Harvey, who had offered to fight as substitute for Jack Doyle against Baerlund, announced later that the fight was off. “The promoters were paying Doyle £2OOO and £250 training expenses,” he said. “I was prepared to waive the expenses and take £2OOO. but they offered only £IOOO. I am a busy man and that is not enough.”

Dempsey The Hero. The average ex-boxing champion makes a poor referee, in the same way that jockeys are invariably bad tipsters. One who is a striking exception to the rule is Jack Dempsey. The old world champion, whom many believe was the greatest heavyweight ever seen, has l>een refereeing for some years, but he is as much in demand as ever, though lie is one of the highest paid officials in the States. The latest about him is that he hns contracted to referee a series of fights in five South American cities—and bis payment for the brief tour will be £IO,OOO. And when an English referee is paid £SO for handling a championship match we think lie is doing well, says the Daily Mail. The pull Dempsey has is astonishing. He is still a national hero in America, and when he is’refereeing people pay to see him as much as the fighters.

Strangler Lewis Coming. Ted Tliye, one of the stalwarts of the wrestling boom of 10 venrs ago, has had his last mat engagement. He has not wrestled for lour years—the outcome ol an ankle injury (says the Sporting Globe). That caused him to drop out in lO.'i.'i, anl for some time he hoped the trouble would disappear. Instead it got worse, and eventually the hone became so bad that blood poisoning set in. In all Tliye had five operations during several months in hospital, during which it was feared he might lose the use of Ids leg. Several months on crutches preceded improvement sufficient to suggest the possibility of using the leg. Just before last Christmas he dropped his crutches, and has been without them ever since. While he can move his injured foot while off the ground he still limps somewhat when his weight is on it. Tliye, who weighs 14.4'. is preceding “Strangler” Lewis, who is wrestling at Honolulu, and then in New Zealand, before reaching Australia for matches. Lewis will then go to India and home by way of Paiis and London, where matches have been arranged for him.