EXCITING WRESTLING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 199, 23 July 1937, Page 12

EXCITING WRESTLING

LITTLE WOLF AND MARSHALL. A DRAWN ENCOUNTER. Fought to standstill, while a capacity houso was in almost a continuous uproar as the excitement reached a climax, the most thrilling bout seen at this centre for two seasons was staged by tho Palmerston North "Wrestling Association in the Opera House, last ' evening, when Chief Little Wolf, 16.1, tho Navajo Indian, drew with Floyd Marshall, 17.0, of Arizona. Right from the start the contest was gruelling, and characterised by severe exchanges. It grew more hectic as it progressed, and at times each contestant was left sagging on the ropes. Marshall adopted most aggressive tactics, but found Little Wolf ready to mix it in the roughest exchanges, and no quarter was given throughout tho match. Little Wolf, using a roll-over action, showed amazing swiftness in applying deathlocks. With one fall having been gained by each man, the last round was a wildly exciting session as they struggled for the mastery and at one stage both were sprawled semi-conscious on the mat when they met in a head-on-col-lision from flying tackles. VIGOROUS OPENING.

Two jolts by Marshall signalled the opening of the bout, but Little Wolf bi ought him down with a reverse wristlock. Marshall bit his way out to arm-roll Wolf and apply a short-arm scissors. Little "Wolf secured a deathlock, of which he claims to bo the originator, but Marshall came out scowling and they exchanged a vigorous series of jolts. Sliping down suddenly, Marshall spread-eagled Little Wolf in the splits, but the Indian grabbed his foot and put him in a jock-knife hold, and then a keylock. Marshall replied by hammerlocking Little Wolf, and was pounding him on the body when the gong went. There was a vicious exchange of jolts as a preliminary gesture in the next round. Flung heavily against the ropes. Little Wolf came bounding off them for a flying tackle, but Marshall ducked and the Indian somersaulted over him right across the ring. Marshall next jolted Little Wolf and draped him growling on the ropes when the referee intervened. Marshall, on resuming, was suddenly picked up in a reverse headlock and dumped, but escaped as Little Wolf bounced on him to flatten him out. Caught in a sliort-arm scissors, Marshall escaped to secure a barred toehold, and then gave the Indian some of his own medicine in the form of a deathlock. Little Wolf tried various strategies, and demonstrated an originaj mouth-hold, but was bowled across the ring as the round ended. AN AEROPLANE SPIN.

Producing something which had not been seen at this centre for some time, Little Wolf hoisted Marshall on to his shoulders in the third round and whirled his 17-stone opponent round in an aeroplane spin, but missed pinning him with the subsequent dump. Seizing Little Wolf by the hair, Marshall flung him over his shoulders twice in succession, but the Indian came flying off the ropes to miss in a spectacular flying tackle and secure an armstretch, with a wristlock. Marshall stood up to apply the Indian deathlock, but could not keep his balance, and then sent Little Wolf reeling from a drop-kick. Marshall, tugging at Little Wolf’s long black hair, was attempting to batter him into submission on the ropes when the gong went. Continuing his fierce tactics, Marshall went right after Little Wolf. in the next round, and despite warnings by the referee pounded the Indian on the nose till it bled, swung him round in head-locks, twice drop-kicked him and, giving the Indian no quarter whatever, picked him up to dump him twice, finally finishing him with- a body press for a fall. . Little Wolf had to be assisted by the referee to his corner. Coming out slowly, he went straight at Marshall and, in an exciting melee in the corner, jolted the Arizonian to his knees. The Indian showed resentment when the referee intervened and nearly engaged in a clash with the third man, who was stalling him off his opponent. Marshall was soon pinioned in a wristlock and arm-bar. Marshall got up, however, to hammerlock Little Wolf and again make a target of His bleeding nose, but in another exciting encounter Little Wolf gave Marshall a rough time in the corner, also adopting nasal tactics, and ending up by kicking Marshall in the chest. Dazed by jolts, Marshall was next left sagging on the ropes, but sent Little Wolf staggering with a heavy kick. Neither was showing the other any mercy, and the contest was becoming more gruelling as it progressed. Running Marshall r.ound the ring in a headlock, Little Wolf swung him over heavily in the sixth round, and then applied an armstretch, but Marshall wriggled out and obtained a punishing jack-knife hold, doubling up the Indian until the latter rolled swiftly and, with a barred toehold, punished Marshall severely. Marshall finally got clear and pounded away at Wolf’s injured nasal organ and chest. Dazed, Little "Wolf was reeling round the ring and his nose was streaming blood when the round ended. LITTLE WOLF’S DEATHLOCKS.

Scissoring Little Wolf’s head between the ropes in the seventh round, Marshall came at him with a barrage of jolts when he was released, and dumped him twice, but like a flash the Indian had the Indian deathlock on and, throwing himself back, forced Marshall to concede a submission fall, the referee having to release Marshall. Bringing his knee up, Marshall felled Little Wolf in the final round, but the Indian, with a swift roll-over action, again stood up to apply the deathlock with amazing rapidity in identical fashion to- the manner in which he had secured his fall. However, this time he lost his balance, and Marshall struggled to the ropes. Applying a body scissors, Marshall rocked Wolf about, but the Indian got on top and, adopting Marshall’s own tactics, succeeded in tapping blood from his opponent’s nose. They got to grips on the ropes and the referee, becoming locked between them, had a hard struggle to break them. Dropkicked, Little Wolf rebounded off the ropes to meet Marshall in a headon collision, and they fell back, both sprawling on the mat for some seconds. With a great effort, Marshall slowly raised himself to his knees and dived on Little Wolf, who again entwined his legs for the Indian deathlock, but Marshall escaped by sliding under the ropes. It was a fight to a finish, and Marshall dumped Little Wolf, who got up to drop-kick him. IJsing his knees, Marshall battered Little Wolf round the ring and they ■were hard at it when the match ended, the contest being declared a draw. AMATEUR BOUTS. R. Clark (Palmerston North) 10.6 v. C. Harrison (Levin) 10.7. —Harrison was in trouble in the first round and had the gong not sounded he would

probably have gone under to a body press. Harrison was the aggressor in the middle session, but could make but little impression on his opponent. Though Harrison forced the issue in the last round, Clark secured the decision through bis early points margin. C. Johnson (Palmerston North) 10.7 v. J. Bateman (Levin) 10.7.—Johnson attempted to make things lively, but Bateman subdued him with well applied headlocks, though Johnson jerked liimself out cleverly. Bateman was underneath and close to conceding a fall at the finish of the second round. Bateman appeared to shade Johnson on points in the last round, and the result was a draw.

D. Cudby (Palmerston North) 11.10 v. C. J. Walker (Levin) 11.12.—Being much shorter than his opponent, Walker found it difficult to come to grips, and because of this, the pair got into some awkward postures. Cudby was howled through the ropes quite a number of times in the second round, and went after Walker ; hut the latter always came back smiling for more. Walker appeared to injure himself slightly in the last round, and Cudby obtained a fall wit ha body press. P. Razos (Palmerston North) 12.0 v. R. Tatere (Te Reliunga) 13.5.—Armrolled by bis opponent, Tatere nearly went under in the first round until he gradually claimed the ropes. Tatere was a hard proposition to 6hift once he lay on the mat, and there was little action in the bout, which Razos won on points easily. Officials controlling the fixture were as follow:—Referee, Mr W. Nicholls; stage manager, Mr J. Purves; announcer, Mr C. N. Rabone; timekeepers, Messrs Weston J. Smith anti R. Hopwood. It was announced that Blomfield and Spellman would meet in a match under the auspices of the association at Palmerston North on the evening of August 4. the day of the Rugby match between Manawatu and the Springboks. BLOMFIELD BEATtS RUMBERG. Per Press Association. MASTERTON, July 22 Lofty Blomfield’s octopus clamp spelt disaster for Hal Rumberg in a,spectacular match staged here to-night before a capacity house. Rumberg took a fall in the fourth round with a body press and Blomfield evened in the seventh with an octopus clamp. Rumberg who was well ahead on noints, could hardly stand up for the final round a.nd the referee awarded the match to Blomfield.