WRESTLING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 241, 10 September 1937, Page 2

WRESTLING

WOODS AND CHRISTY DRAW. ONE FALL TO EACH. A draw, with one fall each, was the result of the professional eight-round wrestling bout held at the Opera House, last evening, between Joe (“Kopach”) Woods and Vic Christy. Woods took his fall in the fourth round, and\ Christy equalised in the seventh. 'Throughout the last round there was some remarkable holdbreaking, Christie on one occosaion escaping from an Indian deathlock. Both wrestlers hail from the United States. Christy’s w eight was given as 16st. lib., and Woods had an advantage of 71b. The former was the taller and appeared quite young by comparison with Woods. Formerly a boxer, Woods would come weaving in to Christie to use deadly elbow jolts, but the latter could use then, too, with marked effect, though he appeared to prefer straight holds. ROUND BY ROUND. Both settled down quickly and Christy put on a Japanese wristlock to send the other to the mat. Twice Woods rose with great strength but was forced back to the canvas. The fourth time he rose a terrific elbow jolt reeled Christy away. Chfisty threw Woods about with headlocks but, when the other closed, slammed in another elbow jolt. Woods held Christy in a head scissors. Christy used one too, and rolled, with his opponent through the ropes. A body scissors end a crucifix followed by Christy. Woods came out of that to take a toe-hold, and he held the advantage to the end of the round. Faced with a Japanese wristlock, Christy swung himself up for a body scissors in the second round. Woods seized a foot and worked away with it until Christy “ravelled” his head hard. More Japanese wristlocks paved the way for Woods to gain a head scissors. Christy escaped but was swung about the ring only to give a flying tackle as Woods went in for a fall. Woods was on top, with a step-over toehold, at the gong. Seizing a hammerlock on Christie’s left arm in the third round. Woods eventually found himself thrown clear. Christy used a fall-nelson to develop a species of pile-driver hold, Woods shaking a bumped head when he eventually broke away. The referee twice broke a stranglehold by Woods. The latter rushed Christy on the ropes with jolts, but met with more than he expected when Christy tied his head in the two topmost ropes. Using a barrage of elbow jolts at the start, of the fourth round, Woods reduced Christy further and then dumped him for a fall by a body press. “I had that right over his chin,’ said Woods to the referee when the latter broke a hold at the beginning of the fifth round. Broken away again, Woods kicked Christy in the face. Christy went to the mat under a head scissors which the referee jerked free. Christy was well applauded when he rose to hammer - 'Woods out of the ring with the same short-arm tactics. Woods grabbed Christy’s ankles, upended him and stepped over into a Boston crab preliminary. He did not sit back far enough and Christy straightened his legs to kick f ree - Wriggling in a head scissors, Woods broke out and secured a surf-board hold early in the sixth round. Christy stood up, and steadily drew his arms to the arms-bend position to jerk away. Using an arm and a leg. Christy punished the other in a cradle hold. Christy went to liisporner , quite fresh; Woods certainly was not. ' . ' Fierce as an angry terrier, Christv flew at Woods in the seventh round when the latter opened, with ell>ow jolts. These,, and cross buttock throws, led to a savage figure-four body scissors which left Woods very sore after he had submitted. The falls were then even. Angling for another figure-four body scissors, Christv was disgusted to find Woods roll'up, hedgehog style, head between knees, and he quite content to wait, in the last round. Christv just rolled the human hall over and left it at that. Christy applied a rocking clia-ir splits, but Woods "vrriggled round and developed an Indian deathlock. Christy tried to sit up, but met with elbow jolts. He then spread Woods’s legs to secure another splithold. Woods went back to the deathlock Breaking free by a magnificent effort, Christy put on a short legs snlits developing it fully in due cours°. Woods seized an arm for an arm stretch, hut when the final gong went was in one himself. The decision, a draw, did not meet with disapproval. THE PRELIMINARIES. R. Clark (Palmerston North), 10st. 51b ' beat M. Edhouse (Feilding), 10 st 21b- by two falls. Clarke was the taller ’ aiid was also appreciably stronger. In the second round Clark worked over Edhouse for a period, eventuallv taking a fall with a body press. 'ln the last round Clarks strength proved too much again and he secured a second fall. C. Walker (Levin), list, /lb., met trouble at the hands of W. Murrell (Palmerston North), list. 131 b., in the first round, being held in a punishing headlock. In the "second round Walker struggled free to turn the other over and gain a fall. Although Murrell several times held Walker on the mat in the last round he could not secure a fall. Walker thus won. The third preliminary was between B. Matson (Feilding), lOst. 71b., and B Wheeler (Palmerston North), list. Matson early put a headlock on Wheeler and in turning the other over, somersault fashion, secured one of Wheeler’s feet between his legs and gained a fall. Matson secured a second fall in the last round with a press, winning the bout. Last on the list of preliminaries, T. Waldron (Rata), list. 41b., and W. Cudbv (Palmerston North), list. 10 lb., were expected to provide an interesting bout., the more so as Waldron is now the Wellington amateur welterweight champion. Cudbv, the taller ° and heavier, presented a problem for Waldron and the two were mostly working for position in the first two rounds. The last was similar and the result a draw. A trophy presented by the Wrestling Association for the most aggressivp wrestler was awarded to R. Clark. The officials were as follow-.-—Stage manager, Mr J. Purves; time-keeper, Mr Weston J. Smith; announcer, Mr C. N. Rabone; call steward. Mr Jack Purves. An orchestra added to the enjoyment of those present.

BLOMFIELD DISQUALIFIED

Per Press Association

AUCKLAND, Sept. 9

A spectacular wrestling contest between “Lofty” Blomfield and Floyd Marshall, held at Hamilton, had a disappointing finish in the sixth round; in which Blomfield. although he had the match in hand, was disqualified. The first four rounds were full of interest, both men exploiting punishing holds. In the fixth round Blomfield converted a Japanese leg throw into an octopus clamp, and with the assistance of the ropes secured a fall. Marshall was apparently disabled, and Blomfield could easily have secured a deciding fall when the gong sounded for the sixth round. Instead he jumped

at Marshall several times while the latter was sitting in a dazed condition on the ropes, and his repeated disobedience of the referee’s orders . to keep back resulted in his disqualification.