WRESTLING TITLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 95, 21 March 1938, Page 11

WRESTLING TITLE.

NAGURSKT’S FIRST RfiAAV. For Press Association. Mr w lr,F N ?, TON - March 20. Dlr AA. Miller, the wrestling mnnstated that the match withßlomSf LVt NaKursd ’ s first draw since fiU't Til orne champion and also the fust fall against him in that period. . EDIBRYO JOCKEY. EARLY ADIBITION. horses had raced, at Elm talf’ Meyn f U (‘Lofty”) Blomfield r -i liave become a successful ip r * and ■ a contender for the will + i han A p ! onehi P- As a he atml „L th J Taka pun a primary school, and one of his early hopes was to be a jockey (says the Auckland Star). t i ' fc "■° rl U c ! 111 a grocer’s shop at InafLTY’ tV’ d , tlien on farms round drove an Metric winch i c ° nstr uction of the Arapuni j ant, and then became a service ear driver between AVairoa and AVaikaremoana.. Returning fo Auckland he Showed Promise as .a Rngbv footballer ns a member of the College Rifles Club. iotn took: 1 U J? amateur wrestling in ip +i and . the progress lie made took Ins thoughts off football just at a time uhen there appeared to bo Rugby lioliotiis in store for him. Working at George AVn.lker’s gymnasium Blomfield soon picked up a H™ V W ge i 3 / the finer P oi ots of wrestling. He then went to Sydney. His r,f,Li m '° feSSIO i la xL match was ngainSt Lunch, one of the most powerful men n ! a' 1 U’ 1 ® m Ne "’ Zealand, and the Aitclvliinder -was injured in a fall and taken to the hospital. In Sydney iilomhold continued to meet the best mein He made rapid progress And had a J?! 1 ' s h ,n re of success. T1ie.1934 season saw the Aucklander hack in the Dominion, nnd he then wont to the United States, where in six months lie engaged .in 80 contests, losing eight, drawing 10, and winning the rest. 6

.. Blonifield came back to New Zealand in 1935. and won many matches in all parts of the Dominion. He made another trip to Australia, where he was a big draw, and then returned. During the past two wrestling seasons in New Zealand Blomfield has been a very popular figure, and lias been called upon to meet sortie of the best wrestlers in the world. He has all the physical .attributes for the top cla_s6, his height, great strength and weight (close on 17st) enabling him to meet practically any comer on even terms or better.

Followers of the sport in New Zealand knOw Blomfield as a wrestler who cap mix it with the roughest of opponents, but he could always do his share of solid wrestling. In his early matches lie depended largely on the Boston cr.ab, but he has since invented an octopus clamp, and that is a hold that the strongest of opponents eapliot break when it is accurately a.hd firmly applied. AA 7 hen a series of bouts were held in the Dominion last season to decide who should _ challenge for the world championship, Blomfield was the iVinner, end thus ho set opt on his present’mission. PRESENT CHAMPION. FORDIER FOOTBALLER. Bronko Nagurski graduated to wrestling from the ranks of American football, in which he Was regarded as one of the strongest men in the hectic game. In June last he won the world championship from Dean Detton, a wrestler of beautiful physimie, who had previously appeared in New Zealand rings. Nagurski defended his title successfully against Detton and a few Others until a leg infection sent him into hospital last January. Another football season followed, and the bruit with Blomfield Was delayed on this account.