AUSTRIAN ATHLETE HAS WRESTLED HIS WAY ROUND WORLD

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7242, 13 June 1930, Page 8

AUSTRIAN ATHLETE HAS WRESTLED HIS WAY ROUND WORLD

Colourful Experiences FRIEND OF MAX SCHMELING, MET WORLD CHAMPIONS Young, clear-skinned and speaking with a pleasantly clipped, but perfectly intelligible foreign accent, Prod Ebert, who arrived in Palmerston North yesterday in preparation for his match with Scotty McDougall on Monday night, is a long way from the popular conception of the professional wrestler. He looks much more like a ’Varsity athleto and so in fact he is, for he lirst distinguished himself in the world of sport as a student at tho famous old University of Heidelberg. He has travelled through most of the countries of the old and new worlds, has appeared in many of the world’s capi. tr.ls, has met many famous athletes whose names are household words and has had the high honour of representing his native country, Austria, at tho Olympic Games and winning the light-heavy-weight wrestling championship of the world. Ho has only two cauliflower cars to indicate any acquaintanceship with tho mat, but his tremendously powerful build gives some indication of the physical development which has stood him in good stead in over COO professional wrestling contests. Young as ho is, Ered Ebert has won over 400 contests and drawn 70, w r hile he has met tw r o ex-world champion wrestlers, trained with a world-champion boxer, and visited dozens of countries that the major, ity of men see only in their dreams. Ebert has wrestled in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Prance, Turkey, England, United States, South America, India, Japan and Australia. Ebert obviously has no intention of being defeated on Monday night through under-estimating his opponent. He is quietly confident and very fit, but after ono drawn decision against McDougall, ho describes his opponent as a very wily and clever wrestler with all tho tricks of tho mat game at his finger tips. His experiences would fill a book but even in the course of a brief conversation with a Times reporter yesterday he touched on sufficient . incident to make a very colourful story.

Chased, from Bing. Ebert’s narrowest escape from, death during his world wanderings was at Vera Cruz in Central America, where he was chased through the streets by an infuriated crowd of fans whose Latin-American method of handing the raspberry was knife-throwing. Ebert was-on a steamer which called at Vera Cruz and at the invitation of a local sports promoter, consented to wrestic the Vera Cruz champion in an arena in the town. Ilis opponent proved to be a very powerful man but as the contest proceeded, Ebert cjuickly discovered that he -knew nothing of wrestling. "I had just come from Boston where they like the rough stuff and I had rather got into the habit of it. I made the mistake of playing with the man,” said Ebert with a smile. Apparently the local champion resented this and stirred by the frenzied demonstrations of the excited and very biassed crowd, registered his protest somewhat injudiciously by kicking his opponent. “Then I flattened him,” said Ebert, reminiscently. “But' it was awful. They hooted and roared and came into the ring with stillettos. I was only in my-trunks, but I had to snatch up my dressing gown and run for my life with about 400 of them after me.” The incident had its clement of humour but Ebert obviously had a veryreal respect for the ability of the South Americans as knife-throwers and fully realised that he had been lucky to escape with a whole skin. Luckily, jum-

ever, an American friend who had accompanied him, with the true Yankee eyo to the dollars, had snatched up Ebert’s street clothes and share of the takings and had followed tho fleeing wrestler to tho steamer. All Precautions.

Three- or four days later, the same promoter had again approached him evidently spurred on by tho excellent monetary result of tho first contest. Ho had assured Ebert that he was “now much more popular,’’ and after souio argument the wrestler baa agreed to meet another local champion or; a percentage basis and tvith an insurance cover on his life. This time, however, tho arena had been so thickly pickcttcd with soldiers and police, all on complimentary tickets, that the pay. ing public had been practically excluded and the financial returns had been distinctly disappointing. “I was very decent to this one because I was frightened of what might happen,” said Ebert. Another occasion when he had had a very mixed reception was wfficn lie had met tho British Navy champion, Joe Higgins, in Perth. “Ho had all the sympathy and 1 couldn’t even put a head lock on him without them hooting,” he said. On the whole, however, Ebert stated he had found tho many crowds before which ho had appeared very sporting, although ho did not like wrestling with local men because tho crowds always then became very biassed.

Shikat and Zybesko. Ebert wrestled Zybesko, late world’s champion in Constantinople and succeeded in winning a fall from him. He also met Shikat who was only last week deprived of the world title by Londos. This contest which took place in Berlin lasted for an hour and 30 minutes without any breaks, Shikat finally winning with a crutch hold, Ebert explained that in many countries wrestling w r as conducted without any rounds, the men continuing until one or other secured a fall. Ho has a very high opinion of Shikat as a wrestler and stated that the German champion was now at his best. He was abnormaiy strong for his size, remarkably quick and perfect in the science of tho ring. Famous Boxers. Soon after Gene Tunney won the world’s boxiug crown from Jack Dempsey, Ebert met the boxing marine and trained with him for some weeks in a New r York gymnasium. He stated that Tunney did a lot of wrestling for training purposes.

Another famous boxer with whom Ebert is accpiainted is Max Schmeling, the German Dempsey, who was also a Heidelberg student. These two also trained together and were personal friends. Ebert is keenly interested in the result of Schmeling’s meeting with Jack tiharkey in tho elimination bout for the world title.

At Heidelberg. During the years he was a student, Ebert stated tiierc had been over 5000 men at Heidelberg University. The popular conception of Heidelberg in this part of tho world appeared to be derived from “Tho Student Prince,” but though the famous pile had not all the glamour with which it was invested by the musical comedy stage, it was a very wonderful place. The popular idea that no man was a proper graduate from Heidelberg without a sabre cut on the face was amusing to Ebert, who stated that duelling was strictly prohibited and had been replaced by boxing. A few of the wilder spirits still strove to maintain the sabre-rattling traditions, but not many. New Zealand Impressions. Ebert is a native of tho Austrian Tyrol, his father’s holding being within an hour’s journey of the (Swiss frontier. Ho found much to remind him of the Tyrol in some of our New Zealand mountain scenery, but he read a lesson to the Palmerston North Borough Council when he stated that in his native country no person was allowed to cut down a tree without replacing it. “This appears to me a good country for tho farmer and you all seem prosperous,” he'said speaking Qf.Ncw.Zealand. .1/1 think this, -jyjil bg a great

country some day. You have no real poor hero as you find in so many other places.” Ebert commences training operations in the Fire Brigade hall, Cuba street, to-niglit and an invitation is extended ito all interested to attend. ~, , .