AMATEUR WRESTLERS LOOK WELL IN ACTION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7271, 26 September 1933, Page 8

AMATEUR WRESTLERS LOOK WELL IN ACTION

Championship Preliminaries For the Manawatu

Tv. De CLEENE BEATS SIX MEN

The eliminating rounds of the Manawatu Wrestling Association’s amateur championships were held at the Opera Houso last evening before a fair attendance of fans. All the boys were keen on the job, and with Mr. Alex Anderson as the impartial man in the ring, there was some good tussling in a number of bouts. The finals will herald the big bout to-night. Milverton v. Rickerby. The first pair of lightweights to come to grips were R. Milverton (United) 9.13, and E. Rickerby (Apollo) . 9.6. Rickerby appeared to be the stronger man and soon had his opponent in difficulty. After some determined grappling on tho mat, the Apollo man got the first fall with a cradle grip. In the second round Milverton tried to find the equaliser with a variety of holds, but Rickerby knew too much about his game. It. was poor wrestling again in the final session, with Milverton unable to turn his skill to profit against the grips of Rickerby, who was anxious for a fall when the gong went. He deserved his win.

Clark Beats Hart,

When M. Hart (Apollo) 8.11, and J. Clark (United) 8.13, came to grips, there was some fast work between two boys in the pink. Hart hoed in with a will but his attempt to haul his opponent down came to naught. They kept things busy but each had a clean sheet at the gong. Clark tried a half- nelson when they came back, to follow it up by slamming his man to the mat and putting on a stiff kcadlock. Hart again drew applause by extricating himself when in a nasty position. Clark made the fighting in the third round, although ho almost fell for a cradle at the outset. His offensive tactics won the referee’s decision when the final bell came with no fall recorded.

Pinlayson Shapes Well. A. Fin lay son (United) 9.13, v. A. Adamson (Milson) 10.0. Finlay son registered first when after a nippj lieadlock he worked fast and completed the job with a body press that pinned his man beyond hope of recovery. Ihe bout was all Finlayson’s and it came to a sudden end early in the second when he repeated virtually the,same tactics. The win went well with the crowd.

Introducing a Good Pusher. Tho first heavyweight scrap was between M. Murphy (United) 12.12, and J, Duncan (Tlalcombe) 13.7. The burlesque with which this encounter opened would have done credit to any pair of circus men. It wasn’t exactly wiestjing, but Duncan kept everybody in spasms by the way he shunted his man round the ring from corner to corner. The enclosure was not nearly big enough for him, and the ropes were dancing all the time. They had at last got to tho mat as the gong went. Murphy took it more seriously in the second, and after a sustained body press he brought Duncan well and truly to the mat. Duncan’s “flying push” was again in action the beginning of the third, but th# country boy obviously did not know much about the science of it, and went under with colours flying when Murphy felled him again with a body press. Tho scrap should havo brought a lot of amusement tax into the State collers.

De Cleene Fights as a Heavy. J. E. McKenzie (Apiti) 12.4, v. R. De Cleene (United) 10.7. De Cleene needed all his science to nullify the weig advantage of the visitor, but he wrestled with head as well as hands and feet, and was “almost there” when the l,c'U saved McKenzie from going to the mat. A body scissors was the means employed by De Cleene in the second round to lower Ins man, and McKenzie could not hold out long in the face of ■it McKenzie was lighting hard to avert a second fall against him in tho last round, but Dc Cleene finished it off convincingly with an armbar and body press. The smaller man had played safe all tho way. Benton Ahead on Points.

H. Benton (Milson) 10.6, and Hori Heko (Milson) UM, were the first pair in the middleweight class. It was stirring wrestling in the early stages and ip rent tilings were expected of the Maori. Ho staged a real thrill when lie picked Benton np aloft and hurled him to the mat with quite a professional slam, but Benton came up smiling. They mixed it again in round two and Held was repaid for his butting when Benton lowered him with a headlock. However, he could not make it a fall and they had both cooled off at the end of the session. The last round was a real thriller and the Maori put all his strength into some goat-like butts that came to rest on Benton s stomach. The latter,, however, had more fight left in him, and sent his man twice to the ropes. He used planty of brains in his tackling and was wearing Ids man down when the gong went. An extra round was ordered but they fought it out without result. Benton worked for a points decision, as the less tired man kept liis end up successfully. The decision in his favour had a mixed reception.

Eckersley v. Duncan . J. Eckersley (Apollo) 9.4, v. A. Dim can (Halcombe), 9.13. Nothing do. lug in the first round. There was some squirming in the second when Eckersley got a headlock in action, but uc could not follow it up, and this round also- could only bo called tame. Eckersley got" the bout on points after they had seen it but to the end, but there was not. a J'erap of. good wrestling all the way through

; Two Good Feathers 1.. Barrell (Longburn), 8,8, . v. E. Anthony (United), 8.13, These boys

were eager to get going, and Antnony tried a couple of realistic dumps thathad his opponent in trouble. They were well tied up at the end of tho first round. In tho next Farrell, who was wrestling well against a wily man, broke cleverly from a couple of headlocks. Anthony, however, got the first fall with a body press after sticking doggedly to his man. After the break Anthony made short work of it, getting the verdict with a simple press after a convincing slam. Ho had wrestled cleverly all the way through.

De Cleene Wins Easily A. G. Taylor (Milson) 10.10, v. RDo Cleene (United) 10.GJ. The latter took things easy at his second appearance, and the best thing he did m the first round was to show how ticklish lie was. Taylor, who. was the taller man, made a fight of it in. nu ™‘ ber two, but De Cleone worked his will towards the end, and brought his man down with a straight-out press. This was virtually the end, for De Cleene kept up his cud quite easily to get t.m verdict at the end of the scrap. There were some good scissors during the last encounter. E. Cox (Apollo) 11.1. v. G. Young (Milson) 10.12. After a fruitless first round there were fireworks in the second, Young staging some brilliant tactics. The ropes were called into action to save Young when Cox got a short scissors on him, but the two were still on even terms at tho end of the round, which was a good one. Young got the verdict after a determined onslaught. Cox stuck to it gamely within a split inch of the mat, but finally had to succumb.

Findlay Beats Eckersley The lightweight semi-final between J. Eckersley and A. Findlayson had little to commend it, although the pair slogged away well. Eckersley was up against a heavier man, and was by no means at home under those circumstances. The first two -rounds: went by without event, but in the third Findlayson thundered his man to the mat with a good slam, and from there worked quickly to the fall that made the bout his.

Another De Cleene Victim De Cleene seemed equal to all-com-ers, and came back yet a third time to contest, honours with J. Fairburn (Milson), 11.0. He got his fall in the first round with an all-powerful press, which was repeated without difficulty in the second encounter. It was Dc Clcenc’s scrap all tho way.

Heki As a Light-Heavy E. Cox (Apollo) 11.1, v. Hori Hekc (Milson), 11.0. Heke had evidently lost a lot in weight since his last visit to the scales, but this did not deter him from troubling Cox from the outset. In the matter of points the first round was easily his. One of the most popular falls of the evening was Hekc’s in the second round, when after some enterprising wrestling ae applied a headlolck and then levelled his man with, a body press. Heke rounded off a good performance in the next when after some racy escapades round the ring he brought off a clever fall with a headlock. Loud applause greeted his effort.

The Welter Final Veteran Do Cleene still had something new when he made Ins fourth essay for the evening in contesting the welter-weight final with H. Benton (Milson) 10.6. It ivas not sparkling work, but after having a tough spin for a time De Cleene forced Benton to the mat. The latter had been fighting gamely, and put across some good grips. He was put out of action in the third round, thus giving the welter final to De Cleene.

Heke Extended Heke was again announced at 11-34 when he came back to fight out the light-heavy final with E. Douglas (Apiti), 11.7. Heke was still full of tricks, but had met a man more like his . equal. There was nothing doing till tho end of the first, when after a clump Heke came neaT to felling Douglas, who had tho luck of the gong. Hoke’s shock tactics got him. the verdict in the third round, when after a lot of butts and dumps, he thudded Douglas to the mat and had him pinned in a trice.

Too Strong For Young De Cleene was rebuked with living in the ring when he came back vet a fifth opponent in G. Young (Milson), 10.12. He did little in the first round beyond securing a fallwitu a press, which was no great achievemerit -Tor liim tit this stage* Ano cr easy fall in the second round made his man another simple thing.

The Final Bout The final bout of the evening was the light-heavy final between Hoke and De Cleene. These two, who had been tho stars of the. earlier programme, turned on good wrestling, but were handicapped by the formidable list of previous bouts. They stuck it out in stoic fashion, with I)e Cleene gradually working to the top. He found the Milson champion, however, quite enough to keep him busy. They got properly tied up in the third round, and there was some willing wrestling. The issue had to .be decided by the referee, who raised Do Cleene’s arm for the sixth time. . It was a stirring climax to the evening s programme.