WOODS AND BOESCH DRAW

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 136, 11 June 1936, Page 8

WOODS AND BOESCH DRAW

Spectacular Wrestling at Opera House

EACH MAN SECURES A

FALL

A well-filled Opera House witnessed last night one of the best wrestling contests ever seen in Palmerston North, the occasion being the meeting of Joe Woods and Paul Boesch, both Americans. It was solid going right throughout, and scientific wrestling, mixed with a fair proportion of harder stuff, kept the crowd at a high pitch of excitement. Each man secured a fall, Boesch in the sixth round and Woods in the next, and the decision of the referee (Mr W. Nicholls) was a draw. Both men exploited a variety of holds, with Boesch easily the more spectacular and quicker of the two. His dropkicks, executed with amazing speed, were something new to Palmerston North audiences tho way he carried them out. Flying through the air feet first, he repeatedly connected with Woods’ chin and chest, and it was per medium of this manoeuvre that he obtained his fall. Woods made generous use of forearm jolting and repeatedly dazed his opponent, securing his fall by this method. The Contest Begins. After half-a-minutc of preliminary sparring for' holds, Boesch obtained an arm bar and wrestlock on Woods, but the latter broke free, only to have the same arm immediately imprisoned again. Woods again cleared himself and retaliated with a fiammerlock, which caused Boesch some worry beforo lie finally tossed Woods over his shoulders. Boesch took Woods to the mat with a reverse headloek and endeavoured to pin him, but Woods camo out of it with a splits. However, Boesch was soon out of this with a punishing toehold on Woods. The gong found Woods trying to break the hold by means of forearm jolts to Boesch’s back. Woods opened the second round with a series of forearm jolts, dazing Boesch, but the latter checked Woods with a dropkick. Woods took his opponent to the mat with a headloek, but the latter secured a body scissors, only to be trapped into a Japanese leglock and head scissors, which ho broko with a jolt that dazed Boesch, tho latter seeking a breather outside the Topes before returning to the . fray. Woods came into Boesch with his forearms, only to sec Boesch execute two beautiful dropkicks, both connecting with Woods’ chin. Boesch got Woods in a wristlock and armbar, but the shorter man worked free and at the gong had Boesch in a hammerlock.

Use of his elbows by Woods at the beginning of the third round led to Boesch retaliating and the crowd saw a hectic exchange, Boesch finally going to the mat apparently dazed, only to surprise Woods and the crowd with a dropkick. Boesch trapped Woods in a short-arm scissors and rolled him round tho ring, but had to break it when Woods caught him in the face with his forearm. Further jolting enabled Woods to break a toehold. A little later he was cautioned by the referee for using his fists. Woods Amuses Boesch. Woods opened the fourth round with an attempt at Boesch’s speciality, the dropkick, only to have the latter smilingly step aside and wag his finger at him. Boesch secured Woods’ left arm in a punishing hold, but the latter came to his feet and broko free. Woods tried a flying tackle, but his opponent was too- quick for him and got out of the way. Boesch delighted the crowd with another dropkick that sent Woods reeling to tho corner. After a period of manoeuvring on the mat, Woods trapped Boesch into an Indian deathlock, but the latter caught one of Woods’ legs and pulled him down. Boesch had his man in a short-arm scissors at the gong.

Woods put a hammcrlock on Boescli at the beginning of the fifth round and caused his opponent a tremendous amount of pain, which Bocsch. endured for two minutes, refusing to submit. He finally broke the hold by connecting to Woods’ face with his free arm. A minute later Woods had a hammcrlock on the same arm again, but Boesch broke it with a facebar. They were angling for holds at the end of the round. Lightning Dropkicks. Boesch came straight from his corner at the beginning of the sixth round with a dropkick to Woods’ chin. When the latter came to his feet, Boesch again connected with both of his feet and pounced on Woods as he lay dazed on the mat, to pin his shoulders without much effort. It was a popular fall. Early in the seventh round Woods came off the ropes for a flying tackle, but Boesch put hjm over his shoulders. Woods then resumed using his forearms, and connecting several times to the face and chest, had Boesch dizzy. He finally felled him and Boesch was unable to offer opposition to being pinned. Boesch still appeared dazed as ho came to the centre of the ring for the last round, but a hefty forearm slap to Woods’ head quickly dispelled that impression. Woods wanted to trade forearm slaps, but Boesch like lightning had his man in a short-arm scissors and then a cradlo hold. Woods broke free and went back to elbow slugging, but Boesch felled him twice with dropkicks. However, he was unable to pin his man. Woods trapped Boesch into a Boston crab, and amid the frenzied excitement of the crowd, the latter refused to submit, kicking Woods off after a minute of intense pain. While ho was exercising his injured back, Woods grabbed his legs again for another Boston crab, but Boesch kicked him off as the latter was endeavouring to step over to complete the hold. Woods came in again with jolts and was warned by the referee for using his fists. Bocsch retaliated in kind and there was a hectic exchange, rousing the crowd to a high pitch of excitement, which was intensified when Boesch again exploited dropkicks. The

final gong went with each trying to pick the other up for a dump. The Preliminaries Two lightweights in K. Evans (Apollo) and Herrington (Dannevirke), both 10.7, opened the amateur preliminaries. Both men spent most of the first round on their feet, angling for holds. In the second Evans took Herrington to tlio mat with a leg trip, but they went through the ropes. The end of tho round saw the Daunevirke man escaping from a toe hold. The last session provided even but eventful wrestling. Tho decision—a draw, was popularly received. J. Clark (Downes’), 10.7, was too good for P. Reynolds (Feilding), also 10.7. Reynolds, who seemed content to leave the initiative to Clark, was dumped heavily twice in the first round. Clark spent most of the last two rounds in trying unsuccessfully to pin Reynolds’ shoulders. He won the decision by a mile. Bright wrestling was provided by two light heavyweights—P. Razos (Wellington), 11.10, and I. Petersen (Massey College), 12. G. Both exploited a variety of holds in the first round, the bell finding the Massey College man held in a head scissors. Petersen had his man in a standing splits in the second, but could not hold his balance. A few seconds later he failed to connect with a flying tackle. Tho third round saw Petersen break a splits with elbow jolts. Razos dumped his man three times in succession and finished the bout with a body press. J. Coldstream (Dannevirke), 11.1, and T. Waldron (Rata), 11.3, had not been in the ring two minutes before the latter had secured a fall following a cradle hold. Coldstream was the aggressor throughout the second and third rounds and indulged in a variety of tactics, including liairpulling, forearm jolts, and kicks, but Waldron more than held his own as far as straight wrestling was concerned. Newcomer Extends McCready In Great Contest Per Press Association. WANGANUI, Last Night. Easily the best professional wrestling contest ever staged in Wanganui was won to-night by Earl McCready, who caught Sam Leathers napping in the sixth round and knocked him out with a back slam into which McCready threw every ounce of his 17-stone weight. Leathers, making his first appearance in New Zealand, had the best of the bout, gaining a fall in the second round with a figure-four scissors. From then on McCready had to defend practically the whole time. In the crucial sixth round Leathers again established his figure-four scissors and maintained it for a full two minutes. It was obvious that McCready was taking severe punishment, but his strength was equal to it and outstood that of Leathers, who had to case the pressure. As he did so McCready rose to his feet and fell backwards on top of his opopqent, knocking him senseless. Leathers remained in the centre of the ring unable to continue, and the bout was awarded to McCready, who appeared to be extremely lucky.