John Katan Beats Joe Corbett

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 187, 9 August 1940, Page 8

John Katan Beats Joe Corbett

Penalty Fall Given Against Bostonian

BLOMFIELD NOT AVAILABLE Replacing Lofty Blomfield, who was injured in his match with Dan O’Connor in Christchurch, John Katan, the tall Canadian, beat Joe Corbett, of Boston, by two falls to one in a spectacular bout at the Palmerston North Opera House last evening. The contest was fast and willing all through, and it terminated abruptly half-way through the seventh round when Katan was awarded a penalty fall. Katan secured the first fall in the fourth round with a hold ho claims has never been broken when properly applied. It is called a standing inside-Japanese-toehold. Corbett, who had most of the crowd with him, equalised in the sixth round with his own special cradle hold, but the seventh round had not been in progress long when the referee cautioned him against using his fist. His reaction to the warning was to go over and drop Katan with one to the chin and Mr. Nicholls promptly raised Katan’s arm in victory. The Bout Descrinea. Corbett was hostile from the start, but the Canadian, brought up on pine cones and maple syrup, was to prove a very tough nut to track. Corbett tried a hammer-lock and got a back-hander in the face. Next he tried a head scissors. It was a good one, but Katan bucked out. Corbett grabbed an arm and was putting on a lock when Katan grabbed half his face and was making off with it when Corbett decided he had better go too. Katan then secured an arm stretch and a kick in the face and there was some elbow jolting and unkind looks as tho round ended. Corbett headlocked Katan five times at the beginning of the second round, but he missed the fall with the body press. Katan kicked free and jolted Corbett, the last of a series sending him through the ropes. The angry Bostonian returned and punished Katan with a lying splits and a double-barred toehold. Katan sat and suffered and ho was still tied up at the gong. Katan decided during the spell that fie would “go for evens” and he rolled Corbett round the ring and then' punished him with a hammer lock. Cor-1 bett held a rocking chair splits but was 1 tangled in an Indian death lock. Katan i was beginning to think it had "turned 1 out nice again” when Corbett rose like a jack in the box and knocked him off his balance. The Canadian had Corbett in a chancery and was giving him a painful face massage at the end of tho, round. Red about the face, Corbett soon had Katan in a side chancery but Katan got out of it only to be knocked Hying with a couple of tackles. Corbett went back on to the ropes to complete the job but ne was met with an elbow jolt which upended him. Katan landed a second as Corbett rose and then picked up Corbett’s legs, twisted one under the other and proceeded to back across the ring, using the Bostonian as the "monkey” in a piledriving competition. He then leaned on tho leg hold and pressed Corbett’s shoulders down for the first fall. The fifth round was remarkable for the many toe-to-toe elbow jolting rallies, Katan’s forearm travelling upwards and Corbett’s a chopper. The Bostonian equalised in the sixth round and there was deafening applause. Katan had held on a short arm scissors and when they returned to their feet, he jolted Corbett into a lovely temper. Corbett, after one particularly juicy one, dived in and grabbed Katan. He sat down and kicked the Canadian over his head. Twine he did it and then he headlocked him until Katan had forgotten which was the right way up. Next he folded Katan and upended him until his shoulders were squarely on the mat. In tfie seventh round Corbett was thoroughly enjoying himself when the referee warned him that he must not use the knobby end of his arm when elbow jolting. Corbett tried another to see if Mr. Nicholls meant what ho said and the orchestra played the National Anthem. Tfie Officials. Tfie officials were: Messrs. Wally Nicholls (referee), Ces Matson (referee for amateur bouts), Jim Purves (stage manager), A. Haines (announcer), R. and P. Hopwood (timekeepers), Jack Purves (call steward), Alan Scott (medical steward). First Proiessional Bout. Bert Monas tra wrestled Pat McCasfiin in tfie first professional bout and it was bright and spectacular wrestling right from tfie start. There was applause at tfie end of tfie first round and again as they went to their corners following the second. Tfie points were about even when they came to grips for the third session. McCashin was aggressive from tfie outset and, after spinning Monastra he stepped over and worked into position for the Boston crab, Monastra submitting. Monastra slammed McCashin several times at the beginning of tho next round and then fie ligntly connected with a couple of fiying arpp kicks, then diving on to McCashin for the equalising fall. Monastra set out to repeat the performance, but he missed with a dropkick and fell heavily. Quick to see the chance McCashin pounced to get the winning fall. Amateur Preliminaries.

The first of the amateur bouts was between D. James (Palmerston North) and L. Tantrum (Rongotea), the latter giving away tilbs. Tne opening round was strenuous and even. There was little between, them at the end of the second session and the third did not give either the advantage, the decision being a draw.

Next were tho light-heavyweights, W. Cudby (Palmerstou North) and J. Thompson (R.N.Z.A.F.), who met at even weights. Cudby soon trapped Thompson and secured a fall with a body press. Thompson did better in the second round though lie was on the defence for most of the time and it was the samo in tho third, Cudby winning with the only fall. C. Molloy (Koolmau’s Gym.) was lOlbs. heavier than S. Croft, also from Wellington. They wrestled solidly in the first round, but there were fireworks without a fall in the second and third and the decision was a draw.