WRESTLING TITLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22733, 20 May 1937, Page 9

WRESTLING TITLE

DEFEAT OF McCBEADY BOUT WITH DEAN DETTON SECOND THROWS IN TOWEL [from our owx correspondent] VANCOUVER, April 17 Any doubts New Zea landers might have had as to whether Earl McCready's successes in New Zealand would carry any weight in his quest for the world's heavy-weight wrestling crown were removed on his return to Canada, when his challenge against Dean Detton, recognised world's champion, received official sanction from New York. Detton, known as the Mormon Matman, travelled from Salt Lake City to Vancouver for the bout. It was the first world's championship heavy-weight wrestling contest held in the British Empire for 2.'3 years, the last being when Georges Hackenschmidt, " the Russian Lion," and Tom Jenkins, of the United States, met in the Albert Hall, London, in 1904. The bout was an important subject of discussion among sports writers, both in Canada and tho United States for days before it was held. McCready's record in New Zealand in the last few years was mentioned as an indication that ho was still on the upgrade, whereas some writers were inclined to think that Detton had already reached his peak. General opinion was slightly in favour of MeCready. The doings of both wrestlers were minutely described during each day of their training, liko those for a world's championship boxing contest, and one " incident " was told in big headlines. This occurred when a disagreement arose among the parties over the referee. Dctton's manager, Jack Washbourn, objected to one referee proposed on tho grounds that he was too friendly with MeCready. and used some far from polito language at the big Canadian. Next minute he was in one of those holds that Njw Zealanders have come to know so well and when he was separated from MeCready his nose was bleeding freely. Dick Rutherford, of California, was finally chosen as referee. Disappointing Match

The actual match, fought last night, was disappointing in several ways. The crowd that gathered at the Vancouver Forum was rather disappointing, being only about 3000. The match itself was not particularly lively, the wrestlers concentrating on their bid for the title and abandoning all showmanship. The bout had been in progress for 70 minutes before Paul Boeseh, McCready's second, threw in the towel, while the Canadian was struggling in one of Dean Detton's stopover toeholds, thereby conceding the champion the match It had been agreed that the light would be for two hours, with the best two of three falls, or the first fall, if none had occurred in the first hour.

The action came as a complete surprise, as up to that time MeCready had, if anything, forced the pace. The crowd showed its disfavour of Boeseh's action by hooting as Detton left the ring. Describing Dctton's performance a local sports commentator said: "If a champion is a man who is supposed to back-pedal faster, stall better and go for the ropes quicker than his opponent, then tho Salt Lake grappler is one. MeCready made Detton look very bad indeed last night from a wrestling standpoint. He bounced him with barrel-rolls, clamped on leg-scis-sors and was the aggressor all the way. Only a couple of times did ho go for the ropes."

Excited Second Any New Zealander would have shared this opinion. Although Detton proved himself fast and wiry he was no match in straight wrestling for tlia Canadian. Boesch had been jumping up and down excitedly all night, exhorting, giving instructions and shouting and it appeared that he was momentarily carried away when he threw the towel in. MeCready was limping rather hadlv from the hold on the way to the dressing-room, however, and there might have been some justice in Boeseh's statement that a few more minutes in the hold might have crippled MeCready permanently. The Canadian's future movements are uncertain. Prior to the match he received some tempting offers from promoters in the East of the United States should he win. Mr. Elwood Rigb.v, of Pittsburg, offered him a 20,000 dollars guarantee for a match for the title, and Mr. P. Bowser, of Boston, sent an offer of 10,000 dollars for a contest with Stove Casey. These contests will lapse with McCready's defeat, but it seems probable that the publicity the match has afforded will give him plenty of lucrative bouts in America.