WRESTLING IN LONDON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23161, 6 October 1938, Page 11

WRESTLING IN LONDON

MATCH AT ALBERT HALL' WIN FOR EARL McCREADY \ i-: [toom our own correspondent] lr -\ "v ' . LONDON, Sept'. 5 ; : The wrestling match between Earl McCready, British Empire -champion, and' Ruben Wright, . of the TJnitca • States, in a world title elimination contest; • attracted only ■ what looked like a mere scattering'•. of spectators m. the vast Albert Hall on Tuesday. It is estimated that about 3000 peoplfl were> there. Of their enthusiasm there was no doubt. Count Hollander! referee, began in full evening dress, • but as the. bout progressed, he took off his coat and rolled up his shirij sleeves. . Promoted by Mr. 'BLevin Staunton,'' well -known in Dominion athletid ■. ' icifcles, the- match/ with four well representative preliminaries, was stagey in an endeavour to reestablish interest •in ths classic style of' Tnrestling, which has languished of late years in England. „ Catch-as-catch-can, as begiin by. the ancient Greeks, was revived in Lancashire during the last century, whence. it moved overseas, and has; gripped public, interest,. particularly )in Australia. New Zealand, Canada and the United States. It is to be regretted that comparatively small interest was taken in what was a real effort to show wrestling at its best, as compared With the "all-in" style, ■ which seems to have captured popular fancy. Earl McCready, who had all. his work cut out, won the contest with a pin fall forward slam after five and a-quarter minutes in the sixth round. The contest was oho of .eight rounds,, of eight minutes each, with minute mte « vals. Following a clean, open display the American was lifted bodily and flung with terrific force on to his bach , four times in succession, after wkch he was unable to resist having-his two shoulders pressed to the mat for tha recuiisito three seconds. This was tha oSly fall, and McCready thus gamed . the decision. - 1 , flet ,1011, and McCready scaled lost., 'lJio. anu Wright 18st. 31b. r