THE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5268, 7 January 1879, Page 3

THE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

In presenting Ihe Champion Belt to Tyson at tho Caledonian G.mes yesterday, Mr W. C Kirkcaldy spoko as follows:— ' Tho pleasing duty now devolves on mo, in my dual capacity aa referee, and as Pro-i; dent of tho Caledonian Society, to declare you champion thrice told, and to bond round your loins the honourable insignia of the Champion Belt, so worthily held by you fjr the last thres yoars agiinst all comer?, and n w finally won by you this day, in 1 manly, straightforward manner. What adds to my pleasure in presenting tho belt, and to yours in winning it, i* tho fast that, by your victory, you have done honour to Now Zealand, and especially to Otago, in that you have vanquished in fair fieM the best man Auß*»r-illa could bring forward. You a'so deserve credit for the tirorm.t manner in which you rofcponded to th" first challenge, leaving your contract at Kopua (Hawke's Bi,v). and coming up hero at %resA pecuniary lo.s and expeme to ilofenil the belt, which proves tint you rightly valued the bo-our of the Championship, and the p'oud di-tinction of retail ing and winning tho belt, far above ar;dbnyond any money consideration. Mod ey may take toitself wings and fly,butanhonourable ditinciimi, houcst'y and fairly won, remains forever. The bolt bainir now your privato property iru3t boa source of pride to you, nnd will, no doubt, be a precious heirlnom in the years to come. Sir Walter Scott, a ' Border' man, fitly introduce1) hiu readers to a wrestling touimmont in tho following appropriate lines :— " 'Now clear the .rinsr, for man to man, 'Them*nly wroit era take their stand.' Now what the Caledonian Society spscialy wiafce 3 to encourage and perpetuate by thia and tuJhlike competitions, is thia very spirit of manliness, and I am sure every person prtsent on Thursday and to-d*y will agree with me, that nmnlior wrcstlirg has never been exhibited than that between yourself and your woitby antagonist, who is indeed ' a foeman worihyof your stce).1 Your competition today, and the running, walking, leaping, hammer-thioning, and other conteats of this Scot'kill gathering', prove that the brave old enduring spirit is as stroDg, if not stronger, than evor in tbe hearts of Britannia's eons, and is a guarantee that, il need bo, they would " 'Stand as freemen or asircemon fa, and be " ' A wall of fire around New Zealand's Me.' £n conclusion, g«,tlHtnpn, J call on yera all tQ uojtfl

with me in wishing long life and health to both Tyson and Thomas, and td give them a hearty, tinging Otajo chser." . , MrKirkcaldy thon clasped the belt round Tysons waist amidst taud and prolonged cheers, when the champion was immediately seized and carried off In triumph.