WRESTLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21165, 24 October 1930, Page 10

WRESTLING.

EDWARDS v. KARA PASHA. CANADIAN GAINS THE CONTEST A SENSATIONAL FINISH. Last night in the Town Hall approximately 3000 people—by far the largest crowd that has ever witnessed a wrestling contest in Dunedin—saw Billy Edwards (13.1), the Canadian, defeat Kara Pasha (12.9) in a sensational finish after what was probably the hardest and most brilliant exhibition of wrestling seen in this city. Each man had a fall to his credit, and when, in the sixth round, Kara, with almost lightning swiftness, clamped on the dreaded Boston crab, with which he had secured his previous fall, it appeared that the end had come. Edwards, the veteran of scores of hectic bouts, however, kept his head, and twisting half round, he tapped the Turk three times on the back. Kara Pasha, thinking it to be the signal of victory, relinquished his grip, and walked toward his corner. Edwards sprang to his feet, and, hurling the Turk to the mat, forced his shoulders to the canvas with the well-known body press, while 3000 people stamped and booed and cheered themselves hoarse.

It might have been thought that, taking into consideration Edwards’s previous performance. the contest would be marked by “ fireworks ” and general roughness, but such was not the case. It was one of the cleanest and most open matches seen in Dunedin this season, the Canadian proving conclusively that he is a powerful, clever wrestler as well as a showman.

As the two men stood up at the opening of the first round it was immediately apparent that both men were well matched for size and height. Indeed, as far as physical proportions went, they presented a striking similarity with their broad shoulders, powerful arms and legs, and brown bodies gleaming in the strong light of the ring. After a quiet opening, the Turk brought Edwards down with a headlock, the latter clearing .and springing to his feet. Kara secured a clever Japanese arm lock, twisting the Canadian’s arm round,- but Edwards shouldered him off. Again assuming the offensive, the Turk sent Edwards to the mat with a head look, and, grabbing one of the Canadian’s feet, bent it backwards in an excruciating toe hold. Edwards countered with a face bar, and, dragging Kara’s head back, forced him to relinquish his hold. A few ' seconds late Kara was in trouble with Edwards on top, but he broke clear, and they came to their feet. After a period of even struggling, the Turk secured one of his punishing short arm scissors, and Edwards plainly showed that he was feeling the pain. His. resourcefulness, however, came to his aid, and he convulsed the crowd by tickling Kara’s ribs, the latter bounding away. Again they came to the mat.. Edwards broke from a toe hold by pushing his open hand into Kara’s face, and the round ended shortly after. Kara opened the second round with some characteristic grimaces, and then, springing in, he clamped on a chin press, and twisting the Canadian’s head round, brought him to the mat. Edwards crawled into a corner, but Kara seized him by the foot, and dragged him back to the centre of the ring. The Turk next secured a powerful head lock, and commenced to jerk the Canadian’s head back, but Edwards burst free. Reaching back over his own shoulders, Kara grabbed Edwards, qnd with the wellknown Swiss head throw, hurled him forward to the mat. Picking his opponent up bodily Kara dumped him on to the floor, and butting him with his chest tried to force Edwards’s shoulders to the canvas. Edwards came round, and locking Kara’s head between his legs, twisted his arm up his back in a hammerlock. Kara rolled clear, and the gong went with each holding the other in a toe hold The third round opened with the wrestlers locked in each other’s arms, and in this position a trial of sheer strength showed the Turk to be little inferior to Edwards. Edwards tried to push Kara through the ropes, but the referee sprang in, and. using a most useful head-hold, sent the Canadian sprawling across the ring, while the spectators roared with laughter. Coming back Edwards seized Kara in a head-bold, and wringing 'his fist in the latter’s face punished him terribly till the Turk obtained relief by throwing his opponent bodily over the ropes. Edwards quickly scrambled back, and rushing at the Turk, hurled him to the mat with a head-lock Three times more Kara crashed to the - canvas, and Edwards falling on the exhausted and dazed Turk gained the first fall of the contest. Edwards came quickly out of Ins corner after the interval, but the Turk kept clear of danger. Amidst a great storm of cheering Kara Pasha assumed the offensive. He evened tip the score from the last round by grinding his finger in the Canadian’s eye, and then, sending him to the mat, stood on Edwards’s head. Edwards broke clear, and, raising his locked hands high over Kara Pasha’s head, drove the latter to the mat with a deadly rabbit punch. As he fell the Turk dived for Edwards’s legs, and, quick as a flash, rolled him on to his face, threw one leg of his own across the Canadian’s body, and sat down with the famous Boston crab. Edwards frantically tapped the mat, while from every part of the hall thunderous applause greeted the popular Kara Pasha. Coming into action immediately on the opening of the fifth round Kara Pasha went for the standng splits, but Edwards pushed him clear with hie foot. The Turk again tried to push Edwards through the ropes, and on being brought back to the centre of the ring the two aimed wild punches at one another, the referee coming between them for a moment. Once more the Turk manoeuvred for the crab hold, but Edwards, in desperation, kicked clear, A period of fierce, even wrestling followed. The Turk brought Edwards down with a headlock, and then applied an arm bar, but Edwards came round, and rolling himself into a ball broke clear, gong sounding soon after. The sixth round opened quietly. Suddenly Kara Pasha brought Edwards down, and, almost before he realised what had happened, the Canadian was caught in the Boston crab. What followed has already’ been described, and Edwards left the ring the victor of a thrilling contest. The Turk, however, stayed on, and after the uproar had died down he came to the ropes and stated that he would wrestle Edwards again at any date and on any terms. Next time he secured the Boston crab, he, vowed, it would take more than three taps on the shoulder to make him break his grip. Mr W, Goughian made a most efficient referee. PRELIMINARY BOUTS. B. Lucy (11.0) beat J. Flaherty (10.7) by a fall secured in the third round. P. Lunam (10.10) defeated Clark (11.12) by two falls to nil, the contest ending in the second round. G. Edwards (9.3) beat J. Wilson (10.6) by two falls to one. The bout went the full distance of three rounds. Mr W. Goughian was the referee. RETURN BOUT PROBABLE. The last night amounted to £438, which is easily a record for wrestling in Dunedin. It is stated that Edwards and Kara Pasha have been provisionally matched to meet again in Dunedin on October 31.

LOGAN DEFEATS EBERT. (Per United Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, October 23. In a wrestling bout here this evening W. Logan (America) defeated F. Ebert (Austria) in the seventh round. Ebert had a fall in hand, and attempted to butt Logan, who stepped aside, Ebert crashing through the ropes to the floor, and being unable to continue. WALKER DEFEATS LURICH. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 23. Wonderful endurance was shown in the last round of an eight-round professional wrestling match at the Town Hail tonight when George Walker (13.5), the British Empire champion, stood up magnificently to a devastating body scissors applied by his opponent, Tom Lurich (14.9). the Russian. The scissors was applied on the mat about the middle of the round, and Walker’s body had to undergo tremendous pressure. Lurich tried time and

again to pull his shoulder's to the mat, but Walker hung on gamely, rising to his leet once, only to fall again trapped as badly as ever. The crowd was cheering niin, and he stuck it until the dual goner, when applause broke from all parts of the house. He had one fall, secured in the seventh round, to his credit, and won the match. RIVAL CONTROL BODIES. BREAKDOWN OF NEGOTIATIONS. (Per United Prerb Association.) WELLINGTON, October 23 No compromise in the dispute between the Dominion of New Zealand Wrestling Um ? n and New Zealand Wrestling Associatiqn is likely to take place during the remainder of the season. This information was contained, in a statement made to-day by the president of the New Zealand Union, Mr H. D. Bennett. . Although a settlement on all the points in dispute had been effected a few days ago,_ said Mr Bennett, several causes for a hitch had since developed. It was doubtful now, he said, whether any compromise could be reached this year. It is understood that the decision of the old Auckland bodv to carry the war to Wellington by forming a branch here while negotiations were still in progress proved to be the final stumbling block.