WRESTLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23830, 9 June 1939, Page 12

WRESTLING

CLARK BEATS BOESCH WINNER’S CLEVER DISPLAY While the packed house which witnessed the professional wrestling contest oetween Paul Boesch and Jim “Dazzler” Clark in the Town Hall last night did not appear particularly enthusiastic over Clark’s victory by a fall which he took in the fifth round, there could have been few among the spectators who were not satisfied that they had had their money’s worth. From the time Clark, heralded by two pipers, entered the ring until the final gong, there was not a dull moment, and throughout the full eight rounds, the bout was one of the breeziest and most entertaining that have been seen in Dunedin for many a day. Compared with the brilliant red of Boesch’s dressing gown, Clark’s colour scheme of purple and dark blue looked almost drab, but the pipes more than made up for any lack of colour in his ensemble, and they were also responsible for him winning a reception that was almost as enthusiastic as that given Boesch, who is still as popular as ever with Dunedin crowds. Sturdy, thick-set, and rugged, Clark took the ring at 16st 101 b—six pounds heavier than his opponent—and looked every pound of it. He is one of the best comedians who have ever been seen in a local ring, but he is also one of the best wrestlers, and while Boesch was, perhaps, a little the speedier of the two, Clark’s tremendous strength, the clever manner in which he used the ropes in defence, and his skill in allowing Boesch to do his work for him were all factors that helped to gain him the decision. More than anything, however, it was his deadly headlocking that led to Boesch’s downfall, for the latter was obviously still suffering from the effects of his bout in Wellington which resulted in his neck being nearly dislocated. In the early stages of the bout, Boesch worked some neatly-apphed scissors holds on the limbs and head, but always Clark came back to the headlock, and after a round or so the results were very evident in the condition of Boesch’s nose. Boesch was not getting many opportunities _of bringing off his favourite drop-kicx but at the end of the second round he connected with one which, for speed and direction, would have done credit to Trevathan. Clark took it, and just to show how tough he was refused to use his chair when he went to his corner. , . Boesch gave a fine exhibition of scissors work when twice in succession he brought his man down with holds on the arro s and then bumped him around the ring in a rolling scissors, but Clark managed to break this by climbing up the ropes, and, after a whirl of elbow jolts, he came out with a full Nelson on his opponent. More headlocking by Clark had Boesch in distress for a while, but finally the latter succeeded in sending his man to the mat with a devastating dump, and. quick as a flash, was on him with a splits hold. Clark was working quietly, almost lazily, and by main strength he got round until he had Boesch in an Indian deathlock. Boesch managed to keep him off balance, and they went into g tangle on the ropes from which Clark emerged minus a good deal of skin from his nose. For a minute the referee was the busiest man in the ring. For the time being, both men were considering anything fair, and when Clark pulled Boesch along to the corner and butted him solidly against the post Boesch replied with two crashing jolts to the chin, both of which looked to be perilously near punches. At the commencement of the fifth round Clark took another brace of jolts, followed by a drop-kick, but he recovered quickly and clamped on a vicious reverse headlock, to which Boesch had to submit. Boesch was considerably the worse for wear when he came up for the sixth round, and after the twisting and battering that his neck received in the next minute or two it was a wonder that he had any neck left at all. Something happened when they were, on the mat ,that .must have annoyed him more than usual.Cfor he suddenlv went, completely berserk, dragged .Clark 16 his feet by the hair, and belted him all over the ring with jolts, which prepared the way for a full Nelson with the legs. Still Clark managed to keep himself out of serious trouble, and even when. Boesch tried to body-press him after a giant swing, he eased his way out of the hold and got to the ropes. The ropes saved him once more when Boesch, after making him groggy with a succession of two-handed chops to the nane of the neck, caught him in a full Nelson. Towards the end of the contest. Boesch was exploiting a wide variety of holds, but Clark invariably countered with his punishing headlocks, or, when matters became too warm for him. sought sanctuary in the ropes. These tactics did not please the crowd, which earnestly voiced its disapproval. Nor were Clark’s variations of the headlock, such as rubbing his fist up and down Boesch’s already sadly maltreated nose, and twisting his opponent’s neck at all popular. Boesch went in with everything he had in the last round, and jolts and drop-kicks came at Clark from all angles. A dump following a particularly well-timed drop-kick, nearly had Clark in trouble a few seconds before the final gong, but the ropes were handy, and he was still intact when time was called THE PRELIMINARIES B. Mountfleld 9.0 beat F. Reggltt 9.12 by two falls to one. Reggltt scored in the first round with an armlock and body-press. Mountfleld equalised in the third with a similar hold, and in the fourth took the deciding fall with a forward body-press. T. Lewis 10.3 beat N. Taylor 10.1 on points. R. Tourell 12.6 beat I. McLaughlin 12.3 on points. L. Hastie 9.12 beat A. Beveridge 10.2 on points, each man securing a fall. Mr C. Turner acted as referee for the preliminaries and Mr F. Anderson controlled the main bout.