LIVELY CONTEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26175, 11 June 1946, Page 6

LIVELY CONTEST

WIN FOR NEGRO WRESTLER NEWMAN BEATEN IN FAST MATCH From the moment the beautifullymuscled negro wrestler, Jack Claybourne (16.11) announced his entry into the ring by clearing the ropes in a bound in his flowing green robe until he obtained the deciding fall in the eighth and last round of the professional match against Leo Newman (17.2) at the Town Hall last night an audience of more than 3000 was treated to the fast, clever, and entertaining type of contest made so popular in the days of Paul Boesch and others of that ilk before the war. After the disappointing, colourless match with which the burly Newman opened the season by defeating Lofty Blomfield, the audience was Inclined at the outset to look upon the former with a somewhat critical eye, but, while he was ever ready again to adopt the role of the ” villain" of the piece, he showed throughout a solid and strenuous match what a really good wrestler he is. Although he may have employed a lesser variety of holds than his opponent, Newman exploited to the full those which he found effective, and by way of maintaining his part as the “ bad boy ” of the bout was wont to mix with his elbow jolts something a little more potent but less legitimate. Claybourne, who was making his first appearance in Dunedin, quickly established himself in favour with the maioritv of the audience, who cheered him vociferously when he took each of« his two falls. A fast and smooth mover, the negro was particularly adept in the use of armholds, and his dropkick and flying tackle were so sparingly used as to make them the more valuable weapons of offence when they did happen along. The Match Solid, straight wrestling was seen In the opening round with Newman exploiting reverse wristlocks, facebars, head* locks, while Claybourne was .switching quickly from armbars and wristlocks to hammerlocks, Newman poking hii elbow in the negro s eye to get out of trouDie. A powerful waisthold took the wind out of Newman's sails in the second round, so to speak, and when a hammerlock Claybourne brought him down with a flying mare, quickly moving to a reverse wristlock. Newman then tried his favourite pastime of doing a little hair-pulling, but the negro s closelycropped head offered poor scope in this direction, so Newman made do with an ear instead. Newman incurred the displlasure both of his opponent and the referee (Mr Frank Anderson) when he held on to a toehold after the bell at the end of the second, and gave Clay* bourne's foot a few extra wrenches for So Newman U came off second best when he rapped Claybourne on the head at the start of the third round, and wh ie he was wringing his damaged hand his opponent brought him down with a flying headscissors. The negro was showing great ability in getting clear of trouble, even to the use of a "kangaroo hop, but tne round had been in progress for only four minutes when Newman broke a neaciscissors with a toehold, which eventually enabled him to pin Claybourne with a b °Claylfourne’s dropkick was first brought Into play in the fourth round, and the negro also dumped Newman with a series of reverse headlocks. Newman sank a punch to Claybourne's stomach and the negro dropped to the mat. Claybourne got some of his own back when he kicked his way out of an armbar and held an armstretch at the bell. Claybourne secured the equalising tall In a lively and spectacular fifth round. The negro brought his opponent down with a headlock after he had walked him round the ring, and there followed some acrobatics in the middle of the ring. Newman essayed a flying tackle off the ropes, and at his second attempt the n*gro leapt clear of the floor and went over Newman s head. Moving off the ropes like a flash. Claybourne sent Newman to the mat with a dropkick to the chin to take the .fall with a bodypress. The sixth round was marked by a series of toeholds by both men, and Newman used the rope for leverage when the referee was on his far side, his action earning him the “boohs" of the crowd. Claybourne countered with a splits hold, and endeavoured to dump Newman at the start of the seventh, but Newman fell back on top of his opponent. Flying tackles by Claybourne and elbow jolts by Newman which connected ended the round. . . „ Newman unleashed a series of jolts to the head at the start of the eighth round, and the negro sought the sanctuary of the ropes. It was a ru6e, however, and before Newman realised what had hit him a dropkick had sent him to the mat, where Claybourne pinned him with a bodypress to take the fall and the match by two falls to one. Newman, however, maintained his role to the end. and as the referee left the ring the loser was still protesting vainly in the middle of the ring, though what about no ope but he knows. Amateur Preliminaries R. Hollamby (6.7) beat D. Atkinson (6.7) on points, no falls being recorded. VI. Gibson (8.11) beat W. Jackson (8.11) on points. Gibson secured a fall in the first round with a cross-buttock and bodypress, and Jackson evened up in the second round with a Rill gained by means of an armroll and bodypress. N. C. Reach (12.0) beat F. W. Reggltt (11.1) by the only fall of the match, obtained in the third round with a headlock and armstretch. „ , J. McCabe (9.12) and F. Vaughan (10.2) wrestled a draw, each securing a fall. McCabe pinned his opponent with a cradle hold in the second round, and Vaughan secured the equalising fall in the third round with a reverse headlock and legstretch. . __ . G McKay (11.8) drew with F. Keach (12.6). no falls being recorded Mr Colin Turner was the referee for the amateur bouts.