WIN ON POINTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26822, 13 July 1948, Page 6

WIN ON POINTS

CLAYBOURNE BEATS KENNETH THRILLING WRESTLING MATCH Before the largest crowd of the season. Jack Claybourne (16.4), the American negro, defeated Ken Kenneth (16.4), of Auckland, in the professional wrestling match at the Town Hall last night. It was one of the brightest and most sporting contests 'seen locally in recent years. Each man secured a fall. Kenneth took his with a backloop slam in the fifth round, and Claybourne evened up in the seventh, after a series of devastating dropkicks. The crowd was roused to a high pitch of excitement by the lively exchanges of dropkicks which featured the last round, and long before the bout terminated many of the spectators had surged towards the ring, to get a close-uo view of proceedings. No further fall was recorded, however, and Claybourne won a close decision on points. It was Claybourne’s first appearance In Dunedin this season, and he made his usual flamboyant entry, his flowing white robe, with the embroidered panther, trailing behind him as he cleared the ropes with a bound. Kenneth, whose appearances In the south have not been frequent! made a more unobtrusive debut, but his reception was equally warm. The Aucklander has been campaigning in the United States for the past iwo years, and by his display last night showed that he was a vastly improved wrestler. While he concentrated mainly on straight wrestling holds, his exhibition dfd’not lack colour or variety, and, soon establishing himself in favour with the spectators, he showed that he had profited • greatly from his sojourn in America. A feature of his work was the way in which he countered his opponent’s holds when Claybourne did not follow him closely' to the mat. Kenneth has broadened out, and should show further development in this direction with more matches. Claybourne impressed by the smooth- : ness of his performance. He is well versed in all the moves, of wrestling, and has strength to match. With his big shoulders and short neck, he is a hard man to handle, and so Kenneth found. The result was a match full of action, pleasing variety, and an absence of buffoonery. The first four rounds were evenly contested. and both men did their share of attacking, Claybourne pleasing the crowd with his agility and acrobatics. . When the fifth round opened, Claybourne came off the ropes with a flying tackle, but Kennoth evaded him and replied with a flying body scissors. As Claybourne moved In for another flying tackle. Kenneth bobbed down, and, swinging back with his opponent took a fall with a backloop slam. Claybourne hugged the corner post at the start of the seventh round, and as Kenneth moved to the attack Claybourne awoke to electrifying action, four dropkicks to the chin flattening Kenneth for the equalising fall. With everything depending on the final round, Claybourne brought his opponent down with an Indian whip and switched to an arm stretch, which he held for a couple of minutes. Kenneth rolled out, and there then began the unusual spectacle of each contestant hurling himself through the air in a series cf punishing dropkicks, which looked like ending the match at any moment. The crowd roared itself hoarse, but there were no further falls, arid the referee, Mr Frank Anderson, * awarded the decision to Claybourne on points. The Preliminaries J. Sullivan (6-1) defeated R. Bryce (G. 4) on points, no falls being recorded. J. Angow (8.0) beat A. Bruce (8,6) on points after each had obta'ned a fall— Angow with a headlock and bodypress in the second toiind and Bruce with a bodypress in the third round. G. Mills (10.0) beat R. Meinung (10.0) on points, there being no falls. A. McCone (10.4) beat G. Watson (10.7) by one fall, obtained in the second round wiih a further nelson. The referee in Ihe preliminaries was Mr G. Mowat.