Footballers in the Ring

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1081, 19 September 1930, Page 7

Footballers in the Ring

COMEDY AT PAHIATUA

“Bubs” Knight as Wrestler

« OME hilarious on the Auckland Ku-by team’s O recent lour are recorded in the Pahiatua “Herald,” which gives a bright account of a boxing tournament at Pahiatua, in which some of the members of the Auckland team took part in ' boxing and wrestling contests. The tit-bit wLaJ—/;’ •y. °f the evening was a V•( f/X. wrestling exhibition by ) “ Bllbs ” Kni " ht and Angus J Pin lay son which the local paper says “was alone -Jjf wor th the price ot‘ admission.” -*£■

Eleven amateur bouts preceded the meeting o£ the toeballers in two -erry mixups. “There was a yell of deiigl’t from the visitors.” says the Pahiatua "Herald,” when two of jj, e lr stalwarts, Watty Jones (13st. llllb.) and Cliff Satherley (lost. 71b.) stepped into the ring. Advice was tossed freely at the contestants, who sported their own seconds. Palmer and Jamieson being in the respective comers. Satherley rushed the Maori threequarter at once. but slipped. and Jones missed with a right haymaker. Jones rpn into a left swing, and there were yells of "Hit him in tire ‘beer basket.” Jones soon wore out one pair of gloves and stopped to change. There was at once an admonition from [be pit: "Time off. ref. Start all over again.” The Maori lad was warming up and beaming broadly as he crashed a terrific right swing to Satherley's head which completely knocked the forward off his balance. Take his suspenders oft,” advised someone, but Satherley needed no molly coddling. "Hang on with that bell. Boy." urged Jones between the round, and he must have had a premonition that he was going to get a thump on the nose. Anyway the blood spurted and so did the Maori. Satherley was battling into the tight now and coming through with fierce lefts. and Jones could not quite get the mark with some terrific swings. Satherley caught the judge’s eye by a shade and went over to console with Brother Jones. The loser playfully punched him on the jaw and the pair staggered out the best of friends.” CENTRETHREEQUARTER OUTED Jock Barnes (12st. 101 b.) and Arnold Berridge (12st. 71b.) prancing to get into it. promised more fun. Berridge skipped round like a two-year-old and dodged into tattoo his more serious opponent. "Open out. Big Boy.” called a voice and Barnes let go. "Another few feet and you'd have had

him, wailed the good counsellor amid a roar of laughter. With a rush worthy of two international packs the pair clashed in mid-ring and Arnold .is warned “to keep his eyes open.” Honours were easy in that round. A. Knight was seconding Berridge and quelled all criticism trom the pit by spraying his fel-low-tourists with water out of the bucket. Berridge was so fit that he was jumping out of his skin, and in the n«*t mix-ups legs became tangled and Barnes fell flat on his opponent.’ i rungs were looking lively when the centreihreeqnaiqer ran into a right wallop end sat down for nine. He got up gamely, but a left landed in the plexus and the referee awarded a technic-ai k.o. to Brother Barnes. But it was left to Arthur ("Bubs”) Knight, 1 6st, and Angus Finlayson, 14st 31b, to prove the tit-bit of the evennf*. . They called it a wrestling exhibition, and as a burlesque on the grappling game was alone worth the price for admission. They performed , 1 the antics and tried all the holds they could think of in the three threeminute rounds. Knight, "the Terrible Turk.” did everything but hurl his active opponent into the audience. He rolled him out of tiie ring, bumped him down on to the Press table, lifted him over his head. But P'inlayson took some pinning. From the crucifix oi' Boston crab he wriggled with ease, and pounced on friend “Bubs.” who final!v went berserk. He walked in for the last round carrying chair and all with a horrible leer across his handsome features. The chair he hurled over his shoulder, and there was a scatter round the ringside. After crashing through the ropes into the orchestra, a memorable bout ended without a single fall being registered. Knight, who practises with George Walker in Auckland sometimes, showed a. tendency to tackle referee Gordon Smith, but finally his thirst for blood abated, and he was led quietly away.”