WRESTLING

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3807, 11 September 1936, Page 7

WRESTLING

PROFESSIONAL BOUT AT EMPIRE THEATRE. KEEN INTEREST DISPLAYED. It is some years since a professional wrestling contest took place in Te Awamutu, but Mr J. Tennant College’s enterprise in staging a contest between Fred Batros and Charlie Pollard on Wednesday evening showed that there is a very keen interest among Te Awamutu district residents in this form of recreation—or is it showmanship? Tho principal contest went the full eight rounds scheduled, and each man got a submission fall. The referee, Mr College himself, awarded the decision to Pollard, who, judging by the applause and remarks throughout the contest, was the local favourite. Three preliminary rounds were contested by amateurs, and these served well to lead up to lhe major event of the evening. Before the Pollard-Batros match N. Russell, of Australia, and Ray Barker, of Te Awamutu and recently of Christchurch, were introduced to the public as challengers of the winner. THE AMATEURS. J. Smith 9.4 v. A. Jones 9.1: This bout opened briskly, but not very effectively until Jones applied an arm bar, but he could not hold it . Then Jones got a headlock and hung on grimly until the gong sounded. In the second round Jones again applied a headlock which Smith promptly reversed and tried for a toehold and then a scissors, but Jones worked free to apply a body scissors. Smith went under the ropes, and on returning tried to throw his opponent with headlocks, but lacked the power. They got tangled up in the ropes and Smith was attacking when the gongsounded. The final round saw both lads very lively. Smith tried a dump but soon Jones was clear and looked like getting a body press, but Smith broke free. Jones applied a body scissors, but it failed. Then he threw Smith with a headlock and had him in difficulties until the gong. A draw was the decision. L. Owens 10.13 v. L. Bulford 11.0: Bulford tried for a dump and then applied a crucifix, but they went off the mat. Again Bulford threw his man, but was trapped with a leg scissors, from which he broke free, and they remained fairly passive until the end of the round. When they resumed they went into a referee’s hold until Bulford attempted to throw Owens with a full toss, and soon had his opponent in trouble, throwing him heavily twice. Owens made full use of the ropes.—ln the final round Bulford was aggressive at once and was soon trying for a toehold, but Owens escaped by going under the ropes. Bulford attacked time after time, and soon each had a toe hold on the other. Bulford got the verdict

SPECIAL CHALLENGE MATCH. A. A. MOSES V. GUS MORTON. Weights were not announced, but the Indian seemed about 10 lbs lighter. The bout opened in lively style, with Morton the more aggressive. He threw the Indian with a headlock and soon had an octupus clamp, but could not get leverage. Then Moses butted his opponent, but made little impression, and Morton came in with both reet. The gong sounded with Morton trying for an armbar. The second round saw Morton essay a drop kick, and then he applied a toehold and splits, but the Indian wriggled free. He was soon imprisoned with a leg scissors, but quickly reversed to clamp Morton’s legs. Morton was in tiouble, but went under the ropes. The gong sounded with Morton attacking, and he earned disfavour by bumping his opponent's head on the mat until the referee intervened forcibly. The final round saw both men making undue use of the ropes, Morton being the more aggressive. Moses even jumped through the ropes. Next Morton threw his opponent with a headlock, but again he was cautioned by the referee. Morton seemed to be having all the best of matters, and soon applied a crucifix, which was unbroken when the gong sounded. Morton got the verdict. THE PROFESSIONALS. C. Pollard 14.3 v. Fred Batros 14.0: From an armlock Pollard broke free and rolled his opponent to the floor, where Batros soon got a head scissors. Pollard broke away and converted to a toehold. Pollard next applied a head scissors, and bumped Batros’ head on the mat, but Batros somersaulted free. Again Pollard got a grip, and soon a Japanese armbar. Honours were even for some while, each man attacking in turn, and then Batros essayed a full toss. Pollard next tried for an Indian deathlock, but Batros countered with a smash across the nape of the neck. The gong sounded with Pollard more aggres sivc.

The second round opened brightly with Batros giving elbow jolts to Pollard, but the latter forced his opponent to the ropes, where Batros butted him off his feet. Pollard avplied a leg scissors and arm stretch, but Batros broke free. Batros was trying for a double toe hold when Pollard fooled him into letting go. Then Pollard lushed in to complete a hold, but Batros went under the ropes. Soon they were in the middle of the ring wrestling solidly, armbars and elbow jolts being prominent. Pollard was attacking when the gong sounded. The third round opened more quietly, and then Pollard grabbed Batros’ wrist and twisted it, but Batros was soon free, to promptly elbow Pollard to the mat, where soon lie had an octopus clamp, to which Pollard sub’ mitted.

Elbow jolts were plentiful in the opening stages of the fourth round, and then headlocks, lying splits, armbars and other holds were displayed in abundance, the contest being fairly lively. Batros tried again for the clamp, but the men were too near the ropes. A little later Pollard almost succeeded with a crucifix, but Batros converted the position to a body scissors. Pollard was soon forcing the issue, and the gong did not come any too soon for Batros. Pollard opened the fifth round with an armbar and arm stretch, and was soon trying for a reverse wristlock, but Batros broke it and applied the

same hold himself. Pollard had Batros in trouble with a lying splits, but Batros countered, and applied a stepover toehold, trying also for the deathlock, but Pollard broke away. The next two minutes were fairly lively, and they were well interlocked when the gong sounded. Batros opened the sixth round by throwing Pollard three times in succession with headlocks, and then some solid wrestling ensued, Pollard doing most ot the attacking. Pollard applied a face bar and head twist, but Batros was able to withstand the gruelling, and came back with a solid butt to the body. Both men were butting when the gong sounded. Tho seventh round opened with Pollard trying for an advantage, and he forced his man over and over until he got him face down on the mat, with a standing head twist, which he applied forcibly until the referee awarded a submission fall against Batros.

The eighth, and final, round, saw Pollard elbowing Batros in a very lively encounter; he also tried for a drop kick, and next an arm stretch, but Batros converted the latter into a hammer lock, then a head lock, and bumped Pollard’s head hard to the mat. Pollard got free, and they renewed the tussle in the middle of the ling. Batros pulled Pollard oft his balance and applied a standing splits, but Pollard broke it and quickly applied a reverse toe hold. Batros was working hard to score a Japanese armbar but failed. Tire pace was right on and some heavy blows were exchanged. Then Pollard rolled over and tried for a full toss, only to have the move countered cleverly. Batros was working for a hammerlock and head scissors, but Pollard was too wary and powerful, and soon he had Batros in a rocking chair splits, and then they got into a real mix-up, with arms and legs intertwined. Batros was applying a chancery hold when the gong sounded. The referee awarded the decision to Pollard, on points.