KEEN WRESTLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1938, Page 4

KEEN WRESTLING

BLOMFIELD OUT=MANOEUVRES MCKAY

NEW ZEALANDER SECURES TWO SUBMISSIONS

OPERA HOUSE CROWDED LAST NIGHT

Lofty Blomfield’s proven powers of endurance and his ability to “take it” enabled him to defeat the American grappler, Pat McKay, in the Opera House last night. The two big, tough men provided a capacity house with seven rounds of excellent entertainment, spells of solid wrestling, being well spiced with purple patches. Blomfield was a fall to the bad at the end of three rounds, but, although worried by the battling American, he stayed on to take two submission falls in a row.

At 16st Ulbs, McKay had a 31b weight advantage over the New Zealander. McKay early took the fight to his opponent and indicated his penchant for tactics that quickly earned for him the disapproval of the referee, Mr A. Jenkins. Blomfield looked to be in a bad way when, trapped in a body scissors, but he worked clear and gave his opponent a taste of his own medicine. McKay started an, elbow jolting campaign and Blomfield retaliated in kind. At the bell McKay held Blomfield in a reverse toe hold. It was an even round.

After he had poured out complaints about an alleged strangle hold to an unsympathetic referee, McKay in a spot of eye gouging followed up by punches, jolts and a dump. A merry jnix-up ensued. When matters quietened down again, Blomfield was caught in a nasty hammerlock. McKay had a verbal duel with the referee regarding his doubtful tactics and difficulty was also experienced in making him break at the bell. It was McKay’s round. The third round was short and sweet. Blomfield early made use Of the ropes to trap his opponent who, after jolting and kicking Blomfield round the ring until his was groggy, picked him up and dumped him. He repeated the dose three times, and the took the first fall in 1 min 40 seconds with a top body press. McKay was quick to follow up his

advantage when the men stepped out for the fourth round, but Blomfield was now working much more vigorously, and he soon had the burly American scuttling for the ropes for safety. When the New Zealander caught up with his opponent he clamped on a short arm scissors, much to the discomfort of McKay, who countered with the splits. After Blomfield had worked clear, McKay trapped him in a hold that appeared to be a combination of the octupus clamp and the Indian death-lock. Cumbersome though it looked, it was apparently quite effective, and Blomfield was in sore trouble until his cleverness enabled him to counter and apply a head scissors. It was McKay’s round. The fifth round was full of exciteing incident. The big men tumbled and rolled round the ring like a pair of grizzly bears, until they simultaneously decided to launch flying tackles. Their heads connected with a crash in mid-air, and both lay prone on the mat. Blomfield was the first to recover, and he proceed to give the dazed McKay everything he had, finishing up by applying the crucifix hold. McKay worked out and Blomfield just missed being trapped in the Boston Crab. It was Blomfield’s round. The sixth round lasted five seconds short of two mniutes. Both men featured devastating flying tackles, with Blomfield taking it a shade better, and after one hectic melee the New Zealander, in a flash, applied his dreaded octupus clamp, to which McKay wisely submitted. Blomfield went after McKay like the landlord after the rent in the next round. After both men had used the ropes to tie each other up with, Blomfield secured a leg bar, wfhich he later changed to a step over toe hold. He applied the pressure and McKay submitted at 2 mins 38secs. It was Blomfield’s match.

The amateur preliminaries, one .or two of which provided bright wrestling, resulted at follow: H. Hill (Masterton), 12.12 beat Blane (Masterton), 12.2 on points; H. Tozer (Masterton), 9.7 beat R. McGlashin, 9.13 (Eketahuna), on points after each had secured a fall; R. Sutherland (Masterton), 11.2 beat E. Morris (Eketahuna) 11.2, by one fall; M. Wilkins (Eketahuna), 12.3 drew with T. Nielsen (Masterton), 11.12.