WRESTLERS’ BRAWL AT SYDNEY STADIUM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20190, 5 July 1928, Page 11

WRESTLERS’ BRAWL AT SYDNEY STADIUM

[CONTESTANTS HAULED OUT OF THE RING POLICEMAN LANDS LAST PUNCH SYDNEY, Juno 19. It was a wild night at the Stadium last night. One of the wrestlers was hurled bodily over the ropes out of the ring. Most of the six thousand spectators yelled their loudest. The directors of the Stadium decided to suspend Miller, one of the wrestlers, for a month and fine him £5O. The original combatants were Walter Miller (Los Angeles), 12.0, and Hugh Nicols (Texas), 12.4, and it was the most exciting finish to a wrestling match so far seen in Sydney. The scene will never be forgotten by those who were present. Miller was disqualified for knockingout Nicols, who had thrown him over th j ropes. The majority of the spectators thought that Nicols should have been disqualified owing to his having tossed Miller out of the ring. The referee (Tom Banner) had a tu'Jc with Nicob. Miller got back into the ring and landed a frightfully heavy right to Nicol’s jaw, dazing him. Nicols fell to the fleor. Miller threw himself on Nicols and scoured a head-hold. The re fere? dragged Miller off and pointed to Nicols as the winner. Nicols was helped to his corner about four feet away. A “Donnybrook” Follows Then followed what a spectator termed a “Donnybrook.” Nicols, coming to his senses, rushed at Miller and the two set at one another desperately. Punching, kicking, grabbing and mauling were the order of attack. Seconds, spectators and the referee rushed into the ring. The combatants were separated and forced to their corners. After a while, Miller left the ring. Shoitly afterwards, Nicols followed. Then a fight started in the passage near th 3 big gate CJeto Kauffman, the Ohio wrestler, stepped up to Nicols and said: “You loafer, to throw Miller out of the ring.” j He followed the remark with a heavy loft hand slap on the face. Into it again Nicols fought, but he and Kauffman were separated by a burly policeman, who punched Kauffman on the face and pushed him away. Nicols was hustled to his dressingroom. When the policeman landed his punch which was the last for the night, a wag in the bleacher seats overhead called out: ( ‘Three cheers for Jim Mitchell and his cop.” A large section of the crowd responded lustily. In the dressing-room the two wrestlers had sections next to one another but. no further disturbance occurred. While having a hot shower Miller said: “I’ll show that guy that he will get a rough deal for tossing me out of the ring. I’ll tame him.” Miller’s Heavy Right The punch landed by Miller was one | of the heaviest seen at the Stadium for many years. It was a downward right, and caught Nicols as he rushed , with his head down. The first fall was secured by Nicols in the third round in six minutes 36 seconds. He used a lot of “headlocks” and slams to the floor in this round, and threw Miller several times. At lest he pressed Miller’s shoulders to the mat. The next score went to Miller in the following round in Imin. 50sees. He got Nicols down, and, getting his opponent’s arms behind his back, executed an “arm bar” which ended in favour of the Los Angeles grappler. Then a remarkable scene occurred. The Texan sat in his corner quietly for a few seconds after his downfall in the fourth. The Texan’s War Dance Then suddenly he commenced to work himself into a state of fury. It was a kind of a war dance—sitting down. He stamped his feet, made awful faces, swayed his body, and at times glared at Miller, who was quite cool and unperturbed, but watchful. “Tex” Salkeld (one of the seconds) held Nicol’s shoulders. As the bell rang for the fifth and last round to commence the Texan jumped and ran across the ring. He was on Miller before the latter had straightened himself up from his seat. Then followed some punching by Miller, the going was rough and hard. At last Millet got Nicols on the floor and, quickly locking his two legs around one of Nicol’s legs, worked and grabbed the other leg, and applied a full 4 ‘splits” hold. In agony, Nicols struggled. His legs were being forced apart. For several seconds Nicols stood the pain. Several times ho slapped Miller on the head, but the Los Angeles grappler held on. It was an awful time for Nicols. However, the Texan managed to execute a roll, and broke the hold. Miller, however, got another “splits” but was not strong enough to keep the Texan in the position many seconds. A frightful struggle followed. Then Nicols pushed his man, and, lifting Miller with his right hand between the legs and a hold on his head, put him over the ropes. Miller fell on two men at the ringside and dropped down under the press table. His face was cut and bruised. He was some seconds getting back into the ring, immediately after which he delivered the sledge-hammer right which brought about his disqualification. Suspended for a Month At a meeting of the directors of Stadiums Ltd., at a late hour last night, it was decided to suspend Walter Miller for one month and fine him £5O, and to suspend “Cletc” Kauffman for a month. It is understood that the directors will consider the action of Nicols in throwing Miller over the ropes.