“LOFTY’S” CLAMP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 92, 20 April 1938, Page 8

“LOFTY’S” CLAMP

DECIDING FACTOR IN BIG WRESTLING BOUT LEO JENSEN DEBATED AT WANGANUI MUCH TO LAUGH AT IN AND OUT OF THE RING The big crowd at last night's professional wrestling contest between Lofty Blomfield (New Zealand) and Lee Jensen (Denmark) came away wondering which part of the whole show they liked best. There was something to admire in Jensen’s alertness, something to applaud in Blomfleld’s famous octopus clamp, which won him the bout in the final round, and a great deal to be hilarious over in the way wrestlers, referee, one of the association’s timekeepers, a senior-sergeant of police and two constables figured in a flash of showmanship outside the ring. All of what happened, every bit of it, went to confirm the opinion that huge crowds are captured by the wrestling game not only because of the struggle and counter struggle on the mat, but by the flashes of showmanship and action which characterise the more lively bouts. A section of last night’s audience thought Blomfield was deserving of disqualification for not breaking his deadly hold when ordered to. Others thought that Jensen might well have earned that displeasure for not obeying the referee.

Announcer Jim Broad gave the weights of the contestants as: Blomfield 16st. 81bs. and Jensen 15st. 71bs. Cheers and a few hoots greeted “Lofty” and he smiled that knowing smile of his. Jensen had to make the pace most of the way. He featured a hammerlock and a head scissors in the first round and Blomfield made liberal use of the ropes. There was more action in the second round, but Jensen was again the moving spirit, “Lofty” apparently sitting back in the comfortable knowledge that his clamp would be a winning card in the end. The New Zealander showed more life towards the middle of the round, but his featuring of a head scissors was not convincing. Over the Ropes. Jensen threw Blomfield over the ropes and so easily was it done that it was hard to believe that “Lofty” himself had not had a hand in it. Rabbit punches, elbow jolts and a flying tackle or two came to light in the third round, and Jensen ’ was warned by the referee (Mr. Alex Anderson, of Palmerston North), not to lift a knee into Blomfleld’s solar plexis. At one stage Mr. Anderson stopped a kick meant for Blomfield. Jensen displayed a Japanese leglock in the fourtn round, which as it progressed, was to bring something new in the way of tactics so far as Wanganui is concerned. Tucking Blomfield's head conveniently under an arm, Jensen ran at one of the padded corner posts and used Lofty like a battering ram. Lofty retaliated by gripping Jensen’s left arm with both hands, raising it up high and then bringing it down hard on the top rope, the arm being forced backwards. Referee Alex Anderson tried to stop those tactics and for a time he and the two wrestlers were tangled up in the ropes, the referee trying to pull Jensen off Blomfield and Lofty calmly having a rest down under. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed it. A Mix-up Outside the Ring. The fifth round called more than wrestlers and referee into action. It began with Jensen applying a standing splits hold with which he appeared to be trying to pin the New Zealander. "Lofty” looked like applying the clamp! there and then, but Jensen was too quick and used a flying head scissorsj a moment later, still making the pace.' When the pair reached the ropes aftei an elbow jolt or two the referee tried to pull Jensen off. Jensen brushed the referee on one side and back came Alex Anderson at him, like a terrier. The three struggled for a time and eventually the two wrestlers were out of the ring and on the stand covering the orchestral well, Jensen looking for Blomfield. Alex Anderson followed them out. Lofty gave the referee a push, causing him to fall into Jensen and fling him into the crowd in the body of the hall. Up rose SeniorSergeant Capp and two constables, to walk out quickly to the scene of activity. Timekeeper Maurice Grogan, leaving his colleague (Mr. W. J. Feeney) to look after the gong, st’eaked through the ring like a Rugby three-quarter and joined in the fun and argument going on in the stalls. Clang! went the gong under the hand of Timekeeper Feeney, and, much to the crowd's disappointment, the incident had a tame ending. Standing splits were applied by Jensen. but Blomfield evaded them. The New Zealander was held in a barred leglock and was in difficulties at the gong.

The seventh round, in comparison with some of the others, was uninteresting, except towards the end when the pair elbow jolted one another and pulled each other’s hair a few times. Three minutes after the start of the eighth and final round Blomfield lost his indolent look and before the crowd was ready he connected with four hard blows to the jaw, dazing his opponent, and snapped on the octopus clamp. Jensen submitted in the middle of the ring, but not content with that, Blomfield dragged him to the ropes, earning the displeasure of the crowd, the last cry of the night being, “put Blomfield out, ref; disqualify him!” It was a great bout, as enjoyable for its showmanship as for its genuine wrestling.