THREE TITLES IN GAMES WRESTLING TO AUSTRALIA, TWO TO N.Z. AND CANADA

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 February 1950, Page 5

THREE TITLES IN GAMES WRESTLING TO AUSTRALIA, TWO TO N.Z. AND CANADA

AUCKLAND, Last Night (P.A.)— A high standing of skill was maintained on the final night of the Empire Games wrestling, which surprisingly, attracted only a fair attendance.

The official placings are:— Flyweight: Harris (Australia) 1, Matthews (Ney Zealand) 2. Bantamweight: Mudgway (New Zealand) 1, Chapman (Australia) 2. Featherweight: Armitt (New Zealand) 1, Milord (Canada) 2, Parsons (England) 3. , Lightweight: Garrard (Australia) 1, Plumb (Canada) 2, Hobson (N.Z.) 3. Welterweight: Hudson (Canada) 1, Little (Australia) 2, Jooste (South Africa) 3.

Middleweight* Vachon (Canada) 1, Arthur (Australia) 2, Reitz (South Africa) 3.

Light-heavyweight: Morton (South Africa) 1, Sneddon (New Zealand) 2, Trevaskis (Australia) 3.

Heavyweight: Armstrong (Australia) 1, O'Connor (New Zealand) 2, Richmond (England) 3. The final was decided in the ban-tam-weight, in which the only entries were Mudgway (New Zealand) and Chapman (Australia). The standard of wrestling was worthy of a final. Both boys were speedy, agile and clever, but gradually Mudgway got the upper hand and secured a fall with a reverse full Nelson after 13 minutes.

The last pair in the featherweight class, Armitt (New Zealand) and Milord (Canada) provided plenty of excitement. Both went all out for falls and tried a variety of holds. There was always action over the latter half of the bout. Armitt was the aggressor and this gained him a unanimous decision and the title. In the flyweight final. Harris (Australia) and Matthews (New Zealand' were well matched ovei’ the first part of the contest, but. the Australian was more experienced and gained a decision by a fall after 11 minutes. The winner of two previous lightweight Empire Games titles, Garrard (Australia) won the third by gaining a fall from Plumb. Garrard, at the age 39. gave a finished exhibition of scientific wrestling. He went through three contests without a bad point being scored against him. Morton (South Africa) was tor, versatile for Sneddon (New Zealand) in the light-heavy-weight final and won by a fall In just over five minutes.

In the heavyweight class O'Connor (New Zealand) won a unanimous decision from Richmond (England) because of his aggression. Richmond was seldom off the defensive. Official recorders announced Hudson. with two bad points in three contests, had won the welterweight title. Little, who has the same number of bad points, but was beaten by Hudson, wrestled Jooste for second place. After a dour struggle, with much mat work, Little received a unanimous decision.

In the welterweight division Jooste (South Africa) made short work ot Henry (Scotland), from whom he obtained a fall in just over three minutes with an arm bar. Henry, with six bad points, was eliminated.

The second welter contest, between thte unbeaten Little, the Australia, and Hudson, Canada, who had only one point against him, was a dour struggle in which move and countermove made it almost a stalemate. Hudson was awarded a majority decision, making Little and Hudson equal with two bad points each. In the middleweight class, Fletcher was eliminated on the fall by Arthur, Australia, who was the faster and cleverer of the pair. Vachon, Canada, and Reitz, South Africa, were evenly matched over the first half of the contest, but Vachon was stronger and won a unanimous decision. Reitz was eliminated.

O’CONNOR RUNNER-UP. The official recorders announced Armstrong, Australia, won the heavyweight title. He did not have a bad point scored against him in two contests. O'Connor was runner-up, with four bad points. In the final of the midleweight Vachon, with one bad point, met Arthur with three. This was another stern encounter between two- men, who despite having wrestled earlier in the evening, fought hard to the last. Vachon won unanimously. Flyweight Final (the only two competitors): Bertram Harris (Australia) beat Eric Matthews (N.Z.) by a fall. Bantamweight Final (two competitors): Douglas Mudgway (N.Z.) beat J, Chapman (Australia) by a fall. Featherweight: John Armitt (N.Z.) beat Roland Milord (Canada) by unanimous decision. Lightweight Final: Richard Garrard (Australia) beat M. Plumb (Canada) by a fall. Lightweight.—Final: Patrick Morton (South Africa) beat Arthur Sneddon (N.Z.) by a fall. Welterweight: Jooste (S. Africa) beat Henry (Scotland) by a fall, no bad points to three; Hudson (Canada) beat Little (Australia), a majority decision, one bad point to two. Henry was eliminated. Little (Australia) beat Jooste by unanimous decision and became the runner-up to Henry Hudson (Canada) the winner of the title. , Middleweight; Arthur (Australia) [beat Fletcher (N.Z.) by a fall. t Fletcher was eliminated. | Middleweight: Vachon (Canada) I beat Reitz (South Africa), a unanim'ous decision. Reitz is eliminated. Middleweight Final: Maurice Vachon (Canada) beat Bruce Arthur (Australia) by unanimous decision. Heavyweight: Patrick O'Connor (N.Z.) heat Kenneth Richmond (England) by unanimous decision. James Armstrong (Australia) was awarded the heavyweight title, with O'Connor runner-up.