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Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20887, 19 August 1939, Page 22 (Supplement)

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EMPIRE CROWN BLOMFIELD AND FORSTER TO MEET IN HAMILTON (By “Ringsider”) With talk in the air of elimination wrestling bouts for the Empire championship, great interest will centre around the fixture secured toy the Waikato Wrestling Association for the next match in Hamilton as the contenders are two who will be included in any Empire elimination that may be arranged for later in the season. Blomfield, champion of New Zealand, and Forster, South African titleholder, will wrestle here next Thursday night and the bout promises to be one of the best that has been staged here for a long time. Previous Appearances Both Blomfield and Forster have appeared in Hamilton previously this season and the fans will have another opportunity to look over the form of the two title contenders. Major interest in the match, however, will centre around the result which will give a fair indication of the possibilities in the elimination contests. Blomfield needs no introduction to Hamilton enthusiasts and he is always popularly received when he steps through the ropes in the Theatre Royal. In the last meeting of Blomfield and i’orster the bout was extremely interesting. Good Record Forster is of particular interest as the representative of a fellow-Dom-inion of which New Zealanders have always been keen sporting rivals. He received his early training from Duaj can McDonald, South Africa’s “grand old man” of wrestling and was later trained by Henry Irshnger and Walter Miller. He was the only wrestler included in the South African Olympic team of 1928 and did extremely well in getting into the second round of the tournament even though he found the conditions strange from what he had been used to. Career as Professional He turned professional four or five years ago and since then has had considerable experience in England and on the Continent as well as in his own country, in Europe he beat Henri de Glane, former world champion, and Anaconda, the Swedish champion, and among the men he has beaten in his own country were John Spellman and Jim Burnett, the noted Canadian. Standing 6ft. 2 Ain. in height and weighing about 17 stone, Forster is well equipped physically to handle Blomfield and he also knows how to make the best use of a wide array of holds.