WRESTLING

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20890, 23 August 1939, Page 12

WRESTLING

TO-MORROW’S BOUT BLOMFIELD AND FORSTER The circumstances surrounding the professional wrestling luatch bewcen ’ Lofty” Blomfield and Frank Forster, which is to be staged in Hamilton on Thursday night are such as to bring wider issues into the reckoning than would be the case in the ordinary course of events. Blomfield, of course, is the New Zealand heavyweight champion, while Forster occupies a similar position in his own country. It will thus be an intercolonial contest between the representatives of two countries which have always been keen sporting rivals. In football and also in athletics New Zealanders and South Africans have battled keenly and this year Forster's visit enables the healthy rivalry to be extended to professional wrestling. When Forster arrived in New Zealand he was known to be a big favourite in his own country, with an excellent record in open competition both against visiting wrestlers and also in England and on the Continent. Since he- opened his campaign he has done everything that could be expected of him to substantiate liis reputation and, besides showing real wrestling class, lias proved to be exceedingly popular with the crowds. He lias retained his individualism while developing his wrestling along sound lines and the result is that lie is often successful in bringing off an unexpected move and his mat work the whole time is exceedingly interesting to watcli.

Although Forster is of similar nhvsical stamp to Blomneld, being (ver Cft in height an.l weighing about 17 stone, tie is nothing if not nimble an d his use of dropkirks. or, as he rails them, mule-kicks, both helps him on the way to success and gnc> the crowd plenty of thrills. He can stand up to any amount of jolts or punishment in any other form a 1 wavs rnovimr in looking lor tiling to <lo. As B lorn lie Id also believes in aggression tirst and foremost there will be no idle moments while these two are in the ring and all the indications point to a really great match. Among the preliminaries there will be a professional match between Douglas and Kenneth.