WRESTLING MATCH AT STRATFORD.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1058, 16 June 1910, Page 10

WRESTLING MATCH AT STRATFORD.

LOUIS ROBERTSON v. GORDON SMITH. CONTEST ENDS IN A DRAWWrestling appears to be coming into popular favour again in New Zealand, as during the past few months a number of important matches have taken place, Stratford generally being the locality wherein these athletic contests are decided- The ScottBain, Robertson-Preschner, and Ro-bertson-Gardiner matches were all productive of high-class exhibitions of catch-as-catch-can, and have done much to popularise this old English sport- The. latest match was that between Gordon Smith, of Pahiatua, whose portrait is reproduced herewith, and Louis S. Robertson, of Stratford, and the meeting of this pair of young wrestlers was looked forward to with the greatest of interest. Both men are fine specimens of athletic manhood, and Robertson’s weight was given at lOst 71b, while Smith scaled at 12st. Particulars of the contest are given by the “ Straford Evening Post,” which describes the match as follows: —

At 8.45 pm. the principals in the big event stepped on to the mat, and at the call of time Smith got quickly to business, and was first behind. For some minutes play was rather slow, Smith remaining on his feet, while Robertson below appeared anxious to entice him downwards. Smith’s attention was for the most part devoted to footholds upon his opponent, but his efforts to turn over the elusive Robertson by this means proved ineffectual. Smith next gave Robertson a lively tossing about, but could not get more than one of his opponent’s shoulders on the mat at the same time, strive how he would. The crowd mistakenly expressed disapproval at a foothold by Smith, to which neither referee nor Robertson objected, but Smith abandoned it, and thirteen and a-half minutes from the start had Robertson in a desperate-seeming position, out of which he eventually roiled, amidst a storm of applause. Then came a slight lull, and then more foot and leg holds by Smith, still for the most part upon his feet and forcing the pace. With nineteen minutes gone the opponents were playing’ slow, Smith still standing and apparently ruminating next w'hat aggressive move to make, and Robertson waiting until it was made. Next the men were ordered back on the mat, both standing, and another slow interval ensued, Robertson being on the mat and Smith upon his feet, the latter’s clever escape from a determined attempt by his opponent to down him next earning a round of applause. With thirty-two minutes gone the men were both on their feet again, and another rather tedious interval of feeling for holds ensued, Robertson eventually getting to the mat and leaving Smith above. “Will I get up?” said Robertson after another interval, and up he got, more feeling for holds ensuing, and nothing of interest took place for some considerable time, when at length Robertson, having been placed behind after the men had got off the mat, made an aggressive move, Smith’s strength freeing him from what looked like an awkward position- After fortyfive minutes, by mutual consent the men retired for a few moments, and on resuming the slowmess of proceedings for some time moved the atidience to tender much ironic adviceThen Smith lifted his opponent bodily, and, falling on him, looked like obtaining a fall, but could not hold the nimble Scotchman, and getting off the mat the men were ordered back to the centre. The spectators here did so much talking that the referee remonstrated, with the result that matters in this respect improved somewhat, though the wrestling continued very tame. Obtaining another leg hold Smith made a further attempt to force Roberston on to his shoulders, but the latter again contrived to roll chest downwards. Then for a few lively seconds Smith towed the twisting Robertson around by the legs, what promised to be an interesting rally ending with both once more on their feet, and the everlasting feeling for holds recommenced. Robertson, from the mat, kept asking Smith to come down, but the heavier man knew his own game, and continued on his feet, occasionally attempting to force Robertson to his shoulders by means of the by this time familiar foot and leg

hold. Then a twisting hold of .the foot by Smith was objected to by the audience, and the principals also had a few quiet words on the point, witn the result that Smith abandoned its

use. Next an all too brief rally ended in Robertson once more rolling but of a tight fix, and then recommenced the old weary round, until by mutual consent another adjournment was made after one hour and fqrty-

five minutes’ wrestling. On resuming, Smith obtained a body hold, and Robertson experienced a narrow s'have, which ended off the mat- Then for some time whenever Smith was

not walking round Robertson, he was twine to throw him with the hardworked leg hold —-but the walking rr.und predominated- Next the hall custodian intimated that after eleven o’clock an extra charge would have to

be made, and an informal adjournment took place to argue this point, it being eventually decided to continue. Smith essayed a fall with a half-Nel-son and leg hold, but the Ayrshire man spun out a couple of such holds amidst applause. At length Robertson got the big fellow to the mat and got behind, but up to his feet rose the heavier man, and the spectators’ hopes of something lively died out again. More sentry-go by Smith, and then upon their feet once more the men rambled round embracing each other. A succession of feints for holds moved the spectators to merriment, but nothing interesting came of it, and back they went to the old familiar position—Smith on his feet and Robertson on the mat. Another adjournment was made after two hours and twenty-five minutes’ wrestling, and as the result of strenuous representations by the friends of each, the principals eventually agreed to the result being declared a draw upon even terms.

Though from a spectator’s standpoint disappointing—and this, it cannot be denied, the match was —those inclined to grumble should recollect that each of the principals had £5O at stake, and were therefore unlikely to adopt the tactics preferred by the other man. Robertson, bag of tricks that he is, of course wanted Smith down on the mat, where he could deal with him, and did his best to get the Forty Mile Bus'h-man there, but the latter —and rightly so in his own interests —made no rash ventures in that direction, contenting himself for the most part with endeavouring while on his feet to throw his recumbent opponent. Then, again, it would have been foolishness for Robertson to go in for much aggressive work on his feet against a considerably heavier man, and so, though; neither principal could justly be blamed for adopting the tactics likely to suit himself, the match, as stated elsewhere, was not, from a spectacular viewpoint, brilliant, though an absolutely genuine and straightforward contest for the stake exactly as stated- In fact, in the writer’s opinion, any unprejudiced person present must admit that Smith —a wrestler young in years and, compared with Robertson, young in experience also —retained his coolness, or, in other words, “ kept his head” in a remarkable manner, and has no cause for apology in 'having wrestled as best suited his prospectsMoreover, Robertson, as most people about here know, is not exactly an infant at the game, and the fact that Smith kept on his feet in spite of the Ayrshire man’s endeavours to get him off them, showed that he possessed the strength and ability to direct operations in the way that suited 'rim. As a matter of fact Smith did most of the aggressive work, though this does not reflect at all upon Robertson, who would have been little less than mad had he waded in to try and throw a man of Smith’s weight about in a sort of semi-Cumberland stvle. Mr. Alex. Bain, the well-known wrestler, acted as referee, for which onerous position he was just the man, his rulings giving every satisfaction-