WRESTLING

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24907, 21 June 1946, Page 5

WRESTLING

NEWMAN BEATS MCCREADY

A SPECTACULAR BOUT After eight fast rounds, in which practically every device known to wrestling was employed, "and a few new ones were introduced, ■ Lou Newman, of toe United States, obtained the decision on points over Earl McCready, of Canada, in the professional wrestling contest in the Theatre Royal last evening. Each man obtained a fall, McCready gaining his in the fifth round, and Newman scoring his in the seventh r,ound. The theatre was crowded, many intending spectators being turned away. The bout was one of the best seen in Christchurch for many years. There was plenty of hard wrestling, and an abundance of toe spectacular; Newman was out of favour with the crowd throughput, but showed himself to be a clever wrestler, and one possessed of the full equipment of the modem professional.

There was some really hard wrestling, McCready ending the first round holding Newman in a Japanese elbow lock. In the second round toe referee prevented Newman from getting near McCready while the men were breaking, and Newman made it abundantly clear that if there was any more interference he would place the referee in the same category as McCready. Both men worked hard, and Newman, held fast in a reverse elbow lock, clucked noisily in his attempts to break clear. Both men used the step-over toehold in the next round, and McCready obtained a flying head scissors. Newman retaliated with an Indian deathlock, which, unfortunately for the American, developed into the more wide-ly-known Indian deathlock. The fourth round was full of thrills. Newman began with his customary elbow jolts, but was thrown heavily with three cross-but-tocks. The crowd roared, when McCready came in with three flying tackles but toe referee had to separate the men from outside the ropes. They were again broken when Newman held a stranglehold and punched McCready while holding it. After using a figure-four scissors Newman had another stranglehold broken by the referee. Towards the end of the round McCready obtained a reverse Indian deathlock, but the gong saved Newman. Instead of showing his gratitude, however, he once more intimated that in his opinion three in the ring made* a crowd. At toe start of the fifth round, McCready tried twice to regain the deathlock, but Newman retaliated with toe surf-board hold. With a foot on each of McCready's wrists, he administered a rain of elbow jolts, but McCready came out with a rocking-chair splits. He rolled Newman round and round the ring and held him for a fall.

Newman spent the first part of the sixth round doubling round the ring, and McCready’s express invitation to come into the centre was ignored. When the battle was rejoined, however, Newrnan applied a body scissors, which he held with an expression of complete content. Later both held arm stretches, and the lively pace was maintained until the end of the round. More jolts followed in the seventh round, and after a rapid succession of them from Newman, McCready was dumped and then subjected to three or four back-breakers, and Newman obtained an easy fall. McCready was in distress when the gong sounded for the last round, and Newman, holding the Canadian’s arm in a reverse double wristlock, again made use of the pleasant artifice of jumping on it with all his 238 pounds. McCready was on the defensive, and Newman administered a variety of attacks. The decision was given a mixed reception, but McCready received a great ovation on leaving the ring. The referee was Mr J. S. Shaw. Amateur Bouts « mW I }* F^ v^_wel^ ht —J- Howard (list Fearnley (list) by one fall, by rnie eS fall^ St beat Hammar U3st) Middle-weight.—J. Mclnnes (lost 101 b) beat E. Ballpch (lOst 91b) by one fall. Pocock (lost 41b) drew with B. Moffat (lOst 41b). r £, f s ree for the amateur bouts was Mr A. Thompson.

KATAN AND BLOMFIELD DRAW (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 20. For four minutes, John Katan, one fall p L., refused t 0 submit to “Lofty” Blomfields octopus clamp, in the Wellington Town Hall to-night. It enabled him to weather the seventh round, but he was unable to continue in toe eighth, conceding a fall, and the bout ended in a draw.