WITH THE WRESTLERS

Chronicle (Levin), 16 July 1946, Page 6

WITH THE WRESTLERS

"Spectat'or")

kaempfer solid grappler McCREADY HARD TO BEAT

(By

Hank .Kaempfer made an unsuccessiui debut to New Zealand fans when he was beaten on points oy Earl McCready at Dunedin last Monday night. He made amends, nowever, by defeating Lou Newman at Wanganui last Wednesday evening by two falls to one. These two fights were not quite as good as the return bout between McCready and Kaempfer at Christchurch last Thursday, which . resulted in a draw. The two men turned on the best show of wrestling seen there for many years. The ac-tion-packed bout was not the advertised one, as McCready's opponent was to have been John Katan, but as Katan was unable to fulfil the engagement, Kaempfer was asked to suostitute. The pace was solid right to the end, and until the last round Kaempfer seemed to be a certain winner. At j xast McCready applied his rocking- | chair splits and secured a fall, ! which evened the bout. By his defeat of Kaempfer, McCready can be rated as the fifth oest wrestler in the world, and if I Jim Londos does come to New. Zealand the Empire champion will be a hard man to beat.

Walter Miller as a Wrestler [ Although it is noL generally I known, Walter Miller, who is i responsible for engaging overseas I wrestlers for the New Zealand j Wrestling Union, was in the sp'ort | j.or over 30 years. During this time i ne engaged in over 4000 bouts fov . only nine losses, and had the dis- : dnction of holding four world | titles — lightweight, welterweight, ! middleweight and light-neavy-i weight. The only comparable proi lessional records are those of : Henry Armstrong, the negro boxer, j who at one stage held three world ' boxing titles, apd Bob Fitzsimmons, i who was also the holder of three j world boxing titles, but at different j periods. BlomfielcTs Close Call Lofty Blomfield again scored a narrow win when he beat Lou ! Newman at Hamilton last Friday ! evening. Blomfield won on points ' in an exceptionally good bout, in which both men secured falls. Lofty is to meet Hank Kaempfer j in the Wellington Town Hall next i Saturday evening. This is the first ! time these men have met, and the I bout should prove an exciting one. Newman Below Expectations I Lou Newman, who nas not j fought as well as was expected, has ' been released by the New Zealanrl Wrestling Union, and is to do his future fighting in Australia. In place of the Californian a. newcomer, George Pencheff, has been booked, and he is expected to i arrive here next Thursday. Pen- ; cheff, who is lighter than most • wrestlers, comes from Australia, » where he has been outstanding as a drop-kick artist. He should prove a good match for Claybourne, as : well as McCready and Kaempfer. His first match will be at Timaru i on July 25, when he will meet Jack ! Claybourne.