WRESTLING NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 17 September 1946, Page 6

WRESTLING NOTES

A WiK OR A DRAW? REFEREES' DECISlONS DIFFER (By "Spectator") Should Hank Kaempfer meet Lofty Blomfield again, which is most probable, he may not take quite so long in submitting to Lofty's octopus clamp, instead of attempting to persevere with it, thus becoming incapable of carrying on after submitting. This is what . happened when the New Zealander met and defeated Kaempfer at Hastings last week. From the result of the match, however, the following question has arisen. If one grappler incapacitates another grappler, who was one fall up, can he be declared the winner, and if so, is the victor's win on points, or is it counted as a fall? I cannot find a suitable explanation to the question, because no matter how the decision is given, there is always some query which will arise. A few months ago in Wellington John Katan tried to last the round after Blomfield had secured his clamp, but soon gave up the idea as extra pressure was applied. In the next round he was unable to come out of his corner, and referee Alf Jenkins called the bout a draw. Katan had previously secured a fall with the Australian Crab. The decision met with a great deal of hooting and jeering. At Hastings last week Kaempfer secured a fall in the third round with a body press, but in the seventh round Blomfield secured his clamp and Kaempfer attempted to resist it. With no alternative but to increase the pressure, Blomfield forced the American to submit. When the bell went for the eighth round Kaempfer could not walk and just sat in his corner, so the | bout went to Blomfield. Probably botli referees have good reasons for their verdicts, but surely two different decisions over practically the same circums'tances suggests that something should be Idone by the union to clarify matters. Good Re-opening Bout Herb Meller and Earl McCready are to re-open the season at Wellington next Thursday night, after a lapse of nearly a month. The bout promises to be one of the best seen there for a long time. At their only meeting to date the bout ended in a draw. Only recently Earl McCready has had some very close calls in bouts for his title, his opponents being Blomfield and Adkins. At Christchurch last week Blomfield look&d like beating the Canadian until the seventh round, when McCready secured a fall, the bout endina' in a draw. At Palmerston North last Saturday Adkins did well to draw with the title holder, this being probably his best effort to date. Kaempfer also managed to have his bout with McCready end in a draw. However, the American could not claim the title if he won. In many European countries if one wrestler, or even both, are not satisfied with their referee, they pick him up and throw hirn out of the ring. They then wait for another one. It seems that many overseas, as well as New Zealand matmen, have the same idea in mind. In the Blomfield-Kaempfer match last week, the referee was pushed over and his shirt torn to ribbons. At Palmerston North last Saturday night, the referee's orders to break were continually disobeyed, and he was compelled to use force to carry his comniands into effect. The future of New Zealand wrestling seems dull if this sort of thing is allowed to continue.