BIGGER AND ROUGHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 36, 11 August 1936, Page 16

BIGGER AND ROUGHER

WRESTLING STYLES

GIANT IMPORTATION

DAVIS BEATS FORSGREN

!For some time it has been apparent that the call >of New Zealand wrestling enthusiasts has been for bigger— and also, let it be said, rougher—wrestlers, iTo cater for this taste the Dominion.Wrestling Union imported "Wee Willie" Davis, a Virginian bigger than any man previously brought to this country, and with a reputation for being a bad man to cross. "Wee Willie" made his debut at the Wellington Town Hall last night, and a big crowd found him to be'all that had been claimed for him. In size he towered to such a height that even the" stalwart Jack Forsgren, his opponent, was dwarfed, while in roughness—well, Forsgren has. never been as popular as he was last night.- <

The only problem which remains, and • at,is.one" which is likely to give the controlling authorities considerable cause for thought, concerns his available opponents. The odd fall in three I went against Forsgren last night, and, j though he battled manfully, it was apparent that he was up against it all the way. There remain the Empire, champion, Earl' McCready, and the New Zealand champion, "Lofty" Blomfleld, with the shrewd and machinelike Kruse also well in the running. For the rest, it will probably be' a matter of waiting until Ed Don George puts in an appearance. ■ Davis's weight was given as 18st 121b, two stone all but 21b heavier than Forsgren, but. his poundage is so well distributed over his long frame that he looks almost a stripling. His bronzed body would do an Australian surfer credit, and altogether his appearance is that of a superman in the pink of condition. The extent of his wrestling ability was probably not fully revealed last night, but-it appeared to be considerable.

■For the most part, however, he concentrated on annoying his opponent and making himself unpopular with the crowd. Knees, elbows, and arms were all judiciously used, and a loop slam or a dump paved the way for a fall when the time was opportune. Fprsgren played up to him well, and the crowd rose to its feet and cheered ■when a Boston crab earned the Canadian a fall. Those who were not booing' Davis gave him another cheer as,'he; lay helpless in the ring at the finish. - DAVID AND TWO GOLIATHS. • The crowd was highly amused when it saw the referee standing between the two-Goliaths, and there was plenty of time to compare the sizes as the referee made clear just what would be allowed. Davis early lived up to his reputation when he dealt out an elbow jolt in breaking from the ropes. He then nearly touched the overhead lights in rising on tip-toe and stretching his arms above his head to break a wrist\lock. Forsgren was apparently riot afraid of the big man, and made play with his elbows. He "waited expectantly to see what the answer would be, and soon found himself bailed, up in a corner. Davis was trying for a hammer lock when Fors- . gren summarily picKed him up and dumped him. The crowd booed as Davis tapped Forsgren on the jaw with his closed fist.

Davis went right to work in the second round, catching Forsgren in the face with his knee and then driving him into a corner with both arms flying. Forsgren \<ras beaten down, but suddenly grabbed the big man's legs for a Boston crab. He failed because Davis • pushed his shoulders through the ropes. Another attempt met the same fate, but Forsgren continued to try hard and threw his opponent with a couple of chanceries. He was glad, however, to make for the edge of the stage to escape from a hammer lock.

"I thought you weren't going to appeal to the referee!" called a woman ■spectator when Davis aske"d for Forsgren to be stopped from holding the ropes ywhen he had him in a spreadeagle. Davis, however, pulled himself under the ropes when Forsgr,en came out of the spreadeagle with a death lock. There was some difference of opinion as to whether Davis had a strangle when he was holding a head lock. The referee finally decided that he had and ordered him to break. Forsgren showed that he felt the same way by coughing for breath and then starting; to lodge a complaint which was cut; short as Davis's arm caught him on the side of the head. FALL TO DAVIS. The fourth round started with Davis on i the warpath, and he used arms and knees to take the fight out of Forsgren. He followed up with several throws from the suplex hold and took a fall at lmin 4sec. Forsgren protested against strangle holds before he went to his corner. l

Davis tried the same tactics again in the next round but had to head for the ropes :to escape a Boston crab. He also ran, out of the ring before an elbow attack. He was unceremoniously tossed back by the warmly-encouraged Forsgren. The house was in an uproar as Forsgren slyly worked on one finger \ while holding an arm stretch. Forsgren was mostly at the receiving end of an exchange of elbow jolts in the sixth round, but things were not as bad for him as they looked, for he suddenly dived .for Davis's long legs, upended him, and -had his famous Boston crab applied in a flash. It did not let him down and he gained a submission fall at 4min 59sec. FORSGREN AGGRESSIVE. Forsgren continued to attack in the seventh round and chased the other man with all he had until a hammer lock slowed him up. Things then became rather mixed and a tangle in the ropes found the referee involved. Davis again had occasion to head for ' the neutral zone before the round ended.

Elbows were freely used in the last round, until Forsgren, in going in for a head lock, was thrown through the ropes to the feet of the ringsiders. He crawled back, but ran into a heap of trouble wßich ended with his being picked up and dumped for the deciding fall after the round had been in ■progress lmih 14sec. Mr. Alf Jenkins was the referee. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. The amateur preliminaries resulted: L. Drew (Johnsonville), Bst 101b, beat W. Ward (Kilbirnie), Bst 31b, by two falls. '

A. Mulholland (Kilbirnie), 7st 61b, beat M. Perry (Johnsonville), 7st 131b, by two falls.

C. Croskery (Kilbirnie), Bst 131b, beat J. Mehaffy (Kilbirnie), 9st, on points.

H. Dooley (Kilbirnie), 6st 111b, beat W. McFadgeon (Island Bay), 7st, on points. Mr. J. H. Thompson was the referee.