RUSSIAN FADES OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 128, 1 June 1937, Page 16

RUSSIAN FADES OUT

LOSS TO BLOMFIELD

BRIGHT WRESTLING BOUT

Surprises are always happening in the wrestling game, and one of the biggest of them occurred last night when Matros Kirilinko dropped a decision to "Lofty" Blomfield at the Wellington Town Hall. For six rounds there was, to all.intends and purposes, only one man in the ring—Kirilihkp—but in the seventh round Blomfi eld's octopus clamp enabled him to; equalise the falls and in the last and deciding round Blomfield shaded his opponent almost for the first, time in the bout.

Kirilinko, who was making his local debut, created a. particularly favourable impression, even though the occasion was responsible for his first defeat in this country. He showed cleverness and speed, altogether too much for his opponent, and the surprising thing was the manner in which he dropped into the background during the vital period. He had a variety of holds at his command, but particularly favoured a full nelson and a short-arm scissors, taking his fall with the latter hold in the. fifth round.

When the decision went against him Kirilinko stamped and gesticulated around the ring, attempting to put his case before a crowded house which was too busy acclaiming its favourite's success to listen to him. When he made to leave, however, recognition of his fine performance was shown by a round of clapping which he acknowledged with a formal bow. The Russian is a colourful character with dignified poses, and he struck ran unusual note when he entered the ring in a- leopard skin. Beautifully muscled, he is a splendidlyshaped athlete, though he looked much smaller than Blomfield. The weights announced were: Blomfield, 16st 101b; Kirilinko, 16st. CAUTIOUS OPENING. Both men felt their way in the first few minutes, testing the strength of the opposition. Kirilinko showed plenty of versatility,.. but •' Blohifield's advantage in size was a telling .factor. The Russian worried Blomfield with a bear hug, and then with a full nelson, the

referee breaking them up when Blomfleld tried to tip Kirilinko over the ropes. The newcomer raised a laugh when he adroitly slipped between Blomfield's legs and returned with a full nelson again. Blomfield made his presence felt with an elbow jolt, and then did a little knee rolling on Kirilinko's arm. _

A jolt from Blomfleld brought ' a determined look to Kirilinko's face when the second round started, and he showed he meant business by going in for a face bar. When Blomfield re-1 taliated in kind Kiriliriko smartly tipped him out of the ring. ; Kirilinko repeatedly had the house in an uproar with his antics. He used the; full nelson at every opportunity, but he was kept in check for a while when Blomfield caught him in • a short-arm scissors. He came out of it with a splits, and Blomfield, when he sat up to see what was happening, was knocked back by a kick under the jaw. After taking his man down with a wrist lock in the third round Kirilinko gave Blomfield a thumping with a short arm scissors. Blomfield's hand went white while he twisted and heaved in vain. "I'm not down!" he gritted as the referee caught his shoulders on the mat for a second. Time and again: it looked as if Blomfield had cciiverted the hold to his own advantage, liut each time he found himself no better off than before. After he had been held for fully seven minutes he managed to wriggle under the ropes. He showed his displeasure by letting loose with some elbow jolts, but Kirilinko knew how to employ as well as evade that kind of attack. Blomfield was muttering to himself as he went to his corner. ELUSIVE RUSSIAN. Kirilinko danced into action with a ferocious look on his face in the fourth round, but ran into a chancery hold. His elusivehess was again too much for Blomfield and he refused to go into the referee's hold when Blomfield made the orthodox move in that direction. He finally had his way with a hammer lock but missed the short arm scissors when he tried for it. Nothing daunted, he gave Blomfield a taste of an arm stretch and smartly secured a splits when Blomfield tried to return the compliment. With a grimace of pain Kirilinko sank against the ropes under the.force of an elbow jolt andjhe had just been sent to the mat by another when the round ended.

The exchange of pleasantries was even in the fifth round until' Kirilinko returned to the < short arm scissors from his full nelson. He used the latter hold to give Blomfield a ride round the ring in the Paul Boesch style, at

the end of which Blomfield conceded a fall at 3min'ssec. ,

Kirilinko ; was angling for the same hold in the sixth round when Blomfield pulled him down with- a flying head scissors. Blomfield • put on a short arm scissors, but Kirilinko was not' easily held, and- was soon throwing Blomfield. round the ring with chanceries. After Blomfleld's elbow in his middle • had stopped these proceedings, he again used the short arm scissors and held it till the bell. OCTOPUS CLAMP AGAIN. Kirilinko worked loose from a head scissors in the seventh round and threw Blomfield with chanceries until the New Zealander responded with his elbows. After Kirilinko had been flattened a few times Blomfield caught him with a leg trip and applied the octopus clamp, with which he took a popular fall at 3min ssec. • Blomfield came out full of confidence in the last'round and managed to apply a death lock with his arm, Kirilinko escaping under "the ropes. Blomtteld war; making-a late run and was building-up some useful points which the referee noted on a piece of paper. Kirilinko tried, a, barred leg hold.lost it, but came back with a forward leg lock. • It was "Lofty's" round, however, and the referee (Mr. ALE Jenkins) gave the only possible decision. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. Results of the amateur preliminary bouts were:— J. Lawrence (Island Bay), list 71b, beat W. Cook (Kilbirnie), list, by two falls. J. Park (Kilbirnie), Bst 51b, beat W. Cammish (Island Bay), Bst 51b, by one1 fall. D. Sword (Petone), 9st lib, beat S. Alcot (Kilbirnie), 9st, by, two falls to one. S. Bradley (Bst 81b) beat R. W. Hutcheson (9st 31b), who was disqualified when he felled Bradley with a fore arm jolt in the third round. Up till then it had been a clever exhibition.

Mr. J. H. Thompson was the referee.