McCREADY'S TITLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 86, 8 October 1940, Page 5

McCREADY'S TITLE

HELD AGAINST KATAN

WRESTLING AT TOWN HALL

The final Wellington bout at the 1940 wrestling season was held at the Town Hall last night and resulted in Earl McCready (17st 21b) retaining hi§.British Empire title against John Katan (16st 101b), who could get no better than a draw, with a fall apiece, although he pressed McCready hard in the final stages. The hall was well filled and the crowd derived considerable excitement from the exchanges.

Katan adopted irritation tactics from the outset, making free play with his knuckles and also doing some nose and hair pulling while holding head .locks, in addition to using plenty of jolts. THese last brought retribution and the crowd was well pleased. . The men were in a tangle in a corner when the bell ended the first round and it took a while to separate them. Katan was showing fight alMhe time but also he was constantly on the look out for a chance to get a useful hold and, an the second round, he went for his pet toe hold, only to have McCready kick free. . - The third round, after some close •work against the ropes, developed into assault and battery in which there was more than a suspicion of punching on at least one side. Finally, McCready had Katan backed against the ropes and when the latter bounced off he caught him with a body scissors, rolled him over and pinned' him at 4min 31 sec. The brakes were off with a vengeance in the fourth round and first one man and then the other seemed close to being battered into insensibility. When it came to straight wrestling it was mainly a matter or hammer locks. McCREADY ON TOP. McCready was well on top in the fifth round and Katan had to contend with an arm bar as well as a head scissors. He had his work cut out to get free from the latter and he paid McCready back with jolts. He to doing well with a hammer lock at the bell. McCready developed an awkward leg lock in the sixth round but his threat to "break it off' if Katan did not submit proved to be a hollow one as Katan was still in one piece when he escaped. He gave McCready * taste of a short-arm scissors. Using jolts as his yhock troops, Katan rattled McCready in the seventh round •uid put him in a state in which he was able to upend him and apply his standing inside Japanese toe nold. McCready refused to keep his shoulders still but Katan put so much pressure into the grip that McCready submitted at 3min 30sec. Not long after the last round started Katan secured his favourite hold again and all McCready's efforts to break it were without avail. There was a tremendous roar when the bell found him still resisting and unbeaten. Mr. Alf. Jenkins was the referee. THE PRELIMINARIES. Results of the amateur preliminary bouts are: —J. Bailey (Koolmaffs), lOst 81b, beat E. McColl (Kilbirnie), lOst, by two falls. J. Prestney (Kilbirnie), lOst 71b, beat M. McPhee (Hutt), lOst 101b, by two falls. J. Hill (Petone), lOst 31b, beat J. Mahoney (Koolman's), lOst 91b, by two falls. R. Carr (Kilbirnie;, 7st 91b, beat T. Mahoney (Johnsonville), Bst, by two falls to one. In a professional bout C. Croskery (list 121b) beat P. McCashin (list 41b), who was unable to continue after the fourth round owing to a head injury. McCashin was then a fall up.

Mr. Kay Allen was the referee,