LIVELY WRESTLING

Evening Star, Issue 21750, 19 June 1934, Page 13

LIVELY WRESTLING

MEYER BEATS CHEUHG TWO FAILS TO ONE Bright and vigorous wrestling marked the meeting at the Town Hall last night in a professional contest, scheduled for eight teh-miiiUte rounds, of Dr Fred Meyer and Wong link Cheung, the match being one of the liveliest and most spectacular of the season. It ended in victory for Meyer in the sixth round .when he obtained his second submission fall by means, of a liammerlock, the Chinese obtaining the first fall of the match in the third round with a body press following the application of his favourite hold, the King Foo stopper, by ivhicli lie whirled his opponent round and round before sending him crashing to tile mat for a fall.

There was again a large attendance of spectators, tile Town Hall being about three parts full, and among the audience was d good representation of the local Chinese fraternity, who followed the fortunes of their countryman with the closest attention. Tile bout itself was solidly contested from start to finish, ahd although there were a few willing exchanges of blows the referee (Mr Frank Anderson) had the men Weil in hand. He had to warn Meyer several times, but when punches were traded the Chinaman seemed quite capable of holding his own. Meyer gave another great exhibition of straight wfcstling, proving himself one of the greatest grap)ilcrs to visit here. Faeli man weighed 15 stone, and each showed unusual strength, but Meyer proved the faster of the pair, although Cheung showed great agility on liis feet, aild provoked applause at times by the way lie escaped from Meyer’s devastating headloeks. Good wrestler though Cheung proved himself to be, Meyer was too clever for him, the doctor showing a greater variety in attack, though it was with beautifully applied wrtstlocks that he was most dangerous, both submission falls following the application of such holds which no turned over into linlnraerlocks. One of the most spectacular incidents of the match occurred when Meyer roiled the Chinese round the ring in a short-arm scissors. Both men proved adept at headlocks. and on several occasions Cheung countered Meyer’s work in this direction by retaliating with a similar hold. The Chinese applied solno punishing toeholds, and also Used a good Wristlock Well, though not so facile in the use of tin's hold as his opponent. Jt was a fust match all the way, and one that was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd. After Meyer bad evened up in the fourth rolind with a hiunmenock with bar, it appeared only'a matter of time before lie Would take the deciding fall, ns Cheung’s left arm seemed to be almost useless. The latter staged a great rally in the fifth, however, and held out until Moyer secured another liammerlock in the sixtli round, which spelt tlie end. THF BOUT DESCRIBED. Both men stepped lively from the start, and Meyer brought. his opponent down with a double arllibar, Cheung bridgiijg and getting clear. The Chinese piit on a wristlock and ifalf Nelson, and the crowd booed as the doctor sent a punch to the chiii in an effort to break it. Meyer was wrestling cleverly, slipping from one Hold to another with delightful ease, but he could not hold a toehold, and Cheung took him to the mat with a reverse Wristlock. Meyer came round, but Cheung forced him back, the doctor shooting out his legs quickly to scissor his opponent’s head. The doctor gained tt further advantage by quickly lucking Cheung's wrist, but the latter spun out. Meyer again aroused the ire of the crowd when he drove his knee into his opjJOneUt’s stdlUacb, and the Chinese cable back fiercely, throwing Meyer With a lieadlock. ChOuiig countered with a short-arm scissors by applying the splits, which he held tor some time while the crowd cheered him loudly. Meyer worked to the ropes, but the referee ordered him back, and just Us tile gong went the doctor cat loose with a punch to the jaw. Cheung made a rush at him, and Moyer went on to tlio ropes. The second round opened in spectacular style. Meyer went quickly from a Wristlock to a liammerlock, but Cheung solbersaUltcd out of it and turned the tables with a flying scissors. Moyer stood up and heaved his opponent off. and a, scries of fast exchanges followed, both men clamping on some good lloadlocks. Cheung hach-sllimincd his opponent, but Meyer drove Ids foot into liis opponent’s stomach and then secured a double Nelson, bringing it into ft double arm scissors, 'Then followed one of the most spectacular incidents of the match., Meyer holding his opponent with the crucifix and rolling him round the ring. Cheung kicked Meyer off, and the doctor then applied a stepover toehold. Cheung grabbed Meyer by the hair in ait endeavour to break the hold, and the American got annoyed and let fly with his elbows, the referee warning him. Meyer was hooted as he argued with the referee in midring, and in the next rally Cheung took a. turn.and put in a rabbit punch. Meyer went after him mid took him to the mat with a head lock, Cheung spinning out. The doctor was unable to hold a reverse lieadlock, the Chinese scissoring Moyer’s bend. The doctor appealed against a strangle, and while he was arguing the point Chemig sent him spinning across the ring, the crowd booirtg as he retreated to the ropes. Cheung could not hold a wristlock, and Meyer obtained an arlußtretch and put his foot in Cheung’s face, going to the mat with Cheung striving to get clear. The latter stood up, but Meyer forced hi in back, the gong bringing relief to Cheung. As Meyer .backed towards tile ropes at the start of the third round the Chinese grabbed him by the toe, and Meyer put in a couple of forearm blows. The referee again admonished him, and the doctor then picked Cheung up and dumped him, quickly applying a body scissors and facebar. Cheung obtained a punishing toehold, and lying right back on top of Meyer gave the doctor a bad time of it until tho latter retreated to the ropes, the referee bringing him hack. With startling siiddienness Cheung then brought into play bis own particular hold, the,King Foo stopper, bringing both arms up and round Meyer’s neck to whirl him round several times before hurling him to the mat to take the fall with a body press. Tho fourth round opened with Meyer attacking strongly, and a reverse wristlock took Cheilng to the canvas. The latter buried his fingers in Meyer’s ear and started to spin to break the hold, but each time he rolled round Meyer worked him back and then applied a head scissors. Working right over the top of his man, Meyer obtained a hamnierlock, ami each time Cheung stood up the American rolled him back. The Chinese suffered torture when Meyer secured a bar to liis liammerlock. and the doctor evened tilings up by taking a submission fall. Tho fifth round was the most fiercely fought of the match. The referee had again to caution Meyer, who tossed his opponent round the ring with a series

of reverse headloeks, Cheung getting a hit of his own back with a toehold. Meyer wormed his way to the ropes and the referee broke the men up, Inc crowd booing as Meyer hung to the ropes. There was an exchange of blows near the ; corner, and coming but into midring Cheung picked Meyer up and dumped him heavily. The pair had some torrid, rallies on the mat, some solid headloeks, being damped on by both men. Meyer trapped his opponent, who went .for his King Foo .stopper and was hauled down by . a reverse lieadlock, the doctor then going for a hammerlock, Cheung drove his elbows into Meyer’s chin to break the hanjnierloclc, but Moyer put on a facebar and forced hirii back to the mat. Things looked bad for Cheung when Meyer applied the bar, but out flashed a foot and Cheung was clear. Meyer again wristlockcd him and put on a short arm scissors smoothly,', the gong bringing relief to the Chinaman. As Meyer came close in the sixth round Cheung met him with .ii righthander to, the jaqy lyhidi escaped the referee; MeyOf dodging round the ring. Cheung brought him down with a headlock, but very quickly Meyer turned over from, a '-wristlock into a hammerlock. . The, doctor got .a little careless, however, arid the Chinese back slammed him. Meyer held the .liammerlock until Chemig pulled him over his bead, and punches were exchanged as Meyer was forced into the corner, Back came the doctor, however, and securing an antibar he stepped over and put on a hammerlock which forced Cheung to concede a submission fall, -Meyer taking the match by two falls to one. tflE MHLTminari.es. Neil Thomson (9.3) and Leslie Small (8.10) staged a willing and bright display, showing a -good variety of holds, with Thomson .the more aggressive of the pair.. . Both boys went from one hold to another in pleasing lash ion, but Thomson took a fall in the first round by means of a Japanese armbar and leg scissors. Small retaliated vigorously in the second round, and tossed Thomson with a couple of headlocks which had tho heavier boy a bit groggy. He then dumped him with an aeroplane spin to even up by taking a fall with a body press. Thomson went his man in the third round and secured a lieadlock and armbar. pinning liis opponent by means of a- body press to take the match by two falls to one. F. Keach (9.7) and D. Stevenson (9.7) had a good, solid go, but the former’s experience stood to_ him in countering many of Stevenson s holds. Keach was very fit. and sifter Stevenson had been on top of his man during the first round Keach came out strongly in the second and took a fall with a body press following an armroll. Stevenson nearly evened the score in the third with a lieadlock. but lost his balance and the hold as well, and Keach kept him off lor the remainder of the round, Keach taking the match with one fall. This contest was decided under amateur championship rules. Fred Corry (10.8) and Jim Johannsen (10.10) also nlet under championship conditions, both boys giving a very solid display. Corry kept at his man in the first round, and just before the gong secured an armstretch and body scissors, the gong bringing Johannsen much-needed relief. Johannsen came to light, with some punishing reverse headloeks in the second round, and at the start of the third had Corry in difficulties, though the latter countered well. Corry secured an armbar ahd pinned Johannsen with a body press to take the match with the only fall secured. , T H. Wilson (10.10) and Len Williams (11.6) provided a bright display, Milson, a wiry' customer, showing unexpected strength and taking a fall in the second round with a double arlnloek and bodv press. Tins was the only fall of the match, M’ilson being the winner.

KOLftFF BEATS GEORGE WALKER [Per United Press Association.] .'WELLINGTON, June 18. Eight rounds of solid but dour and unspectacular wrestling between Ceorge Walker (New Zealand) and Dan Kolofl, the Bulgarian,, were witnessed by ft crowded house at the Town Hall thus evening. Kolofl won by the only fail, secured in the sixth round with a dump. Considering the publicity which' had been given to the. meeting of these matmen, a more thrilling bout was expected. BEY BEATS SHIKIKA (Pa* United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June 18. A wrestling contest at the Town Hall between Ali Bey, of Turkey, and Oki Shikina, tho Japanese, ended abruptly in tho fifth round. The pair were interlocked on the ropes, and the referee was attempting to separate them when they toppled over on to the staging outside the ring, rolled over a couple of times, and then fell to the floor in front of tlie occupants of the stalls. Bey was assisted back into the ring before, the referee had cOrinted tho regulation 20sec. Shikina lay oil the floor surrounded by spectators who had rushed forward from their seats. Medical men. ambulance attendants, and policemen hurried round to where the Japanese lay prostrate. He- Was still there when the count was concluded, and Bey was declared the winner. Shikina had to be assisted to the dressing room, where lie lay for some time before recovering. There was plenty of life in the match, with a lot of byplay ahd light forearm jolting which rotlsed the crowd. Some clever wrestling was Witnessed, with a good variety of holds.