THE MAT GAME

Evening Star, Issue 22464, 8 October 1936, Page 4

THE MAT GAME

WRESTLING NEWS AND NOTES N.Z. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEWED [By Hooker.] HONOURS TO THE NORTH DOMINION TOURNAMENT AT WELLINGTON The honours of tli© New Zealand amateur wrestling championships at Wellington last week were decidedly with the North Island representatives, but, nevertheless, some first-class bouts were witnessed, and I am indebted to one pf the officials for some interesting notes on the bouts. In the fly-weight class Kisha Bana (Auckland) beat Fagan (Canterbury), the Auckland boy being too experienced for Fagan, In each round ho brought Fagan early to the mat, where he quickly clamped on a riding scissors, and tried hard with a face and armbar to bring Fagan over for a pin. The Canterbury hoy, being father strong, prevented ■ Kisha Bana from doing so, but the Aucklander won the match on points very easily. In the bantam-weight division S. Bradley (Wellington) carried too many guns for B. Marks (Otago), his experience with good wrestlers enabling him to work on a forward head and arm throw which Marks was unable to counter, and with which he pinned the Otago man in the first and second rounds.

R. AV. Hutchison (AVellington), a very clever wrestler, was kept very busy by R. Muudy (Canterbury in the first round of the feather-weight class. Muudy, however, was pinned towards the finish. The AVellingtonian took another fall with a wing-hold and drophack, coming over on top to pin Muncly in an expert manner. L. Nolan (AA’ellington). who is looked upon, as one of New Zealand’s stars, beat Les Small (Otago) in the lightweight class with falls in the second and third rounds, although the AVellington ‘ Post ’ says there was some doubt about the second fall. In round one Small had Nolan very fully extended, there being little between them at the finish.. The second round saw Nolan on the improve, and after some very tough wrestling he was able to pin Les with a half-nelson and body-press. Small put up a very creditable performance in the third round against the redoubtable Nolan, hut eventually a fall was recorded which, to all appearances, was doubtful. A well-contested bout was seen in the welter-weight championship, in which V. L.-Thomas (Canterbury) met V- Rawle (Auckland). No falls were recorded. . In the first round Rawle wrestled: desperately, and; occasionally had Thomas in an awkward position, but this clever wrestler alp-ays remained cool, displaying science in working his way out, and coming on top of. his opponent to make the round slightly in his favour. Thomas worked like a champion in rounds two and three, and- Rawle was compelled to wrestle on the defensive most of the way to prevent a fall being obtained. The South Island boy won easily on points. One of the most disappointing exhibitions of the tournament was given by H. S. Batchelor (Canterbury), who shaped so promisingly at the South Island championships at Dunedin. His opponent on this occasion was the Hastings middle-weight, T. Morley, who proved himself to he a first-class wrestler, and took falls in the first and second rounds, having too much experience, strength, and style for the Canterbury representative, whom he defeated easily. The light-heavy-weight contest lietween L. Goughian (Otago) and H. R. Godfrey (AVellington) was a very strenuous affair in which Godfrey kept driving Goughian round on the face of his elbow. This strategy was very effective, as Goughian found it very difficult to overcome this menace, and he was compelled to retreat. This was a new experience for the Otago man, and quite upset his usual rugged style. No falls were recorded, and a points decision correctly went to Godfrey. Goughian had his second bout in the heavy-weight bout against Tom Anderson (AVellington). After Coughlan tried himself out against Anderson in the first round it became apparent that he was outmatched in science and strength, and, after discovering this, Coughlan went on the defensive, and did his utmost to> keep out of serious trouble. This was always imminent when Anderson was able to clamp on a hold. No falls were registered, and the points decision to Anderson was the only possible one.

Considering that Cougliian bad a very hard bout with Godfrey, it says much for his toughness and grit that he was able to go through this bout with Anderson without a fall being recorded against him.