LURICH'S COLOURFUL PERSONALITY

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

LURICH'S COLOURFUL PERSONALITY

I have heard it said that Tom Lurich. who is almost tho “ uncrowned Vug ” of wrestling in Sydney, is an Australian, but this is incorrect. Ho is a Russian, born in tho Ukraine, the great wheat-growing territory of South Russia. A 1 Karasick is also a native of the Ukraine (writes Lofty Blomfiold, in the 1 Now Zealand Observer ’). Tom Lurich must have made a tremendous amount of money from wrestling in Australia, but he must have spent a Jot, ton. His big Packard car is one of the most imposing automobiles in Sydney. Lurich is married to an Australian girl. The tragedy of bis life was the death last year of Iris only son, Johnny, a boy of 16, who died after a long illness during which everything medical science could do was .summoned to bis aid. Tho occasions when Tom Lurich wont along to the hospital to see his dying son wore touching spectacles, and showed the other side of the “ rough, tough ” wrestler’s character. Actually Lurich is a very sensitive man. Although bo assumed the role of the “ wild man of the ring ” in Sydney, lie really liked lo have the gallery with him, and the feeling of being a public idol really meant a lot to him. In Auckland lie wa- noi nearly

as good a draw as ho proved to be iu Australia. Here he drew good crowds when matched with Walker, but not otherwise. Tom’s style suits the Australian temperament, and the fact that more latitude is allowed to wrestlers over there helped him, too. Tho fans would almost lift the roof off hooting him, but they would still go along to see him. As a wrestler I don’t think he is quite as good as the class of American wrestler now wrestling in New Zealand, but he still draws the crowds in Sydney.