WRESTLING SEASON OPENS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 77, 17 April 1937, Page 9

WRESTLING SEASON OPENS

Blomfield and Mclntyre Stage Draw SPECTACULAR CONTEST A great start to the 1937 wrestling season in Hawka '• Bay wae providod at the Hastings Municipal Theatre last evening when Don Mclntyre, of CanndaA and Lofty Blomfield, of Auckland, were the principals. After one of the fastest and most interesting bouts seen for a number of seasons the honours were shared, though each gained a fall in spectacular style. The new season 's importation. Mclntyre, created a very favourabl© impression and should prove popular with the fans throughout New Zealand. He is a clean, very fast and cleyer wrestler and ekowed quite plainly that when it came to the ' 'rough stuffi" he was quite capable of lookmg aftef himself, though he invariably waited until his opponeut set the pace as far as the "extras" were concerned. ^ Mclntyre was responsible for inti'oducmg a iiew hold, which is called the crocodile clutch. This he applies with his legs after the manner of " a reverse full nelson, and added discomfiture to the victim is provided by clappiug the knees sharply against his head. Blomfield revealed nothing new, but was as colourfiil as ever and lost no opportunity to get in a vanety of annoying infrlngements on the sly» axld the actions of Mclntyre on occasbns indicated that there had been a littl© strangling. The outstanding incidettt of the evening was in the sixth round when. both were so tied up about the legs that it was a real checkmate. Even the efforts of the referee, Mr B. Anderson, could not separate the pair and the services of the official seconds had to be secured before the limbs could be untangled, and both wrestlere took things easy for a minute, each nursing an anlde. The first fall went to Mclntyre in the fourth session when, following a couplc_ of flying tackles, he hoisted Blomfield up on his shoulders, took him for a prolonged aeroplane spifi aud then nosedived the dizzy Aucklander to the mat, to finish off the proceedings with a paneake. Blomfield had to work overtime equalising the falle and was not successful nntil the seventh round when he neatly countered a standing splits with his specialty, the octopus cjamp, for a submission fall. Bright Opening. Each received a good reception from the crowd as they entered the ring, and tfie referee received a "hot," but very soon after hoetxlities commenccd the tkird man in the ring was in high favour as he sought to stem the irritating tactics adopted by Blomfield. The New Zealander escaped from two nasty holds by using a finger in Mclntyre 's inouth, but the Canadian had his xevenge with a lengthy play o£ an arm strangle. The second round had not long been in progress before Mclntyre let it be known that when it eame to hunding out elbow jolts he was quite ready to give as good as he had to take, and the round was an exciting one, each bemg determined to gain supremacy iu this direction, The crowd certainly epjoyed the clash of wills. sComing out promptly in the third canto, Mclntyre secured a sliort-arm scissors and converted it int.o an arm strangle that kept Blomfield troubled for a long time until he countered with a hainmerlock, but Mclntyre cleverly gained release by racing round the ring, Blomfield being a poor second as a sprinter and haviug to let go his grip on the arm. They were again going hammer-and-tongs with elbow ."jolts when Mclntyre sprung his crocodile clutch and this was only broken by the referee after the pair had become entangled with the ropes. Mclntyre won a struggle for all armstrangle, but Blomfield brought his elbow into play again to give him relief. Mclntyre took a headlong dive at the New Zealander and bowled him over like a ninepin, launched his tackles and procfieded with his aerial effort which led' to the fourth xound fall. A nicely-executed Japaneee leg trip took Mclntyre .to ,the mat early in the fifth, and Blomfield struggled to apply his octopus, but without success. Once the pair went over the ropes to land in a tangled heap at the feet of Mrs Mclntyre. Blomfield was now going full out with punishing leg holds aud arm strangles. The sixth session opened with .Mclntyre getting. a very quick swivel reverse wristloek, but a sudden resumption of elbow- jolting followed and for fully thr,ee minutes the . pair swopped jolts to .head. and. body by the score. The duel . terminated when Mclntyre tripped his man with a, Japanese leg trip, and, as each sought to gain the supremacy on the mat, they became so tangled up that they conld not eyen release themselves. The session closed with Blomfield securihg a ' de&thlock wi.th his arm as the leyer. The penultimate round saw Blomfield early clap on a short-arm scissors and he had Mclntyre wprried for a long timo nntil the ^Canadian finally cam° out of the struggle tyith a standing splits, but this led only to his downfab, for. Blomfield brilliantly manoeuvred . himself into position for his octopus clamp i and succeeded in five minutes 30 seconds. Thrilling as had beeu ruany of the l'ouncjs, the fiual session was easily the best, Exchanging jolts, tosses, flying mares, flying tackles and linjb strangles the pair went full out to socure a deciding fall. They played havoc with each other's legs when on the mat, each striving for painful leg holds, and the crowd was in a great state of exeitement when1 time was called, and the referee indicated that the thrilling coutest was a draw. The Amateur Bouts. The amateur bouts reseulted as follow: — Whittaker 9.3,2 drew with MeCormaek 10.4. Neither gained a fall and the decision was loudly hooted. ^ A Skudder 11.12 defeated Carberry 11.3 by one f«ll to nil, the fall coming

jn the flnal round with a dump and body press.: J. dtewart 12.5 defeated G. Morrig 13.5 bv one fall to nil after a bright contest. The fall came in the first minute of the last round with a body press. Drayson 11.0 defeated Hamilton 11.0 by two straight falls. Mr G. T, Dgakin (Hastings) refereeii the amateur cpnt§§ts.