SHORT WRESTLING CONTEST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 2 July 1937, Page 8

SHORT WRESTLING CONTEST

Savage Beats Felice In Fourth Round TWO STRAIGHT FALLS Short work was made of Tony Felico in his professional wrestling contest at the Hastings Municipal Theatre last evening when "Smiling Steve Savage secured victory by two straight falls to nil, the bout terminating early in the fourth round. This was the opening of the season as far as the Pioneer Wrestling Club was concerned. Though there was not. the "breworks" anticipated, there was a good deal of' straight wrestling on the part of both principals. Savage, however, was clearly too good for the Itallan, despite the handicap of a stone in weigkt. Felice appeared to be quite lncapable of countering the renowned toe-holds and leg-loeka which are the, specialities in Savage's stock-in-trade. Savage undoubtedly impressed, both as a rxng personality and as a. wrestler of merit. He made an immediate hit with the crowd with his cheery sxnile, and wrestled confidently and efficiently quite apart from his leg and toe holds. On defence he was a bundle of energy and a slippery eustomer to hold, as Felice was made quite aware of in the short time tliey were in. the ring together. Felice appeared to be handicapped in his work by the need for watchfulness for Savage's leg holds. He infused , plenty of action into his work and did not hesitate on the slightest provocation to indulge in hair-pulling, if by s0 doing he could obtain greater leverage or release. He, too, displayed a good variety of holds, but lacked the strengtk of his opponent, and also the ability.

Sporting a snarling lion worked on the back of his dressing gown, Felice was first to enter the ring to be announced at 16st., a full stone heavier than Savage, who lived up to his nicS;name from the start, with a grin that would have done justice to any Cheshire cat. The Italian worked with head-scissors and arm-strangles early in the bout, and was the aggressor from the outset, Savage made tentative negotiations for leg liolds, but Felice invariably kicked out. Starting 0tf the second round with a dual In wristlocks, Felice prevailed and took his man to the mat with a headiock, which he converted into a headscissors. On coming out Savage applied a skort-arm scissors but promptly released the hold when Felice started to bite him. Some snappy work with hgure-four head-scissors preceded Savage collecting a nasty toe-hold which he applied until halted by the gong. Two Snappy Falls Felice took his man to the mat with a Japanese armbar and was applying pressure with vigour when Savage neatly tricked him and clapped on a sitting double leg-lock, upon which he worked assiduously until Feliee obtained a good liandful of hair and hauled him off balance. As they came to their feet Felice "cut up rough" .and handed out a number of fore-arm jolts, all of of which the smiling Steve took fairly passively until the opportunity presented itself for him to dive at Felice and with ligbtening speed apply'a step-over toe-hold with a variation of a grapevine leg-lock, for a submission fall. The fourth round had only just got under way when Savage made another dive for the Italian' s legs and he repeated liis feat to secure ouothor quick and lively fall to terminate the contest in probably the shortest period ever recorded in the local ring. Tho Amateur Bout* Straight wrestling was the key-note of the big. contest, but such was not the case with the amateur bouts, all of whichi were unusually lively and provided plenty of action and excitement, together with a good deal of clever and excellent wrestling. Results were as follow • — J. McColl (Napier), 10.0, defeated G. Brock (Napier), 10.4, on points, there being no falls recorded. S. White (Napier) 10.9, defeated "Gyclone" Locke (Napier), 11.2, by one fall to nil. G. Scott (Westshore), 15.6, defeated T. Hartshorn (Napier), 14st., by one fall, a reverse deathlock. to nil B. Croft (Hastings), 13.8, defeated "Tiger" Ulph (Hastings), J.4st., by one fall, a deathlock, to nil. Alr Geo. Bennett, of Wellington, refereed all contests. ♦