WRESTLING

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1931, Page 3

WRESTLING

ENTERTAINING \V<RESTJ A XG

UNEXPECTED SLAM

PINTO BEATS DEMETRAL. WELLINGTON, July 7. After being heaved to the mac repeatedly for some 50 seconds, Stanley Pinto sprang a surprise on ill an y Dementral near the beginning of the fifth round of a mildly uproarious wrestling match at the Town Hall last evening. Pinto suddenly picked up his opponent and slammed him to the mat on his back leaning on him for the first fall of the match. It was also the last, because Dementral, after being dragged to his corner, was unable to continue. Pinto’s victory was popular. The match, which was well-seasoned with showmanship, contained on the whole a surprising amount of wrestling, although it Was only at times clearly discernible. As an entertainment, the bout was a great success and by far the greater part- of the audience was delighted.

Pinto, who weighed 14st. 51b to Demetral's 13sr, 21b, sailed in with the gong and left the crowd in no doubt as to the future conduct of the match.'He repeated the onslaught before being downed twice by Demelral with headlocks. At this stage fists and open hands began to fly, and the audience found its voice—pleasantly surprised that the fireworks had begun so early.

BRISK EXCHANGES. Pinto held his man in an arm strangle, but it failed to last, and Demetral caught him in a chancery hold near the ropes. As he jerked Pinto’s head upward and backward he supplied *a dexterous slap in the face, to which Pinto replied with snappy left jabs and open slaps with his right. This was the prelude to a purple passage of brisk exchanges, in which each man used his shoulders and hands to some, but not much, purpose. An amusing interlude occurred when Pinto had Demetral caught in a hold to which Demetral was replying with a hand seizing portion of Pinto’s face. The latter, incensed at the grip, aimed a blow at DemetraTs hand, which, however, was in the meantime removed, so that the blow landed on the face instead. Pinto alone missed the joke. He came back, however, and pushed his man out miller the .opes, giving him a gratuitous knock on the back ol the neck with his foot, an action for which he was well hooted by a section of the crowd. Shortly afterward, Mr Lack, the referee, had a lone struggle getting the men back from the, ropes. Demetral at length won a good position with one of Pinto s arms stretched out and his head h- ld firmly with a foot against the mat. Ihe crowd roared,, but the no'se was eel'psed when Pinto, lying on the mat, escaped by means ol kicking Demetral smartly on the face. Demetral reeled back and took refuge for a moment be!r‘nd the ropes befor i returning to the ring to fetch a useful hook to Pinto's plexus. It was Pinto's turn to stagg'r back.

iA moment later Demetral mrst havte been getting rough, because Pinto raised v disapproving finger and appealed to the referee. He took the remedy into his own hands, however, by knocking Demetral down with a series of elbow jolts;. . It was a tough go, and the incident more, than made up for the lack of real wrestling. At the interval the men were spoken to by the referee, who had been spoken to by a member ol the association.

UNDEXiIABLY TOUGH. Demetral halched his man twice at the beginning of round two, but was caught in a short arm scissors and then n an arm strangle. He escaped by some obscure method which made Pinto run terror stricken out under the ropes. Demetral raced after him and tried to t uiiip on h m, but was restrained in the nick of time.

.Much' of the “rough stuff” had been mere showmanship, but at this point, for i oriel pei od, it was undeniably tough work, and D'emetral took refuge under the ropes several tiroes. One was apt to overlook the snatches of sound, strenuous wresting which occurred from time to time. At ’one stage' Demetral had Pinto under the ropes and had to be pulled oil’ by the referee, who landed him neatly in mid-ring. Pinto raced back, but D’emetral ducked and the big man went sprawling. He retaliated a moment later with a few well-aim - 'd cracks.

At the interval, Inspector Lander, amid hooting from a section of the crowd, spoke to the referee, who in turn spoke to the men. Both seemed willing to wrestle according to the desired style, plain or fancy. . Demetral again got first blood when he .whacked his man down with a headlock at the beginning of the third round. When Pinto had return, d the compliment he secured a toe-hold on the mat, but Demetral escaped and sent Pinto flying to the. ropes, over which he somersaulted into the audience. Demetral was after him, and halfway thiough the ropes when the referee c (Right him in a headlock and pulled him back. From here to the rest of the round there was plenty of solid straight wrestling. Both men showed up as skilful.

DEMETRAL WORKING WELL. Demetral had the better of the opening few minutes of round lour, just as he had the better of the previous round. Pinto rallied at last to some purpose, and had all the better of it until caught in a reverse barred toe-hold, which Deipetral had cleverly developed. Slowly

and painfully Pinto wriggled out under the ropes. When, a moment later, Pinto gave his opponent an uppercut with hands locked together. Demetral staggered back into a corner for a rest. Pinto slammed him when he came out, but was caught cleverly a minute later in a cunningly-developed splits. At the beginning of the fifth round, Demetral tossed Pinto to the mat time and time again, and the big man seemed to get a trifle groggy. But Demetral approach'd once too .often, and Pinto suddenly lifted him and slammed him hard to the mat for a fall at 58 seconds. Demetral was dragged to his corner, but could not revive sufficiently to continue the match at the gong. The decision in favour of Pinto was popular, and even the vanquished Demetral was well-ap-plauded when he left the ring. Mr Lack, the referee, who had a somewhat awkward task in refereeing the bout, deserves mqre than a word of praise’ for his work’.