WRESTLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22985, 14 September 1936, Page 5

WRESTLING

BLOMFIELD DEFEATS DAVIS HARD AND SPECTACULAR BOUT Fast and spectacular wrestling, interspersed with a liberal amount of rough tactics by both men, kept a packed house at the Town Hall on Saturday night in an intense state of excitement, and the more the two contestants —“ Wee Willie ” Davis and “ Lofty ” Blomfleld —“ roughed it ” the better the spectators enjoyed themselves. Davis was making his first appearance in Dunedin, and he showed conclusively that there were few tricks of the game of which he was unacquainted; but if he did not hesitate to use illegal tactics whenever the opportunity arose, he met his match in Blomfleld, who knew how to retaliate in . kind. Davis, whose weight was given as 18.6 —nearly two stone heavier than his opponent—stood well over six feet in height, and was tremendously powerful, but he was also remarkably fast, and applied his holds beautifully. He appeared quite capable of keeping Blomfleld busy, but the latter wrestled calmly and coolly, and when the gong went for the last round he met his opponent’s wild rush with three beautiful forearm jolts, and gained the only fall with a body press. Mr Davis resented these elbow jolts right throughout the match, and at the conclusion showed an inclination to settle the question beyond all doubt. Blomfleld appeared to welcome the idea, for he calmly threw away his sweater, and proceeded to show Davis just what a jolt was. The police, however, took a hand in matters, and the argument was not finally settled. The bout opened in spectacular fashion, Davis bringing Blomfleld to the mat with a beautifully-applied headlock. The two men then exchanged forearm jolts freely. Blomfleld then got a headlock himself, and, although Davis tried to dump him, he hung on to the hold, but eventually found himself in a head scissors. Davis tried a few kicks in Blomfield’s ribs, but the latter replied with a kick on on his own 1 hand, which was held conveniently over his opponent’s stomach. Davis used the ropes frequently to get out of trouble in the second round, and punished Blomfleld severely with hammerlocks and a well-held short arm scissors, which the New Zealander broke with a standing splits. He had Blomfleld’in trouble again in the next round with a cradle hold, but found it necessary to seek the ropes after he had been slammed to the mat. Blomfleld assisted him in his desire to reach safety by draping him gracefully over Ihe top rope. Blomfleld worked a toe hold into an Indian deathlock, but could not straighten his leg, and the gong saved Davis. A beautiful leg trip by Blomfleld sent the big man scuttling for the ropes on his hands and knees, but he was brought back with a hammerlock and kicked soundly in the nether regions for his pains. Following more forearm jolting Blomfleld applied a toe hold which caused the admirable Davis much pain. Davis came up for the fifth round seething with rage and let loose four vicious forearm jolts, but was then sent sprawling with a couple of flying tackles, both men ending up in the ropes. Blomfleld held his opponent in a short arm scissors for some considerable time, the latter eventually countering with an arm stretch, but the New Zealander rose to his feet and ran round and round the ring to break the hold. Blomfleld went for a Boston crab early in the sixth round, but Davis went for the ropes hurriedly. Following another bright bout of jolting, in which Davis considered he was being unfairly, treated, Blomfleld again tried to apply the Boston crab, but Davis countered with a body scissors. Blomfleld then got his opponent in a corner, jolted him severely—Davis complaining bitterly to the referee—and then jumped heartily on the prostrate American. Mr Anderson joined in and when they had all sorted themselves out Blomfleld was on the floor outside the ring. Davis broke a wristlock with a dump early in the seventh round and the two men then stood shoulder to shoulder and exchanged forearm jolts in good style, Davis eventually falling through the ropes. Blomfleld countered a couple of flying tackles with two beautiful Japanese stomach throws and then launched a flying tackle himself,- applied a crucifix and quietly played with the irate Davis’s face. The end came suddenly in the last round when 1 Davis flew from his corner only 1,0 be met by three brisk elbow jolts and a body press, which pinned his shoulders to the mat. THE PRELIMINARIES A. Sands 9.4 beat A. Logan 9.6 by one straight fall. This was a fast, interesting contest, both lads exploiting a wide variety of holds. Sands was the more experienced wrestler of the pair, and scored in the third round with an arm bar and body press. H. Taylor 8.7 and C. Reid 8.13 drew, with one straight fall each. Taylor secured a fall in the first round with an aeroplane spin and body press. In the next round he went for another aeroplane spin, but Reid countered neatly and came down on top of his opponent to pin him with a body press. N. Thompson 10.0 beat E. Cockburn 11.0, by two falls to one. Cockburn brought his opponent down in the first round with an arm hold and pinned him with a body press. Thompson equalised in the next round with a skilfully-applied cradle hold, and clinched the decision in his favour in the third, with a reverse headlock and arm bar. L. Williams 12.0 drew with H. Munt 13.0. This bout was characterised by any amount of vigour and a good deal of unnecessary showmanship, but very little scientific wrestling. There were no falls. Messrs H. Baldock and S. Paris were the referees for the preliminaries, and Mr F. Anderson controlled the main bout.