MAT ARTISTS AT GRIPS

Shannon News, 30 April 1926, Page 4

MAT ARTISTS AT GRIPS

SPECTACULAR WRESTLING. ANDERSON A COMING CHAMPION. — ■ .-I Strenuous mat manoeuvres which oft-times included a perspiring reret ee within their ..-cope, marked Monday night’s clash at the Town Hall between Australian Billy Meeske and the New Zealand champion, Ern Anderson, (says the Star). Ringside furniture was not exempt from tne attentions of the girthy gladiators, who several '.times sent chairs flying and tables rattling on their pins with the sustained exuberance and velocity of their massive 'rushes from one side of the ring to the other. Like a whiff from the forgotten post, when small purses and hard-fought bouts were the order of the day in indoor sport, the two champions toiled and stiained through ten. strenuous rounds until their bodies glowed a fiery red under sweat-covered i skins. Such an exhilarating exhibition should give the sport, an immense fillip in Auckland. ' Billy Meeske, who comes with the title of cruiser-weight champion of Australia, pitted science, coolness, and ringcraft of a high order against a younger and less experienced -rival, whose strength, gameness and determination carried him to within an ace of victory. The meritorious loser was Ern Anderson, New Zealand lightheavyweight title holder, of Palmerston North, whose performance goes to prove thajt there is a new star on the wrestling horizon. During the evening a challenge to Anderson for th e New Zealand title was made on behalt of Joe Pufty, of Hamilton ,and S. .Philljpsou, of Auckland, also expressed an official desire to relieve the winner of the Cumberland style of his new-found honours. Two sparkling- preliminaries by

amateur contenders ushered in the / big match. The respective contestants took their corners weighing 13.6 and 13.5. Anderson stripped well, clad in a pair ot’ dark shorts, which enabled his seconds to give him the benefit of plenty ot' leg-massage during the boujts. Meeske ,on the other hand, favoured shorts and tights wetl-padded inside the knee. He, too, looked to be in the pink of condition. In tile first round, Meeske unavaiiingly tried to pin his opponent with a series of wrist locks, but Anderson countered effectively with a powerrul win roll, Towards the finish of the bout- Meeske exploit ed ; the toe hold/ and in the closing stages nearly pinned his min on tayo succssive occasions, but Anderson twisted clear. The round ended with Meeske being stood on his hea l by his opponent. Indecisive. In the second .fracas, both men pleasantly began poking straight letts with the open hand at each other’s features. Following a strenuous set-to, the pair crashed into the Press tabliis,- and, while busy scribes were collecting their scattered nor.es, Anderson got. his opponent’s head into chancery, and applied the bar lock. Meeske, however, 1 cvriggled out of danger' ,and ' another indecisiv e bout concluded.

The third round had not. gone long before Meeske .drove in with beads of sweat glistening on his coppercoloured skin, and bleeding slightly from the right arm. Lifting his opponent clean off his feet; he cheerfully spread-eagled him on the mat, but Andrson made liglri of tin- incident, «ml very soon the pair were back at the gentle diversion of . sparing at each other’s faces. Then

Meeske bailed, his man up against the platform at the back of the stage, exerted more pressure, and litted him right up on th 6 staging, off the 1 mat altogether . There were |cries of “Break!” Meeske, however, continued the tussle. The referee then took a hand, and ,af|ter a lot of (Strenuous pulling and pushing, got thm back on the mat. Here he had a work or two with the Australian on the subject of obeying his admonitions more promptly. This lound, too, was resultless. An unexpected prelude to the serious business of the fourth, round was furnished by Anderson, who nearly lost a fall by his slowness in rolling out of one. of his opponent’s holds. Both men got leg holds at the same instant, and commenced tugging away for all they were worth. Finally Meeske gave this up in favour of a head lock. Both men then rolled off the mat, Meeske having the advantage. “Get back.” ordered the referee .Meeske was deaf !to the repeated admonition, and the official, who by this time had removed his sweater, started a little private match of his own with Meeske, who reluctantly forsook ! his grip on his opponent and returned ito the tarpaulin again. Meeske then back-heeled- the Southerner, who landed on his back with a crash that could be heard all over the theatre, but the impetus enabled him to roll out of danger. Meeske next ■fell on his opponent’s face, and followed (this up with a head hold and a bar lock, which looked like providing him with something to write home about. The referee thought ;so ■too, arid stood over the strainingvisitor in the attitude of an expectant householder about to swat a .blowfly. The threatened touch of the hand in token of a fall, however, did not eventuate, Anderson brouyhit his favourite arm roll to his. aid, and wriggled out of the way. Then ihe gong -went, Anderson displayed more .aggression in the fifth round. He exploited | a body hold and back heel against ; JVleeske’s wrist lock with distinct advantage to himself, and narrowly failed to get his man. Both then rolled off the mat. The referee had to pull Meeske off again, but the fault was not altogether with the Australian. It was becoming more .than ci coincidence that when danger loaned, Anderson was shrewdly seeking the bare board outside the tar-paulin-covered area. A moment later the referee was again busily engaged in endeavouring r.o get the two contestants back on the mat. In the lasit minute of the found Anderson got a strangle hold on his rival. With his head and shoulders firmly held. Meeske swung his legs and body in * desperate effort to free himself and at last succeeded in breaking- from a dangerous hold. Another indecisive round.

“In-case any of you have forgotten,", the announcer was moved to observe to the auditorium when the gong clanged again, “this is ■ the last round. ” In this set-to, Meeske slowed considerable skill in throwing Iris weight about with least injury to himself, and as much discomfiture to his rival as . possible, Things starred to move with a vengeance ; thi» trip. Meeske made a rush, and the pair stampeded across the mat into Moeske’s corner. The latter's second hastily dived for cover. A torrid ’.30 seconds nearly ended in Meeske pinning liis man with a crutch and head hold. “They’ll get peeved soon, and start to throw the, furniture around." observed a mal-sider, as tlu- proverbial skin and hair commenced to tly. “One minute to go," j died the timekeeper,. Meeske look-

surprised. “No.” cut in the timekeeper a second time, “two minutes to go/’ Whatever it was it did not affect the bout, which, like the other five, was barren of a, deciding' fall. “Meeske gets the decision on points,” said the referee, placing his hand on th e visitor. The auditorium signified its approval. In the first bout of the Cumberland style, Meeske had the better position ac the start. After a godo deal of sparring for position, both men locked their hands. Twice Anderson lifted his (opponent clean off t he floor and spun him round like a whirligig. The third time, Anderson not only lifted him off his feet, but followed this up by '“hyping” his opponent and winning' the first fall.

The second time out, Meeske cleverly got position, and turning sideways for the cross-buttock hold, suddenly pulled and heaved like lightning with his hips. Anderson went hurtling through the air, and struck the mat scarcely three seconds after the two had come to grips. All square—one each .

The last bout concluded lamely. While the two men were manoeuvring for position, Anderson managed to pull Meeske so that his knee touched the floor and, of course, the referee had no option but; to award the bout to Anderson. Meeske looked puzzled at the unexpected finale. Followed a consultation .between the refere e an d the two men, after -which the former came out to the front of the stage and announced that th c tevo men could not agree as .do how the deciding event should be contested. “Put the gloves on,” shouted a raucous voice from the back, amidst laughter. Eventually, it was decided to draA\lots. The verdict was in favour of Meeske’s choice —eateh-as-ca tch-can style. The Australian looked full of business Avhen the gong- went. He made a rush at Anderson, and (lie pair went flying into the referee .v-.lio got jammed against the 'platform at the back and could not get clear for several seconds. Taken all in all, that official was having a strenuous time of it. Anderson again gave ground to Meeske's second onslaught, and the two contestants went .slap-bang into a row of spectators on the far side of the stage. Meeske’s third attack drove both men into the ropes, which sagged perilously. A benevolent looking old gentleman in :he stall got out of his seat to push the contestants back -with his walking itick, but the referee saved him the .trouble by grabbing Meeske by the I hair, and drugging him back to the 1 mat, A few seconds later, a reverse arm lock gave Meeske the deciding full and the match.