HOW MANY FALLS?

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 959, 30 April 1930, Page 10

HOW MANY FALLS?

WRESTLING REFEREE CAUSES SURPRISE McDOUGALL IS “PEEVED” There is some controversy among Auckland wrestling enthusiasts regarding a statement made by the referee. Mr. E. Stansfield, after the contest between McHougall and Lundyn on Monday evening. The referee stated that he awarded only one fall, and that was to Lundyn. When McHougall felled the Finn with rabbit punches and pinned him. the referee did not allow a fall, because he considered the Canadian had employed illegal tactics in obtaining it This statement comes as a surprise, as the referee tapped McHougall on the back, the wrestlers went to their corners, and after the minute’s rest came up for the final round. If McHougall did not score a fall the referee should have notified the announcer that the fall had not been allowed, so that the public would know the position. The crowd left the hall with the idea that each man had scored a fall, and that Lundyn had been given the decision on* points, only to be surprised to learn that McHougall had not scored a fall. It seems that the referee only made this known after the contest. On being asked what his decision would have been had McHougall scored a fall in the last round, the referee said that he would have given the decision to Lundyn on points. It appears that this ruling would have been at variance with the announcement at the beginning of contests: —A professional contest of eight 10-minute rounds, the best two out of three falls, if no falls a decision to be given on points.” Thus is seems that if each man scored a fall a draw would have to be the decision. McHougall is “peeved,” as he expresses it. “Make no mistake, I can wrestle!” He contends that there is nothing barred in wrestling except the strangehold. and in all his 700 contests he has never known a rabbitpunch to be barred. He also considers that the referee gave him a fall but warned him during the interval that he would be disqualified if he used the rabbit-punch again. He considers that the decision with one fall each should have been a draw.