Always A Wrestler

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 66, 27 September 1940, Page 19

Always A Wrestler

Elarl

McGeady

ARL McCREADY has had some ups and downs in the New Zealand wrestling season now com- ; ing to an end, but he has throughout been recognised even by supporters of Lofty: Blomfield and John Katan as the most consistently good wrestler ever to come here from overseas. He is, first of all, a wrestler. When it becomes necessary he is able to mix it with the others, but he never introduces crude methods to the mat; he lets the other man get tough first and then goes after him. More than any other wrestler he has helped to keep the sport clean, and his reward has been the admiration of every follower of the sport in the country. He is skilful and very powerful. Anything under fourteen stone he can lift with one hand. Fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen stone wrestlers are liable to fly through the air if McCready takes a notion to send them on the way. When John Katan took the title from him this season he was wise to stay out of the ring and McCready’s reach, Comparison with Katan Katan has been a dour wrestler all season; hard to shift. He is a little lighter than McCready, but McCready’s extra weight is not all of it in muscle, although he has less condition now than when he arrived at the beginning of the season, Katan is as hard as a rock, and about as clever in the ring. His attack is the elbow jolt, followed with a step‘over toe-hold which has had McCready looking like a cowboy on a one-sided

horse more than once. McCready is much more versatile, more clever, a_ little stronger (although he has not always seemed to be as fit as Katan), and faster. All round, he is a much more attractive wrestler. Blomfield, too, is a brighter star in wrestling than the blunt Katan. Lofty likes to throw his weight around and uses the methods of showmanship far more than McCready. He likes his little bit of elbow jolting too, and, like Katan, has his specialty hold -the octopus clamp. But popular though he is, and formidable, he has yet to prove that he has the all-round ability of McCready. His Handshake McNamara, who sketched McCready for The Listener, reported after meeting him that anyone who had ever shaken hands with him would remember the feeling of relief at not finding his fingers reduced to pulp. "However," said McNamara, "I should just hate to be around if Earl ever forgot that handshake of his." The artist also asked McCready why he always seemed to have his right hand in his pocket. McCready grinned and produced a solid rubber ball. "It’s sure great for the grip muscles," he said, and tossed it to McNamara. "T had little success," says McNamara, "and only succeeded in half flattening my fingers and pulling a face that sent the big Canadian into roars of laughter. When I handed it back, Earl demonstrated with thumb and forefinger, The ball flattened visibly." haste