BUSH WRESTLING

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 116, 12 September 1941, Page 12

BUSH WRESTLING

Fred Atkins Was Taught In A. Hard School

RED ATKINS, the first AusP wrestler to tour New Zealand professionally, isn’t an Australian at all. He’s half a New Zealander, by which Fred Atkins means that he was born in Australia, came to New Zealand when he was eight years of age, and returned to Australia when he was

ys Bae Fred, as he likes to be known-‘"ggsh, don’t call me Mister." is one of his

most frequent complaints — worked in the bush down the West Coast, and developed his muscles through chopping, Ltrack cycling, and swimming. Fred is nothing if not an advertisement for the West Coast climate. He weighs close to eighteen stone and there is not a surplus ounce anywhere. There Aren’t Any Rules He learnt his wrestling while working in the bush in Queensland, which is one of the homes of wrestling in Australia. Sunday wrestling is the main diversion

in the bush towns. On Sundays, every other activity stops while match after match is fought out to

a finish in improvised rings. Rules? "We fight Queensland rules, which means there aren’t any. You’ve just got to look after yourself." Frequently there are challenge matches

between neighbouring towns, and then excitement runs high, with side bets mounting and more fights among the spectators than in the ring: There are purses up to £20 and £30 involved, though this does not seem to prevent the same wrestlers from competing in amateur tournaments in the cities. Fred explains that that was where he learnt to wrestle the rough, tough way. By the time he turned professional some eight years ago, he was so hardened up that he was able to survive the stormiest ring encounter with such experienced rough-and-tough-stuff artists as Harry Mamos without turning, well, more than a couple of hairs. Give And Take Fred was encouraged to take up wrestling as a career by Don Koloff, who visited New Zealand in 1934. Koloff gave him a "workout" in Brisbane, was impressed and took him down to Sydney with him. Fred did well as a profes- ‘| sional. The’ Sydney crowds liked him, principally because he looked a bad man in the ring, and when an opponent started "mixing it" could give as good as he took. ‘In the last few years he has met dozens of wrestlers whose names are familiar in New Zealand. Leo Numa, John Spellman, "Dazzler" Clark, Dan O’Connor-he has met and beaten all of these at one time or another. He has had upsets and setbacks, of course, but

on the whole his progress has been steady. Those who set great store by records of wins and losses will also be interested to learn ‘that Fred scored: two wins over the grotesquely bearded Brother Jonathan. Like .most wrestlers who have met: Brother Jonathan, Fred found the temptation to pull his whiskers irresistible. Still’ in the Bush ’ As far as Fred knows, he is the second Australian to turn professional. The other is Eddie Scarf, who hasn’t travelled outside Australia yet. Up among the bush camps of Queensland, however, there are several men who would give good accounts of themselves against any professional wrestler he has ever seen, says Fred. But the chances are that they will never. be seen. in a professional ring. Their life is in the bush, and they seldom bother to come outside. After his tour of New Zealand, Fred hopes to. visit the United States, where he has the chance of wrestling under the guidance of Ted Thye, famous old-time wrestler "and now the biggest promoter in the business. His visit to America naturally depends on the war. Apart from his wife and family, who live in Sydney, Fred has few interests outside wrestling. "If yqu want to make a success of this game you don’t have time for anything else," he says. "You’ve got to eat wrestling, sleep wrestling, and think wrestling." »