Wrestling provides Numerous Thrilling Moments

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 15, 24 October 1930, Page 16

Wrestling

provides Numerous

Thrilling

Moments

In this Axticle "CalLur Describes } ‘any of the

Better. known VV restling ed olds

RESTLING is a sport which is receiving an increasingly ‘great | amount of attention. Some years ago it was almost unknown, but one has now only to visit a

good contest to realise the intense interest that is taken by all sections of the community. During the season, which is now . drawing to a close, New Zealanders have seen some of the world’s finest wrestlers in action, and many of the contests have been as thrilling as they have been fast and scientific. _It is not surprising, then, that broadcast ‘descriptions of this sport are very popular among listeners. Unfortunately, arrangements for these descriptions have been made only for 1YA, though, we understand, it is not the fault of the Broadcasting Company that other stations have -not broadcast local matches.

A\urnoucn Monday is the official silent day at 1YA, the station has gone on the air regularly for the purpose of relaying the wrestling contests from the Town Hall. Listeners throughout the country have tuned in to the northern station and have been delighted with the very vivid descriptions put on the air by Mr. Gordon Hutter, the announcer. Mr. Hutter is a sportsman of considerable experience in all branches of sport, and his wrestling descriptions are equally as popuJar as were his football commentaries during the season.

Some idea of the popularity of the sport can be gauged from the fact that the Auckland Town Hall is usually packed, and among _ those ‘regularly seen in the ringside seats are the heads of the

police force, the mayor, councillors, leading medical and other professional men, and a number of prominent citizens and sportsmen. The ring is placed on the stage, about four feet six above the level of the main floor, and the radio announcer stands on the lower floor with the microphone on a level with the floor of the ring. Preliminary bouts between amateurs are staged from 8 p.m. till 9 p.m., when the big professional bout commences.

Cor wrestlers are bare above the waist, some wearing short trousers and others tights, and in most. professional bouts special boots are also worn. The referee, Whos}, job is most of the time much easier than that of the man controlling a boxing contest, is dressed in white flannels, and watches the men closely, often having to go down on his hands and knees to decide. a fall. As soon as one man pins both the other's shoulders on the ground for three seconds he has obtained a fall, and, the referee slapping him on the back to indicate it, the round ends. A submission fall is obtained when one wrestler holde the other

in a hold which forces him to give in owing to pain or risk of injury, although his two shoulders‘ are no? on the ground. he first man to secure two falls wins the contest, and in the event of neither man securing a fall, or of both securing one, it is left to the referee to award the decision on points. During the contest the spectators become well worked up, and excitement is often tense. _ Bursts of applause, hoots, yells, and facetious advice come from the crowd in turn, and orange peel and pennies are sometimes thrown in the ring to indicate that the crowd are dissatisfied with the exhibition. Wrestling, as practised to-day, is really not stiditely like any of the old styles, although it strongly resembles the old catch-as-catch-can style. A practically unlimited rangepof holds is allowed, and the st yle now followed is very strenuous,

active, and _ interesting to watch. Several new holds have been: evolved in the last few years and old ones have become known by new names, so that even those listeners who are conversant with some old style of wrestling may fail to understand just what is meant by certain terms used.

. | HE REFEREE’S HOLD is the one into which the men often go in the centre of the ring when manoeuvring for a throw or another hold. It merely consists of facing each other with their fingers interlaced behind each other's neck, in which position they

circle round and press down. 2. THE BODY SCISSORS is applied by getting your opponent’s body between your legs, locking your feet together, and squeezing. By stretching out your legs in this position a tremendous pressure can be applied. THE HEAD 4 SCISSORS is similar to the body scissors, except that it is applied to the head. | HE SHORT ARM_ SCISSORS is applied by putting your arm through the crook of your opponent's arm, acting as a pin, which prevents him with- — drawing his own. To use this hold correctly your right arm should be linked through his right, or your left through his left, although the hold can be applied by right arm to left and vice versa. . 4. THE HAMMERLOCK consists of seizing an opponent’s wrist and elbow and forcing his arm up his back. ' 5. THE FLYING MARE. is applied by turning your back to your opponent's face, reach your hands back over your shoulder, catching him at the back of his head, drop your body down low, at the same time pulling down on his head with both hands. This should throw him right over your shoulder, he landing on the broad of his back,

6. CRUCIFIX. Out of this hold there. is little or no chance of escaping. It is applied by twisting the legs round the opponent’s arms and head and forcing the arms back by -wrist and leg. If the opponent rolls over, the position is referred to as the REVERSE CRUCIFIX. Of

course, the shoulders cannot be pressed to the ground from these positions, but a submission fall can be obtained. Such a fall is indicated by the contestant tapping the mat. 7. BOSTON CRAB.-Another hold from which there is little chance of escape. The opponent’s legs are forced back over his back and you sit on his buttocks, holding him in that position until a submission fall is signalled. |The opponent’s back can be badly strained by this hold, and hospital cases have resulted. It has been known for the held man to throw his opponent forward, and so _ break the hold. 8. In the CRUTCH HOLD the opponent is lifted bodily and then thrown to the ground in a slam.’ The breath can easily be knocked out of the body in this manner. There are a number of other common holds, such as the splits, face bar, toe hold, and so on, most of which explain themselves, and, of course, the wrestlers are often in positions which have no name. ‘ The accompanying photos, by S. P. Andrew, illustrate the best known and most used holds. In all but the Arm Scissors and Crutch Hold, the demonstrators are Scotty MacDougal, the wells. known wrestler, and Mr. Gordon Hutter, sports announcer at 1 YA.