MAORI WRESTLING CHAMPION

Te Ao Hou, September 1959, Page 54

K. Mildon (wrestling name: Keita Heretana) at his Hamilton match, shortly after turning professional (Crown Studios photograph) MAORI WRESTLING CHAMPION Keita Meretana, from Wairoa, has recently become a professional wrestler. His wrestling career started in 1952, when he was awarded the trophy for the most scientific wrestler in Gisborne. Since then he has trained for some years in Wellington. Last Queen's Birthday weekend he defeated the Australian, Ricky Wallace, in Auckland, after first wrestling a draw with him at Hawera on May 30. These two bouts were Keita's professional debut. He has joined Jack Bence, the leader of the team which visited New Zealand earlier this year. Keita is 26 years old and weighs 16 stone 6 lbs. He is a nephew of Ike Robin, the first professional wrestling champion of New Zealand. Ike Robin, who now lives at Kohupatiki Pa, Clive, was famous as a wrestler of prodigious strength—he could outlift and out-stay any other two men. Ike Robin was well-known also in a number o fother sports—throwing the hammer, putting the shot, tossing the caber—and of course his achievements at the shearing board have also been very noted. In his later years, Ike Robin became an outstandingly successful shearing contractor.