Hartford Times – January 19, 1938
By Stuart Henderson
Suspicion that husky George Clark, the Loch Lomond Monster, had been offered sacrificially on the altar of buildup for yet another wrestling champion lurked in the minds of Hartford’s grappling fans today.
Louis (Don) Thesz, billed as champion of the world (in Missouri), tossed the 226-pound Scot twice in succession at Foot Guard Armory last night. Mr. Thesz accomplished his end efficiently and easily.
Using the identical airplane spin with which he dumped Floyd Marshall into the resin at Worcester the other night, Louis — or Don — flipped Clark for the first fall in 17 minutes.
Thesz employed an old Missouri gag to gain the second, and deciding, tumble. He stood in back of Clark with an arm hold clasped on the Scot. George essayed a back-drop, a maneuver he completed successfully shortly before. Thesz stepped to one side and literally let Clark throw himself. The second installment of the thing lasted 40 minutes and 30 seconds.
If Thesz is to be generally recognized as a champion in the select company of Bronko Nagurski & Company, his advancement will not be totally undeserved. The Missourian is constructed along the general lines of a Percheron draft horse and, in spite of his 221 pounds, flits about like a scared shadow. Even with the party of the second part in complete accord, the task of lifting and spinning an adversary of better than 225 pounds is no child’s play.
Sharing interest with the night’s feature bout was the sad case of Al Getz, the Manchester groaner who never lost a bout in Hartford until last night.
During the main go, Thesz made effective use of a flying scissors. A gander at the agile youngster cavorting like a flyweight was worth a trip to the hall. Although most of the tumbling was all in fun, the boys underwent a rather thorough going over in the course of the evening. Both were slammed hard to set the lights dancing. Clark admitted defeat — but wait until he meets this guy in Fall River.
Charlie Strack of Oklahoma and Frank Judson, former mat coach at Harvard, staged a rough-tough match which ended in a draw. Many an elbow was floated during the bout and if any wrestling regulations were not violated, it was not brought to this writer’s attention.
Roy Dunn of Amarillo, Texas, easily pinned Heimie Olson, a Minnesota product, with a flying scissors and lock in 10 minutes and 30 seconds in the opener. Dunn will meet George (K.O.) Koverly in the star bout next week.
More than $56 was contributed by the fans to President Roosevelt’s infantile paralysis fund, after an appeal by Dr. Herbert Bailey.
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