The Lewiston Daily Sun – December 15, 1933
Meeting Of Al Mercier And Mr. Martin Has Spot
A wrestling program from top to bottom that could be stuck right into the Boston Arena and “pack ‘em in” has been arranged by Promoter Johnny McGee for City hall tonight and judging from the advance sale of tickets the past week, one of the biggest wrestling crowds of the season will turn out to take a peek at the assorted talent lined up.
In the first place, the ever popular bounding Cossack, Count George Zarynoff is in the main bout against Joe Kojut, young tough gent from Toronto while the next feature is the 30 minute time-limit semi-final clash between Al Mercier and Bull Martin, two gents who enjoy opposite types of popularity here. Then the appearance again of Yvon Robert against Joe Costa will be another feature and the curtain raiser featuring Cement O’Neil and Gorilla Parker rounds out the most evenly balanced card of the year.
TOUGH TO SECURE
Most of the fans realize how difficult it is to get Count Zarynoff here for a semi-final, let alone a main bout, and appreciate his being matched against such a worthy opponent as Kojut too. Zarynoff is the most popular wrestling in captivity around Philadelphia, Albany, New York and the larger cities in Southern New England as well as outside.
They seldom get him into Boston but when they do, Promoter McGee tries plenty hard to bring the ex-bodyguard of the Czar here for his acrobatic ability gives the fans a real thrill. This is the first time he has shown here in a main bout and fans harking back to his great clash with Al Morelli here a couple of years ago and his other appearances realize the treat that is store for them.
Kojut Rough Boy
Kojut has been here once before. Although a bad man, he is not the Bull Martin or Charlie Strack type but more like Rebel Russell, Harry Lundin and others of that nature. Younger and stronger, he is just naturally rough.
While it is doubtful if Kojut will be able to pin the supple and elusive Zarynoff, it will be interesting to see just how far he can extend the bald-headed jumping jack of the ring. It is best two falls out of three with a 30 minute time-limit.
Interest In Semi
The bout that will probably create the most interest however is the semi-final clash between Mercier and Martin. The Frenchman, plenty capable and loser of a fluke match in the Boston Arena on Wednesday, has hundreds of admiring followers here who never miss a match in which Al participates. On the other hand Bull Martin has plenty of followers here too. He is one of the most popular wrestlers but in a different sort of a way. The fans all attend his bouts here to boo him to the rafters and cheer the other fellow hoping to see the Wildman from Trenton, N. J., get what’s coming to him.
But as Martin tries to impress on the public he “can” take it, and dish it out too” so there’ll probably be fur flying for a half hour in City hall tonight. Martin and Mercier have met a couple of times in Portland and according to press reports from that city, had the fans jumping up and down in their chairs from excitement.
Picking Robert
The young French Adonis, Yvon Robert, hailed as the new sensation from Paris and destined sometime to be world’s champion – so the ring experts claim – is meeting a newcomer here in Joe Costa of New York. Costa has quite a reputation and this should be another wild one. It has a 30 minute time-limit with Robert picked hereabouts to win the match.
When the fans saw the young colored actor Gorilla Parker here a couple of weeks ago, it was common talk around ring-side that the fans would like to see him against somebody who could give him more of a battle. Heeding this demand, Promoter McGee has lined up Cement O’Neil to try and subdue the negro and if Cement can’t do it, he’ll probably bring Tarzan Taylor here before the winter is over.
If this card goes through as advertised and there is every reason to suspect it will, the fans are due for a real Christmas present from Promoter Johnny McGee and his wrestling troupe the way the show shapes up on paper from here.
First bout goes on at 8:30.
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