The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-09
EngIishman Has Remarkable
Skill and Agility
BURNS TO MEET VICTOR
Match With the Iowa Planter Is Being
MISUNDERSTANDING Fought
Gamely, But Was Out
cIassed.

Wrestling fanatics who saw tine wrest-
ling match last night at the Ilippodrome
between Jim Parr. champion of all Eng
land, and Jess Westergaard, the Danish
champion, are figuring on whether Far
mer" Burns can down the Englishman,
and If so, what a run for his money lie
will have in turning that trick Parr is
beyond "A doubt a great wrestler, as was
demonstrated last night when he threw
Westergaard in two straight falls in
twenty-four and seventeen minutes re-
spectively
1t can be said that neither man was
the aggressor for both went in with
rush and one Of the two was continually
hammering IN some way, or another on
his opponent. Westergaard is much the
larger and undoubtedly the stronger of
the two. Parr, howeVerh is an artist
at the game, is capable of rounding the
corners on everything and putting the
finishing touches on after hold Is Sc
cured He has vast source OF science,
and his agility in breaking holds and his
quick movements ON the mat are, to say
the least, wonderful.
The match was intensely interesting
from the start and altogether devoid or
any mean or dirty work.
Won With a Crotch.
The first fan ran full twenty-four
minutes At the start it looked as if the
big Dane had decidedly the best of the
argument PARIS weak spot seemed to
be in his legs, and it was here that Wes-
tergaard put most of his effort His
work. however. amounted to little Parr
has way of Hopping out of hold after
the manner a fish when it has been
landed This play he worked repeatedly
on his opponent and eXtricated himself
from a number of dangerous positions.
Westergaard, on the other hand, through
his remarkable strength, broke PARIS
holds a number of times with apparently
little trouble
on one occasion the Dane stood Parr
on his head, took hold of his heels and
made things decidedly unpleasant for him.
The Englishman held Westergaard s heels,
and tripping him to the mat secured a
half Nelson on the fall. The Dane broke
this hold but by a quick movement Parr
secured a scissors and bar, with
which he put his opponents shoulders
squarely to the mat
Parr Was Brilliant.
During the second fall one of the finest
pieces of wrestling probably ever seen
In Birmingham was brought out Wester-
gard seemed somewhat worn out from
the first bout, but Parr showed even more
secured holds with which he would have
downed the average man. but Parr was
always fortunate in his twisting and
Tipping about He finally perched square
Nv upon the Danes back and throwing his
feet under Westergaard's arms plunged
forward and carried his shoulders almost
to the floor. From this position he con-
verified his hold into q toe-halfNelson, and
within three minutes his opponent was a
defeated man. The audience hardly knew
how to under the situation. Nothing like
the trick has been seen in Birmingham.
The wonder of the play lies in the fact
that Parr didn't once touch Westergaard
with his hands. The trick was turned
entirely with the legs and feet and the
elaboration was exact. The big Danes
shoulders touched the mat just seven
teen minutes after time was called for
the second fall.
Probably the success of PARIS efforts Is
due to his elaboration. He was never
hasty Another point in his favor was
his agility and ability to follow up his
holds.
In the first of the two preliminaries the
participants were Harry Lacey, cham
pion of East Lake, and Horace Steele,