Lofty Blomfield

Meynell Strathmore Blomfield (18 July 1908 – 29 June 1971); also known as Lofty was a New Zealand professional wrestler, also known by another ring name; that of Walter Browning. Lofty was arguably the country's most popular wrestler during the 1930s and 40s. He competed primarily for promoter Walter Miller and the Dominion Wrestling Union for nearly 20 years where he defended the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship against many of the top stars of the National Wrestling Association from 1936 until his retirement 1949. He is credited for inventing "The Octopus Clamp", an early version of the Scorpion Deathlock, and is the longest reigning heavyweight champion in the history of professional wrestling in New Zealand.

In addition to the national title, Blomfield also held the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship and the NWA Australasian Heavyweight Championship. In 1938, he became the first New Zealander to wrestle for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when he fought then champion Bronko Nagurski to a time-limit draw. He also had a successful amateur career winning the Auckland and New Zealand heavyweight titles prior to becoming a professional wrestler. Blomfield wrestled 490 matches in New Zealand and an estimated 1,200 matches in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, Canada and the United States between 1929 and 1949.

Blomfield became a successful hotelier in the years after his retirement, as Publican of the Whangarei Hotel, as well as being a noted sportsman. He was a member of the Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club, a founding member of both the Northland Trotting Club, the Whangarei Powerboat Association, and sponsored countless athletic organisations in Whangārei and Northland, most notably, Whangarei Inter-house rugby. He was also involved in numerous charity fundraisers and organizations, especially those involving mentally handicapped children, and served as president of the Intellectually Handicapped Children's Association. He later founded the Northland IHC and the Blomfield Special School and Resource Centre in Whangārei, the latter institution being named in his honour.

In 1990, Blomfield was officially inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. He is the first and only wrestler, amateur or professional, to be an inductee. He was also profiled in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and featured in a special editorial by the Northern Advocate in 1999. In 2009, Blomfield was named one of the "Top Ten New Zealand Born Wrestlers" by Fight Times Magazine and ranked #1 of the country's top ten favourite wrestlers by The New Zealand Herald.

Early life and amateur career Meynell Strathmore Blomfield was born in Wellington, New Zealand on 18 July 1908, to newspaper cartoonist John Collis Blomfield and Ann (Amy) Elizabeth Ellis. His uncle was William (Bill) Blomfield, the second mayor of Takapuna, (whom Blomfield Spa is named after). His family moved to Takapuna and, while still a child, he began working with horses there by visiting stables and doing track work for local trainers. Though Blomfield hoped to be a jockey, he grew too big and began racing motorbikes in grass track competitions. He left school after only two years of secondary education and travelled around the country working at various jobs and eventually settled in Waikaremoana, where he became a taxi proprietor. He also began playing senior rugby during this time, competing in Auckland, Gisborne, Murchison and Nelson, and was selected to play for Auckland against Waikato in 1929 but he declined to play so he could compete in amateur wrestling. Returning to Auckland in 1930, he participated in the first national amateur championships hosted by the New Zealand Wrestling Union and won the Auckland and New Zealand heavyweight titles.

Blomfield first married Agnes Myra Lawton at Wairoa on 14 July 1927 resulting in two children born of this marriage. The two divorced 10 years later in 1937 and Blomfield then married Lily May Balenzuela on the 2 June 1937. There was one child born of this union. A further marriage on the 20 February 1946 to Heather June Ingley (1921-2025) was to result in three children being born, a daughter and two sons. This marriage was dissolved in 1958. A further relationship with a Whangarei landowner was to eventuate with one female child being born. Blomfield was also to father a further two children. In all a total of 9 issue. Lofty and Heather were to later remarry.

Professional career

Early career in Australia Encouraged by his successes in the amateur ranks, and inspired by foreign wrestlers competing overseas, Blomfield decided to become a professional wrestler. Their match was to be one of the first international title defences to take place in the country and was expected to attract over 40,000 people. In negotiations with NWA promoters Toots Mondt, Lou Daro and Tony Stecher, Miller agreed to pay Nagurski the largest guarantee ever offered a boxer or wrestler in the Southern Hemisphere. Nagurski cancelled the trip at the last minute, however, and the two met in Vancouver instead where they fought to a time-limit draw on 17 March 1938. and would wrestle five world champions during his professional career in New Zealand. Peter Fraser, a one-time Prime Minister of New Zealand, was also a supporter and several caucus meetings were stopped at 6pm, and resumed at 10am the following morning, so that members could attend wrestling events at the Town Hall when Blomfield was making a title defence.

Blomfield held the national title for well over a decade and retired as champion on 7 June 1949. In New Zealand alone, he had wrestled 490 matches These penny piles grew so large in size that when they were finally knocked down, for a small fee, the money gained for the IHC was substantial. and was also profiled in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography In March 2009, Fight Times Magazine ranked Blomfield #3 of the "Top Ten New Zealand Born Wrestlers". That same month, Chris Rattue named Blomfield the country's #1 favourite wrestler in an article for The New Zealand Herald.

Blomfield's third wife, June, died in Whangārei in 2025.

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling Auckland Provincial Championship (1 time) New Zealand Amateur Heavyweight Championship (1 time, first)

Professional wrestling Dominion Wrestling Union NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version) (1 time) NWA Australasian Heavyweight Championship (1 time) New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame Class of 1990