WRESTLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 18

WRESTLING.

ALLEY-SINGH MATCH. THE INEVITABLE PKOTEST. A correspondent, John Warn, writes: "It is hardly, believable to followers of clean, wholesome sport —of many classes —that this so-called 'sport' (wrestling) stands by itself, unless it can be classed, with bull-fighting, and seems to be immune and free from handicaps and penalties whereby physical suffering is strictly barred as being an asset or aid to victory over one's opponent. 'Brute strength, minus brain,' according to the recent degrading exhibition at the Town Hall, was the sine qua non, and the victim's bones were broken to secure victory. Truly a twentieth century civilisation that permits, witnesses and encourages such inhuman exhibitions, and broadcasts them by wireless, proves we have not purged our minds or advanced much from the evil, dark days of the rack, etc., tortures, when our forefathers suffered and worked so hard for freedom of speech, etc. I wonder, like others of your readers, how many at the. Town. Hall would allow bone- , breaking methods to be in force in their daily toils and recreations in God's Own Country." ' [The point.on .which the correspondent would hang his argument and protest is that one- competitor's arm was deliberately broken by his opponent. This is opposed to the facts, as seen by those at the ringside who know and understand Avrestling. Alley's, explanation is that he applied what is technically known as a flying Avristlock, with a view to bringing Singh 'into a head scissors as he yielded to the pressure, but that the Indian unexpectedly, either by accident or with design to break the grip, threw his; weight and strength suddenly against the lock, and snapped.his own arm before either man could realise that the unexpected had happened. This explanation agrees with the action as witnessed by near spectators. The accident of broken bones in -all athletic sports seems to be ignored by the correspondent. Had he' challenged the practice of allowing what are known as "submission holds" ■in wrestling-—without invoking the name of a twentieth cen£ury civilisation which is distinguished by such" incidents as the recent Great War—he might have had a very reasonable argument.~-Sports Editor.] \ :. %