"ON LOWEST LEVEL."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 3

"ON LOWEST LEVEL."

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING. AN OUTSPOKEN CLERGYMAN. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) HASTINGS, this day. "Modern professional wrestling is a disgrace to civilisation, aiid is on a lower level than bull-fighting in Spain," declared the Rev. R. B. Gosncll, when speaking at the Hastings Methodist Church. "It is not a sport at all, and is lowering and degrading to those who take part, whether they are on the innide or outside of the ring." lie added. Mr. Gosncll said that his one and Only object in speaking was as one deeply concerned regarding that form of alleged sport in New Zealand. "One would have to be ultra-critical to find fault with bowls, golf, tennis and other games too numerous to mention, and I do believe boxing and horse racing are conducted just as cleanly as it is possible to do; but no sport is on a lower level than modern professional wrestling," he said. "I do not blame the wrestlers themselves—it is their profession," he continued. "Their one concern is to make money, and because they see the stuff they put on pleases you who go. then they put it on. They come to Now Zealand, many of them with silly names, and adopt silly methods, simply because, to use an Americanism that is most emphatic, 'There is one born every minute.' "But I do blame the wrestling associations for encouraging this fake wrestling, and the Government for permitting it. and chiefly you people who support it. If you demanded the real thing you would have it, but because you like this sort of thing then these men are clever enough to give it to vou."