AMATEUR WRESTLING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 17

AMATEUR WRESTLING

NEW RULE CRITICISED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

The new Government regulation affecting the conduct of amateur wrestling bouts and providing that no contest other than one between professionals shall exceed four rounds has been criticised by Auckland enthusiasts.

"It is the silliest thing that has yet been done," said the chairman of the amateur committee of the Auckland Wrestling Association (Mr. H. J. Ashby). "If must have been introduced on the advice of the Dominion Union in Wellington," he added, and, he argued, in ignorance of the rules. The full Olympic- rules had been wrestled by amateurs in inter-1 gymnasium contests in the past two weeks and had proved most successful. The new regulation was worse than the old three and five-minute round rule, as there was no real test of ability and it meant that long-drawn-out contests of up to 21 minutes were possible. *

Mr. Ashby said that the amateur committee would be meeting this weekto consider the matter.

The above message was referred to Mr. J. D. Willis, chairman of the management committee of the Dominion Union, who stated that the regulation was framed by the Government at the request of the union in order to bring the New Zealand rule into conformity with the Olympic rule.