New Britain herald., 1927-02-24
Spe a kin g of Sports 8


 Al ventres of Berlin, who is the leading mat man of this section. had 8 challenge to wrestling match hurled at him by Fred Bru- no of Hartford at the National A. c. wrestling show in Turner hall introduced Bruno from the stage and announced his challenge.
 Ventres, who would rather go without his meals than miss any wrestling exhibition, was present in the hall and he lost no time in getting to the stage and accepting the challenge.
 He announced that he has the undisputed claim to being the only legitimate middleweight wrestler in these parts who has never been beaten at the weight and he stated that If Bruno would enter at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds. he would be willing to bet that Bruno would be the loser.
 Bruno answered that he was not certain of making the middleweight limit but if Ventres would meet him at catch weights, he would wrestle him.
 ventres stated that he would take him on at any time and any where and he guaranteed his friends that he would win the bout. Just when the meeting will come off has not been decided. but it will probably be placed on one of the cards of the National A. C., which will be conducted In this city in the next few weeks.
 Last nights attendance at the wrestling bouts held at Turner hall in which some of the biggest men in the game in the world took part, seems to indicate that wrest- ling will not be a paying proposi- tion in this city.
 Promoter Ed Lavrow of the Ma tional A. c. stated last night that he feels that there is a place for good wrestling shows in this city and despite the heavy losses in cured last night In conducting the show at the Arch street hall, he plans to stage another card here within few weeks.
 Because of the fact that a suit able hall cannot be secured at the present time, no date has been set for the show. but Promoter Law row will be in New Britain next week to make arrangements.
 The manager of the Springfield Y. NJ. H. A. team has, served mo- tice that his team will not play the Bristol Endees in Bristol next Tuesday night if Jim Manning is in the lineup. He stated that Men dell would be kept off the Spring field teams roster during the game.
 Last Tuesday night the Bristol Endees and the Springfield Y. M. II. A. team were in a gruelling contest which was never finished because of a fist fight between Wendell and Manning with only minute and a half to go.
 It was a repetition of the squab- ble that took place here d week ago last Saturday night when the crowd surged on the floor during the game between the Atlas and the National Guards.
 The only difference between the small-sized riot in Springfield and the one in New Britain was that the game was finished here and things assumed normal aspect after a time while in Springfield the game couldn't be finished and dancing aft CT the contest was called off.
 Whether the game between the two teams in Bristol next Tuesday night will be called off or not, re- mains to be seen. Better to call off games of this sort which have the potentialities of ending in a mini- ature riot, than to run the risks of giving basketball in this state death blow.
 Feeling runs high in many games everywhere where the rivalry be- tween the teams Is so intense and many in this city fear that the feel ing between Bristol and New Britain is at such a pitch that an occurrence like that which took place in Spring field might be duplicated here. This however. doesn't seem to us to be possible.
 The name Saunders seems to be gaining . prominent place in the sport world in New Britain.
 There's Ken Saunders. the pion- eer. Now his brother, Fred, is gaining prominence with the high school team. Then there is Bennie Saunders, captain of last years Ma tional Guard Reserves team and now a student at New York City college and last We have Hattie Saunders. stellar guard on the American Hos iery team.
 Kenneth better known as "Petey" is sometimes termed Coach Cassidy's assistant. He has been official SCOT CT for the high school basketball team for the past five years.
 New Britain high school and New