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► MILFORDWrestling benefit opens door to for-profit boutLion’s Club request prompted voters to allow such matches, only Lion’s had to postpone fund-raiser.By DAVID BROOKSTelegraph StaffMILFORD - Town residents may he hosting a professional wrestling match soon, but it won't be the match they discussed earlier this year before voting to allow such bouts in town.A Nashua-based promoter, Mel Phillips of the independent World Association Wrestling, received permission from selectmen this week to host a for-profit match at the National GuardArmorv on Armorv Road. It is tentatively sched-J J ¥uled for the weekend of June 20. Phillips must still receive permission from the Guard to use the building.Meanwhile, a fund-raising wrestling match that had been tentatively scheduled in Milford Middle School by the Milford Lion’s C lub for this weekend has been delayed until Nov. 8, due to scheduling problems,“It's very difficult to get things into the schools this time of year, said Ed Nichols, president of the club.At town elections in April, voters approved awarrant article authorizing “the conducting of a wrestling competition(s) ... as requested by the Milford Lion's Club. It was sought by club members so they could hold the fund-raiser.Selectmen said at Monday's meeting that public discussion about the article before the election made it clear that it would authorize anvwwrestling match, not just the Lion's Club bout.Nonetheless, this week. Selectman Jack Ruonala voted against allowing Phillips' match. “(Voters) approved (the warrant article), 1 believe. thinking that it was going to be for a onetime fund-raiser,” he said.Selectmen approved the match, 3-1. C hairman Marilyn Kenison onlv votes to break ties•'W- 4FPhillips, who was once affiliated with the WorldWrestling Federation, said his match would probably feature six or seven contests between wres-¥tiers from national wrestling organizations such as the WWF.He called ho group “the Walt Disney ot professional wrestling,' oriented toward families. There is very little quote-violenee-unquote . . . in that there is nothing that would entice or encourage people in the audience to get involved, he told the selectmen. He also noted that no alcohol would be sold.Steve Boucher, state boxing and wrestling deputy commissioner, on Tuesday called the proposed match a 'mid-sized event, based tin the popularity ot the likely headlining wrestlers. Sueh events occur once or twice a month somewhere in New Hampshire, he said, including shows run roughly monthly in Manchester by ex-WWF wrestler Silvano Sousa.Boucher said professional wrestling was growing in popularity in the state, thanks in large part to Ringside Wrestling in Hudson, which runs a show once or twice a month.
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Nashua Telegraph
Nashua, New Hampshire, US
Thu, May 22, 1997
Page 13
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