Since 1936 New Zealand has had four of its sons taking a prominent part in world sport. When Jack Lovelock won the 1500 metres at the Olympic Games in Berlin he started what may be termed a golden age for New Zealand sport. This, despite the fact that Lovelock had been a world figure in track sport for several years; his hour of real triumph was in Berlin when he defeated the best milers the world could offer and set world figures for 1500 metres.

New Zealand's next opportunity in sport of really international calibre came this year when the Empire Games were staged at Sydney. Here it was that Cecil Matthews, with his record-breaking runs in the three-mile and six-mile championships, and Vernon (“Pat”) Boot, in his record-breaking run of 880 yards, placed themselves right in the middle of the sporting spotlight.

Now it is the turn of Maynell (“Lofty”) Blomfield, who after winning the world championship elimination tournament in New Zealand last winter, travelled to America with the express purpose of meeting Bronko Nagurski for the world wrestling title.

Nagurski, the highest paid footballer in America, was in the middle of his football season when Blomfield arrived in America and it was several months before the New Zealander could achieve his desire of meeting the world champion. But the great day came at last and the Silver Fern went in against the Stars and Stripes at Vancouver on March 17th. It is history of how Nagurski secured a fall in the fourth round and Blomfield, securing his celebrated “octopus clamp,” evened things in the eighth round. The verdict a draw was considered a fair one, but the good people of Vancouver were anxious to stage a rematch. Blomfield was willing— naturally enough, for he had much to gain from another match—but Nagurski, who had resisted the pressure of Blomfield's clamp, was on the injured list with a ricked back and Blomfield sailed for New Zealand without having a return bout.

Already New Zealanders are asking if Nagurski will be tempted to visit New Zealand to meet Blomfield for the title. This is a match which would attract a New Zealand record crowd for a two-man sporting contest, but there is only a remote chance that Nagurski will come to these shores—he wants a guarantee of £7000 for a stay of two weeks!

This large sum might seem out of proportion to the stay in New Zealand but when it is pointed out that Nagurski would need to spend six weeks on the steamer during his voyage to and from New Zealand and that he is the world champion, a champion who is able to wrestle two and three nights a week—in exhibition bouts if necessary—and make good money without travelling, the sum begins to assume a more reasonable dimension.

But £7000 is beyond the means of wrestling associations in New Zealand. The Dominion of New Zealand Wrestling Union is not a promoting body— that power is delegated to the affiliated associations and none of these associations has sufficient funds to guarantee Nagurski the amount asked. It is possible that the Wellington and Auckland wrestling associations may jointly guarantee Nagurski the amount and stage an open-air bout but experience of open-air matches in New Zealand make this a gamble not likely to be lightly entered into.

Two seasons ago wet weather ruined the Don George-McCready match and last winter the proposed open-air match between Lofty Blomfield and McCready had to be staged in the Auckland Town Hall when some 8,000 would-be spectators could not get in, although many of them offered as much as £2 for a seat.

New Zealanders have seen some of the world's best wrestlers in action but will have to dig deep into their pockets if the demands of Nagurski are to be met.

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