Wrestling Issue To Be Revived Before Council
May 9,1976
Mrs. Janet B. Stowe promoter of International Wrestling Association in the city, will go before the Danville City Council again Tuesday night to complain about “discrimination.” Last December Mrs. Stowe told councilmen that city officials used fire safety provisions in the state building code to limit spectators to 415 in the city auditorium’s gymnasium, where wrestling matches are held. Previously, she said, there were no restrictions.
She said the action was initiated by the city at the prompting of a rival- wrestling promoter in Danville who did not want her enterprise, which began last autumn, to thrive in this city.
Councilmen at the time granted her the use of the auditorium, which can seat up to 2,054 people.
Now Mrs. Stowe says she is fighting the rival wrestling group and city officials again because she’s being charged too much to operate in the auditorium, which she claims is in “terrible condition on top of it all.”against her enterprise by city officials.
She claims she has to pay too much money to the city, in addition to the rent, each time she schedules a wrestling match in the city auditorium.
Charges for setting up chairs and cleaning up after matches are too high,she says. Nobody else pays as much as she does, she adds. She’s not going to pay her last bill until the council hears from her, she exclaims.
“ I want an explanation as to why they’re charging us this much” she says. “ The people ( wrestling fans) are getting very upset because they’re concerned about the future of wrestling in Danville.”
“ They want to come to the council meeting. Even the wrestlers want to come. “I’m afraid if we brought “ Mighty Igor “ ( Vodik ) down, we would have a madhouse . The people would go completely wild over him. “
Mrs. Stowe says she promoted her last match in the city auditorium last month and she will promote her next fight on the council floor Tuesday night.