Police knock out Canada hockey fight contest

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canadian police delivered a knock-out blow to a contest that planned to take the hockey out of hockey fights, the organiser of Hockey Gladiators says.


Promoters had planned to run a two-night tournament of brawls at centre ice in a Winnipeg arena next weekend, featuring 32 amateur and former professional players known for their ability to drop their gloves and land punches.


But after police said the televised pay-per-view event would break the law, arena owners got cold feet and promoters decided to cancel the event.


"It's like the day after a funeral for me," said Darryl Wolski, the Canadian who dreamed up and invested in the concept.


Columnists and talk show hosts sparred over the proposed fights in Canada, where people are passionate about hockey but concerned about glorifying violence in the sport.


Wolski had planned to pay his participants "performance fees," and hoped to generate gross revenues of more than C$3 million from the event.


But because the tournament was not sanctioned by a boxing association, police said they would attend and could charge and fine promoters, fighters, referees, and even reporters covering the event.


"Our event is not a prize fight," Wolski argued. "This is like (wrestling), this is a TV show, everybody in our event is almost like paid actors."


Close to 4,000 people bought C$20 ( 9 pounds) tickets for the fights, Wolski said, money that will now be refunded.


Finding a venue has been the toughest battle for organisers, who first planned the event for an arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, then Minneapolis, and finally Winnipeg.


Wolski said he was flying to California on Wednesday to look at another arena, and vowed his gladiators would fight on.


"It's a big nail in the coffin, but the coffin ... isn't shut forever," he said.