Chattanooga Wrestling Results

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, January 7, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Karl Davis b. Dorv Roche (countout) … Roland Kirchmeyer b.
Blue Sun Jennings (2/3) … Billy Bartush and Tommy O’Toole drew … (matchmaker:
Tommy Thompson) … (referee: Brown) … (sponsored by: American Legion)

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, January 14, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Dorv Roche b. Karl Davis (2/3) … Hans Steinke b. Blue Sun
Jennings (DQ) … Roland Kirchmeyer and Frank Speer drew … (matchmaker: Tommy
Thompson) … (referees: Brown, Jim Parker) … (3,500+ fans)
Note: Jim Parker was said to be from Memphis.

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, January 21, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Women’s Champion Clara Mortensen b. Mildred Burke … Babe
Zaharias b. Milo Steinborn (countout) … Dorv Roche and Frank Speer drew (1-1) … Hans
Steinke b. Karl Davis … (matchmaker: Tommy Thompson) … (referee: Jimmie Morris) …
(5,700 fans) (near record crowd)
Notes: Mortensen “parades under the title of light-heavyweight champion of the world.”
The newspaper also stated that “if Mildred claims any crown, no mention has been made
of it.” After the show, the paper said “the referee had to leave a stain on the match by
awarding a fall to Clara while Mildred was half out of the ropes.”

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, January 28, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Mildred Burke b. Clara Mortensen to capture the Women’s World
Title (countout) (Mortensen was unable to return to the ring before a 20 count) … Hans
Steinke b. Ali Baba (1-0) … Frank Speer b. Roland Kirchmeyer (2/3) … Dorve Roche and
Milo Steinborn were both disqualified … (matchmaker: Tommy Thompson) … (referee:
Jim Parker) … (6,200 fans)
Notes: A photo of Mortensen shaking the hand of Burke appeared in the January 28
edition of the Chattanooga Free Press. 6,000 fans were expected for this show.
Mortensen was accompanied to the ring by her father, who protested the decision. Betty
Lee of New York was introduced to the crowd before the women’s match. Burke refused
her challenge, and the possibility of a return match with Mortensen.

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, February 4, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Clara Mortensen b. Betty Lee (2-0) … Dorv Roche b. Frank
Speer (2/3) … Babe Zaharias b. Karl Davis (2/3) (Zaharias was a substitute for Roland
Kirchmeyer) … Milo Steinborn b. Tommy O’Toole … (4,500 fans)
Notes: Mortensen earned a match with Mildred Burke next week. It was announced that
Orville Brown, Jim McMillen and Everette Marshall would be making local appearances
soon.

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, February 11, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Clara Mortensen b. Mildred Burke to capture the Women’s World
Title (2/3) … Babe Zaharias b. Nick Elitch … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Frank Speer (2/3) …
Dorv Roche b. Milo Steinborn (2/3) … (referee: Jimmy Parker) … (4,200 fans)
Notes: After the match, “Papa Burke jumped into the ring with a handful of $10 and $20
bills and began crying various and sundry things at the spectators, who apparently did not
care to hear what Mr. Burke had to say. The girls started to their dressing room (singular)
and a battle started again. Finally they were separated and Mildred came back and
shouted she was going to ‘tell all." Burke claimed she was robbed, getting a short count in
the third fall. The paper stated that Burke and Mortensen were booked to wrestle again on
February 12 in Knoxville. In E.T. Bales column “Sideline Slants,” he wrote that Burke said
“that she would not wrestle Clara again in Chattanooga before a paid audience,” and that
“it was reported here today that both Mildred and Clara are returning to the light-heavy
syndicate after tonight’s show. All of which means that they may go back to Chris Jordan’s
circuit and, incidentally, Jordan is the promoter behind the V.F.W. shows here. So do not
be surprised if Mildred and Clara come back here in the near future for one of the Monday
night shows.”

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, February 18, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Hans Steinke b. Orville Brown (DQ) (Brown used an illegal
pileriver, which referee Parker claimed was “barred by the national rules”) (Commissioner
Marx said that Brown won the match) .. Roland Kirchmeyer b. Milo Steinborn (DQ) … Lou
Plummer and Babe Zaharias drew (30:00) … (matchmaker: Frank Herron) … (referee:
Jimmy Parker) … (3,200 fans)
Notes: Orville was reportedly called “Orv” by his friends. Steinke was called the “former
heavyweight champion of the world.” Chris Jordan was called the “head of the
lightweights.” Burke and Mortensen were “optioned” to Charlie Rentrop for 30 days. Frank
Herron was the handler for “local bookings for the Legion.” It was said that there was a
problem getting heavyweight talent to the city because some of the other towns were
inactive due to the recent floods. “This is especially true of Evansville, Ind., Memphis and
Little Rock.”

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, February 25, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Orville Brown b. Hans Steinke (2/3) … Karl Davis and Lou
Plummer drew (1-1) … Dorv Roche b. Babe Zaharias

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, March 4, 1937
(Memorial Auditorium) … Dorv Roche b. Cowboy Luttrall (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Orville
Brown b. Paul Shikat (2/3) … Lou Plummer b. George Hagen
Notes: George Hagan was a “local wrestler.” The newspaper said that “the greatest
attraction – from a box-office standpoint – ever to show on a mat program, was uncovered
here last night in the person of Cowboy Luttrell.” Roche was popular locally.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 26, 2007

Chattanooga Wrestling Results - 1937