Dallas Wrestling Results

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, January 3, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Ray Gunkel b. Don
Evans (DQ) (Evans used a chair) … Manuel Cortez b. Joe Christie (decision) … Tiny
Mills b. Doug Donovan (countout) … Len Hughes and Skull Murphy drew (Hughes was a
substitute for Larry Chene) … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, January 10, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Luther Lindsey b. Duke Keomuka (2/3) (Lindsey won the first fall,
Keomuka won the second when Tiny Mills interfered, and Lindsey pinned Keomuka for
the third with Danny McShain counting the three when the referee Roy Carter was laid
out outside the ring) (referees confered and agreed to give Lindsey the victory) …
Danny McShain and Skull Murphy b. Manuel Cortez and Luigi Macera … Don Evans and
Ray Gunkel drew … Tiny Mills b. Joe Christie (DQ) … Sugi Sito b. Tony Borne …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees: Roy Carter, Dick Raines) … (large crowd,
“standing room only”)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, January 17, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka and Luther Lindsey wrestled to a no contest “after
seconds of both principals broke from cages and entered the melee which was stopped
by two referees and called a draw,” according to the Dallas Morning News (3/5 falls
match) (Tiny Mills, second for Keomuka, and Danny McShain, second for Lindsey, were
initially locked in cages to prevent outside inteference) … Johnny Bence b. Tony Borne
… Don Evans b. Len Hughes … Luigi Macera b. Sugi Sito … Manuel Cortez b. Skull
Murphy (decision) … Danny McShain b. Tiny Mills (McShain received some outside help
from Lindsey) … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees: Ray Gunkel, Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, January 24, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Tag Team Champions Duke Keomuka and Tiny Mills
b. Luther Lindsey and Danny McShain (2/3) (third fall by DQ when Lindsey threw Mills
over the top rope) … Rocky Columbo b. Skull Murphy … Ray Gunkel b. Len Hughes …
Don Evans b. Luigi Macera (countout) … Johnny Bence and Alvaro Velazco drew …
(promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, January 31, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Danny McShain b. Duke Keomuka (2/3) … Don Evans and Luigi
Macera drew (60:00) (1-1) … Skull Murphy b. Len Hughes (Hughes was a substitute for
Prince Maiava) … Rocky Columbo and Dr. Jerry Graham (local debut) drew … Johnny
Bence b. Clyde Steeves … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (annual benefit for the March
of Dimes)
Notes: McLemore’s 17th anniversary show.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, February 7, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Pepper Gomez and Luigi Macera b. Duke Keomuka and Tiny Mills
to capture the Texas State Tag Team Title (2-0) … Prince Maiava b. Danny McShain (1-
0) (McShain was not allowed to continue after suffering a head cut) … Skull Murphy b.
Clyde Steeves … Dr. Jerry Graham b. Johnny Bence … Don Evans and Terry Foster
drew … Prince Maiava b. Skull Murphy in a “head-banging contest” … (promoter: Ed
McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, February 14, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Prince Maiava b. Danny McShain (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Duke
Keomuka and Luigi Macera drew … Pepper Gomez b. Dr. Jerry Graham (less than a
minute) … Ray Gunkel b. George Bollas … Terry Foster b. Alvaro Velazco … Rocky
Columbo and Don Evans drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, February 21, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Bull Curry b. Danny McShain to capture the Texas Brass Knuckles
Title (2/3) … Duke Keomuka and Kinja Shibuya b. Pepper Gomez and Luigi Macera to
capture the Texas State Tag Team Title (2/3) … Prince Maiava b. Dr. Jerry Graham …
Ray Gunkel b. Johnny Bence … Rocky Columbo and Alvaro Velazco drew … (promoter:
Ed McLemore)
Note: The Dallas Morning News reported that Pepper Gomez wrestled NWA champion
Lou Thesz to a draw on Monday in Fort Worth.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, February 28, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Bull Curry and Duke Keomuka wrestled to a double
disqualification (1-1) (match was billed as being for the Texas State Brass Knuckles
trophy) … Kinji Shibuya b. Prince Maiava … Pepper Gomez b. Skull Murphy … Ray
Gunkel b. Len Hughes … Luigi Macera b. Alvaro Velazco … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
… (referee: Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, March 6, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Pepper Gomez and Luigi Macera b. Texas State Tag Team
Champoins Duke Keomuka and Kinji Shibuya (2/3) (third fall by DQ when Keomuka
“purposely” tossed Gomez over the top rope) (title could not change hands) … Joe
Christie b. Rocky Columbo … Prince Maiava b. Len Hughes … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson
and Danny McShain drew … Ray Gunkel b. Bull Curry (DQ) … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, March 13, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Tag Team Champions Duke Keomuka and Kinji
Shibuya b. Pepper Gomez and Luiga Macera (2/3) … Clyde Steeves b. Len Hughes …
“Cowboy” Orv Carlson b. Terry Foster … Ray Gunkel b. “Killer” Joe Christie (DQ) … Bull
Curry and Tarzan the Bear were both counted out … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: Tarzan the Bear was billed as being 400-pounds.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, March 20, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Pepper Gomez and Duke Keomuka wrestled to a draw (match
could only end with the claw) (doctor refused to allow Gomez to continue) … Clyde
Steeves b. Terry Foster … Ray Gunkel b. Johnny Bence … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson b.
Bull Curry (DQ) (Curry used a chair to smash his opponent) … (promoter: Ed
McLemore) … (physician: Dr. Allen F. Rowson)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, March 27, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Pepper Gomez and Duke Keomuka wrestled to a draw (Gomez
smashed Keomuka with a chair five times) (Keomuka was carried from the ring after
being knocked out) … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson and Prince Maiava b. Joe Christie and
Danny McShain … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson and Joe Christie drew … Prince Maiava b.
Danny McShain (DQ) … Clyde Steeves b. Alvaro Velazco … Ray Gunkel b. Skull Murphy
… (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, April 3, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Tournament for World Title Match … Joe Christie b. Clyde
Steeves … Ray Gunkel b. Alvaro Velazco … Ray Stern b. Len Hughes … Duke
Keomuka b. Prince Maiava (countout) … Pepper Gomez b. Kinji Shibuya … Sammy Berg
b. Skull Murphy … Ray Gunkel b. Joe Christie … Duke Keomuka b. Pepper Gomez …
Ray Stern b. Sammy Berg … Duke Keomuka b. Ray Stern … Ray Gunkel b. Duke
Keomuka to win the tournament … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, April 10, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Whipper” Billy Watson b. Ray
Gunkel (2/3) (Watson won the first, lost the second and took the third) (Gunkel was
“easily” the crowd favorite) … Duke Keomuka b. Prince Maiava (DQ) (Maiava
“unintentionally” threw Keomuka over the top rope) … Ramon Torres (local debut) b. Joe
Christie … Don Evans and Ray Stern drew … “Cowboy” Orville Carlson and Luigi
Macera drew … Sammy Berg b. Len Hughes … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, April 17, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Two teams of five in a series of bouts with a point system – five
singles matches and a five-on-five tag team bout (winning team was decided on points
with one point per fall and the winners were to share $6,000) … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson,
Luigi Macera, Prince Maiava, Ray Stern and Ramon Torres vs. Sammy Berg, Joe
Christie, Don Evans, Duke Keomuka and “Wild” Bill Savage … (singles matches) … Ray
Stern b. Sammy Berg … Joe Christie b. Luigi Macera … Duke Keomuka b. “Cowboy” Orv
Carlson … Prince Maiava b. Don Evans … Ramon Torres b. Bill Savage – (at this point,
the team of Carlson, Macera, Maiava, Stern and Torres were ahead 3-2 on poiints) …
(tag team match) … Sammy Berg, Joe Christie, Don Evans, Duke Keomuka and “Wild”
Bill Savage won to make the score 3-3 … (extra team run off) … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson,
Luigi Macera, Prince Maiava, Ray Stern and Ramon Torres won when Torres pinned
Evans … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, April 24, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Ramon Torres b. Don Evans (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Bull
Curry b. Prince Maiava (Samoan-style match) (the left wrists of Maiava and Curry were
bound together with leather rope) (Coconut Willie threw in a towel once Curry locked in a
chokehold) … Bill Savage b. Ruffy Silverstein (DQ) … Joe Christie b. Sammy Berg …
Nanjo Singh b. Luigi Macera … Pepper Gomez and Ray Stern drew (Stern suffered an
injury and Gomez refused a victory) … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, May 1, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Pepper Gomez b. Texas
Brass Knuckles Champion Bull Curry (2-0) (second fall by DQ) … Danny Plechas b.
Sammy Berg … Ramon Torres b. Joe Christie … Luigi Macera b. “Iron” Mike DiBiase
(DQ) (Plechas interfered) … Bill Savage and Ray Stern drew (Savage was a substitute
for Nanjo Singh) … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, May 8, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Pepper Gomez b. Edmund
Francis (2/3) (Francis won the first fall and both men were counted out in the second
fall) (Francis claimed the title, claiming that Gomez had lost two falls) (Texas Deputy
Wrestling and Boxing Commissioner Bill Hughes stated that Gomez had “lost only half-a-
fall,” according to the Dallas Morning News, and “ordered the third fall to proceed”)
(Gomez pinned Francis for the third fall) … Ramon Torres b. Texas Brass Knuckles
Champion Bull Curry (DQ) … Danny Plechas b. Ray Stern … Jack Vansky b. Alvaro
Velazco … “Iron” Mike b. Luigi Macera … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, May 15, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Pepper Gomez b. Edmund
Francis (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas b. Ray Gunkel and
Luigi Macera (reportedly the first “of a series of tandem bouts to determine new state tag
team champions,” according to the Dallas Morning News) … George Drake and Bill
Savage drew … Mars Bennett b. Belle Starr (Bennett earned a title match) … Ramon
Torres b. Jack Vansky … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, May 22, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas b. Pepper Gomez and Luther
Lindsey to reportedly capture a claim to the vacant Texas State Tag Team Title (2/3)
(Plechas beat Gomez in the third fall according to one fall, while another wanted to give
the bout to Gomez and Lindsey) … Women’s World Champion June Byers b. Mars
Bennett … Edmund Francis and Luigi Macera drew … Cyclone Anaya b. Jack Vansky
(decision) … Ramon Torres b. Bill Savage … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees:
“Cowboy” Orv Carlson, Otto Kuss)

*The Sunday, May 27, 1956 edition of the Dallas Morning News reported that after last
week’s match, both teams claimed the Texas State Tag Tam Ttle.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, May 29, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas b. Pepper Gomez and Luther
Lindsey to capture a full claim to the Texas State Tag Team Title (1-0) (Lindsey suffered
a leg injury and was forced to give up) … Duke Keomuka and Ramon Torres drew …
Luther Lindsey b. Danny Plechas (DQ) (Mike interfered) … “Iron” Mike b. Pepper Gomez
(countout) … Leo Newman b. Jack Vansky … Edmund Francis b. “Cowboy” Orv Carlson
… Len Rossi b. Don Evans (DQ) … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, June 5, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas wrestled Don Evans and Duke
Keomuka to a double disqualification (wild match) (reportedly “another bout in the
tourney to select team champions for the vacant state title”) … Texas State Heavyweight
Champion Buddy Rogers b. Ramon Torres (2/3) … Lou “Shoulders” Newman vs. Ricky
Waldo … George Drake vs. Edmund Francis … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson vs. Len Rossi …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees: Marvin Jones, Otto Kuss)
Note: According to the Dallas Morning News, Buddy Rogers won the Texas State
Heavyweight Title from Pepper Gomez in Houston on Friday; the newspaper was giving
conflicting reports to the status of the tag team title between May 22 and June 5.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, June 12, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas b. Don Evans and Duke Keomuka
to capture the Texas State Tag Team Title (2/3) (repoted as a “rematch for the vacant
Texas team wrestling title,” according to the Dallas Morning News) (ring was surrounded
by a fence) …Texas State Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Len Rossi (Rogers
used a “paralytic headlock”) … Ramon Torres b. “Cowboy” Orv Carlson … George
Drake and Ricky Waldo drew … Larry Chene b. “Shoulders” Lou Newman (decision) …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees: Roy Carter, Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, June 19, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “Iron” Mike and Danny Plechas b. Don Eavns and Duke Keomuka
(“battle to a finish” match) … Tiny Tim b. Tom Thumb … Ramon Torres b. Martino
Angelo … Larry Chene b. George Drake … Cyclone Anaya and Len Rossi drew …
(promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, June 26, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Tag Team Champions “Iron” Mike and Danny
Plechas b. Paul Boesch and Otto Kuss (2/3) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion
Buddy Rogers b. Ramon Torres … Duke Keomuka b. Cyclone Anaya … Jack O’Reilly b.
George Drake … Don Evans and Jim LaRock drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 3, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. “Iron” Mike
DiBiase (DiBiase was accompanied by Danny Plechas, who battled Rogers) (Gene Kelly
brawled with DiBiase) … Gene Kelly (billed as a newcomer) b. Edmund Francis …Danny
Plechas b. Duke Keomuka (referee’s decision) … Tony Martin and Ramon Torres drew
… Cyclone Anaya b. Jack O’Reilly … Jim LaRock b. Steve Stanlee … (promoter: Ed
McLemore) … (referee: Ray Gunkel)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 10, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Tag Team Champions “Iron” Mike DiBiase and Danny
Plechas b. Gene Kelly and Duke Keomuka (2/3) (third fall by DQ when Kelly threw both
his opponents over the top rope) … Mike DiBiase b. Gene Kelly (countout) (Kelly was
outside the ring brawling with DiBiase’s partner Plechas) .. Duke Keomuka b. Danny
Plechas (Keomuka received help from Kelly) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion
Buddy Rogers b. Texas State Junior Heavyweight Champion Larry Chene (non-title
match) … Johnny Valentine b. Ian Campbell … Tony Martin b. Len Rossi … (promoter:
Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 17, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Buddy Rogers b. Larry Chene (2/3) … Gene Kelly b. “Iron” Mike
DiBiase (2-0) (both falls by DQ when Danny Plechas interfered) … Jerry Woods b.
George Drake … Danny Plechas b. “Shoulders” Lou Newman … Chico Casasola and
Jim LaRock drew … Tony Martin b. Ian Campbell … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 24, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Danny McShain b. Larry Chene to capture the Texas State Junior
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Gene
Kelly (2/3) (third by DQ) (Kelly “inadvertently” threw Rogers over the top rope) … Chico
Casasola and Pepper Gomez and “Iron” Mike DiBiase and Danny Plechas (2/3) (third fall
by DQ after throwing the wrestlers and both referees from the ring) … Johnny Valentine
b. Al Kashey … Tony Martin and Jerry Woods drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore) …
(referees: Marvin Jones, Otto Kuss)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 31, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers and Danny
McShain wrestled to a no contest (1-1) (During the third fall, both Rogers and McShain,
plus the referee Jones all ended up with cuts and bleeding) (the match was stopped in
the third fall) … Pepper Gomez b. Tony Martin … Gene Kelly and Johnny Valentine b.
“Iron” Mike DiBiase and Danny Plechas … Jim LaRock b. Jerry Woods … Chico
Casasola and Larry Chene drew … Pepper Gomez won a “roulette” match over 12 other
wrestlers … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Marvin Jones)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 7, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Buddy Rogers b. Danny McShain (1-0) (Rogers earned a World
Title match with “Whipper” Billy Watson) … “Iron” Mike DiBiase and Danny Plechas failed
in a special handicap bout against referees Paul Boesch, Roy Carter, Marvin Jones and
Otto Kuss (Jones was pinned before Boesch bea Plechas, ending the bout) … Pepper
Gomez b. Mike DiBiase … Gene Kelly b. Danny Plechas … Chico Casasola and Bob
Hood drew (Hood was a substitute for Johnny Valentine) … Larry Chene and Al Kashey
drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, August 10, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Buddy Farmer b. Robert Jackson (2/3) … Johnny
Dobbs and Hal Stanley b. Sonny Lancaster and Bill McCullum (2/3) … Johnny Dobbs
and Bill McCullum drew … Sonny Lancaster and Hal Stanley drew

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 14, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Whipper” Billy Watson b.
Buddy Rogers (2/3) (Rogers won the initial fall, but lost the second by countout after a
count of 20) (Rogers was unable to continue) (it reportedly marked Buddy’s first loss in
Dallas) … Gene Kelly and Danny McShain b. The Smith Brothers (Al and John Smith) …
Johnny Valentine b. Ramon Torres … Al Kashey b. Jim LaRock … Larry Chene b. Jack
O’Reilly … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, August 17, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … “Sir” Robert Jackson vs. King Kong Kollins … 7-
man wrestle royal (participants: Miguel Aguilar, Johnny Dobbs, Buddy Farmer, Sonny
Lancaster, Bill McCullum, Wild Man Pruiett, Hal Stanley) … (number eliminated in wrestle
royal sets up three additional matches)
Note: The arena is at 6500 Lake June Road.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 21, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Lou Thesz b. Gene Kelly (2/3) (according to the Dallas Morning
News: “Kelly appeared to have the match won by taking the last fall as he did the first
with a suspension shoulder backbreaker hold. However, referee Otto Kuss ruled that
Kelly illegally applied the hold on Thesz while the ex-champ was on the apron of the ring
and not in the ring”) … Duke Keomuka b. Al Kashey … Danny McShain and Johnny
Valentine drew … Larry Chene and Leo Garibaldi b. The Smith Brothers (Al and John
Smith) … Larry Chene b. Al Smith … Leo Garibaldi b. John Smith (decision) …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Otto Kuss)
Note: Kelly was billed as the “newly crowned” Texas Heavyweight Champion and gained
Count Rossi as a manager.

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, August 24, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Bill McCullum and Hal Stanley b. Johnny Dobbs
and “Sir” Robert Jackson … Buddy Farmer b. Billy “The Blimp” Calhoun … Faye Imalove
b. Senorita Diablo (DQ) … Johnny Dobbs and Hal Stanley drew … Robert Jackson and
Bill McCullum drew … (sponsored by: Pleasant Grove Lions Club)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 28, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka b. Texas State Heavyweight Champion Gene Kelly
(DQ in the third fall) (title could not change hands) (Kelly was accompanied by his
manager Count Rossi) … Red Donovan b. Danny McShain to capture the Texas Junior
Heavyweight Title (2-0) … Doug Donovan vs. Pepper Gomez … Ray Gunkel vs. Johnny
Valentine … Chico Casasola vs. Leo Garibaldi … Larry Chene vs. Jerry Woods …
(promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: The Dallas Morning News stated that the Kelly-Keomuka bout was “one of the
rouhest (sic) bouts seen in Dallas;” In the preview for the program on August 28, the
newspaper claimed that McShain was defending his title against Red Donovan and was
“pushed into the junior heavyweight title match by his older brother Doug, a one-time
state champion in that class.” The August 29 newspaper reported that “Danny McShane,
the Texas junior heavyweight title-holder, lost in straight falls to newcomer Doug
Donovan.”

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, August 31, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Billy “The Blimp” Calhoun b. Buddy Farmer (DQ) …
King Kong Kollins and Bill McCullum b. Johnny Dobbs and “Sir” Robert Jackson … “Sir”
Robert Jackson wrestled King Kong Kollins to a draw …. Bill McCullum b. Johnny Dobbs
(DQ) … Sherril McKay b. Senorita Diablo (DQ)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 4, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Gene Kelly b. Duke Keomuka (2/3) (first fall was a judo-jackets
style match and was won by Keomuka) (Keomuka suffered torn ligaments in an ankle) …
Pepper Gomez b. Tony Martin (DQ) .. The Donovan Brothers (Doug and Red Donovan)
b. Leo Garibaldi and Ray Gunkel … Larry Chene b. Al Kashey … Jim LaRock b. Bob
“Robin” Hood … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: LaRock issued a challenge to any wrestler, professional or amateur, next week.

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, September 7, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Miguel Aguilar and Bill McCullum b. “Sir” Robert
Jackson and Wild Man Pruitt (Pruitt was a substitute for Johnny Dobbs) .. Johnny Dobbs
and Bill McCullum drew … El Gato Negro b. Wild Man Pruitt … Robert Jackson b. Miguel
Aguilar … Hal Stanley b. King Kong Kollins (DQ)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 11, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Pepper Gomez b. Gene Kelly
(2/3) … Texas State Junior Heavyweight Champion Red Donovan b. Larry Chene (2/3)
… Herb Freeman and Ray Gunkel b. Duke Keomuka and Tony Martin to capture the
Texas State Tag Team Title (2/3) … Jim LaRock vs (any wrestler, amateur or
professional, over 21 years of age, over 190 pounds, willing to sign a waiver and
passing of a standard physical) (McLemore agreed to pay anyone $250 that could
defeat LaRock in 15:00) … Chico Casasola vs. Doug Donovan … Bob Hood vs. The
Sheik … Big Humphrey vs. Babe Zaharias … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: Pepper Gomez reportedly won the Texas championship on Friday in Houston from
Gene Kelly.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 18, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Pepper Gomez b. The Sheik
of Araby (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Len Crosby and Gene Kelly b. Herb Freeman and
Ray Gunkel to capture the Texas State Tag Team Title (2-0) (Freeman was injured,
leaving Gunkel to wrestle alone) (second fall by countout) (Gunkel battled Count Rossi
outside the ring) … Duke Keomuka b. Big Humphrey … Dick Raines b. Tony Martin …
Maurice LaPointe b. Chico Casasola … Jim LaRock b. two audience members willing to
accept his challenge … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: LaRock was billed as a 1952 Olympic finalist.

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, September 21, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Johnny Dobbs vs. “Sir” Robert Jackson (2/3) …
Buddy Farmer and Wild Man Pruitt vs. Paul Kelso and Bill McCullum … Buddy Farmer
vs. Paul Kelso … Bill McCullum vs. Wild Man Pruit … (sponsored by: Pleasant Grove
Lions Club)
Note: Wild Man Pruitt was billed as being from Waco, while Kelso was from Camp
Wolters.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 25, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Ray Gunkel and Lou Thesz b. Texas State Tag Team Champions
Len Crosby and Gene Kelly (2/3) (third by DQ when Count Rossi interfered) (no title
change) … The Sheik b. Maurice LaPointe … Dick Raines b. Cheeto Gonzales … El
Medico b. Jim LaRock … The Amazing Zuma b. Mighty Hercules … Jim LaRock b. two
members of the audience (Oba Yancy from Fort Worth and Bill Fellis of Corsicana) …
(promoter: Ed McLemore)

Pleasant Grove, Texas: Friday, September 28, 1956
(Jack Kennedy’s Recreation Club) … Johnny Dobbs vs. “Sir” Robert Jackson (2/3) …
Buddy Farmer vs. Jack Kennedy (2/3) … Billy “The Blimp” Calhoun vs. King Kong Kollins
… Miguel Aguilar vs. Bill McCullum … The Lady Blimp vs. Lovely Lorraine … (sponsored
by: Pleasant Grove Lions Club)
Notes: The Blimp reportedly weighed 505 pounds and was from Dallas. McCullum and
Lorraine were also billed as being from Dallas. Kollins was from Paris, Aguilar from El
Paso, and Lady Blimp from Anadarko, Oklahoma.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 2, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka and Dick Raines wrestled to a no contest when
Texas Commissioner Bill Hughes halted their match due to blood (match had to end on a
sleeperhold) … The Amazing Zuma b. Len Crosby (2/3) … Ray Gunkel and Gene Kelly
drew … The Sheik b. Tony Martin … Lee Chona LaClaire b. Libby Gonzales … El
Medico b. Suni War Cloud … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Marvin Jones)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 9, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka b. Dick Raines (fourth round of scheduled ten
round match) … The Amazing Zuma b. The Sheik of Araby (2/3) (third fall by DQ) (Sheik
threw Zuma over the top rope) … El Medico b. Tony Martin … Ray Gunkel and Lee
Chona LaClaire b. Len Crosby and Dot Dotson (LaClaire pinned Dotson) … Texas State
Junior Heavyweight Champion Red Donovan and Suni War Cloud drew … Jim LaRock b.
two audience members (Joe N. Lewis of Garland, Texas, lasted 6:00 and William
Crowder of Tennessee) (LaRock had defeated eight individuals by this time in his
challenge series) … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 16, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … El Medico vs. Duke Keomuka … The Amazing Zuma, Herb
Freeman, Ray Gunkel, Duke Keomuka and Suni War Cloud vs. Len Crosby, the
Donovan Brothers (Doug and Red Donovan), El Medico and The Sheik of Araby … LeN
Crosby vs. Herb Freeman … The Sheik vs. Suni War Cloud … Doug Donovan vs. Ray
Gunkel … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 23, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … “United Nations” Wrestling Tournament … The Sheik b. Herb
Freeman … Pepper Gomez b. Gene Kelly … El Medico b. Suni War Cloud … The Sheik
b. Dick Raines … The Amazing Zuma b. Len Crosby … The Amazing Zuma b. Pepper
Gomez after a coin flip win (they initially wrestled to a draw) … The Amazing Zuma b. The
Sheik … Duke Keomuka b. El Medico (DQ) … Duke Keomuka b. Ray Gunkel (decision)
… Duke Keomuka b. The Amazing Zuma in the finals of the tournament (13:00)
(Keomuka won a $4,000 prize and a special trophy) … Sky Low Low b. Cowboy Bradley
… (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 30, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion El Medico b. Duke Keomuka
(2/3) … Bull Curry b. Tony Martin … The Amazing Zuma and Tito Infante b. Len Crosby
and Sky Low Low …Suni War Cloud vs. Stu Gibson … Lou Klein vs. The Sheik of Araby
… (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Ray Gunkel)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 6, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion El Medico b. Pepper Gomez
(2/3) (the referee pushed Gomez leading to the final pinfall) … Jerry Dugas b. Lee
Henning (DQ) … The Amazing Zuma b. Larry Chene … The Donovan Brothers (Doug
and Red Donovan) and Stu Gibson b. Paul Boesch, Lee Henning and Tarzan Tourville
… (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Roy Carter)
Note: Texas Commissioner Bill Hughes held up the purses of Medico and Gomez
because of the disputed decision.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 13, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … El Medico b. Pepper Gomez (2/3) (third fall by countout when
Gomez was brawling with the Great Bolo) … Bull Curry b. Stu Gibson (Gibson was
attacked before the match by The Great Bolo) (Bolo also fought with Curry) … Jerry
Dugas and Tonina drew … Sam Steamboat (local debut) b. Red Donovan … The
Amazing Zuma b. Doug Donovan (DQ) … Lee Henning b. Herb Freeman … (promoter:
Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 20, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Bull Curry and Pepper Gomez b. El Medico and The Great Bolo
(2/3) … Lee Henning b. Ray Gunkel … The Amazing Zuma and Stu Gibson drew … Sam
Steamboat b. Gerry Dugas … Doug Donovan b. Herb Freeman … (promoter: Ed
McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 27, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … El Medico b. Bull Curry (2/3) … Pepper Gomez b. The Elephant
Boy (DQ) … Duke Keomuka b. Big Humphrey (Humphrey was a substitute for The
Amazing Zuma) … Larry Chene and Lee Henning drew … Sam Steamboat b. Stu Gibson
… (promoter: Ed McLemore)

*In mid-November 1956, J.W. Whitaker sued Dallas promoter Ed McLemore, charging
him that he billed a wrestler as “mean, villainous, hard-hearted, merciless, cruel,
cheating, sneaky, unsportsmanlike and cowardly.” The billing, Whitaker claimed,
enraged someone in the audience to the point in which they tossed a bottle. The bottle
struck Whitaker and fractured his skull.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, December 4, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Wrestling Tournament for NWA World Title Match … Duke
Keomuka b. Tex Brady … Bull Curry b. The Elephant Boy … Lee Henning b. Pepper
Gomez … Larry Chene b. Stu Gibson … Sam Steamboat b. El Medico … Duke Keomuka
b. Larry Chene … Lee Henning b. Sam Steamboat … Bull Curry b. Lee Henning … Duke
Keomuka b. Bull Curry to win the tournament
Note: Luther Lindsey was scheduled to wrestle Duke Keomuka in the opening round,
but had his plane grounded due to bad weather. He had been, reportedly, coming in
from Canada and was substituted for by Tex Brady.

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, December 11, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … Luther Lindsey b. Duke Keomuka (Lindsey reportedly saved a
$5,000 guarantee bond with the win and earned a match with Lou Thesz) … El Medico b.
The Elephant Boy … Pepper Gomez b. “Judo” Jack Terry … Larry Chene and Sam
Steamboat b. The Donovan Brothers (Doug and Red Donovan) … Stu Gibson and Lee
Henning drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore)

Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, December 18, 1956
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Luther Lindsey
(2/3) (Thesz won the initial fall, Lindsey won the second and Thesz won the third)
(Thesz, “who is in his fifth reign as world wrestling champion, thereby gained a $5,000
guarantee, posted by Lindsey,” according to the Dallas Morning News) … Texas Brass
Knuckles Champion El Medico b. Bull Curry … Dick Beyer (local debut) b. Duke
Keomuka (DQ) … The Amazing Zuma and Larry Chene drew … Sam Steamboat b. Stu
Gibson … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: Next show on January 8.

Research by Tim Hornbaker

Dallas Wrestling Results - 1956