El Paso, Texas:  Thursday, January 18, 1945
(Biggs Field) … Boxing and Wrestling Show … Private Billy Raburn and Andy Tremaine
drew … Junior Prowell b. Sammy Kozek (boxing) … Midget Mexico and Sergeant Manny
Ortega boxed an exhibition
Notes:  Raburn was from Alamogordo Air Base and Tremaine was “of the U.S. Immigration
Service.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, January 23, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Eddie “Bad Man” Lewis vs. Manuel Muniz … Billy Raburn vs. Charley
Trekos … Alberto Campos vs. Leon Kirilenko … Tony Felletti vs. The Masked Man …
(promoter:  Bernard Trabbic) … (“fair” crowd)
Notes:  Ramos was billed as the Mexican Light Heavyweight Champion.  Trekos was
returning after a three-year absence.  Muniz was from Torreon, Mexico.  Raburn was billed
as a corporal.  Trekos won the middleweight title “from Gus Kallio, the great Finlander,”
before going into the light heavyweight division.  Kirilenko was from Chicago and had been
wrestling about 11 years.  Raburn was a physical instructor at Alamogordo Airbase.  In the
January 24, 1945 edition of the El Paso Times, writer Don White stated that “Liberty Hall
wrestling is poor.” He wrote that “Tuesday night’s offering can not even be called a sport,
since it was apparent from the start that the participants, including the bulky referee, were
merely going through a well rehearsed routine that might have been presented last week
on the Pacific Coast and will be presented next week in Dallas.” No show next week.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, February 6, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Manuel Muniz vs. Billy Raburn … Alberto Campos vs. Tony Felletti … Leon
Kirilenko vs. Charles Trekos … Erhimo Blancarte vs. Eddie Lewis

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, February 13, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Tony Felletti and Leon Kirilenko b. Alberto Campos and Billy Raburn (2/3)
(tag teams) … Ciclon Veloz b. Eddie Lewis (2/3) … Angel Berget and Hiram Blancarte drew
(20:00)

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, February 20, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Billy Raburn b. Leon Kirilenko (2/3) … Polo Cordova and Tony Felletti
drew (45:00) … Eskimo Blancarte b. Eddie Lewis (Blancarte was a substitute for Ernesto
Poggi) … Doug Henderson b. Hiram Blancarte (12:55) … (promoter:  Bernard Trabbic)
Notes:  Cordova was from Tampico, Mexico and Poggi from Argentina.  Hiram and Eskimo
Blancarte were brothers.  Henderson was said to be a bull fighter.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, February 27, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Leon Kirilenko b. Eskimo Blancarte in the finals of the wrestle royal (2/3)
… Tony Felletti and Ernesto “Gorilla” Poggi drew … Allen “Sailor” Parker b. Polo Cordova
(1-0) (Parker had the only fall when the time expired) … (promoter:  Bernard Trabbic)
Notes:  “Sailor” Allen Parker was from Tennessee.  In the “rassle royal,” there would be six
participants.  The El Paso Times stated that “one man will be in each corner and two in the
center.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, March 6, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Leon Kirilenko b. Billy Raborn (2/3) … Sailor Parker b. Tony Felletti (2/3)
… Gorilla Poggi b. Polo Cordova … Doug Henderson b. Joe Morena … (promoter:  
Bernard “Ben” Trabbic) … (referee:  Robert Navaro)

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, March 13, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Sailor Parker b. Leon Kirilenko (2/3) … Tony Felletti and Gorilla Poggi
drew (1-1) … Indio Herminio b. Bobby Rodriguez … Black Guzman b. Polo Cordova
(leglock) … (promoter:  Bernard Trabbic) … (referee:  Leo Flynn)
Notes:  The El Paso Times (3/13/45) stated that Leon Kirilenko had been arrested for
failing to appear before an Oregon City, Oregon draft board.  He was released on $650
bond and a hearing was scheduled for Saturday.  He claimed he had no intention of
evading military service.  Guzman was the light heavyweight champion of Mexico.  Herminio
was a barefooted Indian wrestler.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, March 20, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Black Guzman and Sailor Parker b. Tony Falletti and Leon Kirilenko (2/3)
(tag team match) … Doug Henderson b. Bobby Rodriguez … Gorilla Poggi b. Diablo Lopez
(2-0) (crabhold) … (promoter:  Bernard Trabbic) … (referee:  Roberto Novaro)

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, March 27, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Billy Raborn b. Black Guzman to capture the initial Texas Junior
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Raborn won the first fall in 11:30 with a double stepover toehold,
Guzman won the second in 4:00, Raborn won the third in 5:30 with a crabhold) … Tony
Felletti and Sailor Parker drew (1-1) (match called because of the late hour) … Leon
Kirilenko b. Alberto Campos … Gorilla Poggi and Milt Olsen drew (30:00) … (promoter:  
Ben Trabbic) … (referee:  Roberto Navaro) … (near capacity crowd)
Notes:  On Monday, March 26, there was a special weigh-in for Billy Raborn and Black
Guzman in El Paso with local Texas Wrestling Commissioner Sam Cohen on hand to
supervise.  Raborn weighed 184 and Guzman at 186.  Their bout was a “junior
heavyweight championship match,” and was expected to find a challenger for Leroy
McGuirk’s world title.  It was said that more than 150 tickets were sold to Raborn’s friends
at Alamogordo base and “a large delegation of Juarez wrestling fans” were coming in to
support Guzman.  Alberto Campos was an “El Paso athlete who turned to pro grappling.”
The Raborn-Guzman match was a “clean” match.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, April 3, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Leon Kirilenko b. Black Guzman (2/3) … Tony Felletti b. Milt Olsen (UTC)
(Olsen suffered an injured right hip) … Gorilla Poggi b. Alberto Campos … (referee:  
Roberto Navarro)
Notes:  Guzman was said to have graduated from Mexico University with an engineering
degree.  He was a claimant to the light heavyweight championship.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, April 10, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Corporal Billy Raborn b. Tony Felletti (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Black
Guzman and Gorilla Poggi drew (1-1) … Doug Henderson b. Young Matty … Milt Olsen b.
Bobby Segura (2/3) … (referee:  Roberto Navaro)

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, April 17, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Milt Olsen and Billy Raborn b. Tony Felletti and Bobby Segura (2/3) …
Black Guzman b. Sailor Parker (2/3) … Gorilla Poggi b. Juan Franciso
Note:  Francisco was a “newcomer from Monterrey, Mexico.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, April 24, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion Corporal Billy Raborn b. Black
Guzman (2/3) … The Masked GI b. Gorilla Poggi (UTC) … Tony Felletti and Sailor Parker
drew … Bobby Segura b. Rudy Bolinda
Notes:  The Texas Junior Heavyweight championship belt was going to be on display on
Tuesday morning at Sheldon’s Jewelry Store.  It was made by the Gantt Jewelry
Manufacturing Company.  After the main event, Guzman “handed the new emblematic belt
to the winning Corporal,” showing “outstanding sportsmanship.” Raborn won both the first
and third falls using “his self-named ‘alligator clutch.’” The two provided “an excellent
display of holds that brought repeated applause from a large audience.” Segura was
originally slated to wrestle Oso Blanco.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, May 1, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Indio Cherokee b. Tony Felletti in finals of a wrestle royal (2/3) … Gorilla
Poggi and Bobby Segura drew (45:00) … The Masked GI b. Sailor Parker … Diablo Lopez
b. Angel Berget … (promoter:  Don Hill) … (referees:  Roberto Navarro, Jack Hembree) …
(sponsored by:  20-30 Club) … (benefit for the National Cancer Fund)
Notes:  Berget was a substitute for Raul Torres.  Hembree was a soldier stationed at Fort
Bliss.  Cherokee was an Indian from the mountains of Mexico.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, May 8, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … The Masked GI b. Indio Cherokee (2/3) … Bobby Segura b. Tony Felletti
… Gorilla Poggi b. Sailor Parker (2/3) … Jack Himbre b. Joe Kasari … (promoter:  Don Hill)
… (referee:  Roberto Navarro)
Notes:  Himress was a Fort Bliss soldier making his first appearance.  Segura was from
Mexico.  Kasari was from Alamogordo, and substituted for Raul Torres.  Torres was
suspended for his failure to appear.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, May 15, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … The Masked GI b. Bobby Segura (2/3) … Indio Cherokee and Gorilla
Poggi drew (1-1) … Pete Bartu and Tony Felletti drew … Sailor Parker b. Don Spicer (19:
40) …  (promoter:  Don Hill) … (referee:  Roberto Navarro)
Notes:  Masked GI was a heel wrestler.  Howard Dunn was the Texas Wrestling Deputy
Commissioner.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, May 22, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Indio Cherokee b. The Masked GI (DQ) … Tony Felletti b. Charlie Trekos
(2/3) … Gorilla Poggi b. Pete Bartu … Sailor Parker and Phil Romano drew … (promoter:  
Don Hill) … (referee:  Gorilla Poggi)
Note:  Texas Wrestling Commissioner Sam Cohen disqualified Masked GI for throwing his
opponent over the top rope.


El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, October 2, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Earl Malone and Steve Petroff b. Ivan Jones and Milt Olsen … Tony Ross
b. Danny Aldana (2/3) … Rudy Romero b. Carlos Pesquena (15:00) … (promoter:  Don
Hill) … (referee:  Billy Hallas)

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, October 9, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Ivan Jones b. Earl Malone (2-0) … Charlie Trekos b. Tony Ross (2-0) …
Milt Olsen and Steve Petroff drew (20:00) … Gorilla Sanchez b. Carlos Resquera (1:50) …
(promoter:  Don Hill)
Notes:  Jones was a former YMCA physical director.  Ticket prices were lowering to “pre-
war wrestling prices.” It was $1.65 to $1.35 for ringside seats.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, October 16, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Charley Trejo b. Tony Ross (2/3) … Ivan Jones b. Steve Petroff (2/3) …
Milt Olsen b. The Hood (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Ricardo Cortez b. Peppy Reyes …
(promoter:  Don Hill)
Note:  Trejo was from Mexico City.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, October 23, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Ivan Jones b. Milt Olsen in the finals of a wrestle royal (2/3) … Charley
Trejo b. George Hackenschmidt (2/3) … The Hood and Tony Ross drew (30:00) …
(promoter:  Don Hill)
Notes:  Hackenschmidt was from Wisconsin.  He weighed 170 pounds.  Buddy Trejo was
the younger brother of Charley.  Matty was from Juarez.  Hackenschmidt was “given his
start in wrestling by Freddie Beale (sic),” according to the El Paso Times, “in Marshfield,
Wis.” The paper stated that “For the last 10 years, Hackenschmidt has claimed the
Wisconsin junior middleweight and light heavyweight championships,” and that “During the
war, he worked as a tool and die maker in a Milwaukee shell factory.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, October 30, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … The Hood b. Tony Ross (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Milt Olsen and
Charles Trejo drew (1-1) … Ivan Jones b. Jose Manuel … Roberto Navarro b. Jack
Hembree … (promoter:  Don Hill) … (referee:  Billy Hallas)
Note:  Navarro was said to be a “former referee.”

*The Sunday, November 4, 1945 edition of the El Paso Times reported that Billy Raborn
vacated the Texas Junior Heavyweight Title because he had been transferred from
Alamogordo Army Airbase to Vancouver, Washington.  He mailed the championship belt to
promoter Don hill “with instructions to give it to the man who is next to be recognized as
Texas junior heavyweight champ.” Hill was talking with Sam Cohen and Leonard Carleton,
members of the Texas State Wrestling Commission, to figure out a way to recognize the
next champion.  A number of wrestlers were in contention, including Charley Trejo, who
was undefeated locally except for a draw last week.  Hackenschmidt “claims the three top
championships in Wisconsin.” Raborn couldn’t initially defend his title due to an arm injury.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, November 6, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Charlie Trejo b. The Hood (2/3) … George Hackenschmidt b. Milt Olsen
(2/3) … Tony Ross b. Alberto Campos … Johnny Atkins and Jose Manuel drew (20:00) …
(promoter:  Don Hill) … (referees:  Pat McKee, Billy Hallas)
Notes:  McKee was a Hollywood character actor.  Trego-Hood was in the “first round of
competition leading to presentation of Billy Raborn’s forfeited junior heavyweight belt.”
Olsen recently lost the Wisconsin light heavyweight title to Hackenschmidt.  Atkins was
coming in from Denver.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, November 13, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … The Hood b. Milt Olsen … Milt Olsen b. George Hackenschmidt … Milt
Olsen b. Tony Ross (match initially went to a draw in 15:00, then was given another
minute) … Tony Ross b. Charley Trejo … (promoter:  Don Hill)
Notes:  The junior heavyweight belt was on display at the Texas Smoke Shop at 104 Texas
Street in El Paso.  Macias was from Mexico City.  Hood “emerged winner of the first round
of the junior heavyweight elimination tournament.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, November 20, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Milt Olsen b. Tony Ross in the finals of the second round of the elimination
tournament … Milt Olsen b. Jose Manuel … Tony Ross b. Ivan Jones … Ivan Jones b.
Gorilla Poggi … Roberto Novarro b. Howard “Doggie” Baird … (promoter:  Don Hill) …
(referees:  Billy Hallas, Horseshoe Melven)
Notes:  Poggi had been wrestling in Portland and Jackson, Mississippi since leaving El
Paso last spring.  Hallas was returning from a deer hunting trip.  Jones was also returning
after a muscle injury.  With the win here, Olsen won the right to face the Hood for the
Texas Junior Title next week.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, November 27, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Milt Olsen b. Al Szasz to capture the vacant Texas State Junior
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Ivan Jones b. Tony Ross (2/3) … Gorilla Poggi and Charley
Trejo drew (1-1) … Jose Manuel and Jim Parker drew (15:00) … (promoter:  Don Hill) …
(referee:  Billy Hallas)
Notes:  The Hood was from the Midwest.  The newspaper indicated that many people felt
that Hood was the same wrestler who worked previously as the Masked GI, and promoter
Hill denied that.  Olsen stood 5’8” and weighed 177 and Hood weighed 183.  The main
event had a two-hour limit, but it would be afforded another 30-minutes at the referee’s
discretion.  The Hood’s name was revealed in the local newspaper, but he refused to
unmask.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, December 4, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Ivan Jones b. Al Szasz (2/3) (Jones unmasked the “Hood” during this
match) … Gorilla Poggi b. Tony Ross (2/3) … Jim Parker and Charley Trejo drew (20:00)
… Jose Manuel b. Ted Tortes … (promoter:  Don Hill)
Notes:  The El Paso Times (12/2/45) stated that Ross was “once described as ‘a great
sportsman’ in the introduction to H. Allen Smith’s book, ‘Lost in the Horse Lattitudes.’”
Szasz told Hill that he would wrestle in the future without the mask.  The mask, he
explained, was hot and limited his vision.  He was from St. Louis of Hungarian descent and
spoke Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, and some French.  The paper spelled his name, “Szas.”

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, December 11, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Ivan Jones and Milt Olsen b. Tony Ross and Al Szasz (2/3) … Gorilla
Poggi and Ted Torres drew (1-1) … Charley Trejo b. Tony Felis (DQ) … (promoter:  Don
Hill) … (referee:  Billy Hallas)
Notes:  Poggi was said to have wrestled for 24 years.  Torres was 24 years old.  Two of the
wrestlers in the main event tag team match were going to be “dropped from cards in El
Paso for the winter season.” This would allow newer wrestlers to appear in the city.  The
report didn’t necessarily say that the losers were going to be out, however.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, December 18, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Ivan Jones b. Tony Felis (DQ) … Ted Torres b. Milt Olsen (2/3) (third fall
by countout) … Gorilla Poggi b. Oso Blanco (2-0) … Charley Trejo b. Jim Parker (2/3) …
(promoter:  Don Hill)
Note:  Olsen-Torres was non-title.

El Paso, Texas:  Tuesday, December 25, 1945
(Liberty Hall) … Charley Trejo b. Tommy Felis in the wrestle royal finals … Oso Blanco b.
Dogie Baird … Ted Torres b. Loften Jones (52 seconds) … Milt Olsen and Gorilla Poggi
drew (30:00) … (promoter:  Don Hill)
Notes:  George W. Simpson was the concession operator at Liberty Hall.  Simpson agreed
to donate his share of the profits from sales to the El Paso Times Milk Fund.  Loften Jones
was a hook-and-ladder driver of the El Paso Fire Department and had been wrestling for
16 years.  He spent eight years in the Navy and was recently discharged.  Jones earned a
Purple Heart.  He wrestled while in Europe, France, Africa, and Australia.  He sailed on the
USS Roe during the war and was involved in fighting in Casablanca, Tunisia, Southern
France, Corsica, and Siciliy.  He was injured during the war, suffering a concussion, and
was partially paralyzed for four months, according to the El Paso Times (12/22/45).  He
had been a firefighter for 14 years and was known as the “Tennessee Redneck.” Between
matches, 53-year-old Labe Safro, a former pro boxer, entertained the crowd by doing a
punching bag act.  A drawing for prizes was going to be held with Al Yonge doing the
announcer.  Felis originally planned to go to St. Louis to see his two-month old baby and
wife and other child, but decided to remain in El Paso for this special show.  Everyone was
working for free.  $769.18 was donated to the fund and 19 audience members received
prizes.


Research by Tim Hornbaker
February 21, 2011
El Paso Wrestling Results - 1945