

El Paso, Texas: Thursday, June 25, 1959 (The Coliseum) … Don Arnold and Tito Montez were “finalists for the Western Heavyweight Championship. They were the survivors on an 11-man field which gave fans everything from straight wrestling to the usual vaudeville for which professional wrestling is noted.” (tournament participants: Arnold, Montez, Dave Sims, Jerry Woods, George McKay, Al Amasquas, Rod O’Rell, George “Brute” Bemis, The Hood, Rudy Nazarro, Tonina Jackson III) … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (1,000 fans) Notes: Wrestling was said to be “Back After Three Years.” The 11-man tournament was to “decide the Western Heavyweight Champion.” The opening round tournament matches were decided by draw. The El Paso Herald-Post stated that it was the feeling of the “new wrestling promoters” that “wrestling can make it in El Paso.” El Paso, Texas: Thursday, July 2, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Tito Montez b. Don Arnold in the finals of the tournament to capture the initial Western Heavyweight Title (2/3) (third fall by countout) … George McKay and Jerry Woods drew … Brute Bemis b. Jose Pleboyo … The Hood b. Red O’Rell … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (1,300 fans) Notes: Pleboyo was said to be from Mexico City and Woods was from Phoenix. Arnold and Montez qualified for the match last Thursday by becoming the surviving finalists in an elevan man tournament. The winner of Thursday’s bout “will receive a jewel studded belt symbolic of the western heavyweight championship.” El Paso, Texas: Thursday, July 9, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Don Arnold and The Hood b. Tito Montez and Jerry Woods … Don Scarbo b. Red O’Rell … George McKay and Duke Scarbo drew (20:00) … Jose Pleboyo b. Bob Rodriguez … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Notes: Next week, Montez would put his “diamond-studded aluminum belt” on the line against The Hood at the Coliseum. He was from Parral, Mexico. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, July 16, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Western Heavyweight Champion Tito Montez b. The Hood (2/3) … Brute Bemis b. Don Arnold (DQ) (Arnold used the bottom rope for leverage during the pin) … Duke and Don Scarbo b. Jim Aurelio and George McKay … Don Amezcua b. Jose Plebeyo … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … referees: Monte LaDue, Young Matty) Notes: The stipulation for the main event said that Hood had to unmask if he lost, but Don Arnold, who accompanied the latter, threw a towel over the Hood, protecting his identity. The Scarbos were brothers. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, July 23, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Western Heavyweight Champion Tito Montez b. Don Arnold (DQ) (Arnold threw Montez over the top rope) … Brute Bemis b. Duke Scarbo (DQ) (Don Scarbo interfered) … Don Scarbo b. Jim Aurelio … Jerry Woods b. Geoge McKay … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) El Paso, Texas: Thursday, July 30, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Tito Montez and Jerry Woods b. Don Arnold and George McKay (2/3) … Brute Bemis b. Duke and Don Scarbo (Bemis had to win within 30 minutes) … Johnny Demchuck b. Pancho Amesqua (2-0) ... (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (1,200 fans) El Paso, Texas: Thursday, August 6, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Lou Plummer b. Jerry Woods (2-0) … Brute Bemis and Tito Montez b. The Scarbo Brothers (2-0) … Don Arnold b. Johnny Demchuck … Carmen “Scorpion” Gomez b. Rose Martino … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (nearly 2,000 fans) Note: Plumer was from New Waverly, Texas. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, August 13, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Western States Heavyweight Champion Tito Montez b. Johnny Demchuck … Lou Plummer b. Don Arnold (2/3) … Al Kashey b. George McKay … Brute Bemis b. Tony Aurelio … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) *According to the Saturday, August 15, 1959 edition of the El Paso Herald-Post, “Tommy Rascon says he started wrestling in El Paso … participating in the first match held here … in a theater on south El Paso street. Now he has a son, 200-pound Rene, who is developing in one of the best matmen in all of Mexico. Rene may wrestle here but first he has a mat date in Virginia. Bobby Coleman is not disturbed by reports that Mike London of Albuquerque and his partner, Dr. Karl Sarpolis plan to open wrestling here in opposition to him. ‘I may beat them to the punch and open wrestling in Albuquerque,’ says Bobby.” El Paso, Texas: Thursday, August 20, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Lou Plummer b. Western States Heavyweight Champion Tito Montez (2/3) (Plummer won the first fall and then the second by DQ after Montez threw him over the top rope) (title couldn’t change hands on a DQ) … Al Kashey b. Tony Barbetta (2-0) … Brute Bemis b. Don Arnold … Johnny Demchuck and George McKay drew … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Note: No show on next Thursday due to the Kids’ Rodeo at the Coliseum. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, September 3, 1959 (The Coliseum) … Lou Plummer b. Tito Montez to capture the Western Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Montez won the initiall fall in under a minute, but Plummer won the second and third falls) … Al Kashey b. Johnny Demchuck … George McKay b. Brute Bemis (DQ) … Jerry Woods b. Tony Barbetta … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Note: Coleman still believed that attendance would pick up “once the nights begin getting cooler,” according to the local paper. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, September 10, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Western States Heavyweight Champion Lou Plummer b. Brute Bemis (2/3) … Judy Grable and Margie Ramsey wrestled to a no contest … Al Kashey b. Jerry Woods (28:00) … George McKay and Jim Wright drew … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (referee: Young Matty) El Paso, Texas: Thursday, September 17, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … George McKay and Lou Plummer b. Brute Bemis and Al Kashey … Judy Grable b. Margie Ramsey (2-0) … Jerry Woods b. Jim Wright (DQ) … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (referee: Tony Barbetta) El Paso, Texas: Thursday, September 24, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … George McKay b. Al Kashey … Lou Plummer b. Wally Steele … Jim Wright b. Al Muniz … Jose Plebeyo and Jerry Woods drew … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Note: Next show would be Wednesday at the Judging Arena, “immediately behind the Coliseum.” El Paso, Texas: Wednesday, September 30, 1959 (Judging Arena) … Al Kashey b. George McKay to capture the Western States Heavyweight Title … Jerry Woods b. Jim Wright (DQ) … Ben Mata and Al Muniz b. Stu Gibson and Lou Plummer (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (referee: Monte LaDue) Note : It was announced that the “new” Judging Arena would be the regular spot for wrestling on Thursdays. *The Friday, October 2, 1959 edition of the El Paso Herald-Post stated that Al Kashey beat George McKay on Wednesday to capture the Western Heavyweight Title. Kashey was going to defend his title the following Thursday against Jim Wright at the Judging Arena, signed by matchmaker Bobby Coleman. El Paso, Texas: Thursday, October 8, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum Judging Arena) … Al Kashey b. Jim Wright (DQ) … Lou Plummer b. Al Torres (Torres was unable to continue) … Johnny Demchuck b. Bob Norman … Jerry Doods and The Masked Marvel drew … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Notes: No show next week and the shows were moving back to Tuesday evenings, the traditional night for wrestling in El Paso. El Paso, Texas: Tuesday, October 20, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum Judging Arena) … Danny Plechas b. Ray Duran (Duran was a substitute for Al Kashey) … Luis Hernandez b. Antone “Ripper” Leone (DQ) … Gory Guerrero b. Taro Miyako (DQ) … Nick Roberts b. Bob Geigel … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) Notes: It was announced that “World Heavyweight Champion” Pat O’Connor would appear in El Paso next Tuesday and that the show would be “shifted from the Judging Arena to the bigger El Paso Coliseum.” Also, the newspaper indicated that the October 20 bouts were “among the best to be seen here this year.” El Paso, Texas: Tuesday, October 27, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor b. Danny Plechas (2-0) (first fall by DQ) and second with a teohold) … Luis Hernandez b. Tony Morelli (DQ) … Taro Miyako b. Gory Guerrero … Dory Funk Sr. b. Nick Roberts (DQ) … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (referee: Ray Duran) … (650 fans) El Paso, Texas: Tuesday, November 3, 1959 (El Paso Coliseum) … Antone “Ripper” Leone b. Al Perez … Taro Miyako b. Jose Rodriguez … Bob Orton and Nick Roberts drew … Adnan Kaisy b. Ivan Zdanoff … (promoter: Jack Eisenburg) … (matchmaker: Bobby Coleman) … (sponsored by: El Paso Wrestling Club) … (398 fans) Notes: The El Paso Herald-Post stated that Eisenburg and Coleman had “thrown in the towel for wrestling in El Paso.” An article said that “Dwindling crowds which caused mounting deficits was the deciding factor in shutting down the weekly cards which began last June. Several of the earlier cards, including the appearance of girl wrestlers, were near the break-even point, but interest stedally declined. When World Champion Pat O’ Connor drew only some 650 people two weeks ago, it was all Eisenburg needed to realize that a wrestling revival at this time was premature.” The program was “top-notch,” according to the paper, “like most of the previous shows.” Research by Tim Hornbaker October 14, 2007 |
| El Paso Wrestling Results - 1959 |
