Los Angeles Wrestling Results

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, January 7, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Baron Michele Leone b. Enrique Torres (2/3) (Leone won the
first fall in 17:28, Torres won the second in 5:14, Leone won the third in 5:04) … The
Sharpe Brothers (Ben and Mike Sharpe) b. Pat Fraley and Bobby Managoff … Lord Athol
Layton b. Jesse James (12:04) … Karl Davis and Dave Levin drew … Vic Christy and
Hans Schnabel drew … (promoter: Cal Eaton) … (commentator: Bill Symes)
Notes: This marked the debut of the Olympic Auditorium wrestling on KECA-TV’s channel
7 and the ABC-TV Western Network, going to 11 states. The show’s commentator was
Bill Symes. Notice the talent from San Francisco in Los Angeles at this time. The
Southern California syndicate worked a financial deal out with San Francisco booker Joe
Malcewicz for talent. The ABC feed was also being broadcast in San Francisco.

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, January 14, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) ... World Tag Team Champions The Sharpe Brothers (Ben and
Mike Sharpe) b. Bobby Managoff and Hans Schnabel (2/3) ... Hombre Montana b. Karl
Davis (2/3) ... Lord Athol Layton b. Big Boy Gardenia ... The Zebra Kid b. Fred Atkins ...
Pat Fraley b. Bob Corby ... (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, January 21, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) ... Baron Michele Leone and Verne Gagne drew (60:00) (1-1)
(Gagne won the first fall in 13:48 with a sleeper and Leone won the second in 12:28 with
a Roman neckbreaker) ... The Sharpe Brothers (Ben and Mike Sharpe) b. Pat Meehan
and Hombre Montana ... Lord Athol Layton and Bobby Managoff drew ... Fred Atkins b.
Jesse James (5:46) ... Dr. Lee Grable and Tony Morelli drew ... (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, January 28, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Mr. Moto vs. Enrique Torres … Baron Michele Leone vs. Bobby
Managoff … Fred Atkins vs. Vincent Lopez … Ray Eckert vs. Juan Hernandez … Tarzan
Hayes vs. Peppi Pasquale … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, February 11, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) ... Mike Sharpe b. Bobby Managoff (2/3) ... Lord Blears and Lord
Athol Layton b. Dr. Lee Grable and Sandor Szabo ... Ray Eckert and Vincent Lopez drew
... Tarzan Hayes b. Juan Hernandez ... Pat Meehan and Chris Zaharias drew ... Sandor
Szabo and Chris Zaharias drew (challenge match) ... (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, March 11, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Lord Athol Layton vs. Leo Nomellini … Lord James Blears vs.
Hombre Montana … Gino Garibaldi vs. Joe Pazandak … Killer Karl Davis vs. Peppi
Pasquale … Ed Gardenia vs. Jim Mitchell … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, March 25, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … The Sharpe Brothers (Ben and Mike Sharpe) wrestled Leo
Nomellini and Sandor Szbao to a draw (1-1) … Danny Savich b. Fred Blassie (2/3) … Dr.
Lee Grable and Jim Mitchell drew … Wilbur Snyder b. Pepi Pasquale … Ken Ackles b. Hal
Kanner … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, April 29, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Gino Garibaldi and Baron Michele Leone b. Wilbur Snyder and
Sandor Szabo … Warren Bockwinkel b. Jim Mitchell … Pepper Gomez and Pepi Pasquale
drew … Steve Novak b. The Great Bard … John Cretoria and Jerry Christy drew …
(promoter: Cal Eaton) … (3,200 fans)

Los Angeles, California: May 13, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Baron Michele Leone b. Gino Garibaldi (2/3) … Wilbur Snyder b.
Fred Blassie (2/3) … “Wild” Red Berry b. Dr. Len Grable … Ali Pasha and Pepi Pasquale
drew
Jesse James and Pat Meehan drew … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, July 1, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Wilbur Snyder and Sandor Szabo b. Danny McShain and Mr.
Moto (2/3) … Larry Hamilton b. Ted Christy (2-0) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Jesse James
(11:48) (abdominal stretch) … Mark Lewin and Tommy O’Toole drew … Dennis Clary and
Tom Renesto drew … (promoter: Cal Eaton) … (2,800 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, August 5, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … “Wild” Red Berry b. Billy Varga (2/3) … Gino Garibaldi b. Tommy
O’Toole (2/3) … Larry Hamilton b. Pat Fraley … Karl Davis and Pete Peterson drew …
Juan Hernandez b. “Honest” John Cretoria … (promoter: Cal Eaton) … (2,800 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, August 12, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … “Wild” Red Berry and Rito Romero drew (60:00) (1-1) … Fred
Blassie and Billy Varga b. Ted Christy and Gino Garibaldi … Dave Levin and Pete
Peterson drew … Pat Fraley b. Thor Hagen … (promoter: Cal Eaton) … (2,500 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, August 19, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … “Wild” Red Berry and Gino Garibaldi b. Dr. Lee Grable and Billy
Varga (2/3) … Larry Hamilton and John Tolos drew (1-1) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Ted
Christy (12:28) (with a stepover toehold) … Juan Hernandez and Pepi Pasquale drew …
(promoter: Cal Eaton) … (2,200 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, August 26, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Dizzy Davis vs. Benito Gardini … Pedro Godoy vs. Sheik
Lawrence … Kurt Cordova vs. Rey Urbano … Juan Hernandez vs. Ted Tourtas … John
Cretoria vs. Bob Cummings … (promoter: Cal Eaton)
Note: This show was with help from Amarillo promoter Dory Detton. Eaton’s deal with
NWA members Hugh Nichols and Johnny Doyle had officially ended.

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, September 2, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Benito Gardini b. Dizzy Davis (2/3) … Bob Cummings b. Pedro
Godoy … Rey Urbano and Jerry Woods drew … Dennis Clary and John Cretoria drew …
Danny Marcello and Tom Renesto drew … (promoter: Cal Eaton) … (1,500 fans)
Note: This Olympic wrestling show was broadcast by KTLA, channel 5, in an attempt by
Eaton to fight off his rivals. Wrestling fans had the KTLA show at 9:00 with “imported
strong men,” and the KECA (channel 7) show at 8:30 with the NWA stars.

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, September 9, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Bob Cummings b. Benito Gardini (2/3) … John Cretoria and
Chico Gracia b. Danny Marcello and Jerry Woods (2/3) … Jim Mitchell b. Lord Anthony …
Tom Renesto and Rey Urbano drew … Pedro Godoy b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter: Cal
Eaton) … (2,800 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, September 16, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Dennis Clary and Jerry Woods b. John Cretoria and Chico
Gracia (2/3) … “The Ringsider” Windy Winchell b. Benito Gardini (DQ) … Ivan Rasputin
b. Juan Zapata … Jim Mitchell b. Pedro Godoy … Ted Tourtas and Rey Urbano b. Bob
Cummings and Tom Renesto … Lord Anthony b. Danny Marcello … (promoter: Cal
Eaton)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, September 23, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Lord Leslie Carlton b. Dizzy Davis (2/3) (Davis won the first fall in
1:58, Carlton won when Davis was unable to continue in 8:45) … Bob Cummings and
Dennis Clary b. Benito Gardini and Ivan Rasputin … Jerry Woods b. Tom Renesto (16:
28) … Chico Gracia and Jim Mitchell drew (20:00) … Pedro Godoy and Ray Urbano drew
(20:00) … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

*On Wednesday, September 23, 1953, while Eaton was running a show of independents,
wrestling fans in Los Angeles could watch “Championship Wrestling” on channel 7 (KECA-
TV [ABC]) at 8:30 featuring Ray Gunkel vs. Danny McShain. Red Berry and Hans
Schnable teamed to wrestle Mike DiBiase and Miguel Guzman. This show was likely
being beamed into Los Angeles from San Diego by promoter Hugh Nichols.

*On Wednesday, September 30, 1953, “Championship Wrestling” was broadcast on
channel 7, KECA-TV, the ABC television affiliate, beginning at 8:30. In the main event,
Leo Garibaldi wrestled Danny McShain. Mike DiBiase teamed with Mike Guzman against
Red Berry and Hans Schnabel. This show was most likely held in San Diego, and
signifies the Hugh Nichols effort to run television in opposition to the Eaton combine at
the Olympic Auditorium. There was no show at the Olympic Auditorium on that
Wednesday.

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, November 11, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Lord Carlton and Danny McShain b. Don Arnold and Dennis
Clary (2/3) … Sandor Szabo b. Antone Leone (2-0) … Aldo Bogni and Vic Christy drew
… Ted Christy b. Dave Levin … The Great Bard b. “Honest” John Cretoria … (promoter:
Cal Eaton) … (1,800 fans)

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, November 18, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Don Arnold vs. Lord Leslie Carlton … “Wild” Red Berry vs. Leo
Garibaldi … Antone Leone vs. Frenchie Roy … Peter Maivia vs. Abe Zonkin …
(promoter: Cal Eaton)
Note: Admission was free to all wrestling fans. The show was an attempt to lure the
audience back to the Olympic Auditorium.

Los Angeles, California: Wednesday, December 16, 1953
(Olympic Auditorium) … Lord James Blears b. Hans Schnabel … Billy Varga b. Aldo Bogni
… Pete Peterson b. Pat Fraley … Dave Levin b. Red Shoes Dugan … Dennis Clary b.
Tom Renesto … (promoter: Cal Eaton)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 4, 2010

Los Angeles Wrestling Results - 1953