Long Beach Wrestling Results

Long Beach, California: Thursday, January 3, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Enrique Torres drew (30:00)
(Beat the Champ for $2,100) … “Baron” Michele Leone and Lord James Blears drew (60:
00) (1-1) … Mr. Moto b. Chief Lone Eagle (2/3) … Karl Davis b. Pat Fraley … Roger
MacKey and Jim Mitchell drew

Long Beach, California: Thursday, January 10, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Sandor Szabo drew (30:00) (Beat
the Champ for $2,200) … Danny McShain b. Karl Davis (2/3) … Don Arnold b. Ali Pasha
(2/3) … Ray Piret b. Leon Kirilenko … Jim Mitchell and Mr. Moto drew … (referee: Joe
Louis)
Note: Former boxing champion Joe Louis refereed the Mitchell-Moto bout.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, January 17, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) b. Paul Peratis (Beat the Champ for
$2,300) … Joe Pazandak (champion) b. Johnny “Red Shoes” Dugan (Beat the Champ for
$2,300) … “Baron” Michele Leone and Mr. Moto b. Don Arnold and James Blears (2/3) …
Ali Pasha b. Roger MacKey (2/3) … Ray Piret b. Chester Hayes … Bud Curtis b. Matt
Murphy
Notes: Curtis was said to be a Long Beach YMCA champion and Peratis was a USC
amateur.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, January 24, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) b. Allen Forgerson (Beat the Champ
for $2,400) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Gino Garibaldi drew (Beat the Champ for
$2,400) … Don Eagle b. Ali Pasha (2/3) … Little Beaver b. Irish Jackie (2/3) … Leo
Garibaldi b. Bud Curtis … Dr. Lee Grable b. Paul Matty
Notes: Don Eagle, Chief War Eagle and Little Beaver were honored by the Improved
Order of Red Men and The Degree of Pocahontas. Gifts were presented by the latter
groups for unfortunate children and hospitalized veterans. Eagle was a Mohican Indian.
Matty was said to be a mechanic. Forgerson’s last name was also spelled “Fogerson,” and
he was an amateur.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, January 31, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Lou Thesz drew (30:00) (Beat the
Champ for $2,500, final round of series) … “Baron” Michele Leone b. Don Arnold (2/3) …
Ali Pasha b. Jesse James … Butch Levy and Hans Schnabel drew … Ray Piret b. Bob
Corby … (promoter: Harry Rubin)
Notes: Since Pazandak was able to hold off Thesz, $1,500 was donated by KTLA-TV to
charity and the jackpot would return to $1,000 the following week. Thesz, according to the
Long Beach Independent (January 31, 1952), was recognized as heavyweight champion in
44 states and “Baron” Michele Leone was recognized in the other four, “which operate
under the banner of the National Wrestling Assn.” A big outdoor match between Thesz and
Leone was planned. Levy was a protégé of Pazandak.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, February 7, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) b. Nick Nickovich (Beat the Champ for
$1,000) … Joe Pazandak (champion) b. Dr. Lee Grable (Beat the Champ for $1,000) …
Leo Garibaldi b. Red Berry (2/3) … Ali Pasha b. Don Arnold (2/3) … Gino Garibaldi b.
Leon Kirilenko … Hans Schnabel b. Ray Piret … (promoter: Harry Rubin) … (referee:
Mickey McMasters)
Notes: Garibaldi was in the United States Air Force, and wrestles only when on pass. The
Beat the Champ jackpot was back to $1,000. Nickovich was an oil worker and an amateur.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, February 14, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Mr. Moto drew (30:00) (Beat the
Champ for $1,100) … Red Berry b. Gino Garibaldi (2/3) … Little Beaver and Halle Selassie
b. Fuzzy Cupid and Irish Jackie … Ali Pasha b. Chick Garibaldi … Jim Mitchell b. Jack
Britton … (promoter: Harry Rubin) … (referee: Benny Ginsberg) … (broadcast on KTLA)
Notes: Gino Garibaldi was a subsitute for his son Leo, who was detained by the Air Force.
“Baron” Benny Ginsberg was a new referee and was making his “debut” here. Gino
Garibaldi was originally slated to wrestle Ali Pasha. Mr. Moto claimed he was pushed out
of the $2,500 jackpot match against Joe Pazandak in favor of Lou Thesz. The main event,
dwarf tag affair, and the Pasha-Garibaldi may have all been televised prior to the “Beat the
Champ” show at 10:45 p.m. The “Beat the Champ” segment may have aired as late as 11:
15. It started immediately after the regular card.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, February 21, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Pazandak (champion) and Butch Levy drew (30:00) (Beat
the Champ for $1,200) … Red Berry b. Ali Pasha (2/3) … Karl Davis b. Dr. Lee Grable
(2/3) … Gino Garibaldi and Jim Mitchell drew … Carlos Guzman and Hans Schnabel drew
… (promoter: Harry Rubin) … (broadcast on KTLA)

Long Beach, California: Thursday, February 28, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Roger MacKey b. Karl Davis (2/3) … Red Berry and Rito Romero
drew (1-1) … Little Beaver and Haile Selassie b. Fuzzy Cupid and Irish Jackie (2/3) … Ali
Pasha b. Jack Britton … (promoter: Harry Rubin) … (broadcast on KTLA)
Notes: According to the results in the Long Beach newspaper, Joe Pazandak and the
“Beat the Champ” segment was not apart of this show. However, it was listed in the
television guide of the Long Beach Press-Telegram as being featured at 10:45 p.m.
Pazandak’s opponent was not listed.

Long Beach, California: Thursday, March 6, 1952
(Municipal Auditorium) … Gorgeous George b. Roger MacKey (2/3) … Ricky Romero b. Ali
Pasha (2/3) … Jim Mitchell b. Danny Savich … Carlos Guzman b. Bud Curtis … (promoter:
Harry Rubin)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
September 16, 2010

Long Beach Wrestling Results - 1952