101 Ranch owner Joe C. Miller, on March 21, 1922, wired an offer for the proposed Jack
Dempsey-Ed "Strangler" Lewis mixed boxer vs. wrestler match and wanted it held at Buffalo
Park at his ranch in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Sergeant S.A. Vaneman was billed as the Oklahoma State Champion in June 1922.

In early December 1929, the Junior League of Tulsa offered World Heavyweight Champion
Gus Sonnenberg $17,000 to defend his championship before December 20 in Tulsa
against a "logical opponent," according to the Associated Press.  It was speculated that the
opponent would be Ed "Strangler" Lewis.  The show would be in conjunction with the Junior
League's annual benefit for crippled children.  With that kind of offer, it didn't take long for
Sonnenberg to agree to a match against Lewis, and it was booked for December 16.

Well known amateur wrestler Bobby Pearce had turned professional and the October 30,
1932 edition of the Oklahoman quoted him as saying that he liked the pro sport.  The
rougher aspects to it was something he enjoyed, and he was glad he turned professional.  
There were some people who thought he should have stayed an amateur and competed in
the 1936 Olympic Games.

The November 17, 1932 edition of the Oklahoman stated that Pearce was going to coach
wrestling at Cushing High School beginning on December 1.  He was replacing Harry Berry.
 Pearce graduated from Cushing before attending Oklahoma A&M in 1928.




In November 1943, Ernest "Red" Andrews was stationed at a Marine Corps base in San
Diego and was an athletic instructor.  Andrews was a former boxer and longtime referee in
Oklahoma.  Other trainers were boxer Private Gerald Ambrose "Tuffy" Griffiths, Lt. Edward
P. Rawling, Pvt. Marty Schwartz, and Pvt. Ray Sears.




Live wrestling in Oklahoma City was featured on WKY-TV (channel 4) in 1959 every
Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. with Danny Williams doing the commentary.  Williams was a
mainstay on Oklahoma television for decades, beginning in May 1950 until KTVY cancelled
his program, "Dannysday," in 1984.  Williams was originally from Fort Worth.



The feud over the NWA World Junior Heavyweight championship between Angelo Savoldi
and Mike DiBiase was big in Oklahoma City during 1959.  2,500 fans were on hand at the
Stockyards Coliseum on May 29, 1959 to see "Iron" Mike beat Savoldi for the
championship.  Savoldi, reportedly, was injured in the match and unable to receive his
contractually obligated rematch within a 30 day period.  So fans were left anticipating the
rematch between the former champion and DiBiase.  On August 14, 1959, the two battled
at the Coliseum again, but DiBiase retained the coveted title.  A week later, however,
Savoldi beat Dibiase and returned to the Junior Heavyweight throne.


The 1960 stabbing of Angelo Savoldi in a Tulsa ring by the 50-year-old father of wrestler
Danny Hodge (William E. Hodge) was mentioned in Dan Parker's June 2, 1960 column in
the New York Mirror.  Savoldi and Hodge were wrestling fateful evening when the man
slashed Savoldi twice across his back with a penknife.  Savoldi bled profusely from
half-inch deep wounds, horrifying the audience.  The incident occurred on Friday, May 27,
1960 and there was a picture of Savoldi in the hospital in the May 28 edition of the
Oklahoma City Times.  Savoldi reportedly needed more than 70 stitches to close the
wounds on his back and arm.  William Hodge was arrested and released on $20 bond.

Parker noted that Hodge had been used to watching amateur-style matches and thought
Savoldi and his son were murdering each other.  That was enough to provoke him into
action in what could have been a deadly situation.





Corporations:

Sam Avey, Inc.
Address:  Not Provided
Incorporated:  February 28, 1934
Incorporators:  Sam Avey, Harry B. Gilstrap, G.M. Byerly
Expiration Date:  February 28, 1954
Entity Type:  Domestic For Profit Business Corporation
OTC Suspension:  January 4, 1935
OTC Reinstatement:  January 21, 1935
OTC Suspension:  April 9, 1942

Leroy McGuirk Enterprises, Inc.
Address:  Not Provided
Incorporated:  January 11, 1962
Expiration Date:  January 11, 2012
Registered Agent:  Irene Ward, Tulsa, Oklahoma
OTC Suspension:  June 27, 1963
OTC Reinstatement:  May 13, 1964
OTC Suspension:  June 1, 1967
Incorporators:  Allen E. Barrow, Gertrude S. Mulholland, Austin T. Gavin

Mid-South Sports, Inc.
Address:  1300 Hibernia Building, New Orleans, Louisiana
Incorporated:  February 23, 1981
Actual Amount Invested in Oklahoma:  $50,000 (paid on credit)
Shares:  1000 (common stock)
*Information provided by the Oklahoma Secretary of State website, 6-8-2005

Bill Watts Investments, Inc.
Address:  Not Provided
Incorporated:  August 31, 1983
Registered Agent:  William F. Watts
Incorporators:  William F. Watts, Deborah L. Watts, Joe Holt

Excellence International, Inc.
Address:  Not Provided
Incorporated:  March 31, 1987
Expiration Date:  March 31, 2037
OTC Suspension:  June 13, 1990
Incorporators:  William F. Watts, Jr., Ene S. Watts, Erik J. Watts of Bixby, Oklahoma









Research by Tim Hornbaker
Oklahoma Wrestling Territory