Legacy of Wrestling Researcher's Corner

Researcher's Corner was a feature on the first version of "Legacy of Wrestling," and we are
bringing it back. Here are all the 2007-2008 additions to the "corner," and there is much
more to come.

The research of professional wrestling history is an ongoing chore that often turns up
special tidbits of information. This page will highlight certain recent items found from a
variety of sources. It should be noted that sometimes the location of a new piece of the
puzzle will only inspire more questions, and send the researcher in a completely new
direction. If anyone has anything to contribute to this page or to any of the various topics,
drop me an e-mail at Thornbaker@aol.com.

1) Fifth Garibaldi Brother Involved in Professional Wrestling? - 9/18/07

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, March 31, 1938
(The Coliseum) … Young Frank Gotch b. Abe Coleman (21:32) … Dorv Roche b. Alex
Barnoff (22:39) (submission to a toehold) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Cal Reese (11:56) …
Ray Villmer b. Joe Rinaldi (10:12) … Frank Burman and Herb Lowrey drew (30:00) …
(promoter: Bill Schwabe) … (referee: Fred Voepel) … (2,186 fans)
Notes: Gotch had reportedly “recorded 12 victories here this season.” Rinaldi, 200 pounds,
was from DuQuoin, Illinois, the hometown of the Garibaldis. Joe Rinaldi may be Joseph
Curcuru, one of the legitimate siblings along with Gino (Sam), Ralph, Chick (Charles), and
Tony. It should be noted that early in the career of Gino, he used the name Vito Rinaldi
(Rinoldi).

2) Decades before the various NWO-WCW and WWF-WCW interpromotional wars,
there was the "Trust" vs. the "Independents" in Kansas City in 1936. - 9/18/07

Kansas City, Missouri: Monday, November 9, 1936
(Municipal Auditorium) … Lee Wykoff failed to throw Orville Brown twice in 90:00 (Wykoff
won the first fall, Brown won the second fall) (Garrett Smalley, secretary of the Missouri
State Athletic Commission named Brown the victor) (it was said in the newspaper that
Smalley initially gave the match to Wykoff, then called it a no contest, then a no decision,
then giving the bout to Brown) (Wykoff, despite the finish, was called the “better man” and
that Lee claimed that he would never have lost the fall “had he not concentrated on
offensive wrestling, due to the time limit under which he was working.”) … The Cardiff Giant
b. Warren Bockwinkel (4:52) … Terry McGinnis b. Sun Jennings … Steve O’Toole and
Walter Sirois drew … Joe Banaski b. Leo Newman (DQ) … (promoter: Gabe Kaufman) …
(referee: Walter Bates)
Notes: There was a war of words in the newspapers building up to the Wykoff-Brown affair.
It was said to be a “show down between rival factions.” The Kansas City Kansan said
“Wykoff is the representative of the ‘independents.’ Brown is from the so called ‘trust.’ Now
the boys are getting together to settle their differences in the ring.” The paper also stated
“challenges and counter-challenges have been flying thick and fast between the leaders of
the rival factions in the two Kansas Citys, which was climaxed today when Wykoff signed
with the rival manager, Gabe Kaufman to wrestle in Kaufman’s ‘own back yard.’” Johnny
Atkins “said today that starting tomorrow afternoon, the ‘independents’ would engage in
workout at the Steuben club in Kansas City, Mo., until the matches next Monday.” This
entire show would feature five wrestlers from the independents, Wykoff, McGinnis, Sirois,
Giant, and Banaski, and five wrestlers from the “trust,” Brown, Sun Jennings, Steve O’Toole,
Warren Bockwinkel, Leo Newman. It was built up as “Independent Mat stars to meet ‘Trust.’”
Wykoff was “out to break the trust,” and leading the independent faction. Brown was
regarded as the “crown prince” of the Trust. Bockwinkel, according to the newspaper,
“wrestled in Memorial Hall as Jim Parker last season.” A representative of the V.F.W.
refused to give Brown the $500 as a result of the main event, claiming that he was going to
follow the referee’s decision and not the ruling of Smalley.

A non-kayfabe note is that promoters Atkins of the "indies" and Kaufman of the Trust were
working together in this situation, forming a talent-sharing bond, and spicing up the local
scene to boost attendance. Look at the note about Bockwinkel. He "wrestled in Memorial
Hall as Jim Parker last season." The name Jim Parker comes up a lot in wrestling results in
the 1930s, some indications that he was from Texas. So it is not known whether or not this
was a newspaper mistake that was supposed to say Bockwinkel wrestled Parker "last
season," or that maybe he really did work under the guise. Perhaps there were two Jim
Parkers on the grappling scene. Bockwinkel may have used another identity, so this is an
interesting piece of information.

3) Chris Jordan tries to Revive Professional Wrestling in Huntsville, Alabama and
is Unsuccessful - 9/28/07

Huntsville, Alabama: Tuesday, February 7, 1933
(The Armory) … Dutch Green vs. Tarzan … Jimmy “Kid” Lott vs. Eddie Pope … (promoter:
Chris Jordan)
Notes: It was announced that the local “40 and 8” organization was going to discontinue its
attempt to promote boxing, and run wrestling shows, following “the example of other
Alabama cities.” Jordan was named the promoter and he “promised the local unit he will
bring good men to this city.” Pope was said to be from Battlebore, North Carolina. Kid Lott
was a “veteran” from Birmingham. Green was from Washington D.C. Admission was 44
cents for adults and 22 cents for children. Due to bad weather, this show was cancelled.

Huntsville, Alabama: Tuesday, February 21, 1933
(The Armory) … Stanley Buersch vs. Tarzan … Joe Dillman vs. Ernest Kelly … (promoter:
Chris Jordan) … (less than 100 fans) … (gate would have amounted to $17)
Notes: Dillman was from Indianapolis and Ernest Kelly was a “former University of
Tennessee football star.” When the house was sized up, officials cancelled the show,
announcing “that the ring would be torn down and wrestling would not be attempted in
Huntsville again.” P.I. Pruitt, in his Huntsville Times column “The Press Box,” wondered if the
Depression was the reason for the failure. Pruitt said that wrestling was drawing between
$100-$150 in Sheffield, seldom below $100 in Decatur, from $450-$750 in Montgomery
(sometimes to $1,000), and in Fairfield and Birmingham, weekly draws between 1,000 and
3,000 fans. Gadsden’s “opening night drew more than $250,” and Jackson, Mississippi
drew “approximately $500 for its first card under Jordan.” The four athletes on the bill were
said to be four of Jordan’s stars, and Pruitt again wondered if Huntsville had been “hit
harder by the depression” than the other cities named.

4) New Midwest "World" Tag Team Title Change - 9/28/07

For years, researchers have been trying to find a singular lineage for the Midwestern
version of the World Tag Team Title. These wrestlers appeared in cities from Hamilton,
Ontario, through the Midwest in places such as Indianapolis and Chicago and then into the
Rocky Mountain area. A team could conceivably lose their championship in one place, but
appear the next night in another town still claiming to be the titleholders. Thus, leaving
historians with many different strands, and a challenge to find accurate information. Here is
a new find:

Indianapolis, Indiana: Thursday, January 10, 1957
(The Armory) … The Russians (Boris and Nicoli Volkoff) b. The Lisowski Brothers (Reggie
and Stanley Lisowski) to capture the World Tag Team Title (2/3) (Boris pinned Reggie for
the first fall, Reggie pinned Boris for the second, and the Russians won the third fall when
Stanley was counted out) … Carlos Moreno and Rocky Monroe drew (30:00) … The Zebra
Kid b. Billy McDaniel (1-0) (McDaniel was unable to continue) … (matchmaker: Dick Patton)
Notes: The Indianapolis Star said “Tag Crown to Russians” over its article about the
evening prior’s wrestling matches in its January 11, 1957 newspaper.

5) Tony Galento boxes "Texas" Babe Sharkey in Wilmington - 9/28/07

This is a situation that is not altogether new to pundits, but here is the full deal on this
boxing exhibition from 1943. Recently signed to a deal with legendary promoter Willie
Gilzenberg, Galento was touring the country and making a lot of cash not only refereeing
wrestling matches, but fighting wrestlers. He took his circus act into Wilmington, where the
promoter wanted to pit the boxer against his top star, and the match was made. Please
take notice that the information about Sharkey attending the Texas A&M below is absolutely
false. A full and accurate biography of Sharkey may be available in the coming weeks.

Wilmington, Delaware: Monday, August 30, 1943
(Blue Hen Arena) … Tony Galento b. Babe Sharkey (35 seconds into the third round) (ten
round boxing exhibition) … Maurice LaChappelle b. John Melas (13:55) … “Big” Ben
Morgan b. John Bansky (13:20) … Chief Thunderbird and Blue Streak drew … Tony
Martinelli b. Lou Brumfield (8:25) … George Macricostas b. Jack Wentworth (17:10) …
(promoter: Carlton B. Owings) … (referees: Joe Denny, Bob Wade) … (in attendance:
Gov. Walter W. Bacon) … (2,500 fans) (500 turned away)
Notes: According to the Wednesday, August 25, 1943 edition of the Wilmington Journal:
“Since coming under the management of Gilzenberg four months ago, Galento has
appeared as a guest refereee (sic) or as a fighter in 19 cities. In four months, he has
traveled 30,000 miles and lured 100,000 customers through the turnstiles, breaking
previous Dempsey, Louis, and Schmelling attendance records in some places.” A photo was
in the paper of Owings with Galento, Sharkey, Gilzenberg, and Edwards, signing the articles
of agreement. To promote the affair, both Sharkey and Galento were going to appear on
WDEL in interviews with Herm Reitzes. The August 27 edition of the paper stated “Sharkey
is no novice at boxing. Althought he has no record comparing with that of Galento, he can't
be sold short on confidence, of which he has a great abundance that Tony, if that be
possible. The 250-pounder from the Lone Star State battled through a host of competitors
for the heavyweight championship at Texas A&M, where he also played football. He
considered boxing strongly as a career, especially after he entered and won a Texas state
championship.” Brumfield was from Wilmington. The actual attendance was said to be “no
less than 3,000,” according to Ben Greenstein, Journal Evening Sports Editor. The Arena’s
capacity was near 2,800, but that night, there were plenty of standing fans.

6) Tony Galento Doesn't Win them all over in Chattanooga - 9/30/07

Weeks before Galento landed in Wilmington, "Two Ton" and his traveling carnival appeared
in Chattanooga, where his act drew the ire from a local newspaperman. Galento triumphed
again over a name wrestler, and went back on the road.

Chattanooga, Tennessee: Monday, June 7, 1943
(Memorial Auditorium) … Tony Galento b. The Golden Terror (TKO in the third round) (10
round boxing exhibition) (referee stopped the fight) … Owen Gilpin b. Lloyd Barnett (1:59)
(second round) (boxing) … James Pierce b. Rufus Armour (1:30) (fourth round) (boxing) …
George Drake b. Kid Lightning (45 seconds) (fourth round) (boxing) … Hugh Gordon b.
Bubbie Walker (four rounds) (boxing) … Frank Smith b. Erwin Tennyson (four rounds)
(boxing) … (promoter: Tom Humphreys) … (referees: Jimmy Grunet, Troy Wilson)
Notes: The Golden Terror was said to have never been knocked out in either boxing or
wrestling. After losing the match, Terror said that he was able to continue when the referee
halted the fight. In the June 8 edition of the Chattanooga News-Free Press, E.T. Bales, in
his column “Sideline Slants,” slammed the show, saying that the Galento-Terror “was no
fight.” He said that it was a “farce,” calling it “a plain unadulterated exhibition in which one
guy chased in on his reputation as an alleged fighter and other grasped the opportunity to
make a few dollars.” Bales went on to say “To our way of thinking, and this is strictly
personal, the build-up of Tony Galento is a charge against the sports writers of this nation.
The manner in which many of the writers, especially those throughout the east, have been
taken in by this guy who calls himself a bum, and likes it, is a disgrace, not only to the
profession of sports writing, but to professional boxing. They should hang their heads in
shame, if they have any conscience whatsoever. Maybe these occasional faces do us
some good after all. At least it makes us appreciate the efforts of some who try to conduct
sports on a legitimate scale.”

7) Brother versus Brother at an Iowa Festival in 1916 - 9/30/07

The Stecher Brothers, Joe and Tony, traveled the U.S. many times together. Joe was the
peerless heavyweight champion and Tony acted as his chief trainer and manager. In 1916,
a few months after his infamous five hour draw with Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Joe wrestled Tony
in a public exhibition for several thousand lucky spectators.

Red Oak, Iowa: Thursday, September 7, 1916
(Chautauqua Pavilion) … World Heavyweight Champion Joe Stecher b. Anton "Tony"
Stecher (2-0) (first fall in 10:00 and second in 11:00) … Young Gotch failed to throw Ives
Boyington twice in 40:00 (Gotch lost the purse of $100) … (promoter: George E. Clark) …
(thousands in attendance)
Notes: The match was part of the third annual festival of Montre Festo. The day was
proclaimed “Stecher Day.” Gotch was from Omaha and Boyington was from Red Oak.

8) In 1966, Tim Woods momentarily wins the AWA World Heavyweight Title at
Omaha - 10/13/07

This is another longstanding fable in wrestling, and one that has been misreported dozens
of times. The tale went that Mr. Wrestling...aka...Tim Woods dethroned "Mad Dog" Maurice
Vachon and annexed the AWA Title, but was never officially recognized as titleholder. The
complete story is as follows:

Omaha, Nebraska: Saturday, January 8, 1966
(City Auditorium Arena) … Tim Woods b. Maurice Vachon to capture the AWA World
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (before the match, Mr. Wrestling unmasked to reveal “Tim Woods of
Michigan State.”) (during the final fall, Woods had both of his feet on the top ring ropes
while pinning Vachon for the championship) (Woods won the first fall in 7:42, Vachon won
the second at 24:35, Woods won the third at 33:57) … Reggie Parks and Haru Sasaki drew
… Mitsu Arakawa b. Jack Pesek (13:30) … Billy Red Cloud b. Jim Wehba (12:35) …
(promoter: Joe Dusek) … (referee: Ernie Dusek) … (4,581 fans)
Notes: Mr. Wrestling was going to unmask before his match with Vachon, and promoter
Dusek indicated that the man was a “former Big Ten and Pan-American Games
heavyweight titlist.” The Omaha World Herald’s article stated “Mr. Wrestling Lifts Mask,
Then Whips Dog for Title.” He would no longer wear his mask for local bouts.

*The Tuesday, January 11, 1966 promotional piece in the Omaha World Herald said that
“Mr. Wrestling lifted the Mad Dog’s title” last Saturday.

*The Friday, January 14, 1966 edition of the Omaha World Herald reported that American
Wrestling Association President Stanley Blackburn reviewed the match between Vachon
and Woods and “ruled that bout ‘no contest’ after evidence was presented that the ex-
masked man got the decisive third fall with both feet braced in the top ring ropes.” Thus,
Vachon was still the heavyweight champion of the world.

Omaha, Nebraska: Friday, January 14, 1966
(City Auditorium Arena) … AWA World Heavyweight Champion Maurice Vachon b. Tim
Woods (1-0) (60:00) (after the match, Woods tore the referee’s shirt in anger) … AWA
World Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig and Harley Race b. Reggie Parks and Igor Vodik
(2/3) … Haru Sasaki b. Ivan Kalmikoff (15:20) … Mitsu Arakawa and Billy Red Cloud drew …
(promoter: Joe Dusek) … (referee: Charley Triggs) … (4,743 fans)
Notes: The article in the Omaha World Herald stated “Title Returns to Mad Dog,” even
though in the article it indicated that Vachon was “the champ.” Next show on January 21.

So, Tim Woods did gain a tainted victory, and may have claimed the championship for a few
days, but Blackburn voided out the switch and Vachon remained the official titleholder.

9) Wrestling researcher Don Luce uncovers another new Jim Londos result from
1914 - 10/13/07

Hayward, CA: June 19, 1914
(Armory Hall) ... Tony Ajax beat Jim Londos (as Theopolis)
Notes: According to the report in the Oakland Tribune on Saturday, June 20, 1914, "Ajax
threw Theopolis, the Greek wrestler, in two hours and four minutes at the program given by
the Hayward Athletic Club last night at Armory Hall. The long struggle with a hammerlock
eventually ending it, was such a strain on the men that a second fall was not tried. A large
attendance was pleased with the bout, and the receipts will go for the purchase of
gymnasium apparatus for the club."

10) Origins of the Southern Junior Heavyweight Title - 11/1/07

The beginning of this championship has long been in question. If you look at a title history
of this particular belt, you will see that it was active in one shape or form for decades - and
even today there is a version out on the trail. When it was created in 1938, the
championship was going to be a major staple on the Southern circuit of Chris Jordan.
When the latter died, it continued to be pushed to the forefront in many cities by Joe
Gunther himself, and promoters like Marty Burke. The belt was defended in Louisiana,
Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, December 8, 1938
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther b. Art O’Mahoney in the finals of a tournament to capture
the Southern Junior Heavyweight Title … Charley Keene vs. Len Stecklin … Flash Clifford
vs. Bob Corby … (matchmaker: Martin Burke) … (in attendance: NWA President Col. Harry
J. Landry)
Notes: This show was going to feature the final match of the long-running Southern Junior
Heavyweight Wrestling Tournament that began at the Coliseum Arena last April. The
finalists were Joe Gunther and Art O’Mahoney. Burke announced on Saturday, December
3, that National Wrestling Association President Harry J. Landry was going to be at the
program to “present the winner with a gold belt buckle as an emblem of the championship.”
Another report stated that Landry was going to present the victor with a “belt offered by
Martin Burke and Chris Jordan emblematic of the Southern Junior Heavyweight Title.” While
talking to reporters, Landry said that Everette Marshall was the recognized heavyweight
titleholder.

11) Notes on World Heavyweight Champion Jim Browning - 11/8/07

For a long while, I've been meaning to type up some sort of biography on Jim Browning. He
is, without a doubt, one of the lesser-known heavyweight champions, and more capable
shooters to ever wear the crown. He's got a good story, and should be looked at seriously
by voters for any of the wrestling Halls of Fame. Here are two notes on Browning's reign as
titleholder.

In most title histories I've seen, Ed Don George was recognized by the American Wrestling
Association as World champion from 1933 to 1935, uninterrupted. This is now somewhat in
dispute. An article in the New York American from March 5, 1933 stated that Browning was
recognized as titleholder in 17 states, Cuba, parts of Canada, and by the American
Wrestling Association. An Associated Press report on April 12, following Joe Savoldi's
tainted win over Jim Londos, stated that the AWA was going to accept the winner of a
George-Savoldi match as World Champion. George, ultimately, regained AWA
championship status, but there was a gap in his reign and should be indicated on any AWA
Title lineage. Maybe in the end, this will turn out to just be a typo or the idea of a confused
sports writer, but it seems to me that this situation needs to be analyzed further to get a
better understanding of what happened.

Part two is about an event involving Browning in Kansas City. As many of you already
know, Billy Sandow was a shrewd figure in the world of professional wrestling. In 1934, he
was touting his talented protege, Everette Marshall, around every corner, and on March 7 in
Kansas City, the manager planned to interfere with Browning's main event appearance
against Frank Speers. After the champion and his rival had arrived in the ring, Sandow and
Marshall stormed the squared circle. The latter pulled off his street clothes, revealing his
wrestling attire, and he challenged Browning with a $1,500 forfeit. This move has been
pulled off before, particuarly in Boston in 1926 when Joe Malcewicz did it to Joe Stecher.
Browning and Speers both left the ring "in disgust," according to the United Press report,
and wouldn't return until police had rid the ring of Sandow and Marshall. In the end,
Browning retained his championship over Speers and Sandow claimed the heavyweight
championship on behalf of Marshall because Browning backed down from him. It was just
like Sandow to pull such a move, but Browning returned east again with nothing really lost,
nor gained for that matter.

12) Everette Marshall Becomes Undisputed Colorado Heavyweight Champion -
11/8/07

Everette Marshall proved that he was the top heavyweight wrestler from Colorado early on
in the 1930s, and claimed the state championship. That was on top of his claim to the
Rocky Mountain Title, which was actually won in the ring. But in 1934, George Zaharias
entered Denver and remembered that he was also from Colorado, and instinctively laid
claim to the state title. He said if Marshall could call himself such, he could too, thus setting
the table for their match.

Denver, Colorado: Wednesday, January 3, 1934
(City Auditorium) … Everette Marshall b. George Zaharias to capture a full claim to the
Colorado State Heavyweight Title (1-0) (two hours) (Marshall won the only fall in 1:35:00) …
Johnny Atkins b. Billy Evans (27:00) (dropkick) … (promoter: Jack Kanner) … (referee: Joe
Severini) … (2,000 fans) … (gate: $2,032)
Notes: Prior to the match between Marshall and Zaharias, the two wrestlers were
threatened with suspension by the Coloraedo State Commission if they didn’t adhere to the
rules and regulations. Zaharias was reportedly making his Denver wrestling debut here.
Marshall beat Billy Evans at La Junta on Monday, and stayed at his father’s ranch. The
winner of the bout would be recognized as the Colorado Heavyweight Champion. Marshall
had previously claimed the title, but Zaharias said the championship was as much his as it
was Marshall’s. The Denver Post stated that “Everette has been patterning his style after
Ed (Strangler) Lewis, who as champion was always the villain of the piece.” The paper
indicated that Marshall was once a “gentlemanly grappler,” but he was no longer such.
Zaharias claimed he lost 15 pounds in the bout and Marshall ten, which the latter claimed
was customary for any bout lasting more than an hour. The gate was reportedly the largest
in two years and “hundreds” of fans from other parts of Colorado, particularly Southern
Colorado, attended the program. Atkins was said to have introduced “Joe Savoldi’s
dropkick for the first time to a local crowd.”

13) Thumbnail Sketch of John Grandovich - 11/8/07

For 28 years, at least, John Grandovich was a journeyman professional wrestler. Born on
the Island of Olib, Yugoslavia, on February 10, 1897, he immigrated to the United States,
and was living in Manhattan in 1918 when he answered the call for soldiers during World
War I. That was the same year he began receiving press for work as a wrestler, and by
1920, he had competed against numerous top tier athletes, including Ed "Strangler" Lewis,
Stanislaus Zbyszko, and Renato Gardini. Although he wasn't getting a push over such
caliber grapplers, John was proving to promoters that he was an exciting and durable
performer. He traveled across North America from British Columbia to Miami Beach, and
used a variety of different names and masks, from Ivan or Leon Grandovitch to Superman
or the Red Wolf. Often, he was dubbed the "Russian Bear." During the summer of 1934, he
captured the Florida State Heavyweight Title from Babe Caddock in Tampa. Grandovich
was even a claimant to the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Title (Sandow
version), going over Ed Virag on August 12, 1942 in Topeka. He lost the title back to Virag
on October 26 at Wichita. Four years later, he reportedly was injured in a match in
Baltimore, then died several days later in Providence. Aside from a few promoters
remembering his longevity and dedication to the sport, there was little said about his
demise. Grandovich was certainly a colorful wrestler and his contributions to professional
wrestling are something to be respected.

If anyone knows more about his death, such as a date, or details about the injury that took
his life, please drop me an e-mail.

14) The Lost Lou Thesz vs. Buddy Rogers Match - 11/12/07

Recent research of Indianapolis turned up an undocumented bout between NWA World
Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, held at the Armory on
April 11, 1957 under the auspices of Indiana Wrestling, Inc. and matchmaker Dick Patton.

Indianapolis, Indiana: Thursday, April 11, 1957
(The Armory) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers wrestled
to a double countout in the third fall (1-1) (Thesz won the first fall and Rogers took the
second) … The Golden Terror and The Zebra Kid b. Billy Darnell and Red Lyons (DQ) …
Ian Campbell and Lou Plummer drew (15:00) … Fritz Von Erich b. Bob McCune (11:00) …
(matchmaker: Dick Patton) … (referee: Harry Burris) … (2,600 fans)
Note: Rogers was called a “dropkick expert.”

This match was not included in the most recent Buddy Rogers Record Book.

15) Future Hollywood staple Woody Strode Makes His Professional Wrestling
Debut - 11/17/07

By 1940, wrestling under the promotion of the Daros in Los Angeles was on the decline, in
fact, it was on its last legs. One of Jack Daro's final moves was lure UCLA football standout
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode (1914-1994) to the Olympic Auditorium gymnasium for a
training session with several of his veteran grapplers. Strode was impressive in his
workouts, picking up on the basics of pro wrestling almost instinctively. On February 8,
1940, the African American athlete signed a contract with Daro to turn pro wrestler, and
made his debut six nights later at the Olympic versus Vic Bruel. Standing 6'4" and weighing
around 200 pounds, Strode carried a measure of popularity in Southern California and was
well respected for his athleticism. At the Olympic on February 14, Strode beat Bruel in 10:
00, using a range of football-like maneuvers, and became a professional grappler. In the
years following, while entering the motion pictures business and appearing in 90 films
between 1941 and 1995, Strode appeared as a wrestler and always gave the sport
credibility with his performances in the squared circle.

16) Ted Christy Wins World Light Heavyweight Title - Or Does He? - 11/17/07

Well, if you read the Los Angeles Times report in the January 14, 1936 paper, you'd think
he did. The night before at the Legion Stadium in Hollywood, Christy beat champion Leroy
McGuirk in three falls and "Cops Crown," like the newspaper said. "Leroy McGuirk was
deposed as light heavyweight mat king." Wow! The title changed hands and Ted Christy
was the new titleholder.

Wait just a minute. Let's take a look at this situation a little closer. For one, Christy was not
acknowledged by the Los Angeles Times or any other paper that I've seen as the World
Light Heavyweight Champion following the January 13 match. The Times did acknowledge
that Christy beat McGuirk, but didn't say there was a title switch in any report after the
January 14 edition. That was suspicious in itself, especially with Christy wrestling matches
in Hollywood. You'd think they would have played up the title switch to build interest. That
leads to the question - is there any evidence that Christy was ever booked or billed as the
titleholder following the McGuirk bout? Maybe Christy did lay claim in some territory, but it
wasn't hyped in Hollywood.

Then comes the United Press report, which was found in the Nevada State Journal
(1/14/36), a Reno newspaper. It said that Christy beat McGuirk in three falls in an
"overweight wrestling match," indicating that the title was not on the line because they were
not abiding by the specific weight limits, and that Christy did NOT win the championship.
The Los Angeles paper was seemingly incorrect.

Many times, the junior and light heavyweight champions wrestled outside of their division
weight limits and were defeated. This seems to be another case, and McGuirk remained
titleholder despite the loss in Hollywood. That would jive with all other reports. If someone
has more information backing Christy's claim as champ, please let me know.

17) Japanese Wrestler Pulls Out of Show Because of Attack on Pearl Harbor -
11/25/07

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor sending the U.S. into war. Shortly
thereafter, Oklahoma City's Daily Oklahoman newspaper announced that there was a
change in the upcoming wrestling program, scheduled for three nights after the attack, at
the Municipal Auditorium. A Japanese wrestler by the name of Sugy Hayamaka dropped out
of his scheduled match with Charley Lay, saying that it would be best for him not to make
any public appearances in light of what had occurred. The paper stated that he was an
American citizen, and a "loyal one."

The show went on:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Wednesday, December 10, 1941
(Municipal Auditorium) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk b.
George Dusette (2-0) … Charley Lay vs. Jimmy Lott … Bob Keneston vs. Danny Savich …
Dutch Schultz vs. Dick Trout … (promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: Charley Lay’s original opponent was scheduled to be Sugy Hayamaka.

18) Billy Sandow's Troupe Marches Into Oklahoma City in 1943 - 11/25/07

Sam Avey, due to financial reasons, closed up his Oklahoma City operations in 1942,
leaving it an open market. Billy Sandow, the famous ex-manager of Ed "Strangler" Lewis,
was running the National Wrestling Alliance out of Kansas at the time, and after the first of
the year, decided to expand to Oklahoma City. It was a natural progression, and planned
his initial event around his champion Ed Virag, John Grandovitch, and former heavyweight
titleholder Wladek Zbyszko. Instead, the following occurred:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, January 26, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Ed
Virag b. Tommy Milton (2-0) (10:55) … Pete Sherman b. Jack Toone (2-0) … Bob Hayford
b. Ted Fanning … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley) … (referee: Buddy Seigel) …
(sponsored by: American Legion, Post 35) … (1,200 fans)
Notes: This marked the return of wrestling to Oklahoma City and the debut of the Billy
Sandow troupe, based out of Wichita, in the area. Virag was called a 28 year old
Hungarian, and the newspaper called him both the “National Wrestling Association” and the
“National Wrestling Alliance” heavyweight champion. He was the champion of the latter
organization. He won the championship last April from Roy Dunn of Alva, the newspaper
indicated. The originally announced show, which was promoted through the day of the
event, was quite different than what ended up happening. Virag was originally booked
against Jack Suzek, Wladek Zbyszko was to have taken on Ivan Risovich, Al Don George
against John Grandovich, and Pete Sherman against Tom Cox. Only two of those
performers was on the actual program.

Such a dramatic difference in matches didn't bode well for the future of Sandow's
promotions in Oklahoma CIty, but he kept with it, and even built up a decent audience
through May 1943.

19) The Night Boston Promoter Paul Bowser Got a Boot to his Face - 12/7/07

Usually the promoter of a wrestling show observes the action from outside the ring, sits
comfortably, and leaves unscathed. On the night of Novemer 1, 1939 at the Boston Arena,
legendary promoter Paul Bowser sat ringside to see champion "Crusher" Steve Casey and
Marvin Westenberg. During the bout, both competitors fell from the ring, and Casey's boot
smashed Bowser in the face, cutting his face and breaking his glasses. Bowser was indeed
a former wrestler himself and used to the spectacle of the business, but on this night, he
unexpectedly became a casualty of the mayhem.

Boston, Massachusetts: Wednesday, November 1, 1939
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Steve Casey b. Marvin Westenberg (2/3)
(Casey won the second fall by DQ) (during the match, both Casey and Westenberg fell from
the ring and landed on promoter Paul Bowser. Casey accidently smashed Bowser in the
face with a boot, cutting the latter’s right eye. Bowser’s glasses were broken and cut his
face) … Yvon Robert b. Frank Judson (10:08) … Ben Shalom b. Ed Neuman (10:53) …
Bobby Managoff b. Ed Cook (13:20) … Danno O’Mahoney b. Lord Albert Mills (22:31) …
(promoter: Paul Bowser) … (referee: Sam Smith) … (2,500 fans)

20) New Champion Bronko Naguski Unimpressive in San Francisco - 12/7/07

During the semifinal contest between Gino Garibaldi and Abe Yourist, the ring rope at the
Dreamland Auditorium, on the night of August 17, 1937, snapped. Officials rushed to the
scene and tried to quickly remedy the situation prior to the big main event, while World
Heavyweight Champion Bronko Nagurski and Pat Fraley waited patiently in the ring.
Several members of the audience became too intolerant of the lull, and a fight broke out,
drawing the attention of the audience. Nagurski was particularly affected by the brawl, and
Will Connolly of the San Francisco Chronicle stated that “Bronko’s exhibition was spiritless
and unworthy of a champion, but, as I say, the young fellow was unnerved by the rudeness
of the amateur boxers, who crabbed his act.” Connolly also said that “Don McDonald of Los
Angeles referred the match to protect the champion from any untoward happening.”

San Francisco, California: Tuesday, August 17, 1937
(Dreamland Auditorium) … World Heavyweight Champion Bronko Nagurski b. Pat Fraley (2-
0) … Gino Gariabldi b. Abe Yourist (10:00) … Pierre Dusette and Rudy LaDitzi drew (30:00)
… Harry Jacobs b. Jack Holland … Jack Grandovich b. Ray Mallott … Marshall Blackstone
b. Jack Gacek (12:13) … (promoter: Joe Malcewicz)
Notes: Nagurski was said to be accompanied by his manager Tony Stecher and “trainer,
George Sauer.” Gino Garibaldi attempted to tell the crowd why he should be wrestling
Nagurski for the championship, but his microphone was turned off.

21) The Funk Family Enters Amarillo for the First Time - 12/13/07

On February 22, 2002, Terry Funk defeated Greg Valentine in Amarillo, Texas. 54 years
earlier, his father Dory Sr. made his debut in Amarillo, which would become the homebase
for the Funk Family for decades. Shortly after his first local appearance, Dory Sr. climbed
the ladder of the Dory Detton booking circuit in West Texas, and before the end of 1948, he
annexed the Southwest Junior Heavyweight Title. He later owned a piece of the territory
and helped establish Amarillo as one of the most violent ad successful territories in the
country. This marked the first appearance of a Funk family member in Amarillo:

Amarillo, Texas: Thursday, January 22, 1948
(Fairgrounds Arena) … Rod Fenton b. Gordon Hessell (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Pat O’
Dowdy b. Leon Kirilenko (2/3) … Dory Funk b. George Lopez (rolling short arm scissors) …
(promoter: Dory Detton) … (referee: Billy McCune)
Note: Funk was called a “handsome newcomer from Hammond, Ind.”

22) World Welterweight Title Changes Hands in Salem, Oregon - 12/26/07

Researcher Steve Yohe found that Robin Reed lost to Henry Jones via decision in a two-of-
three-falls match on July 20, 1932 in Salem, Oregon, thus, dropping his claim to the World
Welterweight Title.

23) During Match in Utica, World Heavyweight Title claimant Has Car Stolen -
12/26/07

Ed Don George, a former Olympian and claimant to the World Heavyweight Title, was in
Utica in October 1933 for a defense of his championship against Joe Malcewicz. The bout
went more than an hour, and was declared a draw, but when George left the facility to
return to the spot where he'd left his automobile, he found that it was gone. Someone had
made off with his car. Police were called and they were able to locate his vehicle several
hours later, allowing the distraught wrestler to depart for the next stop on his tour.

24) Lou Thesz speaks to Reporters while in Albuquerque and Amarillo in January
1963 - 1/05/08

In an article printed in the Albuquerque Tribune on January 6, 1965, the following was
printed:

"Thesz said that he was lured from retirement two years ago by Asian promoters and by a
group of U.S. wrestlers headed by Danny Plechas who make the Tokyo trip a great
tournament." Thesz said “I was offered a title bout with Buddy Rogers after beating him in
Tokyo – and I won the title back. I think that Dick Hutton has the best equipment, physically,
to be the champion, but he lacks desire for travel … and in this sport, travel is your middle
name."

In an Amarillo Globe-Times article on January 6, 1965, he was quoted as saying: "When I
lose the world championship, I hope it's to a fine young chap like Don Curtis but I'm not
ready to lose it yet. I'll never forget the first day I saw Don working out at the University of
Buffalo. I encouraged him to turn pro and he has done very well."

25) The Risko Family - 1/13/08

In recent months, I've corresponded with many people who've enjoyed my growing website,
and appreciated the diverse content. Thanks to them for stopping by. I plan to continue
adding information pertaining to wrestling (professional and amateur), boxing, and various
other relevant topics. This evening I was looking at the career of Vince Risko, who, at
times, had his hands in the promotions of Canton, Akron and even Pittsburgh, staging
wrestling and boxing shows. He was a promoter for more than 20 years and was quite
successful. Vince was said to be the brother of Babe Risko, boxing middleweight champion
of the world in 1935-'36. Taking that information, and knowing little else at the time, I
decided to delve a little deeper into their history to find out if they were really brothers - and
learn what their true history was.

It's true, they were siblings from Syracuse, New York. Henry "Babe" and Vincent were the
sons of Thomas and Lena, born in 1910 and 1912, respectively. Their real last name,
according to Wikipedia, boxrec.com and other internet sources was "Pylkowski." This
information is incorrect. The last name of the Risko Brothers was actually "Pelkowski."
Henry L. "Babe Risko" Pelkowski passed away on March 7, 1957 at the age of 46. He was
the only Syracusan, to that time, to win a world boxing title, and I'm not sure if that has ever
been equlled. If someone knows, please let me know. Vincent "Vince Risko" Pelkowski died
in October 2002 in his adopted home of Ohio. Their younger brother Carl Pelkowski
passed away as recently as November 2007.

26) The Albuquerque "World Wrestling Association" World Heavyweight Title
lineage - 1/17/08

The fact that Moose Cholak was billed as a World Title claimant in a far away place like
Albuquerque always mystified me. He was a Chicago guy, in my mind, and finding him
going over Fred Blassie in 1963 in New Mexico led me to believe initially that it was a fabled
switch to give Cholak a title claim. How wrong I was. There was indeed a World
championship floating around New Mexico between 1962 and 1965 - the "World Wrestling
Association" title. This shouldn't be confused with the Los Angeles title or anything going
on anywhere else - it was an Albuquerque championship only. It was an entity that several
men held, and finally, in 1965, probably with National Wrestling Alliance prodding, ended up
merging with the main line of the NWA heavyweight title.

27) Professional Wrestling in Alaska - 2/14/08

I've added a page representing the Alaskan Wrestling Territory to the website, including
information about several tours of professional wrestlers in the 1955-'58 time-frame. This
includes an appearance by NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz against Sandor
Szabo during the summer of 1957. Also uncovered is info about the Alaska Heavyweight
championship.

28) Nick Gulas - the professional wrestler? - 2/16/08

In his column "Sport-ana" on May 17, 1937, Marshall Johnson of the Anniston Star
(Anniston, Alabama) wrote that Nick Gulas was a lieutenant for promoter Chris Jordan, and
represented the latter when local wrestling programs were presented. He stated that Nick
"has been working out with the grapplers at the Birmingham gym" and "is turning wrestler."
Johnson wrote that Gulas "finds that he'll be able to make a go of it."

As far as I know, no actual results of Gulas appearing as a professional have been
uncovered, however, if they are, I'll update this report.

29) The Jim Barnett-Johnny Doyle Syndicate - 2/22/08

A recent poster at Kayfabe Memories mentioned a topic recently that motivated me to start
on something I've wanted to do for a long time, and that is build a timeline documenting the
growth and success of the Jim Barnett-Johnny Doyle Empire in the U.S. between 1959 and
1964. I've started this project, including information on Barnett's early career in Chicago
and Indianapolis. I also plan to do a timeline for Doyle, as his time in wrestling took him from
coast-to-coast over a several decade span. Most promoters were known to stay in a single
region, while Barnett and Doyle traveled and expanded to cities far and wide. You'd be
hard pressed to find two individuals who were successful in more different territories than
this duo. Anyone who'd like to add to this project, drop me an e-mail.

30) Three newly found World Junior Heavyweight Title switches in Toledo - 2/22/08

Research of Toledo, Ohio for 1938 and '39 has turned up three new title switches of the
World Junior Heavyweight championship. Bob Kenaston, a well known wrestler and a
veteran of the Marine Corps, entered the town billed as Sergeant "George" Kenaston, and it
wasn't a newspaper mistake. He was known as George throughout his local tenure. In the
middle of December 1938, he was stripped of his junior heavyweight title by Danny Savich
of Utah. A week later, Paul Bozzell beat Savich for the championship in Toledo, winning two-
straight falls. In his first defense on January 5, 1939, Bozzell lost his title back to Kenaston.

Toledo, Ohio: Thursday, December 15, 1938
(Civic Auditorium) … Dan Savich b. Sergeant “George” Kenaston to capture the NWA World
Junior Heavyweight Title (2/3) … (promoter: Cliff Maupin) … (referee: Marshall Carter)

Toledo, Ohio: Thursday, December 22, 1938
(Civic Auditorium) … Paul Bozzell b. Dan Savich to capture the NWA World Junior
Heavyweight Title (Bozzell won the first fall in 17:00 with a crabhold and the second in 12:
00) (Bozzell bled after punches to the head) … (promoters: Cliff Maupin, Clarence Thacher)

Toledo, Ohio: Thursday, January 5, 1939
(Civic Auditorium) … Sergeant “George” Kenaston b. Paul Bozzell to capture the NWA
World Junior Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Bozell won the first fall in 20:00 with a crabhold,
Keneston won the second in 11:00 and then the third with a rolling leg split and half jack
knife in 9:00) … (promoter: Cliff Maupin) … (referee: Charley Van Wormer)

31) Odd "ice cream" match in New Orleans in 1940 - 3/27/08

Matchmaker Marty Burke staged a match between Art O'Mahoney and Rex Mobley, held in
more than 100 gallons of ice cream in New Orleans on June 6, 1940. The strange bout
went 60-minutes to a draw. Here is the entire show:

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 6, 1940
(Coliseum Arena) … Rex Mobley and Art O’Mahoney drew (60:00) (ice cream match) …
Jack Curtis b. Otto Ludwig (2/3) … Count Von Zuppe b. Jack Purdin (2/3) … (matchmaker:
Marty Burke)
Notes: The main event was held in more than 100 gallons of ice cream. The newspaper
indicated that “this will be the first time an ice cream tussle has been staged in the South.”
The flavors were chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

Researcher's Corner - Page 1