These lists are a work in progress.  If you have anything to add, feel free to e-mail me.


1920

(faction 1)

Joe Stecher (Big Four)
Earl Caddock (Big Four)
Jack Curley (NY, promoter)
Wladek Zbyszko (Big Four)
Ed "Strangler" Lewis (Big Four)
Billy Sandow (manager)
John Pesek

(faction 2)

Marin Plestina
J.C. Marsh (manager)


1922-1925

(faction 1)

Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Billy Sandow
Max Bauman
John Pesek
Cliff Binckley
Joe "Toots" Mondt

(faction 2)

William Demetral
John Evko
Marin Plestina
J.C. Marsh
Charles Hansen


1925 - 1926

(faction 1)

Jack Curley (NYC, promoter)
Tom Packs (St. Louis, promoter)
Ray Fabiani (Philadelphia, promoter)
Tony Stecher
Tom Law (Wichita, promoter)
Joe Coffey (Chicago, promoter)
Gene Melady (Omaha, promoter)
Lou Daro (Los Angeles, promoter)
John Contos (Atlanta, promoter)
Frank Schuler (San Francisco, promoter)
Joe Stecher
Jim Londos
Renato Gardini
Stanislaus Zbyszko
Wladek Zbyszko (reported policeman for Curley)

(faction 2)

Gabe Kaufman (Kansas City, promoter)
Billy Sandow
Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Paul Bowser (Boston, promoter)
Sam Avey (Tulsa, promoter)
John DePalma (Los Angeles, promoter)
Kenneth Dix (Los Angeles, promoter)
"Toots" Mondt
Gus Tiefenthaler (St. Louis, promoter)
Paddy Harmon (Chicago, promoter)
Julius Sigel (Houston, promoter)
Max Baumann
Wayne Munn
John Pesek (reported policeman)
Pat McGill
Alan Eustace

1928

(faction 1)

Jack Curley
Hans Steinke
Jim Londos
Wladek Zbyszko
Renato Gardini

(faction 2)

Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Billy Sandow


The power in professional wrestling shifted back to Ed "Strangler" Lewis when he beat Joe
Stecher for the World championship in February 1928 at St. Louis.  However, not
everyone was pleased that Lewis was back on top.  Jack Curley, the dominant force in New
York City, wasn't ready to cower to Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow, and continued to
push his German heavyweight, Hans Steinke.  The New York Athletic Commission didn't
officially accept Steinke's claim to the heavyweight title, but refused to back Lewis until he
beat Steinke.  That announcement came on February 21, 1928.  Lewis wanted to wrestle
anyone in defense of his claim, it was said in the press, and a bout against Curley's man
seemed possible.



1929

Wrestling hostilities broke out in 1929 as Paul Bowser's czar status was cemented by the
success of his Boston shows with former football star Gus Sonnenberg as a headliner.  In
some parts of the country, wrestling was struggling.  For Bowser, audiences of 10,000+ for
his massive supershows were commonplace, and he had several gates over $50,000,
including one at $90,000.  Promoters Ray Fabiani, Jack Curley, and Tom Packs were
unimpressed with Sonnenberg, and were not going to cower to Bowser to get dates.  Even
more than that, the wrestlers they'd built up as draws in their particular cities were not
going to ever be able to challenge Sonnenberg in the ring due to the fear of a
double-cross.  Sonnenberg's inferior wrestling skills made him a target, and the title was
worth way to much to Bowser to put him in a predicament that could prove embarrassing
(see O'Mahoney situation from 1936).

The "worthy contenders" in Pennsylvania were being avoided by Sonnenberg, and the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (with the proper amount of prodding by Fabiani)
decided to suspend Sonnenberg on May 15, 1929, followed by stripping him of the World
Heavyweight Title on August 7, 1929.  The New York Athletic Commission came to the
same conclusion on August 9, 1929.  The July 7, 1929 edition of the St. Louis
Globe-Democrat stated that promoters in "22 cities" wished to stage elimination matches to
determine the rightful champion, instead of Sonnenberg.

Later in August, Richard Shikat of Germany beat Jim Londos in Philadelphia for the vacant
World Title, recognized in both Pennsylvania and New York.

(faction 1)

Paul Bowser (Boston, promoter)
Gus Sonnenberg
Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Pat McGill
Henri DeGlane
John Grandovich
Stanley Stasiak
Bibber McCoy
Abe Kaplan
Joe Malcewicz
Dan Koloff
Stanley Pinto
George McLeod
John Spellman
Jack Ganson
Charles Hanson

(faction 2)

Jack Curley (NYC, promoter)
Tom Packs (St. Louis, promoter)
Ray Fabiani (Philadelphia, promoter)
Billy Avery (Boston, promoter)
Dick Shikat
Hans Steinke
Karl Pojello
George Calza
Jim McMillen
George Manich
Jim Londos
Jack Reynolds
Ray Steele
Kola Kwariani
Mike Romano











Research by Tim Hornbaker
February 22, 2011
Promotional & Syndicate Wars - 1920s