The Department of Justice records mentioned a happening in regards to the NWA World Junior Heavyweight championship in which a champion was "defeated unexpectedly" in 1953 Tennessee. The report went as follows: "In 1953 in Tennessee, in a match promoted by Nick Gulas (?) and booked by Roy Welch, NWA Member, [Danny] McShain was defeated unexpectedly by a wrestler named Henry Harrell (?). [Johnny] Doyle said the winner was not recognized by the NWA and was immediately blacklisted by the NWA. Gulas told Burke (Mildred?) he got in trouble with the NWA over this because they thought he'd told his man to win. + Further research of this event shows that it didn't happen in 1953, but the year before in Chattanooga. Chattanooga, Tennessee: Thursday, July 24, 1952 (Memorial Auditorium) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Henry Harrell b. NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny McShain (2-0) (during the first fall, McShain was counted out, and then referee O’Rourke disqualified McShain in the second) (the newspaper stated that McShain couldn’t “lose his title on disqualification and [that he] still holds the championship”) … Tex Riley b. Hal King (King was a substitute for Fritz Schnabel … Herb Welch b. Al Galento … (promoter: Nick Gulas) … (referee: Lucky O’ Rourke) Notes: According to the Chattanooga News Free Press on July 24, 1952, Harrell was “confident he’ll become the first man to hold both the Southern and World [Junior] Titles.” This was the infamous double-cross by Harrell on McShain initially mentioned in the book Chokehold. The records of the Department of Justice’s investigation into the NWA mentioned this match, but officials never knew the exact date, nor did they ever talk to Harrell like they wanted to. Harrell had angered a lot of people with this stunt, and it's not known whether Gulas put the thought in his head or not. His reign as Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion was about to come to an abrupt halt as well. Knoxville, Tennessee: Friday, July 25, 1952 ( ) … Herb Welch b. Henry Harrell to capture the Southern Junior Heavyweight Title (2/3) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny McShain b. Tex Riley (2/3) (the Knoxville Journal reported that “McShane won the junior heavyweight title from Tex Riley”) … Johnny Kostas and Fritz Schanbel b. Al Getz and Sockeye McDonald (2-0) … (referee: Don Seals) Once Stanley Disney of the Department of Justice got wind of the Harrell-McShain incident, he wanted to learn more and asked many people about it. In July 1955, he had NWA President Sam Muchnick in the hot seat and this is what Disney wrote in his interview summary: "Mr. Muchnick evaded questions about the episode where Henry Harrell is supposed to have been black-listed for defeating Danny McShain. He said he remembered there was some trouble about McShain being disqualified. He wouldn't give details. He did say, however, that he had received a call from Harrell and that he, Muchnick, had assured Harrell he could work for whomever he wished. He said that he did not know where Harrell was now working. |
Danny McShain Double-Crossed In the Ring |