New York City Wrestling Results

Wrestling in 1929 began to pick up compared to years prior. Fans began to reembrace
professional wrestling as new stars developed and as the sport evolved.

Manhattan, New York: Tuesday, January 1, 1929
(St. Nicholas Arena) … Renato Gardini b. Jack Rogers (14:42) … Rudy Dusek b. Leo
Labriola (14:40) … Karl Pojello b. Bill Thomas (6:19) … Kola Kwariani b. Ned McCarr (15:
40) … Carl Henriquez b. Goerge Silmacco (5:55) … Cyclone Ress and Peter Zelinsky
drew … (1,000 fans)

Brooklyn, New York: Wednesday, January 2, 1929
(Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Kola Kwariani b. Abe Kaplan (25:00) … George
Hagen and Joe Stangel drew (45:00) … Renato Gardini b. Matt McGarr (21:00) …
Cyclone Ress and Carlos Henriquez drew … Joe Shimkus b. Gil Mario (12:00)

*On January 4, 1929, Gus Sonnenberg dethroned Ed “Strangler” Lewis and captured the
World Heavyweight Title in Boston, Massachusetts. Paul Bowser promoted the event.
Jack Curley would arrange to bring Sonnenberg into New York City. He also arranged
the return of Ed “Strangler” Lewis.

*On Sunday, January 6, 1929, Ben Jelica, of the Jack Curley troupe, went to Boston in an
attempt to bring new World Champion Gus Sonnenberg to New York City.

Manhattan, New York: Tuesday, January 8, 1929
(St. Nicholas Arena) … Renato Gardini b. Rejob Hassan (2:49) … Fritz Von Grummeier b.
Wladek Zbyszko (dec., 30:00) … Kola Kwariani b. Mike Romano (dec., 30:00) … Nino
Darnoldi b. Jack Rogers (4:47) … Carlos Henriquez b. Martin Murker (15:47) … (2,000
fans)

Manhattan, New York: Tuesday, January 15, 1929
(St. Nicholas Arena) … Rudy Dusek b. Jack Ganson (CO) … George Hagen b. Stanley
Stickney (13:46) … Carlos Henriquez b. Ali Morey (23:41) … Abe Kaplan b. Cyclone
Ress (decision) … (2,000 fans)

Brooklyn, New York: Tuesday, January 15, 1929
(Ridgewood Grove) … Renato Gardini b. Fritz Grubmeier (32:40) … Joe Stangel b. Hans
Bauer … Charles Strack and Wladek Zbyszko drew (30:00) … Nat Pendleton b. Pete
Zilinhas … Leon Labeiola b. Jack Rogers

Manhattan, New York: Monday, January 21, 1929
(Madison Square Garden) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Renato Gardini (44:41) … Howard
Cantonwine b. Dan Koloff … Rudy Dusek b. George Vassel … Karl Pojello b. Stanley
Stickney … Jack Ganson and Nat Pendleton drew (30:00) … Carlos Henriquez b. Ted
Rationoff … (promoter: Jack Curley) … (sponsored by: Campania Athletic Club) …
(6,000 fans)
Note: It was Ed Lewis’ first appearance in New York in five years.

Brooklyn, New York: Wednesday, January 23, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. George Hagen (36:45)
… Joe Stangel b. Renato Gardini by decision (45:00) … Charles Strack b. Stanley
Stickney … Karl Pojello and Wladek Zbyszko drew (30:00) … Howard Cantonwine b.
George Walker … (promoter: Rudy Miller)

*On Monday, January 28, 1929, Rudy Miller, representing the Campania Athletic Club,
announced that new World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg would face Howard
Cantonwine at Madison Square Garden on Monday, February 4.

Brooklyn, New York: Tuesday, January 29, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Renato Gardini b. George Hagen (34:20) …
Joe Stangel b. Abie Kaplan … Howard Cantonwine b. Frank Bruno … Fritz Grubmeier
and Stanislaus Zbyszko drew (30:00) … Cyclone Ress and Charlie Strack drew (30:00)
… (promoter: Rudy Miller)

Manhattan, New York: Monday, February 4, 1929
(Madison Square Garden) … World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Howard
Cantonwine (37:53) … Rudy Dusek and Wladek Zbyszko drew (30:00) … Matros
Kirilenko b. Abe Kaplan (20:24) … Renato Gardini b. Pete Zalinskas (6:01) … Joe
“Toots” Mondt and Vanka Zelezniak drew (30:00) … Carlos Henriquez b. Jim Zabrisky …
(promoter: Jack Curley) … (referee: Ernest Roeber) … (sponsored by: Campania
Athletic Club) … (3,500 fans)

Brooklyn, New York: Tuesday, February 5, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … World Heavyweight Champion Gus
Sonnenberg b. Frank Yusko (4:31) … Renato Gardini b. Joe Shinkus (16:03) … Carlos
Henriquez b. Martin Merkus … Joe “Toots” Mondt and Wladek Zbyszko drew (45:00) …
Charlie Strack b. George Hagen (dec., 30:00) … (promoter: Rudy Miller) … (4,500 fans)

Brooklyn, New York: March 19, 1929
(Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Kola Kwariani b. Joe Stangel (18:41) … Renato
Gardini and Joe “Toots” Mondt drew (30:00) … Wladek Zbyszko failed to throw Matros
Kirilenko and lost (30:00) … Cyclone Ress b. Abe Kaplan (20:47) … Carlos Henriquez b.
Cyclone Gale (8:26)

*On Tuesday, April 2, 1929, the New York State Athletic Commission rejected the
application of Ed “Strangler” Lewis for reinstatement. Officials had already booked him
into a match with Matros Kirilenko for April 8 at the 71st Regiment Armory in Manhattan.
Lewis was ordered to bring the application to the commission personally.

Brooklyn, New York: Tuesday, April 2, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Matros Kirilenko b. Stanislaus Zbyszko (35:40)
… Mike Romano b. Pete Zilinkas … Renato Gardini b. Pat McKay … George Zaharias b.
Nat McCarr … Carlos Henriquez b. Tony Rocco (18:15) … (promoter: Rudy Miller) …
(referee: Ernest Roeber)

*On Friday, April 5, 1929, Ed “Strangler” Lewis appeared before the New York State
Athletic Commission and asked for reinstatement. Commissioner William Muldoon
approved the reinstatement, allowing Lewis to appear for promoter Jack Curley on April 8.

Manhattan, New York: Monday, April 8, 1929
(71st Regiment Armory) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Matros Kirilenko (38:18) … Kola
Kwariani b. George Hill (7:08) … Mike Romano and Jack Washburn drew (30:00) …
Renato Gardini b. George Zaharias (10:41) … Jim McMillen b. Joe “Toots” Mondt (dec.,
30:00) … (promoter: Jack Curley) … (sponsored by: Campania Athletic Club) … (3,000
fans)

Manhattan, New York: Monday, April 22, 1929
(71st Regiment Armory) … Joe “Toots” Mondt b. Jim McMillen when the latter was
knocked out and unable to continue (90-minutes+) … Paul Berlenbach b. Fred
Grubmeier (18:27) … Karl Pojello b. George Zaharias (20:42) … Pat McGill b. Jack
Washburn (dec., 20:00) …(promoter: Jack Curley) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: McMillen was knocked out when he sailed from the ring and landed on Greek
National Herald newspaper writer George Anemores of 592 West 136th Street. It was
noted that Anemores saved McMillen from serious injury, according to the New York
Times.

Brooklyn, New York: Tuesday, April 23, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Jim Londos b. Hans Bauer (16:18) … Renato
Gardini b. George Zaharias (25:57) … Karol Shuster b. Joe Stangel (9:14) … Pat McKay
and Karl Pojello drew (30:00) … Joe “Toots” Mondt and Jack Washburn drew (30:00) …
(promoter: Rudy Miller)

*The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission suspended World Championship claimant
Gus Sonnenberg on May 15, 1929 for wrestling non-credible opponents and his failure to
accept any serious challengers made by rated opponents. The New York State Athletic
Commission followed suit.

*This may have been because of a deal or arrangement broken by Boston promoter Paul
Bowser and either Jack Curley or Ray Fabiani, or both. Fabiani may have tried to move
his operations in Boston around this time-frame, inciting the war. Bowser would form the
American Wrestling Association.

Brooklyn, New York : Tuesday, July 2, 1929
(New Ridgewood Grove Sporting Club) … Frank Judson b. Cyclone Ress … Hans
Steinke and Wanka Zelesniak drew in 30-minutes … John Grandovich and Wladek
Zbyszko drew in 30-minutes … Renato Gardini b. Jack Albright … Carlos Henriquez b.
Mike Chaplin … (promoter: Rudy Miller)

*The New York State Athletic Commission recognized Richard Shikat as the World
Heavyweight Champion after his victory over Jim Londos on August 23, 1929 at the
Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

*On Friday, August 30, 1929, Shikat arrived in New York at Pennsylvania Station to work
with a director for a motion picture, and was going to proudly display his newly awarded
World Championship belt, valued at $5,000.

Research by Tim Hornbaker

New York City Wrestling Results - 1929