[NOSTALGIA] The WAWLI Papers No. 273

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WRESTLING AS WE LIKED IT:

THE WAWLI PAPERS by J Michael Kenyon

Issue Number 273

Sunday, September 27, 1998

New York City, New York USA
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IN THIS ISSUE: PERUSING THE WRESTLING COLUMNS IN RING MAGAZINES FROM '30s-'40s
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MAT SCAN FROM THE 1930s AND 1940s . . .

Scouting through old Ring magazines for wrestling items of interest:

February 1937 -- Jim Londos defeated Johannes Von Der Walt in South Africa . .
. Charles (Spider) Mascall reports that the Red Shadow has defeated Ed Lewis
and many others in the Pacific Northwest . . . Kimon Kudo upset Sandor Szabo .
. . Ed Don George, Ed Lewis and Joe Savoldi make Honolulu stops . . . Vic
Christy is the Sunland Sun God . . . Phil (Popeye) Olson sighted; he'll later
become the Swedish Angel . . . Earl McCready, Ed Don George, Paul Boesch and
Joe Savoldi toured New Zealand in the summer of '36 . . . George Wilson in
South American rings . . . Hardy Kruskamp played Ohio State football
1926-27-28 . . . Steve Casey, 26, is a three-year pro . . . Cliff Olsen was
born Dec. 7, 1908 . . . George Zaharias downed Dean Detton, two falls out of
three, for Buffalo promoter Jules Cohen . . . The Texas Terror is Man Mountain
Morgan, the Dreadnaught Champion at 6-foot-2, 330 pounds. Morgan is a mere 25
years of age . . . The Original Red Shadow beat Red Shadow No. 2 (unmasked as
Sam Leathers of Winlock, Wash.) . . . Gerry Breckner is announcing wrestling
for the Columbia Broadcasting System network from Hollywood . . . Jim Coffield
was unmasked as the Masked Marvel Dec. 15, 1936 by George Koverly . . . Legs
Langevin is also known as the Canadian Caveman . . . Harry Jacobs and Tor
Johnson are often confused for one another . . .

April 1937 -- Ed Don George defeated Earl McCready in Auckland's Carlaw Park
before 12,000 . . . Jim Londos drew John Van Der Walt three times, the last
time over 80 minutes . . . Londos beat Count Carol Nowina in 45 minutes back
in 1930, also held to a draw by him . . . Man Mountain Harry Jacobs is
6-foot-3, 338 pounds and a former USC football player. He's 26 . . .

May 1937 -- Steve Casey downs Cliff Olsen, ending his title claim . . . Bobby
(Kawka) Roberts played football at Dayton University . . . Earl McCready drew
Sandor Szabo in Vancouver, B.C. McCready had 130 bouts over two seasons in New
Zealand and lost only to Ed Don George, whom he beat in a rematch . . . Man
Mountain Dean whipped Brother Jonathan, with the loser shaved, at San
Francisco . . . Dean was ref for Jules Strongbow's win over Tiny Roebuck in
Los Angeles . . . Ali Baba won from Paul Douglas (Pat) McClary in Houston.
McClary was born Mar. 24, 1908 in Roseburg, Ore., stands 6-foot-4, weighs 294,
played football at USC and made his pro debut Oct. 4, 1930 in San Francisco .
. . Is Abe Rothberg Darna Ostapovich? (ED. NOTE--If so, he would also be
Barney "Chest' Bernard) . . . Tiny Roebuck appeared in the "Robinson Crusoe"
movie serial . . . Morris Siegel took over the Houston promotion in 1927 when
brother Julius moved his operation to Shreveport and Nacogdoches. John
McIntosh is El Paso promoter, Cal Farley and Dutch Mantell have Amarillo, Sled
Allen promotes Lubbock, Bert Willoughby is the man in Dallas, Dave Schlesinger
in New Orleans and Galveston, Harry Coffman handles San Antonio, E.L. Lemon is
in Beaumont, Jim Wakefield in Abilene and Willie Barkett in Marshall . . .

June 1944 -- Blimp Levy appears in Wichita, Great Bend, Salina, St. Joseph,
Topeka and Kansas City during Heartland tour . . . N.B. Stauffer promotes
Wichita, Mrs. Max Yeargain promotes Topeka, Gust Karras is the man in St.
Joseph, Johnny Apt promotes Salina and Great Bend and George Simpson has
Kansas City, Kans. . . Bobby Bruns is serving two years in the Navy, mostly in
the South Pacific . . . Dirty Dick Raines is a combat instructor at Fort Hood,
Tex. . . Lee Wyckoff defeated Dave Levin for the MWA heavyweight title June
29, 1944, at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas . . . Topeka, Kansas City and
Wichita ran regular shows throughout the summer of '44 . . .

October 1944 -- Honolulu boys show every other Sunday in the Civic Auditorium
and every third Tuesday at Schofield Barracks Bowl . . . Leo Numa and Marv
Westenberg are appearing regularly in New Hampshire . . . Steve Casey defeats
the French Angel in San Francisco, the night before appearing in an exhibition
at Fort Winfield Scott, Calif., along with Dean Detton . . . Leslie Wolfe was
the Black-Faced Panther in Kansas City, winter of 1943-44 . . .

February 1945 -- Ede Virag is listed as National Wrestling Association
champion . . . Ed Lewis and French Angel among those appearing at Fort Bragg,
N.C. . . . Tony Galento kayoes Jack Suzek, Chicago wrestler, in 39 seconds of
third round of a scheduled 10 before 4,000 in the Wichita Forum. He had
previously knocked out Suzek in two rounds at Sioux City on July 26, 1943 . .
. Jack Herman and Jerry Monohan are promoting Buffalo . . . Al Karasick, 53,
took a year off from promoting Honolulu following the attack on Pearl Harbor .
. .

January 1946 -- Arthur (Tarzan) White claims a win over Sandor Szabo and one
over Dean Detton, sometime between 1938 and 1942. He may have beaten Man
Mountain Dean, too . . . Chuck Ross played football at Rockhurst College,
Kansas City. He made his pro wrestling debut at Topeka in 1940 . . . They were
calling Bob Russell the Texas Cyclone . . . LeRoy McGuirk whipped Dave Levin,
two falls out of three, to win a junior heavyweight title bout in California
during the fall of 1945 . . . Sandor Szabo, Ted Cox, Wild Red Berry and Danny
McShain are all in California . . .

April 1946 -- "Stanley" -- aka Stanley Weston -- writes that Joe Savoldi is
promoting Chicago and Ali Baba has returned to the ring wars. Sez that Everett
Marshall is on his onion farm in LaJunta, Colo. . . . George Zaharias is
promoting shows at Mammoth Gardens in Denver . . . Bronko Nagurski, Dean
Detton, Steve Casey, Earl McCready, Sandor Szabo, Hardy Kruskamp, Ray Steele
and Leo Numa all appearing in San Francisco, along with Tiger Joe Marsh and
Kay Bell . . . Marin Plestina is reported dead, five years after retirement.
He was born in Chicago, became a protege of Frank Gotch . . . Professional
wrestling does $10 million at the gate in 1945 . . . Henri DeGlane said to be
in the French Underground during the war . . . Ed Don George worked as a judo
instructor in the Navy . . . Leonard (Butch) Levy played with the Cleveland
Rams . . . Paul Boesch is out of the Army . . . Chief Saunooke, 38, played
football at Haskell University in 1924-25-26, became a pro wrestler in 1935
(it says here) after being tutored by Charles Cutler. With a win over Tor
Johnson at the Boston Garden, Saunooke claimed a) super heavyweight title and
b) that he had not been beaten by a 300-pounder in ten years. He stood
6-foot-4, weighed 340 pounds . . . Frank Valois claimed a two-hour draw with
Yvon Robert at the Montreal Forum . . . Bobby Nelson played football at the
University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, then became a pro wrestler in 1934 . . .

May 1946 -- The most recent Madison Square Garden show was in August, 1937 . .
. Stanislaus Zbyszko is retired to his farm at Old Orchard, Maine . . . Tiger
Joe Marsh wrestling in Milwaukee, Sandor Szabo in California, Bobby Managoff
in Texas, while Frank Sexton, Billy Watson and the French Angel are headlining
Buffalo cards . . . Karl Pojello is promoting Chicago, with the French Angel
on top . . . Joe Savoldi is said to have grossed $300,000 in ring earnings
since 1931 . . .

June 1946 -- Ernie, Rudy, Wally and Emil Dusek appear together on a card for
the first time in seven years (ED. NOTE: A silly item, we might add) . . . Kay
Bell working in Buffalo, Ted Cox in Oregon and Washington, Ed Lewis and Ray
Steele are back wrestling, Ali Baba spent the years between 1940-45 in a
Southern California orange grove . . . Bobby Bruns aka "The German Apollo, is
the son of Iotta Gunther, former Berlin opera star, and was on the 1932
Olympic water polo team . . . John Grandovich, after being hurt in Baltimore,
is pronounced dead in Providence . . . Ivan Michaeloff is the Providence
promoter . . . Henry Piers is said to have beaten Ed Don George in the 1928
Olympics . . . Buddy Rogers, Leo Numa and Danno O'Mahoney appearing in Houston
. . . Pittsburgh promoter Allie Franks is showing Joe Savoldi . . . Bobby
Managoff and Yvon Robert are card-toppers in Philadelphia . . . Frank Sexton
in Baltimore . . . Sandor Szabo and Bronko Nagurski are S.F. headliners, while
Marv Westenberg is a Providence stalwart . . . Michele Leone wowin' 'em in
Camden, Ed Lewis shows in Buffalo, along with Earl McCready and Lou Thesz . .
. Jack Ganson is the Cleveland promoter, matched Frank Sexton with Kay Bell on
a card that also included Whipper Watson and Dean Detton . . .

September 1946 -- Dean Detton turned pro in 1931 after playing football for
the University of Utah between 1926-30. He's toured both Australia and New
Zealand . . . Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers warring in Houston . . . Duke Keomuka
is in Providence . . . Michele Leone in Philadelphia . . . Ali Baba and Ray
Steele in Columbus, Ohio . . . Abe Kashey and Ted Cox in Portland, Ore. . .
Dean Detton in Buffalo . . .

October 1946 -- Dick Raines scored a win over Bronko Nagurski, says he beat
Earl McCready in New Zealand before the war, earned a judo Black Belt in
Seattle and appeared in Honolulu before downing Dean Detton in Atlanta. Raines
was discharged from the service March 10, 1946. He claims 1,243 wins in 1,500
matches, having been disqualified 128 times, hence his "Dirty Dick" monicker .
. . It's a banner season in Calgary, Edmonton, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Prince
Albert, Medicine Hat and Swift Current, up on the Canadian prairies. Darby
Melnick promotes Calgary, Lloyd Camyre and Dave Palmer Saskatoon. Ray Steele,
Jim Londos, Bronko Nagurski, Earl McCready, Ted Cox and Abe Kashey have all
showed there . . .

November 1946 -- Orville Brown still holds the MWA heavyweight belt . . . John
Pesek, ageless wonder, still making appearances at Columbus, Ohio . . . Floyd
Musgrave is said to be the promoter at the L.A. Olympic Auditorium. Recently
did $12,000 from a crowd of 10,400 . . . Bill Longson, Bobby Managoff and Lou
Thesz appearing in eastern Canada . . .

December 1946 -- Ray Steele claims to have had 3,000 matches . . . Tony
Martinelli played football at Fordham University . . . Everett Marshall
offered to put up a stake of $10,000 for a mixed match with heavyweight champ
Joe Louis . . . Strangler Lewis set to referee a match between the French
Angel and Danish star Paul Martinson . . .

January 1947 -- Primo Carnera tour hits New York, where 5,000 are turned away
from his debut at St. Nicholas Arena. Carnera flopped Bobby Bruns in less than
20 minutes, with 4,325 paying $10,905 to see the show. Carnera is making a
$2,000-a-week guarantee . . . Scarlet Pimpernel was Ben Sherman in Hawaii . .
. Stanislaus Zbyszko was born in Galicia . . .

February 1947 -- Primo Carnera's 70th match since launching his U.S. wrestling
career was in Chicago Nov. 22 versus Fred Von Schacht . . . Jim Londos, in
Australia, scores a win over Seelie Samara . . . French Angel (aka Maurice
Tillet) was born Oct. 23, 1903 in St. Petersburg, Russia . . . Ernie Dusek
injures Fred Blassie's head during a Cleveland match . . . Bulldog Danny
Plechas matched with Danno O'Mahoney in Kansas City . . . Bob Wagner claims
wins over Ed Don George, Ed Lewis and Danno O'Mahoney . . .

March 1947 -- Ed Lewis said to have wrestled Oki Shikina in Cheyenne, Wyo. . .
. Remembering: Jack Curley, promoter, posted his all-time rankings in 1931,
whereby George Hackenschmidt was No. 1, Jim Londos No. 2, Tom Jenkins No. 3,
Frank Gotch, Dick Shikat, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Hans Steinke, Ed Lewis, Yussif
Mahmout and Earl Caddock rounding out the Top Ten . . . Londos lost a 1924
decision to Joe Stecher; also lost Aug. 23, 1929 to Dick Shikat in the Philly
ballpark. Londos got revenge in the same venue on June 8, 1930 . . . Jack
Sherry said to be headed for matches in Paris and London . . .

April 1947 -- Jim Londos reported to have set gate records in Honolulu and
Australia . . . Blimp Levy has a 58-inch chest, an 82-inch waist and an
84-inch, er, bottom. His thighs are 39 inches around . . . Between 1934 and
1937, Jim Londos drew houses totaling $600,000 . . . Primo Carnera downed Joe
Dusek in 32 minutes at Detroit . . . Steve Casey reported suffering a partial
paralysis in Boston . . . Londos whipped both Abe Kashey and Lee Grable in
Hawaii . . . Lord Blears appeared in Paris on June 14, 1946, in London on June
16 and in New York June 18 . . .

May 1947 -- Jack Terry is a 19-year-old pro. Frank Sexton topping Buffalo
cards in April and May . . .

June 1947 -- Ed Don George is the Buffalo promoter . . . George Temple,
Shirley's brother, debuted as a wrestler on March 22, 1946, in Santa Monica,
Calif. . .

July 1947 -- Tony Galento's debut as a wrestler occurs April 29 in Baltimore,
where he pins Herman Rhode (aka Buddy Rogers) in 10 minutes flat . . .

August 1947 -- Paul Boesch touring New Zealand . . . Primo Carnera buys a
place in the San Fernando Valley . . .

October 1947 -- Raoul Paoli, promoter at the Palais Des Sports in Paris, has
Henri DeGlane, Charles Rigoulet and Ivar Martenson appearing for him . . .
Albert Van Auwers is a Brussels headliner, while Bert Assirati packs him over
in England. Assirati downed Martenson in the finals of the World Open at
Harringay Arena, London, in March 1947, after Assirati topped Gaston Ghevaert
of France and Martenson pinned Bert Mansfield in the semifinals . . . Fred
Blassie turned pro in California, spent 42 months in the U.S. Navy and is now
24 years old . . . Tor Johnson came out on top of Johann Richtoff of Sweden
after a series of battles at Harringay Arena . . .

November 1947 -- Man Mountain Dean sighted at the U.S. Army recruiting booth
in Times Square, New York City . . . Sandy Ordford defeated Danno O'Mahoney
via DQ in Dublin, with Steve Casey refereeing . . . Buddy Rogers, 24, said to
be a six-year pro en route to Australia and New Zealand during the summer of
19 48 . . .

December 1947 -- John Pesek appears in Brisbane, Aust., while the French Angel
tours Italy, France and England . . . Marin Plestina, before he died, claimed
he took two falls in 46 1/2 minutes from Ed Lewis at Lexington, Ky., when he
was managed by the notorious Joe Carroll Marsh of McMinnville, Ore. . . .
Primo Carnera draws Tony Galento at Newark in front of 2,500 . . . Carnera did
$17,341 vs Jules Strongbow . . .

February 1948 -- Lee Wyckoff was born March 10, 1902 in Mayetta, Kansas . . .
Ivar Martenson downs Bert Assirati in Paris . .. . Gerald Eagan is a major
Irish promoter; George Callaghan an English promoter of note . . . Karl
Pojello, Chief Saunooke, Stan Karolyi, Ruffy Silverstein and French Angel set
to tour Europe in the summer . . .

March 1948 -- Now on the scene: Abdul the Turk . . . Daniel Boone Savage, 44,
turned pro in 1933, stands 6-foot-4, weighs 250 and lives on a Crestview,
Fla., farm. He shaved his whiskers for a $500 pledge to British war relief . .
. Frank Sexton, 32, has a 47-inch chest . . . Ed Lewis, Gus Sonnenberg and Jim
Browning all downed Marin Plestina at Los Angeles in 1933 . . .

May 1948 -- Gorgeous George touring the eastern U.S. . . . Frank Sexton draws
8,844 to see his win over Bob Wagner in Buffalo . . . Primo Carnera's only
loss to date, via disqualification to Lou Thesz . . . Michele Leone in Europe
. . . Promoting in the north of England is George de Relwyskow . . .

June 1948 -- Bronko Nagurski claims a title win over Sandor Szabo . . . Ed
Lewis, 55, his license revoked in California, is running a Los Angeles gym . .
. French Angel draws 45,000 for a London appearance . . . Carnera is known as
the Italian Behemoth . . . Sandor Szabo back from Australia . . .

July 1948 -- French Angel in Canada . . . Stanislaus Zbyszko drew Great Gama
in three hours, 47 minutes at Sheppard's Bush, London, on September 10, 1910 .
. . Dick Raines Down Under to Australia and New Zealand, en route to South
Africa, after recovering from broken back incurred at San Antonio in 1947;
Bobby Bruns, Earl McCready and Dean Detton on the same tour . . . Frank Sexton
claims 1,300 bouts since 1932 . . . Jesse James' real name is Chris Pappas . .
. Dick Raines beat Bruno Smolinski in Brisbane and Jack Claybourne in Sydney .
. .

October 1948 -- Paul Boesch goes into business with Morris (Mo) Siegel in
Houston . . . Abe Stein appears in the movies "Naked City" and "Kiss of Death"
. . . Stanislaus Zbyszko wrestled Ike Robin to a curfew draw for the world
title many years ago in New Zealand . . . Earl McCready's visit to New Zealand
is his eighth, courtesy of the New Zealand Wrestling Union . . . French Angel
vs. Bert Assirati at Tottenham Hotspurs stadium in London draws 12,000 . . .
Ede (Don) Virag and Stan Karolyi in Belgium . . . Chief Little Wolf beat Dick
Raines via disqualification in Melbourne. Raines and Dutch Hefner engage in a
no contest affair at Melbourne, Raines gains revenge over Little Wolf, also
via DQ, in Melbourne . . .

December 1948 -- Dick Raines whipped Dutch Hefner at Newcastle when the latter
could not continues. Arjan Das defeated Raines is Sydney . . . Primo Carnera
in Rio de Janeiro . . . . Joe Lynam, 31, dead in a plane crash Sept. 25, 1948,
near Bend, Ore. He was promoting shows in Idaho Falls and St. Anthony, was en
route to Eugene when he hit Horse Ridge, 500 feet below the summit . . .

January 1949 -- Jerry Meeker is promoting two cards each week in Billings,
Montana . . . Steve Casey and Yvon Robert headline a pair of shows in
Manchester, N.H. . . . Dick Raines gets the nod, via DQ, over Patr Fraley in
Sydney; downs Chief Little Wolf in the same place . . .

February 1949 -- Pierre Lassartes used to be Herbie Freeman . . . Frank Sexton
broke Bronko Nagurski's shoulder . . . Leo Garibaldi is making a comeback from
a bout with polio . . . Abe Kashey appearing in the Central States area . . .
Gorgeous George and Sexton are big-time draws in Buffalo . . . Ed Lewis to
draw $25,000 salary as chairman of the Wrestling Promoters' Association of
America (and allied countries) . . . Dick Raines won the Hawaii championship
in 1940. He lost just three times in 63 bouts on his recent Australian tour .
. . Earl McCready is in the Pacific Northwest . . . Yvon Robert beat Gorgeous
George in Montreal before a record $21,000 house . . . Ray Steele working as a
referee in California . . . Ali Baba to make another comeback . . .

March 1949 -- Flash Gordon played football with the Los Angeles Bulldogs . . .
Jack Claybourne won the Hawaii belt from Hisao Tanaka after six months in
Australia . . . Laurence LeBelle, aka Ali Aliba, died in a car crash Dec. 18,
1948 near Napoleon, Ohio, en route to Toledo . . . Sam Muchnick drew 10,176 to
Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis on Nov. 26, 1948, and another 8,343 on Dec. 10 .
. . Blimp Levy appearing on the West Coast . . . Primo Carnera in Venezuela,
said to be making $175,000 a year . . . Frank Sexton said to be making $75,000
a year . . . Jim Londos and Ed Don George went four hours and seven minutes to
a Fenway Park draw in Boston on July 19, 1934 (it says here); the bout drew
30,000 who paid $60,110 . . .

May 1949 -- Gorgeous George defeated Ernie Dusek in Madison Square Garden
before a tiny house of 4,197 who paid just $13,966. The match lasted 26:51,
with George paid $1,867 and Dusek $1,067. Promoter William Johnston lost
$1,500 . . . French Angel has returned to the U.S. . . . After being out three
years with a broken back, Rasputin wrestling again, as is Hans Steinke . . .
Primo Carnera and Fred Von Schacht attracted a $10,000 house in San Francisco
. . . Pedro Godoy was the Masked Terror in Miami in 1948 . . . Chief Little
Wolf making his seventh trip to Australia . . . Antonino Rocca is 26 . . .
Primo Carnera and Jim Londos do $18,061 in Detroit . . .

August 1949 -- The Cardiff Giant defeated Ben Morgan, Buddy Baer refereeing,
with the loser being shaved afterward . . . Yukon Eric is in New Zealand . . .
Jim Londos still has his title belt from Jan. 24, 1931 in New York . . .

September 1949 -- Bobby Bruns headed for South Africa a third time . . . Verne
Gagne flops Abe Kashey in his pro debut with Jack Dempsey as referee . . .
Kashey said to have promoted in Compton, Calif., about this same time . . .
Owens brothers running Portland, Salem, Astoria, Roseburg, Klamath Falls,
Eugene and Pendleton in the state of Oregon . . . Kola Kwariani claims he saw
Rocca the first time in 1939 at Buenos Aires . . . Bert Assirati drew Primo
Carnera over one hour at Charlton Greyhound Stadium in London, before 4,500 .
. .

October 1949 -- Mike Mazurki is in London to make "Night and the City" . . .
Fred Atkins defeated Billy Watson in Toronto . . . Members of the British
Promoters Association are Norman Morrell, Douglas De Relwyskow, Globe
Promotions, Wyrton Promotions and Dale-Martin Promotions . . . Ivan Maximovich
Poddubney is dead at 78 on Aug. 10, 1949. He defeated Wladek Zbyszko Jan. 18,
1926, at the 71st Regiment Armory in NYC, then lost to Joe Stecher in the same
building Feb. 1, 1926, in one hour, 38 minutes and 47 seconds -- said to be
his first loss in 25 years . . . Gorgeous George already has banked $124,000
in 1949 . . . Wladislaw Talun is known as the Polish Angel . . . Ray Steele,
49, is dead . . .

December 1949 -- Max Baer says he'll start wrestling in January . . . Jimmy
Cagney and George Raft are said to have been born in the same New York
apartment house as Man Mountain Dean . . . Bobby Managoff defeated Jack
Claybourne before 5,500 in Honolulu . . .

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