Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, July 2, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Gil Knutson b. Danny McShain (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Paavo
Katonan b. Walter Podolak … Karl Gray b. Red Lyons (DQ) … Monte LaDue b. Gust
Johnson … Red Berry b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich)
Note:  The Berry-Kasaboski bout was for the “disputed held-up purse.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, July 9, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Vincent Lopez b. “Blimp” Levy (2/3) … George Dusette and Gil
Knutson drew (45:00) … Taro Ito b. Monte LaDue (16:57) … The Black Terror b. Karl
Gray (9:07) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Joe Varga)
Note:  Levy was said to be 29 years old.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, July 16, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Maurice “The Angel” Tillet b. Mike Mazurki (2-0) … Red Berry b. Gil
Knutson (2/3) … George Dusette b. Taro Ito (16:00) … Alex Kasaboski b. Karl Gray …
(promoter:  Steve Strelich)
Notes:  O.L. Coburn of the Bakersfield Californian said that Tillet “walks in a manner
similar to the robot or mechanical man.” Dusette was spelled “Dusetti” by the paper.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, July 23, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Dick Raines b. “Blimp” Levy (2-0) (second fall by countout) … Jesse
James b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Paavo Katonan b. Gust Johnson (18:07) (piledriver
and body press) … Dude Chick b. Taro Ito (13:52) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) …
(referee:  Tiger McGee)
Notes:  12 new fans were installed at the stadium to “increase the cooling capacity.”
Raines was said to be from Bakersfield.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, July 30, 1941
(Bakersfield Arena) … Jesse James b. “Wild” Red Berry (2/3) (Berry won the middle fall in
39 seconds) … Dick Raines b. Mike Mazurki (2/3) (third fall in 55 seconds) … Billy Varga
b. Karl Gray (15:16) … Sheik MarAllah and Silent Rattan drew (30:00) (Rattan was a
substitute for Taro Ito, who was injured) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich)
Notes:  According to the Bakersfield Californian, the “ring posts were decorated with
flowers and streamers last night in honor of Steve Strelich and his bride who were
introduced from the ring just before the main event.” Also, a “large wedding cake was
brought out and presented to the newly married couple and which was cut after the main
event and each woman present was given a piece of cake.  Someone presented Steve
with a goat for his newly acquired ranch.” The paper reported that MarAllah “has been
out of wrestling for the past two years studying in Davenport, Iowa, to become a
chiropractor.  Last night he was informed he had passed his state examination and would
be given his license in September.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, August 6, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Wrestling Tournament … Billy Vargo b. Danny McShain in the
tournament final … Danny McShain b. George Dusette … George Dusette b. Billy
Weidner … Danny McShain b. Jesse James (McShain won in a special five minute period
after they had gone 15 minutes) … Jesse James b. Don Sugi Matsuri …  Monte LaDue b.
Silent Rattan … Billy Vargo b. Sheik MarAllah … Dude Chick b. Gust Johnson …
(promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Bull Montana)
Notes:  The winner of the tournament was going to be the top rated contender to Red
Berry’s light heavyweight championship.  The Bakersfield Californian reported that
“according to the press dispatches from Los Angeles, however, Mr. Berry nearly had no
belt today for which to fight Vargo, since he and Paavo Katonan got into an altercation at
Los Angeles and the Finn lost only on a technicality.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, August 13, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. Red Berry to capture the World Light Heavyweight
Title (2/3) … Jesse James b. George Dusette (1-0) … Danny McShain b. Dude Chick
(2/3) … Red Lyons b. Gust Johnson … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Lew
Gordon)
Notes:  The newspaper stated that Vargo “won the light heavywight championship belt
which the commission is holding for Berry.” Ralph Kreiser of the Bakersfield Californian
wrote, regarding the Dusette-James match, that “because this bout was clean and was a
good example of fine wrestling art, it was nearly ignored by the crowd.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, August 20, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Four-Man Tournament … Billy Vargo b. Red Berry to earn a title
match … Red Berry b. Danny McShain … Billy Vargo b. Jesse James … George Dusette
b. Dude Chick (2-0) … Billy Weidner b. Monte LaDue … (promoter:  Steve Strelich)
Notes:  The Bakersfield Californian stated that Vargo “really won the belt last week,
except that, unfortunately, by the time he went through a crowd of contestants to get at
Wild Red Berry, that worthy gentleman had lost the belt to [Paavo] Katonan and he had
to do it all over again.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, August 27, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Billy Vargo (2/3) (Vargo was unable to continue
for the third fall) … Red Berry and George Dusette drew (45:00) (1-1) … Bob Gregory b.
Monte LaDue (13:24) … Don Sugi Matsura and Sheik MarAllah drew (30:00) …
(promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Don McDonald)
Notes:  Katonan was called an ex-light heavyweight champion.  “Danny McShain now has
the light heavyweight crown, having trounced Katonan Tuesday night in Hollywood,”
according to the local newspaper report.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, September 3, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonen b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Jesse James b. World
Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry (2-0) (non-title match) (first fall by DQ) … Bob
Gregory b. Don Sugi Matsuda (12:39) … Bobby Coleman and Silent Rattan drew (20:00)
… (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Lew Gordon) … (physician:  Dr. R.M. Jones)
Notes:  McShain reportedly won the World Light Heavyweight Title from Katonen, and in
one advertisement on Tuesday, he was called the “present champion.”  The newspaper
indicated that this championship has “changed hands five time (sic) in the past five weeks
and at present is held by Wild Red Berry.” In the Thursday newspaper, it was said that
Berry won it back from Danny McShain on Monday night in Hollywood.  Initially, Red Berry
refused to wrestle in the semi-final because he said a champion shouldn’t wrestle under
the main event.  The promoter explained to him that the line-up was arranged before he
had regained the championship.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, September 10, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Jesse James b. Red Berry (2/3) … Billy Vargo b. Bob Gregory (2-0)
… Gust Johnson b. Monte LaDue … Bobby Coleman b. Sheik MarAllah (14:45) …
(promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Pat O’Brien)
Notes:  Johnson was billed as being from Sweden and LaDue from France.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, September 17, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Jesse James b. Billy Vargo (2/3) … Paavo Katonen b. George
Dusette (2/3) … Bobby Coleman b. Gust Johnson … Rosey Rosenbaum b. Silent Rattan
… (promoter:  Steve Strelich)
Note:  Strelich called the Vargo-James the “greatest wrestling match ever presented in
Bakersfield.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, September 24, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Jesse James (2/3)
… Dick Raines b. Ed Payson (2/3) … Bobby Coleman b. Hugh Adams … Rosey
Rosenbaum and Sheik MarAllah drew (45:00) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich)

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, October 1, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Ray Steele b. Dick Raines (2/3) … Paavo Katonen b. Billy Weidner
(Weidner was unable to continue for the third fall) … Bobby Coleman and Billy Vargo
drew (45:00) … Ed Payson b. Pete Peterson (2-0) … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) …
(referee:  Tiger McGee)
Notes:  The Bakersfield Californian stated that Ray Steele “drew the largest crowd to a
wrestling match in New York City.” Coleman and Vargo wrestled “a truly fine exhibition of
wrestling,” according to the report.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, October 8, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry and Paavo Katonen
drew (Berry won the first fall, and during the second, a four inch cut was opened above
Katonen’s eye) (the referee halted the match because of that cut) … Bobby Coleman b.
Bob Gregory (2/3) … Billy Vargo b. Billy Weidner (2/3) … Charlie Hart b. Rosey
Rosenbaum … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Pat O’Brien)

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, October 15, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Yukon Jake (2/3)
… Mike Mazurki and Ed Payson drew (1-1) … Bobby Coleman b. Sammy Cohen … Don
Sebastian b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Bull Montana)

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, October 22, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry vs. Paavo Katonen
… Billy Vargo vs. Yukon Jake … Gil Knudsen vs. Don Sebastian … Hugh Adams vs. Ted
Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve Strelich)

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, October 29, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonen b. Red Berry to capture the World Light
Heavyweight Title (during the second fall, Berry, after he had won the first fall, hit the
referee) (the referee stopped the match and declared Katonen the winner) … Don
Sebastian and Billy Vargo drew (1-1) … Yukon Jake b. Sheik MarAllah (2-0) … Rosey
Rosenbaum b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Pat O’Brien)
Notes:  Extreme violence was expected going into the Berry-Katonen title grudge match.  
It would exceed their last fracus in “sheer savagery,” as the paper noted.  Katonen was
given the $250 side bet he had with Berry and the “gorgeous” silver championship belt.  
Berry planned to protest the decision.

*According to a newspaper report in the Bakersfield Californian, the California “state
wrestling board of authority” failed to recognize Paavo Katonen as the World Light
Heavyweight champion despite his win on October 29.  “Berry’s protest held Katonan’s
championship status in doubt.” A formal decision was expected in the next week.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, November 5, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonen b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) (Kasaboski won the first fall
in 27 seconds) … Bobby Coleman b. Yukon Eric (2/3) … The Black Dragon b. Don
Sebastian (2-0) … Sheik MarAllah b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) …
(referee:  Tiger McGee) … (physician:  Dr. R.M. Jones)
Note:  Katonen was billed as a claimant to the World Light Heavyweight Title.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, November 12, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonen b. Yukon Jake ( (2/3) … Billy Vargo b. Paul Bozzell
(2-0) … Jimmy Goodrich and Don Sebastian drew (1-1)  … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) …
(referee:  Lou Gordon)
Notes:  Katonen was billed as a claimant to the World Light Heavyweight Title “according
to Bakersfield reckoning.” Bozzell “used to be known as the Black Panther.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, November 19, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paavo Katonen b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Paul Bozzell b. Yukon
Jake (2/3) … Bobby Coleman b. Jimmy Goodrich … Gene Blackley and Ted Tourtas drew
(20:00) ... (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Bull Montana)
Notes:  Katonen was still billed as a claimant to the World Light Heavyweight Title.  
Goodrich was said to have been a “former football player for the late Knute Rockne.”
McShain “just returned from an eastern tour.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, November 26, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Paavo Katonen (Katonen hit the referee, who
awarded the match to McShain) … Billy Vargo b. Paul Bozzell (2/3) (third by DQ) … Jesse
James and Don Sebastien drew (1-1) … Jimmy Goodrich b. Steve Strelich … (promoter:  
Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Jack Allen) … (benefit for the Disabled American Veterans)
Notes:   Katonen was still billed as a claimant to the World Light Heavyweight Title.  Jesse
James was “from Camp Roberts now.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, December 3, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Red Berry b. Paavo Katonen to capture the latter’s claim to the
World Light Heavyweight Title (Katonen was unable to continue for the third fall) …
Bobby Coleman b. Paul Bozzell (2-0) … Yukon Jake b. Don Sebastian … Jimmy Goodrich
b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) … (referee:  Bull Montana) … (announcer:  
Bill Powers)
Notes:  The rematch between Berry and Katonen was ordered by the California State
Athletic Commission to straighten out the title mess.  Katonen was billed as the “present
champion of the world.”

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, December 10, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Paul Bozzell b. Red Berry … Paul Bozzell b. Danny McShain …
Danny McShain b. Yukon Jake … Yukon Jake b. Bobby Coleman (2-0) (Jake was a
substitute for Billy Marcus) … Ted Tourtas b. Paul Matty … (promoter:  Steve Strelich) …
(referee:  Lou Gordon)
Note:  A four-man elimination tournament.

Bakersfield, California:  Wednesday, December 17, 1941
(Strelich Stadium) … Red Berry b. Paul Bozzell (2/3) … George Dusette and Danny
McShain drew (1-1) … Paavo Katonen b. Bobby Coleman (Coleman was unable to
continue for the second fall) … Don Sebastian b. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:  Steve
Strelich) … (referee:  Pat O’Brien)

*There would be no show on Wednesday, December 24, 1941 at Strelich Stadium
because of Christmas Eve, promoter Steve Strelich announced.  Wrestling would be
resumed after the first of the year.


Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 13, 2010
Bakersfield Wrestling Results - 1941