Bakersfield CA: January 7, 1953 (Wednesday)
(Strelich Stadium) ... Joe Pazandak & Lou Newman beat Hombre Montana & Vincent
Lopez (2-1) ... Warren Bockwinkel beat Ed Gardenia (2-0, dq) ... Juan Hernandez drew
Buck Davidson (45:00, 1-1)

Bakersfield CA: January 14, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone drew Joe Pazandak (60:00, 1-1) ... Brother
Frank Jares & Danny Savich beat Juan Hernandez & Vic Christy (2-1) ... Warren
Bockwinkel beat Lou Newman (2-1) ... NOTE: Channel swimmer Florence Chadwick, a
local gal, was a ringsider after being escorted from Los Angeles -- and back -- by wrestler
Vic Christy ... Joe Pazandak billed as "the erstwhile TV champion"

Bakersfield CA: January 21, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... (Handicap) Joe Pazandak beat Karl Davis & Zebra Kid (2-0) ...
Frank Jares & Danny Savich drew Vincent Lopez & Warren Bockwinkel (45:00, 1-1) ...
Johnny Demchuk beat Juan Hernandez (16:20)

Bakersfield CA: January 28, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Joe Pazandak beat Hombre Montana (2-1) ... Referee: Joe Woods
... Warren Bockwinkel & Jesse James beat Frank Jares & Danny Savich (45:00, 1-0, only
fall) ... Lee Grable beat Buck Davidson (22:49)

Bakersfield CA: February 4, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone drew Joe Pazandak (60:00, 0-0) ... Referee:
Joe Varga ... Wild Red Berry beat Jesse James (2-1) ... Warren Bockwinkel beat Frank
Jares (2-1) ... Pepi Pasquale beat Tom Renesto ... Promoter: Steve Strelich

Bakersfield CA: February 11, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Warren Bockwinkel (2-1, dq) ... Referee:
Stanley Pinto ... Wild Red Berry & Joe Pazandak beat Vic Christy & Lou Newman (45:00,
1-0, only fall) ... Ali Pasha beat Tony Morelli (23:11)

Bakersfield CA: February 18, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Wild Red Berry & Joe Pazandak beat Juan Hernandez & Hombre
Montana (sub for Warren Bockwinkel) (2-1) ... (Midgets) Fuzzy Cupid beat Gentleman Jim
Corbett ... Ali Pasha beat Jack Britton (16:21) ... NOTE: Promoter Steve Strelich told the
assemblage Bockwinkel's shoulder had been broken in a Monday night match in
Hollywood CA.

Bakersfield CA: February 25, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Wild Red Berry beat Dr. Lee Grable (2-1) ... (Midgets) Little Beaver
& Gentleman Jim Corbett beat Great Schultz & Fuzzy Cupid ... Juan Hernandez drew Jack
Britton

Bakersfield CA: March 4, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Wild Red Berry & Joe Pazandak beat Dr. Lee Grable & Jesse James
(sub for Gino Garibaldi) (2-1) ... Ali Pasha beat Tom Renesto (2-1) ... Ed (Big Flower)
Gardenia drew Peppi Pasquale (45:00, 1-1) ... NOTE: Promoter Steve Strelich told the
crowd Garibaldi suffered an eye injury the Monday night in Phoenix AZ during a
championship match with Lou Thesz.

Bakersfield CA: March 11, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Danny Savich beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... (Midgets) Little Beaver &
Prince Halassies beat Great Schultz & Fuzzy Cupid ... Ali Pasha beat Jack Britton (27:26)
... Referee: Ted Grice

Bakersfield CA: March 18, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Wild Red Berry beat Danny Savich (2-1) ... Gino Garibaldi & Kenny
Ackles beat Ali Pasha & Chris Zaharias ... Vic Christy beat Ed Gardenia

Bakersfield CA: March 25, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Warren
Bockwinkel & Gino Garibaldi drew Joe Pazandak & Brother Frank Jares (60:00, 1-1) ... Ali
Pasha beat Vic Christy (20:40)

Bakersfield CA: April 1, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Mr. Moto (2-1) ... Dennis Clary & Kenny
Ackles beat Joe Pazandak & Ali Pasha (45:00, 1-0, only fall) ... Pablo Martinez beat Bob
Corby (14:17)

Bakersfield CA: April 8, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Dennis Clary & Kenny Ackles beat Mr. Moto & Jack (Sockeye)
McDonald (2-1) ... Tony Morelli drew Warren Bockwinkel (45:00, 1-1) ... John Cretoria
beat Pepper Gomez (dq) ... NOTE: "Pepper Gomez, an untidy character (to say the least)
was disqualified for unnecessary roughness in his match with Honest John Cretoria." --
Bakersfield CA Californian, Apr. 9, 1953

Bakersfield CA: April 15, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Warren Bockwinkel (2-1) ... Jack
McDonald beat Kenny Ackles (2-1) ... Fred Blassie beat Tony Morelli (22:57) ... Dr. Lee
Grable beat Jim Mitchell (as Black Panther) (13:09)

Bakersfield CA: April 22, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Jack McDonald & Tony Morelli beat Fred Blassie & Kenny Ackles
(2-1) ... Warren Bockwinkel drew Gino Garibaldi (45:00, 1-1) ... Pepper Gomez beat Ali
Pasha (dq) ... NOTE: "Pepper Gomez, a remarkably scrupulous gladiator, had a
disagreeable time with Ali Pasha -- until Ali Pasha was disqualified for unnecessary
roughness." -- Bakersfield CA Californian, Apr. 23, 1953'

Bakersfield CA: April 29, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... (Tournament Final) Fred Blassie beat Tony Morelli (1:19) ...
(semifinals) Fred Blassie beat Jesse James (10:45) ... Tony Morelli beat Kenny Ackles
(10:26)  ... (second round) Tony Morelli beat Pat Meehan (9:25) ... Fred Blassie beat
Sockeye Jack McDonald (22 seconds) ... (first round) Sockeye Jack McDonald beat
Dennis Clary ... Jesse James beat Ali Pasha ... Fred Blassie beat Danny Savich (15:00,
dec)  

Bakersfield CA: May 6, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Gorgeous George beat Warren Bockwinkel (2-1) ... Jack (Sockeye)
McDonald & Fritz Schnabel drew Kenny Ackles & Billy Varga (45:00, 1-1) ... Pat Meehan
beat Howard Cantonwine (16:42)

Bakersfield CA: May 13, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Joe Pazandak beat Sockeye Jack McDonald (2-1) ... Billy Varga &
Kenny Ackles drew Tony Morelli & Mel Peters (45:00, 1-1) ... Pepper Gomez beat Jim
Mitchell (as Black Panther) (16:27)

Bakersfield CA: May 20, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone drew Billy Varga (sub for Dave Levin) (60:00,
0-0) ... Tony Morelli & Ali Pasha beat Jesse James & Kenny Ackles (2-1) ... Dennis Clary
beat Hans Schnabel (2-1)

Bakersfield CA: May 27, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Billy Varga &
Warren Bockwinkel drew Jack (Sockeye) McDonald & Ali Pashas (45:00, 1-1) ... Juan
Hernandez beat Mel Peters (2-0) ... NOTE: Leone defended the "Pacific Coast
championship" ... Fan dancer Sally Rand was at ringside and appeared in the ring during
intermission

Bakersfield CA: June 3, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... (Midgets) Little Beaver & Tuffy McRae beat Tom Thumb & Vito
Gonzales ... Billy Varga beat Sockeye Jack McDonald ... Ali Pasha beat Kenny Ackles

Bakersfield CA: June 10, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Billy Varga beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Tony Morelli & Ali Pasha
beat Johnny Demchuk & Manuel (Peppi) Pasquale (2-1) ... Dennis Clary beat Hans
Schnabel (as The Great Schnabel) (2-1)

Bakersfield CA: June 17, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Warren Bockwinkel & Billy Varga beat Abe Kashey & Sockeye Jack
McDonald (2-1) ... Referee: Stan Pinto ... Steve Novak beat Ali Pasha (2-1) ... Johnny
Demchuk beat Kenny Ackles

Bakersfield CA: June 24, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Abe Kashey (sub for Gino Garibaldi) beat Warren Bockwinkel (2-1)
... Bud Curtis drew Fred Blassie (45:00) ... Johnny Demchuk beat Lee Savoldi (10:00) ...
Jesse James drew Tom Renesto (20:00)

Bakersfield CA: July 1, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Sockeye Jack McDonald beat Fred Blassie (2-1) ... Billy Varga beat
Abe Kashey (2-1) ... Bud Curtis beat John Tolos (dq) ... Johnny Demchuk drew Peppi
Pasquale ... NOTE: McDonald annexed the first fall in 15:45 with a knee drop; Blassie
squared accounts with a "reverse spinning neckbreaker" in 3:20, before quickly losing
the decider to a neckbreaker in 50 seconds ... Promoter Steve Strelich announces
wrestling will shift to Tuesday in two weeks.

Bakersfield CA: July 8, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Dave Levin beat Jack McDonald (2-0, dq) ... Referee: Joe Varga ...
Abe Kashey beat Dennis Clary (2-1) ... Johnny James beat Red Shoes Dugan (15:27) ...
Ted Christy drew Ray Ortega (20:00)

Bakersfield CA: July 14, 1953 (Tuesday)
(Strelich Stadium) ... Baron Michele Leone beat Dave Levin (2-1) ... Larry Hamilton beat
Abe Kashey (2-1) ... Ted Christy beat Warren Bockwinkel (15:03) ... Peppi Pasquale
drew Tom Renesto (20:00) ... NOTE: This was the first time in 15 years wrestling had not
been held on Wednesday ... Promoter Steve Strelich refuses to let his town go the way of
Santa Ana, El Monte and Oceanside, plus outlying L.A. arenas like Pico and Southwest --
all of which have succumbed to the power of wrestling television.

Bakersfield CA: July 21, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Tommy O'Toole & Pat Fraley beat Billy Varga & Dave Levin (2-1) ...
Referees: Hank Metheny, Jack Kenyon ... Larry Hamilton beat Ted Christy (2-0, dq) ...
Juan Hernandez drew Bud Curtis (45:00, 1-1)

Bakersfield CA: July 28, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Tommy O'Toole beat Larry Hamilton (2-1) ... Al Lovelock (as Great
Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Pat Fraley (2-1) ... Dave Levin beat Bud Curtis (22:21) ... Juan
Hernandez beat Tom Renesto

Bakersfield CA: August 4, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Enrique Torres beat Tommy O'Toole (2-0) ... Al Lovelock (as Great
Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Sockeye Jack McDonald (2-0) ... Dave Levin drew Ted Christy
(30:00) ... Juan Hernandez beat John Cretoria (16:14) ... NOTE: Torres billed as "Pacific
Coast titleholder"

Bakersfield CA: August 11, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Gino Garibaldi  (sub
for Mr. Moto) (2-1) ... Referee: Ted Grice ... Wild Red Berry beat Dave Levin (2-1) ...
Juan Hernandez beat Bud Curtis (dq) ... Dennis Clary drew Ted Christy (20:00)

Bakersfield CA: August 18, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Gino Garibaldi (2-1)
... Referee: Stanley Pinto ... Fred Blassie beat Bud Curtis (2-1) ... Billy Varga beat Jack
(Sockeye) McDonald (16:04) ... Ted Christy beat Juan Hernandez (12:23)

Bakersfield CA: August 25, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Fred Blassie (2-0) ...
Gino Garibaldi beat Bud Curtis (2-1) ... Don Arnold beat Ted Christy (22:12) ... Dave
Levin beat Juan Hernandez (sub for Crybaby Bob Corby) (12:21)

Bakersfield CA: September 1, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) w/Louie Miller beat Wild Red Berry (2-1)
... Gino Garibaldi drew Don Arnold (45:00, 1-1) ... Dave Levin beat Ted Christy (18:04,
dq) ... Ray Gideon beat Lee Savoldi (8:14) ... NOTE: Gideon is better known as Johnny
(Red Shoes) Dugan

Bakersfield CA: September 8, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Don Arnold beat Bud Curtis (sub for Lord Leslie Carlton) (2-1) ...
Wild Red Berry beat Lee Savoldi (2-0) ... Mike DiBiase beat Dave Levin (18:04) ... Ivan
Rasputin (245, of Russia) beat Ted Christy (12:17) ... NOTE: Promoter Steve Strelich
said, the next day, he would ask the state commission to suspend Carlton for his no-show.

Bakersfield CA: September 15, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) & Louie Miller beat Wild Red Berry &
Don Arnold (2-1) ... Referees: Hank Metheny, Jack Denning ... Mike DiBiase drew Ray
Gideon (60:00, 0-0) ... Pete Peterson beat Ray Ortega (15:34)

Bakersfield CA: September 22, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Don Arnold & Miguel (Black) Guzman beat Al Lovelock (as Great
Bolo) & Louie Miller (2-1) ... Ray Gideon (of Cleveland OH) beat Lee Savoldi (of Hoboken
NJ) (2-1) ... Prince (Big Head) Maivia w/Coconut Willie beat Pat Fraley ... NOTE: Coconut
Willie was equipped with a "native" war drum, upon which he belted out a steady rhythm
as his barefooted principal dished out enough bolo chops to take down the veteran
Fraley.

Bakersfield CA: September 29, 1953 (Tuesday)
(Strelich Stadium) ... Mike DiBiase & Don Arnold beat Al Lovelock (as Great Bolo) w/Louie
Miller & Tom Renesto (2-1) ... Miguel (Black) Guzman beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Rey
Urbano beat Ray Gideon ... Referee: Jack Kenyon

Bakersfield CA: October 6, 1953 (Tuesday)
(Strelich Stadium) ... Danny McShain beat Miguel (Black) Guzman (2-1) ... Wild Red Berry
beat Mike DiBiase (2-1) ... Rey Urbano beat Ted Christy (19:57, dq) ... Frenchy Roy beat
Tom Renesto (14:24) ... Promoter: Steve Strelich

Bakersfield CA: October 13, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Danny McShain beat Wild Red Berry (sub for Miguel Guzman) (2-1)
... Billy Varga beat Rey Urbano (2-1) ... Don Arnold beat Lord Anthony (sub for Chico
Gracia) (14:04) ... Frenchy Roy drew Bob Cummings (20:00)

Bakersfield CA: October 20, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Danny McShain & Hans Schnabel beat aDon Arnold & ic Christy
(2-1) ... Billy Varga beat Dennis Clary (2-1) ... Frenchy Roy beat Lee Savoldi (sub for Dr.
Lee Grable) (23:40)

Bakersfield CA: October 27, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Danny McShain beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Referee: Joe Varga ...
Billy Varga drew Hans Schnabel (45:00, 1-1) ... (Midgets) Pee Wee James beat Vito
Gonzales ... Dennis Clary drew Don Arnold (20:00) ... NOTE: "An unscheduled bit of
action was supplied by an overzealous fan who used his cigar to painfully burn
Schnabel's right hand."

Bakersfield CA: November 3, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Lord Blears w/Captain Holmes beat Hans Schnabel (2-1) ... Frenchy
Roy beat Wild Red Berry (2-1, dq) ... Billy Varga drew Antone Leone (45:00, 1-1) ... Don
Arnold drew Ted Christy (20:00)

Bakersfield CA: November 10, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Lord Blears & Billy Varga beat Hans Schnabel & Antone Leone (2-1)
... Dennis Clary beat Ted Christy (2-1) ... Frenchy Roy drew Johnny Demchuk (45:00,
1-1)

Bakersfield CA: November 17, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Lord Blears beat Dennis Clary (2-1) ... (Midgets) Tuffy McRae & Pee
Wee James beat Sky Low Low & Vittorio Gonzales ... Rey Urbano beat Jack Britton (2-1)

Bakersfield CA: November 24, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Lord Blears beat Al Lovelock (as "unmasked Great Bolo") (2-1) ...
Referee: Benny Ginsberg ... Don Arnold & Dennis Clary drew Hans Schnabel & Jack
(Sockeye) McDonald (45:00, 1-1) ... Antone Leone beat Vic Christy (2-1) ... Referee:
Jack Kenyon ... NOTE: Lovelock had been unmasked Nov. 12 by Lou Thesz before 7,200
at Olympic Auditorium

Bakersfield CA: December 1, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Hans Schnabel & Jack McDonald beat Don Arnold & Dennis Clary
(2-1) ... Johnny Demchuk beat Wild Red Berry (2-1) ... Rey Urbano beat Ted Christy (utc)

Bakersfield CA: December 8, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Dave Levin & Lord Blears beat Hans Schnabel & Sockeye Jack
McDonald (2-1) ... Frenchy Roy beat Johnny Demchuk (2-1) ... Rey Urbano beat Tom
Renesto (2-1) ... NOTE: Renesto generally was billed by promoter Steve Strelich as
"Tony Renestou," or some variation thereof.

Bakersfield CA: December 15, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Leo Garibaldi & Dave Levin beat Jack McDonald & Antone Leone
(2-1) ... Don Arnold drew Warren Bockwinkel (45:00, 1-1) ... Frenchy Roy beat Rey
Urbano (2-1)

Bakersfield CA: December 22, 1953
(Strelich Stadium) ... Mr. Moto beat Dave Levin (2-1) ... Antone Leone beat Leo Garibaldi
(2-1) ... Tom Renesto beat Steve Strelich (18:33) ... Juan Hernandez beat Frenchy Roy
(18:18) ... Promoter: Steve Strelich ... NOTE: Final show of the year.


Research by J Michael Kenyon
Bakersfield Wrestling Results - 1953