Boston Wrestling Results

Boston, Massachusetts: January 5, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe Malcewicz b. Charles Hansen (2/3) (UTC for third fall) ...
Stan Stasiak b. Charlie Rogetti (40:00) ... Bull Komar b. Harry Stevens (24:00) ... Joe
DeVito b. Al Thomas (10:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: January 16, 1928
(Boston Arena) ... Bull Komar b. Stanley Stasiak (2/3) ... Mike Nazarian b. Jake Schaefer
(9:50) ... Joe DeVito b. Charles Donnell (5:40) ... Charles Hansen b. Abe Kaplan (25:00)
... Alexander Garkenwienko and Jack O'Dell drew (30:00) ... "Farmer" George McLeod b.
Giovanni Vargarini (26:15) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (referees: Leon Burbank, Jack
McGrath)

Boston, Massachusetts: February 2, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... "Farmer" George McLeod b. Charles Hansen (2/3) ... Gus
Sonnenberg b. Charles Donnell (1:30) ... Bull Komar b. Joe Rogacki (46:00) ... Jim
Browning b. Sam Skorsky (13:40) ... Alex Garkenwienko b. Bill Harris (11:50) ...
(promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (large crowd)
Notes: According to the Boston Globe, "Gus Sonenburg, recently of the Dartmouth
football squad, [employed] old gridiron tactics of rushing and tackling low." Donnell was a
policeman. Browning was nicknamed "Peaches." Skorsky was from Chelsea.

Boston, Massachusetts: February 23, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe Malcewicz b. Alex Garkenwienko (2/3) (UTC) ... Jim
Browning b. Charles Hansen (30:26) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. Arthur Davis (3:00) (flying
tackle) ... Leon Labriola and George McLeod drew (30:00) ... Tom Lurich and Earl
Tompkins drew (15:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (large crowd)

Boston, Massachusetts: May 3, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe "Bull" Komar b. Karl Sarpolis (2/3) ... Wayne Munn b.
George Hill (5:30) ... Jack Ganson and Stanley Stasiak drew (20:00) ... Frank Bruno and
Mike Romano drew (20:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: May 10, 1928
(Boston Arena) … Gus Sonnenberg b. Wayne Munn (2-0) (1:19, 25 seconds) … Pat
McGill b. Jack O’Dell (17:30) (airplane spin) … Stanley Stasiak b. Abe Kaplan (15:34) …
“Farmer” George McLeod b. Nick Gotch (18:30) … John Spellman b. Al Thomas (12:30)
… Joe DeVito and Jack Ganson drew … Charles Hansen and Bull Komar drew …
(promoter: Paul Bowser) … (referee: Leon Burbank) … (7,500 fans)
Notes: 10,000 fans were expected for this show. At this point, Sonnenberg had a 27-
match winning streak. He stood 5’7” and weighed around 202. Munn was 11 ½” taller
and had a weight advantage of 70 pounds. David F. Egan called the Sonnenberg bout
"one of the most amazing matches in the modern history of wrestling." It was a "cyclonic
victory" in 1 minute and 44 seconds, and "elevates him overnight to a place among the
leaders in the wrestling sport." Sonnenberg was a "dangerous contender for
championship honors." Munn reportedly entered the match with an injured leg.

Boston, Massachusetts: May 17, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Pat McGill vs. George McLeod ... Leon Labriola vs. Stanley
Stasiak ... Nick Gotch vs. Charles Hansen ... Jack Ganson vs. Bill Komar ... (promoter:
Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: May 24, 1928
(The Arena) ... World Heavyweight Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. "Farmer" George
McLeod (2-0) (52:35, 27:01) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. Jack Ganson (16:20) ... Charles
Hansen b. Leon Labriola (14:40) ... Pat McGill b. Karl Sarpolis (16:55) (airplane spin) ...
Bull Komar b. Abe Kaplan (17:50) ... John Spellman and Stanley Stasiak drew (15:00) ...
(promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (referee: Pat McGill) ... (8,000 fans)
Note: The Boston Globe stated that Sonnenberg was "more impressive than ever
before."

Boston, Massachusetts: May 31, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... John Freberg b. George McLeod (1-0) (UTC) (40:15) ... Bull
Komar and Stanley Stasiak drew (60:00) ... Charles Hansen b. Abe Coleman (29:50) ...
Frank Bruno and Karl Sarpolis drew (30:00) ... John Spellman b. James Brown (14:50) ...
(promoter: Paul Bowser)
Notes: The Boston Globe stated that Freberg had "scored 52 consecutive victories over
the best wrestlers in the middlewest and on the coast." The winner of Freberg-McLeod
was going to wrestle Gus Sonnenberg next week at the Arena. Also, whenever
Sonnenberg appeared, it meant a $10,000 house.

Boston, Massachusetts: June 7, 1928
(The Arena) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. John Freberg (2-0) (29:20, 9:50) ... Stanley Stasiak
b. Karl Sarpolis (25:50) ... Charles Hansen b. Frank Bruno (8:40) (UTC) (flying tackle) ...
World Middleweight Champion Waino Ketonen b. Arthur Davis (21:25) ... Joe DeVito b.
Harry Stevens (19:10) ... Bull Komar and John Spellman drew ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)
... (5,000 fans)
Notes: Freberg gave Sonnenberg trouble in the match and reportedly held him to the
longest time for a single fall (29:20). It was Sonnenberg's 34th straight victory. Hansen
used a flying tackle to win his match.

Boston, Massachusetts: June 14, 1928
(The Arena) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. Charles Hansen (2-0) (39:32, 11:25) (both falls with a
flying tackle) ... Stanley Stasiak b. Bull Komar (2/3) ... Waino Ketonen and Jack Martin
drew (20:00) ... John Freberg b. Frank Bruno ... John Spellman and Harry Stevens drew
(15:00) ... George McLeod b. Karl Sarpolis (17:00) (airplane spin) ... (promoter: Paul
Bowser)
Notes: Sonnenberg's 37th straight win. He earned a match with Ed "Strangler" Lewis for
the World Title.

Boston, Massachusetts: June 20, 1928
(Mechanic's Building) ... Hans Steinke b. Dan Koloff (2-0) (29:00, 6:00) ... Henri DeGlane
and Stanislaus Zbyszko drew (30:00) ... Renato Gardini b. Joe Vargarini (28:08) ... Tom
Travers b. George Connolly (12:08) ... Martin Merkel b. Jimmie Brown ... George Hagen
b. Tom Lurich (12:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Notes: Show was sponsored by the Boston Wrestling Club. Zbyszko gave a speech from
the ring, saying that he'd post a $5,000 forfeit that he could beat Gus Sonnenberg twice
in 60-minutes. He also wanted to battle Ed Lewis. Hagen was said to be a Navy champ.

Boston, Massachusetts: Friday, June 29, 1928
(The Arena) ... World Heavyweight Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. Gus Sonnenberg
(Sonnenberg won the first fall in 37:30, but missed a flying tackle in the second and flew
from the ring) (Sonnenberg was taken to Trumbull Hospital in Brookline) ... Waino
Ketonen b. Jack Fisher (6:00) ... Jose Domingose and John Spellman drew (15:00) ...
Charlie Hansen and Joe "Bull" Komar drew ... Joe Malcewicz and Stanley Stasiak drew
(30:00) ... George McLeod b. John Freberg ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (referee: Pat
McGill) ... (12,000 fans)
Notes: Sonnenberg trained at the Toland's Gymnasium with Doc Brown, and large
crowds were in attendance to see him work out. For the Lewis bout, Sonnenberg was
getting $7,500 from Bowser and Lewis was getting $15,000. Sonnenberg complained
about Ted Tonneman being named the referee, saying that he was always the official for
Lewis's matches. Pat McGill of Wakefield was picked to referee the bout. Sonnenberg
was undefeated so far in his wrestling career, 39-0, spanning the last six months. He was
going to give Lewis "the most savage battle he has ever had in a local ring," according to
the report. It was also billed as the "greatest night in the history of wrestling in New
England." Sonnenberg's wrestling career reportedly started last January in Providence,
and was the underdog going into the bout. On June 27, Sonnenberg was interviewed by
Richard D. Grant of WBET and on June 29, the show was broadcast on WBET by Grant
beginning at 9:00.

*According to the July 3, 1928 edition of the Boston Globe, "yesterday" Gus Sonnenberg
was told to stay in bed for a week, but left Boston instead to visit his parents in Northern
Michigan. He was first going to Providence, then to Detroit.

Boston, Massachusetts: October 11, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Stanley Stasiak b. Paul Grabosky (2/3) ... Ned McGuire b. Jack
Warner (32:15) ... John Spellman b. Joe Messino (26:05) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Notes: Season opener. Grabosky's last name was spelled a number of different ways to
include "Rapowski." He reportedly wrestled Stasiak to a draw in Warsaw "last summer."
He stood 6'4" tall and was from Poland originally.

Boston, Massachusetts: October 18, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Ned McGuire b. Charles Hanson (2/3) (at the 8:00 mark in the
third fall, McGuire tricked Hanson by patting him on the back. Hansen released his hold
and went to the corner, and McGuire capitalized on the mistake and won the fall) ...
Freddie Meyers and Stan Stasiak drew (45:00) ... George Walker b. Jake Schaffer (23:
00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Notes: Meyers was billed as "Henry Meyer" of Chicago in one report. He was an Olympic
champion in 1924 and also the New England AAU National champion. This was his local
debut.

Boston, Massachusetts: October 25, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. Ned McGuire (2-0) (33:40, 13:00) (flying
tackles) ... George Walker b. Nick Gotch (39:30) ... Charles Hanson and Stanley Stasiak
drew (30:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Note: McGuire provided more than the usual opposition for Sonnenberg in their bout.

Boston, Massachusetts: November 1, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... George McLeod b. George Walker (2-0) (18:00, 29:00) ... John
Spellman b. Harry Coleman (25:50) ... Charles Hanson b. Ned McGuire (DQ) (16:20) ...
Freddie Meyers b. Ivan Michaloff (24:10) (reverse double wristlock) ... (promoter: Paul
Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: November 8, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe Malcewicz b. Ned McGuire (2-0) ... Freddie Meyers and
George Walker drew ... Joe DeVito b. Jack Rogers (20:05) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: November 15, 1928
(Grand Opera House) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. George Walker (2-0) (1:22, 14:40) (flying
tackle) ... Freddie Meyers b. Tony Felice (12:00) ... Dan Koloff b. Nick Gotch (1:40) ...
Stanley Stasiak took on "two men at the same time" and beat Frank Dutcher in 4:45 and
Ivan Ludlow in 6:31 ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Research by Tim Hornbaker, Steve Yohe
May 13, 2011

Boston Wrestling Results - 1928