Boston Wrestling Results

Boston, Massachusetts: Friday, January 4, 1929
(Boston Garden) ... Gus Sonnenberg b. Ed "Strangler" Lewis to capture the World
Heavyweight Title (Sonnenberg won the first fall in 29:46, then the second by countout
when Lewis was outside the ring at the 10 count) ... Dan Koloff b. George Walker (26:20)
... Howard Cantonwine and Fred Meyers drew (30:00) ... Stanley Stasiak b. Tommy Draak
(21:08) ... Bob "Bibber" McCoy b. Sam Skorsky (8:20) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ...
(referee: Leon Burbank) ... (20,000 fans) ... (gate: $72,000)
Notes: The day before the match, Bowser had the advance sale at $65,000, and some
predicted it may exceed $100,000. Other had it around $75,000. Sonnenberg trained at
Toland's Gymnasium and worked out with Dan Koloff and Jack Albright. Sandow, prior to
the match, was going to give Lewis' championship belt to Bowser, and it would go to the
winner - Sonnenberg if he won. Sonnenberg was managed by Jimmy Brown and weighed
around 198 pounds. Thousands of fans were turned away. Sonnenberg was presented
with Lewis' $10,000 championship belt after winning the bout. Billy Sandow, Lewis's
manager, protested the decision, saying that one of Ed's legs were inside the ropes when
Sonnenberg pinned him. Lewis was accompanied to the ring by Sandow, Tommy Draak,
and Jerry Sullivan. Before the match, Bowser and Joe Malcewicz, who was to wrestle the
winner, were introduced. Among those in attendance: Governor Frank Allen, his wife
and mother-in-law, his secretary John Wright, John F. Fitzgerald, Louis K. Liggett, Carl
Dennett, Laurence Beebee, Harold B. Beebee, Thomas L. Walsh, Leo H. Leary, Ralph
Hornblower, Arthur L. Race, Clement M. Durnhome, Rudolph Weld, Mosley Taylor,
Prescott Bigelow, and many others. Before the match, Sonnenberg promised a boy's
organization that he'd wrestle in Manchester, New Hampshire if he won the title.

Boston, Massachusetts: January 24, 1929
(Grand Opera House) ... "Farmer" George McLeod b. Dr. Karl Sarpolis (2-0) ... Henri
DeGlane b. Frank Bruno (21:25) ... Dan Koloff and Bob "Bibber" McCoy drew ... Joe
Malcewicz b. Jack Ganson (29:50) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: January 31, 1929
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe Malcewicz b. Joe "Bull" Komar (2-0) ... Bob "Bibber" McCoy
b. Cyclone Ress ... Henri DeGlane b. Tony Felice ... "Farmer" George McLeod b. Jack
Ganson (40:38) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: February 7, 1929
(Boston Arena) ... Joe Malcewicz b. "Farmer" George McLeod (2:00:44) (flying tackle) ...
Bob "Bibber" McCoy b. Harry Dellamano (11:30) ... Charles Hansen and Stanley Pinto
drew (30:00) ... Bull Komar b. George Walker (21:40) ... Freddie Meyers b. Charles Metro
(14:05) ... Mike Nazarian b. Jake Schaefer (11:45) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (5,000
fans)
Note: Malcewicz earned a match with Joe Stecher.

Boston, Massachusetts: Thursday, February 21, 1929
(Boston Arena) ... Joe Malcewicz b. Joe Stecher (2/3) ... Joe Maloney and Ivan Mikaloff
drew (10:00) ... Freddie Meyers and Mike Nazarian drew (10:00) ... Pat McGill b. Cowboy
Rogers (11:00) ... Henri DeGlane and Charles Hansen drew ... "Farmer" George McLeod
b. Dan Koloff (32:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (referee: Leon Burbank) ... (6,000
fans)
Notes: Malcewicz earned a title match with Gus Sonnenberg. The DeGlane-Hansen
match was said to be a "combination boxing-wrestling" bout and Hansen wrestled
barefoot.

Boston, Massachusetts: February 28, 1929
(Boston Arena) ... Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. "Farmer" George McLeod (2/3) ... Howard
Cantonwine and Pat McGill drew (45:00) ... Freddie Meyers b. Ivan Mikaloff (14:40) ...
Bob "Bibber" McCoy b. Chares Metro (16:19) ... Henri DeGlane b. John Maloney (11:02)
... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (4,500 fans)
Notes: Cantonwine used a flying tackle. Lewis outweighed his opponent by 40 pounds.

*On March 11, 1929, Gus Sonnenberg visited Massachusetts Governor Allen at the State
House, where he demonstrated his flying tackle. Moving pictures were made of the
demonstration. A picture of Sonnenberg shaking Gov. Allen's hand appeared in the
March 12, 1929 edition of the Boston Globe.

Boston, Massachusetts: Friday, March 15, 1929
(Boston Garden) ... World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Joe Malcewicz (2-
0) (31:20, 25 seconds) (flying tackle) ... Joe Shimkus b. John Maloney (10:40) ... Jack
Ganson and Mike Nazarian drew (20:00) ... Stanley Pinto b. Frank Dutcher (8:10) ... Dan
Koloff and Freddie Meyers drew (30:00) ... Jack Wagner b. Mike Dellamano (3:10) ...
(promoter: Paul Bowser) ... (referee: Leon Burbank) ... (18,000 fans) ... (gate: $52,000)
Notes: Sonnenberg's belt was valued at $10,000. Malcewicz was managed by Dr.
Edward B. Sullivan. Sonnenberg was managed by Doc Brown. Prior to the show,
Sonnenberg trained at Kelly and Hayes' Gymnasium, while Malcewicz worked out at
Toland's.

Boston, Massachusetts: April 4, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Joe DeVito b. Jack Ganson (2-0) (52:35, 1:30) … Matros
Kirilenko b. Nick Gotch (37:10) … Dan Koloff and Pat McGill drew (30:00) … (promoter:
Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: April 11, 1929
(Grand Opera House) ... Joe DeVito b. Stanley Pinto (2-0) ... Stanislaus Zbyszko b. Ned
McGuire (38:00) ... Dan Koloff b. Cyclone Ress (25:00) ... John Kilonis and Charles Metro
drew (30:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: April 18, 1929
(Boston Arena) … Joe DeVito b. Stanislaus Zbyszko (2-0) … Stanley Stasiak b. Stanley
Pinto (32:00) … Jack Ganson and Freddie Meyers drew (15:00) … Andy Brown and Pat
McGill drew (30:00) … Mike Nazarian b. Charles Metro (25:30) … (promoter: Paul
Bowser) … (small crowd)
Note: DeVito earned a bout with George McLeod next Thursday.

Boston, Massachusetts: April 25, 1929
(Boston Arena) … Joe DeVito b. “Farmer” George McLeod (1:37:51) … Stanley Stasiak
b. Jack Ganson (20:35) … Pat McGill b. Andy Brown (30:00) (flying tackle) … Charles
Metro b. Ivan Ludlow … Matros Kirilenko and Freddie Meyers drew (30:00) … (promoter:
Paul Bowser) … (8,000+ fans)
Notes: DeVito earned a bout with Stasiak. Ganson was said to be from South Boston.

Boston, Massachusetts: May 2, 1929
(Boston Arena) … Joe DeVito b. Stanley Stasiak (2-0) (42:10, 8:43) … Jose Dominques
b. Arthur Davis … Stanley Pinto b. Charles Metro … Bibber McCoy b. Andy Brown … Pat
McGill and “Farmer” George McLeod drew (40:00) … (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Note: Dominques was said to be a boxer-wrestler from Spain.

Boston, Massachusetts: May 16, 1929
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Joe DeVito (2-0)
(45:19, 21:28) … Marin Plestina b. Andy Brown (3:00), Sam Skorsky (2:01), Freddie
Meyers (3:59) (Plestina had to beat all three in 30:00 and accomplished the feat in under
10:00) … Jack Ganson b. Axel Anderson (11:00) … Bibber McCoy b. Arthur Davis (10:
20) … Wladek Zbyszko b. “Goose” Belling (13:00) … (promoter: Paul Bowser) …
(referees: Sam Smith (main event), Jack Donnell (preliminaries) … (8,000 fans)
Notes: As Sonnenberg and DeVito walked to the ring, Plestina followed them and
challenged Sonnenberg. Two police officers had to escort Plestina away from the ring.
Anderson was said to be from Quincy and Belling from New Zealand. Smith was from the
Boston YMHA.

Boston, Massachusetts: May 28, 1929
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Marin Plestina (2-0)
(45:00, 10:04) (flying tackle) … Dan Koloff b. Stanley Pinto (14:29) … George McLeod
and Freddie Meyers drew (20:00) … John Spellman and Wladek Zbyszko drew (20:00) …
Jack Wagner b. Andy Brown (15:20) … Jack Ganson and Charles Hanson drew (20:00)
… (promoter: Paul Bowser) … (10,000 fans)
Notes: Sonnenberg was said to have been guaranteed $10,000 for this match and if he
lost, Plestina had to meet him again within 30-days. Plestina was 40 pounds heavier and
8” taller than his opponent, making him the slight favorite going into the match. He
trained at Toland’s Gymnasium. After the match, David F. Egan of the Boston Globe
wrote that the “trust buster is busted.” It had been reported that Plestina had been
dodged by Stecher, Caddock, and Lewis. Egan also wrote that Plestina “has no color, no
speed, no glint,” but that Plestina nearly took a fall on two occasions in their match.

*The Boston Globe reported on June 10, 1929 that a Gus Sonnenberg-Ed Lewis match
may be held next month. Lewis signed a $25,000 guarantee for the bout. It may be held
at Fenway Park. Paul Bowser was talking to the president of the Boston Red Sox, Bob
Quinn, and Bob McKirdy, matchmaker for the Arena A.C., who had an option on the park.

*On June 11, 1929, Massachusetts Representative Abraham Casson of Boston initiated a
bill that would give the State Boxing Commission authority to regulate professional
wrestling. He noted that since police and fire department officials were often required to
help at wrestling events, promoters should be forced to contribute to the state as boxing
promoters had to.

*On June 15, 1929, the Boston Globe reported that Sonnenberg and Lewis would meet
on July 9 at Fenway Park. Sonnenberg accepted an offer of $75,000, making it a
$100,000 total purse for the main event. Sonnenberg’s fee was the largest amount ever
paid to a wrestler in the history of the sport. Lewis didn’t want Leon Burbank to referee.
Bowser’s first show as a promoter drew as little as $115, and believed this program could
have a gate of $150,000.

Boston, Massachusetts: July 9, 1929
(Fenway Park) ... World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Ed "Strangler" Lewis
(2/3) (Lewis won the first fall in 17:41, Sonnenberg won second in 18:38, Sonnenberg
won the third in 2:50) .. Joe Turner b. Al Thomas (11:55) ... Charlie Manugian and Mike
Nazarian drew (15:00) ... Axel Anderson and Stanley Stasiak drew (15:00) ... Marin
Plestina and Wladek Zbyszko drew (15:00) ... World Middleweight Champion Charles
Fischer and Charlie Cripp drew (15:00) ... Joe Wagner b. Stanley Pinto (11:00) ...
Charles Hansen and George McLeod drew (15:00) ... (promoter: Paul Bowser) ...
(referee: Frank Herrick) ... (25,000 fans) ... (gate: $90,000)
Notes: Lewis trained at Toland's Gymnasium on Friend Street and a large crowd was in
attendance. He trained with Abe Kaplan, George McLeod, and Marin Plestina. Chicago
promoters Doc Krone and Joe Coffey offered the winner of the Lewis-Sonnenberg bout
$50,000 to wrestle an opponent selected by the Illinois Commission. Sonnenberg trained
at the Ferncroft Inn before the bout. Referee Herrick was from Providence and wrestled
at Brown University. Lewis handled Sonnenberg his first pinfall loss during the first fall.
In attendance were Jack Curley, John Krone, Joe Coffey, Samuel P. Luzzo of the Illinois
Athletic Commission, Edward G. Foster of Rhode Island, and Thomas Donohue of
Connecticut.

Boston, Massachusetts: October 10, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Pat McGill b. Jack Jansen (2/3) … Bibber McCoy and Joe
Wagner drew … Alex Anderson b. Charles Donnell (11:00) … (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Note: Anderson was from Quincy.

Boston, Massachusetts: October 17, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Pat McGill b. Freddie Meyers (2/3) … Bibber McCoy and
Stanley Stasiak drew (45:00) … Axel Andreasson vs. Jake Schaeffer … (promoter: Paul
Bowser)
Note: Andreasson was “Axel Anderson.”

Boston, Massachusetts: October 24, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Pat McGill b. John Grandovich (2-0) … Alex Andreasson b.
Arthur Davis (10:12) … Carl Lemle b. Ivan Michaloff (25:30) … (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: October 31, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Pat McGill b. August Benkert (2-0) (9:52, 1:36) … Henri
DeGlane and Carl Lemle drew (30:00) … John Grandovich and Bibber McCoy drew (45:
00) … (promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: November 7, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Pat McGill b. Abe Kaplan (2/3) … Bibber McCoy b. Harry
Mammus … Freddie Meyers b. Jack Albright (8:35) … (promoter: Paul Bowser)
Notes: McGill earned a match with Gus Sonnenberg. Mammus was from Springfield.

Boston, Massachusetts: November 13, 1929
(Mechanics Building) … World Heavyweight Champion Dick Shikat b. George Manich (2-
0) (18:33, 4:53) … George Calza b. Rudy LaDitzi (7:00) … Hans Steinke b. Bull Komar
(DQ) … Jim McMillen b. Charles Bankhorst (16:30) … Karl Pojello b. Glen Wade (dec., 30:
00) … (promoter: Billy Avery) … (referees: Lou Magnolia, Ritchie Randolph) … (3,500
fans)
Notes: David F. Egan stated in the Boston Globe that Shikat made a “drab debut” and
that he failed to impress fans. This was the opening of a wrestling war between Avery
and Paul Bowser. Jim McMillen used a “rough imitation of Sonnenberg’s flying tackle,”
which received a cheer from the crowd. During the Steinke-Komar match, Magnolia
disqualified Komar after the latter gouged Steinke’s eye. It was called “alleged wrestling”
by the newspaper. Magnolia and Randolph were from New York, and it seems that this
New York group brought its own referees because there was no formal regulation of pro
wrestling in Massachusetts yet. The Pojello-Wade bout was said to be perhaps the best
of the night. Bankhorst was said to have been tattooed.

Boston, Massachusetts: November 14, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Bob “Bibber” McCoy b. Freddie Meyers (2-0) (41:41, 13:00) …
Henri DeGlane b. Frank Yusko (34:43) … Harry Mammus b. Jack Albright … (promoter:
Paul Bowser)
Note: McCoy was from Cambridge.

Boston, Massachusetts: November 21, 1929
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Gus Sonnenberg b. Pat McGill … Joe
DeVito vs. Joe Malcewicz … Henri DeGlane vs. Harry Mammus … Ed George vs. Ivan
Ludlow … Freddie Meyers vs. Mike Nazarian … (promoter: Paul Bowser) … (referee:
Sam Smith)
Note: This was Sonnenberg’s first local appearance since his July match against Ed
Lewis.

Boston, Massachusetts: November 27, 1929
(Mechanics Building) … George Calza b. Bull Komar (2-0) (50:00, 22:00) … World
Welterweight Champion Jack Reynolds b. Jackie Rogers (15:00) … Karl Pojello and Glen
Wade drew (60:00) … Jim McMillen and Ray Steele drew (30:00) … Kola Kwariani b. Ned
McGuire (7:00) … (promoter: Billy Avery) … (5,000+ fans)
Notes: Rogers was a University of Michigan football star from Flint, Michigan. The
football background of anyone appearing on Avery’s shows were played up in the press,
indicative of trying to lure supporters of Sonnenberg and the latter’s style to the
opposition shows. The Boston Globe (11/28/29) butchered the names of Pojello
(Bourgello), Kwariani (Kivariani) and McMillen (“Bob McMillian”).

Boston, Massachusetts: November 28, 1929
(Grand Opera House) ... Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. Joe DeVito (2/3) (DeVito won the first fall
in "one minute," and it "appeared to be a fluke" ... Henri DeGlane and John Grandovich
drew (30:00) ... Ed George b. Nicholas Nester (31 seconds) (Nester was a substitute for
Charley Donnell of Norwood) ... Joe Malcewicz and Pat McGill drew (45:00) ... (promoter:
Paul Bowser) ... (referee: Leon Burbank) ... ("big" crowd in attendance)

Boston, Massachusetts: December 5, 1929
(Boston Arena) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Pat McGill (2/3) … Bob “Bibber” McCoy b. Joe
DeVito (DQ) (33:00) … Henri DeGlane b. John Grandovich (28:00) (pinwheel spin) … Ed
George b. Sam Skorsky (1:10) … Carl Lemle and Harry Mammus drew (15:00) …
(promoter: Paul Bowser) … (referee: Charles Donnell)
Notes: McCoy was said to be undefeated. DeGlane’s pinwheel spin was a “strange and
unusual hold.”

Boston, Massachusetts: December 11, 1929
(Mechanics Building) … Jim McMillen b. George Hagen (2/3) … Jim Londos b. Joe “Bull”
Komar … George Calza and Bob Olsen drew (30:00) … Hans Steinke b. Ivan Demetroff
(7:20) … Fred Mazullo b. Joe Linnehan …(promoter: Billy Avery) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: Avery was a “southern promoter.” Linnehan was from Cambridge.

Boston, Massachusetts: December 12, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Henri DeGlane b. Joe DeVito (2/3) … Ed George b. Frank
Yusko (10:37) … Jack Ganson and Stanley Stasiak drew (45:00) … Jack Albright and Bill
Dolan drew (20:00) … (promoter: Paul Bowser) … (small crowd)
Notes: This marked Dolan’s professional debut. The Boston Globe reported that
George “displayed more holds than has perhaps ever been before presented by a
wrestler in this part of the country.” McCoy was originally slated to wrestle DeVito in the
main event, but appeared in South Boston the Friday before and found that he had a
boil. He had surgery and told not to wrestle for a few weeks.

Boston, Massachusetts: December 19, 1929
(Mechanics Building) … World Heavyweight Champion Dick Shikat b. Charley Blackstock
(2-0) (13:30, 3:30) … Bull Komar and Hans Steinke drew (30:00) … Karl Pojello b. Joe
Mario (22:00) … Tommy Record b. Frank Thompson (12:15) … (promoter: Billy Avery)
… (referee: Cyclone Burns)
Notes: Shikat was originally booked to wrestle George Hagen, but Hagen’s trail from
Albany was late. Avery told the audience that all ticket holders would get in free when
Shikat met Hagen the following week. Record was a coach at St. Mark’s.

Boston, Massachusetts: December 19, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Henri DeGlane b. Jack Ganson … Ed George b. Bob Wilke (5:
07) … Dr. Lurich b. Sam Skorsky (7:30) … Count Zarynoff b. Ivan Ludlow (9:25) …
(promoter: Paul Bowser)

Boston, Massachusetts: December 25, 1929
(Grand Opera House) … Bob “Bibber” McCoy b. Joe DeVito (1:28:10) … George
Kotsonaros and Joe Malcewicz drew (45:00) … Ed George b. Arthur Davis (1:40) …
Stanley Stasiak b. John Podubny (15:03) … (promoter: Paul Bowser) … (capacity crowd)
Notes: Malcewicz was booked to wrestle Jack Ganson, who was ill and unable to appear.
The newly appointed wrestling coach at Boston University, Frank Dellamano, was
announced from ringside as Malcewicz’s new opponent, but the crowd apparently
expressed displeasure in that decision. Kotsonaros, who was in the crowd as well,
stepped up and wrestled the match.

Boston, Massachusetts: December 27, 1929
(Mechanics Building) … World Heavyweight Champion Dick Shikat b. George Hagen (2-
0) (33:00, 3:30) … Jim Londos b. Buck Olson (38:00) … Bull Komar and Kola Kwariani
drew (30:00) … John Paxos b. Charlie Fox (33:30) … Karl Pojello and Mike Romano drew
(30:00) … (promoter: Billy Avery)
Notes: The Boston Globe stated that this was Shikat’s third local showing and “by far his
best.” Fox was a policeman from Cleveland.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
May 13, 2011

Boston Wrestling Results - 1929