Boston, Massachsuetts:  Wednesday, January 5, 1938
(Boston Arena) … Pat Schaeffer b. Tony Papalino (1:04:00) … Seelie Samara b. Ted Germaine
(18:01) … Bull Berini and Gild Sparrow drew (20:00) … Chipeewa Charley b. Dutch Schmidt (10:
26) … Lee Chang and Mickey Travis drew (30:00) … Armson LeDionne b. Frank Eident (DQ) (17:
01) … Ike Goldberg and Sandy MacDonald drew (30:00) … (promoter:  Charley Gordon)
Notes:  Seelie Samara was called the “head man of the Gordon cohorts.” This was the sixth year
of Gordon’s promotion in Boston.

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 5, 1938
(Mechanics Building) … “Rebel” Bob Russell b. Tony Colasano (2-0) … Harry Finkelstein and
Jack Marshall drew (30:00) … Al Staples b. Andy Brown (12:59) … Bill Doyle b. Marshall Muise (5:
09) … Walter Lipson and Lt. Wendell O’Dell drew (20:00) … Joe Dempsey b. Sandy MacDonald
(6:14) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn)
Notes:  Harry Finkelstein was from Dorchester.  Russell was originally booked against Tommy Rae
of Springfield.

Boston, Massachusetts:  Friday, January 7, 1938
(Boston Garden) … Everette Marshall b. Ed Don George (35:26) … Steve Casey b. Chief
Saunooke (19:08) … Roy Dunn b. Billy Bartush (26:59) … Cliff Olson b. Tom Hanley (7:03) …
The Sheik b. Richard Stahl (2:13) … Al Mercier and Joe Swan drew (15:00) … (promoter:  Paul
Bowser) … (referee:  Charley Donnell)
Notes:  Reportedly, the top two matches were part of an elimination series to determine a singular
titleholder.  It was called a “championship tourney,” by Boston Globe writer Tom Fitzgerald.  
Between the Casey-Saunooke and the Marshall-George bout, Seelie Samara, the “dusky ruler of
the opposing Gordon troupe across town,” and his “official cicerone” Jim McDonald, entered the
ring, and issued challenges.  Dunn was called the “poker-faced proponent of razzle-dazzle from
the Alamo country.” The Sheik was called “mysterious,” and was dressed in a “turban and flowing
robes.”

Salem, Massachusetts:  Friday, January 7, 1938
(North Street Arena) … Steve Passas b. Abe Rothberg (2/3) … Mike Rogoski and Yankee Hall
drew

*A report in the January 11, 1938 edition of the Boston Globe stated that Yvon Robert and Danno
O’Mahoney were going to possibly wrestle in the near future, their sixth bout, and that the
American Wrestling Association was a “mystical” organization.  The Association, reportedly, had
“declared Bronko Nagurski, the West Coast title cliamant, out of the current ‘championship
tourney.’”

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 12, 1938
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Seelie Samara b. Frank Eident (2-0) … Ted
Germaine and Tony Papalino b. Bill Dolan and Pat Schaeffer (30:04) (team match) … Bull Berini
and Don Manners drew (20:00) … Everett Fields and Sandy MacDonald drew (20:00) … Lee
Chang and Chippewa Charlie drew (20:00) … Ike Golberg and Eddie Holt drew (30:00) … Armand
Dionne b. Leo Newhall (17:47) … (promoter:  Charley Gordon)
Notes:  Samara was “champion of the troupe,” and was defending his laurels tonight.  Gordon was
introducing the “team match” to Boston wrestling fans.  During the show, a member of the Paul
Bowser syndicate appeared and accepted the challenge of Samara to wrestle one of Bowser’s
grapplers in an inter-troupe scrap.  Bowser’s pick was Billy Bartush.

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 12, 1938
(Mechanics Building) … Jesse James b. Joe Dempsey (2-0) … “Rebel” Bob Russell b. Jack
Marshall (13:23) … Harry Finkelstein b. Al Staples (14:09) … Lt. Wendell O’Dell b. Stuart Sears
(14:29) … Bill Doyle and Les Ryan drew (20:00) … Pat Riley b. Richard Stahl (17:27) …
(promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Jack Sharkey)
Note:  No show next week.

*The Friday, January 14, 1938 edition of the Boston Globe announced that “New Mat Sensation,”
Lou Thesz was going to wrestle in Boston next week against Rudy Dusek.  He had recently
defeated Everette Marshall for the “corn belt banner.”

Worcester, Massachusetts:  Tuesday, January 18, 1938
( ) … Danno O’Mahoney b. George Clark (2/3) … Chief Saunooke b. Hymie Olson … Tom Kaiva
and Hans Steinke drew (30:00) … World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Floyd Marshall (12:
36)

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 19, 1938
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Seelie Samara vs. Billy Bartush … Ted
Germaine vs. Eddie McNeil … Tony Papalino vs. Everett Steele … Chippewa Charlie vs. Ike
Goldberg … Don Mauners vs. Pat Schaeffer … (promoter:  Charley Gordon)
Notes:  Bartush was considered a “capable policeman” who was going to “answer the claims of a
rival promoter.” According to the “boys,” Bartush was “eminently fitted” to cross town and wrestle
Samara.  The Boston Globe said that this was a “real shooting match.” Gordon had previously
said that Bowser and his forces were ducking him and his wrestlers.  Samara’s championship was
backed by “a couple of puzzling organizations known as the Massachusetts and United States
Wrestling Associations,” according to the paper.  They were “equally mystical in origin and
operation as the American Wrestling Association.” If Samara was to win, Tom Fitzgerald of the
Globe predicated, he’d probably be pit against Yvon Robert or Steve Casey at the Garden,
where, if Bartush was to win the championship, he’d likely lose it to Robert.  There was no results
of this show printed in the Globe despite the massive amount of publicity.  In the January 24
edition of the Globe, it was said that Samara “gave the old heave-to to Billy Bartush.”

Boston, Massachusetts:  Friday, January 21, 1938
(Boston Garden) … AWA World Heavyweight Champion Yvon Robert b. Danno O’Mahoney (1:14:
15) … World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Rudy Dusek (10:14) … Roy Dunn and Chief
Osley Sanooke drew (20:00) … Len Macaluso and Jack Zarnas drew (15:00) … The Sheik b.
Harry Finkelstein (2:05) … Cliff Olson b. Stanley Pinto (11:45) … (promoter:  Paul Bowser) …
(referee:  Al McCoy, heavyweight boxer)
Notes:  Robert was still managed by Eddie Quinn.  Tom Fitzgerald of the Boston Globe had a long
piece about Lou Thesz, the “New Mat Power,” in the January 20, 1938 paper.

Salem, Massachusetts:  Friday, January 21, 1938
(North Street Arena) … Zimba Parker b. “Wild” Bill Collins (2-0) … Les Ryan b. Billy Doyle (28:00)
… Jack Gagnon and Abe Rothberg drew (20:00) … Jack Marshall and Mike Telligen drew (20:00)
… Jack Cortland and Dick Stahl drew (20:00)

Worcester, Massachusetts:  Tuesday, January 25, 1938
( ) … Steve Casey b. Chief Saunooke (2-0) … The Sheik b. Tom Hanley … Jack Zarnas b. Al
Gestavich … Roy Dunn and Tommy Rae drew (30:00)

*The Wednesday, January 26, 1938 edition of the Boston Globe stated that officials from the
American Wrestling Association, “which administers grappling affairs in this territory, yesterday
announced that it had passed Yvon Robert’s title to Louis Thesz, the midwestern titleholder,
because of Yvon’s refusal to agree to a match between the pair at the Garden Feb. 11.”

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 26, 1938
(Boston Arena) … Art O’Mahoney b. Ted Germaine (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Seelie Samara
b. Chippewa Charlie (12:36) … Armond LeDionne b. Dutch Schmidt … Carmon Carone b. Bull
Berini … Sandy MacDonald and Pat Schaeffer drew (20:00) … Ike Goldberg and Everett Steele
drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Charley Gordon)
Note:  Art O’Mahoney was a middleweight grappler, who was returing “after a summer spent in
Irish rings.” He was from Cork, Ireland, and while there, he captured the Free State middleweight
championship from Shaun McKeown.  One of Steve Casey’s brothers, Pat, was a persistent
challenger to O’Mahoney’s title, as was Casey’s brother-in-law, Mike Howley.

Holyoke, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, January 26, 1938
( ) … Steve Casey b. Mike Mazurki (27:12) (Casey used a stepover toehold, which was said to
have torn a ligament in Mazurki’s knee)
Note:  Mazurki was reportedly going to be out of action for a month.

*The Thursday, January 27, 1938 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported the following:  
“Promoter Tom Packs’ office announced today it had been notified by the American Wrestling
Association, which claims jurisdiction over New England states and Canada, that it has withdrawn
its recognition of Yvon Robert as world champion, and now recognizes Louis Thesz, St. Louisan,
whom Robert refused to meet.  A wire from Thomas F. Gleeson of New York, president of the
Association, said the action was taken in an attempt to help straighten out the muddled title
situation, according to Packs’ office.  An attempt by Boston promoter Paul Bowser to match Thesz
and Robert on Feb. 11 apparently failed and because of Robert’s refusal to meet Thesz, the
association took its action, it was said at the local promoter’s office.”

*The Monday, January 31, 1938 edition of the Boston Globe stated that Steve Casey was going to
replace Yvon Robert in the scheduled bout with Lou Thesz on February 11.

*The Monday, January 31, 1938 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch said that Lou Thesz was
going to get a guaranteed $12,500 or 37 ½ per cent of the gate to wrestle Steve Casey on
February 11 at Boston Garden.  Casey was going to receive $6,500 or 12 ½ per cent.

Worcester, Massachusetts:  Tuesday, February 1, 1938
( ) … Danno O’Mahoney b. Hans Steinke (2/3) … Tom Kaivalara b. Joe Kujoc … Assim Habim b.
Dick Stahl

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, February 2, 1938
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Seelie Samara vs. Tor Johnson … Art O’
Mahoney vs. Sailor Adams (2/3) … Ted Germaine vs. Armand LeBonne … Carmon Carone vs.
Ike Goldberg … Ed McNeil vs. Everett Steele … Frank Eident vs. Pat Schaeffer … (promoter:  
Charley Gordon)
Notes:  Tor Johnson was said to be the next representative of the Paul Bowser troupe to face off
with one of Gordon’s wrestlers.  Samara was said to have “knocked off Billy Bartush.” Johnson
was the “daddy of the ‘Our Gang’ fat boy,” according to the Boston Globe, and weighed 325
pounds.  There were no results in that paper.

*In his Tuesday, February 8, 1938 column in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, John Wray explains that
the Boston promoters would be upset if Ernie Dusek upset Thesz for the championship that
evening.  He said that in the February 11 bout in Boston, “three championship belts would be at
stake: Robert’s, Thesz’ and the $10,000 (whew!) belt handed down the Ed Lewis line.  Robert’s
refusal to surrender his belt cuts the prize list down to two belts.” He predicted that Thesz would
still have his championship after the Casey affair.

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, February 9, 1938
(Boston Arena) … Sandy MacDonald b. Paul Adams to capture the World Light Heavyweight Title
(2/3) (MacDonald was a substitute for Art O’Mahoney, who was injured while wrestling Adams
earlier) … Ted Germaine b. Izzy Goldberg in the finals of a battle royal (Chippewah Charlie and
Dave Mann were eliminated) … Jack Lutze and Pat Schaeffer drew (30:00) … Mike Casey and
Tony Papalino drew (20:00) … Bruno Garibaldi and Ed McNeil drew (20:00) … Seelie Samara b.
Tony Celli (11:40) … (promoter:  Charley Gordon) … (4,000 fans)
Notes:  Eight minutes in his match with Paul Adams, O’Mahoney suffered a hemorrhage of the
spinal cord and was taken to City Hospital in critical condition.  Tests were going to take place to
find out the extent of his injury.  O’Mahoney was wrestling Adams for the latter’s light heavyweight
title when he was injured and was replaced by Sandy MacDonald.  It was announced in the
February 10 paper that O’Mahoney was “much improved and in no danger.”

Boston, Massachusetts:  Friday, February 11, 1938
(Boston Garden) … Steve Casey b. Lou Thesz to capture the World Heavyweight Title (2/3)
(Thesz won the first fall with a series of headlocks in 29:25, Casey took the second with two flying
mares in 11:45, and then the third in 30:15 with his “patented” Killarney Flip.”) … Cliff Olson b.
Chief Saunooke (14:48) … George Clark and John Paul Jones drew (15:00) … Ed Don George b.
Pat Reilly (24:21) … Harry Maumos and Bibber McCoy drew (10:00) … The Sheik b. Les Ryan (5:
02) … Wee Willie Davis b. Angelo Loreno (8:25) … Hans Steinke b. Joe Swan (4:18) …
(promoter:  Paul Bowser) … (in attendance:  members of the Irish boxing team) … (12-14,000
fans)
Notes:  Thesz was said to be defending the “corn title,” a midwestern championship.  The paper
played up the fact that Thesz was the son of a wrestler, who had competed as an amateur in
Hungary.  It was said to be the largest crowd for wrestling at the Garden in more than two years.  
After the match, the wife of English wrestler Bob Gregory, Valerie, gave the new champion a belt
“emblematic of the corn belt supremacy.” Valerie Gregory was the “daughter of the Rajah of
Sarawak.” Tom Fitzgerald of the Boston Globe predicted some sort of “mat renaissance” locally
with the surprising success of this show.  Bowser now had two champions under his umbrella,
Casey and Robert, the writer indicated.

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, February 16, 1938
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Seelie Samara b. Wee Willie Davis (21:19) …
World Light Heavyweight Champion Sandy McDonald b. Pat Schaeffer (2-0) … Ted Germaine b.
Chippewa Charlie (18:35) … Tony Papalino b. Carmon Carone (12:47) … Ed McNeil b. Jack
Springer (11:56) … Mike Casey and Jack Lutze drew … Bruno Garibaldi and Ike Goldberg drew
… (promoter:  Charley Gordon) … (3,000 fans)
Notes:  Samara was called the “champion of the Gordon troupe” and the “dusky heavyweight title
claimant of the Gordon grappling guild.  He still wanted a match with Yvon Robert or Steve
Casey.  The paper said he had “been bowling over the other members of the rival camp [Bowser
syndicate] with the greatest of ease.” Davis was a member of the Bowser organization. McDonald
was the new light heavyweight champion, defending his crown here.  Paul Adams, the former
champion, “held the title for a couple of years.”

Salem, Massachusetts:  Friday, February 18, 1938
( ) … Fred Bruno and Zimba Parker were both disqualified (26:00) … Chief Saunooke b. Tor
Johnson … Black Mask and Yankee Hall drew … Wendell O’Dell b. Joe Dempsey … Lloyd Stewart
and Buck Wyman drew … (referee:  Al Rodriguez)

Boston, Massachusetts:  Wednesday, February 23, 1938
(Boston Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Seelie Samara b. Hans Steinke (2-0) (Steinke
refused to return to the ring for the second fall) (22:21) … Dynamite Dunn and Ed McNeil drew
(30:00) … Pat Schaeffer b. Ali Baba (15:33) … Chippewa Charlie b. Ike Goldberg (12:10) … Tony
Papalino b. Walter Lipson (10:45) … Art O’Mahoney b. Bruno Garibaldi (9:24) … Mike Casey and
Ted Germaine drew (15:00) … (promoter:  Charley Gordon)

Boston, Massachusetts:  Friday, February 25, 1938
(Boston Garden) … Yvon Robert b. Cliff Olson (2/3) … Pietro Gobbo b. Tor Johnson (5:44) …
The Sheik b. Bibber McCoy (17:45) … Tommy Rae and Pat Reilly drew (20:00) … Roy Dunn and
Al Mercier drew (15:00) … Chief Saunooke b. Tom Hanley (10:03) … (promoter:  Paul Bowser) …
(referee:  Ted Tonneman)
Notes:  Olson was called a “former University of Minnesota athlete and orchestra leader.” He was
promised a bout with Steve Casey if he beat Yvon Robert.  Olson had reportedly been chasing
Robert for a match for a long time, and it was said that Robert believed that Olson “holds some
sort of jinx” over him and “fears a recurrence of his leg injury” after Olson broke his leg during a
match in Washington D.C.  Robert also had to beat Olson to get to Casey.  Robert “claims he still
holds the [championship] belt in escrow and that, while Casey may be champion of some sections,
he’s not champion of Yvon Robert Esq.” Pietro Gobbo, an Italian wrestler, was “under the wing” of
Stanislaus Zbyszko, and weighed 240 pounds.  “Press releases say that Gobbo has chalked up a
long string of wins in Europe,” according to the Globe.  Zbyszko was announced to the crowd.  
Gobbo reportedly “upheld his reputation as professional strong man by actually hoisting the 325-
pound Nordic over his head before gaining the fall” over Johnson.





Boston, Massachusetts:  July 19, 1938
(Fenway Park) ... World heavyweight Champion Steve Casey vs. Dick Shikat
Notes:  Shikat was said to be 34 to Casey's 27 years of age.  He'd had 1,100 matches in 12 years
of wrestling in the United States and only lost five times, to Ed Lewis, Jim Londos, Everette
Marshall, Ali Baba, and Jim Browning.  This was said to be Casey's 200th American bout after 300
amateur and pro bouts in Europe.  Casey had never been beaten, only losing falls to Yvon Robert
and Lou Thesz.  Shikat trained at Buckley's Gymnasium and Casey at Kelley and Hayes' Gym.








Research by Tim Hornbaker
February 28, 2011
Boston Wrestling Results - 1938