Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Wednesday, January 18, 1933
(Knights of Columbus Gymnasium) … Earl Kirk b. Joe McCarty to capture the undisputed rights to
the Colorado Springs light heavyweight title (2-0) … Arley Orcutt b. Alvin Coyle to win the
“unofficial middleweight championship of El Paso county” (2/3) … Fat Neece b. George Adams
(Adams was a substitute for Norman Robinson) … (referee:  Pete Grobe) … (judges:  Billy
Theleman, Earl Thornton) … (timekeeper:  Don Lawrie)
Notes:  Going into the match, both Earl Kirk and Joe McCarty claimed to be the Colorado Springs
light heavyweight champion.  Kirk was said to be a “former Colorado Springs high school boy.”
Orcutt was from Calhan and Coyle was from Colorado Springs.  Jack Jackson challenged the
winner of the main event.  Speedy Powell was originally booked to be on the program, but his
opponent, Billy Morton, failed to show.

*The Sunday, January 22, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that Colorado was
likely going to become a member of the National Wrestling Association.

*The Thursday, February 9, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette stated that the Colorado
state senate passed a bill putting the governing of professional wrestling under the jurisdiction of the
Colorado State Boxing Commission.  “The bill provides a $5 annual fee for professional wrestlers;
$10 for managers and $5 for seconds.”

*The Friday, March 3, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that the Colorado
House of Representatives passed the wrestling bill, putting jurisdiction of grappling under the rule of
the boxing commission.

*The Saturday, March 18, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette said that Colorado Governor
Ed C. Johnson signed the bill placing wrestling under the rule of the state boxing commission.  Five
per cent of all gate receipts would be given to the commission, and all competitors, managers,
referees, promoters, and others would have to be licensed.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Monday, March 20, 1933
(Eagles Hall) … Joe McCarty b. Arley Orcutt (2/3) … Sparky Adams b. Jack Jackson (2/3) …
George “Smoky” Adams b. Ed Cox (2/3)
Notes:  The newspaper mentioned that McCarty was mistakenly announced as the Colorado Springs
light heavyweight champion, and that Earl Kirk held that title.  George and Sparkey Adams were
brothers.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Monday, March 27, 1933
(Knights of Columbus Gymnasium) … Jack Jackson b. Earl Kirk (2/3) (Jackson was said to be the
light heavyweight champion of Denver) … Joe McCarty b. Fat Neece (2-0) … Smoky Adams and
Joe Jeffries drew (20:00) … (referee:  Pete Grobe) … (70 fans)

*In the Friday, April 7, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette, it was reported that Nick
Velcoff of Kansas City was in the city the day before looking for interest in bringing “big time”
wrestling to the area.  “If interest is sufficient to indicate that such a circuit might be made to pay,
these cities may have some wrestling shows in the near future.” Velcoff “mined coal in northern
Colorado years ago, and has several relatives living in that part of the state.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Monday, April 17, 1933
(Eagles Hall) … Earl Kirk b. Arlie Orcutt to become the champion of El Paso county (2/3) … Joe
McCarty b. Fat Neece and Smoky Adams (handicap affair, McCarty had to beat both in sixty
minutes) … Kid Stevenson and Speedy Powell drew (15:00) … (large crowd)
Note:  Smoky Adams challenged Fat Neece after their handicap loss.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Thursday, June 1, 1933
(City Auditorium) … Gus Sonnenberg b. Ted Thye (2-0) … Joe McCarty b. Al “Wildcat” Coyle
(2/3) … Fat Neece and Mack Springer drew (30:00) … (promoter:  Abe Marylander) … (small
crowd) … (gate:  $300)
Notes:  Abe Marylander reportedly had lost money in his last two boxing shows.  He received a
telegram that Gus Sonnenberg was traveling from the west to the east, and stopping in Colorado
Springs.  “This was followed yesterday by a visit from Walter Miller, Sonnenberg’s manager.” Miller
also wanted to arrange a bout for Denver.  The Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper report on May
25, 1933 said that “Sonnenberg held the [world heavyweight] title for four years (sic) preceding
December 1930, when he lost to Don George.” Sonnenberg was said to be coming into the area
from Omaha.  Marylander had a lot of promotion for this show.  After the program, the paper said it
was a “heart-breaker” for the promoter, and that turn out was disappointing.  He asked, “When they
won’t even turn out for a former champion, what can a man do?”

*The Thursday, June 22, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette stated that Abe Marylander
quit his promotion of boxing to “busy himself in the future only with big time wrestling.” The boxing
business was going to be taken over by his former partner C.F. DeBerardine of New York City.  
Marylander was said to be continuing as a “silent partner.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Thursday, August 3, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … Juan Humberto b. Tony Marconi (2/3) … Jack Anderson b.
George Rein (2-0) … Henry Clausen b. Fat Neece (countout) … (promoter:  Abe Marylander) …
(referee:  Pete Grobe) … (timekeeper:  George Henderson) … (300 fans)
Notes:  Anderson was from Fort Collins.  Rein was from Denver.  Despite another dismal turnout,
Marylander said he was going to give it one more shot.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Thursday, August 17, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … Gus Sonnenberg b. Tony Marconi (2-0) … Jack Jackson and
George Rein drew (1-1) … Earl Kirk b. Fat Neece … (promoter:  Abe Marylander) … (referee:  Pete
Grobe) … (large crowd)
Notes:  The newspaper said it was the best grappling show Marylander had staged.

*The Saturday, August 26, 1933 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette said that Abe Marylander
had secured a booking for Ed “Strangler” Lewis “from the New York booking agency representing
Lewis.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Thursday, August 31, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis vs. Juan Humberto … other matches include
Jack Jackson and George Rein … (promoter:  Abe Marylander)
Notes:  Marylander was forced to cancel this program when Lewis sent a telegram saying that his
wife was “seriously ill” and that he was forced to cancel all of his scheduled matches.  Instead, he
was working to book World Heavyweight Champion Jim Browning for an appearance in Colorado
Springs.  It should be noted that on Thursday, August 31, 1933, Lewis was in San Francisco, where
he beat Charlie Santan.  Also that Lewis’s wife, Elaine Tomaso Friedrich, passed away on October
27, 1933.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Monday, September 4, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … World Heavyweight Champion Jim Browning b. Bob Kruse (21:50)
… Rudy LaDitzi and Al Sparks drew (1-1) … George Koverly b. George Rein (2-0) … (promoter:  
Abe Marylander) … (referee:  Billy Theleman)
Notes:  Browning was going to arrive in Colorado Springs on Sunday from Los Angeles.  He was
said to be “champion in New York state and all states affiliated with the New York association.”
LaDitzi was said to be from Poughkeepsie and Sparks from Logan, Utah.  Sparks was a “former
Utah Aggies football hero.” Browning was booed on several occasions “as he scrambled for the
ropes…to escape punishing toe holds.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Friday, September 15, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis vs. Jack Sampson … Jack Jackson vs.
George Rein (for the Colorado light heavyweight title) … Rudy LaDitzi vs. (?) … (promoter:  Abe
Marylander)
Notes:  The local newspaper said that Marylander “was forced to guarantee Lewis a king’s ransom”
to appear.  On September 15, a night after wrestling in Denver, the “Strangler” was in Salt Lake
City, where he was defeated by Nick Lutze, not in Colorado Springs.  For the second time, Lewis
skipped out on a bout in the Springs.

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Wednesday, September 27, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … John Freberg b. Al Sparks (2/3) (Sparks was unable to continue
after missing a flying tackle and landing in the ringside seats) … Jack Sampson b. Rudy LaDitzi
(DQ) … Nick Elitch and George Koverly drew … Jack Jackson b. Joe McCarty (12:15) …
(promoter:  Abe Marylander) … (referee:  Billy Morton)

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Thursday, October 5, 1933
(Broadmoor Riding Academy) … Gus Sonnenberg b. George Koverly (2/3) … Rudy LaDitzi b. Nick
Elitch … Al Sparks b. John Freberg (33:11) … (promoter:  Abe Marylander)
Notes:  The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that this was “Sonnenberg’s one-thousandth match
as a professional wrestler.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  Wednesday, October 18, 1933
(City Auditorium) … George Koverly b. Rudy LaDitzi (2/3) (third fall by DQ) (the combined heel
tactics by both men nearly sent the crowd into a full-fledged riot) … Nick Elitch b. Chris Nelson (14:
43) … Jack O’Dell and Al Sparks drew (30:00) … George Rein b. Joe McCarty (14:39) …
(promoter:  Abe Marylander) … (referee:  Pete Grobe)

*A basic search was conducted through the rest of the year and no shows were found.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
August 18, 2007
Colorado Springs Results - 1933