
Denver, Colorado: Wednesday, January 3, 1934 (City Auditorium) … Everette Marshall b. George Zaharias to capture a full claim to the Colorado State Heavyweight Title (1-0) (two hours) (Marshall won the only fall in 1:35:00) … Johnny Atkins b. Billy Evans (27:00) (dropkick) … (promoter: Jack Kanner) … (referee: Joe Severini) … (2,000 fans) … (gate: $2,032) Notes: Prior to the match between Marshall and Zaharias, the two wrestlers were threatened with suspension by the Coloraedo State Commission if they didn’t adhere to the rules and regulations. Zaharias was reportedly making his Denver wrestling debut here. Marshall beat Billy Evans at La Junta on Monday, and stayed at his father’s ranch. The winner of the bout would be recognized as the Colorado Heavyweight Champion. Marshall had previously claimed the title, but Zaharias said the championship was as much his as it was Marshall’s. The Denver Post stated that “Everette has been patterning his style after Ed (Strangler) Lewis, who as champion was always the villain of the piece.” The paper indicated that Marshall was once a “gentlemanly grappler,” but he was no longer such. Zaharias claimed he lost 15 pounds in the bout and Marshall ten, which the latter claimed was customary for any bout lasting more than an hour. The gate was reportedly the largest in two years and “hundreds” of fans from other parts of Colorado, particularly Southern Colorado, attended the program. Atkins was said to have introduced “Joe Savoldi’s dropkick for the first time to a local crowd.” Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 19, 1934 (City Auditorium) … Everette Marshall b. Dr. Karl Sarpolis (34:00) (airplane spin) … Fred Peterson b. Johnny Atkins (28:00) .. Jack Jackson and Jim Prout drew (20:00) … (promoter: Jack Kanner) … (referee: Dan Darnell) … (3,000 fans) … (gate: $2,149.80) Notes: Sarpolis was called the “famous Cleveland chiropractor.” He was reportedly a “noted radio singer and is also said to play the violin in creditable fashion.” The Denver Post stated that “Sarpolis’ wrestling career started while he was a student at University of Chicago. While there he won the light-heavyweight championship of the Big Ten. Turning professional in 1926 after leading an orchestra in musical comedy, the doctor immediately became a sensation.” He was said to have wins over both Zbyszkos, John Freberg, Joe Malcewicz, and drew the largest crowd with Jim Londos to see a bout in San Francisco. Billy Sandow was claiming the world heavyweight champion on behalf of Marshall, basing the claim “on the fact Marshall ran Jim Browning out of the ring at Kansas City recently.” Fred Peterson was the Missouri champion. P.R. “Reddy” Gallagher of the Denver Post wrote that Marshall “looks more like a champion with every appearance.” Sandow made a speech from the ring, declaring that “Marshall was the closest approach to Frank Gotch he had ever seen.” Pueblo, Colorado: Friday, March 23, 1934 ( ) … Everette Marshall b. Herschel Eakins (2-0) Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 26, 1934 (City Auditorium) … Everette Marshall b. Fred Peterson (1:04:00) … Otto Utt b. Jack Knocke … Johnny Atkins b. Samuel Relfanyder … (promoter: Jack Kanner) … (“not so good” house) Notes: Utt was a “Pueblo strong man,” and Relfanyder was from Rocky Ford. Both were making their Denver debut. Kanner wanted to pit Marshall against a known wrestler and wanted to schedule his next show in mid-April. Research by Tim Hornbaker November 8, 2007 |
| Denver Wrestling Results - 1934 |
