Denver Wrestling Results

Denver, Colorado: Monday, January 2, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Primo Carnera b. The Swedish Angel (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Mr.
America b. Mike London (2-0) … Lefty Pacer vs. Superman … Bad Boy Brown vs. Hardy
Kruskamp … (promoter: Tom Zaharias) … (4,000+ fans)
Notes: Superman was managed by Count Rossi.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, January 9, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Ted “King Kong” Cox b. Bad Boy Brown to capture the “Denver
rough-house title” (1-0) (Brown was unable to return after the first fall) … Mr. America b.
Lefty Pacer (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … The Black Panther and Danny Loos drew (20:00) …
Tex Bodine b. Paul Stafford … (promoter: Tom Zaharias)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, January 16, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Ted “King Kong” Cox b. The Swedish Angel … Mike London b. Bill
“Mr. America” Melby … tag team match was a draw … (promoter: Tom Zaharias)

*Mike London bought the Denver wrestling promotion.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, January 23, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … The Black Panther and Ted “King Kong” Cox b. Bad Boy Brown
and The Swedish Angel (2/3) … Manuel Munez b. Lefty Pacer (2-0) … Salvador Flores
and Mr. America (Bill Melby) drew (20:00) … (promoter: Mike London)
Note: Muniz was said to be a 26 year old grappler from Mexico City.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, January 30, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Salvador Flores and Manuel Muniz b. Bad Boy Brown and Lefty
Pacer (DQ) … Ted “King Kong” Cox vs. Sam Menacker (2/3) … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, February 6, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Manuel Muniz b. Bad Boy Brown (2-0) … The Black Prince b. The
Black Panther (2-0) … Salvador Flores and Lefty Pacer drew … Chief Lone Wolf b. Tex
Bodine (DQ) (2:35) … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, February 13, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Wrestling Tournament … Manuel Muniz b. Lefty Pacer in a
tournament final to capture the vacant Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Title (25:35) … Lefty
Pacer b. The Black Panther … Lefty Pacer b. Salvador Flores (Pacer received a bye into
the finals) … Manuel Muniz b. Paul Stafford … Manuel Muniz b. Bad Boy Brown …
Manuel Muniz b. Ted “King Kong” Cox … other wrestlers in tournament were Black
Prince, Ted Bodine, Danny Loos, Benny Fernandez and Chief Lone Wolf … (promoter:
Mike London)
Notes: Since Gorgeous George left town with his claim to the Rocky Mountain
Heavyweight championship and there was a new promoter in town, a tournament to
determine a new titleholder was scheduled.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, February 20, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Manuel Muniz vs. Tugger
Zeke … Bad Boy Brown vs. Black Prince … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, February 27, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Jack Pappinheim b. Black Prince (DQ) … Tugger Zeke b. Lefty
Pacer (2/3) … Gus Johnson b. The Black Panther … Paul Stafford b. Chief Lone Wolf …
(promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 6, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … The Black Prince b. Tugger Zeke (2-0) (second fall by DQ) …
Leon Kirilenko b. George Shindo … Gus Johnson b. Lefty Pacer … (promoter: Mike
London) … (referee: Bob Sauer)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 13, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Leon Kirilenko vs. George Shindo … Mike Burnell vs. Tugger Zeke
… Black Prince vs. Gus Johnson … (promoter: Mike London)

*Jack Carberry’s column “The Second Guess” in the Denver Post on Tuesday, March 14,
1950 was about George Zaharias. He said that “George Zaharias sang his swan song to
Denver Tuesday,” and going to Chicago. Zaharias was quoted as saying: “When I quit
the wrestling game, selling my promotional interests to my brother Tom, I went into boxing
with the firm intention of reviving the game in Denver, and giving the fans the best
possible shows.” He was said to be the “holder of Colorado’s only professional boxing
license,” and claimed that he was being blamed for allowing the Corky Gonzales-Art
Irlando fight to get away – and be staged in Cheyenne on March 23.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 20, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Black Prince and Leon Kirilenko vs. Jack Pappenheim and Tugger
Zeke … two other matches … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, March 27, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Black Prince vs. Jack Pappenheim … Gus Johnson vs. George
Shindo … Bob DeMarce vs. Tugger Zeke … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, April 3, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … The Black Prince b. Jack Pappenheim (2/3) … Pierre LaBelle b.
George Shindo (2/3) … Chris Belkas b. Gus Johnson (2/3) … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, April 10, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Leon Kirilenko vs. Pierre LaBelle … The Black Prince vs. Tugger
Zeke … Chris Belkas vs. George Shindo … one other match … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, April 17, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Pierre LaBelle vs. George Shindo (2/3) … Lefty Pacer and Farmer
Tugger Zeke vs. Chris Belkas and Leon Kirilenko … Ray Hegler vs. Otto Oster …
(promoter: Mike London)
Notes: Ray Hegler was billed as being from Denver. Otto Oster was from Greeley.
Shindo was said to be a “Japanese jiu-jitsu artist.”

Denver, Colorado: Monday, April 24, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Gorilla Martinez and Leon Kirilenko b. Chris Belkas and Tugger
Zeke … Ray Duran and Lefty Pacer wrestled to a double disqualification … Chief Lone
Wolf and Ray Hegler drew … (promoter: Mike London) … (referee: Jack Bloom)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, May 1, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Danny Loos b. Leon “Mad Russian” Kirilenko … Ted “King Kong”
Cox b. Lefty Pacer (Pacer was unable to continue due to injury) … Ray Duran and
Tugger Zeke drew (20:00) … Gorilla Martinez b. Chief Lone Wolf … (promoter: Mike
London) … (3,000 fans)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, May 8, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … The Black Prince b. Tugger Zeke (2/3) … Ray Duran and Lefty
Pacer wrestled Ted Cox and Danny Loos to a draw … Chief Lone Wolf and Gorilla
Martinez drew … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, May 15, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Danny Loos b. Lefty Pacer (2/3) … Ted “King Kong” Cox b. (?)
(2/3) … Chief Lone Wolf and Tugger Zeke b. Gorilla Martinez and Leon Kirilenko (2/3) …
(promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, May 22, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Leon Kirilenko b. Manuel Muniz to capture the Rocky Mountain
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Lillian Bitters vs. June Byers (2/3) … Ray Duran vs. Danny
Loos (2/3) … Mike London vs. Tugger Zeke … (promoter: Mike London)
Note: Tugger Zeke was called “the Temnino, Tenn., hillbilly.”

Denver, Colorado: Monday, May 29, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Leon Kirilenko and
Danny Loos wrestled to a no contest … Lefty Pacer b. Tugger Zeke (Zeke was a
substitute for Mike London) … Mars Bennett b. June Byers … (promoter: Mike London)

*A search found no wrestling in Denver through the first part of September 1950.
*George Wilsman was the matchmaker for boxing at Mammoth Garden. Morris Salzer
was also a promoter of fights with his matchmaker being Deno Pappas. They operated
the Empire Sports, Inc. boxing club.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, September 11, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Billy Curtis b. George Spotts … Danny Loos b. Joe Bennicasa
(2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Jimmy Blood and Tugger Zeke drew (20:00) … The Masked
Flying Disc and Al Lolotai drew (15:00) … (promoter: Mike London)
Note: Season Opener.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, September 18, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Danny Loos and Tugger Zeke b. Joe Bennicasa and Jimmy Blood
(2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Al Lolotai b. Hank Williams … Raul Lopez and The Masked
Flying Disc drew … (promoter: Mike London) … (referees: Jack Bloom, Bob Sauer)
Notes: Bob Sauer, a 30 year old referee, was sent over the top rope during the feature
tag team match and hit his head on a chair. Colorado Athletic Commission physician Dr.
Karl F. Sunderland tried to revive him, and was unsuccessful. Sauer was then taken to a
local hospital, where he was reported in “fair condition.” Lolotai was said to be the “new
line coach at Colorado A&M.”

Denver, Colorado: Monday, September 25, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Danny Loos b. Leon Kirilenko to capture the Rocky Mountain
Heavyweight Title (2-0) … Al Lolotai b. Joe Bennicasa (2/3) (third fall by reverse decision
DQ) … “Pirate” Jimmy Blood b. Tugger Zeke (countout) (15:25) … Raul Lopez b. Hank
Williams (10:37) … (promoter: Mike London)
Notes: Loos was from Globeville, Bennicasa from Stockton, CA, Williams from Fort Worth.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, October 2, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Women’s World Champion Mildred Burke b. Ann Laverne (2/3) …
Joe Bennicasa b. Raul Lopez (2/3) … Hank Williams and Tugger Zeke drew … Jimmy
Blood and Al Lolotai drew (30:00) … (promoter: Mike London) … (4,000 fans) (capacity)
Notes: Laverne was said to be from Toledo.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, October 9, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Danny Loos b. Tom
Marshall (1-0) (60:00) … Jimmy Blood b. Carlos Rodriguez (2/3) … Joe Bennicasa and
Raul Lopez wrestled Al Lolotai and Tugger Zeke to a draw (20:00) … (promoter: Mike
London)
Notes: Marshall was billed as being rom Akron, Ohio. Rodriguez was from San Antonio.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, October 16, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Danny Loos b. Jimmy
Blood (2/3) … Joe Bennicasa b. Tugger Zeke (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Al Lolotai and
Raul Lopez wrestled to a no contest … Clark Gable b. Chief Lone Wolf … (promoter:
Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, October 23, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Danny Loos b. Al Lolotai
(2/3) (third fall by countout when Lolotai missed a flying tackle) … Joe Bennicasa b.
Tugger Zeke (2/3) … Jimmy Blood and Paul Stafford b. Clark Gable and Raul Lopez …
(promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, October 30, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Dot Dotson vs. Elvira Snodgrass (2/3) … Joe Bennicasa vs.
Tugger Zeke … Jimmy Blood vs. Al Lolotai … Raul Lopez vs. Paul Stafford … (promoter:
Mike London)
Note: Stafford was billed as being from Denver.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, November 6, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Elvira Snodgrass b. Ann Laverne (2/3) … Jimmy Blood and Paul
Stafford wrestled Joe Bennicasa and Clark Gable to a draw (20:00) … Tugger Zeke b.
Raul Lopez (2/3) … (promoter: Mike London) … (3,000 fans)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, November 13, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Elvira Snodgrass b. Dot Dotson and Ann Laverne … The Masked
Mr. Boston b. Tugger Zeke (2-0) … Joe Bennicasa and Raul Lopez b. Jimmy Blood and
Paul Stafford (17:02) … (promoter: Mike London) … (3,000+ fans)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, November 20, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Danny Loos b. Joe
Bennicasa (2/3) … The Masked Mr. Boston b. Raul Lopez and Paul Stafford … Clark
Gable and Tugger Zeke b. Jimmy Blood and Chief Lone Wolf (after the match, Blood and
Zeke brawled into the crowd, and the promoter arraned a bout for next Monday with the
loser to shave off their beard) … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, November 27, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champoin Danny Loos b. Frank
James (1-0) (60:00) … Tugger Zeke b. Jimmy Blood (DQ) (21:15) (Blood was forced to
shave his beard) … The Masked Mr. Boston b. Jim Lankis (DQ) … Al Lolotai and Raul
Lopez drew … (promoter: Mike London)
Note: Frank James was said to be a newcomer from Baltimore.

Denver, Colorado: Monday, December 4, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Masked Mr. Boston b. Jim Lankas (2/3) … Jimmy Blood and Frank
James b. Danny Loos and Tugger Zeke (2/3) … Al Lolotai b. Raul Lopez (2-0) …
(promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, December 11, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Lillian Bitter and Cora Combs b. Beverly Lehmer and Ann Stanley
(2/3) … Masked Mr. Boston b. Jimmy Blood (Blood was unable to continue) … El Capitan
and Tugger Zeke drew … Frank James and Al Lolotai drew … (promoter: Mike London)

Denver, Colorado: Monday, December 18, 1950
(Mammoth Garden) … Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Champion The Masked Mr. Boston
and Danny Loos drew (60:00) (1-1) … El Capitan b. Tugger Zeke (2/3) … Frank James
b. Jimmy Blood … Al Lolotai b. Clark Gable … (promoter: Mike London)
Notes: The Denver Post said that Mr. Boston captured the Rocky Mountain Title “two
weeks ago.”

Research by Tim Hornbaker
August 13, 2007

Denver Wrestling Results - 1950