Evansville, Indiana:  June 5, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Buddy Rogers b. Kay Bell (2/3) (Rogers won the first fall in 12 seconds) ...
Ray Eckert b. Ben Morgan (27:28) ... Ralph Garibaldi b. Leif Erickson (15:16) ... (promoter:  
Leon Balkin) ... (referee:  Vic Jarboe)
Notes:  Rogers was said to be undefeated locally in six matches, and had a draw previously
with Lou Thesz.


Evansville, Indiana:  June 19, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Ray Eckert (2/3) ... Frank Marconi b. Ralph Garibaldi (DQ)
(Garibaldi threw his opponent over the top rope) (25:00) ... Bob Wagner b. Thor Morgan
(19:08) (sleeperhold) (Wagner was a substitute for Laverne Baxter) ... (promoter:  Leon
Balkin) ... (referee:  Vic Jarboe)
Notes:  Before the opening match, the Joe Louis-Billy Conn boxing match was going to be
broadcast to those in attendance, over the Coliseum loud speaker.

Evansville, Indiana:  June 26, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Bob Wagner (2/3) (third fall with an airplane spin) ... Frank
Marconi b. Ralph Garibaldi (17:00) ... Jack Hader b. Freddie Blassie (14:18) (dropkick) ...
(promoter:  Leon Balkin)
Notes:  Thesz was noted to be a corporal in the Army and he expected to be discharged "in
July." Blassie was a "former Navy champion." Hader was from Kansas City.

Evansville, Indiana:  July 3, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... NWA World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson and Buddy Rogers drew
(60:00) ... Women's World Champion Mildred Burke b. Juanita Coffman (2-0) ... Bobby Bruns
b. Bob Wagner (DQ) (14:18) ... Ray Eckert b. Gino "Red" Vagnone (13:10) ... (promoter:  
Leon Balkin) ... (referees:  Vic Jarboe, Bud Westfall) ... (overflow crowd)
Notes:  Both the world heavyweight and women's world titles were on the line here.  Westfall
was from Indianapolis.  Juanita Coffman was said to be from San Antonio.  Balkin was going
to take a few weeks off to travel to the "east," where he was going to see wrestling matches in
New Jersey and New York.  He planned to bring together Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz in the
near future.  Rogers was the number one contender to the World Title.  Rogers was 24 years
of age and was said to be the "Texas state champion." The show was a benefit for the
Disabled American Veterans and nearly $700 was donated.  Longson weighed 240 to
Rogers' 225, and this was their fourth match, and third draw.  Jarboe was from Evansville.


Evansville, Indiana:  Wednesday, August 21, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Buddy Rogers b. Ralph Garibaldi (2-0) (Garibaldi was a substitute for Olaf
Olson) ... Ray Villmer b. Frank Marconi (20:35) (Marconi subbed for Ralph Garibaldi, who
was bumped into the main event after the Olson no show) ... Don McIntyre b. Freddie Blassie
(17:47) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ... (referee;  Vic Jarboe)
Notes:  Rogers reportedly "just recovered" from an ankle injury suffered in Louisville "some
time ago."  Rogers beat Olaf Olson for the Texas Title "a year ago." Olson was from
Milwaukee.  Indiana State Athletic Commissioner Curtis Pitts suspended Olson for 90-days for
failing to appear.

Evansville, Indiana:  August 28, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. George Koverly (2-0) ... Ray
Villmer b. Don McIntyre (25:47) ... Ralph Garibaldi b. Tom Mahoney (18:30) (Indian
deathlock) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin)

Evansville, Indiana:  September 4, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz wrestled to a double-countout (1-1) (Rogers
won the first fall in 18:25 with dropkick, Thesz won the second in 11:00 with a hook body
scissors) ... World Team champions Ernie and Joe Dusek wrestled Warren Bockwinkel and
Ralph Garibaldi drew ... Vic Holbrook b. Red Vagnone (21:19) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ...
(referee:  Bud Westfall)


Evansville, Indiana:  Setpember 18, 1948
(The Coliseum) ... Warren Bockwinkel and Lou Thesz drew (Thesz won the first fall,
Bockwinkel won the second and Thesz took the third, but commissioner Curtis Pitts declared
the match a draw after saying that Thesz had won the final fall won a foul) ... Ralph Garibaldi
b. Joe Dusek (DQ) ... Red Vagnone b. Fred Blassie ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ... (referee:  
Vic Jarboe)


Evansville, Indiana:  October 2, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Warren Bockwinkel (2/3) ... Ralph Garibaldi b. Dick Bishop
(17:55) ... Thor Morgan b. Cherry Vallina (14:11) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin)
Note:  Bishop was from Salt Lake City.

Evansville, Indiana:  October 9, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Ernie and Joe Dusek b. Warren Bockwinkel and Ralph Garibaldi (Duseks
hold team title because they haven't lost a match in four years) ... Nell Stewart b. Ann Miller
(9:40) ... Juanita Coffman b. Evelyn Wall (11:37) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ... (referees:  
Dick Patton, Vic Jarboe)


Evansville, Indiana:  October 23, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Gino Garibaldi (Gino suffered a dislocated left knee and was
unable to continue) (12:10) ... Chick Garibaldi and Joe Millich drew (20:00) ... Ralph Garibaldi
b. Thor Morgan (DQ) (10:20) ... Felix Miquet b. Laverne Baxter ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ...
(referee:  Vic Jarboe)
Notes:  Chick Garibaldi was the youngest of the "three brothers." During this show,
commissioner Curtis Pitts announced that all team wrestling was banned from the state for
the "wild team match" in Evansville on October 9, 1946.

Evansville, Indiana:  October 30, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Felix Miquet and Lou Thesz drew (1-1) (60:00) (Thesz won the first fall
when he was thrown over the top rope and Miquet was disqualified, Miquet won the second
with a bear hug) ... George Temple b. Freddie Steele (2-0) ... Warren Bockwinkel b. Thor
Morgan (12:48) (Canadian avalanche) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin)
Note:  Miquet has reportedly been wrestling in the U.S. for six months and will soon go to
Montreal, where his wife and son arrived "yesterday." Temple was a former U.S. Marine and
brother of Shirley Temple.

Evansville, Indiana:  Wednesday, November 6, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Buddy Rogers (2/3)
(Longson won the first and third falls) ... Warren Bockwinkel and Danno O'Mahoney drew
(30:00) ... Chick Garibaldi b. Cherry Valina (DQ) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin)
Notes:  Rogers is coming in from a successful tour of Colorado.  O'Mahoney has recently
been discharged from the Army, and has toured the Midwest and the Pacific coast.

Evansville, Indiana:  November 13, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Buddy Rogers b. Danno O'Mahoney (DQ) (O'Mahoney was unable to
return for the second fall due to a cut) ... Warren Bockwinkel and Bobby Managoff drew (1-1)
... Ralph Garibaldi b. Thor Morgan (10:05) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ... (referee:  Vic
Jarboe)

Evansville, Indiana:  November 20, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Felix Miquet b. Danno O'Mahoney (2-0) (bearhug to win the second fall) ...
Chick and Ralph Garibaldi b. Jack Dillon and Jack Kelley (16:05) ... Joe Koujat b. Pete Schuh
(12:05) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin)


Evansville, Indiana:  December 4, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Lee Henning (2/3) (third by DQ) ... Chick and Ralph
Garibaldi b. Jack Dillon and Jack Kelley (2/3) ... Dr. Ed Meske b. Rudy Strongberg (15:07) ...
(promoter:  Leon Balkin) ... (referee:  Bud Westfall)

Evansville, Indiana:  December 11, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... NWA World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson and Ernie Dusek drew
(1-1) (60:00) ... Women's World Champion Mildred Burke b. Elviry Snodgrass (2-0) ... Buddy
Rogers b. Joe Dusek (24:10) ... Dr. Ed Meske b. Emil Dusek (16:30) ... (promoter:  Leon
Balkin) ... (benefit for the Christmas fund)
Note:  $1,120 was donated for the Christmas charity fund.

Evansville, Indiana:  December 18, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Bobby Managoff b. Warren Bockwinkel (2/3) ... Lee Henning and Buddy
Rogers drew (30:00) ... Dr. Ed Meske b. Wally Grebb (21:30) ... (promoter:  Leon Balkin) ...
(referee:  Vic Jarboe)
Note:  Grebb was known as the masked Red Devil.

Evansville, Indiana:  December 26, 1946
(The Coliseum) ... Lou Thesz b. Olaf Olson (2-0) (first fall by DQ) ... Warren Bockwinkel b.
Chief Saunooke ... Ralph Garibaldi and Ray Villmer drew (30:00) ... Gil Woodworth wrestled a
live alligator for 10-minutes
Note;  The alligator was reportedly "caught in Biscayne Bay Tuesday."  Woodworth was from
Daytona Beach, Florida.  He claimed to be the junior heavyweight champion of Florida.


Research by Steve Yohe
Evansville Wrestling Results - 1946
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