Hartford Wrestling Results

New Britain, Connecticut: January 5, 1951
(Stanley Arena) … The Becker Brothers (Bobby and George Becker) b. Al Galento and
George Lennihan (2/3) … Jack LaRance b. Arnold Skaaland (DQ) … Colonel George
Harbin b. John Heideman … (referee: Henry DiJulio)

Hartford, Connecticut: January 10, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry b. Sky-Hi Lee (2/3) … Jack Dillon and Chuck Montana
b. Chris Belkas and Guy LaRose … Dom Papaleo b. Tom Casey (22:45) … (promoter:
Manny Leibert) … (869 fans)

Hartford, Connecticut: January 17, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry and Bibber McCoy b. Jack Dillon and Chuck Montana
(2/3) … Jim Mitchell and Robert “Rebel” Russell drew (30:00) … Dom Papaleo b. Jim
Beaton (Beaton was a substitute for Fred Carone) (12:40) … (promoter: Manny Leibert)
… (referee: Smiler Livingston) … (827 fans) … (gate: $832.50)

Meriden, Connecticut: January 17, 1951
(City Hall Auditorium) … Ivan Gorky and George Harbin b. Abe Coleman and Fritz
Ziegfried (2/3) … The Golden Terror b. Bobby Becker (21:03) … Abbey Mancuso b. John
Hudman (21:15) … (350 fans)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, January 24, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Mario DeSouza b. Robert “Bibber” McCoy (2-0) … Polo Cordova
and Miguel Torres drew (1-1) (45:00) … Slim Zimbleman b. George Renniger (16:35) …
(promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Joe Skubas)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, Janaury 31, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Mario DeSouza b. Robert “Rebel” Russell (2-0) … “Tiger” Joe
Tasker and Slim Zimbleman b. Charles Boulanger and Tom Steel … Dom Papelo b. Jack
Marshall … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (244 fans) … (benefit for the Mile O’Dimes)
Note: Bad weather limited fans

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, February 7, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry and Jim Mitchell drew (1-1) … Slim Zimbleman b.
Robert “Rebel” Russell (Russell was a substitue for Sandor Szabo) … Dom Papaelo b.
Jack Dillon (DQ) (16:25) … “Tiger” Joe Tasker b. Charles Boulanger (21:05) …
(promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Smiler Livingston) … (364 fans) … (gate:
$371.75)

New Haven, Connecticut: Wednesday, February 14, 1951
( ) … June Byers b. Lillian Bitter (2/3) … Bull Curry vs. Jim Mitchell … (promoter: Manny
Leibert) … (2,000 fans) … (in attendance: Connecticut State Athletic Commissioner
Samuel H. Malkan)
Notes: Reportedly the first “public” wrestling match between women in Connecticut in 20
years, promoter Leibert lost sponsorship for the show prior to the event, Leibert had billed
that Connecticut Governor John Lodge was going to attend the groundbreaking show, but
received a letter from Lodge in the days leading up denying that – and didn’t show.

Bridgeport, Connecticut: Wednesday, February 21, 1951
( ) … Women wrestling on show … (promoter: Joe Smith) – It was announced on
February 19 that the program was cancelled by Bridgeport City Prosecutor Milton J.
Herman, who regarded ladies grappling to be “degrading.”

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, February 21, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry and Mario DeSouza drew (1-1) … Tiny Mills b. Slim
Zimbleman (DQ) (2:45) … Sheik Clarence b. Tom Steel (17:10) … Polo Cordova and
Bibber McCoy drew (1-1) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Joe Skubas) … (841
fans) … (gate: $894)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, February 28, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Carol Cook b. Mae Weston (2/3) … Dom Papaleo b. Slim
Zimbleman (DQ) (16:55) … Jim Mitchell and Sheik Clarence drew (20:00) … Bull Curry b.
Polo Cordova (18:20) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Smiler Livingston) …
(2,543 fans) … (gate: $4,419)
Note: Reportedly the first time women were wrestling in Hartford

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, March 7, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry b. Slim Zimbleman (2-0) … John Kostas and Robert
“Rebel” Russell drew (1-1) … Sheik Clarence b. Clyde Stevens (16:25) … (promoter:
Manny Leibert) … (referee: Smiler Livingston)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, March 14, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Little Roe b. Pancho the Bull (2/3) … Manuel Cortez and Jim
Mitchell drew (30:00) … Yukon Eric Holmback b. Robert “Rebel” Russell (18:35) … Polo
Cordova and Miguel Torres drew (30:00) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Leo
Woronick) … (1,447 fans) … (gate: $2,452.52)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, March 21, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Bull Curry and Tiny Mills b. Polo Cordova and Manuel Cortez
(2/3) … Robert “Bibber” McCoy b. Frank James (14:20) … Sheik Clarence and Miguel
Torres drew (30:00) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Smiler Livingston)

Hartford, Connecticut: Wednesday, March 28, 1951
(Hartford Auditorium) … Chuck Montana and “Tiger” Joe Tasker b. Frank James and Les
Ryan (2/3) … Robert “Bibber” McCoy and Dom Papaleo drew (30:00) … Tom Casey b.
Walter Lipson (21:10) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Leo Woronick)
Note: Benito Gardini, who was in attendance, was scheduled to be on the show and had
been injured on Tuesday in Manchester, New Hampshire

Meriden, Connecticut: May 24, 1951
(St. Stan’s Community Hall) … Baby Face Maren and Marvelous Miltie b. Hillbilly Arkansa
and Mighty Atom (2/3) … Bobby Coleman and Nick Luccanto drew … Ed Faietta and
Colonel George Harbin drew (30:00) … (500 fans)

Middletown, Connecticut: September 21, 1951
(Garibaldi Hall) … Don Eagle vs. “Tiger” Joe Tasker (2/3) … Dom Papalco vs. Tom Steel
… The Black Panther vs. Stanley Wydra … Tom Casey vs. Kit Fox

Middletown, Connecticut: Saturday, October 6, 1951
(Garibaldi Hall) … Hal Keene vs. Mr. Moto (2/3) … Frank James vs. Dom Papalco … Chief
Kit Fox vs. Jim Kostas

New Britian, Connecticut: October 11, 1951
(Stanley Arena) … Adrian Baillargeon vs. The Zebra Kid … Johnny Heideman vs. Angelo
Savoldi … Johnny Bence vs. Fritz Ziegfried … Ed Gardenia vs. Warren Wood …
(promoter: Bill Clancy)

Hartford, Connecticut: October 17, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Bull Curry and Chuck Montana vs. Chief Kit Fox and Steve Karas …
Man Mountain Dean Jr. vs. Tom Steel … Hal Keene vs. Robert “Rebel” Russell …
(promoter: Manny Leibert)

New Britain, Connecticut: October 26, 1951
(Stanley Arena) … Mario DeSouza b. Wally Dusek (DQ) … Arnold Skaaland b. Johnny
Heideman … Angelo Savoldi b. Walter Kamaroff … “Cyclone” Johnny Bence b. Nick
Lucenti … (referee: Henry DiJulio) … (300 fans)

Hartford, Connecticut: October 31, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … The Golden Terror b. Gene Stanlee (2/3) … Man Mountain Dean Jr.
b. Hal Keene (2-0) … Steve Karas b. Frank James … (promoter: Manny Leibert) …
(referee: Leo Woronick) … (428 fans)

Meriden, Connecticut: November 1, 1951
(City Hall Auditorium) … Arnold Skaaland b. Gorgeous George (CO) (George was hit with
a paper cup and a liquid. Afterward, he left the ring and was counted out. He didn’t
return) (5:00) … (referee: Henry DeJulio) … (500 fans)

New Britain, Connecticut: Friday, November 2, 1951
(Stanley Arena) … Gorgeous George vs. Angelo Savoldi … Howard Cantonwine vs.
Arnold Skaaland … Wally Dusek vs. Warren Wood … Johnny Heideman vs. George
Lennihan … (promoter: Bill Clancy)

Hartford, Connecticut: November 6, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Bull Curry b. Man Mountain Dean Jr. (2/3) (Dean was unable to
continue in the third fall) … Chuck Montana and Robert “Rebel” Russell wrestled Steve
Karas and Kit Fox to a draw (30:00) … Clyde Steeves b. George Reneiger … (promoter:
Manny Leibert) … (referee: Henry DeJulio) … (501 fans) … (gate: $674.75)

Hartford, Connecticut: November 14, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Steve Karas and John Kostas b. Bull Curry and Mr. Rey (2/3) …
Steve Karas b. Mike Clancy (43:20) … John Kostas and Mr. Rey drew (30:00) …
(promoter: Manny Leibert)
Note: The Golden Terror was scheduled to wrestle Bull Curry in the main event and was
in attendance, but had suffered an injured shoulder on Tuesday in Baltimore.

Hartford, Connecticut: November 21, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … George “The Great” Scott and Gene Stanlee drew (1-1) (double
knockout in the third fall) … Steve Karas b. “Tiger” Joe Tasker (2/3) … Tom Steel b. Mike
Clancy … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Smiler Livingston)

Hartford, Connecticut: November 28, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Steve Karas b. George “The Great” Scott (2/3) (third fall by DQ) …
Chuck Montana b. Tom Steele … John Kostas and Robert Russell drew (30:00) …
(promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Joe Skubas)

Hartford, Connecticut: December 5, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Show Cancelled … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (matchmaker: Gus
Brown) … (corporation: Sporting Events, Inc.)

Hartford, Connecticut: December 12, 1951
(Foot Guard Hall) … Bull Curry and Don Eagle drew (1-1) … Chuck Montana and “Tiger”
Joe Tasker b. Tony Angelo and Clyde Stevens … Tom Casey and Chief Kit Fox drew (30:
00) … (promoter: Manny Leibert) … (referee: Leo Woronick) … (in attendance: Beth
Hamilton, wife of Don Eagle) … (1,008 fans) … (gate: $1,183.50)
Note: Last of the year

Research by Tim Hornbaker
September 19, 2007

Hartford Wrestling Results - 1951