Hollywood Wrestling Results

Hollywood, California: Monday, January 6, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Red Berry b. Danny McShain to capture the held-up World
Light Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Jesse James b. Mike Nazarian (2-0) … Gust Johnson b.
Whitey Wahlberg (14:49) … Dude Chick b. Silent Rattan (12:10) … Dave Levin b. Taro Ito
(10:46) … Danny Savich b. Gene Blackley (7:59) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The Berry-McShain bout was “to decide the ownership of the light heavyweight
championship belt. The bout was ordered by Col. Harry J. Landry, prexy of the National
Wrestling Association, to clear up the ownership of the belt.” Jesse James was “ranked the
No. 1 challenger for the 175-pound division title,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The
Los Angeles Examiner stated that the light heavyweight belt was “now held up by the NWA.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, January 13, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Jesse James b. World Light Heavyweight Champion Red
Berry (2/3) (non-title match) … Dude Chick and Danny McShain drew (45:00) (1-1) … Gust
Johnson b. Mike Nazarian (16:04) … Dave Levin b. Tiger Tsakoff (15:16) … Danny Savich
b. Red Lyons (14:47) … Ace Freeman and Ben Sherman drew (20:00) … (promoter: Hugh
Nichols)
Notes: Berry “has served warning that if James comes on the mat tonight with grease in his
hair, he will stop the show, call an inspector and force the Greek to take a shampoo in the
ring before he will wrestle him,” the newspaper stated. Berry “charges that James soaks his
long black hair in grease before he comes into the ring and then he rubs the oil into his
body to make him slippery. Oil is taboo in wrestling,” as stated in the Los Angeles
Examiner. Dude Chick had trained down to 175 pounds from the junior weight class.

Hollywood, California: Monday, January 20, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Junior heavyweight tournament to determine challenger to
Leroy McGuirk’s championship … Gust Johnson b. Jesse James (2/3) (tournament match)
… Dude Chick b. Danny McShain (2/3) (tournament match) … Dave Levin b. Whitey
Wahlberg (15:11) (tournament match) … Taro Ito and Don Sugai Matsuda b. Danny Savich
and Tiger Tsakoff (team match, jiu-jitsu rules) … Ben Sherman and Silent Rattan drew (30:
00) .. Ace Freeman b. Mike Works (9:14) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Johnson was called an “Oregon lumberjack.” McGuirk was planning to come to
Hollywood in February. Johnson’s win was considered an upset.

Hollywood, California: Monday, January 27, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … second round of the Junior heavyweight tournament … Gust
Johnson b. Dude Chick (2-0) (second fall by DQ) (tournament match) … Danny McShain b.
Dave Levin (2/3) (tournament match) … Mike Nazarian b. Taro Ito (9:22) … Walter
“Sneeze” Achieu b. Ace Freeman (11:29) … Don Sugi Matsuda b. Silent Ratan (15:39) …
Frankie Hale and Tiger Tsakoff drew (20:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Johnson was reportedly from Oregon, of Swedish descent. The Los Angeles
Examiner stated that “Many fans like Johnson to win the tournament and be selected to
wrestle Leroy McGuirk for the 190-pound division mat belt.” Achieu was from China, while
Ito and Matsuda were Japanese.

Hollywood, California: Monday, February 3, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … third round of the Junior heavyweight tournament … Danny
McShain b. Dude Chick (2/3) (no holds barred match) … Paavo Katonan b. Mike Nazarian
(2-0) … Dave Levin b. Danny Savich (5:07) … Walter Achieu b. Ben Sherman (16:07) …
Taro Ito and Silent Rattan drew (30:00) … Red Lyons b. Jack LaRue (17:26) … (promoter:
Hugh Nichols) … (referee: Pat O’Brien)
Notes: Katonan was called a “new importation from Finland.” McShain used a leg-strangle
hold as a finisher. In press pieces, the Hollywood shows were built up as if new
international talent were entering the local arena. Nazarian reportedly was taken from the
ring on a stretcher.

Hollywood, California: Monday, February 10, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … “third week” of the Junior heavyweight tournament (sic),
according to the Los Angeles Times … Jesse James b. Gust Johnson (2/3) (James won the
first fall in 14 seconds) … Paavo Katonan and Danny McShain drew (45:00) (1-1) … Dave
Levin b. Mike Nazarian (15:13) … Taro Ito b. Red Lyons (11:27) … Don Sugi Matsuda b.
Ace Freeman (16:37) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Silent Rattan (12:06) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: Going into the match with Jesse James, Johnson was favored. After his win over
Mike Nazarian last week, Katonan was the talk of Hollywood.

Hollywood, California: Monday, February 17, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Jesse James and Paavo Katonan drew (60:00) (no falls) …
Danny McShain b. Taro Ito (2/3) … Gust Johnson b. Dave Levin (18:00) … Dude Chick and
Red Lyons drew (30:00) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Jack LaRue (10:11) … Ben Sherman b. Hugh
Adams (15:31) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, February 24, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Gust Johnson b.
Jesse James (19:46) … Alex Kasaboski b. Taro Ito (46 seconds) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Mike
Nazarian (9:32) … Don Sugi Matsuda b. Silent Rattan (14:41) … Tony Morelli b. Jack Terry
(8:16) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, March 3, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Gust Johnson (2/3) … Bob Gregory b.
Don Sugi Matsuda (2-0) … Alex Kasaboski b. Dude Chick (11:19) … Dave Levin b. Red
Lyons (15:11) … Tony Morelli b. Gene Blackley (15:54) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Herb Parks (12:
03) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, March 10, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Weidner b. Danny McShain (2-0) (second fall by DQ)
… Jesse James b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) … Taro Ito b. Bob Gregory … George Dusette b.
Dave Levin (11:41) … Tony Morelli b. Red Lyons (11:04) … Herb Parks b. Ben Sherman (9:
49) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, March 17, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Jesse James (2/3) (Katonan won the first
fall in 12 seconds) … Gust Johnson b. Billy Weidner (2/3) … George Dusette b. Tony
Morelli (15:29) … Herb Parks b. Taro Ito (14:06) … Johnny Nemanic b. Don Sugi Matsuda
(12:55) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Gene Blackley (14:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, March 24, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Gust Johnson b. Paavo Katonan (2/3) … George Dusette b.
Mike Nazarian (2-0) (second fall in 24 seconds) … Danny McShain b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3)
… Tiger Tsakoff b. Taro Ito (16:34) … Dave Levin b. Herb Parks (8:29) … Bob Gregory b.
Johnny Nemonic (14:24) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, March 31, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Alex Kasaboski b. Danny McShain (2/3) … George Dusette
b. Jesse James (2-0) … Billy Weidner b. Dave Levin (21:46) … Dude Chick b. Mike
Nazarian (9:59) … Herb Parks b. Don Sugi Matsuda (10:16) … Danny Savich b. Gene
Blackley (11:04) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, April 7, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Alex Kasaboski b. Gust Johnson (2/3) … Paavo Katonan
and Billy Weidner drew (45:00) (1-1) … Walter Podolak b. Dude Chick (14:41) … Gil
Knutson b. Tiger Tsakoff (9:53) … Herb Parks b. Tony Morelli (12:42) … Bobby Coleman
and Taro Ito wrestled to no contest (15:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Kasaboski was billed as a “Russian grappler.” Podolak’s win over Chick was
considered an “upset.” Coleman and Ito “did nothing but hug for 15 minutes,” according to
the report.

Hollywood, California: Monday, April 14, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … George Dusette b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) (Dusette won the
first fall in 56 seconds) … Paavo Katonan and Walter Podolak drew (45:00) … Dude Chick
b. Silent Rattan (11:04) … Bob Gregory b. Tex Hager (9:36) … Gil Knutson b. Red Lyons
(15:43) … Herb Parks b. Gene Blackley (10:16) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Knutson was said to be from Norway and Dusette was called the “powerful
Frenchman.” The Los Angeles Times stated that “Ernie Dusette” beat Kasaboski.

Hollywood, California: Monday, April 21, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Alex Kasaboski b. George Dusette (2/3) … Walter Podolak
b. Billy Weidner (25:43) … Paavo Katonan b. Bob Gregory (10:31) … Gil Knutson b. Dude
Chick (9:59) … Jim Heffner b. Balk Estes … Silent Rattan b. Herb Parks (7:14) … Don Sugi
Matsuda b. Tex Hager (9:47) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols) … (referee: Jack Dempsey)

Hollywood, California: Monday, April 28, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) … Walter Podolak
b. Jim Heffner (Heffner won the initial fall, but suffered a dislocated jaw during the second
and was unable to continue) … Monte LaDue b. Gil Knutson (16:00) … Pedro Brazil and
Danny Savich drew (30:00) … Balk Estes b. Don Sugi Matsuda … Mr. X b. Tex Hager …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, May 5, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Walter Podolak b. George Dusette (2/3) … Paavo Katonan
b. Bob Gregory (1-0) (14:27) (Gregory was unable to continue after suffering an arm injury)
… Billy Weidner b. Jim Heffner (23:29) … Monte LaDue b. Balk Estes (12:26) … Danny
Savich and Tiger Tsakoff drew (20:00) … Bob Montgomery b. Mr. X (11:51) … (promoter:
Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, May 12, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Walter Podolak b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) (third fall by DQ) …
George Dusette b. Billy Weidner (2/3) … Monte LaDue b. Paavo Katonan (Katonan
suffered an injured leg) … Tiger Tsakoff b. Pedro Brazil … Bob Montgomery and Danny
Savich drew (20:00) … Balk Estes and Mr. X drew (20:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, May 19, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Walter Podolak (2/3) … Monte LaDue b.
Karl Gray (2-0) … George Dusette b. Bob Montgomery (2-0) … Bob Gregory b. Mr. X (13:
39) … Balk Estes b. Tiger Tsakoff (8:15) … Danny Savich b. Gene Blackley … (promoter:
Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The newspaper called Balk Estes “Bob” Estes. Other reports called him “Buck”
Estes.

Hollywood, California: Monday, May 26, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Alex Kasaboski b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Paavo Katonan
b. Monte LaDue (14:55) … George Dusette and Gust Johnson drew (45:00) (1-1) … Balk
Estes b. Karl Gray … Danny Savich b. Don Sugi Matsuda … Mr. X b. Jack Terry …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, June 2, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Red Berry b. Alex Kasaboski (2/3) (Berry won the first fall in
21 seconds) … Paavo Katonan b. Gust Johnson (33:00) … Walter Podolak b. Balk Estes
(10:32) … Dude Chick and Billy Weidner drew … Gil Knutson b. Danny Savich (14:03) …
Mr. X b. Don Sugi Matsuda (57 seconds) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, June 9, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. World Light Heavyweight Champion Red
Berry (2/3) (non-title, “catchweight” bout) … George Dusette and Danny McShain drew (45:
00) … Gust Johnson b. Monte LaDue (countout) (11:58) … Dude Chick and Gil Knutson
drew (30:00) … Billy Weidner b. Pedro Brazil (11:06) … Mr. X b. Chester Hayes (13:28) …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, June 16, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Paavo Katonan (2/3) … Monte LaDue b.
Alex Kasaboski (2/3) … Rudy LaDitzi b. Hardy Kruskamp … Gust Johnson and Billy
Weidner drew … Gil Knudson b. Red Lyons (11:16) … Don Sugi Matsuda b. Ben Sherman
(13:26) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The winner of the McShain-Katonan bout was going to wrestle Red Berry next week
for the championship. The paper stated that “McShain won the title from Berry and lost it to
Jesse James. Then Berry regained the 175-pound honor from James.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, June 23, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Danny
McShain (2/3) (Berry won the third fall in 58 seconds) (both wrestlers used stepover
toeholds to gain their falls) … Rudy LaDitzi b. Blimp Levy (7:16) … George Dusette and
Monte LaDue drew (45:00) … Dude Chick b. Gil Knutson (4:21) … Mr. X b. Billy Marcus …
Ben Sherman b. Chester Hayes … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, June 30, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Maurice Tillet b. Rudy LaDitzi (2-0) … Paavo Katonan b.
Alex Kasaboski (1-0) (Kasaboski was unable to continue) (22:00) … George Dusette b.
Dude Chick (17:11) … Gust Johnson and Walter Podolak drew … Billy Weidner b. Gil
Knutson (12:21) … Karl Gray b. Balk Estes (14:44) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols) … (5,000
fans)

Hollywood, California: Monday, July 7, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. World Light Heavyweight Champion Red
Berry (1-0) (Berry was unable to continue and carried out on a stretcher) (non-title bout) …
Danny McShain b. Monte LaDue (2-0) … George Dusette b. Alex Kasaboski (4:11) … Bob
Gregory b. Taro Ito (8:34) … Black Terror b. Jack Terry (4:38) … Karl Gray and Silent
Rattan drew (20:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: Katonan was said to be from Helsinki.

Hollywood, California: Monday, July 14, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Paavo Katonan (2/3) (McShain earned a
bout with Red Berry) … Jesse James b. Walter Podolak (2-0) … Gust Johnson b. Karl Gray
… Bob Gregory b. Silent Rattan … Mystery Man b. Taro Ito … Billy Vargo b. Gil Knutson …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, July 21, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Danny
McShain (2/3) (McShain won the opening fall, Berry took the second and then won the third
when McShain was unable to continue due to a cut over his eye) … Jesse James b. George
Dustte (1-0) … Gust Johnson b. Alex Kasaboski (17:31) … Monte LaDue b. Karl Gray (14:
11) … Sheik MarAllah b. Don Sugi Matsuda (11:06) … Silent Rattan b. Mystery Man (11:37)
… (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: The Los Angeles Times stated that Mystery Man was “Gene Roxey.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, July 28, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Jesse James (2/3) (James was unable to
continue in the third) (Katonan earned a match with Red Berry) (James was carried out on
a stretcher) … George Dusette b. Gust Johnson (2/3) … Monte LaDue b. Bob Gregory (17:
22) … Dude Chick and Billy Weidner drew … Billy Vargo b. Taro Ito … Sheik MarAllah b.
Ben Sherman … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, August 4, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Red Berry to capture the World Light
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Katonan won the first fall in 5:57, Berry took the second in 26
seconds, Katonan won the third by countout) (during the third fall, Berry was on the ring
apron yelling at some fans and the referee counted to ten, which, according to the
California Code, was the limit for a wrestler on the apron) … Danny McShain b. George
Dusette (30:00) … Billy Vargo b. Monte LaDue (16:39) … Bob Gregory b. Sheik MarAllah
(11:44) … Red Lyons and Billy Weidner drew … Silent Rattan b. Karl Gray (12:51) …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols) … (referee: Pat O’Brien)
Notes: If a wrestler in California was on the arena floor, he had 20 seconds to return to the
ring, while it was only 10 for the apron. In some reports, Berry was called the “junior
heavyweight king,” but that was incorrect. After winning the championship, Katonan
displayed “fine sportsmanship” by “refusing to take the belt,” leaving it with the commission.
“He said he wanted to win it by pinning Berry in the ring – not on a technicality.”
Regardless, Katonan was the official titleholder. Vargo was called the “correspondence
school boy,” having “learned his grips in front of a mirror.” Katonan was the “Kid from
Helsinki.” Katonan was very popular in Hollywood at this time. Gray was still managed by
the infamous Joe Marsh, “who developed Frank Gotch,” according to the paper.

Hollywood, California: Monday, August 11, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Paavo Katonan b. Red
Berry (2/3) … Jesse James b. Gust Johnson (2/3) … Billy Vargo b. Silent Rattan (12:16) …
Monte LaDue and Billy Weidner drew … Dude Chick b. Red Lyons (11:31) … Matty
Matsuda and Ben Sherman drew … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The Los Angeles Times stated that “Katonan Drops Wild Red Berry to Clinch Title.”
Katonan beat Berry for the fourth straight time in Hollywood, and put a “final clincher on his
claim to the world’s light heavyweight championship.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, August 18, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Elimination Tournament … (first round) … Danny McShain
b. Matty Matsuda (11:32) … Jesse James b. Billy Weidner (14 seconds) … Billy Vargo b.
Monte LaDue (dec., 15:00) … Bob Gregory b. Sheik MarAllah (9:26) … Dude Chick b. Gust
Johnson (dec., 20:00) … George Dusette b. Silent Rattan (10:16) … Ben Sherman drew a
bye into the second round … (second round) … Bob Gregory b. Ben Sherman (9:21) …
Danny McShain b. Dude Chick (dec., 15:00) … Jesse James b. George Dusette (dec., 15:
00) … Billy Vargo drew a bye … (semifinals) … Danny McShain b. Bob Gregory (8:34) …
Jesse James b. Billy Vargo (dec., 25:00) … (finals) … Danny McShain b. Jesse James to
win the tournament (5:51) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: The tournament was for the right to wrestle Paavo Katonan next Monday.

Hollywood, California: Monday, August 25, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Paavo Katonan to capture the World
Light Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Katonan won the first fall in 18:33, McShain took the second
in 14:56 with a piledriver and then took the match when Katonan was unable to continue
after a five minute rest period) … Jesse James b. Billy Vargo (1-0) (45:00) … Bob Gregory
b. Gust Johnson (14:51) … Ben Sherman b. Silent Rattan (7:46) … Billy Weidner b. Raoul
Lopez (countout) (10:22) … Bobby Coleman and Sheik MarAllah drew … (promoter: Hugh
Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, September 1, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Red Berry b. Danny McShain to capture the World Light
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Berry won the first fall in 12:31, McShain took the second in 4:37
and Berry won the third with a Boston crab in 2:45) … Billy Vargo b. Bob Gregory (1-0) (16:
00) (Gregory was unable to continue) (Vargo used an abdominal stretch) … Jesse James
b. Dude Chick (2/3) … Monte LaDue b. Ben Sherman (12:21) … Ted Christy b. Billy
Weidner (8:16) … Bobby Coleman b. Jack Terry (8:59) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: McShain “lost all claims, phony and factual,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Billy Vargo was “the best looking youngster now working in Hollywood. He is only 21 years
old.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, September 8, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Ray Steele b. Hans Schnabel (2-0) (second fall in 10
seconds) … Billy Vargo b. Jesse James (1-0) (45:00) … George Dusette b. Gust Johnson
(12:03) … Ted Christy b. Raoul Lopez (5:46) … Bobby Coleman b. Don Sugi Matsuda (15:
58) … Sheik MarAllah b. Rosey Rosenbaum (9:59) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The Los Angeles Times stated that Steele was “called the uncrowned heavyweight
wrestling champion in some sections of the country.” Ted Christy was “known as the ‘trust-
buster.’”

Hollywood, California: Monday, September 15, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Billy Vargo (2/3) … Jesse James b.
George Dusette (2-0) … Bobby Coleman b. Bob Gregory (12:58) … Ted Christy b. Tom
Zaharias (countout) (10:07) … Dude Chick b. Charles Hart (12:07) … Monte LaDue b.
Silent Rattan (6:22) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: Katonan earned a title shot against Red Berry next Monday.

Hollywood, California: Monday, September 22, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Paavo
Katonan (2/3) … Edward Payson b. Mike Mazuarki (15:24) … Bobby Coleman b. Monte
LaDue (18:44) … Dude Chick b. Billy Weidner … Charles Hart b. Red Lyons … Jerry
Malone and Rosey Rosenbaum drew (20:00) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, September 29, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. Jesse James (2/3) … Ray Steele b. Edward
Payson (2-0) … Bobby Coleman b. Mitsuda Hamanaka (13:29) … Bob Gregory b. Hugh
Adams (10:23) … Silent Rattan b. Jerry Malone (16:14) … Charles Hart b. Don Sebastian
(12:58) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: It was said that this was “one of the smallest crowds in years.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, October 6, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry
(2/3) (catchweights, non-title bout) … Yukon Jake b. Monte LaDue (2-0) … Paavo Katonan
b. Dude Chick (2/3) … Bob Gregory b. Silent Rattan (12:43) … Mitsuda Hamanaka b. Sheik
MarAllah (9:11) … Pat McGill b. Billy Grubbs (10:46) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: In the press report, this was said to be the most important match of Vargo’s career.

Hollywood, California: Monday, October 13, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Wrestling Tournament … (first round) … Billy Vargo b.
Silent Rattan (6:59) … Sheik MarAllah b. Jerry Malone (10:04) … Bobby Coleman b. Rosey
Rosenbaum (7:14) … Monte LaDue b. Bob Gregory (8:23) … Sammy Kohen b. Mitsuda
Hamanaka … Yukon Jake Jackson b. Don Sugi Matsuda (6:19) … Dude Chick received a
bye … (second round) … Billy Vargo b. Monte LaDue (15:00) … Bobby Coleman b. Sheik
MarAllah (8:14) … Dude Chick b. Sammy Kohen (12:39) … Yukon Jake received a bye …
(third round) … Billy Vargo b. Dude Chick (15:00) … Yukon Jake b. Bobby Coleman (15:00)
… (finals) … Billy Varga b. Yukon Jake to win the tournament (dec., 15:00) … (promoter:
Hugh Nichols)
Note: The tournament winner was going to face Red Berry for the Light Heavyweight
championship next Monday.

Hollywood, California: Monday, October 20, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry and Billy
Vargo drew at the curfew (1-1) (Berry won the first fall in 42:00 with a stepover toehold,
Vargo won the second in 30:30 with an abdominal stretch) … Paavo Katonan b. Bobby
Coleman (2/3) (Coleman was unable to continue for the third fall) … Yukon Jake b. Gil
Knutson (2/3) … Matsuda Hamanaka b. Sheik MarAllah (6:41) … Don Sebastian b. Hugh
Adams (15:08) … Jerry Malone and Ted Tourtas drew … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, October 27, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Paavo Katonan b. Yukon Jake Jackson (2/3) (Jackson was
unable to continue for the third fall) … Monte LaDue b. Sammy Kohen (2/3) … Bob Gregory
b. Matsuda Hamanaka (15:57) … Red Lyons b. Don Sebastian (11:04) … Silent Rattan b.
Billy Marcus (10:17) … Rosey Rosenbaum b. Johnny Del Rio (7:06) … (promoter: Hugh
Nichols)

Hollywood, California: Monday, November 3, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Red Berry b. Billy Vargo
(1-0) (52:00) (Vargo was unable to continue and carried out on a stretcher) … Bobby
Coleman b Monte LaDue (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Alex Kasaboski b. Dude Chick (9:00) …
Paul Bozzell b. Silent Rattan (10:57) … Don Sebastian b. Billy Marcus (11:41) … Sheik
MarAllah b. Ted Tourtas (9:27) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: The newspaper indicated that Vargo was dominating the match with Berry, a piece of
info that would be repeated in the building up to their rematch.

Hollywood, California: Monday, November 10, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Alex Kasaboski vs. Paavo Katonan … Bobby Coleman vs.
Yukon Jake Jackson … Paul Bozzell vs. Don Sebastian … Gene Blackley vs. Red Lyons …
Hugh Adams vs. Jimmy Goodrich … Dick Kanthe vs. Louie Miller … (promoter: Hugh
Nichols)
Notes: The wrestler with the best showing in the top two matches was going to wrestle
Danny McShain on November 17. The Los Angeles Times reported that “McShain is
returning from the east, where he set new crowd records. While away, he worked in Ohio,
Oklahoma and Texas.” The paper also said, “Kasoboski is a power grappler. Since coming
to America, he has combined his two professions – wrestling and music.” Katonan had
reportedly defeated Red Berry five of six times they wrestled. Yukon Jake spent “nearly a
year in Alaska,” recently.

Hollywood, California: Monday, November 17, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Bobby Coleman vs.
Paavo Katonan (2/3) … Gene Blackley vs. Paul Bozzell … Jimmy Goodrich vs. Monte
LaDue … Louie Miller vs. Don Sebastian … Jerry Malone vs. Ted Tourtas … (promoter:
Hugh Nichols)
Notes: McShain, it was said prior to this show, was “fresh from winning the Middlewest light
heavyweight title.” Bozzell “has now discarded his mask,” and Blackley was “recently
returned from Honolulu.” McShain was managed by Richard Lane, who questioned the
decision of the match with Vargo.

Hollywood, California: Monday, November 24, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. Danny McShain (2-0) (second fall by DQ) …
Paavo Katonan b. Yukon Jake (Jake was unable to continue after the second fall) … Paul
Bozzell b. Monte LaDue (2-0) … Jimmy Goodrich b. Billy Marcus (6:22) (Goodrich was
originally booked to wrestle Gene Blackley) … Sheik MarAllah b. Ted Tourtas (9:31) …
(promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Hugh Adams and Louie Miller was supposed to be apart of this show. The winner of
McShain-Vargo was going to wrestle Red Berry on December 1 for the light heavyweight
championship.

Hollywood, California: Monday, December 1, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Billy Vargo b. Red Berry to capture the World Light
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Berry won the first fall in 46 seconds, Vargo took the second in 8:
43 with an abdominal stretch, Vargo won the third by disqualification when Berry was
thumbed out for “illegal use of the head” (butting) in 21:43) … Danny McShain b. Paavo
Katonan (18:06) … Bobby Coleman b. Monte LaDue (7:31) … Dude Chick and Tony Morelli
drew … Don Sebastian b. Jimmy Goodrich (8:27) … Sheik MarAllah b. Jerry Malone (10:13)
(Boston crab) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: Going into the affair, Vargo was favored to beat Berry. Berry had just returned from
Kansas, where he was called two weeks earlier due to the illness of his mother.

Hollywood, California: Monday, December 8, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Danny McShain b. Red Berry (2/3) (McShain won the
second fall in 48 seconds and the third in 1:51 with “T locks” as his finisher) … Bobby
Coleman and Yukon Jake drew (45:00) (1-1) … Paul Bozzell b. Red Lyons (15:04) … Dude
Chick b. Don Sebastian (14:02) … Silent Rattan b. Sheik MarAllah (14:57) … Jimmy
Goodrich b. Billy Grubbs (9:23) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: The winner of the McShain-Berry bout was going to wrestle Billy Vargo. It was said
that at one time, promoters said that they would never match Berry and McShain again
“because they always wind up in bloody scraps.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, December 15, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Billy Vargo b. Danny
McShain (2/3) … Red Berry b. Yukon Jake (2/3) … Paul Bozzell and George Dusette drew
(45:00) (1-1) (Bozzell won the first fall in 22 seconds with a Boston crab) … Paavo Katonan
b. Monte LaDue (1:41) … Bobby Coleman and Don Sebastian drew (30:00) … Sheik
MarAllah b. Rosie Rosenbaum (11:23) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The Los Angeles Times noted that Hollywood Legion Stadium was “equipped for a
complete blackout in case one should come. The windows are painted black and the club
has its own lighting in case it is required.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, December 22, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Red Berry b. Billy Vargo to capture the World Light
Heavyweight Title (Vargo won the first fall with an abdominal stretch in 18:30, Berry took the
second and the match after 10:38 when Vargo was unable to continue due to a sprained
ankle) … George Dusette and Danny McShain drew (45:00) (1-1) … Yukon Jake b. Paavo
Katonan (5:26) … Karl Gray b. Bobby Coleman (15:21) … Ben Sherman b. Sheik MarAllah
(12:41) … Jerry Malone b. Sammy Kohen (11:04) … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Notes: The Los Angeles Times article read, “Vargo Hurt, Berry Annexes Crapple (sic) Title”
in its December 23 edition. Karl Gray was a corporal, stationed at Camp Wallace, Texas.
Vargo was carried from the ring on a stretcher. The Times report stated that Malone beat
Kohen, while the Examiner said that “Sammy Kohen won from Jay Malone in 11:04 with a
half crab.”

Hollywood, California: Monday, December 29, 1941
(Hollywood Legion Stadium) … Yukon Jake b. Red Berry (2/3) (non-title match) … George
Dusette b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Paavo Katonan b. Karl Gray (16:38) … Ben Sherman b.
Silent Rattan (11:54) … Sammy Kohen b. Ted Tourtas (10:44) … Don Sebastian b. Jimmy
Goodrich … (promoter: Hugh Nichols)
Note: Said to be the 52nd wrestling show of the year at the Legion Stadium.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 17, 2007

Hollywood Wrestling Results - 1941