Houston, Texas:  Friday, January 31, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Gus Sonnenberg b. Ellis Bashara (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Dan O’
Connor and Sol Slagel drew (30:00) … Whitey Hewitt b. George Mansor … Dr. Karl
Sarpolis b. Darno Ostopovich (2:00) … Red Ryan b. Bob Wagner (17:00) … Cy Williams
b. Pat Reilly … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Babe Caddock, George Harben,
Ernest Kelly) … (3,500 fans)
Notes:  Sarpolis, reportedly, had “devoted most of his time to referee work since his arm
injury.” He was making his return.

Houston, Texas:  Saturday, February 1, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Sammy George b. Tony Gonzales (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Bobbie
Burns b. Herbert Schultz (10:00) … Jack Saunders b. Wayne Scott … Jim Collins b. Toby
Faulks … (referee:  Sargent Rich)
Notes:  George was from Denver.  The facility was at Harrisburg at Milby.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, February 4, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Joe Estus vs. Tiger Harris … Bobbie Burns vs. Al Simmons … Happy
Jack Batey vs. Red Richardson … John Daglio vs. Sailor Lewis … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Thursday, February 6, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Tony Gonzales vs. Jack Saunders … Jack Marvin vs. Ray D’Oral …
Jimmie Collins vs. John Ochten … Happy Jack Batey vs. Tiger Mudd … (promoter:  D.C.
Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, February 7, 1936
(City Auditorium) … World Heavyweight Champion Danno O’Mahoney b. Leo “Whiskers”
Savage (21:42) (Savage was unable to continue after being through over the top rope to
the floor) … Primo Miller b. Babe Caddock (6:00) … Cy Williams b. Tiny Roebuck (8:00) …
Frank Brown b. Whitey Hewitt (DQ) (18:00) … Dan O’Connor and Karl Sarpolis drew (30:
00) … Paul Jones b. Rosy Ryan (15:00) … Sol Slagel b. Darna Ostopovich … (promoter:  
Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Paul Jones, Pat Reilly, R.O. Rike) … (in attendance:  Tom
Packs, Charley Rentrop, Henry Weber, Ed White, Gabe Kaufman, Dave Schlesinger,
Harry Coffman and “Curley, Ray Fabiana and Lou Daro also will have observers here) …
(6,000 fans) (1,000 fans turned away, at least)
Notes:  Sigel explained to the Houston Post that Danno O’Mahoney “has been panned
unmercifully by the sport writers for his poor showings against three men – Ernie Dusek,
[George] Zaharias, and [Leo Daniel Boone] Savage.” O’Mahoney, reportedly, “always has
employed either Ted Tonneman or Charley Rentrop” to referee his matches, and Sigel
“demanded” that Dr. Karl Sarpolis was going to officiate this bout.  Savage arrived in
Houston from St. Louis on Saturday.  Ralph “Primo” Miller was a “former Rice grid star.”
The world wrestling champion was said to be able to earn between $250,000-$300,000
annually.  Savage was taken to Memorial Hospital with a suspected spinal injury.  The
incident was going to be reviewed by Texas Labor Commissioner Fred E. Nichols with a
court of inquiry at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon at the City Auditorium.  Nichols believed
that O’Mahoney deliberately fouled Savage.  Savage weighed 245 pounds and fell eight
feet to the floor from the ring.  It was said that this was the “largest crowd ever to jam the
City Auditorium.” Sonnenberg was said to have been hurt in a car accident and failed to
show for a bout with Dan O’Connor.  Sarpolis was a replacement, and hurt his right knee
in the bout, which kept him from refereeing the main event.  Paul Jones stepped in.

*On Tuesday, February 11, 1936, Galveston promoter Ralph Hammonds filed a lawsuit
against World Heavyweight Champion Danno O’Mahoney for “running out” on a match
with Juan Humberto the Saturday before.  The lawsuit was for $15,215.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, February 11, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Bobbie Burns vs. Jack Saunders … Ray D’Oral vs. Bob Miller …
John Daglio vs. Sailor Lewis … Toby Faulks vs. Harold Morris … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, February 14, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Cy Williams won a wrestle royal over Leo Savage, Karl Sarpolis, Jack
Humberto, Pat Reilly and Ellis Bashara … Dan O’Connor b. Whitey Hewitt … Sol Slagel
and Marvin Westenberg drew (30:00) … Frank Brown b. Rosy Ryan … Al Maynard b.
Johnny Plummer … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Harry Corry, George Harbin,
Ernest Kelly) … (3,000 fans)
Note:  Bashara was a heel wrestler from Oklahoma.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, February 18, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Bobbie Burns vs. Bull Hanna … Chief White Fox vs. Bob Hanna …
Jim Collins vs. John Daglio … Kid Bruce vs. Toby Faulks … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)
Note:  The Hannas were brothers.

*It was announced in the February 19, 1936 edition of the Houston Post that “Olympic
district wrestling tryouts” were going to be held on March 23 and 24 at the City Auditorium,
and sponsored by the Houston YMCA.  The chairman of the YMCA wrestling committee
was Otis Massey, and other members included E.F. Pohl, Louis Graves Jr., Parker
Edwards, Allen Morgan, and Ray Roenigk.  Roenigk and Pohl were expected to direct the
tournament.  Promoter Morris Sigel was one of a group responsible for “landing the
tryouts.”

Houston, Texas:  Thursday, February 20, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Chief White Fox vs. Tiger Harris … Jack Saunders vs. Harvey
Thompson … Jack Batey vs. Jack Marvin … Pat Hatchell vs. Tiger Mudd … (promoter:  D.
C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, February 21, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Pat O’Shocker b. Cy Williams (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Milo Steinborn
b. Dr. Karl Sarpolis (11:00) … Primo Miller b. Sid Nabors (DQ) (14:00) … Roland
Kirchmeyer b. Ellis Bashara (7 seconds) … Frank Brown b. Firpo Wilcox … Sol Slagel b.
Whitey Hewitt (11:00) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Ernest Kelly, Marvin
Westenberg) … (3,000 fans)
Notes:  It was reported that Cy Williams “attacked an opponent so brutally in Baltimore that
he was barred for life in the state of Maryland by order of former Governor Albert Ritchie.”
Steinborn was called a “lifelong devotee of physical culture” and “has one of the most
perfect bodies in the athletic world.” The Houston Post stated:  “Bernarr Macfadden
declared several years ago Sandow is the only man he ever saw who was stronger than
the German.” Nabors was from Birmingham.  Firpo Wilcox was a “former professional
football and boxing star.”

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, February 25, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Jack Batey vs. Al Odena … John Daglio vs. Ernest Harris … Pat
Hatchell vs. Harold Morris … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Thursday, February 27, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Wrestle Royal featuring Joe Estes, “Tiger” Harris, Jack Saunders,
Jack Batey, Tonka Wetonka … Doc Frederick vs. Bob Miller … John Daglio vs. Harvey
Thompson … Paul Marshall vs. Herbert Schultz … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker) … (referee:  
Miller Daglio)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, February 28, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Leo Savage b. Pat O’Shocker (1-0) (17:00) (O’Shocker was unable to
continue for the second fall) … Paul Jones b. Sid Nabors (8:00) … Milo Steinborn b.
Marvin Westenberg (11:00) … Sol Slagel b. Cy Williams (DQ) … Roland Kirchmeyer b.
Axel Anderson (7:00) … Frank Brown b. John Plummer (21:00) … Rosy Ryan b. Al
Maynard (23:00) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  George Cochrane, Pat Reilly,
M.O. Rike, Dr. Karl Sarpolis)
Note:  Savage used a back body drop as his finisher.


*There was no show held in Houston on Friday, May 1, 1936.

Freeport, Texas:  Saturday, May 2, 1936
(High School Field) … heavyweight wrestling match … (promoter:  Morris Sigel)
Notes:  This was apart of the Texas Centennial regatta over the weekend in Freeport.  
There was also a baseball event and a dance.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, May 5, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … The Red Devil vs. Rough House Reck … Bob Miller vs. George
Wagner … Sailor Jack Atkinson vs. Sargent Rich … Toby Faulks vs. Harold Morris
Notes:  Reck was called a “former middleweight wrestling champion of the world.” Red
Devil beat Archie Carre last Tuesday in a “closely contested” bout.

Houston, Texas:  Friday, May 8, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Leo “Daniel Boone” Savage b. Vanka Zelesniak (2-0) … Everett
Kibbons b. Tommy O’Toole (24:00) … Juan Oliguival b. Frank Brown (7:00) … Len
Macaluso b. Dr. Karl Sarpolis … Roland Kirchmeyer and Pat O’Shocker drew (30:00) …
Milo Steinborn b. “Iron” Jack O’Brien (9:00) (bearhug) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) …
(referee:  Paul Jones) … (“huge” crowd)
Notes:  Sigel offered a $500 bonus to any wrestler who could pin Savage twice in a three-
fall bout.  It was said that many wrestlers were afraid to take bouts with hitm.  Also, in a
column in the Houston Post on May 8, it was speculated that Texas State Labor
Commissioner Fred E. Nichols was going to name Savage the Texas state champion.  
Zelesniak signed an agreement with Sigel to appear in five main event bouts in Houston
over a 90 day period – if he beat Savage.  Savage was said to have lost 20 pounds in
training and “worked more smoothly than ever before during his year’s stay in Houston.”

*The Sunday, May 10, 1936 edition of the Houston Post stated that, for the first time,
Texas was sponsoring its own world heavyweight wrestling champion, Leo “Daniel Boone”
Savage.  “It all came about in a surprise engineered by Fred S. Nichols, state
commissioner of boxing and wrestling for Texas, who, after a series of warnings to the
persons involved, gave the title to Savage by default as of February 7, due to Danno O’
Mahoney’s failure to obey the ukase of the Texas commission to defend his title here on
or before May 7 against Savage.” Nichols made the announcement on Saturday, May 9.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, May 12, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Wrestle Royal featuring Jack Batey, Sergeant Rich, “Tiger” Harris,
George Wagner, Red Devil, and Bob Miller … Jack Atkinson vs. Dick Baldwin … Miller
Daglio vs. James Faulks … Dubs Jarratt vs. George Quinn … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, May 15, 1936
(City Auditorium) … Pat O’Shocker b. Milo Steinborn (countout) (26:00) … Paul Jones and
Len Macaluso drew (30:00) … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Juan Olaguival (6:00) … Whitey
Hewitt and Mike Mazurki drew … Everett Kibbons b. Jack O’Brien (2:00) … Paul Harper b.
Al Maynard (DQ) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  George Edds, Pat Riley, M.O.
Rike, Dick Lever)
Note:  Harper was from Madisonville.

Houston, Texas:  Monday, May 18, 1936
(Houston Arena) … Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion Ralph Hammonds vs.
Roughhouse Burns … Johnny Cuccia vs. Cecil “Red” Perry (2/3) … Sterling Davis vs. Bob
Miller … Harold Adams vs. “Tiger” Harris … Wrestle Royal (participants: Roy Anderson,
Herbert Schultze, The Satin Kid (Sterling Davis), Bob Miller, Harold Adams, “Tiger” Harris)
… (promoter:  Joe Glenney Jr.)
Notes:  This was to be Glenney’s first wrestling show featuring junior and light heavyweight
grapplers.  Hammonds was said to be a “former San Antonio and Galveston promoter, and
present claimant of the junior heavyweight title.” Burns was from Denver.  Perry was from
Kansas City and had red hair.  This show was postponed due to rain, and the promoter
planned to continue it on Wednesday.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, May 19, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Miller Daglio b. The Red Devil … Sergeant Rich b. “Tiger” Harris …
Jack Batey vs. George Quinn … Toby Faulks vs. Dubs Jarratt … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Wednesday, May 20, 1936
(Houston Arena) … Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion Ralph Hammonds vs. Billie
“Roughhouse” Burns … Cecil “Red” Perry b. J.J. Cucci … Wrestle Royal … preliminary
match … (promoter:  Joe Glenney Jr.)
Note:  The facility was at West Dallas and Waugh Drive.

Houston, Texas:  Friday, May 22, 1936
(City Auditorium) … World Heavyweight Champion Leo Savage b. Roland Kirchmeyer
(2/3) (non-title match) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Pat O’Shocker (2-0) … Jack Humberto b.
Axel “Speed” Anderson … Sol Slagel b. Cy Williams (14:00) … Marvin Westenberg b. Bob
Wagner (DQ) (12:00) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Paul Jones, Pat Riley)
Notes:  In the Friday, May 22, 1936 edition of the Houston Post, Ed Lewis was quoted as
saying “I want to meet him [Leo Savage] – and beat him – for I consider his claim on the
world championship is based on firmer ground than any other.  When Londos lost to O’
Mahoney, the situation was fairly clear.  O’Mahoney fouled Savage February 7 here, and
later lost his title by order of the Texas commission as of that date.  That leaves a clean
line of title clearance, Londos to O’Mahoney to Savage.  Since that date, though he has
been defeated consistently, O’Mahoney still claims the title and every man who has
beaten him – or his successors – does the same.  If I can meet and beat Savage, I shall
feel that I am the true world champion and it will take more than a lot of spinless
commissions back East to take it away from me.”

Houston, Texas:  Monday, May 25, 1936
(Houston Arena) … Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion Ralph Hammonds vs. Cecil Perry
(2/3) … Bob Blair vs. Billy Burns (2/3) … Roy Anderson vs. Miller … Sterling Davis vs.
“Tiger” Harris … (promoter:  Joe Glenney Jr.)
Notes:  Lee Myers was originally booked against Hammonds in the main event.  He was
born in Port Arthur, but “has been campaigning in the East for the last seven years.” He
weighed 190 pounds.  Blair was from Fort Worth.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, May 26, 1936
(Boulevard Arena) … Miller Daglio vs. Sargent Rich … “Sailor” Jack Atkinson vs. Johnnie
Daglio … Sam Anderson vs. “Happy” Jack Batey … (promoter:  D.C. Tucker)

Houston, Texas:  Wednesday, May 27, 1936
(Houston Arena) … Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion Ralph Hammonds vs. Cecil
“Red” Perry … Bob Blair vs. Billy Burns … Sterling Davis vs. “Tiger” Harris … Roy
Anderson vs. Bob Miller … (promoter:  Joe Glenney Jr.)
Note:  This show was postponed because of bad weather.

Houston, Texas:  Friday, May 29, 1936
(City Auditorium) … World Heavyweight Champion Leo “Daniel Boone” Savage b. Orville
Brown (2/3) … Paul Jones b. Len Macaluso (12:55) … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Juan
Humberto (6 seconds) … Marvin Westenberg b. Babe Zaharias (DQ) (15:08) … Sol Slagel
b. Red “Rosy” Ryan (9:11) … Ellis Bashara b. Everett Kibbons (15:10) … (promoter:  
Morris Sigel) … (referees:  Paul Jones, Dick Lever, Barney Meyers, M.V. Rike) … (4,000+
fans)
Notes:  Savage was making his first defense of his world heavyweight championship here.  
Brown was called by the Houston Post, “probably the most talked-of contender in the ring
today.” He was the “recent victor over more than a score of the world’s ranking
heavyweights.” Brown had a disputed match against Savage in Houston back on January
10.  Orville had reportedly defeated “Ray Steele, Jim Browning, Gus Sonnenberg, Dan O’
Connor, Paul Jones, Chief Chewacki, Pat O’Shocker, Lew Plummer, Marshall Blackstock,
Karl Sarpolis, Karl Davis, Bob Wagner, Chief Little Wolf, Dick Shikat, George Zaharias,
Gino Garibaldi, Sandor Szabo,” and had a “draw with Jim Londos in Detroit while he was
champion, and a grueling two-hour draw here with Ernie Dusek.” Brown was said to have
cancelled a bout in St. Louis to take this Houston match.  Brown used the bulldogging
headlock and an Indian Deathlock.  Brown was also said to have beaten Ed Don George
and Yvon Robert.  He was said to be “to St. Louis what Leo Whiskers Savage is to
Houston.” Tom Packs reportedly “wired Morris Sigel a reservation for 15 ringside seats for
his group which will be here to see the match.” Brown received excellent press by the
Houston Post in the build-up for this show.  Savage trained with Milo Steinborn in
preparation for the bout.  The May 29, 1936 edition of the Post had a quote from Jim
Londos stating that Brown was the strongest man he’d ever wrestled.  “He has more
strength in his arms and legs than any wrestler in the business,” Londos said.  St. Louis
was said to be Brown’s “headquarters.” Jones refereed the main event and wrestled in the
semi-final.  The finish of the Kirchmeyer-Humberto bout “tied the local record for quick
endings, made by Dr. Karl Sarpolis two summers ago.” Pat Reilly was scheduled to referee
the main event, but was unable to make the program because of “heavy rains.” Texas
Governor James V. Allred and Texas Wrestling Commissioner Fred E. Nichols were also
prevented from attending.

Houston, Texas:  Monday, June 1, 1936
(Houston Arena) … Texas State Junior Heavyweight Champion Ralph Hammonds vs. Cecil
“Red” Perry … Bob Blair vs. Billy Burns … “Tiger” Harris vs. Bob Miller … Herbert Schultze
vs. (?) (Schultze was replaced by Sterling Davis) … (promoter:  Joe Glenney Jr.)
Notes:  Davis was unable to appear due to a previous commitment.  “Hammonds won the
junior heavyweight championship several years ago, and has successfully defended it
more than 100 times since acquiring the title,” according to the Houston Post.  The bout
would be governed by National Wrestling Association rules.

Houston, Texas:  Tuesday, June 2, 1936
(Boulevard Arena)

Houston, Texas:  Friday, June 5, 1936
(City Auditorium) … (promoter:  Morris Sigel)
Notes:  Karl Davis was said to be a “former football star and a pupil of Farmer Burns,” and
was “probably is the most hated wrestler who ever appeared in a Houston ring.”

Research by Tim Hornbaker
March 7, 2008
Houston Wrestling Results - 1936