Houston Wrestling Results

Houston, Texas: Friday, January 7, 1944
(City Auditorium) … Lou Thesz b. Ted “King Kong” Cox (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Dave
Levin b. Angelo Cistoldi (DQ) (Levin was kicked in the groin) … The Swedish Angel b.
Jack Kelly … Ellis Bashara and Kola Kwariani drew … Jack “Sockeye” McDonald b. Dizzy
Davis … (promoter: Morris Sigel) … (referee: Chief Little Beaver)
Notes: The Houston Chronicle stated that Levin “won the disputed heavyweight
championship of the world from Ali Baba in Philadelphia (sic) in Philadelphia in June
1936, and successfully defended it against all comers for more than two years, before he
finally relinquished his hold on the bauble.” First show back after a two week layoff.

Houston, Texas: Friday, January 14, 1944
(City Auditorium) … The Swedish Angel b. Dave Levin (2/3) … Ted “King Kong” Cox b.
Angelo Cistoldi … Kola Kwariani b. Jack “Sockeye” McDonald … Ellis Bashara and Frank
Brown drew … Jack Kennedy and Al Lovelock drew … (promoter: Morris Sigel) …
(referee: Charlie Schwartz)
Note: Kwariani reportedly lost four teeth in his match.

Houston, Texas: Friday, January 21, 1944
(City Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson and Lou Thesz
drew (1-1) … Kola Kwariani b. Angelo Cistoldi … Ted “King Kong” Cox b. Jack Kennedy
… Ellis Bashara and Dave Levin drew … Frank Brown b. Jack Kelly … (promoter: Morris
Sigel)
Notes: Combined wrestling-symphony show. The crowd bought $7,135,000 worth of war
bonds. Information about this show was featured on the front page of the Houston
Chronicle. Music accompanied the matches. After his draw with Levin, Ellis Bashara
grabbed Houston Symphony conductor Ernst Hoffmann. According to the newspaper,
“no one was hurt, and Bashara returned later to apologize, and lead the orchestra in a
bit.” Bashara had entered the ring to “Pomp and Circumstance.” The Chronicle arts
writer, Eleanor Wakefield wrote about the wrestling matches, while Dick Freeman, sports
editor, wrote about the music. They had traded positions for this show. Houston oilman
and the president of the Houston Symphony, H.R. Cullen bought $1 million worth of
bonds.

Houston, Texas: Friday, January 28, 1944
(City Auditorium) … Ted “King Kong” Cox b. Ellis Bashara (2/3) … Kola Kwariani and Lou
Thesz drew … Dave Levin b. Chief Joe Little Beaver (8:00) … Angelo Cistoldi b. Frank
Brown … Jack Curtis b. Herbie Schultz … (promoter: Morris Sigel)
Note: The Houston Chronicle stated that Thesz and Kwariani “traded hold for hold and
gave the fans a fine display of scientific wrestling.”

Houston, Texas: Friday, November 3, 1944
(City Auditorium) ... Bobby Managoff b. Lou Plummer (2/3) ... Danny McShain b. Leroy
McGuirk ... Lou Thesz b. Ivan "Blockbuster" Talun (DQ) ... Bobby Wagner b. Gino "Red"
Vagnone ... Juan Humberto and Jack Wentworth drew ... (promoter: Morris Sigel) ...
(referee: Charley Schwartz)
Notes: McShain-McGuirk was a non-title match. McGuirk was the World Junior
champion. Talun stood 6'8" and weighed 310 pounds.

Houston, Texas: Friday, November 10, 1944
(City Auditorium) ... World Junior Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk and Danny
McShain wrestled to a no contest (1-1) (match was stopped due to McShain's cut over his
eye) ... Frankie Murdoch b. Jack Wentworth ... Hardy Kruskamp b. Lt. Chris Zaharias ...
Ivan Talun b. Angelo Cistoldi ... Bobby Managoff and Bobby Wagner drew ... Mae Young
b. Ann Miller ... (promoter: Morris Sigel) ... (referee: Karl Sarpolis)

Houston, Texas: Friday, November 17, 1944
(City Auditorium) ... Texas State Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Ivan Talun (2/3) ...
Bobby Managoff b. Angelo Cistoldi ... Mae Young b. Nell Stewart ... Lou Plummer b.
Bobby Wagner (DQ) ... Hardy Kruskamp b. Roy Graham ... Olaf Olsen and Red Vagnone
drew (15:00) ... (promoter: Morris Sigel)

Houston, Texas: Friday, November 24, 1944
(City Auditorium) ... World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson b. Bobby Managoff (2/3)
... Women's World Champion Mildred Burke b. Mae Young ... Sockeye McDonald and
Danny McShain drew ... Bobby Wagner b. Hardy Kruskamp ... Lou Plummer b. Angelo
Cistoldi ... Juan Humberto b. Gino Vagnone (DQ) ... (promoter: Morris Sigel) ... (capacity
crowd)
Note: The McDonald-McShain match was called "one of the most sensational matches
ever staged here."

Houston, Texas: Friday, December 1, 1944
(City Auditorium) … Bobby Wagner b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Al Lovelock and Lou
Thesz b. Ellis Bashara and Angelo Cistoldi (2-0) (team match) … Bobby Managoff b.
Hardy Kruskamp … “Sockeye” McDonald b. Red Vagnone … (promoter: Morris Sigel) …
(near capacity crowd)
Note: Wagner used a headlock as a finisher.

Houston, Texas: Friday, December 8, 1944
(The Coliseum) … World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson b. Lou Plummer (2/3) …
Olaf Olson b. Lou Thesz to capture the Texas State Heavyweight Title (Thesz suffered a
fractured shoulder) (8:14) … World Junior Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk b.
“Sockeye McDonald (match stopped due to the challenger’s eye injury) … Women’s
Wrestling Champion Mildred Burke b. Mae Weston (17:25) … Bobby Managoff b. Ellis
Bashara (16:22) … (promoter: Morris Sigel) … (referees: Karl Sarpolis (main event), Al
Lovelock, John Galiano) … (physician: Dr. Ben Bayer) … (11,000 fans)
Notes: The crowd purchased $20,708,000 in war bonds. According to the newspaper
report, this was “the largest wrestling gate in history and the largest crowd ever to see a
mat show in Texas.” The wrestlers were paid for their expenses only. The show was
sponsored by the Texas Junior Chamber of Commerce and Sigel was a member of that
group. Before the show, an $18,000,000 gate was predicted. Admission was “by war
bond purchase only.” The Houston Post claimed it was the “largest wrestling gate in
history.” Parts of the show were broadcast on KPRC at 10:15, and Jerry Schultz was
going to give hold-by-hold commentary. Lloyd Gregory was going to do interviews.
Members of the marine battalion state guard were ushers at the show. A contingent of
wounded veterans from McCloskey hospital were ringside. Film of the show was taken by
Jimmy Lederur, a Universal news cameraman.

Houston, Texas: Friday, December 15, 1944
(City Auditorium) … Bobby Managoff b. Bobby Wagner (2/3) … Lou Plummer b. Ivan
Talun to win the WrestleRoyal (other participants: Ellis Bashara, Roy Graham, Olaf
Olson, Juan Humberto) … Sterling “Dizzy” Davis b. Angelo Cistoldi … Frankie Murdock b.
“Sockeye” McDonald (DQ) … Jack Kennedy b. Hardy Kruskamp … (promoter: Morris
Sigel) … (referees: Al Lovelock, Karl Sarpolis)
Notes: Final show of 1944. The winner of the WrestleRoyal will get a $250 Christmas
bonus. Davis was a substitute for Leroy McGuirk, who was sick.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
February 19, 2011

Houston Wrestling Results - 1944