Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, March 31, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Vic Holbrook b. Chief Little Wolf (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Ray Villmer
and Herb Welch drew (60:00) (1-1) … Blacksmith Pedigo b. Soldier Thomas (26:47) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen) … (referee:  Scotty Williams) … (1,900 fans)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, April 7, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Mike Sexton b. Vic Hill (2-0) … Mike Sexton b. Vic Holbrook (2/3) …
Pat O’Malley b. Red Roberts (DQ) (24:10) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Sexton was billed as a “former Ohio State bone bender” and also said to be from
Philadelphia.  Red Roberts was from Hot Springs, Arkansas and Vic Hill from Seattle.  
Sexton replaced Joe Millich in his match against Hill after Millich had “a date with Uncle
Sam’s army.” The Sexton-Holbrook match was the main event.  No show next week.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, April 21, 1942
(Jefferson County Armory) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Orville
Brown to unify the latter’s MWA World Title with his own championship (2/3) … Don Louis
Thesz b. Mike Sexton (1-0) (60:00) (24:53) … Chief Little Wolf b. Joe Dusek (23:39) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen) … (referee:  Billy Love) … (2,800 fans)
Notes:  The April 19, 1942 edition of the Louisville Courier Journal reported that Orville
Brown was going to wrestle the masked Superman II in the “possibility of the first
undisputed world’s heavyweight champion since 1922 emerging.” That would be possible
if Superman II turned out to be Bill Longson, who “recently dethroned ex-champion
Sandor Szabo at St. Louis.” Longson was recognized as the National Wrestling
Association champion and Brown was the Midwest Wrestling Association champion.  
Sexton was from New Philadelphia, Ohio.  Superman II pulled off his mask to reveal
Longson.  The newspaper (4/22/1942) reported that Longson “rules as undisputed world’
s champion…those grapplers presided over by the National Wrestling Association, the
Midwest Wrestling Association and the Eastern Wrestling Association.”

Louisville, Kentucky:  Friday, May 1, 1942
(The Armory) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Sandor Szabo (2/3)
… Women’s World Champion Mildred Burke b. Mae Young (10:26) … King Kong Clayton
b. Haille Samara to capture the Negro World Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Samara won the
first fall, but Clayton took the second and third) … Buddy Knox and Herb Welch drew (20:
00) … Chief Little Wolf and Don Louis Thesz drew (30:00) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
… (referees:  Scotty Williams, Billy Love) … (2,800 fans) … (gate:  $3,335.50)
Notes:  Derby Eve show at the Armory.  In the Louisville Courier Journal (4/24/1942),
Sandor Szabo talked about losing his championship to Bill Longson on February 19 in St.
Louis.  He said:  “Longson caught me off guard, bounced me head-first against the floor
with all his might in the piledriver.  I don’t remember anything from there on – that was for
the second fall – until I came to, fighting my seconds half hour later.  Why, he beat me
the last fall, even though I was out on my feet, on a fluke.  I had him spinning around in
an airplane spin, ready for a slam, I am told, when I lose my balance, fall and he lands
atop me.  This really hurts me to learn a man whom I can practically beat when I’m
unconscious wins my title.” The venue was at Sixth and Walnut Streets.  Samara “won his
recognition here last summer.”

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, May 12, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Orville Brown b. K.O, Koverly (2/3) … The Yellow Peril b. Fred Blaize
(2-0) … Roy Welch b. Jack Reeder … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Fred “Blaize” of Hungary was a “protégé of Don Louis Thesz.  Reeder was from
Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Koverly was also a boxer and he “knocked out Jaydee Turner in four
rounds about a month ago.” Peril weighed 315 pounds.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, May 19, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Dorve Roche b. Jack Dillon (2-0) … The Yellow Peril b. Ray Eckert (1-
0) (60:00) … Prince Omar and Pete Sherman drew ... (promoter:  Heywood Allen)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, June 2, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … The Yellow Peril b. Ray Eckert (2/3) … Herb Welch b. Pat O’Malley
(2/3) … Floyd Bird and Prince Omar drew … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Peril earned a title match against Bill Longson next week.  Welch won his 16th
straight match in Louisville.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Wednesday, June 10, 1942
(Sports Arena) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Rudy LaDitzi (2/3)
… Lee Henning and Vic Holbrook drew (1-1) (Holbrook was a substitute for Dorve Roche)
… Roy Welch b. Scotty Williams (16:55) (Williams was a substitute for Eddie Malone) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  The Tuesday show was postponed until Wednesday because of rain – it was
supposed to be the first outdoor show of the year.  Rudy LaDitzi was said to be the
“conqueror of the Yellow Peril.” Welch was from El Paso.  Eddie Malone was the “Green
Shadow.”

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, June 16, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Lou Thesz b. Chief Little Wolf (2/3) (Thesz won the first and third falls)
… Ray Eckert b. Lee Henning (2/3) … Pete Sherman b. Sailor Parker (18:15) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, June 23, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Herb Welch b. Rex Mobley (2/3) … Buddy Knox b. Mel Peters (2-0) …
Blacksmith Pedigo b. George Bennett (15:43) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, June 30, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Lou Thesz b. Cherry Valina (2/3) … Ginger the Bear b. Floyd Bird …
Ginger the Bear wrestled briefly with Buddy Atkinson, but there was no finish … Roy
Welch b. Prince Omar … (promoter:  Heywood Allen) … (2,500 fans)
Notes:  Ginger was a 305-pound Canadian Black Bear.  Thesz “whom many expect to
succeed champion Bill Longson on the throne,” according to the Louisville Courier
Journal (6/30/1942).
Atkinson’s real name was Butler M. Atkinson and he was a sportswriter for the
newspaper.  He weighed 120 pounds and had performed in stunts, such as boxing
lightweight champion Sam Angott and riding through a wall of fire with “hell driver” Lucky
Teter.  Atkinson ran from the bear most, if not all, of the match.  Ginger’s trainer was Roy
Welch.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, July 7, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Ray Eckert b. Cherry Vallina (2/3) … Jack Kennedy b. Carlos
Rodriguez (2/3) … Floyd Bird and Blacksmith Pedigo drew (30:00) … (promoter:  
Heywood Allen)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, July 14, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Herb Welch b. Dick Lever (2/3) … Gladys Ryan b. Mae Young (15:02)
… Dick Vaden b. Jack Purdin (2/3) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Gladys Ryan was said to be 22 years of age and from Brooklyn.  Mae Young was
from Chicago.  Lever was in the Coast Guard.  Herb Welch was a “claimant of the
Southern heavy honors.” Purdin was from Tucson, Arizona.  The newspaper indicated
that Welch left no doubt who was the Southern champion after defeating Lever.  From
this point on, Welch was considered the Southern Heavyweight champion.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, July 21, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Ray Eckert b. Joe Dusek (2/3) … Southern Heavyweight champion
Herb Welch and Dorv Roche drew (1-1) (60:00) … Roy Welch b. Jack Purdin (14:45) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  The local newspaper stated that Welch “makes the initial defense of the Southern
Heavyweight championship he won here last week.” Roche was formerly from Decatur, IL
and now a farmer in Chattanooga.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, July 28, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Ray Eckert b. K.O. Koverly (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Dorve Roche b.
Bad Boy Brown (2-0) … Roy Welch b. George Bennett (11:30) … (promoter:  Heywood
Allen)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, August 4, 1942
(Sports Arena) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson vs. Ray Eckert (2/3)
… Jack Kennedy vs. Cowboy Luttrall (2/3) … Red Roberts vs. Roy Welch … (promoter:  
Heywood Allen)
Notes:  The local newspaper indicated that Longson was the “first real world’s
heavyweight titlist matdom has acknowledged universally since the heyday of Jim Londos
in the twenties.” Another advertisement said that Londos’ heyday was in 1925, which is
about 5-years off.  Londos really didn’t come into his own as the heavyweight champion
until 1930.  This show was postponed due to weather.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Wednesday, August 12, 1942
(Sports Arena) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Ray Eckert (69:11)
(1-0) (Eckert was on the receiving end of three piledrivers and was unable to return after
the first fall) … Charley Keane and Charley Vaden drew (1-1) … Roy Welch b. Red
Roberts (DQ) (19:26) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen) … (2,000 fans)
Notes:  The Louisville Courier Journal reported that “Longson holds practically universal
recognition, following his conquests of NWA King Sandor Szabo, Midwest Champion
Orville Brown, American Association Champion Bobby Bruns and Eastern Champion
Ernie Dusek.”

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, September 1, 1942
(Sports Arena) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Cowboy Luttrall (2-
0) (29:13, 32 seconds) … Mae Young b. Cousin Alvirey Snodgrass (19:30) … Roy Welch
b. Bill Canney (2/3) (Welch won the third fall in 14 seconds) … (promoter:  Heywood
Allen) … (3,000 fans)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, September 8, 1942
(Sports Arena) … Rudy Strongberg b. “Strangler” Ed White (2/3) … Dorv Roche b. Babe
Zaharias (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Jack Purdin b. George Bennett … (promoter:  
Heywood Allen)
Notes:  “Strangler” Ed White was said to be from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and he was the
protégé of Ed “Strangler” Lewis.  He was known as the “Alabama Assassin.” All non-
commissioned members of the armed forces were admitted free to the show.  Purdin was
from Jackson, Mississippi.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, September 15, 1942
(Sports Arena) … World Junior Heavyweight champion Gust Johannsen b. Swede Olson
(2/3) … Charley Vaden b. Charley Lay … Roy Welch b. Count Von Zuppi … (promoter:  
Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Gust Johannsen was said to be from Spokane, Washington and was called the
World Junior Heavyweight champion.  Johannsen was the “champion of one of the largest
groups in the sport now.  The NWA estimates more than 500 come in this branch of 190-
210-pound battlers.” Johannsen was a “one-time junior middleweight titlist.” The
newspaper indicated that “Johannsen will risk his crown in the division recognized less
than a year by the National Wrestling Association.”

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, September 22, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Tiny Morgan b. Rudy Strongberg (2/3) … Roy Welch b. Mel Peters …
Angelo Cistoldi and Ralph Garibaldi drew … (promoter:  Heywood Allen)
Notes:  Tiny Morgan stood 6’6 ½” tall and was from Texas.  He weighed 330 pounds.  
The local newspaper stated that he lived near Fort Worth.  Columbia Gym had been
equipped with a new air refreshing system and had been redecorated.  Peters was from
Chicago.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, September 29, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … NWA World Heavyweight champion Bill Longson b. Tiny Morgan (2-0)
(24:35, 14:07) … Ray Steele b. Jack Kennedy (2/3) … Blacksmith Pedigo and Scotty
Williams drew … (promoter:  Heywood Allen) … (1,900 fans)
Note:  Pedigo and Williams subbed for Ed “Strangler” White and Moody Palmer.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, October 6, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Herb Welch b. Mike Chacoma (2/3) … Charley Lay b. Charley Vaden
(2/3) … Stocky Neilson and Ray Welch drew … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) …
(sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

*On October 7, 1942 in Montreal, Yvon Robert defeated Bill Longson to capture the
National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title.  Heywood Allen and the Allen
Athletic Club recognized the title switch.  Robert was recognized as the titleholder of the
National Wrestling Association, the American Association, and the Midwest Wrestling
Association.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, October 13, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Angelo Cistoldi b. Cowboy Luttrell (2/3) … The Lady in Purple
(Masked) b. Mae Young (Young was a substitute for Mae Weston) … Harold McGee b.
George Bennett … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, October 20, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Angelo Cistoldi b. Dorve Roche (2/3) … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Babe
Zaharias (2/3) … Flash Clifford b. Kid Scotty Williams … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.)
… (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, October 27, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Bill Longson b. Angelo Cistoldi (2/3) (-Longson was billed as the ex-
World Champion) … Ray Steele b. Babe Zaharias (2-0) … The Lady in Purple b. Mae
Weston … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, November 3, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Ralph Garibaldi (2/3) … Dorv Roche b. Jack
Dillon (2-0) … Harold McGee b. Cecil Pedigo … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) …
(sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, November 10, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion Yvon
Robert b. Roland Kirchmeyer (2/3) … Haille Samara b. King Kong Clayton to capture the
Negro World Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Dorve Roche b. Leon LeGrande … (promoter:  
Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, November 17, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Bill Longson b. Gene Bowman (2/3) … Angelo Cistoldi and Dorve
Roche drew (60:00) … Harold McGee and Cecil Pedigo drew … (promoter:  Heywood
Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, November 24, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Dorve Roche b. Angelo Cistoldi (2-0) … Ralph Garibaldi b. Cowboy
Luttrall … Al Massey b. Jack Dillon … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  
Allen Athletic Club)

*On November 27, 1942, Bobby Managoff Jr. defeated Yvon Robert to capture the
National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title in Houston.

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, December 1, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Bill Longson lost a 60-minute handicap match against Al Massey
(Longson had to beat Massey twice in 60-minutes or forfeit his money) (If Longson was to
succeed, he would have earned $1,000) … Orville Brown and Dorve Roche drew … Cecil
Pedigo b. Charley Keen by disqualification (19:57) … (promtoer:  Heywood Allen Sr.) …
(sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, December 8, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Bill Longson (2/3) (Longson won the first fall
in 25:14, Lewis won the second in 11:31 and then won the third by disqualification in 5:
04) … Ralph Garibaldi b. Gene Bowman (2/3) … Charles Lay b. Charley Keen (28:07) …
(promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

Louisville, Kentucky:  Tuesday, December 15, 1942
(Columbia Gym) … Ray Eckert b. Ed “Strangler” Lewis (2/3) (Lewis won the first fall,
Eckert won the second and then the third straight) … Roy Welch b. Seaman First Class
Fred Blassie (2/3) … Cecil Pedigo b. Stock Neilson (DQ) (Pedigo was a substitute for
Charles Lay) … (promoter:  Heywood Allen Sr.) … (sponsored by:  Allen Athletic Club)

*On Monday, December 21, 1942, promoter Heywood Allen Sr. signed a deal with Robert
L. Managoff Sr. to bring the latter’s son, Bobby Managoff Jr. to Louisville for a match on
January 5, 1943.  Managoff was the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight
Champion, as well as being recognized by the “American Association” and the “Midwest
Wrestling Association.”



Research by Tim Hornbaker
Louisville Wrestling Results - 1942