*Early in May 1944, Yvon Robert was training at “Camp Maupas” with Emil Maupas and
preparing for a match with The Golden Terror, who was billed as a “375-pound hooded
giant.” The Terror had been signed to wrestle a match against Sandor Szabo on
Wednesday, May 10 in Boston.  The winner would be recognized by the American
Wrestling Association as the World Heavyweight Champion.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, May 3, 1944
(Montreal Forum) … Yvon Robert b. The Golden Terror and won a claim to the AWA
World Heavyweight Title (2/3) (the Terror won the first fall in 16:22, Robert won the
second and Robert won the third in 4:56) (after the match, several members of the
Montreal Athletic Commission joined the Terror in the ring and told him to remove his
mask) (the Terror removed his mask to reveal Bobby Stewart) … The Masked Marvel and
Leo Numa drew (30:00) (the Masked Marvel was a protégé of Ed “Strangler” Lewis) …
Regis Siki b. Les Ryan by decision (20:00) … Jean Pusie and Frank Valois drew (20:00)
… (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Frank Saxon) … (5,000 fans)
Notes:  The Montreal Gazette reported that Robert “won major rights to world’s
recognition as wrestling champion…when he unmasked the Golden Terror.”

*Days after his win over The Golden Terror, Yvon Robert traveled to Boston to petition
promoter Paul Bowser for a match with World Champion Sandor Szabo.  The Terror had
been booked into a title match, and Robert wanted that shot since he beat him.  On
Monday, May 8, 1944, Bowser cancelled the Terror-Szabo match.

*On Tuesday, May 9, 1944, the Montreal Athletic Commission announced its recognition
of Sandor Szabo as World Heavyweight Champion.

*Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn worked hard to sign the Sandor Szabo-Yvon Robert title
unification match.  Paul Bowser in Boston and Ed Don George in Buffalo were two other
candidates for the bout.  On Friday, May 12, 1944, Quinn signed the contest to be held
the following Wednesday at the Montreal Forum.  Szabo would receive 37 ½ percent of
the gate.

*In the following days, the Montreal Gazette reversed its earlier statements and claimed
that Sandor Szabo was recognized by the American Wrestling Association and the New
England Boxing and Wrestling Association.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, May 17, 1944
(Montreal Forum) … AWA World Heavyweight Champion Sandor Szabo b. Yvon Robert
to unify their two claims (1:04:35) … The Masked Marvel b. Larry Moquin by countout
(Marvel was billed as a protégé of Ed “Strangler” Lewis) … Leo Numa b. George
Linnehan (20:00) … Bob Russell b. Bob Lortie … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  
Sammy Mack) …(7,000 fans)
Note:  Prior to the main event, the Montreal Athletic Commission presented watches to
Yvon Robert and Dave Castilloux, Canadian boxing champion.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, May 24, 1944
(Montreal Forum) … Yvon Robert b. Leo Numa … The Masked Marvel b. Regis Siki (30:
00) … Paul Lortie (brother of Bob) b. Bob Russell … Maurice Robert and Frank Valois
drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referees:  Dan Murray, Sammy Mack) …
(5,000 fans)

*On Tuesday, May 30, 1944, AWA World Champion Sandor Szabo, challenger Yvon
Robert and promoter Eddie Quinn appeared before the Montreal Athletic Commission.  
They finalized the particulars for the World Title match between Szabo and Robert.  
Szabo would receive 37 ½ percent and Robert would get 12 ½.  A $5,000 check was
deposited as a guarantee.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, May 31, 1944
(The Forum) … AWA World Heavyweight Champion Sandor Szabo b. Yvon Robert (2/3)
(third fall by DQ) … The Masked Marvel b. Frank Judson … Larry Moquin and “Rebel”
Bob Russell drew (30:00) … Maurice Robert b. Les Ryan … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) …
(referee:  Sammy Mack) … (6,000 fans)
Note:  After the match, Szabo said he wasn’t going to give Robert another shot at the belt.

*On Tuesday, June 6, 1944, the Montreal Athletic Commission agreed to give Yvon
Robert another shot at Sandor Szabo’s title.  Szabo was still refusing to wrestle him, and
was currently in New York.  The three commissioners at the meeting were Fred Duclos,
Gauthier, and Simard.  After being threatened with a suspension if he refused to meet
Robert, Szabo began to consider it.  Ed “Strangler” Lewis wanted his protégé, the
Masked Marvel, to get a shot at the championship, and wired from Mobile, Alabama to
that affect.  Robert was said to have lost three straight matches to Szabo.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, June 14, 1944
(The Forum) … Yvon Robert b. Sandor Szabo to capture the World Heavyweight Title
(2/3) (Szabo won the initial fall in 22:06, Robert took the second in 4:07 and the third in
15:07) … Leo Numa and Bob Russell drew (20:00) … Jack Claybourne b. Les Ryan …
Frank Judson b. Al Tucker (dec., 20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referees:  Jack
Sharkey, Frank Saxon)
Notes:  Robert trained with Emil Maupas at Val Morin for the bout.  Robert said he’d retire
if he didn’t beat Szabo.  Szabo was said to have received a bad mouth cut.  He was
leaving for the West Coast.  Before leaving, he challenged Robert for a bout with a
$5,000 side bet.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, June 21, 1944
(The Forum) … Maurice Tillet b. The Masked Marvel (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Jack
Claybourne and Leo Numa drew (30:00) … Bob Russell and Les Ryan drew (30:00) …
Larry Moquin b. Jack Ross (12:31) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Sonny
Mack) … (4,200 fans)
Notes:  Russell was said to be “recognized here as junior heavyweight champion.” The
winner was going to face Yvon Robert for the title, and after the match, Quinn said that
Marvel was only beaten “on a technicality.” Also that “Marvel had shown to better
advantage than the Angel.” Thus, he wanted the masked wrestler to face Robert first.  
The newspaper indicated that Tillet’s manager, Karl Pojello was threatening legal action
because he was promised a title shot.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, June 28, 1944
(The Forum) … World Heavyweight Champion Yvon Robert b. The Masked Marvel (2/3)
(third fall by DQ) (Marvel was unmasked to reveal Marvin Westenberg) … Frank Sexton
b. Cliff Olson (12:47) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Leo Numa (15:23) … Frank Judson b. Ali
Adali (6:58) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Dan Murray) … (3,700 fans)
Notes:  The Montreal Gazette stated that Robert “equaled the record of Ed “Strangler”
Lewis by recapturing the title for a fifth time.” The paper also reminded readers that Cliff
Olson was the guy who broke Robert’s leg in Washington, D.C.  Marvel was accompanied
by his manager, Ed Lewis.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, July 5, 1944
(The Forum) … Frank Sexton b. Ed “Strangler” Lewis (2/3) … World Heavyweight
Champion Yvon Robert and Jack Claybourne drew (30:00) … Frank Judson b. Les Ryan
(DQ) … Jackie Nichols and Johnny Swenski drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) …
(referee:  Frank Saxon) … (6,000 fans)
Notes:  The Montreal Gazette (7/5/44) stated that Lewis was in his “late forties” and
weighed 265 pounds.  He has wrestled since 1912, “meeting such greats as Stecher, the
two Zbyszkos, Sonnenberg, DeGlane, Browning, George, the Indian Gama, and his
matches run, literally, into the thousands with more than 37 trips across the Atlantic, and
one across the Pacific into Japan.” The winner of the main event was going to challenge
Robert for the World Title, but after the show, Robert refused to wrestle Sexton.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, July 19, 1944
(The Forum) … Frank Sexton b. Yvon Robert to capture the World Heavyweight Title
(2/3) … Jack Claybourne b. Johnny Swenski … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Bob Wagner (DQ)
(8:20) … Jerry Monohan and Les Ryan drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) …
(referee:  Sammy Mack) … (7,000 fans)
Notes:  The main event was a controversial match.  During the third fall, Robert had
Sexton pinned while the referee was knocked out.  As the referee was reviving, Sexton
turned the tables and scored a pin as the referee counted.  Sexton refused to give
Robert a rematch, and Robert wanted Sexton suspended.  Sexton was threatening to
take the title to California with him.  The Montreal Gazette (7/28/44) stated that wrestling
was booming in California.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, August 2, 1944
(The Forum) … World Heavyweight Champion Frank Sexton b. Yvon Robert (2/3) (third
fall by countout) … Jack Claybourne b. Bob Russell (21:22) … Frank Judson and Larry
Moquin drew (30:00) … George Linnehan and Jackie Nichols drew (20:00) … (promoter:  
Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Sammy Mack) … (5,300 fans)
Notes:  Moquin was in the Provost Corps.  Publicity built up the Robert-Sexton bout as
Robert looking to break the tie he held with Ed Lewis and become champion for the sixth
time.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, August 16, 1944
(The Forum) … Yvon Robert b. Jack Claybourne (1-0) (countout) (Claybourne was
unable to continue) … “Whipper” Billy Watson b. Jim Wallace (15:49) … Bob Wagner b.
Frank Judson … George Linnehan and Jean Pusie drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie
Quinn)
Notes:  Wallace was a former Holy Cross football player and recently received a
discharge from the U.S. Navy.  Pusie was recently out of the Provost Corps.  The AWA
demanded that Frank Sexton agree to meet the winner of the Robert-Claybourne match.  
If he didn’t, Quinn wanted to run a tournament to determine a new champion.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, August 23, 1944
(The Forum) … Yvon Robert b. Frank Sexton to capture the World Heavyweight Title
(2/3) (third fall by countout) … Jack Kennedy and Bob Wagner drew (30:00) … Gino
Garibaldi b. Bob Russell (DQ) (10:20) … Frank Judson and George Linnehan drew (20:
00) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Danny Murray) … (9,000 fans)
Notes:  Robert was returning to Montreal after appearing in Atlantic City and Wildwood,
New Jersey.  Kennedy was recommended to Quinn by Lou Thesz, who was employed in
Houston at a shipyards.  Thesz reportedly had been training Kennedy for “many months.”
Kennedy was said to be a “clean” wrestler, who was “fast” and “well-conditioned.”

*On August 28, 1944 at the Montreal Forum, Eddie Quinn staged a boxing program with
Johnny Greco beating Phil Enzenga easily before 6,033 paying $7,246.  The next night, a
boxing show was scheduled at Royals Baseball Stadium (Ontario and Delorimier)
featuring Dave Castilloux.  This contest was called off due to bad weather.  The promoter
was Harry Ship.  It was eventually staged on August 30 and drew 6,000 fans.  Quinn
scheduled his next boxing show for October 11, 1944, but had to push it back to allow
Forum crews to complete the ice for the hockey season.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, October 4, 1944
(The Forum) … World Heavyweight Champion Yvon Robert b. Marvin Westenberg (2/3)
… Jack Kennedy b. Les Ryan (17:24) … Gino Garibaldi b. Albert Mills (11:10) … George
Linnehan and Larry Moquin were both disqualified … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (7,000
fans)
Notes:  Westenberg was said to wear a “rubber elbow guard” which he uses to his
advantage against opponents when using a headlock.  Robert protested it.  Robert
reportedly had traveled through the Maritimes, where he was hunting, and also took on
some wrestling engagements.  After this show, Robert returned to the Maritime
Provinces, and was said to be appearing in places like Halifax, Sydney, and Bathurst.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, October 18, 1944
(The Forum) … World Heavyweight Champion Yvon Robert b. Jack Kennedy (2/3) …
Gino Garibaldi b. Bob Russell (19:10) … Jack Claybourne and John “Dropkick” Murphy
drew (30:00) … George Gagney and Jean Pusie drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Eddie
Quinn) … (7,000 fans)

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, November 1, 1944
(The Forum) … Gino Garibaldi b. Yvon Robert to capture the World Heavyweight Title
(one-fall) (31:44) (Robert was unable to continue due to a knee injury) … Kay Bell b. Bob
Russell (17:50) … Larry Moquin b. Les Ryan (18:05) … George Cagney b. Monty
LeDoux (18:30) … (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) … (referee:  Dan Murray) … (9,000 fans)
Notes:  The Montreal Gazette (10/26/44) stated that the American Wrestling Association
“sharply clamped down on New England promoters who were advertising Sandor Szabo,
the Hungarian wrestler, as champion, despite the fact that Robert whipped him decisively
here.  Szabo, since leaving Montreal, won a number of contests on the west coast, one
billed as being for the title, and for that reason set up his claim.” Bell was a former tackle
for the Chicago Bears.  LeDoux was from Manchester, New Hampshire.

Montreal, Quebec:  Wednesday, November 15, 1944
(The Forum) … World Heavyweight Champion Gino Garibaldi vs. Yvon Robert …
(promoter:  Eddie Quinn)



Montreal, Quebec:  Thursday, November 23, 1944
(The Forum) ... Yvon Robert b. Gino Garibaldi to capture the World Heavyweight Title
(2/3) (Robert won the first fall in 19:27, Garibaldi won the second in 2:39 and Robert took
the third in 7:00) ... Kay Bell b. George Linnehan (10:05) ... Larry Moquin b. Bob
Langevin (20:15) ... George Cagney b. Joe Maich ... (promoter:  Eddie Quinn) ...
(referee:  Dan Murray) ... (12,000 fans)






Research by Tim Hornbaker
January 3, 2011
Montreal Wrestling Results - 1944