New Orleans Wrestling Results

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, January 5, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther b. Flash Clifford (2/3) (Clifford was unable to continue for the
third fall) … Art O’Mahoney b. Sid Bromberg (2-0) … Jack Dillon and Leo Jensen drew …
(matchmaker: Marty Burke)

New Orleans, Louisana: Thursday, January 12, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Art O’Mahoney (2/3)
… Leo Jensen b. Earl Malone (2-0) … Del Raines b. Jack Dillon (DQ) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: Gunther was famous for his neck-twist and O’Mahoney was for his “Irish weed leg hold.” O’
Mahoney was popular locally. Raines was from Texas and Dillon from Canada.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, January 19, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Leo Jensen (2/3) …
Charley Keene b. Del Raines (2/3) … Flash Clifford b. John Ellis

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, January 26, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Flash Clifford (2/3)
… Charley Keene b. Earl Malone (2-0) … Billy Markus b. Jack Dillon (2/3)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, February 2, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Leo Jensen b. Flash Clifford (2/3) … Charley Keene and Art O’Mahoney
drew (60:00) (1-1) … Billy Markus b. Nick George (2-0) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: Leo Jensen married his “childhood sweetheart, Miss Geneva Bishop of Monroe” prior to
wrestling Flash Gordon. According to the newspaper, matchmaker “Marty Burke and Mrs. Burke
will be best man and bridesmaid at the wedding,” and “an organ, installed at the ringside, will
furnish the wedding music.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, February 9, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Art O’Mahoney b. Leo Jensen (2-0) … Sid Markus b. Charley Keene (2/3)
(third fall by DQ) … John Ellis b. Cecil Travis … (2,200 fans)
Note: The newspaper said that Cecil Travis was from Washington and had “no relation to the
baseball star.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, February 16, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Joe Wolfe (2-0) …
Women’s Champion Clara Mortensen b. Miss Mae Harris (2-0) … Sid Markus b. Jack Steele (2-0)
(second fall by DQ) … George Calonge and Leo Mortensen drew
Notes: Mortensen was defending “women’s wrestling title.” George Calonge (Calogne) was a
former New Orleans Athletic Club amateur wrestling champion, and was making his professional
debut here. Leo Mortensen was Clara’s brother. Keene was called the “former Red Shadow.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, February 23, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Charlie Keene and Jack Steele b. Joe Gunther and Sid Markus (2/3) … Billy
Markus b. Red Roberts (DQ) … George Calonge b. Bernard Seely … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: The New Orleans Times-Picayune stated that “team wrestling makes its debut here tonight
at the Coliseum.” Billy Markus was the “huge Jewish heavyweight brother of Sid.” Red Roberts was
billed as being from Little Rock.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, March 2, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Charlie Keene and Jack Steele vs. Joe Gunther and Freddie Knichel … Fred
Kupfer vs. Sid Markus … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, March 9, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther and Freddie Knichel b. Charlie Keene and Jack Steele … Sid
Markus b. Leo Jensen (2/3) … (matchmaker: Marty Burke) … (3,000 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, March 16, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Women’s World Lightweight Champion Mildred Burke b. Gladys Gilliam (2-0)
… Sid Markus b. John Ellis (2-0) … Charlie Keene and Art O’Mahoney drew (60:00) (1-1) …
(matchmaker: Marty Burke) … (2,500+ fans)
Notes: Burke was called a “claimant of the feminine lightweight wrestling championship of the
world.” Gladys Gilliam was said to have “starred in basketball, softball, swimming and track at
Minnesota schools.” Art O’Mahoney accepted an invitation to march with the Grand Marshall Jim
Comiskey in the local St. Patrick’s parade. Markus was a “Jewish heavyweight.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, March 23, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Art O’Mahoney b. Fred Knichel (2/3) … Tsuto Higami b. Red Roberts (2-0) …
Joe Dillman and John LaRue drew (60:00) … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: Dillman was said to be from Indianapolis. Higami was also spelled “Hegami” by the local
newspaper.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, March 30, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Dillman b. Sid Markus (2/3) … Tsuto Higami b. Jack Steele (2-0) … John
LaRue b. Freddie Knichel … (matchmaker: Marty Burke) … (2,800 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, April 6, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Sid Markus b. Charlie Keene (DQ) … John LaRue b. Bill Hall (2-0) … Pete
Tripodes b. Red Riley (2/3) … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, April 13, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Charlie Keene and John LaRue wrestled Joe Gunther and Freddie Knichel to
a draw (60:00) (1-1) … Professor Tsuto Higami b. Leo Jensen (2-0) … (matchmaker: Marty
Burke) .. (3,000 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, April 20, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther and Maurice LaChappelle b. Charlie Keene and Jack LaRue (2-
0) (second by DQ) … Tsuto Higami b. Joe Wheeler (2-0) … (matchmaker: Marty Burke) …
(referee: Charlie Cure)
Notes: Joe Gunther was called “Southern junior heavyweight mat champion and neck-twist
specialist.” Joe Wheeler was called an “ex-football player” from Boston.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, April 27, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Tsuto Higami b. Freddie Knichel (2/3) … Art O’Mahoney b. Jack LaRue (DQ)
… Pete Tripodes b. Bill Hall … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: Billy Hall was said to be from Toledo. Freddie Knichel was a “dropkick artist” from St.
Louis. Joe Gunther was going to meet the winner of Knichel-Higami.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, May 4, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther and Art O’Mahoney
drew (60:00) (no falls) … Pete Tripoles b. Leo Jensen … Billy Sandow b. Red Roberts (DQ) …
(matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: The local newspaper said that Gunther was putting his Southern Junior Heavyweight Title
up against Art O’Mahoney. “This is the first time Gunther has put his belt at stake since winning
the title in the recent tournament against O’Mahoney.” The first time they wrestled, it ended up
being a two-hour battle, “with Gunther taking down a much-disputed decision.” Gunther was
risking his diamond-studded belt.

*A report in the Tuesday, May 9, 1939 edition of the New Orleans Times-Picayune stated Bruno
the Bear beat Mike Nazarian in Birmingham on May 8 before an audience of 5,000. Nazarian
reportedly had defeated Martin Levy prior.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, May 11, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Little Eva the Bear b. Charlie Keene (countout) … Tsuto Higami b. Mike
Nazarian (DQ) … Art O’Mahoney and Roy Welch drew … (matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: Welch was spelled “Welsch,” and he was the handler for Little Eva, the “500 pound grizzly
bear who is sometimes billed as Bruno.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, May 18, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther and Tsuto Higami drew
(60:00) (no falls) … Billy Fox b. Jack Dillon (2-0) … Sid Markus b. The Masked Red Ace (2-0) …
(matchmaker: Marty Burke)
Notes: Billy Fox was said to be a “former University of Ohio football player and now a member of
the Cleveland Rams professional football squad.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, May 25, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Charlie Keene b. Tsuto Hegami (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Billy Fox b. Red
Roberts (2-0) … Maurice LaChappelle b. Walter Miller (DQ) … (promoter: Marty Burke) …
(referee: Charlie Cure)
Note: Walter Miller was billed as the “Australian champion.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 1, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Billy Fox and Art O’Mahoney b. Bob Corby and Jack Steele (2/3) … Buddy
Knox b. Walter Miller (referee stopped match due to cut over Miller’s eye) … (referee: Charlie
Cure)
Notes: Knox was from Tulsa. The newspaper stated that “returns of the Max Baer-Lou Nova
heavyweight bout will be broadcast from the ringside.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 8, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Little Eva the Bear b. Charlie Keene and Mike Nazarian (6:00 total) … Billy
Fox b. Roy Welch (2/3) … Bob Corby and Sid Markus drew (60:00) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: Little Eva was a 500-pound bear, handled by Roy Welch. Corby was from St. Louis. Sid
Markus was making his last local appearance “before going East for an extended tour.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 15, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Buddy Knox (2/3) …
Mildred Burke and Babe Myers (Meyers) were both counted out (1-1) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Art O’
Mahoney
Notes: Burke was called the “world’s women’s lightweight wrestling champion.” Myers was from
Toledo, Ohio.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 22, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Professor Tsutoo
Hegami (Hegami was unable to continue) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Walter Miller (2/3) … Jimmy
Goodrich and Al Szasz drew (60:00) … (2,500 fans)
Notes: Miller was said to be the wrestler “who introduced the kangaroo dropkick to the mat
game.” Goodrich wsa from Flint, Michigan.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, June 29, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Women’s Champion Mildred Burke b. Gladys Gillem (2-0) … Charlie Keene
b. Billy Fox (2/3) … Larry Tillman b. Jimmy Goodrich (DQ) (Goodrich hit the referee) … (2,500
fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, July 6, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Joe Gunther b. Tsutoo Hegami
(decision) … Charlie Keene b. Jimmy Goodrich (2-0) … Billy Fox and Larry Tillman drew (60:00)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, July 13, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Billy Fox and Sid Markus vs. Joe Dillman and Mike Nazarian (2/3) (team
match) … Charlie Keene vs. Al Olsen (2/3)
Notes: Loretta Lee, “stage, screen and radio star,” was going to be the guest of honor at this
show. Keene was a heel from St. Louis and Olsen was from Minnesota.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, July 20, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Dillman b. Billy Fox (Fox was unable to continue after the first fall due to
an arm injury) … Pete Tripodes b. Al Olsen (2/3) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Sid Markus (2/3)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, July 27, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Joe Gunther to capture the Southern Junior Heavyweight
Title (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Pete Tripodes b. Billy Fox (2/3) … Larry Tillman b. Walter Miller (2-
0) … (referee: Charlie Cure) … (3,500 fans)
Notes: An immediate rematch between Rodriguez and Gunther was scheduled, as the decision
was unpopular with fans. Gunther protested Cure’s decision and didn’t want him to work the
return engagement.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 3, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Joe Gunther to capture a full claim to the Southern
Junior Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Billy Fox and Tsutoo Hegami drew (60:00) (1-1) … Larry Tillman
b. Pete Tripodes (DQ) … (3,500 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 10, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Bob Corby, Billy Fox and Joe Parelli b. Joe Gunther, Charles Keene and Pete
Tripodes (six-man team match) … Joe Gunther b. Bob Corby (2/3) … Joe Parelli b. Charles Keene
… Billy Fox and Pete Tripodes were both disqualified … (referee: Charlie Cure)
Notes: This was the local debut for six-man team wrestling. After the bout, team captains Gunther
and Corby were going to select the principals for the semi-final and prelim bout.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 17, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther b. Larry Tillman (2/3) … Billy Fox b. Pete Tripodes (ten-round
boxing match) (ended by disqualification in fourth round) … Joe Parelli b. Gus Pappas

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 24, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Pete Tripodes b. Billy Fox (boxer vs. wrestler) … Joe Gunther b. Gus Bouras
(2/3) … Charles Keene b. Bob Corby (2-0) (Keene was a substitute for Carlos Rodriguez) (Corby
suffered a cut over his left eye) … (referee: Charlie Cure)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 31, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther and Joe Parelli b. Pete Tripodes and Count Von Bromberg (2/3)
(team match) (Tripodes was unable to continue) … Charles Keene b. Jim Spanos (2/3) … Joe
Gunther and Count Von Bromberg drew (30:00) … (2,500 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, September 7, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Parelli b. Count Von Bromberg (2/3) … Joe Gunther b. Larry Tillman
(Tillman was unable to continue after suffering an injured wrist) … Cyclone Burns b. Jack Purdin
(2/3)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, September 14, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther b. Pete Tripodes (dec., 60:00) (1-0) … Charles Keene b.
Cyclone Burns (2/3) … Joe Parelli b. Jack Purdin (2/3) (third fall by DQ)
Note: Matchmaker Marty Burke was going to allow fans to pick the matches out of a group of
grapplers.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, September 21, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Charles Keene and Jack Purdin b. Cyclone Burns and Joe Parelli (2/3) (team
match) … Eddie Pope and Larry Tillman drew (60:00) (1-1) … Leo Jensen and Charles Keene
drew (no falls) … (2,500+ fans)
Notes: Keene was the “former Red Shadow.” Pope was making his local debut. The newspaper
stated that “before the match, a number of Jensen’s friends presented him with a bathrobe.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, September 28, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Mildred Burke and Marie Louise Ricks b. Gladys Gillem and Betty Lee (team
match) … Bob Corby b. Al Olsen (2/3) … Jack Purdin b. Pete Tripodes (2/3)
Notes: Lee was from Chicago and Ricks was from New Orleans. Ricks was said to be “making her
professional debut on tonight’s card.” This was the first women’s team match held locally.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, October 5, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Cyclone Burns b. Charles Keene … Kid Lott b. Eddie Pope … Lary Tillman b.
Bob Corby

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, October 12, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Freddie Knichel b. Pete Tripodes (2-0) … Jack Purdin b. Cyclone Burns (2/3)
… Kid Lott b. Bob Corby … (2,500 fans)
Notes: Kid Lott was an “Illinois headlock specialist,” and Burns was a “Kentucky Irishman.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, October 19, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Carlos Rodriguez b. Joe Dillman (2/3) … Jack Purdin b. Pete Tripodes (2/3)
… Lon Chaney b. Al Olsen … (2,500 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, October 26, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Gunther and Freddie Knichel b. Bob Corby and Charles Keene (2/3)
(team match) … Cyclone Burns and Kid Lott drew (60:00) … (2,500 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, November 2, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Cyclone Burns and Freddie Knichel b. Bob Corby and Charles Keene (Corby
and Keene wore six-ounce boxing gloves against their two opponents) (boxer vs. wrestler team
match) (Keene was unable to continue for the final fall) … Jimmy “Kid” Lott b. Sid Markus (2/3)
(Lott was a substitute for Jack Purdin) … (2,500 fans)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, November 9, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Carlos Rodriguez and Joe Gunther
drew (60:00) (Rodriguez won the only fall, but the match was still listed as a draw in the
newspaper) … Freddie Knichel b. Eddie Pope (2/3) … Jack Purdin b. Jack Steele
Notes: The main event was “billed as for the Southern junior heavyweight wrestling title. The
winner is slated to get a diamond-studded belt, emblematic of the title,” according to the paper.
Another report stated that “Rodriguez defeated Gunther in quite an upset match several months
ago and their encore bout is expected to attract one of the largest crowds of the current season.”

New Orleans, Louisana: Thursday, November 16, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Carlos Rodriguez b. Joe Dillman …
Freddie Knichel b. Charles Keene … Billy Fox b. Jack Purdin

New Orleans, Louisiana: Wednesday, November 22, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion Carlos Rodriguez and Freddie
Knichel drew (60:00) (1-1) … Joe Dillman b. Eddie Pope (2-0) … Billy Fox b. Bob Corby (2/3) …
(referee: Charlie Cure)

*On Wednesday, November 22, 1939, Marty Burke held his initial amateur boxing show at the new
Mar-Bur Athletic Club.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, November 30, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Freddie Knichel b. Carlos Rodriguez to capture the Southern Junior
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Billy Fox and Charles Keene drew (third fall by countout) (1-1) … Lon
Chaney b. Jack Purdin
Note: Knichels was also spelled “Knichels.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, December 7, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Larry Tillman b. Joe Gunther (2/3) (Tillman was a substitute for Freddie
Knichel, who was supposed to be defending his “newly won” Southern Junior Title) … Art O’
Mahoney b. Bob Corby … Joe Dillman b. Jack Purdin
Note: O’Mahoney was making his return after “six months.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, December 14, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Art O’Mahoney b. Carlos Rodriguez (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Joe Dillman b.
Charles Keene (2/3) (Keene was unable to continue for the third fall) … Billy Fox b. Lon Chaney
(2/3)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, December 21, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Art O’Mahoney and Larry Tillman b. Carlos Rodriguez and Jack Steele (team
match) … Jack Purdin b. The Skull (DQ)
Notes: The Skull was a “new masked marvel,” introduced by matchmaker Marty Burke. He wore
“full-length black trunks and a huge white and black mask.”

New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, December 28, 1939
(Coliseum Arena) … Joe Dillman b. Jack Purdin (DQ) … Larry Tillman b. Joe Gunther (DQ) … Billy
Fox and Art O’Mahoney drew (1-1)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 15, 2010

New Orleans Wrestling Results - 1939