Newark, New Jersey: Friday, January 1, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Antonino Rocca b. Baron Gattone (DQ) … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) … (referee: Nick Fierro) … (television: channel 13 at 9:00) Notes: During the main event, Rocca was attacked by Gattone’s manager George Schnabel, causing the disqualification. The Zebra Kid then ran to the ring and attacked Gattone. During the melee, Gilzenberg got into the ring and was dropkicked to the mat, accidentally, by Rocca. He suffered a bruised chest. *On Saturday, January 2, 1954, television was offered on channel 5 at 10:30 from Chicago’ s Marigold Arena. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, January 8, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Baron Gattone vs. The Zebra Kid … Pedro Escobar vs. Nature Boy … Frank Dallo vs. Hans Schnabel … Tony Cosenza vs. Harold Kanner … Frank Links vs. Ed “Strangler” White … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Note: Gattone wrestled barefoot. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, January 15, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Baron Gattone vs. The Golden Terror … Man Mountain Dean and Clyde Steeves vs. Gene Bauman and Harold Kanner (2/3) … Nature Boy vs. The Zebra Kid … Frank Dallo vs. Frank Links … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Note: Television cameras begin at 9:00. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, January 22, 1954 (Newark Armory) … Verne Gagne and Hans Schmidt were both counted out during the third fall (1-1) … Man Mountain Dean and Lou Pitoscia vs. Nature Boy and Bobby Nelson (2/3) … Billy Darnell vs. Ray Thunder … Pedro Escobar vs. Harold Kanner … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) … (referee: Nick Fierro) … (3,000 fans) Note: Gagne was reportedly earning $100,000 a year as a wrestler. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, January 29, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Baron Gattone vs. Frankie Dallo … Man Mountain Dean vs. Jack Steele … Frank Lane vs. Frank Link … Harold Kanner vs. Tony Marco … Ted Lewin vs. Ed White … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Saturday, February 27, 1954 (Newark Armory) … Antonino Rocca and Hans Schmidt drew (1-1) … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Friday, March 5, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Lou Pitoscia vs. Gene Stanlee … Baron Gattone and Karl Karlson vs. Gregory Jarque and Frank Milano (2/3) … Comache Cortez vs. Ted Lewin … Pedro Escobar vs. Buddy Gilbert … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Friday, March 12, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Frank Milano vs. Gene Stanlee (2/3) … Ted Lewin and Tony Martinelli vs. Frank Dallo and Fritz Wallick (2/3) … Sammy Berg vs. George Babich … Comache Cortez vs. Hungarian Blimp … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Note: Milano was “unbeaten in five Newark starts.” *On Saturday, March 13, 1954, wrestling was featured on channel 2 at 4:00 p.m. in Newark with footage from Hollywood Legion Stadium. The featured match was Buddy Rogers vs. Sandor Szabo. At 10:30 p.m. on channel 5, footage from the Marigold Arena in Chicago was featured. The headline match was Pedro Escobar vs. Antonino Rocca. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, March 19, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Baron Gattone vs. Nature Boy … Ted Lewin and Red Ryan vs. Comache Cortez and Frankie Dallo (2/3) … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Sammy Berg … Buddy Gilbert vs. Hungarian Blimp … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Friday, March 26, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Nature Boy … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Saturday, March 27, 1954 (Newark Armory) … Raphael Halpern and Antonino Rocca drew (60:00) … Adrian Baillargeon b. Frankie Dallo (14:00) … Chief Blue Eagle and Harry Lewis b. Baron Gattone and Nature Boy (2/3) … Lillian Ellison b. Darling Dagmar (2/3) … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) … (referee: Art Generous) … (4,459 fans) … (gate: $11,301) Notes: The woman’s match was said to be the first of its kind locally in more than a year. Dagmar and Ellison “set a record when they faced each other 14 times over a 20-week period in the same arena in Baltimore two years ago.” Largest gate of the season. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, April 2, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Chief Blue Eagle vs. Baron Gattone … Comache Cortez and Nature Boy vs. Adrian Baillargeon and Ted Lewin (2/3) … Tony Cosenza vs. Tony Martinelli … Frank Links vs. Tony Milano … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Notes: Gattone was said to be 325-pounds. Blue Eagle sought a match with Verne Gagne. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, April 9, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … George Babich vs. Chief Blue Eagle … Tony Cosenza and Ted Lewin vs. Fritz Wallick and Fritz Ziegfried (2/3) … Comache Cortez vs. Soldier Barry … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Frank Links … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Friday, April 16, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Tony Cosenza vs. The Great Mr. Moto … Comache Cortez and Frankie Dallo vs. Hal Kanner and Frank Milano (2/3) … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Tony Martinelli … Chief Blue Eagle vs. Frank Links … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Note: The Great Mr. Moto weighed 375 to Cosenza’s 195. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, April 23, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Chief Blue Eagle vs. Hassen Bey … Frankie Dallo and Ted Lewin vs. Tony Milano and Fritz Wallick (Wallach) … Tony Cosenza vs. Hungarian Blimp … George Babich vs. Fritz Ziegfried … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) Newark, New Jersey: Saturday, April 24, 1954 (Newark Armory) … United States Heavyweight Champion Verne Gagne b. Pat O’Connor (2/3) (third by decision when O’Connor knocked himself out) … Lillian Ellison and Candy Carol Smith b. Darling Dagmar and Daisy Mae (2/3) … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Hassen Bey … (promoter: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) … (referee: Nick Fierro) Notes: Said to be the fifth Armory show of the season. Gagne was the “American wrestling champion.” Gagne was making his third Armory appearance and O’Connor was making his local debut. O’Connor said he predicted he’d beat Gagne, and that he’d studied his opponent. Newark, New Jersey: Friday, April 30, 1954 (Laurel Garden) … Chief Blue Eagle vs. Man Mountain Dean … Lillian Ellison and Hazel Schmidt vs. Darling Dagmar and Daisy Mae … Adrian Baillargeon vs. Hassen Bey … Baron Gattone vs. Ted Lewin … (promoters: Babe Culnan, Willie Gilzenberg) … (sponsored by: John Martin Association) *There were no results of the Laurel Garden shows found in searches of the Newark Evening News. Newark Armory = Sussex Avenue and Jay street, Newark Research by Tim Hornbaker September 3, 2010 |
Newark Wrestling Results - 1954 |