Oklahoma City Wrestling Results

*There was no wrestling in Oklahoma City between April 1, 1942 and January 26, 1943.

Camp Crowder, Missouri: Sunday, January 24, 1943
( ) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Billy Raburn b. Sergeant Eddie Williams
Notes: Raburn was said to be from Tulsa. Williams was stationed at Camp Crowder. This
match was reported by the Associated Press.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, January 26, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Ed
Virag b. Tommy Milton (2-0) (10:55) … Pete Sherman b. Jack Toone (2-0) … Bob Hayford
b. Ted Fanning … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley) … (referee: Buddy Seigel) …
(sponsored by: American Legion, Post 35) … (1,200 fans)
Notes: This marked the return of wrestling to Oklahoma City and the debut of the Billy
Sandow troupe, based out of Wichita, in the area. Virag was called a 28 year old
Hungarian, and the newspaper called him both the “National Wrestling Association” and
the “National Wrestling Alliance” heavyweight champion. He was the champion of the latter
organization. He won the championship last April from Roy Dunn of Alva, the newspaper
indicated. The originally announced show, which was promoted through the day of the
event, was quite different than what ended up happening. Virag was originally booked
against Jack Suzek, Wladek Zbyszko was to have taken on Ivan Risovich, Al Don George
against John Grandovich, and Pete Sherman against Tom Cox. Only two of those
performers was on the actual program. The National Wrestling Alliance used “modified
rules,” with a 75-minute limit for the main event, 45-minute limit for the semifinal, and 30-
minute limit for preliminary bouts. If a wrestler has a fall within the limit, he was the winner,
but if neither did, the would continue for 10-minute periods.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, February 23, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag b. Jack Suzek (2-
0) … John Grandovich and Bill Kuusisto drew (45:00) … Jimmy Coffield b. Ted Cox (18:00)
… Sammy Freeback (Feeback) and Frank Nelson drew (30:00) … (matchmakers: Jim
Boyle, G.M. Byerley)
Notes: Nelson was from Topeka and Freeback was said to be from Albany.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, March 2, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … John Grandovich b. Bill Kuusisto (2/3) … Tom Zaharias b.
Cowboy Luttrall (DQ) … Jack Dillon and Jack Suzek drew (30:00) … Sammy Freeback b.
Chuck Fanning (18:00) … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley)
Notes: Luttrall was fined $15 for his actions. The winner of the Grandovich-Kuusisto bout
was going to face Ede Virag.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, March 9, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag b. John
Grandovich (2/3) … Cowboy Luttrall b. Jack Dillon … Jack Suzek and Tom Zaharias drew
… Sammy Freeback and Walter Stubbs drew … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley)
Note: No show next week due to a church convention at the Auditorium.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, March 23, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … Cowboy Luttrall b. John Grandovich (2/3) (third fall by countout)
… Jack Suzek b. “Red” Mike Ryan (22:18) (commando bout) … Tom Zaharias b. Bob Cook
… Jack Toone b. Frank Nelson … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley) … (referee:
Buddy Siegal) … (800 fans)
Notes: Cowboy Luttrall was said to have victories over Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Wladek
Zbyszko and Chief Little Wolf. The originally scheduled bout was Jack Suzek, a jiu-jitsu
expert, against Bob Cook, an American catch-as-catch-can grappler, in a “commando
match.” It was supposed to test American and Oriental hand-to-hand combat. Instead,
Suzek fought “Red” Mike Ryan in the “commando bout.” Cook was from Lansing, Michigan
and McGilvrey was from Tribbey.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, March 30, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … Cowboy Luttrall and Jack Suzek wrestled to a double
disqualification … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag b. Wladek Zbyszko (2-0)
… Jack Nazworthy and Tom Zaharias drew (30:00) … Walter Stubbs b. “Red” Mike Ryan
… (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley) … (referee: Firpo McGilvbry) … (1,000 fans)
Notes: Stubbs was a former Norman High School athlete from Oklahoma City. Ryan was
from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, April 6, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … Cowboy Luttrall vs. Jack Suzek (six round boxing bout) …
(matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley)

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, April 13, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag vs. Jack
Nazworthy (2/3) … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley)
Notes: An undercard wrestler, Benny Wilson, was now working at the Douglas Aircraft
plant. During intermission, Will Rogers entertainers, who appear in the all-soldier show,
will entertain the audience.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, April 20, 1943
(Municipal Auditorium) … John Grandovich vs. Tom Zaharias … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle,
G.M. Byerley)
Notes: It was said that during this wrestling show, a fan left a lit cigarette and a fire started
at the Auditorium, leaving it unavaliable for engagements in the near future. There was no
show next week. Wrestling moved to the Stockyards Coliseum.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, May 11, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Jack Nazworthy b. Tom Zaharias (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … John
Grandovich b. Jack Suzek (22:30) … Benny Wilson b. Mike “Red” Ryan … Blackjack Louis
and Seelie Samara drew (30:00) … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M. Byerley) … (referee:
Firpo McGilvbry)
Notes: Nazworthy was from Vinita. It was billed as “Douglas Night.”

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Tuesday, May 25, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Jack Nazworthy b. Everett Kibbons (2/3) (Kibbons was unable to
continue for the third fall) … Benny Wilson b. Walter Stubbs (2/3) … Bill Dusin b. Jack
Suzek (DQ) … Mike “Red” Ryan b. Chuck Fanning … (matchmakers: Jim Boyle, G.M.
Byerley)
Notes: Bill Dusin of Emporia, Kansas was called “Bill Dusek” in one of the newspaper
reports. Stubbs was a telephone company employee. This was the last show presented
by the Sandow troupe in Oklahoma City in 1943.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, October 22, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Bad Boy Brown (2-0) … Johnny Swenski
b. Dick Trout (25:00) … Roland Meeker b. Jack LaRue (20:00) … Les Wolfe b. Speedy
LaRance (DQ) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (1,500 fans)
Notes: This marked Sam Avey’s return to promoting wrestling in Oklahoma City. Lewis
was said to be 55 years old and 250 pounds. Brown was from Pueblo, Colorado. Referee
Red Andrews recently was given a medical discharge from the Marine Corps.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, October 29, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Orville Brown (2/3) … Dick Trout and Les
Wolfe b. Speedy LaRance and Danny Savich (2/3) (tag team match) (Savich walked out on
LaRance during the bout) … Roland Meeker b. Joe Szabo … (promoter: Sam Avey) …
(referee: Red Andrews) … (1,200 fans)
Notes: Brown vs. Lewis was said to be a rematch of a Tulsa match. Orville was billed as
the brother of Bad Boy Brown. This was said to be the “first team tag match,” locally, which
was an incorrect statement.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, November 5, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Jack Moore and Speedy LaRance b Danny Savich and Johnny
Swenski (2/3) (tag team match) … Roland Meeker b. Les Wolfe (47:00) … Dick Trout b.
Joe Szabo (15:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Note: Savich was a physical instructor at Shepperd Field.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, November 12, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Les Wolfe b. Danny McShain (2/3) … Jack Moore b. Joe Szabo
(15:00) … Roland Meeker b. Dick Trout (32:00) … Johnny Swenski b. Speedy LaRance
(DQ) (25:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (2,500 fans)
Notes: McShain was on a 30-day furlough after seeing action in the South Pacific with the
Navy, according to the Oklahoman newspaper. One report spelled his name “McShayne.”
Wolfe was from Sherman, Texas.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, November 19, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Speedy LaRance b. Jack Moore in the finals of a rassle royal
(number eliminated: Joe Szabo, Johnny Swenski, Roland Meeker, Jack Steele) …
(promoter: Sam Avey)
Note: There were no other results in the Oklahoman newspaper.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, November 26, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Speedy LaRance b. Jack Moore (2-0) … Les Wolfe b. Johnny
Swenski (35:00) … Jack Steele b. Dick Trout … Roland Meeker b. John Grandovich (DQ)
… (Promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, December 3, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … The Swedish Angel b. Speedy LaRance (2-0) … Johnny Swenski
and Les Wolfe b. Jack Steele and Joe Szabo (2-0) (tag team match) … Dick Trout b. Monty
LaDue (32:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (3,000+ fans)
Notes: Swedish Angel, the “seven foot giant whose name is Philip Olofson and who hails
from Skara, Sweden,” had, reportedly, 10 inches and 25 pounds on his opponent here.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, December 10, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … Johnny Swenski and Les Wolfe b. Speedy LaRance and Jack
Steele (tag team match) … Dick Trout b. Monte LaDue … Roland Meeker b. Jack Moore
(2/3) … (promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: LaRance was a substitute for The Mask in the tag bout. Mask missed a train
connection in Kansas City. Meeker was of the Norman Naval Air Training Station.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Friday, December 17, 1943
(Stockyards Coliseum) … The Mask and Jack Steele b. Johnny Swenski and Les Wolfe
(2/3) … Roland Meeker b. Speedy LaRance (2/3) … Dick Trout b. George Craig (25:00)
… (promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: George Craig was an Army soldier with the engineers in North Africa. He was
home on furlough, formerly of Tulsa. This was the last show of the year until January 7,
1944 at the Coliseum.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 2, 2007

Oklahoma City Wrestling Results - 1943