Omaha Wrestling Results

Falls City, Nebarska: Friday, January 12, 1917
( ) … Samson (Jim Londos) b. Frank Schmarder (2-0) (Samson won the first fall in 10:15
and then won the match when Schmarder could not continue)

Omaha, Nebraska: Thursday, January 18, 1917
(Boyd Theater) … Marin Plestina b. Fred Beell (2-0) (Plestina won the first fall in 48:00
and the second in 15:00) … (promoter: Pete Loch)

Shelton, Nebraska: Thursday, January 18, 1917
(Shelton Theater) … John Pesek b. Earl Caddock (handicap match) (Caddock had to
throw Pesek twice in 60-minutes, but failed to gain a single fall) … (promoter: Martin
Slattery) … (large crowd in attendance)

Decatur, Nebraska: Saturday, February 3, 1917
( ) … Roy Gillis vs.

Omaha, Nebraska: Friday, February 9, 1917
(Auditorium, att. 8,000) … Joe Stecher beat Charley Peters (2-0) … Referee: Fred S.
Hunter (sports editor of the Omaha Bee) or Cy Sherman (sports editor of the Lincoln
Star)? … John Pesek drew Jim Londos (20:00) … Tom Ray drew Judie Warner … Young
Gotch drew Sampson … (plus Teddy Brothers’ clown wrestling act) … Referee: Al Hastings
… Promoter: Pete Loch … NOTE: Peters, managed by Pete Loch, is described as the
Papillion NE carpenter in the run-up to this bout … He is said to be a seven-year mat
veteran and to have won a string of bouts here in the winter of 1915-16 before
succombing to an (undisclosed) illness that sidelined him three months … Since the fall of
1916, however, he has been on the comeback trail … At ringside were Earl Caddock, Jack
Taylor and Clarence Eklund… “challenges and defies were heard from all sides”… Marin
Plestina entered the ring before the main event waving a purported $500 money roll and
challenged Earl Caddock … Londos was not yet nationally known under that name …The
Omaha World-Herald called him Fred Landes …The Omaha Bee simply called him Al
Hastings’ protégé who “goes by several names one of which is Samson” …The Omaha
World-Herald reported, “Landes and Pesek look awfully good as wrestlers, and gave the
house a great fun. They fight every minute of the time, have quite a repertoire of holds
and never hesitate to rough it when necessary. A finish match between them ought to
attract a big crowd. Al Hastings announced from the ring that Landes had posted $500
with him to bind a finish match with Pesek.” … The Omaha Bee wrote on the Pesek/Londos
match, “The semi-windup was a real twenty-minute thriller…Hastings’ lad outwrestled
Pesek from start to finish. Pesek put up stubborn resistance however, and the bout was a
corker.” … This was Pesek’s Omaha debut.

Bruno, Nebraska: February 24, 1917
( ) ... Clarence Eklund beat Joe Zikmund (2-0) … NOTE: Afterward, Eklund used the pages
of the Omaha World-Herald to challenge “Jim Landos,” A.A. Hastings’ new charge, to a
match with a $250 side bet, each making 175 pounds ringside … Hastings said his man
was “too busy” to bother with Eklund.

Lushton, Nebraska: February 24, 1917
( ) ... Adam Krueger vs McDarmon (York College middleweight)

Lincoln, Nebraska: February 26, 1917
(The Auditorium) ... Jack Taylor beat Charlie Cutler (2-0) ... John Pesek drew Clarence
Eklund (30:00) … Claude Swindell drew Young Riley … NOTE: Marin Plestina and Charlie
Peters were at ringside, the former challenging Taylor to a match and a $1,000 side bet …
Afterwards, Taylor packed a bag and headed for Buffalo WY, where, he said, he would
announce his intention of securing American citizenship and, then, file on a 320-acre
homesite … Wrote Cy Sherman in the Daily Star when the bout was announced, "Pesek's
Shelton supporters are as dippy over his grappling as is Dodge, Neb., over Joe Stecher.
Pesek has been in the mat game less than two years, but the wrestling sharks who have
tackled the Shelton athlete are agreed that he is a second Stecher. Earl Caddock, the
renowned Iowa athlete, recently undertook to handicap Pesek and win two falls within an
hour. Instead of copping the two falls Caddock was decreed the loser when he failed to win
even one ... Taylor has been holding forth in Lincoln for several months and bidding for
bouts with the top-notch heavies. (He) cracked a wrist bone three months ago, but the
fracture mended in early January and the "Canuck then hurled a challenge at the best
Amerian heavyweights, naming Lewis, Caddock, Cutler, Plestina, Young Zbyszko, Ernst
and John Olin, and posting $250 forfeit with the sports editor of The Star to back up his
defi ... Cutler was the only top-class wrestler who had the nerve to contract to tackle the
Canadian's game ... Cutler has been going through his training stunts in Chicago and his
manager, William Rochells, sends word that the Windy city husky will come to Lincoln with
the one aim in view of squelching Taylor's aspirations."

Emmet, Nebraska: February 27, 1917
( ) ... Fred McNally (of Amelia NE) beat Wesley Cobb (of Stuart NE) (1:08:00, cnc) …
NOTE: Some $7,000 was said to have changed hands on the outcome, with McNally
scoring three grand for himself … Cobb’s reputation was formed with three long draws
against Anton Stecher … This was said to be his first loss, ever.

Milford, Nebraska: February 28, 1917
(Gillan Auditorium) … Joe Miller (of South Omaha NE) vs Adam Krueger
NOTE: Miller went to a two-hour draw less than a year ago with Owen Daily.

Ravenna, Nebraska: March 7, 1917
(Opera House) … John Pesek beat Jake Amend (2-0) … Charley Pesek vs Hip Highland …
Ollie Smaha vs Jolly Lamb … NOTE: Bout, postponed from February 15, was for 185-
pound championship of Nebraska and all the gate receipts … The falls required Pesek
only 5:45 and 3:13.

Kearney, Nebraska: March 8, 1917
( ) ... Jack Taylor beat “Big Bill” Hokuff (11:00, cnc) … Curley Pesek vs. Henry Piesch …
Promoter: Grover Yoder

Benkleman, Nebraska: March 28, 1917
( ) ... Clarence Eklund beat Tommy Doctor

Minden, Nebraska: March 28, 1917
( ) ... Charley Pesek drew Owen Daily (2:30:00, 1-1) … Henry Piersch vs Professor Axtell
… NOTE: Daily was billed as “lightweight champion of the world”… By this time, he is
calling his bout with Milt Harnden in Bellingham WA a victory, regardless of the “official”
decision in which he was disqualified – and even jailed, following the February 14 bout …
Here, Daily won the first fall in 37 minutes, Pesek the next in 19 minutes, and then they
wrestled out the remaining 94 minutes without another

Haigler, Nebraska: March 30, 1917
( ) ... Clarence Eklund beat Ralph King

Plattsmouth, Nebraska: April 3, 1917
( ) ... Clarence Eklund vs Joe McVey

Shelton, Nebraska: Wednesday, April 4, 1917
(Hostetler Opera House) … John Pesek beat Jim Londos (dq) … Referee: Evan Smith …
Levi Buck beat Jake Jenssen … NOTE: Londos wanted “Dutch” Mantell to referee the bout
but Pesek refused … Smith stopped the bout at 35 minutes due to Londos continually
resorting to elbow strikes and strangle holds … “While the two men were pretty evenly
matched it seems to be the general opinion of fans that Pesek will beat Londos if they ever
come together again.” Londos was billed as "Chris Londos."

*Earl Caddock trained with Frank Gotch prior to his match with Joe Stecher. He also ran
into John Pesek in a local Omaha gymnasium.

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, April 9, 1917
(Municipal Auditorium) … Earl Caddock b. Joe Stecher to capture the World Heavyweight
Title (2/3) (Stecher won the first fall in 1:22:43, Caddock won the second in 1:40:11,
Caddock won by forfeit when Stecher failed to appear from his dressing room after 15-
minutes) (manager Joe Hetmanek informed the referee that Stecher refused to continue,
claiming that he was ill) (Stecher was accompanied by Anton “Tony” Stecher and his
manager Joe Hetmanek) (Caddock was managed by promoter Gene Melady and
accompanied by Frank Gotch) … (promoter: Gene Melady) … (referee: Charley “Cy”
Sherman) … (in attendance: Frank Gotch, Gabe Kaufman, Otto Floto, Ed Smith, Sec
Taylor, Tom Andrews, Dan Melady, Gene Fowler, Billy McCarney, Eddie Cochran, A.W.
Shafer, Clarence Eklund) … (thousands of fans in attendance)

*According to a story told by John Pesek to the Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday, March 30,
1928, the latter wrestled Jim Londos on the undercard of the Caddock-Stecher match in
Omaha. The two wrestlers competed for 32-minutes and the referee stopped the match
because both were too rough. A no decision was given. This match was not
acknowledged by The World Herald in Omaha.

Minden, Nebraska: April 19, 1917
(Auditorium) … Owen Daily vs Jack Fisher … NOTE: Daily counts himself lightweight
champion by virtue of his bout with Milt Harnden in Bellingham WA (although he was Dqed
by an overexuberant referee) and Fisher, with wins over Al Wasem and Johnny Billiter,
likewise considers himself king of the division.

Lincoln, Nebraska: Monday, April 23, 1917
(Auditorium) ... Jack Taylor beat Ivan Michaloff (2-0) ... Clarence Eklund beat Jake Amend
(23:00) ... Charley Pesek (sub for Ross Robinson) drew Adam Krueger (30:00) ...
Promoter: Ray Page ... NOTE: The younger Pesek is managed by Mart Slattery of Shelton
... Michaloff is handled by Jack Curley and stands six feet four, weighing 205 and lost twice
here to Ad Santel ... The main-event falls occurred in 9:30 and 5:30 ... "The street car
strike played smash with the attendance, but promoter Page was more than satisfied."

Shelton, Nebraska: April 26, 1917
(Hostetler Opera House) … John Pesek beat Big Bill Hokuff … Levi Buck drew Frank Slater
… NOTE: Hokuff, 240, was known as ‘the Omaha Blacksmith”

Lincoln, Nebraska: Friday, April 27, 1917
(Eagles Hall) ... Claude Swindell vs Ervine Carroll (of Elmwood NE) ... (plus boxing) ...
NOTE: The participants are featherweights.

Omaha, Nebraska: Friday, April 27, 1917
(Municipal Auditorium) … Marin Plestina b. Jack Taylor (2-0) … (promoter: Pete Loch) …
(referee: Hall) … (2,500 fans)

Silver Creek, Nebraska: April 30, 1917
(Crystal Theater) … John Pesek beat Mystery Man (2-0) … Charles Pesek beat William
Byers (another source says Jimmy Mitchell) … John Pesek and Charles Pesek wrestled a
15-minute exhibition … Promoter, referee: A.A. Hastings … NOTE: Mystery Man weighed
205-210 pounds and gave his name as Huffman, from Kansas City … Hastings called him
“the big Kansas ringer” – he was later identified as Henry Hoffman… Original card had
John Pesek vs Young Eustis of Kansas (Allan Eustace?) and Charley Pesek vs Jack
Reynolds … Hastings commented, “This town is Pesek wild, if any of the big fellows can
beat him they do not need to ring or change their name.”

Ravenna, Nebraska: May 16, 1917
(Opera House) … John Pesek beat Tony Viseur (of Terre Haute IN) … Charley Pesek
drew Joe Posusta … NOTE: Visseur “was entirely outclassed by the local man.”

Grand Island, Nebraska: June 12, 1917
(Liederkranz Hall) … John Pesek beat Paul Martinson (2-0) … Referee: Sandy Griswold …
Charley Pesek beat Jack Reynolds (of Omaha NE) (45:00, cnc) … Referee: Cloud Smith
… NOTE: John Pesek took just 21 minutes and two minutes to dispatch Martinson …
Charley Pesek upset Reynolds when, after 45 minutes, the latter was forced to give up the
contest after being trapped in a wrist lock

Minden, Nebraska: June 22, 1917
(Auditorium) ... Owen Daily vs Jack Reynolds (now of Cedar Rapids IA) ... NOTE: The two
met three years ago, with the bout going an hour without a fall but ending in victory for
Daily when referee Bud Kearns called a foul on Reynolds.

Ravenna, Nebraska: June 25-30, 1917
Ward-Delbridge Greater Shows includes a “big athletic show” with wrestling and boxing.

York, Nebraska: July 4, 1917
(Ballpark, att. 1,800) … John Pesek beat Julius Reif (2-0) … (plus boxing)

Omaha, Nebraska: July 4, 1917
(Auditorium) … Marin Plestina beat Jess Westergaard (2-0) … NOTE: The victor annexed
the falls in 21 minutes and 14 ½ minutes.

Hallam, Nebraska: July 4, 1917
( ) ... Jake Amend vs Fred Moormeier (of Cortland NE)

Havelock, Nebraska: July 4, 1917
(Moran’s Park) … Adam Krueger vs Frank Schmidt (of Canada)

Gresham, Nebraska: July 31, 1917
( ) ... John Pesek beat Ben Zerson

Ravenna, Nebraska: August 3, 1917
(Handicap) Charley Pesek beat Walter Luther (either getting one fall or two, depending
upon the source) … NOTE: $100 purse … Luther was from Mason City IA

Shelton, Nebraska: August 10, 1917
(Hostetler Opera House) … John Pesek beat Charley Hackenschmidt (John Berg) (2-0)
…Levi Buck drew Rudy Vavrina … NOTE: The two falls by Pesek were said to require 35
minutes. … Berg was billed as the younger brother of George Hackenschmidt and a
claimant to the world light-heavyweight championship … He is said to have defeated
Farmer Burns, Jack Meyers, Helmer Myhre and Taro Miyake.

Kenesaw, Nebraska: August 11, 1917
( ) ... Hubert (Curley) Pesek beat Henry Piesch

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, September 3, 1917
(Municipal Auditorium) … Joe Stecher b. Marin Plestina by decision in a controversial
match (2/3) (Stecher won by decision in 2-hours, 5-minutes for the first fall, Stecher won
the second by forfeit) (after losing the first fall by decision, Plestina attacked the referee)
(Plestina reportedly stalled throughout the match, reminding fans of the controversial bout
between Stecher and Ed “Strangler” Lewis a year earlier) (Plestina declined to go any
further after the first fall was given to Stecher) (Stecher was accompanied by his manager
Joe Hetmanek) (Plestina was accompanied by his manager Pete Loch) (Soldiers from the
Sixth Nebraska Military policed the match and prevented a free-for-all and a budding fight
between Plestina and referee Reets) … Jack Solomon b. Young Gotch (Joe Walton) (17:
00) … Jack Murray and Tom Ray drew (15:00) … Jack Meyers vs. Charley Peters (match
cancelled prior to the show) … (promoter: Jack Lewis) … (referees: Edward Reets, Bert
LeBron) … (4,000 fans) … (gate: $8,270)

*Days after his match with Marin Plestina, Joe Stecher broke up with his manager Joe F.
Hetmanek of Fremont, Nebraska.

*The Omaha World Herald, on September 5, 1917, reported that the Omaha City
Commission was considering a resolution that would regulate professional wrestling. The
paper stated that "four members, including the mayor, who witnessed the Stecher-Plestina
affair believe action should be taken." Of the $8,270 gate, $500 went to the Auditorium for
rent. Omaha Mayor Dahlman "says all the receipts should be send to the Red Cross."

*The September 7, 1917 edition of the Omaha World Herald stated that promoter Gene
Malady submitted a plan that he felt would better regulate the sport. He sent the
documents to the mayor, which he hoped would "prevent future wrestling farces in
Omaha." He wanted all future competitors to post forfeits, and the possibility of returning
money to ticket holders in the case of fouls, draws, no decisions, or a wrestler's refusal to
continue.

Ravenna, Nebraska: September 10-15, 1917
McMahon Shows includes Willie the Wonder and his “big athletic show of boxers and
wrestlers”

Maywood, Nebraska: September 12, 1917
(Southeastern District Fair, att. 3,000) … Joe Stecher beat Bob Managoff (2-0) …
Referee: Cy Sherman … NOTE: Stecher needed 12 ½ and 8 minutes to register two
pinfalls.

Greeley, Nebraska: September 13, 1917
(County Fair) … John Pesek beat Bob Managoff (2-0) … NOTE: The falls came in 15
minutes flat and 5:26 … Afterward, Managoff addressed the crowd and told them Pesek
was the best heavyweight in America.

Silver Creek, Nebraska: September 26-29, 1917
Chris Jordan, traveling with a carnival company, stages wrestling stunts in afternoons and
evenings at Merrick County Fair.

Shelton, Nebraska: October 15, 1917
( ) ... John Pesek vs Jack Taylor… NOTE: Pesek had to cancel the match after breaking
his foot and ankle wrestling with a training partner.

Research by J Michael Kenyon, Tim Hornbaker
February 19, 2011

Omaha & Other Nebraska Wrestling Results - 1917