St. Louis Wrestling Results

St. Louis, Missouri: January 29, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Danno O'Mahoney b. Ed "Strangler" Lewis ... Rudy Strongberg b. Leo
Numa ... Jim McMillen b. Pete Schuh ... Pat O'Shocker b. Babe Zaharias ... Paul Jones and
Jack Kennedy drew ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (9,100 fans)
Notes: The United Press report of this show stated that there was 10,000 fans and that
Lewis knocked out O'Mahoney's manager Jack McGrath.

St. Louis, Missouri: February 13, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) … George Zaharias b. Jim Browning … Paul Jones and Pat O’Shocker
drew (30:00) … Dorv Roche b. Jules Strongbow … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Ernie Zeller ...
Otto Brexler b. Tommy Marvin ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (3,100 fans)
Note: Zeller was billed as being from Terre Haute, Indiana.

St. Louis, Missouri: March 17, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Leo "Daniel Boone" Savage b. George Zaharias ... Dorve Roche and
Gus Sonnenberg drew ... Ray Steele b. Babe Caddock ... Orville Brown b. Leo Numa ...
Warren Bockwinkel b. Babe Zaharias ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (7,900 fans)

St. Louis, Missouri: March 25, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Jim Londos b. Leo "Daniel Boone" Savage ... George Zaharias b. Cliff
Olson ... Ray Steele b. Pat Fraley ... Dorv Roche b. Frank Speer ... Paul Jones b. Babe
Caddock ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (7,100 fans)

St. Louis, Missouri: April 22, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. Gus Sonnenberg ... Dorv Roche b. Abe
Coleman ... Pat O'Shocker and Ray Steele drew ... Warren Bockwinkel b. Tommy Marvin ...
Lou Plummer b. Pat Fraley ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (4,900 fans)

St. Louis, Missouri: May 20, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Ed "Strangler" Lewis b. Paul Jones ... Dorv Roche b. Gus Sonnenberg
... Frank Brown b. Mike Anton ... Stan Sitkowski b. Pat Fraley ... Warren Bockwinkel b. Ray
Villmer ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (3,100 fans)

*According to an Associated Press report that ran in newspapers on Sunday, August 2,
1936, the Missouri Athletic Commission announced that it would recognize the winner of
the bout between Dave Levin and Vincent Lopez on August 19 in Los Angeles.
Reportedly, the commission did not recognize anyone as titleholder “at present.”

St. Louis, Missouri: September 17, 1936
(St. Louis Arena) ... Vincent Lopez b. Chief Little Wolf ... George Zaharias b. Dorv Roche
(DQ) ... Tommy O'Toole b. Karl Davis (DQ) ... Ted Key b. Al Maynard ... Billy Bartush b.
Abe Goldberg ... (promoter: Tom Packs) ... (3,300 fans)

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, October 1, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Chris Zaharias b. Eddie Newman (19:56) … George Sauer b. Joe
Sanderson (23:27) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Mike Anton (17:00) … Manuel Margulis b.
Ernest “Ernie” Klein (14:03) … Rollie Pickett b. Gus Bouras (15:31) … (promoter: Bill
Schwabe) … (referee: Burt Knighton) … (1,783 fans) … (gate: $828.75)
Notes: Knighton was from Kansas City. Newman had refused to wrestle if Fred Voepel
was again allowed to referee, claiming that the latter favored his opponent in their last
match. Margulis was a Jewish wrestler. Pickett was a “Gypsy” from Springfield, Illinois.

*In the October 5, 1936 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, it was stated that the
National Wrestling Association was in favor of Tom Packs’s “local wrestling series,” which
he planned to bringing to St. Louis “pair by pair, a long line of past, present and future title
claimants” to decide “another champion.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, October 8, 1936
(The Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Dean Detton b. George Zaharias (29:57) …
Roland Kirchmeyer b. Karl Davis (13:54) … Orville Brown and Dorv Roche drew (30:00) …
Tommy O’Toole and Chris Zaharias drew (20:00) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Nick Elitch (14:
44) … (promoter: Tom Packs) … (4,800 fans) … (gate: $4,071.25)
Notes: Beginning on October 7, Detton trained at the Business Men’s Gymnasium. Robert
Morrison of the St. Louis Post Dispatch wrote that Detton “looks like a wrestler and his
record reads somewhat like a wrestler’s,” and that “from the rather confusing array of world
champions in wrestling, Detton may emerge as the champion of all. He is a likely
candidate.” Morrison also called Zaharias “Gorgeous George.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, October 15, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Leo “Daniel Boone” Savage b. Chris Zaharias (DQ) … Leo “Daniel
Boone” Savage b. Eddie Newman (2:09) … Leo Milo b. Babe Rodriguez (9:23) … Frenchy
Levitte b. Walter McMillan (24:20) … Manuel Margulis b. Ben Centiempo (13:25) … Ernie
Klein b. Tuffy Truesdale (15:07) … (promoter: Bill Schwabe) … (referee: Fred Voepel) …
(3,098 fans) … (gate: $1,592)
Notes: Frenchy Levitte was from Florida. Rodriguez, Klein and Margulis was from St.
Louis. Truesdale was from Arkansas. Milo was from Glendale, California and McMillan
from Pinke Lawn.

*On Monday, October 19, 1936, Missouri State Athletic Commissioner Ernest F. Oakley
sent a letter to promoter Tom Packs, informing him that the suspension of Everette
Marshall was lifted for an October 29 bout with Dorv Roche. Marshall had to post $1,000
by October 24 for the bout.

*In his October 21, 1936 column in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Ed Wray wrote about the
new syndicate developing between Tom Packs and Billy Sandow, the manager of Everette
Marshall. He wrote “Trust efforts to steam up Levin, Detton, etc., seem to have arrived no
place. It is possible that the promoters now see in Marshall just the one man to bear the
championship banner.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, October 29, 1936
(The Arena) … World Heavyweight Champion Everette Marshall b. Dorv Roche (23:05) …
George Zaharias b. Tommy O’Toole (15:08) … Jim McMillen b. Vic Muhl (11:55) … Warren
Bockwinkel and Am Rasher drew (20:00) … George Sauer b. Babe Rodriguez (9:30) …
(promoter: Tom Packs) … (referee: Lou Spandle) … (in attendance: Ed “Strangler”
Lewis) … (5,339 fans) … (gate: $5,002.95)
Notes: The facility was at 6700 Oakland Avenue. Billy Sandow said that Everette Marshall
wanted a match with Dean Detton, and wanted the Missouri Athletic Commission to
schedule it. He posted $1,000 to secure the bout. According to Sandow, Marshall was
recognized as champion in Kentucky, Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio, Wyoming, and Illinois,
and by the Midwest Wrestling Association. “The National Wrestling Association named
Marshall, Leo Daniel Boone Savage and Dean Detton as candidates for the world title,”
according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Sandow claimed he was going to sue the NWA
for “injuring Marshall’s repuation by classing him with those guys.” He also planned to sue
the Missouri Athletic Commission if the body didn’t pit Marshall with Detton soon. Lewis
was introduced to the crowd, and issued a challenge to Marshall. Sandow responded by
saying “Send Marshall against that fat old man? Why he might kill him. We want Detton.
When are we going to get Detton?” In Robert Morrison’s Post Dispatch report, he stated
that Sandow “considers [Lewis] a traitor, thinks he belongs in an old folks home and
doesn't want to have anything to do with him anyway.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Wednesday, November 4, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Leo “Daniel Boone” Savage b. Dick Raines (13:21) … George Sauer b.
Frenchy Levitte (25:43) … Ray Eckert b. Cherry Vallina (17:17) … Herb Lowery b. Manuel
Margulis (16:27) … Al Haemmerle b. Ernie Klein (14:47) … (promoter: Bill Schwabe) …
(referee: Fred Voepel) … (1,866 fans) … (gate: $909.45)
Notes: George Sauer reportedly “has not tasted defeat in 10 starts here.” Haemmerle,
Klein, Lowery, Margulis, and Eckert were said to be from St. Louis. Another report stated
that Ecert was from Memphis.

*The Thursday, November 5, 1936 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch stated that Ray
Steele signed to wrestle Lee Wykoff at the Coliseum on November 13. Wykoff “agreed to
throw Steele twice inside of 90 minutes.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Friday, November 13, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Ray Steele b. Lee Wykoff (2:32:30) (according to the rules, Wykoff said
he’d beat Steele twice in 90-minutes, but if there were no falls within that time, the bout
would continue until there was a fall and the first one to do so would be declared the
winner. If Steele was to win a fall within the 90-minutes, he would be the winner. If Wykoff
won one fall within 90-minutes, the bout was going to continue, and the first man to win a
fall after the 90-minute period was over, was going to be the victor) … Dorv Roche and
Milo Steinborn drew (30:00) … Roland Kirchmeyer b. Len Macaluso (14:45) … Pat
McGinnis b. Walter Sirois (13:27) … Nick Elitch b. Babe Zaharias by reverse decision (9:
14) (Zaharias was suspended after the bout for “roughness”) … (promoter: Tom Packs)
… (referee: Lou Spandle) … (3,042 fans) … (gate: $2,667.85)
Notes: During the afernoon of the bout, Steele, Wykoff and other officials with involvment
in the main event match, were called to a meeting staged by Missouri State Athletic
Commission chairman Ernest F. Oakley. In his report in the Post Dispatch, Robert
Morrison said the final pinfall count “was faster than any of the semi-counts which were
numerous during the bout.” The match ended at 12:45 a.m.

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, November 19, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Dorv Roche b. Terry McGinnis (19:27) … Sol Slagel b. Ray Eckert (10:
06) … George Sauer b. Walter McMillan (20:41) … Manuel Margulis b. Sergeant Steve
Kovack (24:27) … Tuffy Truesdale b. Rollie Pickett (DQ) (18:55) … (promoter: Bill
Schwabe) … (1,437 fans) … (gate: $722.15)

St. Louis, Missouri: Wednesday, November 25, 1936
(The Auditorium) … World Heavyweight Champion Everette Marshall b. Ray Steele (47:25)
… Lee Wykoff b. Dorv Roche (34:19) … Roland Kirchmeyer and Ivan Managoff drew (30:
00) … Milo Steinborn b. Tommy O’Toole (13:26) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Cherry Vallina
(12:40) … (promoter: Tom Packs) … (referee: Lou Spandle) … (announcer: Biz Kenny)
… (3,898 fans) … (gate: $3,909.85)
Notes: The newspaper indicated that the “championship of four states is at stake tonight”
when Marshall defends against Steele. The states were Ohio, West Virginia, Colorado and
Kentucky. Also that Lee “Wykoff is supposed to be Billy Sandow’s watchdog.” Steele
earned the bout by defeating Wykoff recently. Before the match, Sandow wanted the
announcer to call Marshall the champion, and held up the proceedings. In Robert
Morrison’s report on the show in the Post Dispatch, he quoted a “doubting ringsider,” who
asked: “Can it be that bigwigs of rasslin’ have seen the writing on the wall; that they are
toning down the clowns and substituting a pretentious attempt to display real wrestling with
just enough emotional outbursts to keep the crowd’s interest?” The finish of the main event
was called an “odd climax” with Steele employing a back body drop onto Marshall, then
going for a pin. However, referee Spandle, his name spelled “Spandler” in the paper, was
underneath both grapplers. Marshall turned things around as Spandle rebounded, and
took the victory. Steele griped that he had Marshall down for well over a three count when
the referee was on his back.

St. Louis, Missouri: Tuesday, December 1, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Hans Steinke b. Karl Davis (12:37) … Tuffy Cleet b. Walter McMillan (35:
23) … Warren Bockwinkel b. John Paddock (13:17) … Manual Margulis b. Babe Rodriguez
(10:31) … Ernie Klein b. Rollie Pickett (11:22) … (promoter: Bill Schwabe) … (1,393 fans)
… (gate: $693.95)
Notes: Steinke “has been an outstanding performer for 10 years, meeting most of the
champions and contenders during that time. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing
240 pounds, he is a marvel of physique and a master of the more scientific holds of
wrestling,” as stated in the Post Dispatch. Walter McMillan was billed as the “St. Louis
County light heavyweight champion.” Paddock was said to be from Houston and was called
“John Paddock” and “Earl Paddock.”

Alton, Illinois: Friday, Deember 4, 1936
(Turner Hall) … Tuffy Cleet vs. Nick Elitch … Eddie Theriault vs. Whitey Whittler … Ray
Eckert vs. Cherry Vallina … Milleo Occhi vs. Rollie Pickett

St. Louis, Missouri: Tuesday, December 8, 1936
(Missouri Stables Arena) … Boxing and Wrestling Show … Ernie Klein and Rollie Pickett
drew (15:00) … Ray Eckert and Ed Plesti drew (15:00) … Manny Margulis and Tuffy
Truesdale drew (15:00) … “Whitey” Brexler and Joe Herman drew (15:00) … Sammy
Jackson and Archie Moore drew (three rounds) … Babe Davis and Pete Malone drew
(three rounds) … Joe Ghnouly and Jack Horner drew (three rounds) … Charley Dawson
and Joe Parks drew (three rounds) … Bobby Abel and Young Rooney drew (three rounds)
… (referees: Joe Sanderson, Fred Voepel, Joe Dickmann Jr. – wrestling, Harry Kendall,
Harry Cook, Tommy Sullivan – boxing) … (sponsored by: Twenty-fourth Ward Regular
Democratic Club) … (benefit for the Christmas basket fund)
Notes: The venue was at 5200 Berthold Avenue. Both Brexler and Plesti were members
of the Fire Department. Bockwinkel was called a “local truck driver.” Eckert was a member
of the 24th Ward Regular Democratic Club. The Archie Moore here was the future boxing
champion. He weighed 160 pounds, reportedly.

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, December 10, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Eddie Newman b. Tommy O’Toole (28:22) … Tuffy Cleet b. George
Sauer … Ray Eckert b. Ray McCabe … Mileo Occhi b. Tuffy Truesdale … Herb Lowery
and Walter McMillan drew (30:00) … (promoter: Bill Schwabe) … (referees: Joe
Sanderson, Fred Voepel) … (1,335 fans) … (gate: $644.40)
Notes: Occhi “won the Ozark AAU 165-pound title seven years in a row before turning
professional.” Cleet was from Detroit.

St. Louis, Missouri: Tuesday, December 15, 1936
(Municipal Auditorium Convention Hall) … Boxing and Wrestling Show … George Zaharias
b. Eddie Newman (11:18) … Otto Brexler b. Plesti Pistarius to retain the Fire Department
wrestling championship (38:27) … Otto brexler b. Matthew Matesick (18:47) (fireman
tournament match) … Plesti Pistarius b. Tommy Godfrey (9:48) (fireman tournament
match) … Ray Eckert and Joe Herman drew (30:00) … eight intercity boxing matches …
(promoters: Ed Burke, George Tracey) … (benefit for Public Employes’ Welfare
Association) … (10,255 fans) … (gate: $12,053.50)
Notes: This show was sponsored by St. Louis Mayor Bernard Dickmann, who attended the
event. Apart of this program was the firemen’s 1937 wrestling championship tournament.
Otto “Whitey” Brexler of Engine Company No. 11 was the 1936 wrestling champion. Ed
“Plesti” Pistorius of Company 5 was the 1936 runner-up. Thotus was from Company 9 and
Godfrey from Company 41. Benny Kessler of the Ozark AAU was going to help arrange
the amateur program. The Stockham American Legion Post was going to be responsible
for a pro wrestling match. According to the newspaper, “the entire proceeds are to be
used to help defray the expenses of Mayor Dickmann’s fourth annual Christmas dinner for
the underprivileged.” The Firemen’s Quartet, Police Quartet and the City Four Quartet
were going to provide the “vocal portion of the program.”

St. Louis, Missouri: Thursday, December 17, 1936
(The Auditorium) … Ray Steele b. Paul Shikat (26:35) … Ali Baba b. Blue Sun Jennings (1:
35) … Lee Wykoff and George Zaharias drew (30:00) … Louis Thesz b. Roland
Kirchmeyer (14:35) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Hank Metheny (15:10) … (promoter: Tom
Packs) … (3,933 fans) … (gate: $3,708.95)
Notes: The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that Thesz was going to “make his first
professional appearance here” and that he was a “St. Louis boy who went west to seek his
fortune about 14 months ago. Carrying a record which he says includes 160 victories on
the coast and one loss to Dave Levin, at the time a champion.” He was said to be 22 years
old. Thesz, incidentally, had wrestled in St. Louis prior to this show. Kirchmeyer was from
Drumright, Oklahoma. Sam Muchnick, “Packs’ assistant,” announced that Blue Sun
Jennings was going to substitute for Milo Steinborn because the latter suffered an injured
back in Indianapolis on December 16. Jennings was a Haskell Indian. Robert Morrison
called Zaharias “Gorgeous George.” Metheny was from Wood River.

St. Louis, Missouri: Tuesday, December 22, 1936
(The Coliseum) … Tuffy Cleet b. George Sauer (40:55) … Milo Occhi b. Joe Miller (21:47)
… Leo Newman and Ed “Plesti” Pistarius drew (30:00) … Walter McMillan b. Dick Heibel
(12:54) … Manuel Margulis b. Edmond Theirault (12:00) … (promoter: Bill Schwabe) …
(referee: Joe Sanderson) … (1,006 fans) … (gate: $467.85)
Notes: Occhi, Miller, Pistarius, Newman, Margulis and Theriault were all billed as being
from St. Louis. Heibel was from Overland and McMillan from Pine Lawn. The winner of the
Cleet-Sauer match was going to wrestle Charles Fischer for the World Light Heavyweight
Title in the future.

St. Louis, Missouri: Tuesday, December 29, 1936
(The Auditorium) … Ali Baba vs. Paul Jones … others on the show include Frank Sexton
… (promoter: Tom Packs)
Notes: On December 23, Packs cancelled this show. His next offering would be on
January 8.

Research by Tim Hornbaker, J Michael Kenyon
February 11, 2011

St. Louis Wrestling Results - 1936