Trenton NJ: January 2, 1931
(Arena, att. 900) … Sandor Szabo beat Paul Finsky (9:00) … Reginald Siki beat Wladek
Zbyszko (30:00, dec) … Tony Felice drew Ernie Stevens (30:00) … Herbie Freeman beat
Tom Draak (19:00) … Julius Rimili (150, of Trenton NJ) beat Jack Muschall (160, of Trenton
NJ) (11:00) … Referee: Tony Kall … Promoter: Paul Palasky … NOTE: Referee Kall's
decision "pleased the fans, who appeared fed up with the rough tactics Wladek introduced
during the affair, which resulted in the loss of a tooth for Reginald." – Trenton NJ Evening
Times, Jan. 3, 1931

Trenton NJ: January 9, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena) ... Ferenc Holuban beat Stanislaus Zbyszko (11:00) ... Johnny Lewandowski beat
Ernie Stevens (dq) ... Herbie Freeman beat Tony Felice  (13:00) ... Vanka Zelesniak drew
Tom Draak (sub for Reginald Siki) ... Taro Miyake drew Ivan Vacturoff (20:00) ... NOTE:
"After a lot of puffing and fuming, Holuban answered two flying mares flung by Zbyszko by
one of his own, and the latter, with eyes closed, rested on his back for what seemed a
fleeting instant. It was long enough, however, for referee Tony Kall to catch him in the prone
position, and Holuban was declared winner. Despite the Pole's evident displeasure at the
verdict, the decision remained, while the customers alternately booed the management and
cheered the veteran. Weights announced at the beginning of the go were: Holuban, 235;
Zbyszko, 225. Each appeared about 40 pounds heavier than their estimates." – Trenton NJ
Evening Times ... "When (Johnny Lewandowski) stepped from the ring, tears of pain were
streaming down the local boy's face." … Ernie Stevens is described as a 200-pound
"tattooed" Canadian … Reginald Siki was said to have been ordered to appear on a card in
Philadelphia PA this same night.

Trenton NJ: January 23, 1931
(Arena, att. 900) ... Jim Londos beat Ivan Vacturoff (as Ivan Vakturoff) (12:00) ... Referee:
Jack Ritchie … Ferenc Holuban beat Vanka Zelesniak (8:00) ... Nazzarino Poggi (sub for
Matros Kirilenko) beat George Hagen (30:00, dec) ... Herbie Freeman beat Carl Vogel (23:
00) ... Wladek Zbyszko beat August Benkert (204, of Belgium) (9:00) ... Referee: Gus
Waldron ... NOTE: The New York/Pennsylvania "world title" was not at stake in the main event
… Zelesniak is "the best showman in the game" but "appeared off form" (he, almost always,
was billed as 'Zelezniak') … "The champ, needless to say, is a capable showman. He brought
his own referee with him, Jack Ritchie, from Philadelphia, to guard against any slip-ups. He
finished his man, Ivan Vakturoff, who proved an admirable foil for the squat Greek's tactics, in
12 minutes. The fans kept yelling for Jim to put on his specialty, the airplane whirl, and he
finally applied it, crushing Ivan to the mat with devastating force. Londos weighed 200,
Vakturoff 212" – Trenton NJ Evening Times, Jan. 24, 1931 … Benkert's "dazzling white skin
was covered with tattoo pictures"

Trenton NJ: January 30, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,000) ... Ferenc Holuban beat Stanislaus Zbyszko (13:00) ... Referee: Gus
Waldron ... Jim McMillen beat Nick Velcoff  (15:00) ... Richard Stahl beat Ernie Stevens (41:
00) ... Tom Draak beat Rudy LaDitzi (sub for Cyclone Ress) (20:00) ... Referee: Tony Kall ...
NOTE: McMillen-Velcoff went on last because "the feature bout betwee the two old
behemoths, Ferenc Holuban and Stan Zbyszko, was dull and disappointing. Old Stan tamely
folded up at a simple shove administered by the Magyar hero after 13 minutes. The two
veterans spent practically all the 13 minutes on their feet, with Stan unsuccessfully attempting
to apply headlocks and leg grips upon the oddly shaped anatomy of Holuban. The Magyar's
bizarre architecture, however, foiled all the ex-champ's efforts, so Stan finally gave it up as a
bad job." -- Trenton NJ Evening Times, Jan. 31, 1931 ... Stahl-Stevens characterized as "the
longest bout ever put on here"

Trenton NJ: February 13, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,000) ... Sandor Szabo beat Casey Berger (13:00) ... Taro Miyake beat Ernie
Stevens (32:00) ... Herbie Freeman beat Tony Felice (30:00, dec) ... Richard Stahl beat
Vanka Zelesniak (30:00, dec) ... Referee: Tony Kall ... NOTE: The advance ballyhoo talked
about Szabo's "53-match winning streak"

Trenton NJ: February 20, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 900) ... Dick Shikat beat George Hill (as George Hills) (8:00) ... Ferenc Holuban
beat Jack Washburn (12:00) ... Taro Miyake beat Vanka Zelesniak (15:00) ... Mike Miller drew
Tony Dicenzo (30:00) ... NOTE: "Jack Curley's wrestling machine ran with the quiet
smoothness of well-greased wheels last night at the Arena. Some 900 persons watched it
operate but, saving the presence of Vanka Zelesniak, there was little to stir the imagination. A
quiet evening was had by all ... Magyar Ferenc Holuban, he of the cue-ball head and the
medicine ball mid-section, won, of course ... Mike Miller ('the Butte Beauty' was) fighting his
2,801st contest." -- Trenton NJ Evening Times, Feb. 21, 1931

Trenton NJ: March 6, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 1,000) ... Jim McMillen beat Richard Stahl (32:00) ... Ernie Stevens beat
Nazzarino Poggi (30:00) ... Taro Miyake beat Mike Chaplin (aka Farmer Bailey) (20:00) ...
Vanka Zelesniak beat Paul Finsky (15:00) ... NOTE: The next day's Trenton NJ Evening
Times notes that Chaplin appeared here "some time ago" as "Farmer Bailey" ... Two 140-
pound amateurs from the Trenton Star Wrestling Club, Paul Garatva and Mike Szabo,
clashed, with the former prevailing in 10 minutes.

Trenton NJ: March 17, 1931
(Armory, att. 4,000) ... Dick Shikat beat George Hagen (24:00) ... Jim McMillen beat Jim
Heslyn (16:00) ... Sandor Szabo beat Taro Miyake (19:00) ... Jack Reynolds (of Pittsburgh
PA, sub for Stanislaus Zbyszko) beat Ernie Stevens (21:00) ... Richard Stahl beat Nazzarino
Poggi (19:00) ... NOTE: This was Gus Waldron's American Legion-sponsored/benefit mat
show ... Zbyszko reportedly was "ill" and so did not appear as scheduled.

Trenton NJ: March 27, 1931
(Arena, att. 400) ... Herbie Freeman beat Carl Lemle (sub for Richard Stahl) (22:00) ...
Sergei Kalmikoff (260, sub for Ferenc Holuban) beat  Casey Berger (6:00)... Nazzarino Poggi
beat Mike Chaplin (25:15) ... Jack Reynolds drew Jack Burke (30:00) ... NOTE:  Amateurs
Nick Szilagy and Jack Muschall of the Trenton Star Wrestling Club drew in the first prelim.

Trenton NJ: April 10, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 800) … George Calza beat Dimitri Dimitroff (13:00) … Lee Wykoff beat Harry
Mamos (30:00, dec) … Carlos Henriquez beat Clevio Massimo (20:00) … Arpad Szucs beat
Jim Heslyn (10:30) … Referee: Tony Kall … Promoter: Andy Palasky … NOTE: Hungarians,
like Szucs, were popular here due to the large influx of Magyars among the ringsiders …
Charles Mazzari (of Trenton NJ) drew Karl Keyser (amateur bout)

Trenton NJ: April 21, 1931 (Tuesday)
(Arena, att. 500) … John Grandovich (sub for Clevio Massimo) drew Dimitri Dimitroff (30:00)
… George Godfrey beat Arpad Szucs (14:00) … Carlos Henriquez beat Sailor Winton (of
California) (24:00) … Mike Chaplin beat George Lazan (of California) (25:00) … Promoter:
Andy Palasky … NOTE: It's not too much of a stretch to guess "George Lazan" was the
previously employed "Ferenc Lazar."

Trenton NJ: May 8, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 300) … Rudy LaDitzi (as Rudy Ladice, sub for Harry Morse) beat Ivan Kalimoff …
Carlos Henriquez beat Arpad Szucs (17:00) … Rudy LaDitzi (as Rudy Ladice) beat Mike
Chaplin (cor) … Johnny Lewandowski beat Jack Bloomfield (25:00) … NOTE: Billed as "last
wrestling of the season" … LaDitzi/Ladice is the "corpulent Magyar star" … "Harry Morse,
Jersey City policeman, was originally scheduled to grapple with Kalimoff, but difficulties with
management arose, and the result of the disagreement was that Morse refused to go on.
Ladice was then induced to get back in his togs and he willingly took on the double burden
and won easily." – Trenton NJ Evening Times, May 9, 1931

Trenton NJ: June 12, 1931 (Friday) (canceled)
(Trenton HS Field) ... Mihaly Orgovanyi vs Jim Heslyn (of Australia) ... Jack Sherry vs Oscar
Nygren ... Carlos Henriquez vs Billy Weston (of Boston MA) ... Rudy LaDitzi vs Tony Rocco ...
Victor Weber vs Adolfo Marchioni ... Promoter: Andrew Palasky ... NOTE: Billed as the first
nighttime outdoor show ever held in Trenton, it fell victim to a 9 o'clock rain storm

Trenton NJ: June 19, 1931
(Trenton HS Field, att. 600) … Jim Browning beat Boris Demitroff (35:00, utc) … Theofolis
Doumas (of Greece) drew Paul Kochansky (45:00) … Lee Wykoff beat John Bojrsko (of
Trenton NJ, sub for Cyclone Rees) (5:00) … Joe Montana beat William Thomas (sub for Roy
Haldeman of Camden PA) (13:00) … Referee: Doc Gehman … NOTE: The High School Field
was at the corner of Chambers Street and Morris Avenue … Although Gus Waldron thought
he would referee, and was present, the state athletic commission secretary (and future
longtime head of the NBA), Abe Greene, tapped Gehman (of Paterson NJ) for the task … A
more likely spelling for the Greek light-heavy in the semi-final was Theophilos Doumaxos, the
way he was introduced this same spring in Camden NJ

Trenton NJ: September 22, 1931
Boxing and wrestling will be conducted here under the direction of  a New York combine
headed by Lew Raymond, veteran boxing man and former burlesque comedian ... The group,
which has leased the Arena for a year, plans to launch its regime with a mat show October 2
... The wrestling shows will go Friday nights and the boxing cards will be held Monday nights
... Andy Palasky, who has promoted wrestling here the past two seasons, will have no
connection with the new outfit, whose general manager is to be Peter Berenati ... Abe Yaeger
is to handle publicity ... Raymond – "a portly individual (who) smokes an inevitable cigar" --  
has been associated with Humbert Fugazy in a variety of New York City NY boxing promotions
... Raymond also was part of the brain trust (with Paddy Mullins) which tried to steer
heavyweight Harry Wills to a heavyweight title fight with Jack Dempsey.

Trenton NJ: October 2, 1931
(Arena, att. 800) ... Dick Shikat beat Arpad Szucs (14:00) ... Sid Westrich beat Benny
Ginsberg (19:00) ... George Calza beat John Podubny (20:30) ... Steve Znosky beat Vanka
Zelesniak (21:00) ... Norton B. Jackson beat Arthur Dick (17:30) ... Referee: Tony Kall ...
Promoter: Lew Raymond ... NOTE: Znosky, 220, is billed as a former Rider College football
tackle … Ringside seats under the new regime remained priced at $1.65, with reserved
ducats $1.10 and all of the refurbished balcony seats 75 cents.

Trenton NJ: October 9, 1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 500) ... Dick Shikat beat Floyd Marshall (13:00) ... Steve Znosky beat Willie Davis
(23:00) ... Gino Garibaldi beat Bill Middlekauff (16:00) ... Sid Westrich beat Fred Carone (as
Fernando Caroni) (19:00) ... Jack Hurley beat Gene Bruce (30:00, dec) ... Referee: Tony Kall
... Promoter: Lew Raymond

Trenton NJ: October 16, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,000) ... Renato Gardini beat Willie Davis (20:00) ... Matros Kirilenko beat Tom
Draak (10:20) ... Steve Znosky drew Gino Garibaldi (30:00) ... Floyd Marshall beat Andy
Zaharoff (18:00) ... Vanka Zelesniak drew Sid Westrich (30:00) ... Johnny Lewandowski beat
Steve Majaros ... NOTE: Referee Tony Kall drew some catcalls when he allowed Draak to be
out of the ring for a count of 12 at one point, but the fans were unaware that the allowable
count for being absent from the ring has been changed from 10 to 20 seconds this year by
the state athletic commission ... Lewandowski had a considerable pull in the weights, 187 to
165

Trenton NJ: October 23, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,500) ... Joseph (Toots) Mondt (sub for Sandor Szabo) beat Floyd Marshall (24:
00) ... Sammy Stein beat Ivan Vernyhora (21:10) ... Renato Gardini drew Joe (Toots) Mondt
(30:00) ... Steve Znosky beat John Podubny (18:30) ... Hans Steinke beat Arthur Boganz (12:
10) ... Referees: Tony Kall, Tommy Parsonnet ... NOTE: Commissioner Al Wesley announced
from the ring that Szabo had been detained by state police in Milltown, after being involved in
a fatal accident on his way here – so it was arranged for the winner of the Gardini-Mondt
match to wrestle Floyd Marshall in Szabo's stead ... The bout ended in a draw, however, so
Mondt won a coin toss to gain the ring with Marshall

Trenton NJ: October 30, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,500) ... Sandor Szabo beat John Supsie (aka Babe Caddock) (27:00) ... Steve
Znosky beat Justino Giraldi (22:00) ... George Calza beat Rex Smith (17:00) ... Paul Jones
drew Norton B. Jackson (20:00) ... Matros Kirilenko (sub for Herbie Freeman) drew George
Hagen (30:00) ... Referee: Matt Jennings (of West New York NJ) ... NOTE: Herbie Freeman,
who was present at ringside, reportedly dislocated a shoulder in training and could not
wrestle ... Edward F. Meara Jr., sports editor of the Trenton NJ Evening Times, reveals  that
promoter Lew Raymond was christened "Louis Malitz" in Kiev, Ukraine, 51 years ago, the son
of the late Chaim and Sarah Malitz ... The family first came to Cleveland OH and, when his
father was offered a newspaper job in Philadelphia PA, they went there ... After working in the
printing business for a time, Malitz, and a colleague, Joseph K. Watson, went into burlesque,
Malitz taking the stage name of "Lew Raymond."... Eventually leaving show business,
Raymond went back to his original trade as sports editor of the Jewish Morning Journal in
New York City NY ... From there, he went into partnership with boxing manager Jimmy Kelly
(of Greenwich Village) and the two handled such pugs as Dick Hyland, Paddy Lavin, Patsy
Kline, Young Wagner, Joe Wagner and Packey Homey ... During the Horton Law days, Kelly
installed Raymond as matchmaker at the Brooklyn Beach Athletic Club, also known as the
Pelican A.C., and he's spent the past 20 years either as a manager or a fight matchmaker at
a variety of New York City-area clubs.

Trenton NJ: November 6,  1931 (Friday)
(Arena, att. 1,700) ... Steve Znosky beat Tom Draak (25:00) ... Sammy Stein beat Odilio
Marchione (15:10) ... John Supsie (aka Babe Caddock) beat Vanka Zelesniak (30:00, dec) ...
Sid Westrich (sub for Sandor Birkus) beat Brother Jonathan (as Don DeLaun) (18:45)...
George Hagen beat Gene Bruce (16:00) ... Referee: Tony Kall ... NOTE: After Draak was
stretchered from the ring, club physician Dr. George Corio said "it appeared to him that
Draak had sustained a concussion of the brain and probably fracture of the skull. Draak,
after treatment, was able to return to New York." – Trenton NJ Evening Times, Nov. 7, 1931

Trenton NJ: November 13, 1931
(Arena, att. 2,000) ... Steve Znosky beat Renato Gardini (25:00) ... Ray Steele beat Vanka
Zelesniak (24:30) ... Herbie Freeman beat Willie Davis (16:30) ... John Supsie (aka Babe
Caddock) drew Steve Westrich (30:00) ... Sandor Szabo beat Abe Kashey (19:00) ...
Referee: Doc Gehman ... Promoter: Lew Raymond ... NOTE: Women accompanied to
ringside seats by an escort are admitted free of charge ... "Zelesniak did everything to Steele
but read the fish and game laws for 1930 to him, using a brilliant display of arm and leg
scissors and slams, abandoning his usual cuffing and slapping. Vanka's efforts went for
naught at the 24-minute mark, however, for Steele suddenly applied a double split that
injured the Russian and left him helpless against the inevitable rolling headlock." – Trenton
NJ Evening Times, Nov. 14, 1931

Trenton NJ: November 20, 1931
(Arena, att. 2,000) ... Sammy Stein beat Bill Middlekauff (17:00)... Steve Znosky drew Sandor
Szabo (30:00) ... George Calza beat Vladimir Martynoff (11:10) ... Vanka Zelesniak beat
Gene Bruce (18:12) ... George Hagen drew John Supsie (aka Babe Caddock) (30:00) ...
Referee: Doc Gehman

Trenton NJ: November 23, 1931
Andrew Palasky, who formerly promoted wrestling at the Arena, takes out a license to stage
bouts every Thursday night at Woodlawn Park, beginning December 3.

Trenton NJ: November 27, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,100) ... Steve Znosky beat Joe (Toots) Mondt (13:15) ... John Supsie (aka
Babe Caddock) beat Vanka Zelesniak (30:30) ... Sammy Stein beat Tony Catalino (18:45) ...
George Hagen beat Jack Hurley (22:12) ... Sid Westrich beat Tom Draak (30:00, dec) ...
Referee: Tommy Parsonnet (of Paterson NJ) ... NOTE: Znosky earns the right to meet "world
champion" Jim Londos here next week.

Trenton NJ: December 3, 1931
(Woodlawn Park Arena, att. 100) ... Mihaly Orgovanyi beat Tony Felice (15:00)... Harry
Cornsweet beat Tommy Texis (4:00)... Charles Metro drew Dominic Taglirini (30:00)... Alex
Hedlund beat Clevio Massimo (sub for Paddy Mack) (15:00) ... Promoter: Andy Palasky ...
NOTE: Ringside seats were $1.10 ... Palasky said he would try again with four more bouts
December 17 (which will become Dec. 31) ... The few spectators at this one groused when
the 8:30 p.m. show did not begin until 9:15 p.m.

Trenton NJ: December 4, 1931
(Arena, att. 2,300) ... (World Title) Jim Londos* beat Steve Znosky (29:40) ... Sammy Stein
beat Richard Stahl (18:03) ... Norton B. Jackson drew Cyclone Ress (30:00) ... John Supsie
(aka Babe Caddock) beat Odiolo Marchione (21:15) ... Sid Westrich drew George Hagen (30:
00) ... Referees: Doc Gehman, Tony Kall

Trenton NJ: December 11, 1931
(Arena, att. 2,300) ... Sandor Szabo beat Steve Znosky (30:30) ... Bill Middlekauff (sub for
Sammy Stein) beat Brother Jonathan (as Don DeLaun) (30:00, dec) ... John Supsie (aka
Babe Caddock) beat Cyclone Ress (23:10) ... George Hagen beat Tiger Bill Nelson (20:30)
... Norton B. Jackson beat Gene Bruce (8:00) ... Referee: Tony Kall ... Matchmaker: Pete
Berenati … NOTE: It was announced Berenati was conducting both the boxing and wrestling
affairs at the Arena while Lew Raymond lies sick, with "a bad cold," in New York City NY ...
Raymond – whose backers began to balk at accepting more financial losses – does not
return and, by the next fall, Dick Curley and his associate, Johnny Ipp, will come in from
Chicago IL to take up the challenge of presenting ring shows in these depression-era times;
they will succeed reasonably well until after World War II, or nearly to their respective deaths.

Trenton NJ: December 18, 1931
(Arena, att. 1,400) ... John Supsie (aka Babe Caddock) beat Norton B. Jackson (29:30)...
George Calza beat Bill Middlekauff (18:55) ...George Bill beat Gene Bruce (17:04) ... George
Hagen beat Steve Znosky (30:00, dec) ... Dr. Ralph Wilson beat Vanka Zelesniak (22:10) ...  
Referee: Doc Gehman

Trenton NJ: December 31, 1931
(Woodlawn Park Arena) … Sailor Bullock (of Lakehurst NJ) vs Jim Zabriskie (of Wilmington
DE) … Pete Marelio vs Johnny Kulcik … Mike Miller vs Geish Marks … Carl Bowker (of
Vincentown NJ) vs Al Wissman … NOTE: Promoter Andrew Palasky's New Year's Eve card
includes 150-160 pounders Marelio, Kulcik, Bowker and Wissman





Research by J Michael Kenyon
Trenton Wrestling Results - 1931
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