Tulsa Wrestling Results

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Friday, July 16, 1926
(McNulty Park) … Howard Cantonwine b. Jim Clinkstock (2-0) … John “Firpo” Wilcox b.
Jimmy Desalvo (2/3) … four negro athletes wrestled a battle royal … (promoter: Sam
Avey) … (sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars)
Notes: As of July 2, 1926, Avey was in Boston on vacation. Both Howard Cantonwine and
Jim Clinkstock, a Sioux Indian, were veterans of war. Wilcox was a former football player
for Oklahoma University. He was from Bixby, Oklahoma. Desalvo was an Indian from West
Tulsa.

*The Sunday, July 18, 1926 edition of the Tulsa Daily World stated that Ed “Strangler”
Lewis retained “possession of the Tex Rickard world’s championship belt, emblematic of
the championship.” “Lewis is generally regarded as the champion by virtue of Referee
Walter Bates’ testimony in court that he never awarded Wayne Munn the decision in their
disputed match at Kansas City.” Promoter Sam Avey was trying to match Lewis with Joe
Malecewicz, who “bases his title claims on his disputed victory over Joe Stecher at Boston
recently.” A purse of $20,000 was offered to the winner.

*In the development of a Lewis-Malcewicz Tulsa match, Lewis’s manager Billy Sandow
wanted to guarantee Lewis 75 per cent of the $20,000 purse for a bout, as reported in the
Tulsa Daily World (7/21/26). Sandow waited to hear from Malcewicz’s manager, Paul
Bowser of Boston, who was “vacationing in the woods of Maine.”

*On Thursday morning, July 22, 1926, Avey announced that a match was signed for
Tulsa. The bout would occur on August 2 at McNulty Park. Lewis would receive 75 per
cent of the $20,000, and Malcewicz would get $5,000. In preparations for the contest,
Lewis trained at the City YMCA gym with John Evko, his “chief sparring partner.” Malcewicz
would work out with his manager Paul Bowser and Jack Roller for 20 minutes each. The
$10,000 Rickard belt was at stake in this affair and, during the week, would be displayed in
Tulsa at the Sanders-Rone Jewelry company.

*On Friday, July 30, 1926, Lewis trained again with John Evko before the public at an open
air arena at Boulder and Sixth streets in Tulsa. Malcewicz sparred with Lee Wykoff (billed
as Leo Wyckoff), a “former All-Kansas conference fullback from Washburn college of
Topeka. Wyckoff resembles Joe O’Dell in the ring and gave Malcewicz a stiff drill,”
according to the Tulsa Daily World.

*In the pre-match hype, it was said that Lewis and Malcewicz wrestled three times
previously. “At the age of 19, eight years ago, when Malcewicz was just starting his
professional career with his 165 pounds of science, Malcewicz won a handicap match from
the Strangler. Two months late (sic), Lewis won in a finish match. Their third meeting was
at Boston July 2, the match being stopped at 2:02 o’clock in the mroning and called a draw
after each man had won a fall.,” according to the Tulsa Daily World (8/1/1926). Malcewicz
reportedly hadn’t lost a match in four years.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, August 2, 1926
(McNulty Stadium) … World Heavyweight Title claimant Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. World
Heavyweight Title claimant Joe Malcewicz (2/3) (Malcewicz won the first fall in 1:23:00,
Lewis won the second by disqualification and the match when the referee halted the
match) (Malcewicz was disqualified for throwing Lewis from the ring) (Lewis claimed a side
injury while on the outside of the ring) … John Evko b. Lee Wykoff (21:00) … (promoter:
Sam Avey) … (referees: Ted Tonneman, T.C. Hopkins) … (8-9,000 fans)
Notes: Ted Tonneman was an official referee from the Midwest Athletic Club. 5,000 seats
were sold in advance and the facility had a capacity of 8,500. The Tulsa Daily World
reported that Avey announced after the match that the referee (Tonneman) refused to
alter his decision, and that he was unable to force the wrestlers to continue. He wanted
Lewis to return and continue the match, and regreted the finish. Many believed that the
move that sent Lewis from the ring was unintentional. It stated that “whatever claim to the
heavyweight wrestling championship of the world Joe Malcewicz of Utica, New York may
have had passed on to the ageing brow of Ed (Strangler) Lewis.” It was stated that Avey
and Lewis’s manager Billy Sandow were “lifelong friends.”

Searched through August 19, 1926

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Tuesday, October 12, 1926
(Convention Hall) … Joe Malcewicz b. Joe O’Dell (2-0) … Joe Cataline b. Jack Washburn
(2-0) … (promoter: Samuel E. Avey) … (referee: T.C. Hopkins) … (near capacity crowd)
Notes: Malcewicz was called the “leading challenger for the world’s heavyweight wrestling
championship.” O’Dell was from Colby, Kansas. It was said that O’Dell lost in two-straight
falls to Ed Lewis in Tulsa on May 17, and three days later, was operated on in a Kansas
City hospital for an acute appendicitis. O’Dell was reported to have wins over Toots
Mondt, Howard Cantonwine, and Pat McGill. Washburn was from Los Angeles. Joe
Cataline was recommended by Chicago promoter Ed White. Washburn was “particularly
well known in Pawhuska where he has appeared on several occasions with success.”

West Tulsa, Oklahoma: Friday, October 22, 1926
(K.P. Hall) … Jimmie DeSalvo b. Tom Shell (2-0) (Shell was a substitute for Frank
Carpentier, who was injured) … (referee: Frank Carpentier)
Notes: Carpentier reportedly held a win over George Hansen of Pawhuska. DeSalva was
training in West Tulsa at the hall, while Carpentier was working out at his home at 820 N.
Frisco.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Thursday, October 28, 1926
(Convention Hall) … Joe Malcewicz b. John Evko (2/3) … Harry Coffman b. Joe O’Dell (2-0)
… (promoter: Samuel E. Avey) … (referee: LTC Theodore C. Hopkins)
Notes: Evko trained at the Tulsa YMCA. Coffman was a “former Texas University
wrestler.” He was studying medicine in school “but was compelled to leave and go work,
accepting a berth with the Rock Island railroad. It was while he was with the Rock Island
that he first gained fame as a wrestler. Each year the company has an athletic tournament
and in the wrestling division in 1925, Coffman won,” according to the report.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 28, 2007

Tulsa Wrestling Results - 1926