Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, October 3, 1932 (The Coliseum) … World Middleweight Champion Gus Kallio b. Everett “Silent” Rattan (2-0) … Paul Orth b. Walter Stratton (UTC) … Leroy McGuirk b. Vic Scrim (Japanese crab hold) … Johnny Curtis and Sheik MarAllah drew (three 10:00 rounds) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) Notes: Everett “Silent” Rattan was from Kansas City. Kallio’s claim to the World Middleweight championship was in dispute. He was officially recognized by the National Wrestling Association. A few years earlier, he beat Charles Fischer in Chicago and earned local recognition by the Illinois State Athletic Commission. The championship had a 158 pound limit. The Tulsa Daily World (10/2/1932) reported that Kallio was “probably the greatest stickler for training of any modern-day professional athlete. Every day, rain or shine, whether he is wrestling or not, the Finn takes his road work, also a workout in the gymnasium.” The newspaper stated that he used strips of heavy rubber from automobile inner tubes, “which he uses for developing his neck, placing one end of the rubber band about the bedpost in his room, passing the other end about his neck.” The newspaper continued: “He has been known to stand for an hour trying to break the inner tube by stretching it with his neck.” He didn’t drink or smoke. He was in excellent condition, and the paper noted, “he could wrestle all night if necessary.” Vic Scrim was a “German stablemate of Kallio’s.” Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, October 10, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Paul Orth b. Leroy McGuirk (2/3) (third fall by countout) … Johnny Curtis and Sheik MarAllah drew (six rounds) … Tony Canales and Walter Stratton drew (three rounds) … Paul Murdock b. Pat O’Donnell (second round) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (2,500 fans) Notes: Ed Gallagher, his former amateur wrestling coach, was originally set to be in McGuirk’ s corner, but he had to remain in Stillwater for a student council meeting. A letter from McGuirk to Avey was reprinted in the Tulsa Daily World (10/6/1932), and he talks about Orth. He said that he is still training under Gallagher, and with Olympic champ Bobby Pearce. The winner of the main event was going to wrestle Hugh Nichols for the World Light Heavyweight championship. Pat O’Donnell was from New Haven, Connecticut. Paul Murdock was from Gainesville or Waxahachie, Texas, according to the paper. The newspaper stated that this was “the first time McGuirk had been beaten in his professional career, and the first time either as pro or amateur that he ever had lost a match on falls or by reason of being unable to continue.” *The Friday, October 14, 1932 edition of the Tulsa Daily World announced that former Olympic champion Bobby Pearce was going to turn professional on Monday at the Coliseum. His first opponent was scheduled to be “Blackie” Trammel of Wichita Falls, Texas, who was the brother of boxer Duke Trammel. He was going to wrestle at 140 pounds. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, October 17, 1932 (The Coliseum) … World Light Heavyweight champion Hugh Nichols b. Paul Orth (2/3) … Bobby Pearce b. “Blackie” Trammel (second round) (submission) … Juan Humberto b. Tony Canales … Joe Reno and Sheik MarAllah drew (three rounds) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (2,800 fans) Notes: Tony Canales was a Yaqui Indian from Mexico, who disputed Juan Humberto’s claim to the Mexican championship. Pearce was from Cushing. He was making his pro debut here. Mat X. Beard was the chairman of the Tulsa City Athletic Commission. Before the main event, Leroy McGuirk was introduced from the ring and he challenged the winner. Nichols was the crowd favorite against Orth. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, October 24, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Paul Orth b. Ted Travis (2/3) … Leroy McGuirk b. Tony Canales (2-0) … “Silent” Everett Rattan and Sheik MarAllah drew (six rounds) (1-1) … Johnny Curtis b. Jim Reno (DQ) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) Notes: Travis was said to be from California. The Tulsa Daily World called Orth the “world’s champion villain of wrestling.” Police rushed in to prevent a riot from breaking out after the Orth-Travis match. The newspaper stated that Orth’s opponent was “Ed Travis.” Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, November 7, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Leroy McGuirk b. Paul Orth (2/3) … Ted Travis b. Walter Stratton (2/3) … Red Lindsay b. Swede Larson (first round) (Larson subbing for George Craig, who injured his elbow in a car accident) … Sheik MarAllah b. Otis Headrick (second round) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) Notes: McGuirk, in preparation for his Orth match, trained with the Oklahoma A&M wrestling team under Ed Gallagher. He weighed 180 pounds. The Tulsa Daily World stated that “Ed Travis” was also as “Ted Travis,” a former amateur champion. Craig was from Tulsa. McGuirk planned to introduce his new maneuver during the bout, a flying front body scissors. A short time earlier, McGuirk beat Craig with the new move at Muskogee, Oklahoma. Gallagher accompanied McGuirk to the ring and was in his corner throughout. Bobby Pearce was also ringside in support of McGuirk. McGuirk earned a match with Hugh Nichols for the World Light Heavyweight crown. Headrick was said to be from Waco, Texas. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, November 14, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Leroy McGuirk b. Ted Travis (2-0) … Bobby Pearce b. Bill Hartsell … Everett Rattan b. Tommy Pool (first round) … Walter Stratton b. Olson Condell (2-0) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) Notes: Pool was from Denver. Condell was from Kansas City. Stratton was said to be from Chicago and was the heel in this match. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, November 21, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Leroy McGuirk b. George Sauer (2/3) … Paul Orth and Walter Stratton drew (six rounds) … Elmer Guthrie b. Ted Travis (third round) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (nearly 5,000 fans) Notes: Hugh Nichols was originally booked to defend his title against McGuirk. Nichols was guaranteed $750 “with a privilege of 40 per cent of the receipts.” McGuirk was training with the Oklahoma A&M wrestling squad at Stillwater. In the Tulsa Daily World (11/18/1932), Avey was quoted as saying that McGuirk wrestled with Earl McCready and Charles Strack while in college, and was outweighed by both men. Neither was able to pin him. At one point, when he was a sophomore, McGuirk suffered a broken leg during a training session against McCready while in the step-over toehold, but McGuirk never gave up. The record indoor crowds in Tulsa were established by Ed “Strangler” Lewis vs. Joe Stecher and Jack Dempsey vs. Babe Hunt. The Nichols-McGuirk bout was promoted up until the morning of the show. Nichols reportedly had arrived in Tulsa from his home in Mexia “last night.” Sauer replaced Nichols, who became “violently ill late Monday afternoon,” and the champion was confined to his quarters at the Hotel Tulsa. He had a temperature of 100 at 6:00 that evening. He had to cancel matches in Little Rock, Springfield, and Pittsburg, Kansas. Avey explained Nichols’ absence from the ring, and offered money back to fans who wanted it. He said, “In my 12 years experience promoting wrestling and boxing, this is the worst break that has happened to me.” Orth wrestled with a traffic cop named Harry DeWeese. Later, the newspaper indicated that Nichols had a fever of 103. He went home to Mexia, Texas a few days later and then onto Marlin Springs to recover. In a column in the November 27, 1932 edition of the Tulsa Daily World, a sportswriter confirmed that Nichols was indeed sick that night, in room 1107 with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. Apparently, people didn’t believe it. Nichols had three doctors attending to him, and they told him not to wrestle. He didn’t leave the hotel room until Thursday, when he went to the Aveys for Thanksgiving dinner. He wasn’t going to return to wrestling until after December 10. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, November 28, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Walter Stratton b. Cliff White (2/3) … Totso Higami b. Johnny Curtis (2/3) … Steve Nenoff and Everett Rattan drew … Bobby Pearce b. Harry Hudgens (second round) … (promoter: Sam Avey) Notes: Paul Orth was originally scheduled to wrestle Walter Stratton in the main event, but he called promoter Sam Avey on Saturday to tell him that he’d suffered a broken nose during a Fort Worth match against Cliff White on Thursday – and he wasn’t going to be able to appear. Avey wanted White to appear in Tulsa versus Stratton, and White agreed. Higami weighed 155 pounds. Hudgens was from Dallas. White was from Des Moines and he weighed 185-pounds. The Tulsa Daily World sportswriter had some unflattering comments about White after the show. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, December 5, 1932 (The Coliseum) … World Welterweight Champion Jack Reynolds b. Sheik MarAllah (2-0) … Leroy McGuirk b. Mustapha Pasha (2/3) (third fall by DQ) … Ernie Arthur and “Silent” Rattan drew (three rounds) … Bobby Pearce b. Alabama Gilder (second round) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) Notes: Alabama Gilder was a former wrestler and football player at Okmulgee High School. He weighed 150 pounds. Reynolds was a protégé of Farmer Burns in Omaha. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, December 12, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Paul Orth b. Walter Stratton (2/3) … Totsao Higami b. Everett “Silent” Rattan (2/3) … Mustapha Pasha b. George Craig (third round) … Jimmy Murphy and Bobby Pearce drew … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (2,000 fans) Notes: A wedding was going to be held during the show, in the ring, with Paul Orth marrying Miss Josephine Scotti of Toledo, performed by Rev. Frederick Errington, pastor of the Congregational church and American Legion chaplain. Paul Orth’s real name was said to be “Paul Vernon Orth,” and he was from Cincinnati. Scotti was a “petite Italian girl of Toledo.” He was married in his wrestling trunks, shoes, and robe, which read, “Tarzan of the Mat.” This was said to be Craig’s first match in three months after injuring his left elbow. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Thursday, December 15, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Mustapha Pasha b. Paul Orth … George Craig and Red Lindsay drew (six rounds) … Totsao Higami and Walter Stratton drew (two rounds) … The University Club wrestling team b. YMCA wrestling team (amateur matches) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (benefit for the American Legion’s Christmas tree fund) … (500 fans) Notes: A mixture professional and amateur show. Bad weather kept fans away from the show. $300 was added to the charity fund. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, December 19, 1932 (The Coliseum) … Mustapha Pasha b. Leroy McGuirk (1-0) (six rounds) (only fall in the fourth round) … World Welterweight Champion Jack Reynolds b. Everett “Silent” Rattan (2/3) … Sheik MarAllah b. Benny Bolt (third round) … Red Lindsay and Walter Stratton drew (30:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) Notes: Totsao Higami was originally booked to wrestle Jack Reynolds, but was sick and unable to wrestle. He was still in Dallas. The Reynolds-Rattan bout was the main event of the show and was non-title. No show next Monday night because of the holiday season. Next show was scheduled for Monday, January 2, 1933. Research by Tim Hornbaker |
Tulsa Wrestling Results - 1932 |