Tulsa Wrestling Results

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, January 1, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Red Berry and Dutch Schultz b. Toots Estes and Dick Trout (2/3) (team
match) … Bert Rubi b. Speedy LaRance (33:00) … Buck Weaver b. Jimmy Lott (21:00) …
Matty Matsuda b. Billy McEuin (18:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referees: Charley
Carr, Jimmy Lott)

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, January 8, 1940
(The Coliseum) … World Junior Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk b. Johnny Swenski
(2/3) (third fall by decision) (catchweights, non-title) … Buck Weaver b. Matty Matsuda (28:
00) … Speedy LaRance b. Dutch Schultz … Toots Estes b. Billy McEuin … Jimmy Lott b. Al
Ferona … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Notes: After the main event match was full of fisticuffs, the Tulsa City Athletic Commission
recommended that both men have their purses held up and Avey agreed. McEuin was
billed as being from Fort Worth.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, January 15, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Johnny Swenski b. Leroy McGuirk (2/3) (non-title match) … Buck
Weaver b. Marshall Carter … Kimon Kudo b. Dick Trout … Larry Kasaboski b. Danny
Savich … Billy Fox b. Don Hill … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referees: Marshall Carter,
Speedy LaRance)
Notes: Buck Weaver was reportedly a fullback on the University of Indiana football team
during his sophomore year and weighed only 160 pounds at the time. He also played
professional football. McGuirk and Swenski were wrestling for the money that was held-up
last week. In the search for a possible referee, before Marshall Carter was chosen, Avey
considered Ernie Webb of Oklahoma City, Dick Hanley of Enid, and Mickey Tarrant of
Bartlesville. Hanley was a “former Oklahoma Aggie heavyweight.” Fox, Kasaboski, and
Kudo were all called newcomers.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, January 22, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Danny Savich failed to beat both Larry Kasaboski and Speedy LaRance
in 30-minutes (Savich beat Kasaboski in 19:00) … Marshall Carter b. Buck Weaver (29:00)
… Red Berry b. Kimon Kudo … Bert Rubi b. Mickey Ryan … Otis Clingman b. Billy Fox …
(promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: Rubi used a “Jim Browning rolling scissors” to win his match. Ryan was said to be
from Colorado Springs.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, January 29, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Hugh Nichols b. Marshall Carter (2-0) … Danny Savich b. Speedy
LaRance (knockout in the third round) (four-round boxing match) … Johnny Swenski b.
Bert Rubi (18:00) … Jimmy Lott b. Mickey Ryan … Kimon Kudo b. Otis Clingman …
(promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: Nichols was called the “bull-necked, bowlegged wrestling veteran.” The newspaper
stated that when “Nichols left here some two years ago for his comfortable home in Los
Angeles that he had pulled on tights for the last time.” He was reportedly 40 years old and
always making weight “sapped Nick’s strength when he was competing in the 175-pound
class.” He explained that the 190-pound class was “made to order for me,” and that he
usually weighed “between 183 and 188 pounds.” He had never wrestled Carter before.
Carter suffered a cut in a bout with Johnny Swenski weeks earlier and an infection set in.
He was “out of action a long time.” Carter also explained that two months prior to arriving in
Tulsa, he suffered a broken nose in two places. Nichols was returning after a “year and a
half absence.” He was dubbed “Sneaky” by “friends and hecklers alike.” He wasn’t “as fast
as he used to be, but still the same hard driving athlete,” and “only got in from Los Angeles
the day before the match.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, February 5, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Hugh Nichols b. Danny Savich (2-0) … Kimon Kudo b. Red Berry (DQ)
(judo jacket match) … Buck Weaver b. Bert Rubi … Dick Trout b. Jimmy Lott … Mike
Nazarian b. Chin Lee … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Note: Johnny Swenski put up $500 for a title shot with Leroy McGuirk.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, February 12, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Johnny Swenski b. Hugh Nichols (2/3) … Marshall Carter b. Jesse
James … Dick Trout b. Speedy LaRance (third round) … Jack Terry b. Mickey Ryan (first
round) … Billy Fox b. Chin Lee (second round) … (promoter: Sam Avey)
Note: The winner of the Swenski-Nichols match was going to meet Leroy McGuirk for the
World Junior Heavyweight Title.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, March 11, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Hugh Nichols b. Mike Nazarian (2-0) (15:30, 11:00) (rolling leg split) …
Billy Raburn b. Johnny Swenski (26:00) … Buck Weaver b. Monte LaDue (DQ) … Taro
Itano b. Speedy LaRance (second round) … Jack Terry b. George Wagner (third round) …
(promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Notes: The Tulsa Daily World (3/10/40) stated that Mike Nazarian “looks like a Walt Disney
animated cartoon.” He once wrestled in an AAU tournament in Boston, one that also
featured Leroy McGuirk. Ginger, a 350-pound bear, was owned by Roy Welch. Nazarian
was from Buffalo. Terry was from Kitchener, Ontario and Wagner from Albany. LaDue had
been injured and on the sidelines for “several months” because of a broken ankle. He’s
been appearing in Boston recently. Raburn has been appearing around Detroit “for the
past six months.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, March 18, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Joe Millich b. Danny McShain (2/3) … World Light Heavyweight
Champion Jesse James b. Billy Raburn (25:30) … Ginger the Bear vs. Hugh Nichols …
Jack Terry b. Larry Kasaboski … Taro Itano b. Monte LaDue … Dick Trout b. Buck Weaver
… (promoter: Sam Avey) … (benefit for the Babies Free Milk Fund – fifth annual event) …
(referee: Red Andrews) … (5,500 fans)
Notes: The biggest indoor wrestling event of the year. The fund received $1,500 from
Avey in 1939. 7,800 people can be seated at the Coliseum for wrestling. Danny McShain
“lost his light heavyweight championship” only “a few days ago.” Last Wednesday, Jesse
James beat McShain for the title in Oklahoma City. Millich was coming to town on the
recommendation of Ray Steele. The boys of the Mohawk home were in attendance as
guest of the Police Commissioner, Eddie Shields, according to the Tulsa Daily World
(3/17/40). Although McShain had lost his title to James, he was still in the main event here
and James was in the semifinal. The newspaper indicated that was because the contract
was signed before the title change in Oklahoma City. Leroy McGuirk had been on all four
previous Milk Fund programs, and reportedly sent a check as a donation from California.
He was going to Oregon next. Red Lyons and Marshall Carter also sent in donations.
Nichols told the Tulsa Daily World (3/18/40) that “I saw Farmer Burns beat a bear many
years ago, and it looked easy to me.” Burns trained Nichols. Between matches, the
American Legion band performed, under the direction of Eddie Gambill. Millich weighed 12
pounds more than his opponent. The Tulsa Daily World (3/19/40) stated that Roy Welch
had been bitten by Ginger the Bear that afternoon, and didn’t want to go through with the
match against Nichols. Nichols apparently called off a $250 side bet, and the bout went
on. The newspaper reported that Ginger went after referee Andrews when the latter was
about to give it the victory. No winner was stated other than that. The bear likely won.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, March 25, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Billy Raburn b. World Light Heavyweight Champion Jesse James (2-0)
(non-title match) (22:00, 12:00) … Red Berry b. Johnny Demchuk (22:00) … Joe Millich b.
Marshall Carter (25:00) (stepover toehold) … Karl Gray b. Dick Trout … Taro Itano b.
Johnny Nenamic … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: George Wagner)
Notes: Demchuk was said to have been touring in Europe as the war started. He was from
Windsor, Ontario. Wagner was the referee for the Berry-Demchuk bout and his “inefficient
work” may have prevented Demchuk from being victorious.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, April 1, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Danny McShain b. Billy Raburn (2/3) (McShain won the third fall with a
piledriver) … Joe Millich b. Danny Savich (27:30) … Women’s World Champion Mildred
Burke b. Gladys “Killem” Gillem (11:30) … Johnny Demchuk b. Taro Itano (15:00)
(stepover toehold) … Buck Davidson b. Jack Terry (14:00) (Japanese crab hold) …
(promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews) … (4,000 fans)
Notes: Gillem was from Birmingham, coming in on the recommendation of Morris Sigel of
Houston. Davidson was from Wheeling, West Virginia. Raburn was the big favorite in the
main event. The winner of the McShain-Raburn bout was promised a match with Jesse
James for the World Light Heavyweight Title. The McShain-Raburn bout was a “bloody
battle.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, April 8, 1940
(The Coliseum) … World Light Heavyweight Champion Jesse James b. Danny McShain (2-
0) (first fall by DQ) … Joe Millich b. Karl Gray … Billy Raburn b. Johnny Demchuk … Buck
Davidson (Davison) b. Dick Trout … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Notes: Davidson was said to be from Sun Valley, Idaho. Gray was from Milwaukee.
Rayburn was from Atlanta.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, April 15, 1940
(The Coliseum) … World Junior Heavyweight Chamipon Leroy McGuirk b. Joe Millich (2/3)
(non-title match) … Wilma Gordon b. Gladys Gillem … Karl Gray b. Billy Raburn … Buck
Davidson b. Danny Savich … Jack Terry b. Johnny Nenamic … (promoter: Sam Avey) …
(referee: Red Andrews)
Notes: Gillem was said to be from Birmingham, while Gordon was from Columbus. The
winner of the women’s match was going to wrestle Mildred Burke next week. Karl Gray was
the “speedy protégé of Hugh (Sneaky) Nichols.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, April 22, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Leroy McGuirk b. Red Berry (2-0) (non-title match) … Women’s
Champion Mildred Burke b. Wilma Gordon (2-0) … Danny McShain b. Karl Gray … Dick
Trout b. Monte LaDue … Johnny Demchuk b. Buck Davidson … (promoter: Sam Avey)
Note: Burke was called the junior lightweight women’s champion.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, April 29, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Danny Savich b. Danny McShain in finals of eight-man wrestle royal
(other participants: Joe Millich, George Sauer, Jesse James, Johnny Demchuk, Bob
Montgomery, Dick Trout) … Women’s Champion Mildred Burke b. Gladys Gillem … Joe
Millich b. George Sauer … Jesse James b. Johnny Demchuk … Dick Trout b. Bob
Montgomery (DQ) … Taro Itano b. Jack Terry (24:00) … (promoter: Sam Avey) …
(referee: Jack Dempsey) … (6,000+ fans)
Notes: Itano was a “stocky Hawaiian.” Dempsey reportedly signed hundreds of
autographs. The newspaper stated that promoter Sam Avey received a wire transmittal
from Gus Sonnenberg, who wanted to wrestle World Champion Ray Steele in a future
Tulsa bout. Avey “did not seem greatly interested in Sonnenberg,” and wanted a younger
challenger. Leroy McGuirk was a possible candidate.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, May 6, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Len Macaluso b. Leroy McGuirk (2/3) … Billy Raburn b. Dick Trout (23:
00) … Joe Millich b. Danny Savich … Johnny Demchuk b. Jimmy Lott … Bob Montgomery
b. Taro Itano … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Red Andrews)
Note: Len Macaluso, from East Aurora, New York, was a wrestler in high school.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, May 13, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Leroy McGuirk b. Len Macaluso (2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Joe Millich b.
Johnny Swenski … Johnny Demchuk b. Monte LaDue (DQ after initially winning) … Bob
Montgomery b. Lefty Pacer … Sergeant Harry Rich b. Johnny Nenamic … (promoter: Sam
Avey) … (referee: Lou Spandle)
Notes: Spandle was said to be a 235-pound referee from Kansas City. He was brought on
after a protest was made by Len Macaluso to local referee Red Andrews. Macaluso
weighed 218 pounds to McGuirk’s 196. Sam Muchnick was said to be the manager of Ray
Steele. Nenamic was from Phoenix, Rich from San Antonio and Pacer from Louisville.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, May 20, 1940
(The Coliseum) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ray Steele b. NWA World Junior
Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk (2/3) … Johnny Swenski b. Joe Millich … Ray
Chapman b. Danny Savich (DQ) … Toto Higami b. Monte LaDue … Bob Montgomery b.
Dick Trout … (promoter: Sam Avey) … (referee: Lou Spandle)
Notes: McGuirk, holder of the 190-pound title, and previous holder of the 175-pound
crowd, wanted to add the heavyweight title to his resume. NWA President Col. Harry
Landry wanted to be in Tulsa to see the match, the newspaper indicated, but couldn’t due
to illness. C.C. McCrary of Tulsa, who was the NWA Secretary, would be in attendance to
represent the organization. The paper also said that “the match has been recognized by
the National Wrestling Association as one of the year’s most outstanding,” and that it was
the first time since the NWA was founded that the champion of a lighter weight division
challenged the heavyweight champion. Avey reportedly have to give Steele a $2,500
guarantee for the bout and taking 40 per cent of the gate receipts. Steele “was raised only
a few miles from the immortal Farmer Burns – in fact, like many other mat stars, he got his
first lessons from articles Burns wrote on wrestling leverages.” Higami was from Honolulu.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Monday, May 27, 1940
(The Coliseum) … Red Berry and Monte LaDue b. Toto Higami and Taro Itano (mixed jiu-
jitsu, catch-as-catch-can match) (coin would be flipped to see which style would go first) …
Johnny Swenski b. Bob Montgomery … Ray Chapman b. Johnny Demchuk … Jimmy Lott b.
Lefty Pacer … (promoter: Sam Avey)
Notes: Higami was reportedly a trainer of jiu-jitsu at the Los Angeles Athletic Club and
used a sleeperhold. C.C. McCrary was said to have sent a letter to NWA President Landry
about the fouling tactics Ray Steele used against Leroy McGuirk last week, and a rematch
or a fine was predicted to be announced. Avey was said to have attempted to contact
Steele, but was ignored. During the main event, Itano wrestled barefoot, and wore a pair of
wooden-soled sandals to the ring, which were in his corner. During the bout, LaDue used
the shoes as a weapon against Itano. Higami weighed 168 pounds.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
November 24, 2010

Tulsa Wrestling Results - 1940