Wichita Wrestling Results

Wichita, Kansas: Friday, January 15, 1932
(The Forum) … Joe Stecher b. Darna Ostapavich (2/3) (Ostapavich won the second fall)
… Ace Heffner b. Jack Russell (32:00) … Toby Ellis b. Stanley Hackney … John
Nordhook b. Butch Close (8:38) … Amuel Cox b. Red Carpenter (9:13) … (matchmaker:
N.B. Stauffer) … (referees: Ray Ralls, Charlie Gordon) … (sponsored by: Wichita
Athletic Club) … (“fair” crowd)
Notes: Everette Marshall was said to be “one of the leading claimants to the world’s
heavyweight championship.” “Ace” Hefner from Houston was accompanied by his
stablemate, Toby Ellis. Ellis was from Dallas, Hackney from Wichita, Nordhook from
Andover, Kansas, Close from Wichita, and Russell from Boise. Amuel Cox was called a
“state high school champion.” A note in the Saturday, January 16 edition of the Wichita
Eagle stated that John Pesek was the “newest claimant of the world’s heavyweight
wrestling title” and that he recently offered to throw both Jim Londos and Ed Lewis in the
same night or forfeit $10,000.

Wichita, Kansas: Monday, February 1, 1932
(The Forum) … WWA World Heavyweight Champion John Pesek b. Joe Stecher (2/3)
(Pesek won the first fall in 14:04 and then took the third fall, Stecher won the second in
29:40 with a body scissors) … Dutch Hefner and Everette Marshall drew (45:00) … World
Middleweight Champion Charles Fischer and Toby Ellis drew (30:00) … Cecil Carpenter
and Amuel Cox drew (12:00) … Pat McLary b. Albion Britt (7:40) … (matchmaker: N.B.
Stauffer) … (referee: Frank “Zip” Kice) … (4,500 fans)
Notes: Pesek was said to be the “recently claimant of the world’s championship and
generally acknowledged as the best entitled to that consideration.” The Stecher-Pesek
bout was reportedly for a purse of $5,500, and the winner was to take 75 per cent. A
publicity “war” in the press began, and while Pesek was in St. Louis training for the
Wichita match against Stecher, he claimed that he’d never lost twice to Stecher in the
past. Instead, he said he beat him twice, and only lost once. He claimed that their bout
in Los Angeles was reportedly incorrectly, and that “Stecher did not win that match,”
according to the report. Stecher did not win, “despite” the California Athletic Commission
allowing him to retain the World Title. Pesek claimed to have had pinned Stecher “at
least four times” in their Los Angeles match, but the “referee awarded the decision to
Stecher on a foul.” Pesek backed up his statements by producing a “report from the
California Commission showing that he had been given the winner’s share of the gate
receipts.” Pesek and Al Haft were said to both be in St. Louis and traveling together to
Wichita. Pesek was recently awarded the championship by the “Western Wrestling
Association.” The Wichita Eagle stated that neither Pesek or Stecher had been defeated
in Wichita in the last 15 years. Pesek reportedly beat Ad Santel in Wichita, and Stecher
defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko. The paper again noted that Stecher beat Pesek “twice.”
Prior to the bout, the time-limit was eliminated after urging from Haft. Haft claimed that he
wanted no technicalities this time around. Tony Stecher, in turn, produced documents
proving that Stecher held two wins over Pesek. This Stecher-Pesek bout was billed as a
championship match. Toby Ellis told the newspaper that he and Ace Hefner were both on
the same Texas University wrestling squad. On January 27, Kansas State Heavyweight
Champion Alan Eustace told the Wichita Eagle that he believed Stecher would be
victorious and wanted to attend the show. Eustace explained that “There is no doubt but
what Pesek knows more holds than any wrestler in the world. On the other hand, none
are near as effective as Stecher’s scissors.” Eustace placed Stecher as the best wrestler
“of them all” with Pesek “probably ranking near second.” Joe and his brother Anton
arrived in Wichita on January 28. The Wichita Eagle claimed that Eustace was coming to
town to “act as Stecher’s chief advisor.” Anton Stecher explained that “Pesek seems to
want to add to his prestige by claiming that [Los Angeles] match. Joe has defeated him
twice in the three times they have met and Haft and the whole world knows that.” The
Wichita Eagle stated that Stecher “has held the world heavyweight wrestling
championship more times than any other individual.” Stecher was said to be the “favorite”
going into the bout. On January 31, the newspaper stated that the show was “not sold
out,” and that on Monday, “500 stage seats” were going to go on sale. Pesek’s last loss
was said to be in 1927 against Stecher in Los Angeles. The “W.W.A.” belt, which was
held by Pesek, was going to the winner. After the bout, the Wichita Eagle reported that
Pesek “looked to be in perfect condition, fast as lightning, and master of the situation
most of the way.” During the third fall, Stecher reportedly “ was sent reeling to the mat,
apparently from a punch to the jaw.” The paper continued, “it was later claimed that
Stecher had been kneed and collapsed under Pesek’s punishment.” Referee Kice had to
deal with the heel tactics of Hefner, and at one point, he punched the latter to separate
him from Marshall. Their match was full of “rough” tactics. The Fischer-Ellis match was
said to be “one of the best matches ever put on at the Forum,” and was full of speed and
science.

Wichita, Kansas: Monday, February 15, 1932
(The Forum) … Everette Marshall b. “Dutch” Hefner (DQ) (Hefner punched the referee)
(Marshall had won the only other fall of the bout in 27:00) … Joe Savoldi b. Swede
Nelson (19:00) (airplane spin and body slam) … Sol Schlegel b. Adam Mauck (13:40) …
Toby Ellis b. Tony Zacca (16:00) … Joe Bauer and Charles Gordon drew …
(matchmaker: N.B. Stauffer) … (referees: Frank Kice, Ray Ralls) … (1,500 fans)
Notes: Sol Schlegel was called the “Joe Savoldi of Kansas football.” He was “All-Central
conference performer with the championship Washburn team.’ After that season, he
began wrestling professionally, and has wrestled all over the country – but not in
Wichita. Schlegel was a guard in football and helped Washburn beat Wichita University
in 1930. Mauck was from Junction City, and was a claimant to the Kansas Heavyweight
Title. Bauer was from Salina and claimed the Kansas Middleweight Title. Schlegel was
from Topeka. Marshall claimed to have boxed in college, in addition to have wrestled.
Mauck was also spelled “Mauch.”

Wichita, Kansas: Monday, February 29, 1932
(The Forum) … Wladek Zbyszko b. “Dutch” Hefner (1-0) … Everette Marshall b. Charley
Santen (27:03) .. Toby Ellis b. Frank Marcus (19:16) … Andreas Costanos and Sol
Schlegel drew (30:00) … Charley Gordon b. Ted Romburg (14:00) … (matchmaker: N.B.
Stauffer) … (referee: Ray Ralls) … (1,800 fans)
Notes: Lou Daro was said to be the manager of Wladek Zbyszko. Romburg was of the
“Cudahy Packing company.”

Wichita, Kansas: Monday, March 7, 1932
(Olympic Gymnasium) … Joe Bauer b. Ted Romberg (2/3) (Romberg forfeited the third
fall because of a sprained ankle) … Butch Close b. “Strangler” Nelson (2-0) … Bob
Ramel b. Jack Noble (20:00) … Buddy Shaner and Joe Walcott drew … Whitey Black and
Jack Crouse drew … (referee: Stanley Hackney)
Notes: The facility was at Market and Douglas. Between the matches, the Sunshine
Boys of KFH performed.

Wichita, Kansas: Monday, March 14, 1932
(Olympic Gym) … Joe Bauer b. Cecil Carpenter (2/3) … Butch Close b. Red Carpenter
(2/3) … Amuel Cox and Jack Noble drew (20:00) … Kid Harvey and Don Noble drew …
Bud Shaner b. Joe Wilcox … Ray Lynn and Jack Rouse drew … (400 fans)

Wichita, Kansas: March 28, 1932
(The Forum) … (matchmaker: N.B. Stauffer)
Notes: The Wichita Eagle stated that “wrestling will celebrate its first anniversary in
Wichita, March 28, under the direction of the Wichita Athletic Club.”

Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 21, 2010

Wichita Wrestling Results - 1932