Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, January 6, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Karl Davis b. Juan Hernandez (2/3) … Vic Christy b. “Big Boy”
Gardenia … Pat Meehan b. “Cowboy” Tom Renesto … Tony Morelli b. Red Shoes Dugan
… The Zebra Kid (champion) b. Matt Murphy (TV Jackpot match) … The Zebra Kid and
Jerry Christy drew (TV Jackpot match) … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, January 13, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Karl Davis and The Zebra Kid wrestled The Christys (Jerry and Vic
Christy) to a draw … Dr. Lee Grable and Tony Morelli drew … Tom Renesto b. Vic
Holbrook … The Zebra Kid (champion) and Shoulders Newman drew (TV Jackpot match)
… The Zebra Kid and Vincent Lopez drew (TV Jackpot match) … (promoter:  Ernie
Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, January 20, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Karl Davis and Vincent Lopez drew (1-1) … Pat Meehan and The
Zebra Kid drew … Tony Morelli b. Don Cortez (2/3) … Dave Levin b. “Cowboy” Tom
Renesto … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)
Note:  KECA (channel 7) did not bring its usual “Jackpot” matches to the audience on this
evening because of the White House Inaugural Ceremonies.

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, January 27, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … “Brother” Frank Jares b. Dave Levin (2/3) … Vincent Lopez and
Hombre Montana drew (1-1) … Bob Corby b. Matt (Murphy) Kosternich … The Zebra Kid
(champion) b. Jesse James (TV Jackpot match) … The Zebra Kid and Pat Meehan drew
(TV Jackpot match) … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, February 3, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Sandor Szabo b. The Zebra Kid to regain the KECA Television
Jackpot Wrestling Title … The Zebra Kid (champion) b. Juan Hernandez (TV Jackpot
match) … Warren Bockwinkel b. “Brother” Frank Jares (2/3) … Karl Davis and Pat
Meehan drew (1-1) … Bob Corby b. Raul Lopez … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)
Note:  In the promotional advertising, the championship was billed as a “1000 Wrestling
Jackpot.”

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, February 10, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Warren Bockwinkel b. Karl Davis (2/3) … Pat Meehan b. Tarzan
Christy … “Brother” Frank Jares and Dave Levin drew (30:00) … Sandor Szabo
(champion) and Chris Zaharias drew (TV Jackpot match) … Sandor Szabo b. Don Cortez
… (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, February 17, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Joe Pazandak b. Hombre Montana (2/3) … Vic Christy and Chris
Zaharias drew (1-1) … Danny Savich b. Dave Levin … Sandor Szabo (champion) and
“Brother” Frank Jares drew (TV Jackpot match) … Sandor Szabo and Karl Davis drew …
(promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Thursday, February 19, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Baron Michele Leone b. “Brother” Frank Jares (2/3) … Dr. Lee
Grable b. Chris Zaharias (2/3) … Ali Pasha b. Juan Hernandez … Pat Meehan b. Ted
Christy … (promoter:  Harry Rubin)
Notes:  Rubin’s normal Thursday night show at the Municipal Auditorium was moved to the
Wilmington Bowl because of a hardware convention at the Auditorium.  Grable was a
substitute for Bobby Managoff, who had a broken nose, and Juan Hernandez subbed for
Warren Bockwinkel, who was out with a fractured shoulder.

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, February 24, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Joe “The Champ” Pazandak b. Gino Garibaldi (2/3) … Lee Grable
and Danny Savich drew (45:00) (1-1) … Ted Christy b. Juan Hernandez … Sandor Szabo
b. Tarzan Hayes (TV Jackpot match) … Sandor Szabo and Ali Pasha drew (TV Jackpot
match) … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, March 3, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … “Gentleman” Jim Corbett and Pee Wee James b. “Fuzzy” Dan Cupid
and Pancho the Bull (2/3) … Dr. Lee Grable b. Ted Christy … Pancho the Bull b. Pee
Wee James … “Jackpot” champion Sandor Szabo and Joe Pazandak drew (TV Jackpot
match) … Sandor Szabo and Red Berry drew (TV Jackpot match) … (promoter:  Ernie
Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Tuesday, March 10, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Karl Davis b. Bomber Kulkovich (Kulkovich was a substitute for Gino
Garibaldi) … Jim Mitchell b. Big Boy Gardenia … Cry Baby Corby and Bomber Kulkovich
dre … Danny Savich and Sandor Szabo drew (TV Jackpot match) … Pat Meehan and
Sandor Szabo drew (TV Jackpot match) … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen) … (booked by
Johnny Doyle)
Notes:  This was broadcast on Tuesday’s on KECA (channel 7).

*On Monday, March 16, 1953, the Wilmington Bowl cancelled Tuesday night’s wrestling
program that was booked by Johnny Doyle and announced a new deal to present
televised wrestling under the auspices of Nick Lutze beginning on Saturday, March 21,
1953.  The Saturday show would be televised on KNXT (channel 2), which was also
moving from the Valley Garden Arena to Wilmington for Lutze.  The new show would be
called “International Wrestling” presented by the “International Wrestling Club.” The KECA
outlet no longer had an arena to show Tuesday wrestling, and the Valley Garden Arena
was now without TV.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, March 21, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Kay Bell and Count DaVinci drew (1-1) … Juan Sepeda b. The
Golden Terror … Tom Renesto b. Captain Myron Cox … Johnny James and Red Shoes
Dugan drew … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)
Notes:  This show was televised on KNXT (channel 2) from 9:30-10:30 and was the
opening program under Nick Lutze’s International Wrestling banner.  Cox was billed as the
trainer of cross-channel Catalina Island swimmer Florence Chadwick.  DaVinci was said to
be from Europe.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, March 28, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Primo Carnera vs. King Karl … Count DaVinci vs. Frank Garry …
Johnny James vs. Ray Winchell … Myron Cox vs. Juan Sepeda … (promoter:  Ernie
Steffen)

*On Saturday, March 28, 1953, the International Wrestling show on channel 2 was the
only wrestling show on that night.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, April 4, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Count DaVinci and Lord Anthony drew (45:00) (match was televised)
… Juan Sepeda b. Johnny Moochy (2/3) … Red Shoes Dugan b. Ray Winchell … Al
Baffert and Al Motteberg drew … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)
Note:  Moochy was previously from Dubuque, Iowa and now made his home in Long
Beach.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, April 11, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Juan Sepeda b. Johnny Moochy (2/3) … Count DaVinci b. Red
Shoes Dugan … Myron Cox b. Ray Clauss … Al Gomez b. Ray Winchell … (promoter:  
Ernie Steffen)

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, April 18, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Lord Carlton b. Juan Sepeda (2/3) (match was televised) … Baron
and Count DaVinci b. Al Baffert and Myron Cox … Red Shoes Dugan b. Billy Reynolds …
Ray Winchell b. Al Gomez … (promoter:  Ernie Steffen)
Notes:  This show was broadcast on KNXT (channel 2) and was the final broadcast on this
channel from the Wilmington Bowl.

*On Saturday, April 25, 1953, Texas Wrestling on KECA (channel 7) was the only
wrestling on television.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, April 25, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Lord Carlton b. Juan Sepeda (2/3) … Count DaVinci b. Frank Garry
(2/3) … Al Baffert b. Baron DaVinci (DQ) … Glenn Fox and Ray Winchell drew …
(promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

*On Saturday, May 2, 1953, wrestling in Wilmington at the Wilmington Bowl was dark.  On
KNXT at 9:30, where wrestling used to be, “Luer Theater” was broadcast.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, May 9, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Lord Carlton b. Myron Cox (2/3) … Juan Sepeda b. Carl Johnson
(2/3) … Red Shoes Dugan b. Baron DaVinci … Billy Reynolds and Ray Winchell drew …
(promoter:  Ernie Steffen)

*On Saturday, May 16, 1953, wrestling in Wilmington at the Wilmington Bowl was dark.

Wilmington, California:  Saturday, May 23, 1953
(Wilmington Bowl) … Farmer Spatts and Mighty Atom b. Billy Curtis and Cowboy Clapp
(2/3) … Count DaVinci and Lord Carlton b. Myron Cox and Juan Sepeda (2/3) … Ray
Winchell b. Alfredo “Al” Gomez … Frank Garry and Red Shoes Dugan drew … (promoter:  
Ernie Steffen)

*On Saturday, May 30, 1953, wrestling in Wilmington at the Wilmington Bowl was dark
because state law prevented wrestling and boxing on Memorial Day.  The next show was
announced to be held on June 6.

*Wrestling did not return at all in Wilmington during the summer.

*The Sunday, September 20, 1953 edition of the Long Beach (CA) Independent-Press
Telegram reported that promoter Ernie Steffen wanted to bring professional wrestling
back to the Wilmington Bowl on Saturday, October 3 with “Texas-type” grappling on the
bill.

*Promoter Ernie Steffen was unsuccessful in reviving wrestling at the Wilmington Bowl on
Saturday, October 3, 1953.  The newspaper cited complications between Steffen and the
California State Athletic Commission, and Steffen was optimistic that he’d have things
worked out soon.

*Wrestling did not return to the Wilmington Bowl in 1953.


Research by Tim Hornbaker
February 14, 2010
Wilmington Wrestling Results - 1953