Des Moines Wrestling Results

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, January 6, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … Marshall Estep b. Ken Fenelon to capture the NWA World Junior
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … Ray Steele b. Johnny Marrs (19:50) … Emil Dusek wrestled Lou Newman
to a draw (30:00) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (3,600 fans)
Notes: The Radio Theater was formerly known as the Shrine Auditorium. Lou Newman was from
Toronto and was “said to possess the largest neck muscles of any wrestler now active.” One report
stated that Fenelon and Estep were wrestling for the “Midwest Wrestling Association title.” The Des
Moines Register stated “Some time ago, Estep dethroned Fenelon, but later lost the title to Larry
Tillman, who in turn was whipped by Fenelon.” Fenelon was defending his “National Wrestling
Alliance junior heavyweight title.” Estep was from Sturgeon, Missouri and was called the “little bald
postmaster.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, January 13, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … The Swedish Angel b. Emil Dusek (2/3) … Ken Fenelon and Lou Thesz
drew (30:00) … Leo Jensen b. Dr. Gil Knutsen … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Bob
Jessen) … (2,500 fans)
Notes: The winner of the Angel-Dusek bout was going to challenge Orville Brown for the World
Title. Pinkie George, in one report, was called the “theater athletic director.” Knutsen was a
chiropractor from Davenport and Jensen from Hollywood.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, January 20, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … NWA World Junior Champion Marshall Estep b. Ken Fenelon (2/3) … Ray
Steele b. Al Galento … Abe Coleman b. Leo Jensen … (promoter: Pinkie George)

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, January 27, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown b. The Swedish Angel
(2/3) … Abe Coleman b. Jack Conley … Joe Dusek b. Doug Lawrence (14:21) … (promoter: Pinkie
George) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: Lawrence was said to be a “former Iowa student,” and had made an impact wrestling as a
pro “last season.” He “has won wide accliam through the south the past season as a heavyweight
prospect.” He was from Iowa City, Iowa.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, February 3, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Marshall Estep b. Abe
Coleman (2/3) … Joe Dusek and Earl Wampler drew (30:00) … Dr. Gil Knutsen b. Leo Jensen …
(promoter: Pinkie George)

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, February 10, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … Violet Viann b. Nell Stewart (2/3) … Ken Fenelon b. Wee Willie Davis
(DQ) … Jack Conley b. Roberto Pico … (promoter: Pinkie George)
Notes: Pico was from Metamoros, Mexico and was “discovered by Abel Cestac, the Argentine
heavyweight boxer, when Cestac was in Mexico.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, February 17, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … Wee Willie Davis b. Joe Dusek (2/3) (during the third fall, Joe suffered a
left knee injury) … Ray Steele b. Jack Conley … Abe Coleman b. Leo Jensen … (promoter: Pinkie
George) … (referee: Bob Foster)
Note: After the bout, Jensen attacked Coleman and the referee, kicking off a “near-riot.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, February 24, 1947
(KRNT Radio Theater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown b. Wee Willie Davis (2-
0) … Ray Steele b. Abe Coleman … Frank Taylor and Earl Wampler drew (30:00) … (promoter:
Pinkie George)
Notes: Wampler was said to be a former coal miner and now a farmer. Taylor was from Toledo.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, November 3, 1947
(The Coliseum) … Sonny Myers b. Orville Brown to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Title (2/3)
(third fall by DQ) (referee: Jack Dempsey) (Dempsey punched Brown, leading to the final pin) …
George Temple b. Larry Tillman (DQ) … Ken Fenelon and Earl Wampler wrestled to a draw (30:00)
… (promoter: Pinkie George) … (referees: Jack Dempsey, Bob Forester) … (3,000 fans)
Notes: The Des Moines Register stated that it was “the first defeat for Orville Brown in seven years
on the National Wrestling Association’s mat throne.” Also that Myers’ win “marked the first time in
modern day wrestling that a heavyweight championship had changed hands in a Des Moines ring.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, November 10, 1947
(The Coliseum) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Myers b. Tug Carlson (2/3) … Larry
Tillman b. George Temple … Frank Taylor b. Lou Laird … (promoter: Pinkie George)
Notes: Laird was said to be from Baltimore. Tillman earned a match with junior heavyweight
champion Billy Goelz with his victory.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, November 17, 1947
(The Coliseum) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Billy Goelz b. Larry Tillman (2/3) …
Tug Carlson and Frank Taylor wrestled to a draw (30:00) … George Temple b. The Great Balbo
(DQ) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Leo Jensen)
Notes: Balbo was makng his area debut, and was from Detroit. No show next two weeks.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, December 8, 1947
(The Coliseum) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Myers b. Ras Samara (2/3) … Emil
Dusek and Earl Wampler drew (30:00) … Ken Fenelon b. Joe Adelman … (promoter: Pinkie
George)
Notes: The newspaper stated that Samara “whipped Myers in Wichita, Kan., soon after Myers
resumed his mat career following an army discharge.” Samara was from Harlem.

Des Moines, Iowa: Monday, December 15, 1947
(The Coliseum) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Myers and Orville Brown drew (90:
00) (1-1) … Tug Carlson b. Erick Holmback … Frank Taylor b. Emil Dusek (DQ) … (promoter:
Pinkie George)
Note: Last show of the year.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 5, 2007

Des Moines Wrestling Results - 1947