Des Moines Wrestling Results

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, January 4, 1950
(KRNT Radio Theater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Enrique
Torres (2/3) … Farmer Jones b. Frankie Murdock (2-0) … Vic Christy and Otto Kuss drew
(30:00) … (promoter: Pinkie George)
Notes: Murdock was from Dallas, Kuss was said to be a former Big Ten wrestling
champion from Indiana University. Vic Christy was reportedly making his local debut.
Enrique was spelled “Enrico” in the Des Moines Register.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, January 18, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Gorgeous George b. Farmer Jones (2/3) … Billy Goelz b. Gypsy Joe
(2/3) (one of the falls for Goelz by DQ) … Vic Christy b. Howard Cantonwine (10:16) …
(promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Bob Foster)
Notes: It was said that Gorgeous George was recently in the movie “The Champ,” and
was making his return to Des Moines after 15 months. Pinkie George was quoted as
saying that there was “no relation, please,” with the Gorgeous One. Gypsy Joe claimed to
be from Romania. The largest wrestling crowd in “many years” was expected. The
atendance of 5,000 topped the previous record of 4,139 and an estimated 1,500 were
turned away. Jones was from Flint Hollow, Arkansas. Helen Lull of West Des Moines had
a heart attack and died later at the hospital. It was said that George had a “TV manner.”
Cantonwine was a holdover from the days of Earl Caddock and was from Webster City,
Iowa.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, January 25, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Billy Goelz b. George Temple (2-0) … Gypsy Joe b. “Wild” Bill Brooks
(2/3) … Lee Henning b. Otto Kuss (29:26) … (promoter: Pinkie George)
Notes: Henning was formerly from Boone, Iowa, and returning to the city for the first time
in eight years. Bill Brooks was from Brooklyn. George Temple, Shirley’s brother, “began
wrestling in the Marine Corpos, and tehre he won the Corps’ heavyweight championship.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, February 1, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Leroy McGuirk b. Billy
Goelz (2/3) … Farmer Jones b. Jack Hader (2-0) … Lee Henning b. Vic Christy (25:18) …
(promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Ed “Strangler” Lewis)
Notes: The paper stated that McGuirk beat Goelz for his championship “last December
when the two were recognized as champion by different groups.” Henning reportedly
“pinned Otto Kuss in his first Des Moines match since turning professional,” last week.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, February 8, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Farmer Jones vs. Lee Henning (2/3) … June Byers vs. Violet Viann
(2/3) … Vic Holbrook vs. Tommy O’Toole … (promoter: Pinkie George)

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, February 15, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Lee Henning (2/3)
(third fall by DQ) … Billy Goelz and Billy Parks b. Gypsy Joe and Jack Hader (2/3) …
Farmer Jones b. Tommy O’Toole (DQ) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (3,100 fans)

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, March 1, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Eight-Man Wrestling Tournament … Otto Kuss b. Danny Plechas (15:
50) … Sonny Myers b. Lee Henning (dec., 20:00) … Bobby Bruns b. Bull Tamiroff (8:04)
… Tommy O’Toole b. Jack Hader (5:13) … Sonny Myers b. Otto Kuss (11:27) … Tommy
O’Toole b. Bobby Bruns (dec., 30:00) … Sonny Myers b. Tommy O’Toole (11:27) …
(promoter: Pinkie George)
Note: The winner of the tournament would meet Lou Thesz for the NWA World Title.

*In the Friday, March 3, 1950 edition of the Des Moines Register, there was a promotional
advertisement that said: “Why won’t Iowa wrestling promoters use Vern Gagne? We
have tried many times and now we are appealing to the Iowa fans to ask the promoters to
give us a chance. Let’s check Gagne’s record. 1 – Big Ten wrestling champion 1947,
1948, 1949, 2 – National AAU champion 1948, 3 – U.S. Olympic Champion 1948, 4 –
National Collegiate champion 1949, 5 – National AAU champion 1949. All we ask if for a
chance for Gagne to follow his profession and prove his ability. We do not ask for main
events. Vern Gagne, former Minnesota U. football star and wrestler. Under management
of Wally Karbo, Dyckman Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, March 8, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Sonny Myers (2/3)
… Bobby Bruns b. Tommy O’Toole (2/3) … Ken Fenelon b. Armond Tanny (15:41) …
(promoter: Pinkie George)
Notes: Tanny holds the title “Mr. Professional America,” having won his title in
“competition with the nation’s most muscular men. His best wrestling hold is a headlock.”

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, March 15, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Bobby Bruns and Verne Gagne wrestled Lee Henning and Tommy O’
Toole to a no decision (police protected the wrestlers) … “Cowboy” Orville Carlson b. K.
O. Hall (2/3) … Ken Fenelon and George O’Hara drew (30:00) … (promoter: Pinkie
George) … (referee: Dan Fenelon)
Notes: Gagne was making his local debut. The paper said that he “has been advertising
for matches in Iowa.” George O’Hara was from Amarillo. Dan Fenelon “now uses Art Bull
as his professional name,” according to the Des Moines Register. Carlson was from
Ekalaka, Montana.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, March 22, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Gorgeous George b. Ken Fenelon (2/3) … Verne Gagne b. George O’
Hara … “Cowboy” Orville Carlson and Joe Savoldi drew (20:00) … K.O. Hall b. Howard
Cantonwine (17:06) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (3,200 fans)

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, March 29, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Bobby Bruns and Verne Gagne b. Lee Henning and Tommy O’Toole
(2-0) (first fall by DQ) … Sonny Myers b. Walter Sirois (2/3) … George O’Hara b. Art Bull
(20:40) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Jack Dempsey) … (3,300 fans)

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, April 5, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Bobby Bruns b. Lee Henning (2-0) … Verne Gagne b. Sonny Myers
(2/3) … Orville Carlson b. Lester Welch (20:00) … Black Bear b. Jack Conley …
(promoter: Pinkie George) … (referee: Ken Fenelon)
Notes: Gagne, reportedly, “now lives in Des Moines,” according to the Register. Lester
Welch was called the 400-pound black bear’s trainer.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, April 12, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Leo Nomellini b. Earl Wampler (2-0) … Verne Gagne b. K.O. Hall (2-0)
.. Joe Savoldi b. “Cowboy” Orville Carlson (2/3) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (1,700
fans)
Notes: The newspaper report was confusing. In one area, it stated that Gagne beat
Carlson in two-straight falls, while Savoldi beat Hall. In another, it stated that Gagne beat
Hall and Savoldi beat Carlson.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, April 19, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Therese Theis b. Mae Young (2/3) … Verne Gagne b. Joe Savoldi (2-
0) … Art Bull b. “Cowboy” Orville Carlson (Bull was a substitute for Jackie Nichols) …
(promoter: Pinkie George) … (2,000 fans)
Note: The Theis-Young bout was the first in a series of bouts to determine a challenger
for World Champion Mildred Burke.

Des Moines, Iowa: Wednesday, April 26, 1950
(KRNT Theater) … Bobby Bruns b. Abe Kashey (2/3) (Kashey was a substitute for Verne
Gagne) … Mae Weston b. Therese Theis (2-0) (Weston won the right to meet Mildred
Burke) … Ray Gunkel b. Tommy O’Toole (DQ) … (promoter: Pinkie George) … (2,800
fans)
Notes: The Des Moines Register stated that Gagne was “out of action for a month
because of an infected ear. Gunkel was making his local debut.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 29, 2007

Des Moines Wrestling Results - 1950