Sacramento Union – November 19, 1940
By Bill Conlin
Jack Dempsey came back to the Memorial Auditorium last night and with him came $1,100 worth of wrestling fans, biggest house since Doc Visser resumed promotion of wrestling here almost a year ago.
The old champ, cast this time in the role of a referee, went into his now well-defined act, swung a few punches at the errant rasslers, later made a courtesy appearance at Visser’s night club and, most important, pocked one-third of the gate. His cut amounted to approximately $350.
Dempsey’s appearance gave the jaded Monday night wrestling clientele a hypo that took effect as soon as the one-time Manassa Mauler walked into the ring.
The fans stood up to cheer and they kept up a chorus of “Sock him, Jack” until Dempsey finally unbent and directed a few light left hooks to the stomach of Al Billings.
Billings, who had been getting a bit rough with his main event opponent, Bobby Managoff, paused to spar harmlessly with Dempsey. Wehreupon Managoff jumped into the air and kicked Billings on the ear.
Al dropped to the canvas and Managoff fell on him for the lone fall of the match. It was all over in 20 minutes, 24 seconds.
As wrestling matches go, it was strictly from standard script, but Dempsey’s presence gave the show an added zest. Everybody was satisfied, even if those light jabs Dempsey was tossing were far from genuine punches.
Dempsey, who plans to be on the Pacific Coast only a week, left Sacramento last night for San Francisco and thence will play the rassling circuit of Salinas, Oakland, Fresno, etc.
Results of other bouts were as follows:
Pantaleon Manlapig and Otto Kuss went to a 30-minute draw in the semi-windup, Otto Von Schacht threw Jack Rees in 11:34 and Billy Hansen grappled Max Krauser to a 20-minute deadlock.
John Taupin of Manteca refereed the first three bouts, with Dempsey appearing only in the main event.
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