Savannah Morning News – September 7, 1962
By Neal Ellis, sports editor
Chief Crazy Horse battled world heavyweight champion Fred Blassie to a draw before an estimated 1,200 wrestling fans last night in the Savannah Sports Center, then demanded a rematch.
Dr. Joseph Cassius, promoter, quickly conferred with the champion and announced the Indian could have his wish – next Thursday.
The ill-tempered Blassie, still nursing wounds administered by the brawling chief, insisted the rematch go two falls out of three to a finish with no time limit. Dr. Cassius agreed no limit would be imposed on the match.
The draw decision left the crowd as well as both battlers yelling for more when referee Charlie Harben counted out both wrestles at the same time.
When the 10-count was finished, Crazy Horse was lying on the ring apron just outside the ropes and Blassie was sprawled through the ropes, on top of his adversary.
The champion loudly protested the decision, claiming he was within the ring and should have been declared the winner. Harben disagreed, and had his shirt ripped from his body by the angered champ.
Blassie, the 238-pound strong boy from St. Louis, wont he first fall by pinning the lumbering, 250-pound Indian.
The second fall went to Crazy Horse, despite four low blows and as many illegal punches from the fist of the blond champion. An “Indian death lock,” the chief’s favorite hold, finally did the damage and evened the match.
That set the stage for the wild finish.
The semifinal had a rousing windup, too, with Chief Little Eagle taking a best two of three-fall decision from Miguel Torres.
The Indian from Oklahoma, a former Southern Methodist University football player, earned the triumph via a disqualification of the ex-Mexican champ. Torres, thrown through the ropes, was unable to return within a 10-count.
Little Eagle had won the first fall, then Torres pinned his rival for the second.
Hard-working Pedro Godoy, 235-pound Cuban, scored a victory over young Guy Taylor of Nashville in the one-fall opener. Godoy applied a half-crab to end it in 12 minutes, 10 seconds.
Dr. Cassius announced to the crowd, which evidently would have been much larger except for evening-long rains and a muddy parking lot, that Mr. Moto and the Masked Assassins would appear on a program in the near future.
Mr. Moto is a nationally famed grappler. The Assassins are world tag team champions.