Browning Is Victor; Pink Gets A Draw

Schenectady Gazette – May 2, 1931

Los Angeles Man Kicks Siki in Jaw to Win; Gardner and Chick Fail to Get Fall

LOCAL MAT RESULTS

Jim Browning, 226, Los Angeles, defeated Reginald Siki, 204, Abyssinia, scoring two out of three falls.

“Pink” Gardner, 174, Schenectady, and “Cowboy” Chick, 179, Toledo, wrestled to a draw in a one-hour and five-minute limit match.

Officials – Referee, Emmett Ryan, Albany; judges, Ed Schaeffer and Cliff Williams, Schenectady; timer, Jim Purcell, Troy; announcer, Bill Dougher, Schenectady.

“Black Panther” To Appear Here

Schenectady Gazette – April 29, 1931

REGINALD SIKI

Reginald Siki, known as the “Black Panther” of Abyssinia, one of the latest sensations in the heavyweight wrestling ranks, will stack up against the classy Jim Browning of Los Angeles in the feature match of the Sportsmen’s A. A. wrestling show at the armory on Friday night.  The Siki-Browning match will be preceded by a tangle between “Pink” Gardner, local light heavyweight, and “Cowboy” Chick, late of Oklahoma, but billed from Toledo.  This will be a one-hour limit, one-fall match.

Browning Pins Negro Marvel

New York Times-Union – June 10, 1932
By Jack Andrews

After quite some embarrassment, Jim Browning, the Verona, Mo., Razzle Dazzle got his turnover scissors working on the rubbery Reginald Siki, Sengalese negro marvel, last night at Hawkins Stadium and it was all over in 38:50 just before Jupiter Pumphandle Pluvius got down to some serious work.  It drizzled all through the final event.

Much of the dazzle was taken out of the barrel-legged James, until he finally got the eel-like negro in that vise-like lock.  Siki put up a glittering exhibition of defensive wrestling, the like of which has never been seen in these parts.

Flying Tackle To Be Shown Monday

The Montreal Gazette – July 25, 1931

George and Mercier, Opponents at Arena, Are Both Expert in Its Use

Wrestling fans who journey to the Mount Royal Arena Monday night to see Don George, the former champion, wrestle Al Mercier, rugged Chicoutimi product, will have an opportunity of seeing the flying tackle, one of modern wrestling’s most potent holds, on display by two experts in its use, judging by performances of the rivals in previous bouts here this season.  It was this grip that gave Gus Sonnenberg his win over Lewis for the title, and it was by the same hold that Gus lost his crown to George.  Against Deglane, the champion.  George found it unavailable in Boston two weeks ago, but Sonnenberg hopes to regain the championship with it when he tackles Deglane outdoors in Boston next week.

World Title At Stake In Meet Tonight

The Healdsburg Tribune – July 20, 1933

The heavyweight championship of the world is at stake tonight in the Fifth street arena in Santa Rosa when Champion Jim Browning meets the tough and spectacular “Tiny” Roebuck, 275 pound six foot seven inch Indian in a two-hour, two-fall match.

Browning, unlike most champion.-, has shown a willingness to meet any and all contestants to his title, and has depended to a great extent on his “airplane scissors” for his triumphs.

Browning Wins From Roebuck With Turnover

The Healdsburg Tribune – July 21, 1933

Jim Browning and his “turnover scissors” were too much for the giant Indian. Tiny Roebuck, in their world championship heavyweight match at Santa Rosa Thursday night, Browning taking two straight falls, the first in 29 minutes and the second ten minutes later.

Both falls came after Browning had clamped his powerful legs about Roebuck’s middle and whirled him aloft, spinning and bounding him from one side to the other as he cartwheeled about the ring.

The Grunt And Groan Business

Canadian Business – January 1948
by Andy O’Brien

For better or for worse, the hilariously maligned science of Grunt and Groan has been parlayed into big business in Montreal.   Local enthusiasts there contributed more than $300,000 to wrestling during 1947.   This all-time record box office gross, amassed during 40 shows at the Forum and exceeding even the previous turnstile feat of $240,264 in 1946 at the same Forum, has firmly entrenched the Canadian metropolis as wrestling mecca of the world and a reformed Boston taxi-driver as Pachyderm Promotional Peer.

Executives of more prosaic business enterprises are often surprised to learn that Grunt and Groan Inc. operates more by guide than by guess.

Donchin Throws Passas In Armory Mat Bout

The New York Sun – March 2, 1935

By United Press

Twenty-second Engineers Armory – Curley Donchin, New York, threw Steve Passas, Greece; Sammy Kosh, New Jersey, threw John Gudiski, Poland; Leo Wallick, Germany, drew with Maurice La Chapelle, France; Jack Bloomfield, Connecticut, gained decision over Hans Schnabel, Germany; Wilhelm Wagner, Germany, threw Hymie Fishman, Chicago; Sammy Nicholas, San Francisco, gained decision over Dave Levin, New York.

A New Wrestling Find

Boxing & Wrestling News – April 1933
By Marvin Williams

When we discover that a youngster of barely twenty-one summers in the short space of less than a year has already nearly defeated a great ex-champion, Gus Sonnenberg, and recently gave the present champion, Jim Browning, a tough battle, we naturally prick up our ears and decide to look into the matter. We realize that this is a very rare case. We remember that such a fine wrestler as Earl McCready, after successfully wrestling for years, made the statement when a match between himself and Jim Londos was talked about, “I am not yet ready to meet Londos. I feel that I require more experience.”

We wonder if Paul Boesch is too ambitious and if he will be a flash in the pan? We wonder if he will grow discouraged by being defeated, even though the defeats thus far have only been at the hands of the finest? Or can it be possible that Paul is a “great”; one of those instinctive wrestlers who acquires great skill without long years of practice? Perhaps he figures that the finest experience in the world can only come from real matches against the best.

Strangler Lewis In Title Campaign

Seattle Times – January 11, 1933

Ed (Strangler) Lewis, many-time heavyweight champion wrestler of the world, is campaigning for undisputed possession of that title once again, in “wrestling matches” rather than the present-day “exhibitions.” The veteran heavyweight made that declaration here yesterday.