Rocca Pins Carlton At MSG

New York Times – May 16, 1950

Antonino Rocca of Argentina sent his followers home happy by defeating “Lord” Leslie Carlton of Oxford, England, in 24 minutes, 23 seconds in one of the feature wrestling exhibitions that attracted 14,246 to Madison Square Garden last night. The program drew gate receipts of $42,311, well below the figures at the last two shows at the Eighth Avenue arena.

Rocca, Eagle Go To Curfew Draw

New York Daily News – July 11, 1950
By Til Ferenzi

Approximately two tons of wrestling’s men of distinction, all equipped with a variety of biff bop, brought grab and grappling back to Yankee Stadium last night after an absence of 16 years. And like the unexplainable revival of the Charleston and Dixieland jazz, the crowd of 11,328 reveled in its return.

Although held down considerably by intermittent showers in the afternoon and a prediction of more of the same last night, the gross gate was a tidy $33,746, a portion of that sum benefitting the Free Milk Fund for Babies, Inc.

Reginald Siki Subdues Fraley

The California Eagle – August 29, 1946

Reginald Siki, Sepia wrestler who is undefeated in local rings to date, won another bout last Wednesday night when he applied a shoulder-pin to subdue Pat Fraley at the Olympic auditorium.  Primo Carnera scored over Tommy O’Toole in his Los Angeles debut in the main event.  10,000 fans saw the contests.

Spotlighting Sports

Miami Herald – December 2, 1947
by Jimmy Burns, Sports Editor

Lumbering the arcade from the Columbus to the McAllister hotel, I almost collided with a huge guy. Apologies were in order because he looked like Ed (Strangler) Lewis. He was Lewis, so we paused for a chat.

“How old are you? I asked, because just the other day the point was argued with Mr. Pat Malone, the rassling promoter.

“I was born in 1890,” Lewis replied gruffly, indicating it wasn’t a polite question. “That makes me 57 years old.”

His attitude seemed to imply — “Do you wanta make something of it?”

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.

Lewis Clashes With Carnera In Mat Bout

Miami Herald – December 2, 1947

Primo Carnera, former heavyweight boxing champion, pits his 265-pound, six-foot-six-inch frame against Ed (Strangler) Lewis’ famous strangle hold tonight in the feature wrestling event at the Coral Gables Coliseum.

Wrestling Game Is On The Upswing

Sacramento Union – February 23, 1949
By Bill Conlin

The remarkable resiliency of the wrestling business is being demonstrated on a weekly basis at Memorial Auditorium. Business has never been better, at least in the last five years, and the grapplers are playing to profitable houses every Monday night.

Carnera Likes The Rassling Dollars

Sacramento Union – February 16, 1949
By Bill Conlin

Half the wrestling show Monday night in Memorial Auditorium was in the ring; the other half was up in Primo Carnera’s dressing room.

Max Baer, the man who knocked down Carnera 13 times back in 1934 to win the heavyweight championship, came up to pay a social call.

Ambling Alp Brings Gate Of $3,291

Sacramento Union – February 15, 1949

Primo Carnera, former world’s heavyweight boxing champion, proved a magnate to Sacramento’s wrestling industry last night as he attracted approximately 3,000 fans to Memorial Auditorium in a match against Dan O’Connor, Boston Irishman.

Debts Will Be Paid By Carnera

Associated Press – December 8, 1951

LONDON, England – Primo Carnera settled a bankruptcy case in Britain last night after 14 years of hard times.

The London Gazette, official legal newspaper, announced that the Italian giant, who was coaxed out of Italy and nursed to the world heavyweight boxing championship, will pay off his debts in full next month.