Girl Wrestlers In Armory Tilt

The Tampa Tribune – July 17, 1950

Wrestling returns to Fort Homer Hesterly Armory tonight with Mildred Burke, world’s woman champion, matched against Ann LaVerne of Canton, Ohio in her second Tampa defense of the title she has held for the past 13 years.

The Blue-eyed mat queen will spot her rival nearly 15 pounds but will still rule the prematch favorite due to her impressive record. Miss LaVerne, better known in the West than in the East, is rated as one of the roughest girl wrestlers in the game and plenty of action appears in store for the fans.

Dusek Will Try To Recapture Wrestling Belt

The Tampa Tribune – July 24, 1950

Danny Dusek, self styled “one man gang” from Omaha, will try to recapture the Southern heavyweight wrestling belt tonight when he meets Johnny Valentine of Washington, new champion, in a re-match at the Municipal Auditorium.

Valentine took over as king of the Southern heavyweights when he stopped Dusek in a rough match last week. He readily agreed to face the former champion again and the match was set for two out of three falls, winner take all.

Hardy Kruskamp Nabs Mat Tournament

San Bernardino Sun – October 10, 1940

Hardy Kruskamp, former Ohio State football tackle, captured the wrestling tournament at the San Bernardino Athletic club last night when he used a series of flying tackles and body flips to flatten Tom Zaharias, of Colorado, in the finals. Kruskamp won this thrilling match in less than two minutes.

In taking a preliminary decision over Rudy Laditzi, the powerful Hungarian, Kruskamp won this match after both grapplers had toiled the time limit of 20 minutes.

Kruskamp offered the surprise of the eight-bout program when he eliminated the Yellow Terror, a masked grappler, in his second bout. The former football star won this match in the full time limit of 20 minutes with a figure four toe hold.

Wrestling Tourney at Arena Wednesday

San Bernardino Sun – October 6, 1940

Nearly a dozen main event wrestlers will appear in a tournament scheduled Wednesday night at the San Bernardino Athletic club. The full action program will assure 11 to 13 one-fall matches, it was declared by Promoter Art Mondt.

The winner of this tournament will get the feature mat tussle with Jimmy Londos, national champion, at the San Bernardino club the following week.

Wrestlers listed for this tournament include Rube Wright, The Yellow Terror, Pete Meheringer, Manuel Rodriguez, Joe Tonti, Otto Schnable, Jimmy EI Pulpo, Tom Zaharias, Rudy Laditzi, Hardy Kruskamp and Vic Hill.

Wrestling Last Night

The Evening Independent – July 29, 1937
By The Associated Press

Hartford, Conn. – Danno O’Mahoney, Ireland, drew with George Clark, Scotland, bout stopped by 11:30 curfew.

Mean Girl, Good One To Wrestle In Cape; Tag Event On

The Southeast Missourian – July 10, 1953

An unusual feature wrestling match has been scheduled for Saturday night at the Arena.  Ethel Johnson and Babs Wingo, both Negroes, will grapple for a regulation match, two out of three falls, 60-minute time limit.

Beef-Type Men, Girlies To Wrestle In Separate Bouts Scheduled Tonight

The Southeast Missourian – July 11, 1953

Plenty of action is forecast for tonight at the Arena when Ed and Herb Welch team up against Red Roberts and Rube Wright in a tag-team match, for two out of three falls and a 60-minute time limit.

K.O. Koverly Disqualified

Los Angeles Times – June 13, 1940
By Al Wolf

Last night’s rassle class at the Olympic quite possibly had the rare good fortune ot see a shooting match, although such things have long been considered as extinct as the dodo bird.

A stranger who gave the name “Del Rosa” plunked down five bucks for a license and examination, borrowed a set of trunks from one of the boys and attempted to win a “C” note by staying 20 minutes with Lee Wykoff, who has been making that offer to the house weekly.

Wykoff Puts Szabo Down In ‘Grudger’

Los Angeles Times – June 6, 1940
By Al Wolf

Sandor Szabo was the people’s choice in the recent heavyweight rasslin’ roundup, but Senor Szabo was injured en route and Lee Wykoff emerged the champion.

Ever since, Senor Szabo has been casting aspersions on Mr. Wykoff’s talents as a sinew snapper, much to the latter’s disgust. So last night they had it out at the Olympic before a jury of some 6,000 zealots.

Ali Baba, Lopez Capture Olympic Features

Los Angeles Times – May 30, 1940
By Al Wolf

Ali Baba and Vincent Lopez made up the daily double at the Olympic torso-twisting party last night.

The pin-domed Turk defeated Tarzan White – and hurt him in the process. Tarzan attempted a flying tackle, but sly Ali was the little man who wasn’t there, and Tarzan flew into the seats. When he finally staggered back into the ring, Ali tried a body slam, but was careless and slammed White on his head. Referee Dick Rutherford immediately halted the action and Baba was the winner in 21m. 43s. A preliminary examination revealed no serious injury.