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.

International Flavor Given Bouts On Wrassle Card Mere Friday Night

Calexico Chronicle – December 17, 1940

It looks like a battle of the nations or an international incident in Calexico’s enclosed arena this Friday night.

The occasion is Promoter Pete Buzukos’ first wrestling show of the winter season and the principal characters are an assorted group of grunt-and-groaners hailing from (1) the Philippines, (2) valiant Greece, (3) neighborly Mexico, (4) not-so-sunny Italy, and (5) belligerent Germany.

In the main event, or what is known along cauliflower alley as the top spot is cast Panteleon Manlopig, the largest Filipino extant, who has consented for the delectation of valley mat fans and a percentage of the gate to take on the rough tough Tom Zaharias, one of the four Zaharias brothers, or is it six ?

Resin Thespians Offer ‘Tonight At 8:30’

Rocky Mountain News – December 5, 1937
By Abe Pollock

Our dear resin thespians, the muscle necks, will light the gas lamps tomorrow night at City Auditorium in another of those spasms of playlets made famous by Noel Coward

The wrestlers, under the guidance of Impressario Jack Kanner, will present matdom’s version of “Tonight at 8:30” in five, instead of nine, short — shall we say — plays. Heading the list will be Gus Sonnenberg, ace of all the muggers, and Bill Longson in a 90-minute, two-out-of-three engagement.

Steele Pins Terror In Olympic Tiff

Los Angeles Times – May 29, 1941

Ray Steele, the National Wrestling Association’s champion, took two out of three falls from the Golden Terror in the main event at Olympic Auditorium last night, clearing the way for a match with Jim Londos for the undisputed world crown June 11.

Juan Juarez Wins Olympic Mat Tourney

Los Angeles Times – May 20, 1941

Disposing of four opponents in a total of slightly more than 15 minutes, Juan Juarez, Mexican champion, won the one-night elimination wrestling tourney at Olympic Auditorium last night.

Juarez was pretty sensational as he disposed of Tom Zaharias in the opening match in 5m. 48s. with an airplane spin and finished with a flashy 1m. 9s. triumph over another of the Zaharias clan, Chris, in the finals.

Londos Scores Over Szabo At Olympic

Los Angeles Times – November 9, 1939

Lee Wykoff joined the also-rans in the international wrestling tourney at the Olympic last night, lumbering Hans Steinke being returned the winner, but it was Jeemy Londos and Sandor Szabo who stole the show with a Graeco-Roman match which had no bearing on the tournament proper.

Szabo Claims He Was Given Short Count

Los Angeles Evening Herald – April 28, 1938
By E.W. Krauch

“I could see under his right shoulder!” yelled one fan.

“See under ONE shoulder,” howled back another. “Say, Mister, you could have put Boulder Dam and Austria under that vacant spot!”

Hardboiled Haggerty Stops El Pulpo In Mat Massacre

Los Angeles Times – October 27, 1938
By Jack Singer

W.P.A. crews, working in shifts, last night were removing the broken body of El Pulpo, the Mexican Octopus Man, in sections and transporting said torso the glue factory where, attendants report, there is a 50-50 chance that it will be patched up again as good as new, give or take an arm.

Blow On Head Cost Him Match, Etchison Feels

St. Joseph News-Press – January 9, 1943

Ronnie Etchison is convinced today that had he not struck his head on a ring post when he missed a flying tackle last night he would have defeated Orville Brown in a main event match that climaxed one of the best wrestling cards of recent seasons at the Auditorium. And, there are a world of fans who share the opinion.