Historische Wrestling Stories/Artikel

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Friday, 2 Maerz 1962
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Daily Star

Barn Burns While He Refs Wrestling Bout

Wrestler Bill Stack's new $35,000 barn on his farm near Oshawa burned down last night while he was refereeing last night's wrestling match at the Maple Leaf Gardens.

Five cow and a number of pigs perished in the blaze. Oshawa fire department officials are still investigating the cause.

The barn was rebuilt a year ago after being destroyed in a fire on Halloween in 1960.

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24 December 1943
Los Angeles Times

Wrestler Fined $100 in Beating of Serviceman

Santa Monica, Dec. 23. Rube Wright, 250-pound wrestler, was fined $100 in Police Court here today on a battery complant charging him with having kicked and otherwise battered Robert C. Barber, chief specialist, United States Coast Guard.

Witnesses said Barber, who is an amateur boxer weighing 170 pounds, had knocked the professional wrestler down after Wright assertedly called Barber an offensive name. The ensuing fight, which took place on the Santa Monica pier in the early morning hours of Dec. 11 was said to have turned into an affray in which no holds were barred.

Barber testified that after knocking the wrestler down he told him to get up, but Wright suddenly grabbed him by the leg and threw him off balance. Wright then proceeded to kick him and otherwise batter him, Barber testified.

Judge John L. Webster sentenced Wright to 30 days in the County Jail but suspended the sentence and placed him on probation.

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22 August 1934
Los Angeles Times

Londos Sued for $30,800 Back Salary

The wrestling industry was thrown into something of a furor yesterday when Jim Londos, leading claimant to the world's heavyweight title, was accused of hiring a "Polooka" to feel out prospective opponents.

Pete Ladjimi, who said he was the feeler-outer, sued Londos for $30,800 claimed due as back salary for a year's work at $600 a week. He said he was paid only $1600.

The complaint said Ladjimi was hired to grapple with other exponents of the grunt and groan business to determine whether they were sure to fall victims to Londos in subsequent matches. Any he felt were too big and fast were passed up by Londos, the suit added.

Londos is here to meet Jim Browning of Missouri in a match billed for the championship tomorrow night.

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February 13, 1938
Los Angeles Times

Dave Levin, Back from Dead, Returns to Mat Soon

By Jack Singer

They said he was too nice to be a wrestler.

That was when "Dapper Dave" Levin, the Brooklyn butcher boy, who started by slicing hams and ended by wrestling with them, lay at death's door on a hospital cot in a New York hospital.

Suffering from hemoletic streptococcus, which may sound like a new wrestling hold, but is actually blood poisoning in its most vious stage, his strength ebbing, his mind wandering, Levin looked up at his doctor through clouded feverish eyes and smiled bravely: "How long before I'll be wrestling, Doc?"

Death Sentence

"Pretty soon, son, pretty soon," reassured the doctor and then he tip-toed over to the corner of the room where he conferred in a whispered huddle with his associates.

"He won't last the day," he said gravely. The medicos, like four stern judges pronouning the death sentence, nodded grimly. It was all over but the burial.

But Levin, the corpse, clung to that bare thread of life with all the strength and tenacity of one of his wrestling grips.

He was delirious for weeks. He was given two blood transfusions. He was confined to his hospital like a prisoner for three months, livign on liquids. From a strapping giant of 195 pounds, the muscle and sinew fell away until he resembled a thin skeleton of a man of bones and bare flesh.

But he lived.

Bad Dream

And now, as Dave Levin looks back, much as he would some horrible, unreal nightmare, he says:

"I guess I just wasn't good enough to due just yet and join Gotch and all those other good wrestlers."

Levin, the handsome butcher boy, didn't hold the championship long enough to capitalize on it. He won it from Ali Baba in June, 1936, and lost it to Dean Detton in September of the same year. An innocent rope burn on the back of his left leg, which became infected, sent him to the hospital in January.

"You're a very sick boy," said the doctor. "Do you know anyone who would be suitable for a blood transfusion?"

"Sure," Dave said brightly. "Call up Jake Pfeffer's office at the Hippodrome. He'll get somebody."

Friends Report

That afternoon, ten burly, hulking creatures with strangely cauliflowered ears that revealed their trade as well as if they had presented a business card, reported to the hospital. "We're here for dat transmusion business," they grunted laconically.

Oddly enough, Bobby Bruns, whom Levin had wrestled in his last match, was selected for the blood-giving operation.

Almost fully recovered, training on the rings and exercising his way back to health, Levin expects to return to the mat within three months.

"Wrestling took my health and my money," he says. "It owes me something now."

But he's still too nice to be a wrestler.

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30 April 1937
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Times

Steinke Wins Golf Event for Matmen

Santa Monica, April 29 (AP) … Golf professional Stan Kertes played host to the wrestling fraternity at the Clover Field links, and the winning trophy today belonged to huge Hans Steinke, German matman.

Steinke carded a 90, with Hardy Kruskamp runner-up with 94 and Jules Strongbow next at 96.

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Hier ein Artikel ueber Bill Longson:

http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,124...36,00.html

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26 September 1936
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Defender

Fear for Siki Wrestler, Who Is Now In Spain

Madrid, Spain. Sept. 25 - Fear for the safety of Reginald Siki, heavyweight American wrestler, is expressed among his many friends in Paris. Siki, who adopted the Jewish faith early this year, evacuated for Spain several months for a serious (sic) of wrestling bouts, the majority of which were to be staged in Madrid. He is still in the Spanish capital.

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21 Januar 1939
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Defender

Reginald Siki Missing in Germany

He Joined Jewish Church

By Edgar Wiggins

Paris, France. Jan. 20 - The whereabouts of Reginald Siki, American wrestler, is of much concern to his Parisian friends. Siki, who is married to a German woman, may be in one of the Nazi concentration camps. Or he may be like Max Schmeling who was beaten by Joe Louis in New York for the world heavyweight boxing title last June, held incommunicado.

Schmeling ran afoul of the German secret police when he made some remarks last week concerning Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels, propagandist minister, and Lida Baarova, a film actress friend of Schmeling's wife while in a Berlin cafe. Since that date neither the American or French newspaper have been able to contact Schmeling by telephone.

At the same time Nazi regime sends out the news that Schmeling is not under arrest. Schmeling is said to have declared that it was a good thing that Goebbels had not been attracted to Miss Anne Ondra, Schmeling's actress wife, because he "would have broken his neck."

It is known that Siki, heavyweight wrestler, entered Germany from Budapest early in June. Several matches had been scheduled for him.

Siki's last letter to his Paris friend was written a few days before the quick ending of the Joe Louis vs. Schmeling battle in New York on June 22.

His friend answered the following week. Although Siki was prompt in answering his mail, regardless as to his whereabouts, it has now been over six months since any letters from the American wrestler have been received here.

About there years ago, Siki embraced the Jewish faith. This fact leads to more uneasiness as to his whereabouts.

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15 April 1944
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Defender

Former Nazi Prisoner Wins Wrestling Bout

Boston - (ANP) - Back from a 20-month sojourn in a Nazi prison camp, Kemal Abdel Rahman, formerly known as Regis Siki, threw Andy Meixner, white, in 7:57 with a head chancery over shoulder and body press in the Boston Gardens last week before a capacity crowd.

After an absense of 11 years from his native country, Siki, born Reginald Berry in Kansas City, Mo., returned on the Gripsholm. He was arrested in Prague, Czechoslovakia by the Gestapo on April 8, 1942. He was confined as an enemy alien at the Tittmoing internment camp in Upper Bavaria. Before leaving America, Siki had won national fame as an outstanding wrestler. He plans to continue wrestling and stage a comback.

The same night, Jack Clayburne (sic), colored title contender, wrestled to a 30 minute draw with John Katan, white, in a bout refereed by Jack Sharkey, former world heavyweight boxing champion.



Eigene Anmerkung: Komische Story, wieso sollte die Gestapo mitten im Krieg einen gefangenen entlassen, und in dann auch noch in die USA zurueckkehren lassen. Mmhhh.....

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27 January 1971
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Globe and Mail

Axe Mishap Idles Kiniski
White Rock, B.C. (CP)

Former world wrestling champion Gene Kiniski will be unable to wrestle for eight weeks because of an accident at his home here.

Kiniski severed an inch from his left thumb while chopping firewood. A surgeon stitched the thumb back together and the eight weeks are needed for doctors to determine whether or not the restoration was successful.

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14 June 1957
The Hattiesburg American
Hattiesburg, Missouri

Two Lady Angels Wrestling In Mississippi

Jackson, Miss. (AP) - There are at least two "Lady Angels" wrestling in Mississippi and which one is the real thing may depend on who shaved her head.
State Athlectic Commission records show the "Lady Angel" wrestled last Wednesday night in both Columbus and Natchez, at opposite borders of the state - an obvious impossibility.
A closer look at the records showed that two promoters, George Curtis of Vicksburg and Rex Mobley of Jackson, had applied for permission to present the "Lady Angel" to wrestling fans.
Mobley's angel wrestled at Columbus. Curtis' angel wrestled at Natchez. Mobley's angle is also booked for Jackson tonight, but her opposite number is working in the Carolinas now.
"Mine is the real one," Mobley said today. "She's baldheaded and from Europe. That other one, she's just a girl who shaved her head."
Curtis, asked for comment on this, replied:
"Aw, phooey, it's just the other way around."
State treasurer R. D. (Bob) Morrow, who is a member of the athletic commision, was asked if there is anything illegal about two women wrestlers representing themselves as the "Lady Angel".
"I don't think so," Morrow replied. "The only recourse one would have would be to go to court and prove a claim. We haven't heard of any protests".

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20 June 1957
The Hattiesburg American
Hattiesburg, MS

Lady Angel In Return Bout Here Tonight
A winner-take-all return match between the Lady Angel and Mars Bennett, also known as the Golden Venus, will feature tonight's wrestling program at the Hattiesburg Community Center.
The Angel defeated the former circus performer here last Thursday night.
Promoter Rex Mobley says the Angel who is appearing here positively is the original Lady Angel and a girl who wrestled for another promoter last week under that name is an imposter. "Our bald-headed Lady Angel is the real one from Europe." Mobley declared.
Rounding out a double main event tonight will be a men's match between Carlos Spindola and Pete Peterson.
Action begins at 8:30 at the Community Center.

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10 June 2002
The Independent
London, UK

By Michael Carlson

Obituary: George Gordienko ; Tough professional wrestler and talented artist

In the flamboyant world of professional wrestling, George Gordienko, the former British heavyweight champion, was regarded as the toughest man in the business.

He succeeded despite a lack of self-promoting bluster, perhaps because he never considered wrestling to be his trade, but merely a means of financing his career as a painter. As an artist he was talented enough to have once been shown alongside Picasso, who was Gordienko's idol, an important influence on him, and reputedly an avid wrestling fan himself.

Gordienko was a main-eventer everywhere from Calcutta to Calgary. But despite being groomed for stardom, he was fated never to have that opportunity. In his case fate took the form of the US government.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1928, Gordienko was a star amateur wrestler and gridiron player when Joe Stecher's Minnesota-based pro wrestling promotion came to town just after the Second World War. Their champion, Joe Pazandak, was unable to take Gordienko down.

Soon he was in Minneapolis, being trained by Stecher, and attracted immediate attention as a pro. In 1947, The Ring magazine said "he has one of the most beautifully developed bodies we have ever seen".

Meanwhile, Gordienko enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study art, but was arrested while distributing Communist literature on campus. He was deported, and never allowed to return. "I never really believed in Communism," he said years later. "I just met some people I liked and joined their party."

He returned to Winnipeg, where he took odd jobs and painted, until Stu Hart coaxed him back into the ring in Calgary in 1953. Hart, whose submission skills were legendary, rated Gordienko as one of the three toughest men he'd ever seen. Soon he was wrestling in Australia and Europe, so highly respected as a "shooter", or legitimate wrestler, that when the American National Wrestling Alliance champion Lou Thesz needed to drop his title, the world's most prestigious, in 1956, he wanted Gordienko as his opponent. Despite lobbying by the promoters, the State Department ban was not overturned.

In 1959 Gordienko won the British heavyweight title from Dennis Mitchell, then began a legendary series of matches with Billy Robinson. The reputation of their bouts was so strong that, nine years later, the two were brought to Sapporo for a "world championship" tournament, where they wrestled a 30-minute draw which Japanese still consider one of the all-time great matches. Gordienko continued to travel, returning frequently to Canada and wrestling in Iran, Iraq, New Zealand and South Africa.

He finally wrestled for the NWA title, in 1969 in Edmonton. The 60-minute draw with the champion Dory Funk, Jnr, was arguably Gordienko's greatest match. He and Robinson reprised their Japanese tournament, with Karl Gotch and Andre the Giant in 1972. In 1974 Gordienko won the NWA Pacific Coast title wrestling as Flash Gordon. In 1976, after having his ankle broken by the German shooter Roland Bock, Gordienko retired to concentrate on painting.

After 15 years in London he moved to a studio outside Milan. In 1990, he returned to Canada, settling in Black Creek, Vancouver Island. What he said of his painting applied equally well to his wrestling career, "I believe we need to free ourselves. I don't follow trends, I just enjoy doing my own thing."

George Gordienko, artist and professional wrestler: born Winnipeg, Manitoba 7 January 1928; died Campbell River, British Columbia 13 May 2002.