The WAWLI Papers No. 624...

(ED. NOTE—A number of interesting anecdotes are always available at Dory Funk Jr.’s "Gunslinger Rap" page on the web. Find it at: http://www.dory-funk.com, along with stories like the following.)

TOMMY TSURUTA’S PRO DEBUT

In the fall of 1972 my father, Dory Funk Sr. agreed to supply wrestling talent for Giant Baba’s new company All Japan Pro Wrestling. Wrestling for All Japan Pro Wres would be Dory Funk Sr., Myself, at the time NWA World Champion, Terry Funk, Burno Sammartino, and wrestlers from the Amarillo Territory which, at the time included a young upstart from West Texas State University, Stan Hanson. Masio Koma and Mr. Okuma who had worked Amarillo would also be working for Baba’s company. For a new company in Japan the talent was the best in the business.

In March of 1973 at the peak of my career I had held the NWA World Championship for more than four years. I had many memorable matches during that four years, with Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki in Japan, Fritz Von Erich in Texas Stadium, Black Jack Lanza at the Arena in St Louis, and Jack Brisco on many occasions.

Saturday March 28 of that year was the beginning of my week off. During my time off as NWA Champion, I would wrestle a shot or two for the Amarillo Territory. I would not be working today but was going to Channel 10 Television to see if I could be of help with the production of the weekly TV show. I would meet the new wrestler Mr. Baba had discovered who had competed in the Olympics in Munich in 1972 in Graeco Roman wrestling. Mr. Baba liked this kid, and had sent him to Amarillo to learn the finer points of professional wrestling.

As I entered the dressing room I was happy to see the familiar faces of the Amarillo territory: Larry Lane, Dick Murdoch, young Stan Hanson, Ricky Romero, Scott Casey, Sputnik Monroe, JC Dykes and his Infernos. "Mr. Funk," I heard someone say from behind. I turned and there he was, tall, lean, and wearing a crew cut. I had to look up to him even though he was slightly slumped over. He said, "Mr. Funk, My name is Tommy Tu-Tsuruta, It is easier to say than my Japanese name, Tsuruta Tomomi. I have never wrestled a professional match before in my life. This is my first time, please take care of me."

That Saturday at the TV taping, Tommy Tsuruta would be wrestling El Gran Tapia, a good wrestler out of Mexico. I didn’t know that this would be his first match but there was no changing things now. I looked right at him and said, "Don’t worry Tommy, you’ll do fine.

Tommy went into the ring scared to death, but had a great match against El Gran Tapia and captured the victory in about eleven minutes. He went on the become the best student of professional wrestling I have ever had. Tsuruta learned fast. He had the basic experience in amateur wrestling with a mix of his Graeco Roman wrestling (upper body throws) and great coordination from competing in basketball and swimming while still in school.

Tsuruta is the only wrestler ever outside the family to master the spinning toe hold, and is the only one who can throw the same forearm blow every bit as hard as I do. (Years later he showed it to Misawa.) His moves were so perfect that we did a special slow-motion production of his three best suplexes, belly to belly, German suplex, and double arm suplex to use as an open for the television show.

Though his time in Amarillo was short, Tommy Tsuruta made many friends who never forgot his kindness. He learned everything by just doing it. He told me his English was not so good and he really didn’t want to do interviews. I told him, you must, you are going to be there and the announcer is going to ask you about your opponent, "you must say something."

Tsuruta’s interview went like this. I know my opponent has a good heart, and I have a good heart too. I am going to do my best. He was wrestling our top heel Sputnik Monroe who had just said He would whup that puke just like eatin’ boardin’ house pie. I don’t know what boardin’ house pie is, but Sputnik was always going to whup somebody that way.

People in Amarillo loved Tsuruta for his sincerity, athletic ability, and kindness. He didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody and his skills in the ring were unmatched. In his first year in professional wrestling, Tsuruta became a top star in the United States, something accomplished by only a few Japanese wrestlers including his boss, Giant Baba.

*** "C’mon Junior let’s go, we got 17,000 people waiting for us"

It was my brother Terry Funk. ---My thoughts came back quick. It was October of 1992, Ni ju shu nen ki nen. Budokan Hall, twentieth anniversary of Giant Baba’s company, All Japan Pro Wrestling special match, myself, Giant Baba, and Stan Hanson against Jumbo Tsuruta, Andre the Giant, and Terry Gordy. My brother was to be in our corner.

The match was exciting, especially with seven traditional stars of All Japan Pro Wrestling there at the same time. I remember Terry Funk had words with Andre on the floor and Baba trying to separate them for fear of it getting out of hand.

I was in the ring with Jumbo at about the 20-minute mark. It was time. We were in the spotlight. Baba was now with Andre, and Hanson and Gordy were fighting on the floor. I had Jumbo down and applied the Spinning Toe Hold. As quick as I got it, he reached up grabbed my head, pulled me forward and locked a front cradle on tight. My shoulders were down. I heard the referee count One two and I reversed it. He counted One Two on Jumbo. He is a strong kid and was not to be denied. To my surprise, he pulled his shoulder up and reversed back on me and there was no escaping. I tried with all I had, but the count came one, two, three.

Twenty years later, the student beat the teacher. I walked over, shook his hand and said, Tommy Tsuruta, I am proud of you.—Dory Funk Jr.

P.S.—Of course back in the dressing room, I did tell him that if he would give it another go, this time maybe two out of three falls I think I could take him.
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MAN ON THE MOON RELEASE NEARS

(Vanity Fair excerpt, November, 1999)

Adding to (Jim) Carrey’s youthful mien is his giddy enthusiasm about the final cut of his forthcoming film, Man on the Moon, in which he portrays Andy Kaufman, the late situationist comedian (and incidental star of the ‘70s sitcome Taxi). Written by the duo who brought us The People vs. Larry Flynt, Scott Alexander and Larry karaszewski, Man on the Moon attempts to explain one of the great, unknowable performers of modern times. As a stand-up comic, Kaufman did not look for laughs, preferring to test audience endurance with surreal experiments in banality: as "Foreign Man," he would tremulously tell the most hackneyed jokes, or he’d read aloud every word of The Great Gatsby. Unleashed on the network television audience, Kaufman became a fourth-wall demolition expert, famously disrupting ABC’s live sketch show, Fridays, with his refusal to complete a skit. Ultimately, in a move that was deliberately ephemeral and recklessly damaging to his career, he took to wrestling women, then became embroiled in a feud with the wrestling star Jerry Lawler. The fact that Kaufman never, never broke character or let anyone in on the gag guaranteed him cult immortality when, at 35, he died of lung cancer. In fact, many believed that Kaufman’s 1984 death was itself really just a gag.

________________________

VISIT TO TED DiBIASE WEB PAGE

BIOGRAPHY:

Ted DiBiase has been involved in the world of professional wrestling his entire life. His stepfather, wrestler "Iron Mike" DiBiase, began the tradition and had a strong influence on him as a child. He died in the ring when Ted was fifteen. Shortly after, his mother slipped into a depression and turned to alcohol. Ted moved into a little town in southern Arizona to live with his grandparents. After Ted’s junior year in college at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas, he stepped into the squared circle to follow in his father’s footsteps.

After wrestling in Amarillo, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ted moved to Atlanta to continue his wrestling career. While there he met his future wife Melanie and they were married in 1981. Ted’s wrestling engagements kept him away from her, while ego, pride, and money took center stage. After the birth of their first son Teddy, the DiBiase’s moved to Mississippi where he continued wrestling for Mid-South Wrestling. Ted was hoping that the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) would take notice of his talent. The WWF did take notice. They had an idea for a new character and developed Ted into the "Million Dollar Man" and he was surrounded by money, limousines and life in the fast lane. Through hard work and much determination he quickly rose to the top of his profession were he has remained for the past twenty years.

Ted’s career as a wrestler has taken him all over the world; all over Europe, Japan, India, Canada, and all of the fifty states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Ted has held many wrestling titles over his expansive career not withstanding, "The World Championship Title." He has wrestled alone, as part of a tag team, and in recent years as the role of manager. You may also hear him at times behind the camera as he often commentates and does color commentating for World Championship Wrestling.

Due to a neck injury several years ago, Ted was forced to give up the physical side of professional wrestling. However, he still remains an active participant. He now acts as the ringside manager of the Steiner Brothers for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) on Ted Turner’s cable networks "Monday Nitro" and "Thursday Thunder" TV programs. Ted has taken on new roles outside of professional wrestling. Ted is currently a spokesperson for the Sunshine Foundation, an organization that grants wishes for critically ill children. Ted also shares his message of hope all over America in motivational assemblies speaking out against the results of drug and alcohol abuse. He warns America’s youth about the trap of being addicted to drugs and alcohol. He also encourages them to stay in school, set reachable goals and pay whatever price it takes to become the best that they can be.

QUICK FACTS ON DiBIASE:

Birthday: January 18, 1954

Real Name: Ted DiBiase

Height/Weight: 6’3, 290

Nicknames: The Million Dollar Man, The Million Dollar Champion, Trillionaire Ted

Finisher (as wrestler): Million Dollar Dream

Titles Held: WWF Tag Team Championship (3) with Irwin R. Shyster, and others with Mid-South/UWF and All Japan PWF

Current Status: Out of the NWO, Manager of Rick Steiner

UPDATE ON TED DiBIASE IN THE WCW

"Trillionaire" Ted DiBiase has seemingly turned against the group he helped found after returning to WCW on the 8/4/97 edition of Monday Nitro...on the broadcast, DiBiase denounced his past by stating that he made mistakes and strayed from the path of what was right... DiBiase also promised to stand in the corner of Rick and Scott Steiner in an attempt to help them win the WCW tag team championships from the Outsiders, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at WCW Road Wild...though the Steiners did not succeed at that event, DiBiase remains their manager...

DiBiase’s betrayal of the NWO has proved to be yet another setback for the New World Order as WCW attempts to regain power...upon his WCW debut, DiBiase, formerly known as the "Million Dollar Man," made an immediate impact by siding with the NWO...joined the NWO after a controversial departure from the WWF, where he first became a manager after an injury ended his in-ring wrestling career...as a wrestler.

DiBiase became famous after he "bought" the WWF Championship from Andre the Giant...the title was later declared vacant by WWF President Jack Tunney, to be won in a tournament at Wrestlemania IV... DiBiase lost in the final round to Randy Savage, and the match was the closest he ever came to the title again... the only major championship DiBiase held was the WWF Tag Team Title, which he shared on three occasions with IRS (now known in WCW as Mr. Wallstreet). He also shared major championship belts when he wrestled with Mid-South/UWF and All Japan PWF. (See Title History)

Upon his first WCW appearance, DiBiase promised that the NWO would grow to five the following week... the fifth member was none other than the Giant, who was later kicked out of the NWO...DiBiase, who was also pegged "Trillionaire Ted," often acted as the right-hand man for "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, a man whom he despised in the past...also often served as an announcer for the NWO; on several occasions broadcasting on Monday Nitros, alongside Eric Bischoff when NWO members took over the broadcast booth...DiBiase, rumored to be unhappy with his role in the NWO, disappeared from WCW for several months, and was said to have taken a sabbatical to preach in Israel...now that DiBiase is back in WCW and against the New World Order, the former "Trillionaire Ted" is sure to be high on the NWO’s hit list.

TED DiBIASE’S TITLE HISTORY

April 28, 1976 - May 11, 1976:

December 1976 - Early 1977

May 19, 1977 - Summer 1977

January 7, 1978 - February 16, 1978

February 12, 1978 - February 26, 1978

November 23, 1978 - February 1979

--(Amarillo) International Champion

Early 1979

Early ‘79 - June 19, 1979

February 1, 1980 - September 19, 1980

November 21, 1980 - October 2, 1981

January 26, 1981 - January 31, 1981

June 10, 1981 - July 6, 1981

November 1, 1981 - March17, 1982

June 23, 1982 - November 25, 1982

October 27, 1982 - March 12, 1983

April 13, 1983 - July 24, 1983

October 14, 1983 - January 28, 1984

November 18, 1983 - February 18, 1984

July 14, 1984 - October 11, 1984

December 3, 1984 - December 25, 1984

January 16, 1985 - February 13, 1985

May 3, 1985 - August 28, 1985

September 1985 - September 29, 1985

December 26, 1985 - March 16, 1986

March 87 - July 3, 1987

July 11, 1987 - September 3, 1987

February 7, 1992 - July 20, 1992

October 13, 1992 - June 14, 1993

June 16, 1993 - June 19, 1993

September 3, 1993 - December 3, 1993

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS

December 12, 1985

October 16, 1988

(http://www.milliondollarman.com)
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ANOTHER MATMAN RUNS FOR OFFICE

(Associated Press, October 29, 1999)

ROXBURY TOWNSHIP, N.J.—If The Body can do it, El Matador thinks he can, too.

Tito Santana, a former World Wrestling Federation champion who has bodyslammed Minnesota Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Randy "Macho Man" Savage, wants to follow Ventura into politics.

Santana, who retired from wrestling in 1997, is battling for a Roxbury Township Council spot against Fred Hall, chairman of the planning board.

Local Democrats recruited Santana, who was known as "El Matador" in the ring, to run months after Ventura’s surprising victory in the Minnesota gubernatorial election.

"I’m the better wrestler," Santana told The Record of Hackensack. "But Jesse had the charisma. He was good at making people hate him. I’m just not like that. I really wrestled."

Santana, 46, who teaches elementary school physical education in Bound Brook, has taken up two issues. He opposes overdevelopment and wants to end a 20-year Republican majority in the township. Republicans hold a 5-2 majority on the council.

"I don’t think Tito has much grasp of the issues," Hall said.

Santana is not worried.

"Compared to the ring, politics is a piece of cake," he said.
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The WAWLI Papers No. 625...

REVIEW OF ‘NIGHT AND THE CITY’ (1950)

(Austin Chronicle, February 1, 1999)

By Jerry Renshaw

The opening frames of Night and the City show Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) running through the streets of London, pursued by an unknown man, heading toward his apartment. Fabian is on the run through the entire movie; he’s an American petty hustler and con man setting out to make a name for himself in the London underworld. Years of clipping customers in bars and pulling two-bit scams are not enough for him; true to the American way, he’s consumed with the urge to be somebody, to "live a life of ease and comfort," as he tells his girlfriend (Gene Tierney). He strikes on a scheme to become the top wrestling promoter in London, and befriends a traditional Greco-Roman wrestler, Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko), convincing the old man to become partners with him. His boss at the clip joint, Nosseross (Francis L. Sullivan) agrees to put up financial backing for the venture, but the boss’ wife (Googie Withers) has a different angle. She wants Harry to come up with a liquor license for a nightclub she wants to open, at which point she’ll ditch Nosseross. Fabian uses the old man as a lever against his son Kristo (Herbert Lom), the top wrestling promoter in town. (Lom later played The Pink Panther’s Captain Dreyfus).

He goads Kristo’s top wrestler, the Strangler, (Mike Mazurki) into a match with Gregorius; after a brutal struggle, Gregorius defeats the Strangler, but dies of a stroke after the fight. Soon, all of the London underworld is mobilized against Fabian, with a £1000 bounty on his worthless hide. Director Jules Dassin infuses a great deal of noir style into Night and the City. Dassin had been blacklisted during the Hollywood Red Scare years (after being fingered by fellow director Edward Dmytryk), and Night and the City was his first film after his exile from Hollywood. He uses the alleys, slums, and factories of London to full advantage to create a world where outsiders like Fabian don’t stand a chance. In keeping with the traditions of the genre, no one really possesses a moral high ground in the story; the people who want Fabian eliminated and want his little house of cards knocked down are no better a set of losers than he is himself. Dassin often frames Fabian’s gaunt features in bars and jagged fragments of light that serve as visual metaphors for his isolation and hopelessness. Widmark, riding a career high that would continue for several more years, turns in a great performance with his hyena giggle and nervous energy. Fabian only wanted to be somebody, but at the same time he had everything, he was a dead man, running and running as the web in which he enmeshed himself slowly strangled him.
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TITO WANTS TO BE JERSEY JESSE

(Bergen Record, October 29, 1999)

By John Cichowski

Republicans, get ready to rumble. . . . A pro wrestling champ who once body-slammed ring goliaths such as Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Randy "Macho Man" Savage now has his Democratic sights on a Township Council seat in a hilly GOP stronghold in western Morris County.

"Compared to the ring, politics is like a piece of cake," said Tito Santana, the World Wrestling Federation’s former two-time Intercontinental champion, who is seeking a ward seat in Roxbury Township.

The personable, 245-pound Santana—known in the ring as "El Matador"—was something of an anomaly in the hard-hitting WWF, where he was pitted against bruisers such as Ventura, Savage, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, and Kodiak Bear. Two herniated discs, bursitis, a distaste for the tour, and a desire to settle down in Roxbury with his family prompted his retirement in 1997.

"Sure, the outcome of the matches was prearranged, but the blood was real," he said. "It was our job to make it look real, so people got hurt."

Local Democrats recruited Santana in the spring, several months after Ventura’s unexpected victory in the Minnesota gubernatorial election.

If Jesse could do it, Santana figured, so could he.

"But I’m the better wrestler," he said, noting that he trained under a Japanese master.

"But Jesse had the charisma. He was good at making people hate him. I’m just not like that. I really wrestled."

The charisma advantage in Tuesday’s Election Day match against 180-pound Fred Hall, the Planning Board chairman and manager of a Montvale accounting firm, belongs to Santana. Unlike most Democrats, the former wrestling star gets a warm reception when he campaigns door to door, said Santana’s campaign manager, Steve Landsfield.

"When Tito shows up, people invite him in," said Landfield. "If they miss him, they run outside looking for him. I never saw anything like it."

Santana has taken stands on two issues: He opposes overdevelopment and wants to end 20 years of Republican domination in the township. Republicans now hold a 5-2 majority on the Township Council.

Hall, 41, also wants to limit development and says he would end developers’ agreements that have led, he says, to overdevelopment.

Like many suburban towns, the issue is a hot one in Roxbury. In April, voters rejected a $21 million school expansion project that resulted from high-density housing construction.

"As a Planning Board member, Fred had a lot to say about that housing," Santana said. "People in this town have lost faith in Republicans like him."

When Santana’s response was read back to him, Hall, a patron of Santana’s salon, reacted as if sucker-punched by El Matador’s flying forearm.

"Tito really said that?" Hall asked. He insisted that the housing was mandated by a state program requiring low- and moderate-income housing.

"I don’t think Tito has much grasp of the issues," he said.

Santana admits he would have to learn on the job. The prospect doesn’t bother him.

"Democrats took a poll showing me 14 points ahead," he said, shrugging.

It wouldn’t be the first time he’s had to overcome inexperience.

As part of his early training, a young, strait-laced Santana became a WWF referee. The experience earned him the enmity of older wrestlers.

"I didn’t realize the outcomes were prearranged, so I called the fights as I saw them," he said. "Those guys hated me."

The 46-year-old father of three has more than his celebrity going for him, though. As a 14-year township resident and former substitute teacher in the Roxbury school system, his name is well known in this rural-suburban community of 21,000. He is now an elementary school physical-education teacher in Bound Brook, and he helps his wife each afternoon as manager of the family beauty salon in the Roxbury Mall.

He still wrestles sometimes on weekends for an independent circuit. This sort of hustling comes naturally to the Mexican-born Santana, whose given name is Merced Solis. As a youth, he worked in the fields with his father, a Spanish-born migrant worker who brought his family from Mexico to Texas. A high school athlete, Santana got a football scholarship, turning pro after graduation. He played tight end in a Canadian league, then switched to pro wrestling when he realized wrestlers lasted longer than football players.

His career now over, Santana looks to Minnesota for inspiration.

"I tried to reach Jesse on the phone to get his support," Santana said of his old foe. "But he doesn’t return my calls."

Maybe the governor has a long memory. In the early 1980s, when both were new to pro wrestling, Santana teamed with Hulk Hogan in Nassau Coliseum for a well-remembered bit of tag-team savagery against Ventura and Adrian Adonis.

"It wasn’t pretty, but the fans were with us and we won," Santana recalled. "Jesse says some pretty dumb things sometimes, but he never sacrificed his beliefs. I admire that. I think I’m kind of like that, too."
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TURNER FIGHTS BACK . . . DIRTY

(New York Post, October 31, 1999)

By Phil Mushnick

One big difference between the nation’s two biggest pro wrestling impresarios, Ted Turner and Vince McMahon, is that when McMahon puts on his righteous face, most everyone knows it’s a con.

When Turner says he’s a do-gooder, lots of people buy it.

He has an air of respectability. He owns cable networks, international news programming, a Major League Baseball team and all kinds of things commonly found around the house. So, when he declares himself an altruist, people believe him, even salute him.

They shouldn’t.

To fully understand the modern phenomenon of pro wrestling—a systemic phenomenon that has established pornography for children as a runaway TV ratings and marketing money machine—it’s important to understand the industry’s recent history.

Not since Bruno Sammartino quit the business in disgust—he now speaks out against the drug-infested, deviant sex-fest that pro wrestling has become—has anyone in the business traveled a high road. There now are only two roads taken—lower and lowest.

Turner’s World Championship Wrestling, until two weeks ago, traveled the lower road. It’s for that reason that he was getting killed in the TV ratings war by McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation.

McMahon takes the lowest road. Shoot, as lowest roads go, he’s a pioneer, a trail blazer. The more salacious the content, the better the ratings. And McMahon beats Turner in a rout.

Sure, as pro wrestling’s popularity continues to soar, American society takes a bigger hit, but that’s of no concern to McMahon. In 1999, to provide children with the lowest imaginable form of television is to be on top.

But now Turner is fighting back. First, a little more background:

Several years ago, after the WWF’s inside drug and sex scandals (as if the content of McMahon’s current shows aren’t scandalous), Turner’s WCW seized the opportunity to unseat the WWF.

One of Turner’s first orders of business was to sign Hulk Hogan, despite the fact that Hogan’s kiddie-embracing, excessively muscled WWF character had been revealed to have been built on years of steroid use and abuse.

The signing of Hogan and other WWF ring stars—drug-ring stars, included—also revealed Turner to be a king-sized phony.

After all, Turner’s image of global altruism, as manifested through his "Goodwill Games," environmental concerns and acts of generosity such as pledging $1 billion to the United Nations for the advancement of humankind, certainly didn’t rhyme with selecting the nation’s most notorious steroid abuser as his marquee act within primetime TV programming favored by American children.

Furthermore, the content of WCW shows—negative racial and ethnic stereotyping, obscene gestures and good, old-fashioned violence for violence’s sake—was wildly inconsistent with Turner’s lofty, oft-stated goals of world harmony.

Ah, but business is business. And Turner’s WCW business was brisk. The WCW began to bury the wounded WWF.

But McMahon, as we all know by now, was hardly through. He would fight back by turning the WWF into a showcase for lascivious acts, words, and images. Porn for kids. Operating off the same marketing plan applied by the Medellin drug cartel, McMahon’s capsule explanation of his successful new strategy became, "I’m only giving people what they want."

Soon, riding a wave of unmitigated sleaze, McMahon’s WWF was back on top, and then some. The ratings were through the roof.

They still are. And network programmers threw themselves at McMahon for more.

In addition to McMahon’s longtime confederates at USA Network, the UPN Network (Channel 9 here) now regularly "entertains" American children in primetime with words so profane that they can’t be printed here and acts so vile that they can’t be described here. Oh, yes, the WWF’s transvestite oral sex angle has given way to even less describable acts.

A few months ago, in announcing that UPN was adding the WWF, UPN boss Dean Valentine told a conclave of concerned TV critics that the WWF is "incredibly mild entertainment." If that’s the case, I challenge Valentine to rise in public and repeat exactly what’s said and done on UPN’s WWF shows at 8:30 or so on Thursday nights.

Few of those concerned TV critics bothered to follow up on the content of UPN’s WWF shows, otherwise there would be a national outcry that would’ve painted Valentine a more evil TV monster than even, oh, Jim Gray.

After voicing their concerns, few of those TV critics would bother to learn that 11-year-old boys now regularly verbally and graphically abuse 11-year-old girls with exactly the same expressions and acts that the WWF teaches them. Few would bother to learn that grammar school, middle school and high school principals increasingly have declared bans on most anything that the WWF sells.

Meanwhile, what does Valentine care that every week he’s proved a liar on his own national network? He and UPN are cashing in big. Why should he care that nearly 40 percent of WWF viewers are minors, or that 15 percent of the audience is 11 years old and younger?

And so, it’s now time for Turner to fight back. The first order of business is to again meet McMahon on his turf—the gutter. If Turner beat McMahon the first time by buying up McMahon’s steroid-swollen TV characters, why not again seek to unseat McMahon as No. 1 by playing McMahon’s sexual-content game?

Two weeks ago, Turner hired two of McMahon’s top porn writers, er, script writers. Would Turner, his ratings lagging because he chose the lower road for the WCW, now choose to join McMahon on the lowest road?

You bet he would!

This past Monday night, while channel-surfing upon Turner’s latest 8 p.m. WCW show on TNT, we immediately saw a line of barely clothed young women marching toward the ring. The last in line was a woman with enormous breasts. Naturally, the live audience began to hoot as one. The ringside announcers dutifully grew breathless.

Dave Meltzer publishes the authoritative weekly, Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

"It’ll get worse," Meltzer said. "Now that it has WWF writers the WCW will copy the WWF formula: Find any excuse, or even no excuse, to go heavy on sexual content. The big draw isn’t wrestling, anymore, it’s sex. And the primary target is kids."

Ted Turner, Mr. Global Goodwill himself, has declared yet another war against Vince McMahon on the battlefield of How-Low-Can-You-Go. And, bless their hearts, they’re fighting for the hearts and minds of America’s children.
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OMAR ATLAS REMEMBERED...

By J Michael Kenyon

Our good friends at SLAM! Wrestling (http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling) continue to do yeoman work in the nostalgic realm of Wrestling As We Liked It. John Molinaro’s byline piece (October 27, 1999) does a fine job of detailing the lengthy career of a fellow I first saw in action back in October of 1962, in the glorious old Waco (Texas) Arena. Molinaro’s lead:

"Some fans remember him as the man who carried Governor Jesse Ventura through his first match. Others recall him as the harmless, yet loveable jobber who got paid to make the other guy look good. Cast in his role as a ‘prelim bum’ by the fans, he was always thought of as nothing more than average.

"Yet the reality was that Omar Atlas was anything but your average, run-of-the-mill, wrestler. Having spent over 30 years in wrestling, Atlas traveled the world, wrestled every major star and worked for every big name promoter. He was the archetypal journeyman, bouncing between promotions, staying in one place only a few months before he headed off to the next territory."

Atlas now lives in San Antonio, having finally retired for good from the ring in 1993. He told Molinaro, "I had a really good time in wrestling. I traveled a lot. We didn’t make much money but we had a lot of fun."
Atlas, after a brief amateur career in his native Venezuela, trained as a pro in Spain with some Argentinian and Mexican wrestlers. After eight months in the tussle-for-pay ranks there, he began traveling, first to Colombia, later Mexico, and then back to Spain. A friend named Ciclon Negro, who had achieved main-event status in the U.S., invited Atlas to join him in Houston.

After that 1962-63 stint for Morris Sigel’s famous booking office, Atlas told Molinaro, he later worked for just about all the top promoters in the game: Sam Muchnick, Nick Gulas, Eddie Graham, Bob Geigel, Jim Crockett Sr., Don Owen, Stu Hart, Vince McMahon Jr., Roy Shire, Joe Blanchard, Paul Boesch and Carlos Colon. He also made his way to Australia, Korea and Japan where he worked for both legendary Japanese promoters Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba.

He wasn’t always Omar Atlas, either. Some fans may remember him as Buddy Moreno, one of the ring aliases he used more often than others.

It was while working for Geigel’s Kansas City office that Atlas helped break "Jesse the Body" into the game. Molinaro explains:

"The two were scheduled on a card in Cedar Rapids, Iowa when the promoter pulled Atlas aside. Unsure of Ventura’s ability, he told the veteran Atlas that if he thought Ventura had promise to let Ventura throw him over the top rope and get DQd. Otherwise, Atlas was instructed to shoot on Ventura and beat him up. ‘Omar thought he was doing well and told him to throw him,’ said Charlotte, Omar’s wife of 15 years. ‘In (Venutra’s autobiography), Jesse writes that Omar, not being one of those egotistical guys in wrestling, told him "Amigo, throw me over the top." He also credited Omar with helping him start his career.’"

Molinaro concludes the piece, just one of hundreds that dot the bulging SLAM! Wrestling site, byk noting that Atlas, today, is a 61-year-old security monitor for the Bexar County Adult Probation Department, playing handball between escorting convicts to and from work details.

http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/
_____________________________________________________

The WAWLI Papers No. 626...

WRESTLING FANS GET INTO ACT

(Los Angeles Times, Oct. 31, 1999)

By John M. Glionna

In a city where most movie shoots are elite, off-limits affairs overseen by uniformed cops, this one was a regular free-for-all featuring those big-muscled kings of publicity, the hairy-chested he-men in black leotards from the World Championship Wrestling organization.

And like 4,000 other wild-eyed wrestling fans turned unpaid extras who filled the Grand Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles Saturday, Steve Szapiro was in head-lock heaven.

Wearing a shiny king’s crown with phony plastic jewels provided by event promoters, Szapiro joined fellow wrestling fanatics in a staged screech-hoot-and-hollering session during the shooting of a movie based on their favorite sport.

Producers for the film "Ready to Rumble" couldn’t have been happier.

Although they could have shot scenes for the movie in Toronto or Las Vegas (where the fight sequence filmed Saturday supposedly took place), they said L.A. fans captured the multiethnic roots of the sport’s fandom.

"On most shoots, the extras we attract are just average folks, not ready-made fans," said Jeffrey Silver, a producer for Outlaw Productions. "But these people are just crazy. When the wrestlers take a bump, they know exactly when to cheer. They don’t need any coaching."

Fans like Szapiro didn’t need much enticing, either.

The 26-year-old works the graveyard shift at a Unocal gas station in the San Fernando Valley. But his real reason for living? Body slams, spine-numbing throw-downs, and those high-flying pile-driver maneuvers that can turn a mat opponent’s mind to mush.

Szapiro calls himself professional wrestling’s most rabid fan. He travels the country looking for more outrageous wrestling rumbles. At home, with his satellite dish and pay-per-view TV menu, there isn’t one finger-stabbing wrestling event he misses.

"I just love professional wrestling," he said. "I know people must think there’s something wrong with me. But honestly, I can’t get enough of this stuff."

On Saturday, the fans came offering homage to their heroes. Despite free parking and pizza, and giveaways that included a new pickup, wrestling gift packs and computers loaded with wrestling-game software, the faithful who lined up outside the arena early Saturday didn’t come for any door prizes.

They came to scream their brains out for mostly large men with long hair and stage names such as Inferno, Sid Vicious and Bam Bam Bigelow.

To attract fans, organizers spread the word on various wrestling-related sites on the Internet. They placed ads in wrestling magazines and made announcements at other professional wrestling events.

"But you know what, we probably didn’t have to give away one prize to attract these people," said promotions director Tina Kerr. ‘We could have charged these people to get in here and we still would have had a line that stretched twice around the block."

The fan turnout Saturday was described by organizers as "a lot of little boys, and men who are still little boys."
With prizes offered for raunchiest costume, the crowd resembled a Halloween nightmare come one day early. Or perhaps a segment of "Let’s Make a Deal" filmed at the world’s biggest monster truck show. There were men with shaved heads, women with exposed bellies, and the occasional legitimate mask.

One fan, Anthony Dalton of Ontario, tried to explain the attraction of a sport in which most moves are choreographed. He started talking about pro wrestlers as role models, but each time he began a sentence, he’d see one of his mat idols, Diamond Dallas Page, and scream "Dallas! Dallas! Woooohooooo!"

Her eyes glued to the ring, Laura Segura had another reason for coming: "Those bodies!" she said, holding up a banner celebrating her two favorite wrestlers, Sting and a character who bills himself as Big Sexy.

"Now this is entertainment," she added. "Just to come out here and see those guys sweat. And did I mention those bodies?"

Not all the fans cheered themselves hoarse. Some were present as favors to wives, husbands or boyfriends. One twentysomething man said his girlfriend made him do it, even though she refused to accompany him to the shooting of a Kiss video.

Wincing in distaste, some called the wrestling scene the Cirque du Soleil for the blue-collar class, a screaming cry for help, perhaps professional therapy.

Said 30-year-old James Murr of Montebello: "It’s soap opera for men. You’ve got the same back-stabbing and outrageous story lines. And it’s naughty and subversive. Let me tell you, you’re not going to see this stuff on the Lifetime channel."

Producers for "Ready to Rumble," acknowledge the sport’s pedestrian appeal. The film involves two loser buddies who empty septic tanks for a living and happen to be huge wrestling fans. The pair travel cross-country to return to glory a felled wrestling idol they believe has been robbed of his rightful crown.

"Pro wrestling may be considered a lower rung on the artistic ladder, but it’s also the widest rung," Silver, the producer, said. "People live for this stuff."

They live for their sport like 6-year-old Brendon from Palmdale, who spotted his hero, a wrestler known as Goldberg, back near the makeup van.

"Hey, Goldy!" he yelled, extending a paper to be autographed.

"Hey, little man," cooed Goldberg, bending his head down to near knee-level to face the boy.

Memento in hand, the boy watched his hero walk away and admitted that he didn’t know the names of any of the wrestler’s moves inside the ring.

"But I’ll bet they hurt," he said, wide-eyed.
__________________________________________________________


The WAWLI Papers No. 627...

(ED. NOTE: The New WAWLI Papers editorial board has never made a secret of the fact that a goodly portion of the material appearing in this newsletter is ticketed, in one form or another, for the forthcoming ‘On Top: The Ultimate History of Professional Wrestling in North America.’ Herein, another sneak preview of some of that accumulation, namely, just a smidgeon of what will be a vastly comprehensive list of matches featuring girls, midgets, bears, alligators and other "special attractions." Our apologies to anyone who is offended. The following was a very, very early draft of the material, which is now probably some 100 times lengthier, at a minimum.)

Newark OH—May 5, 1920

Cora Livingston vs. May Kelley

Columbus OH—April 15, 1937

Mildred Burke beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—April 29, 1937

Mildred Burke beat Edna Bancroft

Memphis—May 3, 1937

Clara Mortensen beat Betty McGee

San Francisco—June 29, 1937

Clara Mortensen beat Rita Martinez

Oakland—July 2, 1937

Clara Mortensen beat Rita Martinez

San Francisco—July 13, 1937

Clara Mortensen beat Mary Davis

Columbus OH—September 9, 1937

Mildred Burke beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—November 18, 1938

Betty Nichols beat Mildred Burke

Columbus OH—November 25, 1938

Mildred Burke drew Betty Nichols

Columbus OH—December 1, 1938

Mildred Burke beat Betty Nichols

Columbus OH—February 9, 1939

Mildred Burke beat Peggy Flynn

Reno—April 12, 1939

Clara Mortenson beat Mildred White

Columbus OH—October 26, 1939

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—November 2, 1939

Princess Rose White Cloud beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—November 9, 1939

Princess Rose White Cloud beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—November 16, 1939

Mildred Burke beat Princess Rose White Cloud

Columbus OH—November 24, 1939

Gladys Gillem beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—December 28, 1939

Mildred Burke-Princess Rose White Cloud beat Wilma Gordon-Gladys Gillem

Charlotte—January 1, 1940

Gladys Gillem beat Rose White Cloud

Charlotte—January 8, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem

Charlotte—January 15, 1940

Mildred Burke-Mae Weston beat Gladys Gillem-Babe Verner

Charlotte—April 15, 1940

GINGER THE BEAR beat Whitey Govro

Charlotte—April 22, 1940

GINGER THE BEAR beat Milo Steinborn

Columbus OH—May 31, 1940

Gladys Gillem beat Lupe Acosta

Columbus OH—June 5, 1940

Gladys Gillem beat Lupe Acosta

Columbus OH—June 13, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem cor

Columbus OH—June 20, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem, Mildred Burke drew Lupe Acosta (handicap)

Atlantic City—July 8, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem

Atlantic City—July 15, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Lupe Acosta

Charlotte—July 22, 1940

Lupe Acosta beat Gladys Gillem

Charlotte—July 29, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—September 12, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—December 6, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Mae Weston

Columbus OH—December 12, 1940

Mildred Burke beat Wilma Gordon, Gladys Gillem beat Mildred Burke dec (handicap)

Columbus OH—December 26, 1940

Gladys Gillem beat Patty Miller

Columbus OH—January 2, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—January 9, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—January 23, 1941

Wilma Gordon beat Patsy Miller

Columbus OH—January 30, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—February 13, 1941

Mildred Burke beat Elvira Snodgrass

Duluth—June 26, 1941

Battle royal with Mae Young, Nell Stewart, Rose Evans, Ann Miller and Kitty Duvall

Columbus OH—July 17, 1941

Mae Young beat Gladys Gillem

Atlantic City—July 21, 1941

Gladys Gillem beat Cecelia Blevins

Columbus OH—July 24, 1941

Ann LaVerne beat Mae Young

Atlantic City—July 28, 1941

Mae Young beat Cecelia Blevins

Columbus OH—July 31, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Ann LaVerne

Columbus OH—August 7, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Gladys Gillem

Columbus OH—August 14, 1941

Gladys Gillem beat Celia Blevins

Dayton—August 19, 1941

Mildred Burke vs. "Annie" Snodgrass

Columbus OH—August 21, 1941

Mildred Burke beat Elvira Snodgrass

Dayton—August 27, 1941

"Annie" Snodgrass vs. Wilma Gordon

Columbus OH—August 29, 1941

Elvira Snodgrass beat Wilma Gordon

Dayton—September 1, 1941

Mae Young vs. "Annie" Snodgrass

Dayton—September 3, 1941

Mae Young beat "Annie" Snodgrass

Dayton—September 10, 1941

Gladys Ryan-Mae Young beat "Annie" Snodgrass-Celia Blevins

Dayton—September 16, 1941

Gladys Ryan drew Mae Weston

Dayton—September 23, 1941

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

St. Joseph—January 22, 1943

Mildred Burke beat Betty Weston, Mae Young beat Gladys Gillem

St. Joseph—January 29, 1943

Elvira Snodgrass beat Mae Young

St. Joseph—April 23, 1943

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young, Purple Flash beat Elvira Snodgrass

St. Joseph—April 30, 1943

Mildred Burke beat Purple Flash, Gladys Gillem beat Mae Young

St. Joseph—May 7, 1943

Purple Flash beat Gladys Gillem, Rose Evans beat Mae Young

St. Joseph—September 24, 1943

Mildred Burke beat Elvira Snodgrass

St. Joseph—October 1, 1943

Mae Young beat Rose Evans, Elvira Snodgrass beat Mae Young (sub for Gladys Gillem, said out with broken leg in Minnesota)

St. Paul—June 20, 1944

Purple Flash beat Gladys Gillem, Mae Young beat Rose Evans, Nell Stewart beat Kitty Duvall

Minneapolis—June 27, 1944

Mae Young vs. Nell Stewart, Rose Evans vs. Ann Miller, Mae Weston vs. Kitty Duvall

Independence—October 25, 1944

Nell Stewart beat Mae Weston

Independence—November 1, 1944

Nell Stewart beat Ann LaVerne

Kansas City—November 30, 1944

Mildred Burke beat Peggy Lee

Washington DC—May 2, 1945

Nell Stewart beat Ann Miller, Violet Valentine beat Rose Evans

Washington DC—May 9, 1945

Rose Evans-Nell Stewart beat Ann Miller-Violet Valentine

Phoenix—May 21, 1945

Anna Olson beat Peggy Vaughn

Salt Lake City—May 24, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Bremerton—June 1, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Dallas—June 12, 1945

Rose Evans beat Nell Stewart

Corpus Christi—June 14, 1945

Mae Young beat June Byers

San Antonio—June 20, 1945

Mae Young beat Nell Stewart

Corpus Christi—June 21, 1945

Mae Young beat Nell Stewart

Dallas—June 26, 1945

Mae Young beat Rose Evans

San Antonio—June 27, 1945

June Byers vs. Nell Stewart

Corpus Christi—June 28, 1945

Nell Stewart beat June Byers

Jacksonville—June 28, 1945

Dolly West beat Doris Dean

Jacksonville—July 19, 1945

Dolly West-Wally Greb beat Doris Dean-Vincent Lopez (mixed)

Phoenix—August 6, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Rose Evans

Dallas—August 20, 1945

June Byers beat Mae Young, Nell Stewart beat Violet Valentine

Tacoma—August 28, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Rose Evans

Atlanta—August 31, 1945

Mae Young beat June Byers, Elvira Snodgrass-Violet Valentine beat Nell Stewart-Evelyn Wall

Memphis—September 3, 1945

June Byers-Violet Valentine beat Nell Stewart-Mae Young, Elvira Snodgrass beat Evelyn Wall

Seattle—September 3, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Ramona Valdez

Atlanta—September 8, 1945

Nell Stewart-Mae Young beat June Byers-Elvira Snodgrass

Nashville—September 18, 1945

Mae Young beat Violet Valentine

San Antonio—September 19, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Rose Evans

Corpus Christi—September 20, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Rose Evans

Toledo—September 20, 1945

June Byers beat Nell Stewart

Dallas—September 25, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Rose Evans

Nashville—September 25, 1945

June Byers beat Nell Stewart

Baltimore—October 2, 1945

June Byers beat Elvira Snodgrass

Nashville—October 16, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Baltimore—October 23, 1945

June Byers-Evelyn Wall beat CeCecelia Blevins-Nell Stewart

Miami—October 26, 1945

Mae Young beat Violet Valentine

Memphis—October 29, 1945

Evelyn Wall beat Mae Weston, June Byers beat Juanita Coffman

Portland ME—October 29, 1945

Nell Stewart drew Mae Young, Cecelia Blevins beat Violet Valentine

Holyoke—October 31, 1945

Mae Young beat Violet Valentine, CeCecelia Blevins beat Nell Stewart

Memphis—November 5, 1945

June Byers beat Rose Evans, Evelyn Wall beat Juanita Coffman

Holyoke—November 7, 1945

Mae Young beat CeCecelia Blevins

Toledo—November 8, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Weston

Atlanta—November 9, 1945

Juanita Coffman beat Evelyn Wall

Portland ME—November 12, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Holyoke—November 14, 1945

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Klamath Falls—January 22, 1946

Clara Mortensen drew Rita Martinez

Medford—January 23, 1946

Clara Mortensen beat Rita Martinez

Atlanta—January 26, 1946

June Byers beat Juanita Coffman, Nell Stewart beat Mattie Bell

Medford—February 27, 1946

Clara Mortensen drew Rita Martinez nc

Klamath Falls—February 28, 1946

Clara Mortensen beat Rita Martinez

Columbus—March 14, 1946

June Byers beat Nell Stewart

Minneapolis—March 19, 1946

June Byers beat Nell Stewart

Atlanta—April 5, 1946

Dolly West beat Wilma Gordon

Phoenix—April 29, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

Yuma—May 2, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

Atlanta—May 3, 1946

Dolly West beat Wilma Gordon

Atlanta—May 17, 1946

Evelyn Wall-Violet Viann beat Ann LaVerne-Celia Blevins

St. Paul—May 23, 1946

Matty Bell beat Nell Stewart, Juanita Coffman beat June Byers

Phoenix—June 17, 1946

June Byers beat Juanita Coffman

Phoenix—June 24, 1946

June Byers-Helen Hild beat Mattie Bell-Nell Stewart

Atlanta—July 5, 1946

Cecelia Blevins beat Evelyn Wall

Columbus—July 17, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Banks

Atlanta—August 16, 1946

Ann LaVerne beat Cecelia Blevins

Atlanta—September 27, 1946

ALLIGATOR beat Gil Woodworth

Norfolk—October 3, 1946

Mae Young beat Violet Valentine

Norfolk—October 10, 1946

Elvira Snodgrass vs. Mae Young

Atlanta—October 11, 1946

Nell Stewart beat Ann Miller, Juanita Coffman beat Evelyn Wall

Atlanta—October 18, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

Atlanta—October 25, 1946

Gil Woodworth beat ALLIGATOR

Minneapolis—November 5, 1946

Ann LaVerne beat Dot Dotson

Duluth—November 11, 1946

Ann LaVerne beat June Byers

Baltimore—November 12, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Mendez

Minneapolis—November 12, 1946

Ann LaVerne vs. Gladys Galento

Minneapolis—November 19, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

Atlanta—November 19, 1946

Violet Viann beat Nell Stewart

Mankato—November 20, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

St. Paul—November 28, 1946

Mildred Burke beat Ann LaVerne

Baltimore—December 3, 1946

Mattie Bell beat Evelyn Wall

Atlanta—December 20, 1946

Violet Viann-Evelyn Wall beat Mae Weston-Nell Stewart

Mankato—March 19, 1947

Mildred Burke beat Kitty Duvall

Mankato—November 12, 1947

Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

Minneapolis—January 13, 1948

Nell Stewart beat Mae Weston

Cleveland—January 27, 1948

Nell Stewart vs. Mae Weston

Cleveland—March 16, 1948

Mildred Burke beat Elvira Snodgrass

St. Paul—March 16, 1948

Helen Hild beat June Byers

Columbus—March 31, 1948

Therese Theis beat Mae Weston

Columbus—April 7, 1948

Juanita Banks beat Therese Theis

Cleveland—April 20, 1948

Norma Robinson drew Jean Miller

Portland ME—May 11, 1948

June Byers beat Mae Weston

Minneapolis—May 11, 1948

Violet Viann beat Helen Hild

Duluth—May 14, 1948

Violet Viann beat Gladys Galento

Baltimore - May 18, 1948

Rose Evans beat Juanita Mendez

Columbus—May 19, 1948

Mildred Burke beat Dot Dotson

Baltimore—May 25, 1948

June Byers-Therese Theis beat Rose Evans-Elvira Snodgrass

Columbus—May 26, 1948

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Banks

Cleveland—June 8, 1948

Jean Miller beat Adele Spudis

Columbus—June 30, 1948

Elvira Snodgrass beat Mae Weston

San Antonio—July 14, 1948

Violet Viann beat Mae Young

San Antonio—July 21, 1948

Juanita Coffman beat Therese Theis

San Antonio—July 28, 1948

Violet Viann beat Juanita Coffman

Columbus—September 8, 1948

Violet Viann-Dot Dotson beat Nell Stewart-Mae Young

Columbus—September 15, 1948

Violet Viann-Dot Dotson vs. Nell Stewart-Elvira Snodgrass

Little Rock—October 12, 1948

Nell Stewart beat Ellen Olsen, Violett Viann beat Dot Dotson

Minneapolis—October 26, 1948

Therese Theis beat Juanita Coffman

San Antonio—October 27, 1948

Violet Viann beat Dot Dotson

St. Paul—October 29, 1948

Therese Theis beat Mae Young

San Antonio—November 3, 1948

Violet Viann beat Nell Stewart dq

San Antonio—November 10, 1948

Violet Viann-Lillian Ellison (as Ellen Ellison) beat Dot Dotson-Nell Stewart

Minneapolis—November 23, 1948

June Byers beat Therese Theis

Little Rock—November 23, 1948

Mildred Burke beat Ada Ash

Minneapolis—November 30, 1948

June Byers drew Therese Theis

Columbus—December 3, 1948

Mildred Burke beat Helen Hild

St. Paul—December 3, 1948

Therese Theis beat June Byers

Cleveland—December 8, 1948

Therese Theis-Helen Hild beat June Byers-Ada Ash

Columbus—December 9, 1948

Therese Theis-Helen Hild beat June Byers-Ada Ash

Cleveland—December 14, 1948

June Byers-Juanita Coffman vs. Therese Theis-Helen Hild

Columbus—December 16, 1948

Helen Hild-Therese Theis beat June Byers-Juanita Coffman

Cleveland—December 21, 1948

Helen Hild beat Elvira Snodgrass

(to be continued in New WAWLI No. 628)
_________________________________________________

The WAWLI Papers No. 628...

(ED. NOTE: The New WAWLI Papers editorial board has never made a secret of the fact that a goodly portion of the material appearing in this newsletter is ticketed, in one form or another, for the forthcoming ‘On Top: The Ultimate History of Professional Wrestling in North America.’ Herein, another sneak preview of some of that accumulation, namely, just a smidgeon of what will be a vastly comprehensive list of matches featuring girls, midgets, bears, alligators and other "special attractions." Our apologies to anyone who is offended. The following was a very, very early draft of the material, which is now probably some 100 times lengthier, at a minimum.)

(continued from New WAWLI No. 627)

Mankato—April 28, 1949

Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman

Salt Lake City—April 28, 1949

Helen Hild beat Nell Stewart

Mankato—May 11, 1949

Helen Hild beat Nell Stewart

Duluth—June 30, 1949

Violet Viann beat June Byers

Mankato—October 26, 1949

Dot Dotson beat Helen Hild

Rochester MN—November 3, 1949

Therese Theis beat Dot Dotson

Salt Lake City—November 3, 1949

Violet Viann beat June Byers

Duluth—January 4, 1950

June Byers beat Violet Viann

Mankato—January 5, 1950

June Byers beat Violet Viann

Eugene—January 28, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat George Dusette

Salem OR—January 31, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Tony Ross

Roseburg—February 4, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Leo Wallick

Sandusky—February 6, 1950

Wilma Gordon beat Nell Stewart

Grants Pass—February 7, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Jack Lipscomb

Klamath Falls—February 8, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Buck Lipscomb

Medford—February 9, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat George Dusette

Coos Bay—February 10, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Leo Wallick

Eugene—February 11, 1950

GUS THE BEAR drew Tony Ross

Sandusky—February 13, 1950

Eva Lee beat Mae Young

Portland OR—February 13, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat George Dusette

Astoria OR—February 15, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Tony Ross

Sandusky—February 20, 1950

Wilma Gordon-Eva Lee beat Mae Young-Nell Stewart

Eugene—February 25, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Jack Lipscomb-Tony Ross

Salem—March 7, 1950

GUS THE BEAR beat Jack Lipscomb-Leo Wallick

Wichita Falls—March 16, 1950

WRESTLING BEAR beat Whitey Whittler

Wichita Falls—March 23, 1950

WRESTLING BEAR beat Ali Pasha

Sandusky—March 27, 1950

RED TIGRESS-Clara Von Straus beat Lillian Ellison (Moolah)-Patsy O’Neil dq

Mankato—March 30, 1950

Mae Weston beat Ellen Olsen

Sandusky—April 3, 1950

RED TIGRESS-Clara Von Straus beat Lillian Ellison-Patsy O’Neil

Duluth—April 5, 1950

Mae Weston beat Helen Hild

Sandusky—April 10, 1950

Lillian Ellison-Patsy O’Neil beat RED TIGRESS-Clara Von Straus

Wichita Falls—April 13, 1950

Mildred Burke beat Elvira Snodgrass

Sandusky—April 17, 1950

Mildred Burke beat Mae Weston

Sandusky—April 24, 1950

Mildred Burke beat June Byers

Sandusky—May 8, 1950

GORGEOUS GUS THE BEAR beat Billy Venable

Mankato—May 11, 1950

Mildred Burke beat Mae Weston

Sandusky—May 15, 1950

Sky Low Low beat Tiny Roe

Rochester MN—May 18, 1950

Mildred Burke beat Nell Stewart

Sandusky—May 22, 1950

Tom Thumb beat Pee Wee James, GORGEOUS GUS THE BEAR beat Frank Marconi

Sandusky—June 5, 1950

Carol Cook-Marilyn Martin beat Mae Young-Millie Stafford, Millie Stafford beat Carol Cook, Mae Young beat Marilyn Martin

Sandusky—July 3, 1950

Lady Angel beat Lillian Ellison

Sandusky—July 12, 1950

Carmen Lee beat Conchita Pons

Sandusky—July 26, 1950

Muriel Fontaine beat Mattie Bell

Sandusky—August 2, 1950

Juanita Coffman beat Lady Atlas

Duluth—October 3, 1950

Sky Low Low beat Pee Wee James

Mankato—October 5, 1950

Pee Wee James beat Sky Low Low

Rochester MN—October 12, 1950

Sky Low Low beat Pee Wee James

Sandusky—October 23, 1950

Juanita Coffman beat Sandra Kowal

Sandusky—October 30, 1950

Margie Markoff (Lady Monster) beat Juanita Coffman

Rochester MN—November 1, 1950

Nell Stewart beat Carol Cook (sub for Mars Bennett)

Mankato—November 2, 1950

Nell Stewart beat Gloria Barratini

Sandusky—November 6, 1950

Lillian Ellison beat Conchita Pons

Duluth—November 10, 1950

Nell Stewart beat Mars Bennett

Sandusky—November 13, 1950

Wilma Gordon beat Juanita Coffman

Sandusky—November 20, 1950

Conchita Pons beat Lillian Ellison dq

Sandusky—November 27, 1950

Lillian Ellison-Patsy O’Neil vs. Lady Angel-Conchita Pons

Sandusky—December 4, 1950

Marilyn Martin-Margie Green beat Muriel Fontaine-Ann Rommell

Sandusky—December 11, 1950

GORGEOUS GUS THE BEAR beat Ivan Bulba

Mankato—February 1, 1951

Mars Bennett vs. Lilly Bitter

Rochester MN—February 14, 1951

Sky Low Low beat Mighty Fritz

Rochester MN—March 3, 1951

Mars Bennett beat Mae Young

Duluth—March 12, 1951

Ella Waldek beat Ann LaVerne

Rochester MN—March 15, 1951

Ella Waldek beat Beverly Lehmer

Mankato—March 15, 1951

Mildred Burke beat Ann LaVerne

Duluth—March 19, 1951

Mildred Burke beat Ella Waldek

Mankato—April 25, 1951

Tiny Roe beat Tom Thumb

Duluth—May 15, 1951

Tiny Roe beat Tom Thumb

Rochester MN—May 17, 1951

Pancho the Bull beat Tiny Roe

Mankato—May 17, 1951

Little Beaver beat Tom Thumb

Duluth—May 21, 1951

Carol Cook beat Dot Dotson

Mankato—May 24, 1951

Carol Cook beat Dot Dotson

Duluth—June 25, 1951

Nell Stewart beat Carol Cook

Duluth—October 1, 1951

Carol Cook beat Dot Dotson dq

Mankato—October 4, 1951

Donna Marie Dieckman beat Dot Dotson

Mankato—October 11, 1951

Donna Marie Dieckman-Therese Theis beat Dot Dotson-Carol Cook

Rochester MN—October 11, 1951

Nell Stewart beat Carol Cook

Duluth—January 7, 1952

Therese Theis (sub for Mary Jane Mull) beat Ruth Boatcallie

Mankato—January 10, 1952

Ida May Martinez beat Therese Theis

St. Paul—January 11, 1952

Therese Theis beat Ruth Boatcliffe

Rochester MN—January 12, 1952

Mary Jane Mull beat Therese Theis

Duluth—January 14, 1952

Mary Jane Mull beat Therese Theis

St. Paul—January 18, 1952

Therese Theis beat Mary Jane Mull

Baltimore—February 12, 1952

Betty Hawkins-Cora Combs beat Terry Majors-Ida May (Martinez)

Baltimore—February 19, 1952

Terry Majors beat Cora Combs

Miami Beach—February 29, 1952

Therese Theis beat Mary Jane Mull

St. Paul—February 29, 1952

Lilly Bitters beat Dot Dotson

Mankato—March 6, 1952

Ramona Rundquist beat Lilly Bitter

Miami Beach—March 7, 1952

Betty Hawkins won all-girl royal from Helen Hild, Therese Theis, Anne LaVerne, Cora Combs, Mary Jane Mull

Miami Beach—March 21, 1952

Betty Hawkins beat Helen Hild

Duluth—March 31, 1952

Lily Bitter (sub for Millie Stafford) beat June Byers

Minneapolis—April 1, 1952

Lilly Bitters beat June Byers

Rochester MN—April 2, 1952

Millie Stafford beat June Byers

Mankato—April 3, 1952

Lilly Bitter beat June Byers

St. Paul—April 4, 1952

Lily Bitters beat Ella Waldek

Minneapolis—April 8, 1952

Lilly Bitters beat Ella Waldek

St. Paul—April 11, 1952

Lilly Bitters beat June Byers

Duluth—May 26, 1952

June Byers beat Terry Majors

Minneapolis—May 27, 1952

June Byers beat Terry Majors

Rochester MN—May 28, 1952

June Byers beat Carol Cook

St. Paul—May 29, 1952

June Byers beat Terry Majors

Rochester MN—June 11, 1952

Millie Stafford beat Ella Waldek

St. Paul—June 13, 1952

Millie Stafford beat Ella Waldek

Minneapolis—August 5, 1952

Nell Stewart beat Ida May (Martinez)

Minneapolis—November 4, 1952

Violet Viann beat Mars Bennett

St. Paul—November 7, 1952

Carol Cook beat Mars Bennett

Rochester MN—November 8, 1952

Carol Cook beat Mars Bennett

Minneapolis—November 11, 1952

Carol Cook beat Ruth Boatcallie

St. Paul—November 14, 1952

Violet Viann beat Carol Cook

Duluth—November 21, 1952

Carol Cook-Violet Viann beat Mars Bennett-Ruth Boatcallie

Duluth—December 21, 1952

Shirley Strimple beat Lavon Hart dq

Mankato—January 22, 1953

Shirley Strimple beat Lavon Hart

Atlanta—January 30, 1953

Tuffy McRae-Farmer Pete beat Sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Duluth—February 6, 1953

Shirley Strimple beat Ramona Hazel

Atlanta—February 20, 1953

Kathleen Wimbley vs. Betty White

Mankato—March 5, 1953

Cora Combs beat Terry Majors

Duluth—March 6, 1953

Cora Combs beat Terry Majors

Rochester MN—March 18, 1953

Ella Waldek beat Millie Stafford

Mankato—March 19, 1953

Millie Stafford beat Ella Waldek

Duluth—March 28, 1953

Betty Hawkins beat Ella Waldek

Atlanta—April 3, 1953

Irish Jackie vs. Sonny Boy Cassidy-Farmer Pete

Porterdale GA—April 11, 1953

Farmer Pete vs. Irish Jackie

Rochester MN—April 15, 1953

Mildred Burke beat Therese Theis (sub for Ella Waldek)

Mankato—April 16, 1953

Mildred Burke beat Ella Waldek

Duluth—April 17, 1953

Mildred Burke beat Cora Combs

Duluth—April 25, 1953

Therese Theis vs. Cora Combs

Mankato—May 14, 1953

Pee Wee James vs. Mighty Schultz

Duluth—May 15, 1953

Mighty Schultz beat Fuzzy Cupid (sub for Pee Wee James)

Atlanta—June 26, 1953

Cora Combs vs. Millie Stafford

Atlanta—July 24, 1953

Mildred Burke beat Cora Combs

Duluth—October 2, 1953

Little Beaver-Tuffy McRae beat Fuzzy Cupid-Karl Krueger

Atlanta—October 9, 1953

Little Beaver-Tito Infante beat Fuzzy Cupid-Tom Thumb

Atlanta—November 20, 1953

Mildred Burke beat Millie Stafford

Atlanta—December 11, 1953

Nell Stewart beat Ida Mae Martinez

Mankato—December 17, 1953

Ramona TeSalle beat Delores DeWitt

Atlanta—December 18, 1953

Terry Majors beat Carole Carota

Duluth—December 18, 1953

Princess Ramona beat Delores DeWitt

Atlanta—December 25, 1953

Terry Majors beat Carole Carota

Duluth—January 9, 1954

Ethel Brown beat Ella Waldek dq

Atlanta—January 8, 1954

Tuffy McRae-Tito Enfante beat Fritz Krueger-Fuzzy Cupid

Rochester MN—January 14, 1954

Ella Waldek beat Ethel Brown

Atlanta—January 29, 1954

Mildred Burke vs. Catherine Simpson

Rochester MN—February 17, 1954

Hailie Selassie-Pee Wee James beat Tiger Jackon-Tom Thumb

Mankato—March 4, 1954

Pee Wee James-Tuffy McRea beat Sky Low Low-Tiger Jackson

Rochester MN—March 18, 1954

Shirley Strimple beat Delores DeWitt

Mankato—March 18, 1954

Ella Waldek vs. Ethel Brown

Duluth—March 19, 1954

Ella Waldek beat Ethel Brown

Atlanta—March 26, 1954

Mildred Burke beat Bonnie Watson

Atlanta—April 9, 1954

Ada Ash vs. ALLIGATOR

Duluth—May 4, 1954

Shirley Strimple beat Delores DeWitt

Atlanta—May 7, 1954

Mary Jane Mull drew Ida Mae Martinez

Atlanta—May 14, 1954

Suzanne drew Millie Stafford

Rochester MN—May 26, 1954

Shirley Strimple beat Ann LaVerne

Atlanta—May 26, 1954

Millie Stafford drew Ida Mae Martinez

Atlanta—June 5, 1954

Mildred Burke beat Mary Jane Mull

Atlanta—July 23, 1954

Millie Stafford drew Carole Yantis

Atlanta—August 6, 1954

Mildred Burke beat Bonnie Watson

Baltimore—August 10, 1954

Nell Stewart beat Judy Glover

Atlanta—August 20, 1954

June Byers beat Mildred Burke 1-0

Duluth—September 14, 1954

Shirley Strimple beat Ramona Waukazo

Duluth—September 21, 1954

Tiny Tim-Tito Infante beat Sky Low Low-Otto Bowman

Atlanta—October 1, 1954

Barbara Baker vs. Nell Stewart, GORGEOUS GUS THE BEAR beat Jerry Graham

Atlanta—October 8, 1954

Cora Combs beat Belle Starr

Atlanta—October 29, 1954

Little Beaver beat Ivan the Terrible

Duluth—November 2, 1954

Betty Hawkins beat Barbara Baker

Rochester MN—November 4, 1954

Betty Hawkins beat Barbara Baker

Mankato—November 4, 1954

Ethel Brown beat Nell Stewart

Duluth—November 9, 1954

Nell Stewart beat Ethel Brown

Rochester MN—November 10, 1954

Nell Stewart beat Ethel Brown

Atlanta—December 10, 1954

Kathy Branch beat Ethel Brown

(to be continued in New WAWLI No. 629)
______________________________________________

The WAWLI Papers No. 629...

(ED. NOTE: The New WAWLI Papers editorial board has never made a secret of the fact that a goodly portion of the material appearing in this newsletter is ticketed, in one form or another, for the forthcoming ‘On Top: The Ultimate History of Professional Wrestling in North America.’ Herein, another sneak preview of some of that accumulation, namely, just a smidgeon of what will be a vastly comprehensive list of matches featuring girls, midgets, bears, alligators and other "special attractions." Our apologies to anyone who is offended. The following was a very, very early draft of the material, which is now probably some 100 times lengthier, at a minimum.)

(continued from New WAWLI No. 628)

Rochester MN—January 12, 1955

Penny Banner beat Millie Stafford

Duluth—January 14, 1955

Penny Banner beat Millie Stafford

Rochester MN—January 19, 1955

June Byers beat Penny Banner (world title defense)

Duluth—January 21, 1955

June Byers-Millie Stafford beat Penny Banner-Betty Hawkins

Mankato—January 27, 1955

Tiny Tim-Tito Infante beat Sky Low Low-Otto Bowman

Duluth—January 28, 1955

Tiny Tim-Tito Infante beat Sky Low Low-Otto Bowman

Mobile—February 8, 1955

Vickie Lynn beat Patty Neff

Mobile—March 1, 1955

Ethel Brown beat Judy Glover

Rochester MN—March 30, 1955

Nell Stewart beat Ida May Martinez

Duluth—April 1, 1955

Nell Stewart beat Kathy Branch

Duluth—April 8, 1955

Kathy Branch-Ida Mae Martinez beat Nell Stewart-Olga Zapata

Rochester MN—April 13, 1955

Tiny Tim-Pee Wee James beat Sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Mankato—April 14, 1955

Pee Wee James-Tiny Tim beat Sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Mobile—April 20, 1955

Otto Bowman beat Tuffy McRae

Mobile—May 17, 1955

China Mira beat Dot Dotson

Mobile—May 24, 1955

Ethel Johnson beat Babs Wingo

Mobile—May 31, 1955

Millie Stafford beat Lana Lamar

Mobile—June 7, 1955

Cowboy Bradley beat Tom Thumb

Mobile—July 19, 1955

Kathleen Wimberly beat Betty White

Mobile—August 30, 1955

Lord Littlebrook beat Ivan the Terrible

Duluth—September 16, 1955

Cowboy Bradley-Brown Panther beat Tom Thumb-Otto Bowman

Mobile—September 21, 1955

Belle Starr-Lee Fields vs. Dot Dotson-Mario Galento (mixed)

Duluth—October 18, 1955

Tiny Tim-Tito Infante vs. Sky Low Low-Ivan the Terrible

Duluth—October 25, 1955

Rusty Ryan (sub for Le Chon LaClaire) beat Kathy Branch

Rochester MN—October 26, 1955

Bonnie Watson beat Rusty Ryan

Mankato—November 3, 1955

Kathy Branch beat Bonnie Watson

Rochester MN—December 7, 1955

Ethel Brown beat Millie Stafford

Mobile—December 14, 1955

GORGEOUS GUS THE BEAR vs. Rube Wright

Rochester MN—December 15, 1955

Ethel Brown beat Barbara Baker

Mankato—December 15, 1955

Barbara Baker vs. Millie Stafford

Kansas City—January 12, 1956

Penny Banner beat Belle Starr

North Attleboro—January 13, 1956

Fabulous Moolah beat Susie Starr

Wichita—January 16, 1956

Belle Starr-Edith Wade beat Penny Banner-Millie Stafford

Rochester MN—March 1, 1956

June Byers beat Bonnie Watson (world title defense)

Mankato—March 1, 1956

June Byers vs. Kathy Branch

Duluth—March 2, 1956

June Byers-Betty Hawkins beat Penny Banner-Bonnie Watson

Duluth—March 9, 1956

Betty Hawkins beat Penny Banner

Mobile—March 14, 1956

Verne Bottoms-Les Welch beat Carol Kowalski-Stan Kowalski (mixed), Carole Kowalski beat Verne Bottoms

Mankato—March 21, 1956

Little Beaver-Pee Wee James beat Otto Bowman-Ivan the Terrible

Rochester MN—March 28, 1956

Little Beaver-Pee Wee James beat Ivan the Terrible-Otto Bowman

Duluth—March 30, 1956

Little Beaver-Pee Wee James beat Ivan the Terrible-Otto Bowman

Atlanta—March 30, 1956

Cowboy Bradley beat Fuzzy Cupid

Portland OR—April 23, 1956

Pee Wee James-Tiny Roe beat Otto Bowman-Ivan the Terrible

Edmonton—April 24, 1956

Barbara Baker beat Betty Hawkins

Vancouver—April 25, 1956

Olga Zepeda beat Millie Stafford

St. Louis—April, 1956

Mae Weston beat Bonnie Watson

Edmonton—May 1, 1956

Millie Stafford beat Barbara Baker

Kansas City—May 3, 1956

Mars Bennett beat Belle Drummond, China Mira beat Lana Lamar

St. Joseph—May 4, 1956

Belle Drummond beat Mars Bennett

Portland—May 4, 1956

Pee Wee James-Tiny Roe beat Otto Bowman-Ivan the Terrible

Boston—May 7, 1956

Judy Grable drew Fabulous Moolah

Mobile—May 9, 1956

Verne Bottoms beat Libbie Gonzalez

Columbus—May 10, 1956

Belle Starr beat Lana Lamar

Kansas City—May 10, 1956

Belle Drummond-China Mira beat Mars Bennett-Ella Waldek

St. Joseph—May 11, 1956

Belle Drummond-China Mira beat Mars Bennett-Ella Waldek

St. Louis—May 11, 1956

June Byers beat Bonnie Watson

Vancouver—May 16, 1956

Betty Joe Hawkins-Millie Stafford beat Barbara Baker-Olga Zepeda

Omaha—May 21, 1956

Shirley Strimple beat Lorraine Johnson

Little Rock—May 22, 1956

Ethel Johnson beat Marva Scott

Vancouver—May 23, 1956

Otto Bowman-Pee Wee James beat Ivan the Terrible-Tiny Roe

Detroit—May 24, 1956

Fuzzy Cupid beat Tiny Tim Girard

Mobile—May 30, 1956

Fuzzy Cupid vs. Tiny Tim

Hollywood—June 4, 1956

Irish Jackie-Tom Thumb drew Cowboy Bradley-Little Beaver

Hamilton—June 5, 1956

Fuzzy Cupid-Sky Low Low drew Lord Littlebrook-Tiny Tim

Duluth—June 21, 1956

Shirley Strimple beat Lorraine Johnson

Toronto—June 21, 1956

(midgets)

St. Petersburg—July 11, 1956

Millie Stafford beat Jean Wright

Vancouver—July 11, 1956

June Byers beat Bonnie Watson

Mobile—July 25, 1956

China Mira beat Dot Dotson

Portland OR—August 20, 1956

Lord Littlebrook-Tiny Tim beat Tom Thumb-Irish Jackie

Mobile—August 22, 1956

June Byers beat Penny Banner (title defense)

Mobile—September 5, 1956

June Byers beat Bonnie Watson (title defense)

Mobile—September 19, 1956

Kathy Branch beat Ella Waldek

Rochester MN—September 20, 1956

Lord Littlebrook-Tiny Tim beat Irish Jackie-Fuzzy Cupid

Rochester MN—September 26, 1956

Lorraine Johnson beat Annette Palmer

Mankato—September 26, 1956

Tiny Tim-Lord Littlebrook vs. Fuzzy Cupid-Irish Jackie

Mobile—September 26, 1956

Kathy Branch beat Penny Banner dq

Mobile—September 27, 1956

Millie Stafford beat Rusty Ryan

Mankato—October 24, 1956

Bonnie Watson beat Penny Banner

Rochester MN—October 25, 1956

June Byers-Penny Banner beat Betty Hawkins-Bonnie Watson

Duluth—October 26, 1956

Penny Banner-Bonnie Watson beat June Byers-Betty Hawkins

Duluth—November 2, 1956

June Byers beat Penny Banner (world title defense)

Rochester MN—November 22, 1956

Shirley Strimple beat Annette Palmer

Mobile—November 22, 1956

Penny Banner vs. Millie Stafford

Montgomery—November 24, 1956

Millie Stafford beat Ellen Whitnor

Mankato—December 5, 1956

Shirley Strimple beat Annette Palmer

Duluth—January 18, 1957

Lord Littlebrook-Brown Panther beat Sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Edmonton—January 22, 1957

Barbara Baker-Penny Banner beat June Byers-Betty Jo Hawkins

Mankato—January 23, 1957

Lord Littlebrook-Brown Panther beat sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Vancouver—January 23, 1957

June Byers beat Penny Banner

Rochester MN—January 24, 1957

Lord Littlebrook-Brown Panther beat Sky Low Low-Irish Jackie

Calgary—January 25, 1957

Betty Jo Hawkins vs. Barbara Baker

Edmonton—January 29, 1957

Penny Banner-Betty Jo Hawkins beat June Byers-Barbara Baker

Vancouver—January 30, 1957

June Byers beat Betty Jo Hawkins

Duluth—February 1, 1957

Lord Littlebrook-Brown Panther beat Tom Thumb-Irish Jackie

Calgary—February 1, 1957

Penny Banner-Betty Jo Hawkins vs. June Byers-Barbara Baker

Vancouver—February 6, 1957

Betty Jo Hawkins-Penny Banner beat June Byers-Barbara Baker

Vancouver—February 13, 1957

June Byers-Barbara Baker beat Betty Jo Hawkins-Penny Banner

Mankato—February 20, 1957

June Byers-Barbara Baker beat Penny Banner-Betty Hawkins

Vancouver—February 20, 1957

Lord Littlebrook-Brown Panther beat Irish Jackie-Tom Thumb

Rochester MN—February 21, 1957

June Byers-Barbara Baker beat Penny Banner-Betty Hawkins

Rochester MN—February 28, 1957

June Byers beat Penny Banner (world title defense)

Regina—February 28, 1957

Pee Wee James-Irish Jackie vs. Brown Panther-Lord Littlebrook

Calgary—March 1, 1957

Pee Wee James vs. Lord Littlebrook, Irish Jackie vs. Brown Panther

Edmonton—March 5, 1957

Lord Clayton-Brown Panther vs. Tom Thumb-Irish Jackie

Calgary—March 8, 1957</