Courtesy of J Michael Kenyon
Abilene TX: August 3, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Dory Funk beat Baron Kurt Von Poppenheim (18:00, cnc) ... Cowboy Carlson beat Cyclone Anaya (2-1, dq) ... Ray (Big Train) Clements beat Billy Weidner (2-0, dq) ... Referee: Tommy Martindale ... Promoter: Benny Wilson ... NOTE: Funk's spinning toe hold put Von Poppenheim's knee out of commission.
Abilene TX: August 10, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Cyclone Anaya beat Baron Kurt Von Poppenheim (2-1) ... (Ladies) Carol Carota beat Ella Waldek ... Dory Funk & Cowboy Carlson drew Tommy Martindale & Bob Cummings (30:00, 1-1)
Abilene TX: August 17, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... (Battle Royal Finale) Dory Funk beat Cowboy Carlson (2-0) ... Tommy Martindale beat Bob Cummings (2-1) ... Cyclone Anaya drew Billy Weidner ... First Out: Ace Abbott ... NOTE: The winner, Funk, earned a match the following week with Gorgeous George.
Abilene TX: August 24, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Gorgeous George drew Dory Funk (60:00, 1-1) ... Cyclone Anya beat Ace Abbott (sub for Bob Cummings) (2-1, dq) ... Tommy Martindale drew Cowboy Carlson (12:00, dcor) ... NOTE: "George took the first fall with a flying headlock and Funk evened it up with a spinning toe hold. Then the two grappled the remaining 24 minutes of their match with George staving off another toe hold by Funk at the bell." -- Abilene TX Reporter-News, Aug. 25, 1953
OLIVER'S TWISTS
(By Don Oliver, Abilene TX Reporter-News, Thursday, August 27, 1953)
With proper apologies to our good friend Benny Wilson, the local wrestling mogul, we weren't very impressed with Gorgeous George in his mat performance at the local arena Monday night.
Take away the fancy hair-do, the various-hued robes, the stooge valet with the fly spray and you've got George Wagner, a sub-par wrestler, but one who is nearing the million-dollar bracket in the grunt-and-groan business merely because of these extra frillsl.
Wagner was just another wrestler a few years ago until he came upon the idea of going Hollywood with his act. The new gimmick was just what fans needed to go with the facial contortions and body slams seen at the wrestling arenas around the country. It afforded them a chance to hoot at a brawny fellow who cast convention aside and dressed and acted in the exact opposite of what most he-men are supposed to do.
The Gorgeous One, as we said before, isn't even a good wrestler. He bounces a little higher than most, groans a bit louder, but when it gets down to the knuckle-thumping, can't hold his own with Dory Funk, Cyclone Anaya or a half-dozen other muscle men who parade into the local arena every Monday night.
However, what counts most is the bank book, and George has got a ton loaded away for a rainy day. We've heard that he gets $1,500 a night for displaying his act around the country. Multiply this by some 200 working nights a year and it amounts to quite a bit of green stuff.
Benny himself told us that Wagner is nearing the million-mile mark on commercial airliners this year. That in itself is an indication of his drawing power.
But, as a friend remarked to us during his Monday night exhibition, "We'd hate to be hungry enough to do that for a living." On this we heartily agree!
[ED. NOTE -- One of the reasons, methinks, that Americans have been so monumentally dumbed down over the years is that most of the newspaper articles they read -- TV and radio get no pass here, either -- are crammed with factual errors. This dunce-columnist also spelled George's last name "Waggoner" throughout the entire piece.]
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Abilene TX: August 31, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Cyclone Anaya & Tommy Martindale & Glen Detton (sub for Bill Sledge) beat Dory Funk & Cowboy Carlson & Ace Abbott ... Cyclone Anaya beat Dory Funk (3:40) ... Cowboy Carlson drew Tommy Martindale (20:00) ... Ace Abbott beat Glen Detton (sub for Bill Sledge) (11:00) ... NOTE: Glen Detton may have used the name "Gene" Detton during his west Texas sojourn ... Funk lost his preliminary bout to Anaya's cobra twist in three minutes, 40 seconds flat.
Abilene TX: September 7, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... (Southwest States Tag Title*) Tommy Martindale & Cyclone Anaya beat Dory Funk & Cowboy Carlson (2-1) ... Ace Abbott beat Billy Weidner (18:00, cnc) ... Dory Funk beat Tommy Martindale ... Cowboy Carlson beat Cyclone Anaya ... NOTE: "On the way to the dressing room, Cowboy Carlson grabbed the (tag title) trophy from Anaya, threw it to the floor and 'busted it to pieces,' promoter Benny Wilson said." -- Abilene TX Reporter-News, Sept. 8, 1953
Abilene TX: September 14, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Cowboy Carlson & Ace Abbott beat Tommy Martindale & Cyclone Anaya (2-1) ... Billy Weidner drew Bill Sledge (20:00) ... (Ladies) Millie Stafford beat Carol Carota ... NOTE: Tag title of Martindale & Anaya not at stake.
Abilene TX: September 21, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... (Ladies) Mildred Burke beat Millie Stafford (2-1) ... Ivan Kalmikoff beat Bill Fletcher (12:00) ... Tommy Martindale beat Ace Abbott (dq) ... Cyclone Anaya vs Bill Sledge ... NOTE: Ace Abbott injured Cyclone Anaya (mild ankle sprain) beforehand, so Anaya-Sledge bout did not happen.
BURKE RETAINS FEM MAT TITLE
(Abilene TX Reporter-News, Tuesday, September 22, 1953)
Mildred Burke successfully defended her world's wrestling championship at Fair Park Arena Monday night, making a comeback to whip challenger Millie Stafford in the last two falls of the match.
Miss Stafford won the first fall in 14 minutes with an airplane spin but Miss Burke evened things up in 11 minutes of the second with an arm flip and body pin. The deciding fall came three minutes deep in the third with Miss Burke using a reverse jack knife for the verdict.
Ivan Kalmikoff made his return to the arena a good one by trimming newcomer Bill Fletcher in the third preliminary bout. Kalmikoff used a turnbuckle slam to win in 12 minutes.
Abilene's Ace Abbott was disqualified in his match with Tommy Martindale for rough tactics and then disrupted the other preliminary bout by putting Cyclone Anaya out of commission before his match with Bill Sledge.
Abbott was disqualified by referee Richard Moody for repeatedly slamming Martindale into the ring turnbuckle and for fighting outside the ring.
Abbott continued the rhubarb with the referee, police and promoter Benny Wilson as Anaya and Sledge entered the ring and then turned on Anaya, throwing him out of the ring and twisting his ankle. Anaya suffered a mild ankle sprain and could not wrestle, with the commissioner calling his bout with Sledge "no contest."
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Abilene TX: September 28, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Tommy Martindale (sub for Cyclone Anaya) & Jack Curtis beat Ace Abbott & Bill Sledge (2-1) ... Jack Curtis vs Bob Geigel ... Cyclone Anaya vs Ace Abbott ... Tommy Martindale vs Bill Sledge ... NOTE: Anaya probably was put out of commission by Abbott in their preliminary bout, as he was not present in the main event ... The newspaper did not have complete results.
Abilene TX: October 5, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Gorgeous George beat Jack Curtis (2-1) ... Ace Abbott beat Tommy Martindale (2-1) ... Bill Fletcher beat Bob Geigel (dq) ... NOTE: Ticket prices hiked to $1.80 and $1.20 ... "George copped the first fall in 17 minutes with a Gorgeous George special head lock and won the match in the third after Curtis had evened things up with a chin snap and knee lift. George used a reverse wrist lock to win the deciding fall in 12 minutes."
Abilene TX: October 12, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Jack Curtis & Bill Fletcher & Billy Weidner beat Ivan Kalmikoff & Ace Abbott & Bob Geigel (2-1, dq) ... Jack Curtis beat Bob Geigel (13:00) ... Ace Abbott beat Bill Fletcher ... Billy Weidner vs Ivan Kalmikoff beat Billy Weidner (12:00)
Abilene TX: October 19, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Ivan Kalmikoff & Ace Abbott beat Jack Curtis & George Curtis (2-1) ... Jesse James beat Karol Krauser (2-0, dq) ... Referee: Glen Detton ... NOTE: The Curtis brothers did not have their Southwest States tag belts at stake.
Abilene TX: October 26, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Ivan Kalmikoff beat George Curtis (2-1) ... Karol Krauser beat Bill Fletcher (2-1) ... Jesse James drew Jack Curtis
Abilene TX: November 2, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Jack Curtis & George Curtis beat Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Krauser (2-1, dq) ... Referees: Glen Detton, Billy Weidner ... Jesse James beat Bill Fletcher (2-1)
Abilene TX: November 9, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Dory Funk (of Flying Mare Ranch) beat Polo Cordova (2-1) ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat George Curtis (2-1) ... Johnny James beat Buck Lipscomb (dq)
Abilene TX: November 16, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat George Curtis (2-1) ... (Ladies) Babs Wingo beat Kathleen Wimbley ... Polo Cordova & Chico Bonales beat Johnny James & Bill Fletcher (30:00, 1-0, only fall) ... NOTE: The negro girls drew a "sellout" crowd ... Fletcher was knocked out by Bonales in 21 minutes of the opener.
Abilene TX: November 23, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Jack Curtis & George Curtis beat Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) & Buck Lipscomb (2-0, dq) ... Polo Cordova beat Frank Murdoch (as Frank Murdock) (2-1, dq) ... NOTE: The Curtis brothers' tag belts are on the line.
Abilene TX: November 30, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Krauser & Buck Lipscomb & Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat Johnny James & Jesse James & Jack Curtis & George Curtis (3-1) ... Referee: Gene Blakely (as Gene Blackley) ... Karol Krauser beat Jesse James ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat Johnny James ... George Curtis beat Ivan Kalmikoff ... Jack Curtis beat Buck Lipscomb ... NOTE: "The main bout will go for an hour with the team which has won the most falls in that period sharing the pot, $800, in addition to 40 percent of the gate." -- Abilene TX Reporter-News, Nov. 30, 1953
Abilene TX: December 7, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Roger Mackay drew Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) (1-1, dcor) ... Frank Murdoch (as Frank Murdock) vs Jack Curtis (of Vicksburg MS) ... George Curtis vs Chico Bonales ... NOTE: Jack and George Curtis shared the Southwest States tag team title until recently.
Abilene TX: December 14, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat Jack Curtis (2-1) ... Roger Mackay beat Bob Cummings (2-1) ... Jesse James beat George Overhuls (14:00, DQ) ... (Special Grudge Match) Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat Roger Mackay (Judges' Decision, 2-1)
Abilene TX: December 21, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Ace Freeman & Al Getz beat Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) & Karol Krauser (2-1) ... Buck Lipscomb beat Billy Weidner (sub for George Overhuls) (2-1) ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) drew Ace Freeman (20:00) ... Karol Krauser beat Al Getz (11:00) ... NOTE: Getz returns, reminding locals that he was the initial Southwest States junior heavyweight champion some two or three years back ... The Abilene Evening Lions Club realizes some $800 for underprivileged children from the special charity show.
Abilene TX: December 28, 1953
(Fair Park Arena) ... Bob Cummings beat Prince Maiava (2-1, dq) ... Referee: Gene Blakely (as Gene Blackley) ... Harold Sakata (as Mr. Sakata) beat Ace Freeman (2-1) ... Al Getz beat Buck Lipscomb ... NOTE: Maiava "entertained ringside fans with a sword dance, walked on upright nails and had his feet tickled with burning cigars." -- Abilene TX Reporter-News, Dec. 29, 1953
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