With the exception of the local Gadsden-area amateurs often used for preliminary matches, wrestlers for promoter Noel Ray's shows were provided by Chris Jordan of Birmingham, Alabama, who promoted all over the Southeast. Ray was an accomplished local amateur wrestler in his own right and would "go pro" in May of 1933 and have a handful of opening matches through out the summer.
(American Legion Arena) ... Jim Hesslyn beat Ernest Kelly (44:35, 2-1) ... Georgin Harben beat Eddie Elzea (39:52, 2-0) ... Referee: Sammy Miller ... Promoter: Noel W. Ray
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 31 March 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Lon Chaney beat Jim Mellon (37:12, 2-0) ... "Rough House" Jack Hagen beat Jack Sherry (30:56, 2-1) ... Bob Burns beat Max Weiner (9:20) ... Referee: Ernest Kelly ... Promoter: Noel W. Ray ... Jack Mellon (or Mellen) was listed as 170 lbs, wrestling fireman from Battle Creek, Michigan ... Bob Burns was referred to as a former University of Alabama wrestler
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 07 April 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Eddie Pope beat Roy Allen (8:00) in one fall, Allen was unable to continue after suffering a strained back from Pope's "crab hold" ... Eddie Pope beat Sammy Miller (24:52, 2-0) ... Cowboy Roland beat Jack/Jacques Moreau (24:41, 2-1) ... Pope wrestled twice to make up for the no-show by Scotty McNaught, who had been heavily advertised ... Promoter: Noel W. Ray
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 14 April 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Ernest Kelly beat Al Stecher (33:25) via dq ... Jim Hesslyn drew Joe Dillman (60:00) with no falls ... David Lee Reid beat Bill Stewart (13:10) ... Referee: George Harben ... Promoter: Noel W. Ray ... Reid and Stewart were listed as Gadsden locals
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 21 April 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Ernest Kelly beat Jim Hesslyn (34:20, 2-0) ... Eddie Pope beat Freddie Lassiter (27:12, 2-0) ... Referee: "Rough House" Hagen ... Promoter: Noel W. Ray
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 28 April 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Al Stecher beat Eddie Pope (2-1) ... Ed "Bull" White beat Charlie Cure (17:20, 2-1) ... Referee Roy Allen ... Ed White listed as former Army football player and pro football All-American tackle
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 05 May 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Joe Dillman beat Francis (Francois) Journee (26:42, 2-1) ... Ernest Kelly beat Clint McLeod (2-1) ... Lopez Brazile beat Lawrence Vinson (3:10) ... Promoter: Noel Ray ... Vinson listed as local high school football star ... Brazile's name is also spelled Brazell and Brazill in subsequent mentions in the newspaper
Apparently at this point the weather had warmed up enough that the American Legion built an outdoor arena at their golf course here promoter Noel Ray moved his shows.
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 12 May 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... First show at the newly contructed outdoor arena at the American Legion golf course on First Street... Al Stecher beat Pat Corrigan (26:23, 2-1) ... Eddie Pope beat Pete Demetroff (2-1) ... Noel "Kid" Ray beat Dr. Roller (10:44, 2-1)
... the Times claims Corrigan was on the recent Savoldi-Londos card in Chicago (7 April @ Chicago Stadium), but the pre-show card and show results listed in the Chicago Tribune do not support that claim ... This was Noel Ray's first professional wrestling match
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Stanley Buresh beat Kid Lott (25:17, 2-1) ... Tarzan, the Ape Man (George Romanoff) beat "Rough House" Jack Hagen (60:00, 1-0) ... Lopez Brazile beat Jimmy Price (1:55)
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 26 May 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Al Stecher beat George Romanoff (17:12, 2-0) .. Kid Lott beat Jack Hagen (9:10, 2-0) .. Clarence Bynum drew Kit Pritchett (15:00) .. Bynum is listed as from Emma Sansom High School
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 02 June 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Al Stecher beat Jack Freeman (32:00, 2-1) .. Stanley Buresh beat Hans Wagner (34:22, 2-1) .. Noel Ray beat Red Sanger (10:20)
Gadsden, AL: Saturday, 10 June 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Ernest Kelly vs Stanley Buresh (2/3 Falls, 2 hr time limit) ... Al Stecher vs Ripper Reeves (2/3 falls, 60 min time limit) ... Promoter: Noel Ray ... show was delayed a day due to rain, no results were published
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 16 June 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Hans Wagner beat Stanley West (29:15, 2-1) .. Freddie Knichel beat Bulldog Mallory (23:49, 2-0) ... Promoter: Noel Ray
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 23 June 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Joe Dillman beat Walter Roxy (9:40, 2-0) ... Bobby Jackson beat Ripper Reeves (26:12, 2-1) ... Roxy is listed as a University of Indiana wrestling star whose only collegiate loss came in the 1930 Big Ten tournament ... Reeves is listed as a former University of Florida All-Southern guard in football.
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 30 June 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Joe Dillman beat Bobby Burns (21:55, 2-0) ... Bobby Jackson beat Freddie Knichel (40:15, 2-1) ... Gadsden Times says Burns' real name is 'Tony Rico', a member of the 1928 U.S. Olympic wrestling team.
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 07 July 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Ernest Kelly beat Stanley Buresh (2-1) .. Bobby Jackson beat Walter Roxy (28:30, 2-1) ... David Lee Reid beat Bill Stewart via countout ... Buresh's loss reportedly ended a 180 match winning streak
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Ernest Kelly vs Stanley West ... Joe Gunther vs Vic Webber ... Noel Ray vs Bulldog Mallory
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 21 July 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... "Queen's Night" ... Tuffy Cleet beat Ernest Kelly (48:30, 2-1) ... Henry Kolln beat Farmer Vance (21:34, 2-1) ... Noel Ray beat Bulldog Mallory (20:00) via dq
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 28 July 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Tuffy Cleet beat Frank Buresh (20:15) via countout ... Vic Webber beat Mike Longon (24:49, 2-1) ... Referee: Ripper Reeves
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 04 August 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Vic Webber beat Dale Haddock (28:50, 2-1) ... Gus Pappas beat Pete Ramos (25:30, 2-1) ... Kid Ray drew Jimmy Shaber (15:00) ... Shaber is listed as "welterweight champion of Albania"
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 11 August 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Stanley Buresh beat "Pop" Papas (27:40, 2-0) ... Vic Webber beat John Felix (36:19, 2-1) via dq ... Papas substituted for Cleet who was not cleared to wrestle by the on-site doctor due to a carbuncle
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 18 August 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Jim Hesslyn beat Mickey McGuire (2-1) ... Henry Kolln beat Pete Demetroff (15:25, 2-1) ... Referee: Pappas
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 25 August 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Jim Hesslyn beat Frank Buresh (22:42, 2-1) ... John Felix beat Dale Haddock (35:10, 2-1)
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 01 September 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Jim Hesslyn beat Ernest Kelly (45:42, 2-1) via dq ... Vic Webber beat Eddie Baker (28:22, 2-1)
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Joe Dillman beat Tom Galbos (39:50, 2-1) ... John Felix beat Pete Demetroff (20:05, 2-1)
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 15 September 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Mickey McGuire beat Jack Purdin (35:20, 2-1) ... Vic Webber beat Al Thompson (30:10, 2-0) ... Referee: Farmer Vance ... Promoter: Kid Ray ... Purdin was a substitution for Tuffy Cleet who had been suspended by the state athletic commission. This may refer to an issue mentioned in the August 5th commission meeting minutes concerning Tuffy Cleet striking a spectator during a show in Sheffield, resulting in a $10 fine.
Google's newspaper archive is missing 8 June - 26 September 1933 of the Florence Times, so I'll have to go to Florence to fill in the missing dates from the microfilm at the library.
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 22 September 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Tuffy Cleet vs Roughhouse Sam Nelson ... John Felix vs Eddie Baker
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 29 September 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Tuffy Cleet vs Ace Judkins ... Freddie Knichel vs Eddie Baker
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 06 October 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Frank Buresh beat Otto Matulka (55:20, 2-1) ... Mike London beat Gorilla Tucker (2-0)
Gadsden, AL: Wednesday, 11 October 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... World Light Heavyweight Champion Hugh Nichols beat Frank Buresh (33:50, 2-1) ... Jack Purdin beat Jack Spurgin (11:00, 2-0) ... Spurgin was substituted for the advertised Otto Matulka
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 20 October 1933
(American Legion Outdoor Arena) ... Frank Buresh vs Bill Fulton ... Jack Purdin vs John McKee
At this point, promoter Noel Ray moved the shows into the "new downtown arena" the American Legion had set up. The hype for the shows in the newspaper continued, but for some reason, they stopped posting the results.
Gadsden, AL: Monday, 23 October 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Nick Bozinis vs Lon Chaney ... Harry Davison vs Harry "Speedy" Schaeffer
Gadsden, AL: Friday, 30 October 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Joe Dillman vs Harry Davison ... Freddie Knichel vs Tommy Tassos ... Billy Love vs Ray Myers ... Promoter: Noel Ray
Gadsden, AL: Monday, 06 November 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... George "Wildcat" Pete vs Dick Sampson ... Tommy Tassos vs Eddie Baker
Gadsden, AL: Monday, 13 November 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... George "Wildcat" Pete vs Ray "Tuffy" Meyers (2/3 Falls, 2h time limit) ... Tommy Tassos vs Omar Hanna (2/3 Falls, 60 min time limit) ... Referee Mal "Big Boy" Taylor
Gadsden, AL: Monday, 20 November 1933
(American Legion Arena) ... Freddie Knichel vs Eddie Baker ... Bulldog Mallory vs Jack Carson ... Promoter: Noel Ray
Thanks to the Gadsden Public Library for the use of their ScanPro
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