Dallas Wrestling Results - 1952
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 15, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Mr. Moto b. Sterling “Dizzy” Davis (2/3) … Chief Kit Fox b. Danny
Savich (countout) … Ricki Starr b. George Scott (decision) … Jack Kennedy b. Karol
Krauser … Ray Gunkel b. Ivan Kalmikoff … Rolando Vera b. Johnny Bence …
(promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 22, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Mr. Moto b. Chief Kit Fox (2/3) (third fall by DQ) (referee Steddum
reversed Leo Voss’s decision to award the match to Moto) … Duke Keomuka vs. Ricki
Starr … Danny Savich and George Scott vs. Miguel Guzman and Rolando Vera … Bud
Richardson vs. Willie Spencer (Negro match) … Ray Gunkel vs. George Penchoff …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referees: Leo Voss, Bill Steddum) … (6,549 fans)
(overflow crowd)
Notes: Kit Fox was billed as a Comanche Indian from Oklahoma and he uses a
“tommyhawk slash” as a finisher; Ricki Starr was reported as being 20 years old, 195
pounds, and working toward the junior title.
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, July 29, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Chief Kit Fox b. Mr. Moto … Miguel Guzman and Duke Keomuka
drew … Roy Graham and George Penchoff drew … Jack Kennedy b. Dutch Hefner
(abdominal stretch) … Ray Gunkel and Ricki Starr b. Danny Savich and George Scott
(Starr pinned Scott) … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (capacity crowd)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 5, 1952
(Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka beat Chief Kit Fox … (Loser Leaves Town Match) Mr.
Moto drew Dick Raines (60:00, 1-1) … Ricki Starr vs Miguel (Black) Guzman … Andre
Drapp beat Ray Gunkel … Danny Savich beat Jack Kennedy … NOTE: "Ray Gunkel
pinned newcomer Andre Drapp in less than a minute in the second event but recalled
the fall when Drapp announced that he was not ready for action. They proceeded and
Drapp pinned Gunkel in five minutes' time in a snappy match." – Dallas TX Morning
News, Aug. 6, 1952 Research by J Michael Kenyon
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 12, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Dick Raines b. Mr. Moto (2/3) (“loser leaves town” match) … Ricki
Starr b. Duke Keomuka (reverse decision) (Starr was a substitute for Miguel Guzman) …
Danny Savich b. Chief Kit Fox … Sterling “Dizzy” Davis and Andre Drapp drew …
Cyclone Anaya b. Ivan Kalmikoff … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 19, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Rito Romero b. Danny Savich (2/3) (Romero was given the third
fall by Texas Deputy Commissioner Bill Hughes due to a cut on Savich’s head) … Duke
Keomuka b. Dick Raines … Andre Drapp b. Roy Graham … Cyclone Anaya and Sterling
“Dizzy” Davis drew … Karol Krauser b. George Penchoff … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
… (5,636 fans)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, August 26, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Rito Romero b. Danny Savich (DQ) … Cyclone Anaya and Andre
Drapp drew (60:00) (1-1) … Dick Raines b. Karol Krauser … Sterling “Dizzy” Davis b.
Duke Keomuka (4 seconds) (Raines fought with Keomuka) … Roy Graham b. Dutch
Hefner … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 2, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Dick Raines b. Duke Keomuka (2/3) … Ray Gunkel b. Roy
Graham … Jack Kennedy and Danny Savich drew … Cyclone Anaya b. Jack O’Brien …
Andre Drapp b. Johnny Bence … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 9, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyewight Champion Ray Gunkel b. Dick Raines
(2/3) (Gunkel earned match with Thesz next week) … Duke Keomuka b. Billy Varga (DQ)
… Nell Stewart b. Carol Cook … Roy Graham and Jack O’Brien b. Cyclone Anaya and
Andre Drapp … Jack Kennedy b. Karol Krauser … (promoter: Ed McLemore) …
(referee: Roy Carter)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 16, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Ray Gunkel (2-
0) (Gunkel could not continue during the second fall after losing the first) … Cyclone
Anaya b. Duke Keomuka (DQ) (Danny Savich interfered) … Dick Raines vs. Danny
Savich … Nell Stewart b. Ida May … Sterling “Dizzy” Davis and Dory Funk (local debut)
drew …Billy Varga b. Jack Kennedy … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Note: The Dallas Morning News reported on September 17, 1952 that “Thesz threw him
[Gunkel] to the mat cracking several neck vertebraes. Dr. Allen F. Rowsen refused to let
Gunkel continue further action.”
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 23, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Danny Savich b. Sterling “Dizzy” Davis (2-0) … Duke Keomuka
and Billy Varga drew (60:00) … Sterling “Dizzy” Davis and Billy Varga wrestled Duke
Keomuka and Danny Savich to a no contest … Bill Steddum b. Al Massey … Texas Tag
Team Champions Cyclone Anaya and Miguel Guzman b. The Kasheys (Abe and Al
Kashey) … Andre Drapp b. Carl Engstrom … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, September 30, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Danny Savich b. Sterling “Dizzy” Davis (Davis was unable to
continue) … Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich b. Roy Graham and Jack O’Brien
(Keomuka pinned O’Brien) … Andre Drapp and Billy Varga drew … Cyclone Anaya b.
Abe Kashey (DQ) … Al Kashey b. Bill Steddum … Dory Funk b. Carl Engstrom …
(promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee: Benny Bickers)
Note: Keomuka was billed as the new Texas champion.
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 7, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich b. Cyclone Anaya and Miguel
Guzman to capture the Texas State Tag Taem Title (2/3) (Keomuka was the Texas
champion) … Dory Funk and Billy Varga drew … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson b. Al Kashey …
Roy Graham b. Abe Kashey … Ricki Starr b. “Spoiler” Hank Metheny … (promoter: Ed
McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 14, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Ricki Starr b. Danny Savich (2/3) … Andre Drapp b. Duke
Keomuka (2/3) (non-title match) … Ray Gunkel b. Ike Eakins … Jack Kennedy b.
Abdullah Bey … Cowboy Carlson and Miguel Guzman drew (15:00) … (promoter: Ed
McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 21, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Texas Tag Team Champions Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich
b. Ray Gunkel and Ricki Starr (2/3) … Duke Keomuka and Ricki Starr drew (1-1) …
“Cowboy” Orv Carlson b. Carlos Moreno … Abdullah Bey b. Dr. Lee Grable … Andre
Drapp and Dick Raines drew … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, October 28, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … Texas State Heavyweight Champion Duke Keomuka b. Ray
Gunkel in one fall when the latter was unable to continue due to injury (Ricki Starr came
in and wrestled Keomuka as a substitute) … Ricki Starr b. Duke Keomuka (2-0)
(according to the Dallas Morning News, Starr won a “strong claim” to the Texas Title) …
Ricki Starr b. Kinji Shibuya (DQ) … Ike Eakins b. Kinji Shibuya (DQ) … “Cowboy” Orv
Carlson b. Abdullah Bey … Cyclone Anaya b. Roy Graham … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
… (referee: Leo Voss)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 4, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … . NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny McShain b.
“Wild” Red Berry with a referee’s decision after McShain was unable to continue due to a
severe cut on his head) (2/3) (Berry was disqualified in the second fall after winning the
initial fall) (McShain retained his title) (referee blamed Berry for McShain’s inability to
continue and gave him the bout) … Texas Tag Team Champions Duke Keomuka and
Danny Savich b. Ray Gunkela and Ricki Starr (2/3) … Ginger the Bear b. Danny Savich
(DQ) … Ella Wladek b. Dolores Villa … Juan Humberto b. Ike Eakins … Cyclone Anaya
b. Dory Funk (decision) … Ray Gunkel, Ricki Starr and Ginger the Bear b. Duke
Keomuka, Danny Savich and Kinji Shibuya … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (7,000+
fans)
Note: The Dallas Morning News reported on November 5, 1952 that “over seven
thousand fans, the largest turnout in Dallas wrestling history, packed the Sportatorium to
watch promoter Ed McLemore’s seven match grappling card.”
*On November 7, 1952, the Dallas Morning News reported that Ed McLemore was going
to offer up a new championship for the winner of next Tuesday night’s six-man tag team
bout between Juan Humberto, Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich and the team of
Cowboy Orville Carlson, Ricki Starr and Billy Varga. The main event would be a rematch
between Danny McShain and “Wild” Red Berry.
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 11, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … “Wild” Red Berry b. NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion
Danny McShain (2/3) (third fall by DQ) (McShain won the first fall, Berry won the second,
and Berry won the third by disqualification when McShain “continued to slam Berry
outside the ring.”) … Texas Tag Team Champions Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich b.
“Cowboy” Orv Carlson and Ricki Starr … “Cowboy” Orv Carlson, Ricki Starr and Billy
Varga b. Juan Humberto, Duke Keomuka and Danny Savich to capture the initial Texas
Six-Man Tag Team Title … Cyclone Anaya and Juan Humberto drew … Billy Varga b.
Andre Drapp … Ella Wladek b. Ethel Brown … (promoter: Ed McLemore) … (referee:
Leo Voss) … (5,000 fans)
Notes: The Dallas Morning News on November 12, 1952 reported: “A world wrestling
title changed hands for the first time in many years in Dallas Tuesday night at the
Sportatorium when Wild Red Berry defeated he junior heavyweight champion, Danny
McShane, in the feature main event of the six-bout grappling card, witnessed by nearly
5,000 fans.” McShain was “expected to challenge the disqualification decision with the
Texas commission.” It should be noted that no National Wrestling Alliance, board
controlled, titles could change hands on a DQ.
Dallas TX: November 18, 1952 (Tuesday)
(Sportatorium) … Ricki Starr beat Duke Keomuka (Starr earned title match with Cyclone
Anaya) … (Ladies) June Byers & Millie Stafford beat Dot Dotson & Ella Waldek … Wild
Red Berry beat DannySavich … Billy Varga beat Juan Humberto … Cyclone Anaya beat
Jack Kennedy … NOTE: Originally billed as a Texas title match, the main event went
without that distinction when Keomuka was stripped of the laurels the previous Friday
night (11/14/1952) in Houston by Cyclone Anaya … Byers and Stafford were said to
have defended something called "the national women's tag-team match championship"
(?) Research by J Michael Kenyon
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, November 25, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny McShain b. Billy
Varga (2/3) … Bob Clay b. Bill Staddum (DQ) … Cyclone Anaya and Juan Humberto
drew … Duke Keomuka b. Andre Drapp … Ricki Starr b. “Wild” Red Berry … (promoter:
Ed McLemore) … (benefit for the Leader Dogs for the Blind, one fourth of the gross was
donated) … (in attendance: Leroy McGuirk)
Note: Leroy McGuirk made an appearance in the ring in support of the NWA-wide
benefit program.
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, December 2, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Cyclone Anaya b. Billy Varga
(2-0) … Red Berry and Ricki Starr drew (1-1) … Juan Humberto and Jack Kennedy drew
… Roy Graham b. Kinji Shibuya … Jack O’Reilly b. Gene Allbert … (promoter: Ed
McLemore)
Dallas, Texas: Tuesday, December 9, 1952
(The Sportatorium) … NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny McShain b.
Ricki Starr (2/3) (Starr won the first fall, McShain won the second and third) (Starr was
accompanied by his former University of Purdue wrestling teammate, Ray Gunkel) …
NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Cyclone Anaya b. Roy Graham (special handicap
match) (Graham had to beat Anaya twice in 30-minutes or forfeit) (Graham was
disqualified in the first fall and lost the match) … Red Berry and Gory Guerrero drew …
Andre Drapp b. Jack O’Brien … Billy Varga b. Bill Steddum … (promoter: Ed McLemore)
… (matchmaker: Dr. Karl Sarpolis)
*In San Antonio on Wednesday, December 10, 1952, a number of wrestlers refused to
compete in the scheduled show with complaints on the way television was being handled
in Texas.
*The problem beginning in San Antonio created a large rift in the Texas wrestling
landscape. Once the first block tumbled, everything began to fall, and sides were
quickly taken. On one side was the Texas Wrestling Agency, headed by Morris Sigel
and partners Dr. Karl Sarpolis and Frank Burke. On the other was Ed McLemore, the
promoter in Dallas. In a chain of events, McLemore left the National Wrestling Alliance,
saw Sarpolis leave as his matchmaker, and announce that he would continue to promote
shows with new talent. The Texas Wrestling Agency claimed to have owned two-thirds of
the Dallas office that McLemore owned.
*On Friday, December 26, 1952, a representative of the Texas Wrestling Agency, Frank
Burke, announced that the NWA and the wrestlers Dallas fans were used to seeing
would continue being promoted with a tentative start date of January 6. They had not
announced their local promoter or the venue.
*Over the course of the next day, it was announced that Norman Clark of Houston would
move to Dallas and promote NWA stars at Pappy’s Showland. The war would see both
promotions run shows in Dallas on Tuesday nights. Clark leased the Showland for nine
months.
*On Monday, December 29, 1952, eight wrestlers filed suit against promoter Ed
McLemore, matchmaker Dr. Karl Sarpolis, Dallas TV station KRLD-TV, and the Texas
Rasslin’ and Dong King Advertising Agency. The eight wrestlers included Jesus B.
Valencia (Cyclone Anaya), Ray Gunkel, Joseph (Billy) Varga, Bernard Herman (Ricki
Starr), Ralph L. “Red” Berry, Danny (McShane) McShain, Salvador (Gory) Guerrero,a
nd Dory Funk Sr. The group of wrestlers claimed that the contract they had prevented
television stations in Texas from showing them in action, and that the station in Dallas
was doing so, thus, damaging the local draw.
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