History of Pro Wrestling #11 (January-May 1953)

[Loss]

History of Pro Wrestling #11 (04:15:32)
Matches from January-May 1953

• PAT O'CONNOR vs BOB ORTON SR. (01/16/1953; NWA Chicago; 00:22:01)

• ALI PASHA vs PAT MEEHAN (02/26/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:26:19)

• GORGEOUS GEORGE vs DR. LEE GRABLE (02/26/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:31:06)

• WARREN BOCKWINKEL & FRED BLASSIE vs JOE PASANDAK & MR. MOTO (03/23/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:26:09)

• LOU THESZ vs ANTONINO ROCCA (03/24/1953; Manhattan Booking Agency; MSG; New York, NY; 00:10:49)
  If someone wanted to understand the roots of the distinction hardcore fans often make between WWE style and non-WWE style, you could probably find worse places to start than the Thesz-Rocca series. Rocca was an exciting performer, but not a skilled wrestler in the style of Thesz, Verne Gagne and other more pure wrestlers during this time, and Thesz fans to this today will sometimes complain about how New York didn’t give him his proper respect because the type of wrestling that animated NY-area fans seemed to be very different than it was in other parts of the country. There are people who have talked about this far more than I have, and I’d love to have a better understanding of how the Thesz-Rocca matches play into this history and narrative, so if any readers have any insight, please don’t hesitate to share.

• BUDDY ROGERS vs JOHNNY VALENTINE (03/24/1953; Manhattan Booking Agency; MSG; New York, NY; 00:03:25)

• FRED BLASSIE vs BARON MICHELE LEONE (04/13/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:41:37)

  An interesting excerpt about this match from the book The Revenge of Hatpin Mary: Women, Professional Wrestling and Fan Culture in the 1950s.

• MILDRED BURKE vs MILLIE STAFFORD (04/20/1953; Manhattan Booking Agency; Washington, DC; 00:00:46)
  Even in short clips, it’s pretty clear from the Mildred Burke footage we have that she was the real deal.

• BARON MICHELE LEONE vs JACK MCDONALD (04/20/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:27:26)
  The women at ringside are really worked into a frenzy for this match as well, which is also covered in the Hatpin Mary excerpt linked above.

• WILBUR SNYDER & SANDOR SZABO vs JACK MCDONALD & DANNY SAVAGE (04/27/1953; NWA Los Angeles; 00:37:06)

• COWBOY CARLSON vs VINCENT LOPEZ (05/08/1953; NWA Chicago; 00:18:48)