History of Pro Wrestling #16 (May 1954-February 1955)

[Loss]

History of Pro Wrestling #16 (04:33:37)
Matches from May 1954-February 1955

• PAT O'CONNOR vs KILLER KOWALSKI (07/21/1954; Promotions Eddie Quinn; Montreal Forum; 00:08:41)

• BENITO GARDINI vs AL WARSHAWSKI (08/06/1954; NWA Chicago; 00:16:01)

• RIKIDOZAN & KOUKICHI ENDO vs HANS SCHNABEL & LOU NEWMAN (08/08/1954; JWA Pacific Coast Tag Championship Series; 00:06:42)
  Endo had replaced Masahiko Kimura by this time as Rikidozan’s go-to tag team partner, as Kimura allegedly priced himself out of the business. The Pacific Coast Tag Titles didn’t stick around very long.

• LOU THESZ vs TOM RICE (08/14/1954; NWA Los Angeles; 00:21:08)
  Rice was better known as the Masked Marvel and had a 20-year career.

• RIKIDOZAN & KOUKICHI ENDO vs HANS SCHNABEL & LOU NEWMAN (08/16/1954; JWA Pacific Coast Tag Championship Series; 00:07:29)

• RIKIDOZAN & KOUKICHI ENDO & OKI SHIKINA vs HANS SCHNABEL & LOU NEWMAN & OLSON (08/25/1954; JWA Pacific Coast Tag Championship Series; 00:01:59)

• RIKIDOZAN & KOUKICHI ENDO vs HANS SCHNABEL & LOU NEWMAN (09/10/1954; JWA Pacific Coast Tag Championship Series; 00:03:17)

• DON LEO JONATHAN vs TIGER JACK MOORE (10/22/1954; NWA Chicago; 00:08:32)

• GREAT KARPOZILOS vs GREAT YAMATO (10/22/1954; NWA Chicago; 00:26:50)
  Some fascinating history involving Karpozilos and other Greek wrestlers in this thread at Wrestling Classics.

• ANTONINO ROCCA vs DON LEO JONATHAN (11/15/1954; Manhattan Booking Agency; MSG; New York, NY; 00:03:27)
  Rocca had a reputation for not selling for his opponents very much, but he gave a lot of the match to Jonathan here.

• THE SHEIK vs JUAN HUMBERTO (12/14/1954; Southwest Sports; Dallas Sportatorium; 00:11:09)

• RIKIDOZAN vs MASAHIKO KIMURA (12/22/1954; JWA Japanese Championship; 00:14:32)
  The match was built by Kimura telling a newspaper reporter that Rikidozan only wrestled for show and that it was time to find out who the best “real” wrestler was in Japan. It was billed as sumo versus judo, and is famous for Kimura suggesting that they take the match to a draw to build to rematches, only to kick Rikidozan in the groin during the match. From there, the match escalated to a shoot which Rikidozan won, and he decided to humiliate Kimura in the press after the match, providing the letter to a reporter where Kimura had suggested they go to a draw and thus spinning his way out of a situation where wrestling’s legitimacy was being openly questioned in the Japanese media by presenting Kimura as corrupt. This was pretty much the end of Kimura in professional wrestling.

• LARRY CHENE vs BOBBY NELSON (1954; NWA Chicago; 00:27:57)

• RED RYAN vs ADRIEN BAILLARGEON (1954; Manhattan Booking Agency; MSG; New York, NY; 00:03:56)
  Baillargeon’s size and ability to speak French made him a huge star among Cajun fans in Louisiana.

• BILLY GOELZ vs JUAN HERNANDEZ (01/21/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:22:52)
  Some excellent fast-paced wrestling exchanges in this one. Goelz is a marvel!

• VERNE GAGNE vs YUKON ERIC (01/21/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:29:13)

• RIKIDOZAN vs TOSHIO YAMAGUCHI (01/26/1955; JWA Japanese Championship; 00:14:00)
  I believe this was the last time Rikidozan ever faced a Japanese wrestler.

• DANNY SAVICH vs BULL CURRY (02/22/1955; Southwest Sports; Dallas Sportatorium; 00:21:30)

  Reviews of the match from Segunda Caida.

• LOU THESZ vs DON LEO JONATHAN (02/26/1955; NWA Chicago; 00:24:22)