Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling - A Time Line of Every Major Event in Pro Wrestling History - 1926
By: Karl Stern
Much of the text of this entry comes from issue 82 of the DragonKing Press Newsletter available as a downloadable .pdf in the digital downloads section.
The year 1926 is covered on the Long Form History of Pro Wrestling Podcast - Click Here.
1926
02-01-1926: After allegedly being undefeated for 25 years, French wrestling champion Ivan “The Terrible” Maximovich Podubny loses to Joe Stecher in New York. The match was held at the 71st Regiment Armory with an attendance of 12,000.
02-10-1926: Ted Thye wins the World lightweight title in Columbus, OH from Clarence Eklund.
St Louis, MO: Coliseum: Attendance 12,000: Ray Steele defeats Jack Roberts… Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated Jake Brissler… Dick Daviscourt battled Renato Gardini to a 43 minute draw… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeats Jim Londos 2 falls to 1.
02-26-1926: Verne Gagne (Laverne Clarence Gagne) is born in Minnesota.
03-11-1926: World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher was supposed to face an unknown opponent in Boston, MA (Jake Brissler). Suddenly, promoter Paul Bowser attempted a double cross and wanted him to face Joe Malcewicz instead. Stecher refused and left the arena, forfeiting his $12,500 purse. Bowser then declared that the winner of Malcewicz and Ned McGuire would be the new World champion. Joe Malcewicz continued to be recognized as "unofficial champion" on other shows around the country and in the area.
03-30-1926: In Atlanta, GA at the City Auditorium: Jim Londos defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko. The stipulation was that Zbyszko had to score a pin in two rounds or Londos would be declared winner. Londos won the first fall, with the second going to Zbyszko. Time expired during the third fall, thus Londos won due to the stipulation.
04-13-1926: In Atlanta, GA at the Municipal Auditorium in front of 6,000 fans: John Contos- Promoter: Pete Dallis defeated Bill Lewis… Taro Myaki defeated John Paxos… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko.
04-29-1926: St Louis, MO: Coliseum: Attendance 8,000: Joe Zigmund defeats Jim Browning… Ray Steele defeats Dick Daviscourt… Jim Londos defeats Andreas Castanos… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeats John Pesek 2 falls to 1 in a match that lasted four hours, fifteen minutes, 46 seconds.
05-12-1926: Clarence Eklund regains the World lightweight title from Ted Thye in Los Angeles, CA.
05-19-1926: In Atlanta, GA at the Municipal Auditorium. Attendance: 6,000: John Contos- Promoter: Pete Sauer defeated E. A. Oakes… Dick Daviscourt defeated Nick Velcoff… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeated Jim Londos.
06-10-1926: In Philadelphia, PA: Municipal Stadium drawing 10,000: Charley Hanson drew Guiseppi Masselli… World heavyweight champion Joe Stecher beat Jim Londos… John Pesek pinned Renato Gardini.
06-16-1926: Los Angeles, CA: Olympic Auditorium: Attendance 10,000: Carlos Aguayo battled Chris Michaels to a 30 minute draw… George Kotsonaros defeats Jatindra Gobar… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeats Ivan Poddubny 2 falls to none.
07-01-1926: In Boston, MA: Braves Field drawing 10,000: Frank Yusko beat Harry Stevens… Leone Labriola beat Scotty McPherson… Ned McGuire beat Howard Cantowine… Stanley Stasiak beat Toots Mondt via DQ… Ed “Strangler” Lewis drew Joe Malcewicz. Both men were defending claims to the World title and this was considered a unification match. Lewis was not World champion, but he was still claiming it. Malcewicz was considered "Paul Bowser's uncrowned champion" and even had a $1000 gold belt. The match lasted 3 hours and 22 minutes. The referee stopped the match due to exhaustion and the late hour.
07-17-1926: Edouardo Carpentier (Edouard Wieczorkwicz) is born near Lyon, France.
10-06-1926: A match is set up in Los Angeles to unify the World titles between Joe Stecher and Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Lewis no-shows and is replaced by John Pesek. The match is split at one fall each going into the final fall Pesek gets Stecher in a wrist lock. Stecher is obviously beaten but the referee steps in and disqualifies Pesek for using an illegal choke, thus saving Stecher’s title. Attendance is 10,000 at the Olympic Auditorium. Other matches include: Renato Gardini defeats Joe Zigmund… Nick Lutze defeats Paul Jones.
10-13-1926: Walter “Killer” Kowalski is born in Ontario, Canada.
12-01-1926: A match to finally unify the two world titles between Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher falls apart when Lewis again no-shows and forfeits a $2,500 bond.
Los Angeles, CA: Olympic Auditorium: Paul Jones defeats Gilberto Martinez Larrea… World Welterweight champion Matty Matsuda defeats Tiger Smith… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher battled Jim Londos to a 2 hour draw. Stecher won the first fall. Londos won the second. The third went to a time limit draw.
12-15-1926: In Atlanta, GA at the Municipal Auditorium: Attendance: 5,000: John Contos- Promoter: Teen Amateur Match: Buckshot Phillips defeated Young Manuel… Paul Jones defeated Oresti Vadalfi… World Heavyweight champion Joe Stecher defeated Dick Daviscourt.
John Pesek
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