1953-1956

12-18-1952:  Vince McMahon (Sr) officially buys the New York promotional office from Gabe Menendez for $60,000 and begins promoting his style wrestling in January 1953.

01-05-1953:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 11,693: NWA World heavyweight champion Lou Thesz defeated Antonino Rocca by DQ… Gene & Steve Stanlee defeated Rudy Kay & Al Williams… Primo Carnera defeated Bobby Nelson… Whipper Billy Watson defeated Lenny Montana… Raphael Halpern defeated Kola Kwariani… Pedro Escobar battled Jack Steele to a draw… Lu Kim (Rube Wright) defeated Hardy Kruskamp.

01-07-1953:  Vincent J. McMahon, son of boxing promoter Jess McMahon and father of Vincent Kennedy McMahon, along with Toots Mondt, form Capitol Wrestling Corporation and promote wrestling in the New York area. Capitol Wrestling Corporation evolves into the World Wide Wrestling Federation and eventually into World Wrestling Entertainment. Their first card features such names as Primo Carnera, Lu Kim, Zebra Kid, and Golden Terror.

01-10-1953:  Joe “Toots” Mondt is reinstated into the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

01-27-1953:  A discrimination complaint was filed against the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) with the FBI in Boston, MA. While this allegation was not followed up on, soon the Federal Government would begin looking into anti-trust and Sherman Act violations against the NWA.

03-20-1953: Buffalo, NY: Memorial Auditorium: 14th Annual Parade of Champions Show (though it appears there were no champions on the show) Attendance 11,098: Ivan Kamaroff wrestled Johnny Barend to a Time Limit Draw… Steve Gob defeats Benito Gardini… Lucky Simunovich wrestled Whipper Billy Watson to a Time Limit Draw… Wladek Kowalski defeats Vincent Lopez… Great Togo defeats Yukon Eric by Count Out.

03-24-1953: Lou Thesz wrestled Antonino Rocca to a curfew draw at Madison Square Garden to retain the NWA World heavyweight title. Attendance: 9,300. In other matches: Buddy Rogers defeated Johnny Valentine… Lu Kim (Rudy Wright) defeated Adrian Baillargeon… Raphael “Mr. Israel” Halpern defeated Tiger Joe Marsh… Clyde Steeves defeated Jack Rush… Dick Shikat defeated Lenny Montana by DQ… Vic Holbrook defeated Chuck Morgan.

04-07-1953:  In Boston, MA 8,000 fans watch NWA World heavyweight champion Lou Thesz battle Verne Gagne to a one hour draw.

05-11-1953: New York State lifts the ban on tag team wrestling.

06-1953:  June Byers wins a tournament in Baltimore, MD to win a version of the World Women’s title. It would be unified with the NWA World Women’s title in a historic shoot match in 1954.

08-19-1953: Schenectady, NY: McNearny Stadium: Attendance 6,000: Tony Verdi defeats Steve Gob… Edouardo Perez defeats Tony Martinelli 2 falls to 1… NWA (New York) World Tag Team champions Bill Melby & Billy Darnell defeat Lord Athol Layton & Lord James Blears by DQ 2 falls to 1.

08-26-1953: Albany, NY: Hawkins Stadium: Attendance 11,000: Edouardo Perez wrestled Jack Bence to a Time Limit Draw… Johnny Barend defeats Bobby Nelson 2 falls to 1… Hans Schmidt defeats Yukon Eric 2 falls to 1.

09-05-1953:  Fred Kohler names Verne Gagne his United States champion. This caused some controversy in the NWA which rocked on for many months with some members of the NWA feeling that Kohler had created a championship to supersede Lou Thesz’s world title.

10-14-1953:  Title changes as a result of a disqualification are banned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) by a vote of 25-8.

10-27-1953:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 15,581: Verne Gagne defeated Mighty Atlas (Morris Shapiro)… Killer Kowalski defeated Gene Stanlee… Raphael Halpern defeated Bibber McCoy… Ray Gunkel defeated Vincent Lopez… Bob Orton defeated Tony Martinelli… Ray Thunder (Ray Stern) defeated Jack Dillon… Frank Milano defeated Clyde Steeves.

11-26-1953:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 7,500: Verne Gagne defeated Killer Kowalski by DQ… Mike & Ben Sharpe battled Billy Darnell & Bill Melby to a no contest… Pat O’Connor defeated Angelo Savoldi… Baron Gattoni defeated Jack Steele… Ray Thunder (Ray Stern) defeated Bibber McCoy… Frank Milano defeated Red Ryan (George Red O’Malley).

12-14-1953:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 11,651: Verne Gagne defeated Antonino Rocca… Billy Darnell & Bill Melby defeated Lu Kim (Rube Wright) & Bibber McCoy… Ray Thunder (Ray Stern) battled Pedro Escobar to a draw… Matt Murphy defeated Clyde Steeves… Frank Milano defeated Tony Cosenza… Hal Kanner defeated Angelo Savoldi.

02-15-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 15,071: Antonino Rocca battled NWA U.S. champion Verne Gagne to a curtain draw… Pat O’Connor defeated Ski Hi Lee… Gregorio Jarque & Buddy Gilbert defeated Pedro Escobar & Lou Pitoscia… Frank Milano defeated Harry Finkelstein (AKA: Harry Lewis)… Tony Martinelli battled Hal Kanner to a draw… Frank Links defeated Joe Kameroff (AKA: Firpo Zbyszko). Backstage at Madison Square Garden, Pedro Martinez punches out Joe “Toots” Mondt in a disagreement over $19,750 Martinez believed he was owed by Mondt.

03-15-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 8,555: Verne Gagne defeated Hans Schmidt by DQ… Pat O’Connor defeated Tony Cosenza… Baron Gattoni & Frank Dallo defeated Buddy Lee & Hal Kanner… Ted Lewin defeated Buddy Gilbert… Adrien Baillargeon battled Red Ryan to a draw… Frank Milano battled Tony Martinelli to a draw.

04-1954: Joe “Toots” Mondt and the Manhattan Booking Agency files for bankruptcy.

05-11-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 10,000: Antonino Rocca & Pat O’Connor defeated Hans Schmidt & Hans Hermann… Yukon Eric defeated Adrien Baillargeon… Tony Martinelli defeated Hassen Bey (George Stefanides) … Baron Gattoni defeated Camacho Cortez… Ted Lewin defeated Harry Lewis… Chief Blue Eagle defeated Man Mountain Dean, Jr.

06-14-1954:  Boston, MA: Boston: Garden: Attendance 10,000: Manuel Cortez defeats Hans Hermann by DQ… Yvon Robert defeats Rebel Russell… World Women's champion Mildred Burke defeats Mary Jane Mull… Verne Gagne & Bobby Managoff defeat Killer Kowalski & Hans Schmidt 2 falls to 1. Bobby Managoff was a substitution for Antonino Rocca.

08-20-1954:  June Byers battles NWA World Women’s champion Mildred Burke in a shoot match in Atlanta, GA. The match is best two out of three falls and a total shoot. Byers takes the first fall and Burke is injured. Still, Burke continues to fend off Byers and the match is eventually stopped by the Georgia State Athletic Commission with Byers winning one fall to none. June Byers claims the title until her retirement in 1964, while Burke travels to California and bills herself as WWWA World Women’s champion. She holds the belt, presumably, until her retirement. Then in 1970, Marie Vagnone claims the title (she may have won a tournament) and travels to Japan where she loses it to Akio Kyo and the belt remains there and is one of the most respected women’s titles in history - the All Japan Women’s WWWA World title.

08-21-1954:  Billy Wolfe, the promoter of women’s wrestling at the time, gets the Georgia State Athletic Commission to reverse it’s ruling on the previous nights shoot match between Mildred Burke and June Byers and names Byers at the new Women’s World champion.

08-26-1954:  Pedro Martinez buys the Manhattan Booking Office at public auction following it’s bankruptcy months earlier.

10-04-1954:  Paul Bowser promotion Boston, MA: Attendance: 5,000: Art Neilson & Reggie Lisowski (The Crusher) defeated Verne Gagne & Pat O'Conner… Don Leo Jonathon defeated Adrian Baillargeon… Steve Lutz defeated Tiger Tasker by count out… Dom Papaleo battled Sammy Berg to a draw.

10-26-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 11,545: Reggie Lisowski (AKA: The Crusher) & Art Neilson battled Pat O’Connor & Yukon Eric to a draw… Antonino Rocca defeated Hans Schmidt… Hans Hermann defeated Arnold Skaaland… Tony Martinelli defeated Angelo Savoldi… Pedro Escobar defeated Johnny Heidemann… Hal Kanner defeated Buddy Lee by DQ.

11-15-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 12,378: Antonino Rocca defeated Don Leo Jonathan… Verne Gagne battled Pat O’Connor to a draw… Reggie Lisowski (The Crusher) & Art Neilson defeated Hans Schmidt & Hans Hermann… Tony Martinelli defeated Pedro Escobar… Mr. Moto defeated Tex Riley… Fred Blassie defeated Kinji Shibuya.

11-21-1954:  Jesse McMahon, the Grandfather of Vince K. McMahon and a legendary promoter in his own right, dies at the age of 72.

12-13-1954:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 11,091: Verne Gagne defeated Roy McClarity… Antonino Rocca defeated Don Leo Jonathan… Pat O’Connor & Yukon Eric defeated Reggie Lisowski (The Crusher) & Art Neilson… Raphael Halpern defeated Buddy Lee… Al Kashey battled Tony Martinelli to a draw… Pedro Escobar defeated Harry Lewis.

03-08-1955:  Justice Department Investigator Stanley Disney turns in a summary of allegations against the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Among the possible infractions are the maintaining of a blacklist of wrestlers. Johnny Doyle told the investigator that he had gotten 25 to 30 notifications of wrestlers who were not to be used by an Alliance promotion.

03-21-1955:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 10,258: Antonino Rocca & Prince Maiava defeated Yukon Eric & Hans Schmidt… Verne Gagne defeated Roy McClarity… Raphael Halpern defeated Hans Hermann… Mr. Moto battled Pedro Escobar to a draw… Frank Jares defeated Tony Martinelli… Frank Milano defeated Harry Lewis by DQ.

03-1955:  The DuMont network unexpectedly cancels pro wrestling causing a huge drop in popularity and coverage, especially of Fred Kohler’s wrestling promotion. DuMont cites only “rising costs” for the unforeseen cancellation of wrestling programming.

04-20-1955:  In Boston, MA: Attendance: 6,500: NWA World heavyweight champion Lou Thesz battled Pat O'Conner to a draw… Tim Geohagen defeated Tiger Tasker… Dom Papaleo battled John Swenski to a draw… Al & Tiny Mills defeated Yvon Robert & Leo Numa by DQ.

05-16-1955:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 7,500: Verne Gagne battled Antonino Rocca to a draw… Pat O’Connor defeated Hans Schmidt by DQ… Yukon Eric defeated Hans Schnabel… Tony Martinelli & Angelo Savoldi defeated Reggie Lisowski (The Crusher) & Art Neilson by DQ… Raphael Halpern defeated Pedro Escobar… Tony Galento defeated Arnold Skaaland.

06-17-1955:  The federal government officially launches an antitrust investigation into pro wrestling, specifically, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

07-15-1955:  Investigators recommend a Grand Jury investigation be launched against the NWA for antitrust violations.

08-02-1955:  Sonny Myers files an antitrust lawsuit against Pinkie George and the NWA accusing the NWA of creating a monopoly in pro wrestling.

09-02-1955:  The annual NWA meeting is held at the Claridge Hotel in St. Louis. The biggest topic of conversation is the Justice Department’s investigation of the NWA. There was even discussion about disbanding the organization but that suggestion was shot down. The total membership at this time was 35.

10-18-1955:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 6,792: NWA World heavyweight champion Lou Thesz defeated Pat O’Connor… Antonino Rocca defeated Oyama Kato… Don Eagle battled Don Leo Jonathan to a draw… Buddy Rogers defeated Paul Baillargeon… Bobby Managoff & Larry Moquin defeated Larry Hamilton & Joe Christie… Billy Two Rivers defeated Harry Lewis.

11-14-1955:  The show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY is cancelled due to a poor advance. The top matches were supposed to have been Lou Thesz vs Hans Schmidt and Antonino Rocca vs. Pat O’Connor.

12-12-1955:  At Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY: Attendance: 8,000: Antonino Rocca battled Lord Carlton to a draw… Roy Shire defeated Cowboy Carlson… Tony Martinelli & Frank Milano defeated Primo Carnera & Soldier Barry (AKA: Ed Sharpe)… Ace Freeman defeated Harry Lewis… Steve Gob battled Kenny Ackles to a draw… Fritz Von Wallick defeated Hal Kanner by DQ. Due to the poor ticket sales at Madison Square Garden, pro wrestling doesn’t return for a year.

02-20-1956:  Boston, MA: Attendance: 5,000: Killer Kowalski defeated Pat O'Conner… Ernie & Emil Dusek defeated Arnold Skaaland & Emil Dupre… Johnny Rougeau defeated Al Getz… Buddy Lee battled Tarzan Bolo to a draw.

03-15-1956: In Uline Arena in Washington, D.C., former boxing legend Joe Louis, indebted to the IRS for a reported $1,243,097, makes his wrestling debut despite pleas that it is, “beneath his dignity.” Louis wins his first match over Rocky Lee in a match refereed by another famous pro boxer also in financial trouble, “Jersey” Joe Walcott. Joe Louis’ wrestling career didn’t last long. In a match in Columbus, OH, a mistimed move saw him break two ribs and bruise his heart. Just to show how wrestling was disdained as a sport in the 1950’s, Joe Louis wife said watching him wrestle was like, “watching the President wash dishes.”

05-21-1956:  Boston, MA: Attendance: 5,000: Verne Gagne battled Pat O'Conner to a draw… Fabulous Moolah & Red Tigress defeated Pat Sherry & Judy Grable… Tiny Tim defeated Fuzzy Cupid… Manuel Cortez defeated Gypsy Joe by count out… Emil Dupree defeated Rocky Barron.

06-02-1956:  Joe Louis wrestles Rocky Lee in Huntington, WV and already talks of retirement, just three months after his debut, due to continued harassment from the IRS.

06-21-1956:  Vince McMahon’s pro wrestling television show begins airing on WABD channel 5 in New York City. The television program revitalizes wrestling in the New York market.

08-06-1956:  Washington, DC: Griffith Stadium: Attendance 8,262: Fifi Cortez & Slave Girl Moolah defeat Judy Grable & Pat Shelly… Skull Murphy defeats Angelo Martinelli… Dick Steinborn defeats Billy Red Lyons… Great Scott wrestled Killer Kowalski to a Double DQ… Hans Schmidt wrestled Verne Gagne to a No Contest… Antonino Rocca defeats Karl von Hess 2 falls to 1.

09-18-1956: Jack Pfeiffer holds a women’s world title tournament in Baltimore, MD which is won by Fabulous Moolah (then known as Slave Girl Moolah). The title is originally an outlaw belt but eventually becomes recognized internationally and Moolah becomes one of the foremost women wrestlers ever.

10-15-1956:  The United States of America verses National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Civil Action No. 3-729 is filed before Judge William F. Riley in Des Moines, IA. The U.S. government is officially taking action against the NWA for antitrust violations. Despite the ruling against the NWA, little actually changes.

11-21-1956:  Buffalo, NY: Memorial Auditorium: Attendance 11,221: Dick Hutton defeats Steve Stanlee… Buddy Rogers defeats Ilio DiPaolo by count out… Yukon Eric defeats Sky Hi Lee… Wilbur Snyder wrestled Verne Gagne to double count out… Whipper Billy Watson defeats Karl Karlsson… NWA World Heavyweight champion Lou Thesz defeats Baron Gattoni.

11-26-1956: Vince McMahon (Senior) promotes his first card at Madison Square Garden headlined by Antonino Rocca and Dick the Bruiser. The crowd is reported to be a disappointing 10,400. This is the first show at Madison Square Garden in almost a year. Antonino Rocca defeated Dick the Bruiser… Hans Schmidt defeated Dick Steinborn… Mr. Moto defeated Jackie Fargo… Skull Murphy battled Great Scott to a draw… Lord Littlebrook & Little Beaver defeated Fuzzy Cupid & Ivan the Terrible… Cowboy Rocky Lee defeated Harry Lewis… Miguel Perez defeated Kenny Ackles.