Results: Pro Wrestling in Lille (1933-1939)

A collection of pro wrestling results from Lille, France.

After Raoul Paoli started his promotion in September 1933 in Paris, pro wrestling (catch) quickly became very popular all throughout France. It wasn't long before wrestling events started taking place in other French cities and towns as well. One such city was Lille, which is located in the north of France.

The typical structure of the French pro wrestling shows in the 1930s was as follows:
- Five matches. The opener was with a 20 minute time limit, the next three matches were with a 30 minute time limit and the headline match was a 2 out of 3 falls match with a 60 minute time limit.
- The headline match never went on last. In the results below I've listed the headline match last, because this way it's easier to see what was the headline attraction, but in reality the shows ended with what would be considered a midcard match. The real main event went on right before that.
- The matches in France back then could be won in all the usual ways (pinfall, submission, countout, disqualification), but also on points. If two wrestlers wrestled to a time limit draw then a jury would judge the match on points and determine a winner (or call the match a draw).

I'm not claiming this is a full list of all wrestling shows in Lille in the 1930s - there might have been others that I'm not aware of. All quotes and numbers describing the attendance are from the local Lille press.

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The promoter for almost all of the events below was a guy by the name of Bouchery, who was the administrator/director of an arena in city. The arena was originally known as Salle de la Foire Commerciale, but would also be referred to as Palais des Sports de Lille. It was for about 3,000 people. Then in late 1936 it was extended to accommodate about 5,000 people. Around this same time it started being referred to as Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale. Bouchery was working with Raoul Paoli and getting wrestlers from the Paoli booking office. Paoli was the matchmaker (booker) for these the shows.

31 December 1933
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
"a lot of empty seats"
1. Gabriel Martinville def. Rene Bukovac (16:41)
2. Stan Karolyi drew Jean Bianconi (20:00)
3. Charlie Santen drew Hardy Kruskamp (30:00)
4. Steve Savage def. Sailor Arnold (19:57, 13:56)
5 Catch-As-Catch-Can Exhibition: Henri Deglane and Rene Michot (not a match, just a demonstration)
= The first catch show ever in Lille.

28 January 1934
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
nearly 3,000 fans
1. Jean Bianconi def. Rene Van Coppenolle (02:15)
2. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (20:00)
3. Rene Michot drew Umberto Arpino (30:00)
4. Len Hall def. Sailor Arnold (18)
5. Henri Deglane def. Charlie Santen (10:14 Deglane, 07:11, Deglane won the 3rd)

24 February 1934
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
"well-packed building"
1. Stan Karolyi def. Gabriel Martinville (20:00) - on points
2. Dick Perron def. Henry Stoeff (30:00) - on points
3. Steve Savage def. Louis Loew (22:51)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Sailor Arnold (10:34)
5. Henri Deglane def. Stefan Novotny (14:09, 09:10)

25 November 1934
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
3,000 fans
1. Alphonse Zwahlen drew Jean Bianconi (20:00)
2. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
3. Walter Podolak def. Umberto Arpino (11:30)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Hank Oswald (24:30)
5. Henri Deglane def. Charles Manoogian (24, 06:05)
= Tomo Voukouchitch was Karolyi's advertised opponent.

23 December 1934
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
"2,500 fans, but the higher-priced seats were empty"
1. Emile Pouveroux def. Alphonse Zwahlen (12)
2. Louis Loew def. Rudolphe Binacchi (21:30)
3. Rene Michot def. George Wilson (18:30)
4. Charles Ding drew Stefan Novotny (30:00)
5. Walter Podolak def. Jim Atlas (20 Podolak, 07:15, 11)
= A couple of weeks before the event Henri Deglane was announced as Podolak's opponent, but soon after he was replaced by Atlas.

13 January 1935
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
1. Albert Ben Chemoul drew Emile Rochez (20:00)
2. Arthur Ghevaert def. Marcel Douvinet (16:15)
3. Hank Oswald def. Sailor Arnold (20:10)
4. Rene Michot drew Jim Atlas (30:00)
5. Walter Podolak def. Charlie Santen (05:50 or 08:50 Santen, 20, 01:45)
= Originally Ernest Cadine was to be Podolak's opponent, but the card was changed.

24 February 1935
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
"packed house"
1. Gabriel Martinville def. Charles Ulsemer (09:30)
2. Louis Loew drew Bernard de Fern
3. Sailor Arnold drew Arthur Ghevaert (30:00)
4. Jim Atlas drew Hank Oswald (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Walter Podolak (15 Deglane, 09:35, 12:30)

26 October 1935
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
3,000 fans
1. Jean Bianconi def. Armand Crausaz (17)
2. Alphonse Zwahlen drew Leone Jacovacci (20:00)
3. Jim Atlas drew Mike Brendel (30:00)
4. European Heavyweight Title tournament quarter-final: Arthur Ghevaert def. Stefan Novotny (14:30)
5. European Heavyweight Title tournament quarter-final: Henri Deglane def. Manuel Fullaondo (22:15, 11:05)
= The European Heavyweight Title tournament started and finished in Paris, but some of the matches from it were held outside of Paris.
= Zwahlen's advertised opponent was Andre Trante.

8 December 1935
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
1. Roger Mollet def. Gabriel Laurier (20:00) - on points
2. Stan Karolyi drew Gabriel Martinville (30:00)
3. Frank Bronowicz def. Manuel Fullaondo (13)
4. Frank Bronowicz def. Arthur Ghevaert (30:00) - on points
5. French Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Rene Michot to retain his title (13:40 Michot, 11:40, 07:25)
= It's likely when I was doing the research I wrote the same name by mistake twice and Bronowicz did not wrestle twice. Ghevaert's advertised opponent was Carlo Stringari, who was stopped at the border and couldn't come to the show.

5 January 1936
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
"full"
1. Alexandre Poizat def. Albert Ben Chemoul (20:00) - on points
2. Oscar Nygren drew Leo Jensen (30:00)
3. Mark Passmann def. Leo Lefebvre via disqualification (23:10)
4. Arthur Ghevaert def. Carlo Stringari (14:10)
5. Henri Deglane def. Regis Siki (30:14, 10:25)

2 February 1936
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
1. Andre Trante def. Leone Jacovacci (20:00) - on points
2. Arthur Ghevaert drew Mark Passmann (30:00)
3. Ernest Cadine def. Dick Perron (14:20)
4. Frank Bronowicz def. Regis Siki (24:26)
5. Henri Deglane def. Leo Lefebvre (26:50, 10:07)
= Rene Michot was supposed to be Lefebvre's opponent, but was replaced by Passmann a few days prior to the event.

1 March 1936
Lille, France
Salle de la Foire Commerciale
1. Robert Beglot drew Albert Ben Chemoul (20:00)
2. Louis Loew def. Carlo Stringari (12:28)
3. Arthur Ghevaert def. Ernest Cadine (17:26)
4. Frank Bronowicz def. Rene Michot (17:20)
5. European Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Kola Kwariani to retain his title (46:50 Deglane, no one won the 2nd fall)

29 March 1936
Lille, France
Salle des Ambassadeurs
"half full"
1. Vignon drew Billick
2. Al Rothlers def. Beauregard (15:20)
3. Charller def. Saar (11:20)
4. Arthur Ghevaert def. Van Duyts (15:40)
5. Hautman def. Bob Parker (10)
6. Wladek Zbyszko def. Martin Zikoff (13:30, 7)
= Bad weather and the fact that the show was in the evening (as opposed to the afternoon like the Bouchery/Paoli shows) were cited as possible reasons for the weak attendance.
= Martin Zikoff was advertised as Manuel Zikoff from Spain. Hautman's advertised opponent was Constant le Marin.

11 October 1936
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
4,000 fans
1. Charles Ulsemer def. Gaston Navailles (15:08)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Jean Bianconi (17:16)
3. Louis Loew drew Nazareth Sarkissian (30:00)
4. Rube Wright def. Len Hall (30:00) - on points
5. European Heavyweight Title: Dan Koloff (c) def. Frank Bronowicz to retain his title (16:48 Koloff, 13:43, 06:56)
= This was the first event, of any kind, in the new bigger arena.

Newspaper advert for Dan Koloff vs. Frank Bronowicz for the European Championship

8 November 1936
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
4,000 fans
1. Alexandre Poizat drew Robert Beglot (20:00)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Jean Bianconi (30:00) - on points
3. Frank Bronowicz def. Michele Leone (19:18)
4. John Malmberg def. Hans Buesing (18:25)
5. Henri Deglane def. Len Hall (17:40, 02:15)

29 November 1936
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
4,000 to 4,500 fans
1. Jean Bianconi def. Leone Jacovacci (15:30)
2. Michele Leone def. Ernest Cadine (18:45)
3. Rene Michot def. Manuel Fullaondo (15:40)
4. Bonnie Muir drew Mehmet Arif (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. John Malmberg (28:37, 04:07)

20 December 1936
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
4,000 fans
Gaston Navailles def. Leone Jacovacci (20:00) - on points
Emile Pouveroux def. George Krassavine (20:13)
Mehmet Arif def. Michele Leone (21:45)
Felix Miquet def. John Malmberg (10:32)
Henri Deglane def. Bonnie Muir (17:46 Deglane, 03:50, 10:15)

24 January 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"full house" / "record crowd"
1. Albert Ben Chemoul drew Alexandre Lageat (20:00)
2. Alphonse Zwahlen drew Andre Trante (30:00)
3. Arthur Ghevaert def. Dimitri Karayanoff (15:45)
4. Bonnie Muir def. Regis Siki (18:13)
5. Henri Deglane def. Kola Kwariani (01:50 Deglane, 27:30, 08:50)
= Zwahlen's advertised opponent was Gaston Navailles.

21 February 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"packed"
1. Jean Bianconi def. Sandor via disqualification (13:20)
2. Michele Leone drew Arthur Ghevaert (30:00)
3. Bonnie Muir def. Louis Loew (18:35)
4. Felix Miquet def. Regis Siki (15:10)
5. Ed Don George def. Kola Kwariani (31:43 George, no one won the 2nd fall)
= It's not clear whether this was Nemeth Sandor or Sandor Vary. My guess is Nemeth.

6 June 1937
Lille, France
Salle des Ambassadeurs
1. Maurice Charf def. Paul Marton (13:15)
2. Vanfleteren def. Roger Boileau (15:30)
3. Maurice Gomis def. Rene Van Coppenolle (14:40)
4. Arthur Ghevaert def. Charles Pierlot
5. Regis Siki drew Michele Leone (60:00)
= This was a show with wrestlers from the Société Redco booking office. Redco was the second biggest French company at the time after Paoli's.
= Boileau was a sub for Laurier.

26 September 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
5,000 fans
1. Lucien Malezieux def. Marcel Nonest (15:37)
2. Oscar Nygren drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
3, Bonnie Muir def. Henry Stoeff (21:33)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Joe Nawrocki (20:50)
5. Al Pereira drew Al Sparks (16:40 Pereira, 15 Pereira was disqualified for hitting the referee in the 2nd, no one won the 3rd fall)

10 October 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"packed house"
1. Otto Muller drew Marcel Nonest
2. Jean Bianconi def. Rene Van Coppenolle (24:43)
3. Kola Kwariani def. Felix Kersic (16:52)
4. Karol Nowina drew Bonnie Muir (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Al Sparks (25:32 Deglane, 08:45, 03:12)
= Nowina was to wrestle Deglane, but the card was changed a few days before the show.

14 November 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
6,000 fans (sold out) + hundreds turned away
1. Vanfleteren drew Krum Petroff (20:00)
2. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Otto Muller (21:15)
3. Bull Komar def. Felix Kersic (16:04)
4. Karol Nowina def. Rudolphe Binacchi (22:45)
5. Henri Deglane def. Kola Kwariani (18:10 Deglane, 10:30, 11:10)
= The original card had Deglane/Nowina, Kwariani/Komar and Stoeff/Kersic, but the card was changed two weeks before the show.

5 December 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"well-packed"
1. Vanfleteren drew Gabriel Laurier (20:00)
2. Gaston Navailles def. Michel Besseyre (17:15)
3. Karol Nowina drew Charles Ulsemer (30:00)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Manuel Fullaondo (14:13)
5. Joe Savoldi def. Al Sparks (20:34, 00:45)
= Ed "Strangler" Lewis was to wrestle Sparks, but was replaced by Savoldi a few days prior to the event. This was Savoldi's European debut. He was advertised as having been World champion in 1935-1936.

19 December 1937
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"full"
1. Otto Muller def. Vanfleteren - on points
2. Louis Loew def. Marcel Dumoulin - on points
3. Karol Nowina def. Mike Brendel (22:20)
4. Charles Rigoulot drew Kola Kwariani (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Yvar Martinson (15:15 Deglane, 06:25, 07:45)

9 January 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"not the usual success"
Albert Arnaud def. Krum Petroff (16:45)
Marcel Dumoulin def. Marcel Douvinet (13:10)
Bonnie Muir def. Karol Nowina (22:30)
Kola Kwariani drew Yvar Martinson (30:00)
Charles Rigoulot def. Sandor Vary (22:45, 13:40)
= The bad weather was mentioned as a likely reason for the weaker attendance.

30 January 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"thousands of spectators"
1. Vanfleteren def. Emile Rochez (20:00) - on points
2. Mark Passmann def. Mehmet Arif via disqualification (14:10)
3. Marcel Dumoulin drew Louis Loew (30:00)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Bonnie Muir (21:50)
5. Joe Savoldi drew Yvar Martinson (60:00)
= The main even was supposed to be Dan Koloff vs. Martinson for Koloff's European Heavyweight Title, but two days before the show Koloff was replaced by Savoldi due to having a severe case of pneumonia.

20 February 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
1. Vanfleteren def. Robert Beglot (14:15)
2. Henry Stoeff drew Arthur Ghevaert (30:00)
3. Yvar Martinson def. Peter Konstantinoff (18:15)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Mehmet Arif (14:20)
5. French Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Charles Rigoulot to retain his title (50:15 Deglane, no one won the 2nd fall)

20 March 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
1. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Vanfleteren (18:50)
2. Marcel Dumoulin def. Rudolphe Binacchi (12:20)
3. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
4. Yvar Martinson drew Sandor Vary (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Joe Savoldi (24:20 Deglane, 20:10, 04:12)

25 September 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
Emile Dillies vs. Chebaly
Stan Karolyi vs. Marcel Dumoulin
Bonnie Muir vs. Louis Loew
Cliff Olson vs. Evstati Georgieff
Henri Deglane vs. Frank Bronowicz
= The show was cancelled, "due to current events".

16 October 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"great attendance"
1. Emile Dillies drew Chebaly (20:00)
2. Stan Karolyi def. Marcel Dumoulin (29:15)
3. Cliff Olson def. Peter Konstantinoff (13:25)
4. Frank Bronowicz def. Hank Oswald (14:25)
5. Felix Miquet def. Kola Kwariani (38:40 Miquet, no one won the 2nd fall)

1 November 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"completely full" / "full of spectators"
1. Otto Muller drew Vanfleteren (20:00)
2. Arthur Ghevaert def. Oscar Nygren (21:40)
3. Yvar Martinson def. Mark Hoesly (14:20)
4. Cliff Olson def. Hank Oswald (10:35)
5. Henri Deglane def. Frank Bronowicz (22:20 Deglane, 10:05, 13:12)

27 November 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"full" / "the arena is proving to be too small for these events" / "wrestling is the king of sports in our region"
1. Emile Dillies def. Alexandre Lageat (13:32)
2. Marcel Dumoulin drew Emile Pouveroux
3. Mike Brendel def. Louis Loew (16)
4. Milo Steinborn def. Sandor Vary (15:20)
5. Henri Deglane def. Cliff Olson (15:15 Olson, 18:47, 00:33)

18 December 1938
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
1. Paul Marton def. Roger Boileau (11:25)
2. Charles Pierlot drew Al. Kornoff
3. Charles Ulsemer def. Dory Detton (12:15)
4. Ben Sherman def. Laurtl (16:15, 04:18)
5. Jack Sherry def. Guillaume Estelles (18:17, after a minute in the 2nd fall Estelles could not continue)
= Bouchery was the promoter of the event, but unlike his previous wrestling shows, for this one he did not work with Paoli. This was a show booked through Société Redco and it was a one-off.
= Sherry was promoted as "the official World champion". Bonnie Muir was the advertised opponent for Sherman.The name of Sherman's opponent is surely misspelled, but that's how it was written in the local press.

15 January 1939
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"packed" / "large crowd"
1. Emile Dillies def. Paul Klaytch (16:40)
2. Felix Clody def. Vanfleteren (22:10)
3. Karol Nowina drew Louis Loew (30:00)
4. Yvar Martinson drew Frank Bronowicz (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Milo Steinborn (52:20 Deglane, no one won the 2nd fall)
= Tommy Nilan was Loew's original opponent, but Nowina replaced him in the line-up the day before the show.

5 February 1939
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
1. Andre Piroue def. Robert Maixent (24:25)
2. Marcel Dumoulin drew Oscar Nygren (30:00)
3. Mike Brendel drew Arthur Ghevaert (30:00)
4. Frank Bronowicz drew George Clark (30:00)
5. Yvon Robert def. Yvar Martinson (44:40 Robert, no one won the 2nd fall)

12 March 1939
Lille, France
Hippodrome de la Foire Commerciale
"big crowd"
1. Otto Muller def. Louis Rudelle (16:15)
2. Vanfleteren def. Rino Deon (18:10)
3. Arthur Ghevaert def. Fred Ebert (15:30)
4. Felix Miquet drew Milo Steinborn (30:00)
5. Yvon Robert drew Yvar Martinson (33:20 Martinson, 18:20, no one won the 3rd fall)