Results: Pro Wrestling in Marseille (1934-1939)

A collection of pro wrestling results from Marseille, 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 Marseille, which is a port city in southern 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. Championship matches were usually 2 out of 3 falls as well.
- 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 Marseille in the 1930s - there might have been others that I'm not aware of. I'm also missing some match results. All quotes describing the attendance are from the local Marseille press.

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The most notable thing about the pro wrestling scene in Marseille in the 1930s is that there were a number of events at Arènes du Prado (the local 15,000-capacity bullring). And the three most prominent French booking offices (Raoul Paoli's, Société Redco and FFPL) had their wrestlers work at that bullring.

4 March 1934
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Tony Baer def. Romeo Bukovac
2. Fred Keys def. Pierre Druelle
3. Karl Pojello def. Rudi Barbu
4. Billy Bartush def. King Curtis
= The promoter was Henri Gerbaud. The first two matches were billed as pancrace matches, and the top two as catch-as-catch-can.
= Druelle was a sub for Henri Frochner.

18 March 18, 1934
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Tony Baer def. Peter Saar
2. Pierre Druelle drew Rudi Barbu
3. Karl Pojello def. Sailor Arnold
4. Billy Bartush def. King Curtis
= Another show promoted Henri Gerbaud. His shows were "outlaw" shows in a sense that he wasn't a licensed FFLP promoter (FFLP was the governing body for pro wrestling in France at the time). FFLP-licensed wrestlers such as Pojello and Bartush had their licenses suspended by FFLP, because they worked the Gerbaud shows.

27 May 1934
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
"average attendance"
1. Rene van Coppenolle def. Tomo Voukouchitch on points (20:00)
2. Henry Stoeff def. Pierre Druelle (25:45)
3. Umberto Arpino def. Louis Loew (25:05)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Sailor Arnold (19:15, 8:05)

30 June 1934
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Henry Stoeff def. Romeo Bukocac (23)
2. Louis Loew def. Marcel Douvinet (21:10)
3. Sailor Arnold def. Bob Gregory (23)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Umberto Arpino (11:15 Rigoulot, 11:10, 6:10)

19 June 1935
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Jean Bianconi def. Rene van Coppenolle (22:10)
2. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
3. Bonnie Muir def. Louis Loew on (30:00)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Felix Miquet (22:03, 13:40)

30 June 1935
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
"a legitimate success" / "a big crowd"
1. Emile Pouveroux def. Rene van Coppenolle (19)
2. Stan Karolyi def. Jean Bianconi (20)
3. Felix Miquet drew Bonnie Muir (30:00)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Louis Loew (23)
5. French Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Rene Michot to retain his title (2:0 falls, 1st one was 41:23, 2nd one was very short)

18 July 1935
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Kil Tomaros def. Mengaud (1:50)
2. Charles Manoogian def. Karanozy (7:45, 3:50)
3. Jack Sherry def. Bulldog Bill Garnon (28:12, 5:38)
= Sherry was billed as World catch-as-catch-can champion. Kara Ahmed was the advertised opponent for Manoogian, but I'm thinking Karanozy and Ahmed may have been the same guy - a case of a misspelled name. There were also three Greco-Roman amateur bouts on the card.

From 25 August to 31 August 1936 Circus Pinder was in Marseille. The headline attractions were boxing exhibition matches with Marcel Thil and wrestling exhibition matches with Charles Rigoulot. Rigoulot's opponent was Umberto Arpino.

25, 26 and 27 September 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
Matches with Abe Kaplan, De Crique, Jose Pons and Pietro Cobbo.

2 November 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Paul Marton drew Charles Groe (30:00)
2. Emile Rivollier def. Maurice Gomis (21:40)
3. Ernest Cadine def. Nazareth Sarkissian (14:23)
4. Mike Brendel def. Umberto Arpino (17)
= The Spanish promoter Joaquin Gasa was the person who put this show together, as well as the next few shows after it. "The American Tiger" Mike Brendel, as he was billed here even though he was Hungarian, was the headline star for most of these shows. Earlier in the year Gasa had promoted several tournaments in Spain with Brendel as the top star, including a World Championship tournament that Brendel won.

4 November 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Charles Groe def. Paul Marton (24)
2. Emile Rivollier def. Nazareth Sarkissian (28:35)
3. Mike Brendel def. Ernest Cadine

18 November 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Maurice Charf vs. Otto Muller
2. Paul Marton vs. Gabriel Laurier
3. Orgovatny vs. Louis Chaix
4. Ernest Cadine vs. Stefan Novotny
5. Mike Brendel vs. Stan Karolyi
= Originally Marcel Douvinet was supposed to be Orgovatny's opponent, but Chaix replaced him in the advertised line-up the day of the show.

22 November 1936
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Paul Marton drew Maurice Charf
2. Gabriel Laurier def. Otto Muller (22:39)
3. Ernest Cadine def. Francois Berthod (11)
4. Stan Karolyi def. Orgovatny (11:30)
5. Mike Brendel def. Stefan Novotny (2:1 falls)
= Berthod was a sub for Louis Chaix.

8 December 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Felix Clody vs. Paul Marton
2. Roger Mollet vs. Otto Muller
3. Maurice Gomis vs. Orgovatny
4. Stan Karolyi vs. Umberto Arpino
5. Mike Brendel vs. Charles Ulsemer

12 December 1936
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Maurice Charf def. Felix Clody
2. Paul Marton def. Otto Muller
3. Maurice Gomis def. Orgovatny
4. Stan Karolyi def. Umberto Arpino
5. Mike Brendel def. Charles Ulsemer
= Based on these results, I think most likely the 8 December show that is mentioned above was rescheduled for December 12.

16 December 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Otto Muller def. Felix Clody (25)
2. Maurice Charf def. Paul Marton (19:30)
3. Maurice Gomis def. Jean Rico (16)
4. Charles Ulsemer drew Umberto Arpino (30:00)
5. Stan Karolyi def. Mike Brendel (23)
= Rico was a sub for Dick Perron.

19 December 1936
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Maurice Charf def. Felix Clody
2. Charles Ulsemer def. Maurice Gomis
3. Umberto Arpino def. Orgovatny
4. Stan Karolyi def. Emile Rivollier
5. Mike Brendel def. Palmer
= Palmer was said to be from the UK. I think it may have been Bobby Palmer.

20 December 1936
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Paul Marton vs. Otto Muller
2. Emile Rivollier vs. Maurice Gomis
3. Charles Ulsemer vs. Orgovatny
4. Stan Karolyi vs. Palmer
5. Mike Brendel vs. Umberto Arpino

23 December 1936
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. four other matches
5. Mike Brendel vs. Stan Karolyi

31 March 1937
Marseille, France
Théâtre de l'Alcazar
1. Emile Pouveroux drew Gaston Navailles (30:00)
2. Louis Loew def. Mark Passman via disqualification
3. Al Pereira def. Manuel Fullaondo
4. Kola Kwariani def. Dan Koloff (10:20 Koloff, Kwariani won the other two falls)
= Passman was a sub for Michele Leone.

Newspaper advert for the 31 March 1937 show in Marseille

2 July 1938
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
“many spectators” / “very large audience”
1. Jos Purtz drew Eric Fetz
2. Karl Pojello def. Mourey Tomsey (12 Tomsey, 5:03, 7:30)
3. Michel Benes def. Vignon (7:30)
4. Georges Colonne def. Black Davies (14:30)
5. Georges Letto drew Bert van der Auwera
6. Mud Wrestling Match: Karl Pojello def. Jean Prochazka (10)
= The main event was the first ever mud wrestling match on a pro wrestling show in France.
= "The Ugliest Man in the World" Angel Tillet (Maurice Tillet), was supposed to be Benes' opponent, but three different reports from the local press that I found all say Benes' opponent ended up being Vignon. Later on a newspaper from another city claimed Benes had defeated Angel on this show.

25 March 1939
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Otto Muller (22:03)
2. Mike Brendel def. Arthur Ghevaert (18:25)
3. Yvar Martinson def. Mark Passmann (18:55)
4. Henri Deglane def. Wladimir Kirilenko (29:43, 13:56)
= Martinson was a sub for Manuel Fullaondo.

8 April 1939
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. Louis Loew vs. Emile Pouveroux
2. Mike Brendel vs. Dan Kulikoff
3. Yvar Martinson vs. George Krassavine
4. Charles Rigoulot vs. Wladimir Kirilenko

29 April 1939
Marseille, France
Palais de la Boxe
1. three other matches
2. Mike Brendel vs. Louis Loew
3. Yvon Robert vs. Felix Miquet

10 June 1939
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
“large audience”
1. Mike McGainn def. Henri Mourot (14)
2. Angel Tilliet drew Stefan Novotny (30:00)
3. Georges Letto def. Leone Jacovacci (16:30)
4. Karl Pojello def. Bulldog Bill Garnon (21:20 Garnon, 9:30, 1:30)
5. Mud Wrestling Match: Guy Biados def. Yvan Ludovic (5 Ludovic, 3, 5:30)

12 July 1939
Marseille, France
Arènes du Prado
1. Paul Marton def. Lachaud (14:30)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Rene van Coppenolle (13:20)
3. World Mid-Heavyweight Title: Ben Sherman (c) def. Stan Karolyi via disqualification and retained his title
4. Mike Brendel def. Bukovac (15, 7)
= Karolyi was disqualified for hitting the referee, who tried to stop him from attacking Sherman. Some fans jumped in the ring. Police intervened.
= It's not clear which one of the four Bukovac brothers this was.

Newspaper advert for the 12 July 1939 show in Marseille