Results: Pro Wrestling in Toulouse (1934-1939)

A collection of pro wrestling results from Toulouse, 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 Toulouse, which is located in the south of France.

The typical structure of the French pro wrestling shows in the 1930s was as follows:
- Five matches (although in Toulouse specifically it was usually four 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 Toulouse in the 1930s - there might have been others that I'm not aware of. I'm also missing some match results. If I know who promoted the show I've listed their name. For some shows the promoter wasn't mentioned. All quotes describing the attendance are from the local Toulouse press.

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22 February 1934
Toulouse, France
Theatre des Nouveautes
"well-packed house"
1. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Andre Piroue (15)
2. Paul Marton def. Lucien Malezieux (19)
3. Emile Rivollier def. Rudolphe Binacchi (16)
4. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
5. Manuel Fullaondo def. Francois Berthod (16)
= The first catch show ever in Toulouse. It was a charity event for the relief fund of the municipal police and it was organized by the the deputy mayor of Toulouse Mr. Donnez, in association with the police.
= Zwahlen was a sub for Robert Maixent, and Berthod for Paul de Villiers.

15 February 1937
Toulouse, France
Theatre des Nouveautes
"sold out"
1. Robert Maixent def. Alexandre Lageat (21)
2. Felix Clody def. Georges Freymond (25)
3. Bonnie Muir drew Oscar Nygren (30:00)
4. Henri Deglane def. Manuel Fullaondo (23, 13)
= First show in Toulouse with Raoul Paoli's wrestlers. The promoter was Jean Ducos. He was getting his wrestlers from Paoli and was the main promoter in Toulouse in the 1930s.

1 March 1937
Toulouse, France
Theatre des Nouveautes
"packed house, though not as much as the previous event with Henri Deglane"
1. Felix Clody def. Rino Deon (29)
2. Roger Mollet def. Marcel Nonest (19)
3. Kola Kwariani def. Felix Kersic (30:00) - on points
4. Dan Koloff def. Mark Passmann (23, 5)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.

15 March 1937
Toulouse, France
Theatre des Nouveautes
1. Albert Ben Chemoul def. Emile Rochez (30:00) - on points
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Marcel Douvinet (21)
3. Mark Passmann def. Dimitri Karayanoff (14:49)
4. Henri Deglane def. Joe Nawrocki (23, 13)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.

2 May 1937
Toulouse, France
Theatre des Nouveautes
1. Robert Beglot def. Emile Rochez (19:30)
2. Alexandre Poizat def. Felix Clody (20:40)
3. Manuel Fullaondo def. Mehmet Arif (30:00)
4. French Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Felix Miquet to retain his title (15, 14:30)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.

6 November 1937
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
"good house"
1. Raymond Bukovac def. Felix Clody (23)
2. Karol Nowina def. Louis Loew (30:00)
3. European Middleweight Title: Alphonse Zwahlen (c) def. Lucien Malezieux to retain his title (24)
4. Al Pereira def. Mehmet Arif (23, 8)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.

4 December 1937
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
1. Alexandre Poizat def. Marcel Nonest (23)
2. Mehmet Arif drew Arthur Ghevaert (30:00)
3. Mark Passmann def. Dick Perron (30:00) - on points
4. Dan Koloff def. Sandor Vary (26 Vary, 8, 5)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.
= At one point a part of the stands collapsed and several people were injured.
= Joe Nawrocki was the advertised opponent for Arif.

24 December 1937
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
"a considerable success"
1. Roger Mollet def. Robert Beglot (18)
2. Louis Loew def. Dick Perron via disqualification (12)
3. Sandor Vary def. Joe Campbell (19)
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Al Sparks (21, 8)
= The promoter was Jean Ducos.
= Perron and his dirty tactics were heavily booed by the crowd.

4 February 1938
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
1. Felix Clody vs. Rene Van Coppenolle
2. Bonnie Muir vs. Dick Perron
3. Stan Karolyi vs. Emile Pouveroux
4. Joe Savoldi vs. Karol Nowina

4 March 1938
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
"considerable attendance"
1. Otto Muller vs. Albert Arnaud
2. Lucien Malezieux vs. Bukovac
3. Josef Vavra vs. Henry Stoeff
4. Henri Deglane def. Karol Nowina
= Kola Kwariani was originally supposed to be Deglane's opponent and Nowina was to be Stoeff's but the card was changed. It's not clear which one of the four Bukovac brothers this was.

1 April 1938
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
1. Felix Clody vs. Lucien Malezieux
2. Alphonse Zwahlen vs. Bukovac
3. Stan Karolyi vs. Dick Perron
4. Yvar Martinson vs. Manuel Fullaondo
= It's not clear which one of the four Bukovac brothers this was.

26 June 1938
Toulouse, France
Stade Ernest Wallon
1. Albert Arnaud def. Otto Muller (20:30)
2. Lucien Malezieux def. Bukovac (20)
3. Stan Karolyi drew Emile Pouveroux (30:00)
4. Henri Deglane def. Kola Kwariani (23 Deglane, 10, 05:10)
= An open-air stadium show. This was the old stadium, not the one of the same name that exists today.
= It's not clear which one of the four Bukovac brothers this was.

The old Ernest Wallon Stadium

2 December 1938
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
Charles Rigoulot vs. Rube Wright
= The rest of the card wasn't mentioned. It's possible the show never took place.

9 February 1939
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
"record attendance"
1. Alphonse Zwahlen drew Albert Arnaud (30:00)
2. Jean Bianconi def. Felix Clody
3. Mike Brendel def. Dick Perron (16:12)
4. Yvon Robert def. George Clark (30:30, Clark could not continue for a 2nd fall)

3 March 1939
Toulouse, France
Salle du Jardin Royal
"full"
1. Albert Arnaud def. Nemeth Sandor (16:38)
2. Stan Karolyi def. Richard Bukovac
3. Felix Miquet drew Yvar Martinson (30:00)
4. Yvon Robert def. Milo Steinborn (23:53 Steinborn, 02:08, 15:16)

4 March 1939
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
1. Paul Marton def. Maurice Charf (10:40)
2. Roger Mollet def. H. Wirtz
3. Karol Nowina def. Charles Pierlot (19:40, 10:11)
4. Ben Sherman def. Charles Ulsemer (12, 16)
= 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.
= Jean Bianconi vs. Georges Freymond was also advertised, but the results do not mention it.

1 April 1939
Toulouse, France
Halle aux Grains
1. Raymond Bukovac def. Marcel Nonest (16:35)
2. Bonnie Muir drew Mike Brendel (30:00)
3. European Mid-Heavyweight Title: Stan Karolyi (c) def. Emile Pouveroux to retain his title
4. Charles Rigoulot def. Wladimir Kirilenko (24 Rigoulot, 07:15, 01:40)