Results: Pro Wrestling in Troyes (1934-1939)

A collection of pro wrestling results from Troyes, 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 Troyes, which is located in northeastern 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 Troyes in the 1930s - there might have been others that I'm not aware of. All quotes describing the attendance are from the local Troyes press.

---------------------

The promoter for all of the shows in Troyes at Cirque Municipal (Municipal Circus) was someone called Delachat. He was mentioned as the matchmaker for these shows too, but since he was getting the wrestlers from the Raoul Paoli booking office I would imagine it was actually Paoli doing the matchmaking behind the scenes.

The interior of the Municipal Circus in Troyes

22 February 1934
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"big crowd"
1. Gabriel Martinville drew Romeo Bukovac (20:00)
2. Umberto Arpino def. Pierre Druelle (19:10)
3. Dick Perron vs. Henry Stoeff ended in a double disqualification (28)
4. Steve Savage def. Sailor Arnold (19:30 Arnold, 4:30, Savage won the 3rd)
5. Catch demonstration: Henri Deglane and Louis Loew
= The first catch show ever in Troyes.

On 25 March 1934 there was a Georges Letto vs. Nick Carter match at the Casino in Troyes.

30 October 1934
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"a total financial success, a lot of women in attendance"
1. Gabriel Martinville def. Tomo Voukouchitch
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Andre Trante on points
3. Louis Loew def. Rudolphe Binacchi
4. Rene Michot drew Sailor Arnold (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Stefan Novotny (2:0 falls)
= Arnold was a sub for Len Hall.

11 December 1934
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Jean Bianconi drew Armand Crausaz (20:00)
2. Louis Loew def. Marcel Douvinet (22:30)
3. Henry Stoeff def. Rudolphe Binacchi on points (30:00)
4. Charlie Santen drew Rene Michot (30:00)
5. Kola Kwariani def. Sailor Arnold (14:45 Kwariani, 10:20, 5:05)

30 October 1935
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Alexandre Poizat def. Albert Ben Chemoul on points (20:00)
2. Stan Karolyi def. Rene van Coppenolle
3. Felix Miquet def. Carlo Stringari on points (30:00)
4. Rene Michot drew Jim Atlas (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Ali Hassan (29:43, the length of the 2nd fall wasn't mentioned)

7 December 1935
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Lucien Malezieux def. Albert Ben Chemoul on points (20:00)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Rene van Coppenolle (22:20)
3. Frank Bronowicz drew Jim Atlas (30:00)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Charles Ding on points (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Regis Siki (2:0 falls)
= Chemoul was a sub for Gabriel Laurier.

4 February 1936
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
Emile Rivollier drew Leone Jacovacci (20:00)
Michele Leone def. Louis Loew (20:45)
Ernest Cadine def. Dick Perron (16:30)
Frank Bronowicz drew Carlo Stringari (30:00)
Dan Koloff def. Regis Siki (2:0 falls)

21 April 1936
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Ernest Cadine def. Rudolphe Binacchi (17:30)
2. Michele Leone drew Charles Ulsemer (30:00)
3. Louis Loew def. Gabriel Martinville (15:15)
4. Kola Kwariani drew Mark Passmann (30:00)
5. Henri Deglane def. Leo Lefebvre (27, 15)

17 November 1936
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Leone Jacovacci (12:20)
2. Michele Leone def. Hans Buesing (18:10)
3. Manuel Fullaondo def. Charles Manoogian (15:25)
4. French Welterweight Title: Alexandre Poizat (c) def. Robert Beglot to retain his title (26:10)
5. Henri Deglane def. Len Hall (21:30, 6:35)

Newspaper advert for the 17 November 1936 show in Troyes

12 January 1937
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"big crowd"
1. Alexandre Lageat drew Robert Maixent (20:00)
2. Gabriel Martinville def. Nazareth Serkissian
3. Ernest Cadine def. Gaston Navailles (20:45)
4. Al Pereira def. Michele Leone (20)
5. French Heavyweight Title: Henri Deglane (c) def. Felix Miquet to retain his title (10:40 Deglane, 7, 15)

2 March 1937
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"big crowd"
1. Alexandre Poizat def. Emile Rochez on points (20:00)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Leone Jacovacci (18:30)
3. Joe Nawrocki def. Dimitri Karayanoff (15:45)
4. Abe Kaplan drew Peter Konstantinoff (30:00)
5. Al Pereira def. Manuel Fullaondo (2:0 falls)
= Originally Charles Rigoulot was supposed to wrestle Fullaondo, but the match was changed to Pereira facing Fullaondo instead.

11 May 1937
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"big crowd"
1. Robert Maixent def. Alexandre Lageat (15:40)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Nemeth Sandor (21:45)
3. Mark Passmann drew Jack Zarnas (30:00)
4. Kola Kwariani def. Charles Manoogian (12:30)
5. Charles Rigoulot def. Manuel Fullaondo (23:45, 10:45)

5 October 1937
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"packed house"
1. Albert Ben Chemoul def. Julien Depuichaffray on points (20:00)
2. Jean Bianconi def. Andre Trante (14:30)
3. Emile Pouveroux def. Gaston Navailles (22:30)
4. Dick Perron def. Oscar Nygren (16)
5. Al Pereira drew Kola Kwariani (43 Pereira, 10:45, no one won the 3rd fall)

Newspaper advert for the 5 October 1937 show in Troyes

7 December 1937
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"packed house"
1. Robert Beglot def. Paul Klaytch (17:45)
2. Maurice Gomis def. Michel Besseyre (14)
3. Harry Mamos drew Joe Campbell (30:00)
4. Sandor Vary def. Peter Konstantinoff (20:55)
5. Charles Rigoulot def. Joe Nawrocki (18:50, 8:05)

25 January 1938
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
"packed house"
1. Robert Maixent drew Julien Depuichaffray (20:00)
2. Marcel Nonest def. Krum Petroff (21:15)
3. Raymond Bukovac def. Louis Rudelle (16:15)
4. Sandor Vary def. George Krassavine (22:10)
5. Henri Deglane def. Jim Burnett (21:30, 8)
= Dan Koloff was supposed to wrestle Burnett in the main event, but a few days prior to the show Deglane replaced him in the match.

8 March 1938
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Roger Mollet def. Krum Petroff (16:35)
2. Emile Pouveroux def. Marcel Douvinet (17:30)
3. Albert Arnaud def. Jean Bianconi (19:30)
4. Louis Loew drew Passinon (30:00)
5. Joe Savoldi def. Al Sparks (17 Sparks, 5:45, 2:03)
= Passinon was most likely Mark Passmann, but the report misspelled his name.

22 November 1938
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Andre Piroue drew Robert Maixent (20:00)
2. Alphonse Zwahlen def. Rino Deon (19)
3. Dick Perron def. Rudolphe Binacchi (15)
4. Mike Brendel def. Louis Loew (16)
5. Charles Rigoulot drew Yvar Martinson (36:30 Martinson, 16 Rigoulot, no one won the 3rd fall)

10 January 1939
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Robert Maixent def. Paul Klaytch (16:45)
2. Jean Bianconi def. Felix Clody (14)
3. Karol Nowina drew Dick Perron (30:00)
4. Yvar Martinson def. Arthur Ghevaert (14:10)
4. Felix Miquet def. Frank Bronowicz (23:45 Miquet, 4:30, 8:20)

7 February 1939
Troyes, France
Cirque Municipal
1. Emile Rochez def. Robert Beglot (5:30)
2. Marcel Nonest drew Otto Muller (30:00)
3. Dick Perron def. Marcel Douvinet (12:45)
4. Karol Nowina drew Rene Bukovac (30:00)
5. Yvon Robert def. Frank Bronowicz (36, a few seconds)