Professional Wrestling December 1937

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Fitchburg MA: December 6, 1937: (City Hall) ... Yvon Robert vs Pat Reilly ... Tom Kaivola vs Harry Finklestein ... Chief Saunooke vs Tom Hanley ... Tommy Rae vs Jack Marshall ... NOTE: Robert was defending a version of the heavyweight title... Tickets were $1, 75 cents and 40 cents, including tax

New York NY: December 11, 1937: Ed (Strangler) Lewis returns aboard the United States liner Washington from a six-month world wrestling tour and says he plans to retire from the ring and make his home in Hollywood ... Now admitting to 47, he has been in the since he was 16 ... Lewis said the current type of "slambang" grappling was "terrible and awful ... But it is the fault of the public. What the public wants it gets. If you put on a good, scientific match, they wak out. They want to see slamming."

New York NY: December 13, 1937: Ed (Strangler) Lewis tells Paul Mickelson of the Associated Press that "Joe Stecher was the greatest wrestler I ever met. Amazing man, that Stecher ... He never squeezed you hard -- he was like a python -- but just hung on and on until you were exhausted." ... Lewis and his bride of 11 months depart for Nekoosa, Wis., and a visit with the wrestler's aged mother and father, after which he will settle down to his restaurant business in Glendale, Calif. ... "Come out and put your own headlock on my steaks," the Strangler says in parting, "and please thank everyone for being kind to a big bully like me."

STRANGLER MAY PILOT EL PULPO
(Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, December 21, 1937)

Big Ed (Strangler) Lewis may take over El Pulpo, Mexico's Thin Man, and manage his wrestling affairs.

This was the report which was prevalent yesterday at the Olympic offices.

... Lewis announced the other day that he had retired from active competition. It is know that Big Ed would like to keep his finger in the pie, so to speak, and therefore he will either turn manager or try some promotion with the former being more to his own liking.

Lewis did manage Vincent Lopez for a spell and he guided the Mexican Matador to recognition as a world's champion. Sometime ago Big Ed turned Vincent loose on his own. He went on a tour of Europe recently but finally decided that he had had enough as an active competitor. Lewis admits to 47 years. He has been wrestling for thirty years.

Lewis, the experts point out, would be invaluable to a fellow like El Pulpo as he could teach him many tricks that he has picked up in his years of grappling in every country in the world.

Los Angeles CA: December 22, 1937: (Olympic) ... Jimmy El Pulpo w/Vincent Lopez beat Chief Little Wolf

Los Angeles CA: December 29, 1937: (Olympic) ... Chief Little Wolf vs Jimmy El Pulpo ... Referee: Don McDonald ... Kimon Kudo vs Del Kunkel ... Chris Zaharias vs Alvin Reeder... Rusty Westcoatt vs Andy Meixner ... Bull Martin vs Tom Meade ... Ivan Rasputin vs Pat Fraley ... Chief Chewacki vs Sammy Stein

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