Professional Wrestling May 1931

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Lima OH: May 1, 1931: (Friday) (Armory) ... Allan Eustace beat Jack Sampson (2-0) ... Cupie Doll Higgins (of Nashville TN) beat Ad Herman

Boston MA: May 7, 1931: Al Morelli beat Pat McKay (2-0) ... Stanley Stasiak drew Nick Lutze (30:00)

Syracuse NY: May 7, 1931: Jim McMillen drew Bill Bartush ... Hans Steinke beat Willie Davis ... Renato Gardini beat Casey Berger ... Fleon Stafford beat George Tragos

Lima OH: May 14, 1931: (Thursday) (Armory) ... Allan Eustace beat John Arnold

Brockton MA: May 19, 1931: Gus Sonnenberg beat Lee Wykoff

Manchester NH: May 19, 1931: Ed Don George beat Charlie Lepanen (2-0)

Buffalo NY: May 19, 1931: Stanley Stasiak beat Dan Koloff

New York City NY: May 19, 1931: Jim Londos beat Dick Daviscourt ... Athol Oakley beat Vanka Zelesniak

Jersey City NJ: May 19, 1931: Renato Gardini beat Abe Kashey ... Dick Shikat beat Tom Texis ... Babe Caddock beat Jack Reynolds ... Joe Boyle beat Mike Chaplin ... Sergei Kalmikoff beat Jack Burke

Newark NJ: May 19, 1931: Sandor Szabo beat Jack Washburn ... Herbie Freeman drew Jim McMillen ... Joe (Toots) Mondt beat Tony Catalino ... Milo Steinborn beat Gene Bruce... Casey Berger drew Fred Carone (as Ferdinando Carone)

New York City NY: May 21, 1931: Herbie Freeman beat Fred Carone (as Ferdinando Carone) ... Renato Gardini beat Casey Berger ... George Hill drew Gene Bruce ... Gino Garibaldi drew Milo Steinborn ... Wladek Zbyszko beat Tom Texis

Cleveland OH: May 21, 1931: Jim Londos beat Mike Romano (2-0)

Holyoke MA: May 22, 1931: Henri Deglane beat Pat McGill

New York NY: May 22, 1931: Jack Sherry beat Jean La Deaux ... George Zarynoff beat Abe Kaplan ... Stanley Stasiak drew Nick Lutze ... Frank Judson beat Tony Rocco ... Charles Leppanen drew William Demetral

Philadelphia PA: May 22, 1931: Ray Steele beat Tiny Roebuck

Lima OH: May 22, 1931: (Armory) ... John Pesek beat Allan Eustace (2-1) ... Paul Adler beat Ray Duncan ... Referee: Clete Kauffman ... Promoters: Cliff Binckley, Carl Miller

'TIGER MAN' LIVES UP TO HIS NAME (By Amby Falk, Lima OH News, Saturday, May 23, 1931): When John Pesek, the Nebraska "Tigerman," told a group of his friends in his dressing room between falls that he was "hot," he apparently meant just that thing.

He must have been sizzling with the ol' urge to go and get his man after he had dropped the first fall to Allan Eustace when the "Kansas Cyclone" dcaught John in one of his famous leg scissors' clamps.

Asked what he expected to do when he got back in the ring for the second session, Pesek cleverly evaded the question and with a smile merely responded that he was "hot."

Returning to the mat with all his power and fight, the "Tigerman" consumed just 20 minutes and 45 seconds to prove that he was Eustace's master, which also acted as a demonstrator of why he is acclaimed the heavyweight champion by the Middle Western Assn.

A reverse body slam and a body pin were the instruments Pesek used to gain his victory over the "Cyclone."

Eustace had the better of the argument throughout the early stages of the battle. Allan was the first to get on top and after Pesek had freed himself, Pesek dropped into one of Eustace's arm locks. And then Eustace followed this up by engineering Pesek into a grapevine but Pesek made a nice out and took the offensive for the first time by clamping a headlock on his victim which was the first punishment inflicted on Allan by John. Eustace kneed his way to freedom and succeeded in getting Pesek on the mat with a leg split.

One of the prettiest pieces of work shown by Pesek was the "Tigerman's" next move. As Pesek flew through the air while on the receiving end of a Eustace flying mare, Pesek landed on his feet and lost no time getting back at Allan. Pesek showed his bull-like strength when he broke a Eustace full nelson with ease. But Eustace succeeded in clamping his famous leg scissors hold on Pesek and the first fall was awarded the "Cyclone" after 17 minutes and six seconds.

Pesek took the lead early in the second session and gave every indication that he was hot for action. They both went down on the mat with Pesek on top and after a few seconds Eustace managed to get a leg split on his conqueror. Then Pesek stood Eustace on his head on the edge of the ring and seemingly deliberated whether to put him overboard or permit him to stay in the main ring. Referee Clete Kauffman finally pulled the two giants back into the center and Pesek again topped his opponent and, as before, Eustace caught the "Tigerman" in another leg split.

After an exchange of a few holds which included arm locks, flying mares and scissor clamps, Eustace leaped on Pesek, clamped his legs about Pesek's mid-section, and the "Tigerman" paraded around the ring with Eustace on his back until he decided the right moment had arrived. Then, with a backward move, Pesek pulled his reverse body slam and after 11 minutes and 20 seconds the match was all even.

The most action of the bout came after nine minutes and 25 seconds in the third session when Pesek lived up to his name as "Tigerman" once he decided to bring the evening's activities to a close. Just before Pesek put on his body pin to end the match, Eustace was subjected to severe punishment when Pesek resorted to flying mares and a bit of battering to bring down the "Cyclone."

Paul Adler won over Ray Duncan in the semifinal. Adler stuck his knee in Duncan's mid-section to finish the former Ohio University star in 18 minutes.

In the preliminary, Kid Cheney downed Eddie the Barber.

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