June 27th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Dean Detton 1929
Dick Afflis\Dick The Bruiser 1929
Happy Birthday:
Chris DeJoseph\Big Dick Johnson
Kimberly Ann Frankele (35)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Henry W. Mittlestadt\Tiny Mills 6-27-1987 at the age of 74
Alex Perez 6-27-2001 at the age of 71
Pat Hutchinson 6-27-2006 at the age of 50
John Czawlytko\Max Muscle 6-27-2019 at the age of 56
Select Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Match and Event Flashbacks
90-Year Flashback:
6-27-1935: Danno Mahoney, defeated Jim Londos, NWA & NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion to unify the titles at Fenway Park in Boston Massachusetts
Tony Note> In winning this match, Mahoney takes his first step toward becoming a Triple World Champion. By defeating Londos, he picks up both the National Wrestling Association World Title and the New York State Athletic Commission World Championship. Just a little over a month from now, he will defeat Ed Don George for the Boston version of the AWA World Heavyweight Title, unifying all three titles into one Triple World Championship. For a short time, he was the undisputed World Champion, except in the case of Los Angeles.
But Dick Shikat was coming down the road also....
Since I do not go back to the 1930s very often, while we are here on this occasion of this historic match, here's a brief historical recap on how Londos was in this position.
Londos was a HUGE draw at the box office and packed the house to SRO every time he appeared. He was the FIRST NWA (National Wrestling Association) World Heavyweight Champion and a two-time NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, Londos was the one who united both titles.
Pictured: 6-27-1935 Boston Globe
Pictured: 6-28-1935 Boston Globe
Tony Note> After the match, Londos was interviewed by the Boston Globe and said he was going home for a visit to Greece to see his father:
Tony Note> After the match Mahoney talks with his brother via telephone in Ireland and mentions he can’t return home until after the Ed Don George match:
80-Year Flashback:
6-27-1945: Frank Sexton defeated Steve Casey to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version) for his 2nd reign with the title in Boston, Massachusetts
*Research provided by historian Mark Hewitt:
The powerhouse Frank Sexton
Francis “Frank” Sexton was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1910 to a large farm family. He earned the nickname “Powerhouse” while playing high school football and the moniker would follow him for the rest of his life.
He attended Ohio State University as a freshman where he played football and wrestled. Sexton left school in 1932 and began pursuing a pro wrestling career. Sexton’s early trainer was Foster “Bull” Gossard, a veteran mat man and former Navy grappler. His early matches were in London, Ohio, on cards that carried both wrestling and boxing bouts. The first recorded bout for Sexton that has surfaced is Dec. 27, 1932. He defeated Tiger Bud Mitchell. After a Jan. 10, 1933, bout at the Armory in London with Bull Smith, a local newspaper described that “Sexton showed much ability as a good clean and smart wrestler,” and added, “Local fans have requested the appearance of Sexton again in the ring.” (Semi Weekly Madison County Democrat, 1/22/33) On Feb. 7, in London, he defeated Chancey Bostick and participated in a six-man battle royal. In the battle royal, the other grapplers, all middleweights, ganged up on Sexton and eliminated him quickly. Former Olympic champion Harry Steel served as the referee. Sexton began appearing in Columbus for Al Haft’s promotion. His Columbus debut was Feb. 15, 1933, where he wrestled to a draw with Karl Davis. Sexton was billed as a “London farmer.”
Pictured: 6-27-1945 Boston Globe
**Research provided by Steve Yohe:
"On May 21, 1945, Frank Sexton pinned old rival Sandor Szabo to win the AWA World Title at Buffalo, NY. The line of the AWA World Title traced back into the main line of the World Title first through Henri Deglane’s controversial May 4, 1931, win over Ed Lewis, and later through Lou Thesz’s loss to Steve Casey in Boston on Feb. 11, 1938, that ended Thesz’s first world title reign. Many people, not only those who lived in New England but also those who believed that title should be won and lost in the ring, considered the AWA World Title as the legitimate World Title over Bill Longson’s National Wrestling Association Title and Jim Londos’ long-standing world title claim. The title also had the prestige of the belt worn by Ed ‘Stranger’ Lewis in the early 1920’s. Two weeks after winning the title, Sexton dropped the title to Steve Casey…The two would be rematched on June 27, 1945… Sexton regained the title from Casey. This time Sexton would hold the belt almost five years straight, one of the longest title major world title reigns in pro wrestling history.” -Steve Yohe
Pictured: 6-25-1945 Boston Globe
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History:
Steve Casey was from Ireland, and he was brought to Boston by Promoter Paul Bowser to be a professional wrestler in 1936.
Thank You for Reading
I'm Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
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