MARCH:

New Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion Sonny Myers made his initial appearance in the Gulf Coast. He successfully defended his title in a rough match with Danny Dusek.

Popular Lee Fields recovered from his injury and returned in a match against rugged Rube Wright from Birmingham. The match was a rough affair that saw both men bleeding at the end. Fields took two falls out of three to win the match. Wright wasn't happy and demanded and received a rematch. In fact, Rube blamed his loss on his own whiskers. He said that Lee Fields has held him in place by the beard while he opened a cut on Rube's forehead.

Therefore Rube Wright appeared clean-shaven for the rematch. It didn't help though because Lee Fields whipped him thoroughly in two falls to take the match.

Newcomer Frank "Scotty" Thompson arrived in the area. He defeated "Fearless" Al Criswell in his initial match. He then faced the rugged Turk, Ali Pasha with the winner promised a title shot at Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion Sonny Myers. It was a rough and tumble match, but Thompson emerged the winner when Pasha was disqualified in the final fall.

Herb Welch & Buddy Fuller continued to be successful as a tag team. They defeated the rugged team of Walt Sirois & Babe Zaharias. They also teamed with Billy "the Kid" Brown to face the three man team of King Karl Kowalski, Charro Aztec & Rowdy Red Roberts. The villains were just a little too tough and won the match. Archenemies Welch and Roberts squared off after the match and exchanged punches. Welch then challenged Roberts to face him in a singles match. The two hadn't faced each other since Welch battered Roberts mercilessly the previous summer in a Texas Death Match.

Lady wrestlers Ethel Brown and Judy Glover appeared. Brown defeated Glover in that match.

Others appearing in the area in March were Clyde Steeves, Rex Mobley and Eddie (Pat) Malone.

APRIL:

The Herb Welch/Rowdy Red Roberts feud erupted once again when Welch challenged Roberts after the two exchanged punches after a six-man tag team match. It was one of their usual melees, but the Rowdy one defeated Welch to win the match.

Roberts also clobbered Ali Pasha in a rough match to emerge as the number one contender for Sonny Myers' Southern Jr. Heavyweight crown. I guess they forgot about Scotty Thompson. They also must have forgotten about Roberts as well, because when Myers came back into the area at the end of the month it was Pasha that he faced for the title. Pasha was rough but Myers retained the title.

The famous tag team known as Al & John Smith (Al Alexander & Walter Allen, respectively) entered the area. They were billed as the East Coast tag team champions. The Smiths (bearded to appear similar as the same-named cough drop brothers) had previously worked under the names Ivan & Soldat Gorky.  Al/Ivan would also wrestle as a single as Jolly Cholly the wrestling hobo.

John/Soldat would appear over the years as The Siberian Wolfman and "Wolfman" Smith. They defeated the popular team of Lee Fields & Scotty Thompson in their initial appearance.

Midget wrestlers appeared in the area in April. Otto Bauman defeated Tuffy McRae.

Others who appeared in the area in April were Vic Kalfus, Hercules McIntyre, "Fearless" Al Criswell, Rube Wright, Mario Galento and Elmer Frezzie.

MAY:

Lee Fields got another shot at Al & John Smith when he teamed with Herb Welch to defeat the bearded pair. This win earned Welch & Fields a shot at the Southern tag team crown held by the team of Mario Galento & Rowdy Red Roberts. The title match was a wild one that saw Fields injured in the final fall when he was tossed from the ring. He was unable to return and was counted out, giving Galento & Roberts the fall and the match allowing them to retain the titles. Fields was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance where he was diagnosed with two broken ribs.

A match was signed between Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion Sonny Myers and World's Jr. Heavyweight champion Baron Michele Leone (Michael Morelli) for Tuesday May 10th at Hartwell Field in Mobile. However, Leone lost the title on May 2nd to Edmund Francis in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ending his nearly two-year reign. Leone did face Myers in Mobile, but it was Myers' title on the line instead. Myers defeated the Italian nobleman and remained the Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion.

The Curtis Brothers, Jack & George (Jack & George Culkin) from Mississippi came into the area to try and get a shot at Roberts & Galento. They defeated Galento & Hercules McIntyre in their first appearance. This earned them a shot at Galento & Roberts and they made the best of it. They defeated Red Roberts & Mario Galento on May 24th in Mobile to become the new Southern Tag Team champions. A return match was quickly signed between the two teams. All four men wound up in the ring at the same time during the third fall. As they battled away at each other, the referee tried in vain to regain control of the match. He finally gave up and declared the match a no contest. The state commission then held up the title trophy.

Popular Don Wayne returned to the area after a year's absence. He defeated rough Rex Mobley in his return. The ladies returned in a match that saw China Mira defeat Dot Dotson. The following week saw Ethel Johnson win over Babs Wingo. Still another ladies match saw Millie Stafford defeat Lana Lamar.

JUNE:

Lee Fields returned to action and immediately issued a challenge to the man responsible for his broken ribs, Mario Galento. Galento smugly accepted and the match was set. It was a wild affair with the advantage swinging back and forth several times. Each man had won a fall when all hell broke loose! The two combatants battered each other from post to post with both men ignoring the referee's warnings to watch the illegal tactics. Finally the referee had had enough and called a halt to the proceedings. The Alabama Commission decided that if the two wanted to batter each other with their fists, they would face each other in a fifteen round boxing match. The two proved they were just as wild at boxing as they had been at wrestling, but Lee brought it to a sudden stop when he stopped Galento in the fifth round. 

Former Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion Tex Riley made appearances in the area. He defeated rugged King Karl Kowalski to continue his bid for a shot at current champion Sonny Myers. He further solidified his standing by defeating tough Chico Cortez in straight falls in another bout. He was promised a future match with Myers after this win.

Jack & George Curtis returned to the area. At this point the Southern Tag Team title was still in the hands of the Alabama State Commission with no word on its' status. The Curtis Brothers defeated King Karl Kowalski & Rube Wright and then challenged the team they defeated for the championship, Rowdy Red Roberts & Mario Galento. The two teams had engaged in a wild match that  had resulted in the title being held up. Galento claimed to be unavailable, so Roberts chose rugged Rube Wright as a partner to face the popular brothers from Mississippi. Jack & George made short work of Roberts & Wright to prove themselves as the number one team in the area. 

Two popular favorites returned after short absences. Buddy Fuller returned to defeat Hercules McIntyre and Scotty Thompson defeated "Fearless" Al Criswell.

Midget wrestlers returned to the area in a match that saw Cowboy Bradley defeat Tom Thumb.

Others in the area this month were Eddie (Pat) Malone, Ali Pasha and Rex Mobley.

JULY:

Tex Riley received his long sought after shot at Sonny Myers for the Southern Jr. Heavyweight title. Riley, a former champion, was game but Myers edged him out to hang onto the championship. Riley had Myers on the ropes in the third and deciding fall after each had won a fall apiece. It appeared Tex was going to regain the title, but Sonny upended him in what most ringsiders considered a fluke. As a result a rematch was set between the two men. This time Myers emerged victorious, this time a little more decisively.

The Southern Tag Team championship picture was cleared up when the two teams involved in its' being held up met. Mario Galento & Rowdy Red Roberts defeated Jack & George Curtis to regain the title that they once held. Roberts & Galento were issued a challenge by the team that had beaten them to claim the title initially in a tournament, Herb Welch & Lee Fields. This match was typical of these four men as they battered each other silly. The match went to a time limit standstill and Roberts & Galento retained the title.

Welch and Roberts engaged in another of their famous battles in a singles match that saw Welch take a rough decision over the rowdy redhead from Little Rock.

Two newcomers arrived in the area. One was Mike Paidousis, a former All-American football player from the University of Tennessee. He faced another new arrival in Brother Frank Jares. Jares, a Mormon from Provo, Utah, was after a title match with Sonny Myers and defeated Paidousis to earn the number one contender slot. Brother Jares made good on this when he defeated  Myers on July 25th in Birmingham, Alabama to win the Southern Jr. Heavyweight title. The next night Jares lost to Davey Crockett in Mobile.

Jares was disqualified for rough tactics and therefore the title did not change hands.

Other wrestlers making appearances in the Gulf Coast area in July were Charlie Keene, Scotty Thompson, Rube Wright, Danny Dusek and lady wrestlers Betty White and Kathleen Wembly.

AUGUST:

Brother Frank Jares, the Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion, proved to be a fighting champion as he put the title on the line against veteran Jack Welch, returning to the area after a lengthy absence. Welch proved to be a worthy contender but fell a little short as Jares upended him to retain the title.

Welch also teamed with Bobby Starr only to lose to the team of Mario Galento & Carlos Rodriguez.

Tex Riley continued to press for a Southern Jr. Heavyweight title shot. He defeated popular Buddy Fuller in a scientific match that had the fans on their feet.

A mixed tag team match was presented in the area with two male & female teams facing off. In this one Lee Fields & Mary Jane Mull defeated Rowdy Red Roberts & Betty Millineaux. Roberts got a measure of revenge the following week, however, as he and his co-holder of the Southern Tag Team title Mario Galento jumped Fields after the match. They were administering quite a beating until Buddy Fuller charged the ring to even up the sides. A melee ensued and Galento wound up with a bloody head. Fields then challenged the tag team champs to face him and a partner. The champs agreed but stipulated that it be a non-title match. Fields chose popular Scotty Thompson as his partner, but they went down to defeat by the rugged tag team champs. 

Midget wrestlers returned in a match that saw Lord Littlebrook (Roger Littlebrook) take the measure of Ivan the Terrible. Also appearing in the area this month were Charlie Laye, George Curtis, Rube Wright, Dynamite Dennis Ferazze and The Masked Terror.

SEPTEMBER:

Giant wrestler Max Palmer, billed as being 8'3" tall and weighing 368 pounds, made an appearance in the area. He faced Buddy Fuller & Lester Welch in a handicap match. Welch & Fuller proved to be too quick for the big man and they wore him down and both fell on him to secure the pin. Palmer would later work under the name Paul Bunyan in his brief wrestling career.

Chief Little Eagle (Richard Bryant) made his initial appearance in the area. Unfortunately for him, he lost to Mario Galento. Little Eagle would make a bigger mark on the area in the years to come.

Leo "The Lion" Newman invaded the territory. He defeated Lee Fields in his initial match. Fields demanded and was given a rematch. Fields proved to be the better man in this encounter when he won in straight falls. Newman was well known in his native Pacific Northwest and later became best known as the manager for Portland wrestler Tough Tony Borne.

A five man Battle Royal held in Mobile had a strange twist. In the match were Jack & George Curtis, Herb Welch, Rowdy Red Roberts and Mario Galento. The first two men eliminated were to square off in a singles match and then the third and fourth men out were to do the same, with the fifth man as the winner. The first two out were Jack & George Curtis, who obviously refused to wrestle in a singles match. Galento & Roberts were arguing the fact with them when Roberts and then Galento were eliminated by Herb Welch, making Welch the winner. Since Roberts and Galento were the third and fourth out, they would have to face off. They too refused to wrestle each other. So instead they challenged the Curtis Brothers to face them in a tag team match. Jack & George accepted the challenge and the match was on. A wild battle raged and finally Galento & Roberts were disqualified for their foul tactics.

Davey Crockett returned to the area to face King Karl Kowalski with the winner promised a match against Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion Brother Frank Jares. Crockett fought gamely but was no match for the wild Kowalski. 

A mixed tag team match saw Mario Galento team with Dot Dotson to defeat Lee Fields & Belle Starr. Fields had words with referee Rube Wright after the match and the two swapped punches. Fields then challenged Wright to a match and Rube accepted. Each man had won a fall when Wright got carried away in the third fall and was disqualified.

Eduardo Perez from Argentina made his initial appearance in the Gulf Coast. Comparisons were made between he and another famous Argentinean, Antonino Rocca. Perez defeated the hated "Fearless" Al Criswell in his first bout. Perez would later go on to become a hated villain and the very first Gulf Coast champion.

Also in the area in September were Earl "Killer" Semmes and "Bull" Williams, both local black wrestlers form Mobile.

OCTOBER:

Gorgeous George returned to the area to team with Rube Wright. They faced Herb Welch & Dick Steinborn. Steinborn was the son of famed strongman Milo Steinborn. Welch & Steinborn proved to be too much for the George & Wright team as Steinborn pinned Wright to take the decisive fall. Steinborn didn't fare as well in a singles match with Mario Galento and lost to the longhaired Gypsy. Steinborn teamed with Buddy Fuller to defeat the team of Rube Wright & Rex Mobley, but still had Galento on his mind. He challenged Galento to another match and Mario accepted with glee. As an added bonus, the winner was promised a shot at Brother Frank Jares for the Southern Jr. Heavyweight title. Again Galento proved to be the better man as he downed Steinborn to win the match.

Farmer Jones with his pet pig Trooper made an appearance in the area. He defeated rugged veteran Charlie Keene. 

French-Canadian wrestler Pierre Dugas came into the Gulf Coast area. He proved to be a tough customer as he was disqualified in his initial match against Eduardo Perez. The following week he was defeated by Chick Garibaldi, returning to the area after a year's absence. 

Others in the area this month were Johnny Silvers, Charlie Laye, Chief Little Eagle and The Great Gardenia.

NOVEMBER:

Mario Galento & Rowdy Red Roberts were issued a challenge by Lee Fields to put up their Southern Tag Team title. Fields' regular tag team partner Herb Welch was unavailable due to prior commitments in the Carolinas, so Lee asked young Don Wayne to be his partner. Everyone was surprised by this choice until Lee explained that Don Wayne was really Don Fields, Lee's younger brother. The Fields Brothers proved no match for the rugged champions and went down to defeat, but were granted a rematch. Each team had won a fall when the Fields boys were disqualified in the third and deciding fall. The champs were the ones demanding a rematch now and a third title match was set. The third time proved to be the charm as Lee & Don Fields upended Mario Galento & Red Roberts to become the new Southern Tag Team champions. They were lucky to have won considering the referee was George "Baby Blimp" Harris, an old enemy of Lee Fields' who had just returned to the area. In fact Lee and the Blimp exchanged words after the match which led to fists flying. Harris then challenged Lee to a match. The two met on Thanksgiving night in Mobile in a wild match that saw Fields come out the winner.

Brother Frank Jares, the Southern Jr. Heavyweight champion, came in and successfully defended his title in a match against Buddy Fuller. Jares also faced and defeated popular Dick Steinborn. 

Farmer Jones (and Trooper) also returned by popular demand. He defeated rugged Danny Dusek.

Mario Galento teamed with Dot Dotson to defeat Chief Little Eagle & China Mira in a mixed tag team match. Later in the evening Little Eagle defeated Galento in a singles match. This was the second singles meeting of the two. 

Galento had beaten the popular Native American in his debut in the area. Galento wasn't happy with the loss and bloodied Little Eagle's nose as a result. A rematch was scheduled between the two. Mario won the rubber match when he defeated Little Eagle.

Also in the area in November were Charlie Laye, George Curtis, Rube Wright, Rex Mobley and Charlie Keene.

DECEMBER:

George "Baby Blimp" Harris continued to challenge Lee Fields for a return match but Fields refused. That is until Harris agreed to put his hair on the line. He vowed that if Fields could defeat him, he would allow someone to cut all of his hair off. Fields was intrigued by this notion and accepted the match. Once again it was a rough affair, but this time the Blimp was victorious and saved his curly hair. 

Another Fields brother arrived on the scene when it was announced that the fellow who had been known as "Bobby Starr" was in fact Bobby Fields, the youngest of the clan. That meant that it was now Lee, Don and Bobby. Bobby teamed with Lee to face Mario Galento & "Fearless" Al Criswell in a wild match. All four men battered themselves silly and the match was declared a no-contest.

Gorgeous Gus, the wrestling bear was brought into the area. He pinned rough Rube Wright in a match that had the fans wondering who the real wild animal was.

Rowdy Red Roberts suffered a rare defeat when he was pinned by newcomer Walter Kameroff.

Others appearing at the end of the year were Billy Curry, Charlie Laye, Chico Cortez, Buddy Fuller, Hercules McIntyre and Chick Garibaldi.

That's it for our look at the Gulf Coast happenings for the year 1955. I hope you enjoyed it.

NEXT MONTH:

We will look at 1956. The Fields Brothers continue to dominate the scene. NWA World's Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz comes to the area. Southern Heavyweight Champion Freddie Blassie, Southern Jr. Heavyweight Champion Brother Frank Jares, and Ladies' World Champion June Byers all make defenses in the area.