Top Wrestling Stars At Norwood Arena, Inaugural Set For July 22-This Day in Norwood History-July 16, 1948

Professional wrestling, which has enjoyed a banner indoor season at the Boston Arena and Garden, will shift to the Norwood Arena on Route 1 a week from tonight when the first of a series of Thursday night all-star show will be presented.

Manager Arthur Forrest announced yesterday that arrangement is had been completed for the weekly wrestling matches with the Norwood Arena ring taking over the Greater Boston mat spotlight following the Hub windup tonight at the Garden. The opening night feature will find Steve “Crusher” Casey from Ireland facing Bob “Bibber” McCoy in a two-out-of three falls match with a 90-minute limit. Casey is the lad who regained his health after spending the winter in a hospital bed with a paralyzed back, to get a double shot at Frank Sexton’s world title in Boston this year, only to boot both chances when he was disqualified for unnecessary roughness.

Regained Health

The Crusher was in a cab on the way to meet Sexton in a title match last year when he was stricken with paralysis of the back. All winter long he lay in a bed at the Boston City Hospital, and early this year went South where he regained his health and saw some mat action to get in shape for a return crack at the Sexton mantle. Back at Boston, he showed his old form when he defeated Von Schadt, the European titleholder, and then went on to mess up “Wild Bill” Curry, the former Hartford cop who has the reputation of being the toughest man in wrestling.

This won him a chance at the coveted world’s title, but in the bout with Sexton the Crusher lost his temper and was disqualified when he threw the .referee out of the ring. A sorry boy after the match, Casey was given another go at Sexton, but the big Irish lad again saw too much red and was disqualified for the same tactics.

But there’ll be no world title at stake In the Norwood opener, and Casey promises to hold his temper while administering a thorough shellacking to McCoy, the ex-Navy man Who has met defeat on the, Boston mats only twice this season.

In the semi-final Norwood bout on July 22, “Tiger” Tasker, who has seen much action as a member of the Australian tag team, will clash with the Black Panther, champion of the world. Fans know Tasker as a “dirty” wrestler and the Panther as about the most slippery grappler in the game This match will be two out of three falls with a 45-minute limit.

A preliminary bout will bring together Ace Freeman of New York and Ted Germane of South Boston in a one-fall event with a 30-minute limit.

Fred Morano, veteran wrestling official, will be the third man in the ring for the Norwood inaugural. Promoter Arthur Forrest said yesterday that all seats will go for $1 including tax.

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)