1945 The Flint Arena

The year 1945 was, in fact, a great year, not only because I was born then, but it had a lot of good and bad things happen during that year.

First of all … you could buy a new home for $4,600. The average person made a $2,400 per year wage. A loaf of bread was just five cents, and a gallon of gas was 10 cents with no shortage in sight, and, by the way, it was also from our own grounds here in these great United States that we got our gas.

Some happenings of that year were, Franklin D. Roosevelt died, and Adolf Hitler committed suicide with his new bride of one day. Japan was hit with two atomic bombs within three days of each other and officially surrendered shortly after that. That act from President Harry Truman was a result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii just four years earlier by the Japanese.

Incidentally, my uncle Don was in the hospital when the bombing occurred. He was in the U.S. Army, like my father, Kenneth, and my other uncle Bob was in the Navy as a Shore Patrolman. My other uncle, Basil, was not old enough to go to battle.

George S. Patton also died that year as a result of an automobile accident. Gene Autry, back from the service, was selling out record shops and theaters. Some of the big records of the year were … Gene Autry, "At Mail Call Today," Bing Crosby, "Aren't You Glad You're You?" and Judy Garland, "This Heart of Mine."

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator), the first all-electronic computer, was completed and put into use. Grand Rapids, Michigan becomes the first community to fluoridate its water supply. Raymond Libby developed oral penicillin. American Cyanamid discovered folic acid, a vitamin abundant in green leafy vegetables, liver, kidney, and yeast.

Detroit defeated the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series while, in hockey, Detroit was beaten in the Stanley Cup by Toronto. The San Francisco Conference established the United Nations. The Bells of St. Mary's, Dillinger and Anchors Away were some of the great pictures of the year.

At Gimbel's Department Store in New York City, the first ballpoint pens go on sale at $12.50 each.

The Flint Arena continued to fill the seats every Saturday night despite high ticket prices. General admission was 60 cents and reserved seating was 85 cents, while ringside commanded $1.15 for each ticket.

My cousin, Les Valliere, recently sent me some photostats of the Flint Journal archives from microfiche at the Flint public library. I can't begin to thank him enough for his kindness, and I am sure that, in the future, I will return to Flint, and we will share a nice meal together.

Some of the articles included the debut of Don Parker of Pasadena, California to meet Gil LaCross in the semi main event, with Dutch Schultz meeting Don War Eagle (father of the great Don Eagle). Earlier that month, another article listed Lon Chaney facing Balk Estes, the Oklahoma Indian in the main event, with Maurice LaChappele meeting Buck Liscom in the opener.

Promoter Ozzie Donoghue also used various military men on leave that were involved in wrestling before they went into service for our country. One of them was Frank Lajewski, who was serving in the Navy, and who fought on his final card in February at the Arena in the opener against Nick Billings, and, on that same card, Balk Estes, who promoter Donoghue called a ladies favorite, faced Ali Aliba in the semi final. Rufus Jones faced Dutch Schultz in the main event.

April saw the return of Martino Angelo, going against Nick Billings in a 30-minute opening match on a card headlined by Don War Eagle, the Canadian Indian, facing Dutch Shultz from Texas. This was a return match from a few weeks earlier where Dutch won the match by foul means. The semi main event had the return of Jose Manuel, who was a mainstay in the late 30's and early 40's, to face Jimmy Mitchell of Louisville, Kentucky. Jimmy was better know by the title "The Black Panther," and, when he retired, later in years, he opened a carryout in Toledo.

May saw more great matches come to the Arena as Nick Billings returned with tag partner to face Tex Riley and Rufus Jones (this is not the same Rufus R. Jones known also as Freight train). Jose Manuel took on Frank Clemons in other action.

These are just a few of the fantastic cards that drew sellout crowds every week. Amazing as it was, they did not have air conditioning in those days and, during the hot summer months, would put on outdoor cards in the lot next to the Arena where the Bokay Ice Cream shop would be built in the early 50's.

My hat is off to those veterans who fought in the dimly lit, smoke filled Arena on North Saginaw Street every week. Those were the days…

More to come in the future about the matches of yesteryear at the Flint Arena.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers

2003 BWC Hall of Fame Inductee
2004 CAC Hall of Fame Inductee
2006 LWA Hall of Fame Inductee
2007 TCCW Hall of Fame Honoree