Columbus Citizen-Journal: Tuesday, March 9, 1965
Wrestling CARD SET

Professional wrestling returns to the area after a five month absence when the Reynoldsburg
Kiwanis Club sponsors a program Saturday April 3 at Reynoldsburg High School.
Columbus Promoter Al Haft, working in conjunction with the Reynoldsburg Kiwanis headed by
Fred Keeling, has promised the top mat talent in Ohio for the event, scheduled for 8 p.m. in
the gym.  Haft, who has just returned to Columbus from an extensive vacation tour, cited the
remodeling of the Coliseum for the five-month layoff of pro wrestling here.

Reynoldsburg, OH: Saturday, April 3, 1965
(High School Gym) … Leon Graham vs George Strickland … Referee: Karl Gotch … Frankie
Talaber vs Glen Reinhart … (Ladies) Ethel Johnson vs Mary Hillis … Jim Windel vs Paul
Stetson

Columbus, OH: Saturday, April 17, 1965
(Fairgrounds Coliseum) … (American Wrestling Alliance World HW Title) Taro Myaki beat
Karl Gotch (2-1, dq) ... (Ohio Junior Heavyweight Title) Leon Graham* beat Tiger Severs (of
Dayton OH) ... Kelly brothers beat Rip Collins and Hank Vest... Frankie Talaber beat Doug
Adkins ... George Strickland (sub for Paul Stetson) beat Jim Windell … Promoter: Al Haft …
(under card results from Matmania)

Columbus, OH: Saturday, May 22, 1965
(Fairgrounds Coliseum) … (American Wrestling Alliance World HW Title) Karl Gotch* beat
Taro Myaki (2-1) ... (Ohio JH Title) Leon Graham* beat J.D. Kent ... Frankie Talaber beat
Hank Vest (dq) (sub for Rip Collins) ... Hubert Holly beat Frank Hester ... Doug Adkins and
Glen Rinehart beat George Strickland and Jim Windell

Columbus, OH: Thursday, June 17, 1965
(Berwick Plaza Shopping Center) … Frankie Talaber vs Bill Scholl … Hubert Holly vs Frank
Hester … NOTE: This was the opening card sponsored by the Berwick Plaza merchants to be
held outdoors on Thursday and Friday nights … The site was located at Refugee Road and
Winchester Pike

Columbus, OH: Saturday, June 19, 1965
(Fairgrounds Coliseum) … (AWA World HW Title) Karl Gotch* beat The Beast ... Leon
Graham drew Martino Angelo ... Frank Hester and George Strickland beat Hubert Holley and
Jim Windell ... Doug Adkins and Glen Reinhart beat John Calloway and Hank Vest … (results-
Matmania)

Columbus, OH: Thursday, June 24, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Bill Gallion, George Strickland, Jim Windel, Bill Scholl on card

Columbus, OH: Friday, June 25, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Frank Hester, George Strickland, Jim Windel, Bill Scholl on card

Columbus, OH: Thursday, July 1, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … (Ladies) Mary Hillis vs Lola LaRay … Bill Scholl vs John Callaway

Columbus, OH: Friday, July 2, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … (Ladies) Ethel Johnson vs Joan Scott … Bill Scholl vs Frank Pickens

Columbus, OH: Thursday, August 12, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Frank Pickens vs Ralph Whaley … Hubert Holly vs Silent Montenaro

Columbus, OH: Friday, August 13, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Karl Gotch vs All Comers

Columbus, OH: Thursday, August 19, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Karl Gotch vs All Comers … Ralph Whaley vs Frank Pickens

Columbus, OH: Friday, August 20, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Frankie Talaber vs Hubert Holly … (Ladies) Mary Hillis vs Pearl Bates

Columbus, OH: Thursday, August 26, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Frank Hester vs Ralph Whaley … George Strickland vs Big Bill O’Neill

Columbus, OH: Friday, August 27, 1965
(Berwick Plaza) … Frankie Talaber vs Bill Scholl … Silent Montenaro vs Tom Clark

Columbus, OH: Saturday, October 2, 1965
(Cooper Arena) … (Ohio Junior Heavyweight Title) Leon Graham* vs J. Killer Kent … Jolly
Green Giants vs John Calloway and Hank Vest … Frankie Talaber vs Glen Reinhart …
(Ladies) Mary Hillis vs Pearl Bates … Frank Hester and Ralph Whaley vs Silent Montenaro
and Paul Stetson … NOTE: The new arena was just west of the Coliseum, holding 3,500. It
was part of the State Fairgrounds.

Columbus, OH: Saturday, November 13, 1965
(Cooper Arena) … (OJHTM) Leon Graham* vs Doug Adkins … Jolly Green Giants vs Walt
Brenneman and Bill Scholl … Handsome Buddy Brown and Hank Vest vs Jim Paturaska and
Ronnie Stafford … (Ladies) Mary Hillis vs Lola LaRay (as LoLo LeMay) … Frankie Talaber vs
J. Killer Kent

Columbus, OH: Saturday, November 27, 1965
(Cooper Arena) … Jolly Green Giants vs Leon Graham and Frankie Talaber (nc, 1-1) … Bill
Scholl and Hank Vest beat Buddy Brown and Ronnie Stafford … George Strickland beat
Hubert Holly … J. Killer Kent drew Doug Adkins … Silent Montenaro (sub for Bill Gallion) beat
Ralph Whaley … (last card of the year)

WRESTLING TRYOUTS

Wrestling matchmaker Al Haft said Friday that all area wrestlings are welcome to the Haft
Gym for workouts each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ---Columbus Citizen-Journal---Saturday,
December 4, 1965

NOTES: The Columbus Citizen-Journal did not have a Sunday newspaper … The Columbus
Dispatch which did have a Sunday paper is much larger and has far most microfilm reels to
cover this period then the Citizen-Journal … When I met Al Haft during the summer of 1965,
he appeared to be in good health, plowing a field near his motel. Al was 78 or 79 years old at
the time.
I’m trying to find out when he gave up his license to promoter.

Columbus was later promoted by the Sheik’s group; and a few independents tried their hand
also.  Likely Frankie Talaber felt the territory was done as far as trying to promote there
anymore.

Don Luce    December 26, 2012



Research by Don Luce
Columbus Wrestling Results - 1965
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