Detroit Wrestling Results

Below is Research by Jim Mandl:

Tuesday, March 3, 1959 at the CKLW channel 9 TV studios in Windsor, Canada:
1- Dick ‘the Bruiser’ Afflis vs. Jack Allen
2- Angelo Poffo vs. Jim Martin
3- Wilbur Snyder vs. Frank Brown
4- Jim Hady vs. Joe Rostoff

Tuesday, March 17, 1959 at the CKLW channel 9 TV studios in Windsor, Canada:
1- Wilbur Snyder (U.S. champion) vs. Angelo Poffo
2- Dick the Bruiser vs. Frank Foster
3- Yukon Eric vs. Jerry Gotch

Friday, April 3, 1959 at the State Fair Grounds in Detroit, MI:
1- Jim Hady vs. Jack Laskin – 2/3 falls
2- Steve Zold vs. Howard Martin
This was the debut show at this venue

Friday, April 10, 1959 at the State Fair Grounds in Detroit, MI:
1- Jim Siksay vs. Gypsy Bokaro - 2/3 falls
2- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) vs. Dick Caron
3- Steve Zold vs. Joe Smith (Don Kent)

Saturday, April 11, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, MI:
Promoter: Johnny Doyle & Jim Barnett
1- Angelo Poffo (U.S. champion) defeated Wilbur Snyder - 2/3 falls
2- Dick the Bruiser defeated Yukon Eric
3- Whipper Billy Watson defeated Al ‘Crusher’ Gorman
4- Hans Schmidt defeated Emile Dupre
5- Cowboy Bob Ellis defeated Martino Angelo
6- Little Beaver & Mario Valentine Sanchez defeated Pee Wee James & the Mighty
Schultz - midget tag match
Attendance: 16,226; gate: 40,394

Saturday, May 2, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium:
Promoter: Johnny Doyle & Jim Barnett
1- Wilbur Snyder defeated Angelo Poffo (U.S. champion) to claim the title

Friday, May 22, 1959 at the State Fair Agricultural Building:
1- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Steve Zold – 2/3 falls.
2- Sky Low Low vs. Little Beaver – midget match
3- Dino Bravo vs. Joe Smith

Saturday, May 23, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser defeated Wilbur Snyder (U.S. Champion) to claim the title - 2/3 falls
2- Killer Kowalski (World champion) defeated Bobby Managoff at 20:35
3- Haystack Calhoun defeated Hans Hermann & Judo Jack Terry at 6:53
4- Dr. Big Bill Miller defeated Pat Flanagan at 8:22
5- Lou Thesz defeated Frank Brown at 5:13
6- Angelo Poffo & Hans Schmidt defeated Johnny Weaver & Emil Dupre
Attendance: 10,896; gate: $24,345
This was the first live wrestling card that I attended

Friday, May 29, 1959 at the State Fair Agricultural Building:
1- Jim Hady (Midwestern Junior Heavyweight Champion) vs. Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza -
2/3 falls; 1 hour

Saturday, June 13, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
Promoter: Johnny Doyle & Jim Barnett
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Wilbur Snyder in a no rules match - 2/3 falls
2- the Brunetti Brothers (Guy & Joe (Tangaro)) defeated Hans Schmidt & Angelo Poffo
3- Haystack Calhoun defeated Bronko Lubich
4- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Bill Dromo
Attendance: 16,493

Friday, June 26, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum:
1- Jim Hady (World Junior Heavyweight Champion) vs. Martino Angelo – 1 hour
2- Tom Thumb & Billy the Kid vs. the Brown Panther & Little Red Feather – midget tag
match
(the newspaper article notes that Hady won the title in Paris in 1958)

Saturday, June 27, 1959 at the WXYZ channel 7 TV studios in Southfield:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Jack ‘Bad Boy’ Brown
2- Jim Hady vs. Tiny Tim Hampton
3- Martino Angelo vs. Dick “Mr. Michigan” Garza

Saturday, June 27, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
Promoter: Johnny Doyle & Jim Barnett
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Haystack Calhoun
2- Angelo Poffo defeated Cowboy Bob Ellis
3- the Brunetti Bros. (Guy & Joe (Tangaro) defeated the Miller Bros. Dr. Big Bill & Ed)
4- Alex Karras defeated Bob Kononvsky
5- Hans Schmidt defeated Wayne Bock
6- Whipper Billy Watson defeated Frank Foster

Friday, July 3, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Bill Dromo – 2/3 falls
2- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza defeated Wally Nernberg – 2 straight falls
3- the Mighty Thor defeated Lloyd Morris
4- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) defeated James Clark

Saturday, July 4, 1959 at the WXYZ channel 7 TV studios in Southfield:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Lloyd Morris
2- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Knobby McDonald
3- Bill Dromo vs. Wally Nernberg
4- Jim Hady vs. Roy Campbell

Friday, July 10, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Jim Hady defeated Gypsy Bokaro – 2/3 falls
2- Happy Humphrey defeated Steve Zold in 7 minutes when Zold quit because he could
not put a single
hold on Humphrey
3- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza defeated Dynamite Johnny Gates
4- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) defeated Dante Pella

Saturday, July 11, 1959 at the WXYZ channel 7 TV studios in Southfield:
1- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) vs. George McArthur
2- Gypsy Bokaro vs. Louie Klein
3- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Dante Pella
4- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Jake Dennett

Friday, July 17, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza & Louie Klein defeated Steve Zold & George McArthur – 2/3
falls
2- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) defeated Jack Wentworth – 2/3 falls
3- the Mighty Thor defeated Al Bell

Saturday, July 18, 1959 at the WXYZ channel 7 TV studios in Southfield:
1- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Jack Wentworth
2- Louie ‘the Atomic Blonde’ Klein vs. Tiny Tim Hampton
3- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) vs. Al Bell
4- Rick ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Lou Eisenhart

Saturday, July 18, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroiu:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. champion) defeated Dr. Big Bill Miller
2- Argentina Rocca defeated Ed Miller
3- Angelo Poffo & Hans Schmidt defeated the Brunetti Bros. (Guy & Joe (Tangaro))
4- Wilbur Snyder defeated Hans Hermann
5- Whipper Billy Watson defeated Mike Higgins
6- Leo Nomellini & Alex Karras defeated Harry Lewis & Gino Angelo

Friday, July 24, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Happy Humphrey defeated Martino Angelo & Tiny Tim Hampton – handicap match
2- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) defeated Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza
3- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Jim Clark – 2 straight falls
4- Louis Papineau defeated Vincent Bryant
5- the Mighty Thor defeated Louie Charters

Friday, July 31, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Dominic Bravo (DeNucci) defeated Dick Garza – 2/3 falls
2- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez & Steve Zold defeated Dante Pella & Johnny Gates – 2 straight
falls
3- Dante Pella (replaced Gypsy Bokaro) vs. Vincent Bryant – drew
4- the Mighty Thor defeated Jim Sixsay & Marcel Chevalier – handicap match
Attendance: 1,650

Friday, August 7, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Jack Wentworth – 2/3 falls
2- Pancho Lopez & Little Beaver defeated Fuzzy Cupid & Sky Low Low – midget tag match
3- Ali Bey defeated Matt Gilmore – 2 straight falls
Attendance: 1,800

Monday, August 10, 1959 at the Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock:
1- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Steve Zold
2- the Mighty Thor vs. Dominic Bravo (DeNucci)
3- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. the Masked Marvel

Saturday, August 15, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) vs. Verne Gagne - drew; 1 fall apiece
No published results for the following matches:
2- Killer Kowalski (world champion) vs. Hans Schmidt
3- the Gallagher Brothers (Doc & Mike) vs. the Brunetti Brothers (Guy & Joe)
4- Don Eagle vs. Frank Fozo

Friday, August 21, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Dominic Bravo (DeNucci)
2- Irish Jackie & Pee Wee James defeated the Brown Panther & Pancho Lopez -2/3 falls
– midget tag match
3- Louie Klein defeated Ali Bey – 2 straight falls
Attendance: 1,844

Friday, August 28, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Jim Hady vs. Pepper Gomez – drew – each a won a fall apiece
2- Louie Klein vs. Ali Bey – both wrestlers disqualified in the 3rd fall
3- Bill Dromo & Vincent Bryant defeated Steve Zold & Johnny Gates
4- Raoul Romero (Hercules Cortez) defeated George McArthur
Attendance: 1,647

Friday, September 4, at the Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock:
1- Happy Humphrey vs. George McArthur & Tiny Tim Hampton – handicap match

Friday, September 4, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Verne Gagne when Gagne was unable to
continue due to a severe cut over his left eye
2- Wilber Snyder defeated Killer Lisowski
3- Ilio dePalo defeated Frank Fonzo
4- Don Eagle defeated Lenny Montana
5- the Gallagher Brothers (Doc & Mike) vs. Hans Hermann & Hans Schmidt – drew
Attendance: 15,998; gate: $39,237.75

Saturday, September 26, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Wilbur Snyder & Verne Gagne defeated Dick the Bruiser & Killer Lisowski when the
Bruiser & the Killer began to fight each other
2- Chief Don Eagle defeated Hans Schmidt
3- Johnny Weader defeated Gino Angelo
4- Bill Dromo defeated Dennis Pala
5- Ilio DiPaolo defeated Baron Gattoni
Scheduled match did not occur:
6- Whipper Billy Watson vs. Red Jones
Attendance: 9,072

Monday, September 28, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Louie Klein vs. Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez – Texas style match
2- Dick Garza vs. the Sheik of Araby – 2/3 falls
3- the Bravo Brothers (Dominic (DeNucci) & Dino) vs. Raoul Romero (Hercules Cortez) &
Juan Sebastian –
2/3 falls

Monday, October 5, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Louie Klein defeated Ricky Cortez
2- the Bravo Brothers defeated Johnny Gates & George McArthur
3- Raoul Romero defeated Roy Campbell
4- Ali Bey defeated Jack Laskin

Monday, October 12, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Killer Kowalski vs. Raoul Romero – 2/3 falls.
2- Happy Humphrey & Louie Papineau vs. George McArthur & Roy Campbell – 2/3 falls

Saturday, October 17, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Killer Lisowski when Lisowski was unable to
continue in during the 3rd fall. Ring commentator Sam Menacker was the referee and the
ring was surrounded by a fence.
2- the Brunetti Brothers (Guy & Joe) defeated Angelo Poffo & Hans Schmidt
3- Don Eagle defeated Dan Miller
4- Pat Flanagan defeated Mike Valentino (Baron Scicluna)
5- Doug Lindsay (Gilbert) vs. Jerry Christy – drew
Attendance: 12,663

Monday, October 19, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez & Ali Bey vs. Louie Klein & Louie Papineau
2- the Mighty Thor vs. Bill Dromo
3- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Johnny Gates
4- a midget match

Monday, October 26, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza & Louie Klein defeated Ali Bey & Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez –
2/3 falls
2- Jim Hady defeated Johnny Gates (replaced Steve Zold) – 2/3 falls
3- Bill Parks defeated Don Duffy
4- Vincent Bryant vs. Marcel Chevalier
Attendance: 2,918

Monday, November 2, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Ali Bey – Texas Death match
2- the Bravo Brothers (Dominic (DeNucci) & Dino)vs. Louie Klein & Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’
Garza – tag team tournament elimination match.
3- Sky Low Low & Fuzzy Cupid vs. Speedy Lopez & the Brown Panther – midget tag match

Friday, November 6, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:

From the Saturday, October 7th edition of the Detroit Times:
Brunetti New Mat King
"[Joe] Brunetti gained the challenger’s spot as well as a check for $9,000, a golden Nick
Londes trophy (three feet in height and reportedly worth $2,500) as well as numerous
merchandise rewards by defeated Roy Shire, a 231 pound flaxen-haired craven from
Atlanta, Ga., in the final bout." "A crowd of 9,858 that paid $21,762 to see the show."

First Round
1- Joe Brunetti, 230, defeated Frank Hickey, 202
2- Roy Shire, 231, defeated Jack Wilson, 248
3- Nick Bock (Bockwinkel), 230, defeated Dr. Big Bill Miller, 235
4- Bronko Lubich, 225, defeated Bill Dromo, 235
5- Joe Blanchard, 230, defeated Angelo Poffo, 222
6- Hans Schmidt, 250, defeated Doug Lindsay, 230
7- Dick Steinborn, 222, defeated Hans Hermann, 271
8- Ray Shire (Stevens), 231 defeated Jim Sixsay, 220
Second Round
9- Joe Brunetti defeated Dick Steinborn
10- Joe Blanchard defeated Bronko Lubich
11- Roy Shire defeated Guy Brunetti
12- Hans Schmidt defeated Nick Bock (Bockwinkel)
Third Round
13- Joe Brunetti defeated Ray Shire (Stevens)
14- Roy Shire defeated Joe Blanchard
Fourth Round
15- Joe Brunetti defeated Hans Schmidt

Monday, November 9, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Raoul Romero (Hercules Cortez) vs. Brute Bernard – 2/3 falls
2- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez vs. Jim Hady
3- the Bravo Brothers (Dominic (DeNucci) & Dino) vs. Dick ‘Bulldog’ Brower & Roy
Campbell – tag team tournament elimination match
4- Louie Papineau vs. Paul deGalles

Monday, November 16, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Jim Hady vs. Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez
2- Ali Bey & Brute Bernard vs. the Bravo Brothers (Dominic (DeNucci) & Dino) – tag team
tournament elimination match

Monday, November 23, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez defeated Raoul Romero (Hercules Cortez)
2- Ali Bey & Brute Bernard vs. Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza & Jim Hady – drew – tag team
tournament
elimination match
3- Happy Humphrey defeated Don Zelke & George McArthur – handicap match
4- Bertrand ‘Mr. France’ Villard defeated Louie Papineau

Saturday, November 28, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Joe Brunetti
2- Gorgeous George defeated Bronko Lubich
3- Whipper Billy Watson vs. Hans Schmidt – drew
4- Guy Brunetti vs. Dick Steinborn – drew
5- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza defeated Knobby McDonald
6- Chief Don Eagle defeated Angelo Poffo
Attendance: 11,267; gate: $24,318.75

Monday, November 30, 1959 at the State Fair Grounds in Detroit:
1- Killer Kowalski (World Champion) vs. Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez.
2- Chief Geronimo & Mamou Tabu vs. Jim Hady & Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza
3- Sonny Parks vs. Paul deGalles
4- Bertrand ‘Mr. France’ Villard vs. Dick ‘Bulldog’ Brower

Monday, December 7, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Louie Klein vs. Hans Schmidt – 2/3 falls – 1hour
2- Jim Hady & Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza vs. Brute Bernard & Ali Bey – 2/3 falls
3- Jim Sixsay vs. Billy Parks – 1 fall
4- Louie Papineau vs. Don Duffy – 1 fall

Friday, December 11, 1959 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit:
1- Dick the Bruiser (U.S. Champion) defeated Don Eagle – 2/3 falls
1st fall was catch-as-catch can; Bruiser won the 1st fall at 8:11
2nd was Mohawk Indian style; Eagle won the 2nd at 12:58
3rd (if necessary) was the choice of the wrestler who won the fasted of the first two falls;
the Bruiser won the 3rd
2- the Brunetti Brothers (Guy & Joe) vs. the Tolos Brothers – drew
3- Killer Lisowski vs. Dr. Big Bill Miller – drew
4- Ilio Di Paolo defeated Lenny Montana
5- Gorgeous George defeated Don Lewin
Attendance: 8,750; gate: $17,737

Monday, December 14, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit:
1- Don Duffy won a 10 man battle royal also featuring: Happy Humphrey, Ali Bey, Billy
Parks, Louie
Papineau, Johnny Gates, Brute Bernard, Roy Campbell, Louie Klein & the Mighty Thor
2- Don Duffy defeated Billy Parks – 2/3 falls
3- Louie Papineau vs. Johnny Gates – drew
4- Brute Bernard defeated Roy Campbell
5- Louie Klein defeated the Mighty Thor

Monday, December 21, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum:
1- Paul deGalles defeated Bertrand ‘Mr. France’ Villard
2- Lou Klein defeated Steve Zold
3- Jim Hady defeated Brute Bernard
4- Hady, deGalles, & Klein defeated Villard, Zold, & Bernard – 2/3 falls
5- Dick ‘Mr. Michigan’ Garza defeated Dick ‘Bulldog’ Brower

Monday, December 28, 1959 at the State Fair Coliseum:
1- Dick “Mr. Michgan’ Garza vs. Ricky ‘Crusher’ Cortez
2- Jim Hady & Louis Papineau vs. Ali Bey & Don Duffy
3- Irish Jackie vs. Andy Moore – midget match
4- Johnny Gates vs. Marcel Cheavlier

Below is Research by Tim Hornbaker:

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, April 11, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … United States Heavyweight Champion Angelo Poffo b. Wilbur Snyder
… (promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle… (16,226 fans) … (gate: $40,394.25)
Note: This was the first Detroit show for Barnett and Doyle.

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, April 24, 1959
(State Fairgrounds’ Agricultural Building) … Dick Garza b. Dante Pella (2/3) … Johnny
Gates b. Louis Papineau … Bud Freeman b. Vincent Bryant … (691 fans)
Notes: Garza was from Dearborn and Pella from Sudbury, Ontario. Bud Freeman was
said to be from Omaha and Bryant from Toronto. Gates and Papineau were both from
Windsor. Garza was said to be a “regular winner in the ‘Mr. Michigan’ contest until he
removed himself from competition.”

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, May 2, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … Wilbur Snyder b. Angelo Poffo to regain the United States
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Snyder won the third in 1:12) (Poffo was managed by Bronko
Lubich) … Dick the Bruiser b. Bob Ellis … Yukon Eric b. Hans Hermann … Hans Schmidt
b. Mario Milano … Verne Gagne b. Mike Clancy … The Shire Brothers (Ray and Roy
Shire) wrestled The Tolos Brothers (Chris and John Tolos) to a draw (20:00) …
(promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle) … (11,635 fans) … (gate: $27,316.50)

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, May 15, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Jim Hady b. Johnny Gates (2/3) … Dino Bravo and Bill
Dromo b. Al Szasz and Steve Zold … Crusher Cortez b. Dante Pella … (921 fans)

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, May 22, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Little Beaver vs. Sky Low Low … Dick Garza vs. Steve
Zold … Dino Bravo vs. Joe Smith

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, May 23, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … Dick the Bruiser b. Wilbur Snyder to capture the United States
Heavyweight Title (2/3) … World Heavyweight Champion Killer Kowalski b. Bobby
Managoff (20:35) … Haystack Calhoun b. Hans Hermann and Jack Terry … Bill Miller b.
Pat Flanagan (8:22) … Lou Thesz b. Frank Brown (5:13) … Angelo Poffo and Hans
Schmidt b. Emil Dupre and Johnny Weaver (15:03) … (promoters: Jim Barnett and
Johnny Doyle) … (10,896 fans) … (gate: $24,345)
Note: This card shows a strong working relationship with Fred Kohler and Eddie Quinn.

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, May 29, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Dick Garza and Jim Hady drew … Crusher Cortez and
Johnny Gates b. Dino Bravo and Marcel Chavalier … Bill Dromo b. Dante Pella

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, June 5, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Bill Dromo vs. Jim Hady … Dino Bravo and Dick
Garza vs. Crusher Cortez and Steve Zold … Dante Pella vs. The Mysterious Mighty Thor

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, June 13, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … United States Heavyweight Champion Dick the Bruiser b. Wilbur
Snyder … Haystacks Calhoun b. Bronko Lubich … “Whipper” Billy Watson b. Hans
Hermann … Ricky Cortez b. Bill Dromo … Johnny Weaver b. Jack Terry … The Brunetti
Brothers (Guy and Joe Brunetti) b. Hans Hermann and Angelo Poffo … (promoters: Jim
Barnett and Johnny Doyle) (16,473 fans) (Michigan indoor record for the last 20 years)
… (gate: $42,723)

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, June 19, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Dick Garza b. Knobby McDowell (2/3) (Garza was
originally scheduled to wrestle Jim Siksay) … Jim Siksay b. Steve Zold (2/3) (Zold was
originally scheduled to wrestle Marcel Chevalier) … The Mysterious Mighty Thor b.
Vincent Bryant

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, June 26, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Billy the Kid and Tom Tom (Thumb?) vs. The Brown
Panther and Little Red Feather

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, June 27, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … Dick the Bruiser vs. Haystack Calhoun … Alex Karras vs. Bob
Konovsky … (promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle)

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, July 3, 1959
(State Fair Agricultural Building) … Crusher Cortez vs. Bill Dromo … Dick Garza vs. Wally
Newberg … two other matches … (Freedom Festival Week Program)

*In 1959, Bert Rubi promoted wrestling at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.
*According to one source, Doyle and Barnett bought out Harry Light to establish their
presence in Detroit.

Detroit, Michigan: Monday, October 5, 1959
(State Fair Coliseum) … Lou Klein b. Ricky “Crusher” Cortez (DQ) … The Bravo Brothers
(Dino and Dominic Bravo) b. Johnny Gates and George McArthur … Ali Bey b. Jack
Laskin … Dandy Andy and Speedy Lopez b. Billy the Kid and Tom Thumb … Raoul
Romero b. Roy Campbell

Detroit, Michigan: Saturday, October 17, 1959
(The Olympia) … Dick the Bruiser b. Killer Lisowski (2/3) (Lisowski was unable to
continue for the third fall) … The Brunetti Brothers (Guy and Joe Brunetti) vs. Angelo
Poffo and Hans Schmidt … Chief Don Eagle vs. Dan Miller … two other matches …
(promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle) … (12,633 fans)

Detroit, Michigan: Monday, October 26, 1959
(State Fair Coliseum) … Dick Garza and Lou Klein b. Ali Bey and Crusher Cortez (2/3)
(said to be the “opening of the tag team wrestling tournament”) … Jim Hady b. Johnny
Gates … Billy Parks b. Don Duffy … Vincent Bryant and Marcel Chevalier drew … (2,918
fans)

Detroit, Michigan: Monday, November 2, 1959
(State Fair Coliseum) … Crusher Cortez b. Ali Bey (2/3) (Bey was unable to continue for
the third fall) … The Bravo Brothers (Dino and Dominic Bravo) wrestled Dick Garza and
Lou Klein to a draw … Pee Wee James and Sky Low Low b. Dandy Andy and Pancho
Lopez … Bulldog Brower b. Al Szasz

Detroit, Michigan: Friday, November 6, 1959
(The Olympia) … Wrestling Tournament … Joe Brunetti b. Frank Hickey … Joe Brunetti
b. Ray Shire … Joe Brunetti b. Roy Shrie … Joe Brunetti b. Dick Steinborn … Joe
Brunetti b. Hans Schmidt to win the tournament (Brunetti earned a match with Dick the
Bruiser at the Olympia on Saturday, November 28) … (first round matches, according to
the Detroit News on November 6) … Joe Blanchard vs. Frank Hickey … Joe Brunetti vs.
Gorgeous George … Marvin Mercer vs. Angelo Poffo … Bronko Lubich vs. Max Palmer
… Guy Brunetti vs. Ray Shire … Roy Shire vs. Dick Steinborn … Nick Bock vs. Hans
Schmidt … Dr. X vs. Hans Hermann … Doug Lindsey received a bye into the second
round … (promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle) … (9,858 fans)
Notes: According to the Detroit News, this tournament lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes
and had 17 matches in total. The winner was said to receive $15,000 in prizes, a special
$8,500 purse, a $2,500 trophy, and a “fat slice” of the gate.

Detroit, Michigan: Monday, November 9, 1959
(State Fair Coliseum) … The Bravo Brothers (Dino and Dominic Bravo) b. Bulldog Brower
and Roy Campbell (2-0) … Brute Bernard b. Raoul Romero (2/3) … Louie Papineau b.
Paul DeGalles (DQ) … Ricky “Crusher” Cortez and Jim Hady drew

Detroit, Michigan: December 11, 1959
(Olympia Arena) … Dick the Bruiser b. Don Eagle (2/3) (Bruiser won the first and third
falls) (according to one source, the first fall was catch-style, the second was an Indian-
strap match with the left arm of each grappler attached to an eight-foot strap) … The
Brunetti Brothers (Guy and Joe Brunetti) wrestled the Tolos Brothers (Chris and John
Tolos) to a draw … Killer Lisowski and Bill Miller drew … Ilio DiPaolo b. Len Montana …
Gorgeous George b. Donn Lewin … (promoters: Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle) …
(8,750 fans) … (gate: $17,737)

Research by Tim Hornbaker

Detroit Wrestling Results - 1959