Omaha Wrestling Results

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, October 1, 1956
(City Auditorium) … Angelo Poffo b. Verne Gagne (2/3) (Poffo won the first fall in 11:20,
Gagne won the second in 7-minutes, Poffo won the third by disqualification) … The
Volkoff Brothers (Boris and Nicolai Volkoff) b. Larry Hamilton and Bill Melby … Jack Allen
and Joe Dusek drew … Mike DiBiase b. Don Pollock (16:15) … (promoter: Max Clayton)

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, November 5, 1956
(City Auditorium) … Bronko Lubich and Angelo Poffo b. The Russians (Boris and Nicoli
Volkoff) (prior to the match, Boris was attacked by Poffo and was unable to compete)
(Boris was replaced by Larry Hamilton) (2/3) … Women’s World Champion June Byers b.
Penny Banner (2/3) … Roy McClarity b. Sammy Menacker (sleeperhold) … Larry
Hamilton b. Don Fitch … (promoter: Max Clayton)
Notes: McClarity was called a former Canadian heavyweight champion and Menacker
was a “World War II major in the Air Corps.” Clayton was “giving Nebraska Wesleyan’s
Don Fitch his first start in pro wrestling,” tonight, and Hamilton was called the “Elvis
Presley of the mats.”

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, November 12, 1956
(City Auditorium) … Antonino Rocca b. Angelo Poffo (2/3) (third fall by reverse decision
DQ) … Bronko Lubich and Jack Pesek drew (30:00) … Cowboy Morgan b. Harry Lewis
(13:50) … Dick Dusek and Bruce Osenberger drew … (promoter: Max Clayton) …
(referee: Bob Krejci) … (1,990 fans)
Notes: Morgan was a “newcomer out of Lubbock, Tex.” Osenberger was from St. Joseph
and Dick Dusek was from Omaha. Lewis was a “battle-scarred veteran from Brooklyn.”

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, November 19, 1956
(City Auditorium) … Bronko Lubich and Angelo Poffo b. Verne Gagne and Hans Schmidt
(2/3) (Gagne got the first fall over Poffo in 17:00, then Schmidt refused to tag in during
the second fall, allowing Gagne to be pinned in 5:55, early in the third fall, Schmidt
attacked Gagne, and the latter was carried off unconscious) (Schmidt then walked away
from the ring, leaving his opponents to take the win) … Nicoli Volkoff b. Roy McClarity
(DQ) … Boris Volkoff b. Mario DeSousa (17:35) … Lorraine Johnson b. Ada Ash (15:51)
… Cowboy Morgan and Warren Madrid drew (15:00) … (promoter: Max Clayton) …
(referees: Jerry Adam, Johnny Lehl) … (benefit for the Nebraska Diabetics Fund) …
(2,240 fans)
Notes: Schmidt was the United States TV Champion, and was known to be a “villian”
going into the bout. The paper said the “mixture [with Gagne] should produce some of
the rowdiest goings-on in local mat history.” Adam was from Lincoln, while Lehl was from
Raymond, Nebraska.

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, November 26, 1956
(Civic Auditorium) … Bronko Lubich and Angelo Poffo b. Roy McClarity and Bill Melby
(2/3) … The Dusek Brothers (Emil and Joe Dusek) wrestled the Russians (Boris and
Nicoli Volkoff) to a no contest (1-1) … Cowboy Morgan b. Juan Madrid (10:00) …
(promoter: Max Clayton) … (referees: Bob Lickert, Tom Novak) … (1,380 fans)
Notes: Tom Novak was called a “former University of Nebraska football great,” and Bob
Lickert was an Omaha police sergeant. Madrid was from Mexico.

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, December 3, 1956
(City Auditorium) … United States TV Champion Hans Schmidt b. Verne Gagne (2/3) (it
was claimed that Gagne’s feet were outside the ropes during the third fall) … Larry
Hamilton b. Ernie Dusek (DQ) (16:45) … Joe Dusek b. Bruce Osenberger (14:40) … Al
Szasz b. Tommy Crawford (9:55) … Ada Ash did a “bizarre exhibition with an alligator”…
(promoter: Max Clayton) … (referees: Bob and Joe Krejci) … (2,648 fans)
Notes: Joe Krejci and his son Bob were officials for the evening. Al Szasz was from
Moberly, Missouri. Gagne held the U.S. TV Title “for two years but lost the title to Wilbur
Snyder, who in turn yielded it to Schmidt.” Crawford was from Wichita Falls, Texas.

Omaha, Nebraska: Monday, December 10, 1956
(City Auditorium) … Verne Gagne b. Hans Schmidt for “temporary custody of the United
States TV championship belt” (2/3) (third fall by DQ) (Schmidt tried to choke Gagne with
the announcer’s cord) … Emil Dusek and Steve McGill drew (15:00) … Joe Dusek and
Larry Hamilton drew (30:00) … Ernie Dusek b. Al Szasz (25:25) … (promoter: Max
Clayton) … (referees: Bronko Nagurski, Tom Novak) … (2,111 fans)
Notes: Joe Dusek was said to be “again the holder of the Central States championship
belt.” DeSousa was called the “Portuguese champ.” After the match, Nagurski awarded
the title to Gagne, but according to the newspaper, “matchmaker Max Clayton said
Gagne cannot keep it on a disqualification.” During the main event, Gagne reportedly
hurt his back, “but was able to continue when Joe Dusek…put it back in place.” Last show
of the year.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 13, 2007

Omaha Results - 1956