Omaha, Nebraska:  Monday, January 7, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … Angelo Poffo b. Yukon Eric (2/3) (Poffo won the first fall in 7:20, Eric
won the second in 4:37, Poffo won the third) … Verne Gagne b. Bronko Lubich (2-0) …
Chet Bernard and Jack Pesek drew (20:00) … Baby Doe b. Carolyn Bennett (7:00) …
(promoter:  Max Clayton) … (referee:  Tom Zaharias) … (1,890 fans)

Omaha, Nebraska:  Monday, January 21, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz b. Angelo Poffo (2/3)
… Antonino Rocca b. Bronko Lubich (2-0) … Bill Melby b. Harry Lewis (15:20) (Lewis was
Rocca’s road agent) … Joe Dusek and Jack Pesek drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Max
Clayton) … (2,012 fans)

Omaha, Nebraska:  Monday, February 11, 1957
(Civic Auditorum) … Verne Gagne and Bronko Nagurski b. Bob Orton Sr. and Hans
Schmidt (2/3) (Gagne and Nagurski won the first fall in 16-minutes, Orton and Schmidt
won the second in 15-minutes, Gagne and Nagurski won the third by countout in 2:55) …
Sonny Myers b. Jack Dillon (12:32) … Mario DeSousa and Joe Dusek drew … (promoter:  
Max Clayton) … (1,931 fans)

Omaha, Nebraska:  Monday, February 18, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … United States TV Champion Hans Schmidt and Verne Gagne  
wrestled to a no contest (1-1) (Gagne won the first fall in 15-minutes, Schmidt won the
second in 5:50) … Mario DeSousa b. Jim Lake (6:10) … Joe Dusek and Bruce
Osenburger drew (20:00) … Dick Dusek and Al Szasz drew (20:00) … Pogo, the Boxing
Kangaroo won his exhibition match … (promoter:  Max Clayton) … (referee:  Sam Vacanti)
… (1,940 fans)

*The Omaha World Herald often reported on shows at Madison Square Garden featuring
the likes of Antonino Rocca and Hans Schmidt.

Omaha, Nebraska:  Monday, February 25, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … United States TV Champion Hans Schmidt b. Bronko Nagurski (2/3)
(Schmidt won the first fall in 9-minutes, Nagurski won the second in 9:30, Schmidt took the
third in 20:49) … Rip Hawk and Bob Orton Sr. b. Larry Hamilton and Sonny Myers (2/3) …
Jack Koenig b. Joe Dusek (DQ) (13:10) … Rip Hawk and Sonny Myers drew (20:00) …
(promoter:  Max Clayton) … (referees:  Johnny Lehl, Tom Novak) … (1,557 fans)









*Longtime Omaha promoter Max Clayton died on June 30, 1957 at the age of 61.  His
funeral was attended by Joe Dusek, Verne Gagne and Fred Kohler.  A wrestling show
planned for Monday, July 1, 1957 at Playland Park was cancelled due to Clayton’s death.

Council Bluffs, Iowa:  Monday, July 8, 1957
(Playland Park) … Bobby Bruns vs. Mighty Atlas … Midget Women’s Champion Baby Doe
vs. Carol Bennett … (referee:  Joe Krejci)
Notes:  Bruns was called “Bruiser.” A search turned up no other shows through the end of
July 1957.



Omaha, Nebraska:  Saturday, November 2, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … Don Leo Jonathan b. United States TV Champion Verne Gagne by
knockout (Jonathan tossed Gagne over the top rope and knocked him out) (Jonathan
walked away with the U.S. Title Belt, only to have it taken by a police officer) … The
Dusek Brothers (Ernie and Joe Dusek) b. The Russians (Boris and Nicoli Volkoff) by DQ
… Wilbur Snyder b. Tommy O’Toole (12:44) … Bobby Bruns b. Red McIntyre (13:14) …
(promoter:  Joe Dusek) … (in attendance:  A large contingent of Midwestern promoters
were in attendance) … (2,247 fans)
Notes:  This was Dusek’s local debut as a wrestling promoter.  The United States TV Title
was subsequently held-up by Nebraska State Athletic Commissioner Charley Moon,
pending a rematch between Verne Gagne and Don Leo Jonathan.

Omaha, Nebraska:  Saturday, November 30, 1957
(Civic Auditorium) … Verne Gagne b. Don Leo Jonathan to capture the held-up U.S. TV
Title (2/3) (Jonathan won the first fall in 15:23, Gagne won the second in 10:41 and third
in 6:52) … The Dusek Brothers (Emil and Ernie Dusek) b. Bobby Bruns and Ronnie
Etchison … Thor Hagen b. Rip Hawk (16:45) … Bobby Bruns b. Emil Dusek (DQ) …
(promoter:  Joe Dusek) … (2,635 fans)

Omaha, Nebraska:  Saturday, December 14, 1957
(City Auditorium) … United States TV Champion Verne Gagne b. Dick the Bruiser (2/3)
(Gagne won the first fall, Brusier won the second with a backbreaker, Gagne won the third
by disqualification when Bruiser hit the referee) (Bruiser went wild following the decision
and Jack Pesek, Ernie Dusek and Thor Hagen ran to the ring to help quelm the fighting)
… Karl Von Hess (Frank Faketty) b. Joe Hamilton (15:56) … Jack Pesek b. Lou Plummer
(9:20) … (promoter:  Joe Dusek) … (referee:  Tom Novak) … (4,165 fans)

Omaha, Nebraska:  Saturday, December 28, 1957
(City Auditorium) … Dick the Bruiser b. Don Leo Jonathan (2/3) (Bruiser won the first fall
in 14:01, Jonathan won and Bruiser won the third) (after the match, Jonathan cut his
opponent’s head open and Bruiser needed 7-stitches) … United States TV Champion
Verne Gagne b. Ernie Dusek (24:50) … Thor Hagen b. Angelo Silipini (20:15) … Bobby
Bruns b. Tommy O’Toole (15:11) … (promoter:  Joe Dusek) … (announcer:  Ed Morgan)
… (5,614 fans) … (gate:  $6,324)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 12, 2007
Omaha Results - 1957