St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, March 31, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Ronnie Etchison b. Lee Henning (2/3) … Cowboy Bradley and Ann
Reagen b. Tiny Roe and Jessica Rogers … Guy LaRose b. Medic I (17:00) (reverse full
Nelson) … John Paul Henning and Medic II drew (20:00) … The Brute b. “Cowboy” Lee
(bear hug) … Tommy O’Toole b. Taro Myaki (DQ) (Myaki hit the referee) … (promoter:  
Gust Karras) … (2,000 fans)
Note:  No show next week because of the Women’s National AAU Basketball Tournament.

Dearborn, Missouri:  Friday, April 7, 1961
(Dearborn High School) … four matches

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, April 14, 1961
(City Auditorium) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor b. The Brute (2/3)
… Buddy Austin and Lee Henning b. Ronnie Etchison and Don McClarity (2/3) … Happy
Humphrey b. The Masked Medics … Hogan Wharton b. Tommy O’Toole (13:00) …
(promoter : Gust Karras) … (2,600 fans)
Note:  Wharton was a “pro football player turned wrestler.”

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, April 21, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Ronnie Etchison b. Medic I (2/3) (Medic was a replacement for Lee
Henning) … The Brute and Happy Humphrey b. Medic II and Tommy O’Toole (2-0) …
Hogan Wharton b. Rocky Lee (10:00) … Jerry Miller and Pepper Perez drew …
(promoter:  Gust Karras) … (2,100 fans)
Notes:  The St. Joseph newspaper indicated that Lee Henning was suffering from a
“serious stomach disorder,” and was “forced to cancel all future mat engagements and
will leave shortly for Buffalo, N.Y., to undergo surgery.”

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, April 28, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Buddy Austin and Killer Kowalski b. The Masked Medics (2/3) …
Sonny Myers b. Taro Myaki (2/3) … Thor Hagen b. Bill Cole (stepover toehold) … The
Brute and Ray Gordon drew (15:00) … Hogan Wharton b. Don McClarity (DQ) …
(promoter:  Gust Karras)
Notes:  Kowalski was also known locally as “Tarzan” Kowalski and was making his first St.
Joseph appearance in “seven years.”

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, May 5, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Larry Hamilton and Sonny Myers b. Buddy Austin and Emil Dusek
(2/3) … Lord Littlebrook and Evelyn Stevens b. Peggy King and Bull Brummel (2/3) …
Thor Hagen b. Don McClarity (DQ) … Happy Humphrey b. Tommy O’Toole and Hogan
Wharton (2-0) (10:00) … (promoter:  Gust Karras) … (1,500 fans)

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, May 12, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Buddy Austin and Don McClarity wrestled Thor Hagen and Sonny
Myers to a draw (1-1) … The Brute b. Taro Myaki (2/3) … Ray Gordon b. Hogan Wharton
(11:00) … Kathy Starr b. Peggy King … (promoter:  Gust Karras) … (1,500 fans)
Note:  In the main event, Austin and McClarity risked their purse for an extra 10-minutes
to beat their opponents and lost.

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, May 19, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Buddy Austin and Sonny Myers wrestled to a no contest (1-1) …
Ramona Isabel and Ethel Johnson b. Lula Provo and Babs Wingo … Ray Gordon b. Don
McClarity (8:00) … Happy Humphrey b. Hogan Wharton (7:00) (smother) … (promoter:  
Gust Karras) … (referee:  Tommy O’Toole) … (2,400 fans)
Note:  McClarity was fined $50 for hitting the referee.

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, May 26, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Sonny Myers b. Buddy Austin (2/3) … Judy Glover and Evelyn
Stevens b. Dot Dotson and Peggy King (2/3) … Bobby Graham b. Don McClarity (30
seconds) … Thor Hagen b. The Bat (DQ) (14:00) … Ray Gordon b. Frank Morgan (10:
00) … (promoter:  Gust Karras) … (2,000 fans)

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, June 2, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Tournament … Buddy Austin b. Thor Hagen to capture the vacant
Central States Heavyweight Title (2/3) … (first round) … The Bat b. Ray Gordon (10:00)
… The Alaskan b. Frank Morgan (30 seconds) … Sonny Myers b. Don McClarity (9:00)
(sleeperhold) … Bobby Graham b. Tommy O’Toole (7:00) … Thor Hagen b. Rocky Lee
(countout) … (second round) … Thor Hagen b. The Bat (decision) … Buddy Austin b.
Bobby Graham (Austin received a bye in the first round) … Sonny Myers b. The Alaskan
(DQ) … (third round) … Buddy Austin b. Sonny Myers (5:30) … (promoter:  Gust Karras)
… (1,500 fans)
Notes:  The Central States Heavyweight Title was declared vacant after Bob Ellis left the
territory and had been unable to return due to the large amount of bookings he had.  A
reported 60-days had elapsed.  The tournament was going to feature 11 wrestlers and
the winner was going to get the championship and $500.

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, June 9, 1961
(City Auditorium) … The Alaskan b. Central States Heavyweight Champion Buddy Austin
(2-0) (non-title bout) … Sonny Myers b. The Bat (2/3) … Bobby Graham b. Don McClarity
(12:00) … Thor Hagen b. Tommy O’Toole … Happy Humphrey b. Frank Morgan (Morgan
subbed for Rocky Lee) … (promoter:  Gust Karras) … (3,500 fans)
Note:  Ronnie Etchison was, reportedly, returning from a “successful trip to Japan,” and
would be appearing next week.

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, June 16, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Central States Heavyweight Champion Buddy Austin b. Sonny Myers
(2/3) … Thor Hagen b. The Bat (2/3) … Ronnie Etchison and Bobby Graham drew …
Evelyn Stevens b. Jessica Rogers (DQ) … Happy Humphrey b. Frank Altman (smother)
… (promoter:  Gust Karras) … (2,800 fans)

St. Joseph, Missouri:  Friday, June 23, 1961
(City Auditorium) … Bobby Graham and Sonny Myers b. The Bat and Ernie Dusek (2/3)
… Buddy Austin b. The Alaskan (2/3) … Ronnie Etchison b. Don McClarity (12:00) …
Thor Hagen and Don Miller drew (15:00) … (promoter:  Gust Karras)


Research by Tim Hornbaker
October 31, 2010
St. Joseph Wrestling Results - 1961