Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, January 20, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. Tito
Carreon and Antonino Rocca … Don Curtis and Mark Lewin b. The Volkoffs (Boris and Nicoli
Volkoff) … Bruno Sammartino b. Eddie Graham … Crusher Lisowski and Sweet Daddy Siki drew …
The Mighty Atlas b. Angelo Savoldi … Dick Steinborn b. Hans Schmidt … (promoter:  Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, February 3, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Buddy Rogers b. Dick Steinborn (2/3) … Fred Atkins and Al
Costello b. Tito Carreon and Sweet Daddy Siki (2/3) (Atkins replaced Roy Heffernan) … Haystacks
Calhoun b. Moose Cholak (12:00) … Jose Betancourt b. Tony Altimore (12:04) … The Mighty Atlas
b. Jack Allen (16:12) … The Volkoffs (Boris and Nicoli Volkoff) b. Abe Jacobs and Sandor Kovacs
(2/3) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (4,492 fans) (bad weather affected the crowd) … (gate:  
$11,119.34)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, February 24, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … United States Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Johnny
Valentine (CO) (18:12) … The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. The
Volkoffs (Boris and Nicoli Volkoff) … Jack Allen and Rudy Saturski b. The Sicilians (Lou Albano
and Tony Altimore) … Bruno Sammartino b. The Mighty Atlas … Haystacks Calhoun b. Fred Atkins
… Karl Von Hess b. Billy Goelz … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (12,075 fans, sellout)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, March 17, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Buddy Rogers b. “Seaman” Art Thomas (DQ) (Thomas was
disqualified for failure to break his bearhug while tied up in the ropes) … The Fabulous Kangaroos
(Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. Primo Carnera and Dick Steinborn (2/3) … The Sicilians (Lou
Albano and Tony Altmore) b. Don Curtis and Mark Lewin (2/3) … Karl Von Hess b. Arnold
Skaaland … Crusher Lisowski b. Jose Betancourt … The Mighty Atlas b. Fred Atkins … (11,635
fans) … (gate:  $31,436) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (referee:  Fred Ledebuhr)

Chicago, Illinois:  Saturday, March 25, 1961
(International Amphitheater ) … Jose Betancourt vs. Crusher Lisowski … George Kramer vs.
Moose Cholak … Jack Allen and Rudy Jacob vs. The Sicilians … Dick Steinborn vs. Karl Von Hess
… (Promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (taped matches from previous Amphitheater shows) … (Broadcast
on WBKB) (channel 7)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, April 14, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Buddy Rogers b. Haystacks Calhoun (CO) (11:42) … Sweet Daddy
Siki and “Seaman” Art Thomas b. The Sicilians (Lou Albano and Tony Altimore) … Crusher
Lisowski and Johnny Valentine drew … Argentina Apollo b. Miguel Torres … Jose Betancourt b.
Fred Atkins … Moose Cholak b. Bearcat Wright … Johnny Gilbert b. Jack Terry … (promoter:  
Fred Kohler) … (11,000 fans)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, April 28, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Buddy Rogers b. Seaman Art Thomas (13:00) (Special Referee:  
“Jersey” Joe Walcott) … Primo Carnera b. Hans Schmidt (DQ) (5:20) … Crusher Lisowski b. Sweet
Daddy Siki (DQ) … The Sicilians (Lou Albano and Tony Altimore) b. Johnny Gilbert and Billy Goelz
(2/3) … Argentina Apollo b. Fred Atkins (12-seconds) … Mighty Joe b. Miguel Torres (13:37) …
Mighty Atlas b. Jose Betancourt (11:25) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (referee:  Jersey Joe
Walcott) … (11,816 fans)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, May 12, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor b. Hans Schmidt
(15:23) … United States Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Primo Carnera (8:46) … The
Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. The Sicilians (Lou Albano and Tony
Altimore) (2/3) … Argentina Apollo b. Johnny Kace … Crusher Lisowski b. Mighty Joe … Johnny
Valentine b. Moose Cholak … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (6,420 fans)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, May 26, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor b. Crusher
Lisowski (26:20) … The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) wrestled Sweet
Daddy Siki and Seaman Art Thomas (Double DQ) … Dick Steinborn b. The Mighty Atlas (DQ) …
Moose Cholak b. Fred Atkins … Johnny Kace b. Johnny Gilbert … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) …
(6,012 fans)

Chicago, Illinois:  Wednesday, May 31, 1961
(Marigold Arena) … United States Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. The Angel (DQ) (15:
30) (Rogers was originally scheduled to wrestle Johnny Valentine, who was injured on
Tuesday in Hammond) … Johnny Gilbert and Billy Goelz b. Gino Angelo and Porfirio Longoria …
Jack Wilson b. Joe Betancourt … Cantiago Agusta b. Ray Zilks … Lady Atlas b. Betty Clark …
(promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (1,013 fans)
Note:  Kohler offered fans their money back after Valentine’s no show and 20 people took it.

Chicago, Illinois:  Wednesday, June 14, 1961
(Marigold Arena) … Sweet Daddy Siki b. The Crusher by disqualification in the second fall (2-0) …
Fred Atkins and Roy Heffernan b. Hank Lane and Tony LarBarber … Hans Schmidt b. Mighty Joe
… Johnny Kace b. Joe Betancourt … (promoter:  Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, June 30, 1961
(Comiskey Park) … Buddy Rogers b. Pat O’Connor to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Title
(2/3) (Rogers pinned O’Connor for the first fall in 8:30, O’Connor pinned Rogers for the second fall
in 6:00 with a reverse cradlehold, Rogers pinned O’Connor after a missed dropkick in 7:00)
(Rogers was the United States Heavyweight Champion) (Rogers was accompanied by Bobby
Davis) … Sweet Daddy Siki, S. Art Thomas and Johnny Valentine b. The Fabulous Kangeroos (Al
Costello and Roy Heffernan) and Red Berry (2/3) … Vittorio Apollo b. Mighty Atlas (10:25) …
Antonino Rocca b. Karl Von Hess (9:15) … The Angel b. Moose Cholak (7:15) … Bob Orton Sr. b.
Dick Steinborn (13:10) … Fred Atkins b. Hans Schmidt … (promoters:  Fred Kohler and Vincent J.
McMahon) … (referees:  Fred Ledebuhr, Stan Sarbarneck) … (announcer:  Leonard Sterling) …
(commentator:  George Brenard) … (In Attendance:  Vincent McMahon, Joe “Toots” Mondt, Fred
Kohler, Nick Londes, Jules Strongbow, Sam Muchnick) … (38,000 fans) … (gate:  $125,000)
Note:  George Brenard for “Wrestling Champions” stated that 50,000+ wrestling fans were in
attendance.

Chicago, Illinois:  Saturday, July 1, 1961
(Marigold Arena) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler)

*On Saturday, July 1, 1961, “Wrestling Champions” appeared on channel 7 at 11:00.  
“Heavyweight Wrestling” was on at 11:45 on channel 5.

Chicago, Illinois:  Wednesday, July 5, 1961
(Marigold Arena) … Johnny Kace vs. Sweet Daddy Siki … Jose Betancourt and Carl Engstrom vs.
The Crusher and Porforia Longoria … The Mighty Sampson vs. Dale Patrick … Count Coronni vs.
Mighty Joe … (promoter:  Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois:  Saturday, July 29, 1961
(Comiskey Park) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Seaman Art Thomas (11:
22) … Argentina Apollo and Antonino Rocca b. The Fabulous Kangaroos (2/3) (disqualification in
the third fall) … Bruno Sammartino b. The Crusher … Bob Orton Sr. b. Sweet Daddy Siki … Killer
Kowalski and Johnny Valentine drew … Haystacks Calhoun b. The Angel … Lalo Rodriguez b.
Hans Schmidt (DQ) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (14,292 fans)

Chicago, Illinois:  Wednesday, August 2, 1961
(Marigold Arena) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers appears … (promoter:  
Fred Kohler)

*Fred Kohler was elected National Wrestling Alliance President on August 24, 1961 at a meeting in
Toronto, replacing Frank Tunney.

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, September 1, 1961
(Comiskey Park) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Pat O’Connor (2/3)
(Rogers won the final fall by countout) … Red Berry and Bobby Davis b. Haystacks Calhoun and
Mr. Puerto Rico … Don Curtis and Mark Lewin b. Sweet Daddy Siki and Art Thomas … Argentina
Apollo and Argentina Rocca b. The Sicilians … Bruno Sammartino b. Moose Cholak … Johnny
Valentine b. Bob Orton Sr. … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (referee:  Fred Ledebuhr) … (20,015
fans) … (gate:  $63,326)

Chicago, Illinois:  September 29, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Antonino Rocca and Argentina Apollo b. Don Curtis and Mark
Lewin (2/3) … The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. Lalo Rodriguez and
Johnny Valentine (2/3) … Killer Kowalski and Bruno Sammartino drew … Haystacks Calhoun b.
Jack Terry and Miguel Torres … Sweet Daddy Siki b. Angelo Savoldi … (promoter:  Fred Kohler)

Palatine, Illinois:  Friday, October 13, 1961
(Palatine Township High School) … The Crusher vs. Johnny Valentine … Moose Cholak vs. Luis
Martinez … Babe Bittner vs. Barbara Kopplin … Jack Owens and Paul Shepard vs. Paul Henning
and Lalo Rodrigez … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (sponsored by:  Square and Compass Club) …
(benefit for youth activities)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, October 20, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Bruno Sammartino and Johnny Valentine b. Bob Orton Sr. and
Buddy Rogers (2/3) (Sammartino forced Rogers to submit with a bearhug for the third fall) …
Crusher Lisowski b. Carl Engstrom … Shohei Baba b. Jack Allen … Sweet Daddy Siki b. Johnny
Kace … The Great Togo and Mr. Sato b. Johnny Gilbert and Billy Goelz … Don Curtis and Mark
Lewin wrestled Jim Hady and Luis Martinez (Double DQ) … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (5,706
fans) … (gate:  $15,293.49)

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, November 10, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Bruno
Sammartino (2/3) (Sammartino won the first, Rogers won the second and third) … Argentina Apollo
and Antonino Rocca b. The Great Togo and Mr. Sato … Santiago Acosta and Miguel Perez b. Lou
Albano and Johnny Kace … John Paul Henning b. Fred Atkins … Seaman Art Thomas b. Moose
Cholak … Shohei Baba b. Sweet Daddy Siki … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (7,513 fans) … (gate:  
$20,008.29)

*On Saturday, November 11, 1961, wrestling appeared four times on television.  First, it appeared
at 2:00 on channel 3 as “Wrestling.” At 3:00 on channel 4, “Wrestling Champions” appeared.  
“Wrestling” appeared on channel 35 at 5:00.  “Heavyweight Wrestling” appeared on channel 5 at
11:45.

Chicago, Illinois:  Friday, December 8, 1961
(International Amphitheater) … Sweet Daddy Siki, Seaman Art Thomas and Bearcat Wright b.
Shohei Baba, Great Togo and Mr. Sato (2-0) (Siki, Thomas and Wright won the first fall by
disqualification in 11:23, Siki, Thomas and Wright won the second in 2:40) … The Fabulous
Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) b. Argentina Apollo and Bruno Sammartino … Crusher
Lisowski b. Haystacks Calhoun … Antonino Rocca b. Bob Orton … Billy Goelz b. Miguel Torres …
Jean Lane b. Babe Bittner … (promoter:  Fred Kohler) … (9,384 fans)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
November 8, 2007
Chicago Wrestling Results - 1961