Chicago Wrestling Results

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, January 18, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … NWA World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Bobo
Brazil (2/3) (Brazil won the first fall in 11:30, Rogers won the second in 4:30, Rogers won
the third in 6:20) … Dory Dixon b. Johnny Kace (5:41) … Buddy Austin b. Miguel Perez (13:
08) … The Bavarian Boys (Rudi Jacobs and Harry Wenzel) b. Gary Hart and Red Kelly (2-
0) … Larry Chene b. El Gaucho (10:08) … Moose Cholak b. Pete Kovak (9:00) … Billy
Goelz b. Kurt Von Stroheim (11:46) … (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (referee: Percy
Franklin) … (9,864 fans) … (gate: $28,149)

*On January 24, 1963, Lou Thesz defeated Buddy Rogers for the National Wrestling
Alliance World Heavyweight Title in Toronto.

*Kohler had a major rift with the rest of the National Wrestling Alliance, possibly because of
the way Rogers’ reign ended. With a talent sharing deal with the Capitol Wrestling
Corporation in place, Kohler felt comfortable enough to separate from the NWA and go
along with the Joe “Toots” Mondt-Vince McMahon expansion. Mondt and McMahon had
big ideas. Kohler even asked for the dissolution of the NWA, which was obviously denied.

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, February 8, 1963
(Chicago Coliseum) (main hall) … Johnny Barend and Buddy Rogers wrestled Bobo Brazil
and Dory Dixon to a draw … World Heavyweight Title claimant Golden Moose Cholak b.
Johnny Kace (2/3) (Kace was a replacement for “new” United States Heavyweight
Champion Larry Chene) … Buddy Austin b. Gary Hart (5:03) … El Caucho and Kurt Von
Stroheim b. The Bavarian Boys (Rudi Jacobs and Harry Wenzel) (2/3) … George
Stefinidious b. Red Kelly (16:22) … Billy Goelz b. Pete Kovac (11:00) … (promoter: Fred
Kohler) … (4,020 fans) … (gate: $10,340)
Notes: This show was held in-conjunction with a boxing program at the Chicago Coliseum.
The boxing show, promoted by Irving Schoenwald, was staged in the north hall and saw
Jimmy Jones b. Jim Olive. There were only 858 fans to witness the boxing event, paying
$1,721. Fred Kohler criticized the double-show, saying that he needed to make $15,000
to break even. Kohler could not use the International Ampthitheater due to the Chicago
Sportsmen’ and Vacation Show; Buddy Rogers was billed as the World Heavyweight
Champion; “Wrestling Champions” was broadcast every Friday night at midnight on WBKB-
TV.

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, February 22, 1963
(Chicago Coliseum) (main hall) … World Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers b. Killer
Kowalski (2/3) (Kowalski won the first fall in 4:18, Rogers won the second in 2:40, Rogers
won the third in 2:20) … Dory Dixon and Seaman Art Thomas wrestled Johnny Barend and
Magnificent Maurice to a double-disqualification … Buddy Austin b. Arnold Skaaland (14:
21) … Billy Goelz b. Kurt Von Stroheim (DQ) (1:50) … Black Orchid b. Red Kelly (9:02) …
Jackie Fargo b. Jose Betencourt (8:30) … El Gaucho b. Paul Christy (7:35) … Black Bart
and Moose Cholak drew … (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (3,820 fans) … (gate: $9,416.50)
Note: This show was again held in-conjunction with a boxing program at the Chicago
Coliseum. Alan Thomas b. Johnny Alford in the north hall, drawing only 670 fans paying
$1,439.

*Fred Kohler left the National Wrestling Alliance.

Chicago, Illinois: Saturday, March 23, 1963
(Marigold Arena) … (promoter: Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, April 5, 1963
(Chicago Coliseum) … Buddy Rogers b. Dory Dixon (2/3) … IWA World Heavyweight
Champion Golden Moose Cholak and Bobo Brazil drew (1-1) … Jackie Fargo b. Paul
Christy (2-0) … Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy b. The Bavarian Boys (Rudi Jacobs and
Harry Wenzel) (2/3) … Buddy Austin b. Seaman Art Thomas … Black Orchid b. Ray Zills …
El Gaucho b. Joe Matti … (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (3,140 fans)
Note: Buddy Rogers was reported in the Chicago Daily Tribune as making his 36th
appearance in Chicago. He was billed as the former National Wrestling Alliance World
Champion, having lost the title to Lou Thesz in Montreal (sic) three months earlier.

Chicago, Illinois: April 26, 1963
(Chicago Coliseum) … “Golden” Moose Cholak b. Larry Chene (2/3) … Bobo Brazil and
Dory Dixon b. The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) (2/3) … Jackie
Fargo b. Billy Goelz … Argentina Apollo b. “Killer” Buddy Austin (DQ) … The Black Orchid
b. Roul Ala Torres … Jose Bettancourt b. Eric Von Stroheim … Brute Bernard and Skull
Murphy b. The Bavarian Boys (Rudi Jacobs and Harry Wenzel) … (promoter: Fred Kohler)
… (3,012 fans)

Chicago, Illinois: Saturday, May 11, 1963
(Marigold Arena) … (promoter: Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, May 24, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … Bobo Brazil b. Buddy Rogers (DQ) (1:04) … Argentina
Apollo and Larry Chene b. Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy (2/3) … Golden Moose Cholak
b. Dory Dixon (Cholak was billed as a world title claimant) … Jackie Fargo b. Johnny
Gilbert … Jean Lane b. Rita Crawford … Black Orchid b. Farmer Jones … Paul Christy b.
Johnny Kace … Jose Betancourt b. Porfirio Longoria … (promoter: Fred Kohler) …
(referee: Stanley Sabarnek) … (6,013 fans) … (gate: $15,265)
Note: Rogers was not billed as the World Champion in the official program. It was
reported that Rogers had drawn over one-million dollars in Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, June 14, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … Golden Moose Cholak b. Bobo Brazil (2/3) (Cholak was
awarded the match when Brazil suffered a left knee injury and was unable to continue) …
Jackie Fargo b. Johnny Gilbert … Argentina Apollo and Billy Goelz wrestled The Fabulous
Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) to a double disqualification … Santiago Acosta
and Jose Betancourt b. Buddy Austin and Magnificent Maurice … The Black Orchid b.
Francisco Rios … Johnny Kace b. Jerry London … (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (3,102 fans)

*Kohler formed the International Wrestling Alliance, recognizing Golden Moose Cholak as
the World Heavyweight Champion. In need of help, Kohler called in Jack Pfefer to act as
his matchmaker.

*Kohler likely had NO television at this point.

Chicago, Illinois: Friday, July 12, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … Johnny Valentine b. Moose Cholak to capture the IWA
World Heavyweight Title (2/3) … World Heavyweight Champion Jackie Fargo and Black
Orchid drew (1-1) … The Great Mortimer b. Stanley Stasiak (DQ) … Bruno Nasartino b.
Slugger Kowalski … Texas Bruiser b. Jim Barrett … The Rogers Brothers b. Jumping
Rococo and Bobby Whitlock … Betty Ann Spencer b. Sweet Georgia Brown … Darling
Dagmar b. Baby Cheryl … (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (6,092 fans)

Evergreen Park, Illinois: Wednesday, September 4, 1963
(Evergreen Park High School) … Midwest Tag Team Champions Johnny Gilbert and Billy
Goelz vs. “Red” Grupe and Bob Konovsky … Paul Christy vs. Gary Hart … (Benefit for the
family of Sergeant Jack Ferguson, member of the local police force for 12 years, who died
in July 1963)

*On September 18, 1963, the Illinois Athletic Commission granted Fred Kohler approval to
stage a wrestling tournament on October 4, 1963.

Chicago, Illinois: October 4, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … George Valentine b. The Russian Destroyer in a
tournament final to capture the International Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title
(2-0) … George Valentine b. Francisco Rios … George Valentine b. Hillbilly Smith …
George Valentine b. Hillbilly Adcock … The Russian Destroyer b. Angelo Sammartino …
The Russian Destroyer b. Rudy Jewett … The Russian Desroyer b. Benito Sammartino
(San Martino) … World Wide Federation World Champion Jackie Fargo b. Bird of Paradise
… (promoter: Fred Kohler) … (3,196 fans) … (gate: $7,000)
Note: In the February 1964 issue of Ring Wrestling there is an article by Jean Bryan that
lists a IWA tournament in Chicago for the vacant IWA belt. It lists the results of a 16 man
tournament. George Valentine beat the Russian Destroyer in the final.

Chicago, Illinois: October 25, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … Jackie Fargo and “Cowboy” George Valentine drew, tied 1-
1 (match stopped due to blood in the third fall) … Angela Burt, Fifi DeParee and Karen
Kellogg b. Babe Bittner, Cha Cha Gabor and Mae Godner … Gorilla Parker b. Kentucky
Hillbilly Shelby … “Golden” Moose Cholak b. Kentucky Hillbilly Melby … Pete Kovac and
Angel Rodriguez drew … The Russian Destroyer b. Matt Schmelling … Sonny Boy Cassidy
and Pancho Lopez b. Fuzzy Cupid and Farmer Pete … (promoter: Fred Kohler)

Chicago, Illinois: November 15, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … World Champion Jackie Fargo b. George Valentine to
capture the IWA World Title (2/3) … Gorilla Parker b. The Russian Destroyer (1:05) …
Gorilla Parker b. Texas Bruiser (7:10) … Farmer Pete and Sam Thomas b. Vito Gonzales
and Tiny Roe …
Bronze Bomber and “Big” Daddy Nixon b. The Kentucky Hillbillies (2/3) … Fifi DeParee b.
Cha Cha Gabor … (promoter: Fred Kohler)

Note: The Chicago Tribune reported that “Jackie Fargo, the World-Wide Federation
Champion, added the International Wrestling Alliance Championship to his credentials last
night when he defeated Cowboy George Valentine.”

Chicago, Illinois: December 13, 1963
(International Amphitheater) … Gorilla Parker b. World Heavyweight Champion Jackie
Fargo (CO) (8:41) (Fargo fell from the ring and was unable to continue) … United States
Women’s Champion Fifi DeParee b. Jessica Rogers (2/3) … “Cowboy” George Valentine
b. Slugger Kowalski … Bronze Bomber and Herman Schmidt b. Hillbilly Melby and Texas
Bruiser … (promoter: Fred Kohler)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
September 11, 2010

Chicago Wrestling Results - 1963