History of Pro Wrestling #41 (April-October 1961)

[Loss]

History of Pro Wrestling #41 (04:21:23)
Matches from April-October 1961

• JACQUES BERNIERES vs JEAN MARTIN (04/21/1961; French Catch; 00:05:04)
  Segunda Caida review of the match.

• KARL GOTCH vs MICHIAKI YOSHIMURA (05/01/1961; JWA; 00:11:50)
  We don’t have much Karl Gotch footage, so it’s always a treat when we get to see any of his footage in the ring. You can absolutely see the influence had on Inoki and New Japan Pro Wrestling here. Some of these counters are out of this world. This is Gotch’s actual debut in Japan! Click through the below Twitter post to see a thread that contains GIFs of some of the most interesting parts of the match.

 

• FRED ATKINS vs MOOSE CHOLAK (05/26/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:09:39)
  This is an interesting matchup, as both are babyfaces. Atkins is a brute Australian wrestler and is about 50 years old here.

• RIKIDOZAN vs GREAT ANTONIO (06/02/1961; JWA; 00:02:18)

• LOU THESZ vs VIC CHRISTY (06/09/1961; WWA Long Beach, CA; 00:08:00)
  Thesz had huge praise for Vic Christy as a wrestler at Wrestling Classics.

• ILIO DIPAOLO & BILLY RED LYONS vs IVAN KALMIKOFF & KAROL KALMIKOFF (06/22/1961; Maple Leaf Gardens; 00:01:50)
  Brief 8mm clip, in color (!), which is rare for the time period. I believe this is the earliest Toronto footage that is in circulation.

• PAT O’CONNOR vs JACK WILSON (06/22/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:12:55)

• ANTONINO ROCCA vs KARL VON HESS (06/30/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:16:46)

• BUDDY ROGERS vs PAT O’CONNOR (06/30/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:31:36)
  This famous card drew more than 38,000 fans to Chicago’s Komiskey Park. Rogers wins the NWA World Title in a great match.

 

 

• RENE BEN CHEMOUL vs BOB ANTHONY (07/07/1961; French Catch; 00:34:54)
  Segunda Caida review of the match.

• MIGHTY ATLAS & MOOSE CHOLAK vs FABULOUS KANGAROOS (07/13/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:18:53)
  The Kangaroos are just an excellent team, and Cholak never fails to impress during this time period. Terrific match.

• DOC GALLAGHER & MIKE GALLAGHER vs BILLY RED LYONS & FRANK TOWNSEND (07/14/1961; NWA Upstate; War Memorial Stadium; 00:17:20)

• MARK LEWIN & DON CURTIS vs SANTIAGO ACOSTA & JOSE BETANCOURT (09/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:13:57)
  Match goes 2/3 falls and is part of a TV taping at Chicago’s Marigold Arena.

• SAILOR ART THOMAS vs RAY ZILLS (09/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:03:23)

• SWEET DADDY SIKI vs FRED ATKINS (09/1961; NWA Chicago; 00:08:44)
  Rare chance to see and hear legendary wrestling promoter Fred Kohler on camera. Sweet Daddy Siki was a major star in the 1960s who trained Edge and other wrestlers.

• ISKA KHAN & SERGE GENTILLY vs YVES AMOR & PIERRE ROUANET (09/15/1961; French Catch; 00:32:51)

• MARCEL MONTREAL vs JACK ROUXEL (09/15/1961; French Catch; 00:05:40)

• HORST HOFFMANN vs LINO DI SANTO (10/05/1961; French Catch; 00:21:20)
  Horst Hoffman is a fantastic wrestler who pops up in 1970s footage here and there with most of his praised matches happening in All Japan Pro Wrestling’s 1975 Open League. This is the earliest footage we have of him on tape, so finding this was a real treat.

• REMY BAYLE vs AL GAMAIN (10/05/1961; French Catch; 00:14:23)
  Segunda Caida reviews of the above four matches.