Tag Archives: Verne Gagne

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The North Adams Transcript – March 16, 1954

Verne Gagne, former Minnesota football player, won his fourth wrestling match in five bouts at Madison Square Gardenlast night when Hans Schmidt of Chicago was disqualified after 23 minutes and four seconds of grappling. Gagne’s other match in the Garden ended in a draw.

Referee Johnny Garen disqualified the 240-pound Schmidt for using rough tactics. Gagne weighed 220 pounds.

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Wrestling Card Here Saturday

The Milwaukee Journal – February 24, 1958

Angelo Poffo will meet Edouard Carpentier and Killer Kowalski will face Verne Gagne in the double windup of Saturday’s wrestling card at the Arena.  In a supporting tag match, Reggie and Stan Lisowski will meet Boris and Nicoli Volkoff.  The Mask will meet Ivan the Terrible and Babs Wingo will face Ethel Johnson in other bouts.  As an “extra attraction” the loser of the Carpentier-Poffo bout will be required to ride a donkey around the ring.

Gagne Wins Match With Valentine

Chicago Tribune – April 17, 1966
By Frank Mastro

Verne Gagne, former University of Minnesota wrestling champion, won by disqualification from Johnny Valentine after each had won a fall in the International Ampitheater last night before a crowd of 3,773.

Valentine won the first fall with a throat chop in 15:50 then Gagne scored the second fall with a sleeper hold in 4:06, afterward Valentine was disqualified in 12:04 when he violated a rule by using a strangle hold outside the ring.

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Rocky Scores Victory Over Doug Gilbert

Sioux Falls Argus-Leader – November 29, 1962

Rocky Hamilton scored an unpopular victory over Doug Gilbert in the main event of the Legion wrestling show at the Coliseum Wednesday night and now is in line for a title shot here against Verne Gagne.

Gilbert, the Indiana strongboy, won the first fall in 6:35 but Hamilton, the “Missouri Mauler,” came back to take the second fall at 15:20 and the third at 21:15, ramming Gilbert’s head into the ring support.

Even after the bout was officially over the brawling raged on.

The Crusher took two out of three falls in the semi-windup from Jack Lanza, winning the first in 15:10 and the third at 29:15.

Eddie Sharkey took the opener, beating Cry Baby Cannon in 17:25.

Gunkel Beats Mighty Atlas On Spa Mat

Times Record – April 8, 1954

Ray Gunkel, former Purdue football player, spotted the Mighty Atlas the first fall, then took the next two to win the main event on last night’s wrestling card at Saratoga Springs’ Convention Hall.

Atlas grabbed the first fall at 16:51 with an Atlas Nelson.  Gunkel evened matters in 12:31 with a Leaping Lena (a flying body scissors) and won at 5:17 with a drop kick and press.

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Kalmikoffs Face Scientific Foes Friday Night

Winona Daily News – April 24, 1963

The world’s heavyweight wrestling champion, Verne Gagne, will hold the Winona sports spotlight Friday when he meets Karol Kalmikoff in the main event at the Catholic Recreation Center.

Supporting the main will be two other matches featuring Ivan Kalmikoff vs. Doug Gilbert in the semifinal and Eddie Sharkey vs. Guy Taylor in the 8:30 p.m. opener.

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Good vs. Bad In Local Pro Wrestling

Winona Daily News – April 23, 1963

Like a thundering herd, the pro wrestlers invade the Catholic Recreation center in Winona Friday with a championship match between Vern Gagne and Karol Kalmikoff to headline the card.

Gagne, the champion, is rated as one of the most skilled and scientific grapplers in the business, while his opponent is considerd to be one of the meanest in the game.

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Gagne, Crusher Meet In Benefit

The Minneapolis Star – August 29, 1964

Amateur athletes and teams in the Twin City area will benefit from proceeds of tonight’s professional wrestling card matching Vern Gagne against The Crusher in St. Paul’s Midway Stadium. Continue reading

Gagne To Show Tricks At DFL ‘Fun Festival’

The Minneapolis Star – June 22, 1965

GOP, Look Out

Watch out Republicans, the DFL may start applying wrestling holds to you next.

Vern Gagne, professional wrestler will demonstrate some of his “bone crushing” tactics at a DFL “fun festival” Saturday at Excelsior Park. Continue reading

Ready And Waiting

The Milwaukee Journal – January 19, 1957

Angelo Poffo 1-19-57

Ready and waiting for Yukon Eric is Angelo Poffo.  Poffo will wrestle Eric in a penalty belt match at the Auditorium Saturday night in the preliminary to the tag match between the Volkoff brothers and Verne Gagne and Argentine Rocca.