| Founded | 1925[1] |
|---|---|
| Defunct | November 1965[1] |
| Headquarters | Chicago,Illinois, United States[2] |
| Founder | Fred Kohler[2] |
| Owner | Fred Kohler[2] |
| Formerly | International Wrestling Association NWA Chicago |
Fred Kohler Enterprises, Inc. was a company established by businessmanFred Kohler (1903–1969) topromoteprofessional wrestling inChicago,Illinois, in the United States.
Kohler began promoting in 1925, and by 1942 he dominated professional wrestling in Chicago. He joined the recently foundedNational Wrestling Alliance in 1949, with his promotion sometimes thereafter referred to asNWA Chicago. From 1949 to 1955, Fred Kohler Enterprises was one of the most profitable and high-profile promotions in the United States due to the success ofWrestling from Marigold, a program airing on theDuMont national television network. A slump in business in the late-1950s was reversed by a partnership with theCapitol Wrestling Corporation, and in 1961 Fred Kohler Enterprises drew the then-largest crowd in professional wrestling history to watch aWorld Heavyweight Championship bout betweenBuddy Rogers andPat O'Connor at Chicago'sComiskey Park. Kohler's often-fractious relationship with the NWA came to an end in 1963 when he withdrew to form theInternational Wrestling Association, a would-be competitor. The company was dissolved in 1965, marking the end of Fred Kohler Enterprises after 40 years.[1][2][3]
Fred Koch was born in Chicago in 1903. He attendedLane Technical College Prep High School, where he competed inamateur wrestling, placing second in his weight category in a 1928Amateur Athletic Union tournament. After graduating, he became a professional wrestler to supplement his income while working as a physical director and then as a machinist. He was given thering name "Fred Kohler" by a promoter and went on to use this name throughout his professional wrestling and promoting careers.[1]
Kohler began promoting in 1925, staging his first event in a hall owned by his father. By the mid-1930s, he had built a fan base and was generating a steady profit. In November 1936, Kohler promoted a bout betweenAli Baba andEverett Marshall for Marshall'sWorld Heavyweight Championship. Held at theChicago Stadium, the match attracted an audience of 9,736, establishing Kohler as a major figure in Chicago's professional wrestling scene. The success of the Chicago Stadium event gave Kohler enough cache to negotiate an alliance with promoter Ed White, and in 1937 the duo began promoting shows together. After White retired in 1942, Kohler was firmly positioned as the most powerful figure in professional wrestling in Chicago.[1]
In 1944, Kohler began recognizing mainstay Walter Palmer as World Heavyweight Champion.[4][5]
Kohler's first television program,Wrestling From Rainbo Arena, began airing on Wednesday evenings on July 10, 1946, on the regional television networkWBKB. Hosted by Russ Davis, the program featured matches recorded in Chicago's Rainbo Arena.[6] In 1948,Wrestling from Marigold began airing on the regional networkWGN.[1][7]
In 1949, Kohler secured new television deals withABC andWJZ-TV.[1] Later that year, he reached a deal with the recently founded national television networkDuMont.Wrestling from Marigold began airing on Thursdays and Saturdays in September 1949. The program was inexpensive to produce, and Kohler's membership of the NWA gave him access to some of the country's best performers.Wrestling from Marigold quickly became popular, with both broadcasts ranking amongst the top DuMont programs.[7]
In September 1949, Kohler enrolled in theNational Wrestling Alliance, which had been founded the prior year.[1][8] The World Heavyweight Championship(Chicago version) was abandoned, withChief Don Eagle as the final champion[5]
In 1950, Kohler was involved in a notorious "double-cross" when he instructedGorgeous George toshoot on Chief Don Eagle and legitimatelypin him to win the American Wrestling AssociationWorld Heavyweight Championship, which was being defended in a bout in Chicago.[9][self-published source][10] The plan was concocted to weaken the AWA and rival promoter Al Haft, who booked Eagle.[11]
Kohler resigned from the NWA in December 1950 in protest at its failure to take action when Leonard Schwartz, Al Haft,Toots Mondt, andPaul Bowser began competing with him in Chicago.[8] He rejoined in February 1951 after NWA presidentSam Muchnick brokered a compromise.[1]
The success ofWrestling from Marigold made Kohler one of the most powerful figures in professional wrestling.[1] Kohler became one of the first promoters in the United States to sign his wrestlers to exclusive contracts, earning a commission from hiring them out to other territories.[7] Kohler made extensive use of merchandising, selling calendars and photos.[12][13] In 1954, he secured exclusive rights to the sale of "Wrestling Polka", arecord composed byHelen Carroll and the Satisfiers as the theme forWrestling from Marigold.[14] His annual revenue rose to over $100,000 (equivalent to $1,171,000 in 2024) per annum.[1] By the early-1950s, Kohler's top star,Verne Gagne, was the most popular professional wrestler in the United States.[15]
In 1953, Kohler decided to create a regional championship to feature onWrestling from Marigold. In September 1953, theNWA United States Heavyweight Championship(Chicago version) was awarded to Gagne. This resulted in tension with some NWA officials, who felt that it undermined the status ofLou Thesz, the-then holder of theNWA World Heavyweight Championship, the world championship recognized by all NWA members. Thesz himself refused to wrestle in Chicago.[1][15][16][self-published source] Gagne held the championship until April 1956. In later years, many other NWA territories created their own regionalNWA United States Heavyweight Championships. Potentially due to the dispute, a highly anticipated NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Gagne and Thesz never took place.[15]
Jim Barnett joined Kohler as an assistant in the mid-1950s. In 1955, Barnett came up with the idea of recording professional wrestling programs in a television studio rather than transporting recording equipment to arenas as was usually done.[17][self-published source][18]
In 1955, Kohler began attempting to expand his territory, promoting shows in locations includingAlbuquerque, New Mexico;Denver,Colorado;Las Vegas,Nevada; andLos Angeles,California. He raised the ire of NWA president Sam Muchnick by promoting shows inIndianapolis,Indiana, until then traditionally the territory of Muchnick's own promotion, theSt. Louis Wrestling Club.[19]
DuMont abruptly cancelledWrestling from Marigold in March 1955, a move that saw Fred Kohler Enterprises' annual revenue drop by $50,000 (equivalent to $587,000 in 2024).[19] The blow was compounded in May 1957 when WGN also cancelledWrestling from Marigold.[1][7]
By the late-1950s Fred Kohler Enterprises was close to bankruptcy.[19][20] In 1959, promoterEddie Quinn began running shows in opposition to Fred Kohler Enterprises in Chicago. Kohler responded by forming a partnership withVincent J. McMahon, promoter of theCapital Wrestling Corporation. The partnership gave Kohler access to new wrestlers includingBearcat Wright,Buddy Rogers, andJohnny Valentine. Kohler also used purchased time onHeavyweight Wrestling from Bridgeport, a Capital Wrestling Corporation's program that aired on the regional networkWNBQ, to advertise his shows in Chicago. By 1960, the promotion had rebounded and the threat posed by Quinn had receded.[19][20]
In June 1961, Fred Kohler Enterprises and the Capital Wrestling Corporation jointly promoted a show atComiskey Park headlined by a bout that sawBuddy Rogers defeatPat O'Connor for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship. The event was attended by 38,622 people, the then-highest ever attendance of any professional wrestling event in history and a record that stood until the1st Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions in 1984.[21][22]
Kohler was elected president of the NWA in August 1961.[1] In November 1961, Kohler unsuccessfully moved for the NWA board of directors to vote on dissolving the organisation[23] His presidency ended the following year.
In 1963, Kohler withdrew from the NWA once more, renaming his promotion the "International Wrestling Association". The IWA positioned itself as a competitor to the NWA but lasted only a year. Fred Kohler Enterprises went intoreceivership in August 1964 with its assets sold at auction, marking the end of Kohler's promoting career.[24] The territory was taken over byDick the Bruiser andWilbur Snyder, the owners of theWorld Wrestling Association, who purchased the remaining assets of Fred Kohler Enterprises from Kohler in November 1965.[1]
| Championship | Created | Abandoned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWA United States Heavyweight Championship(Chicago version) | 1953 | 1964 | The Chicago version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship was created in 1953 whenVerne Gagne was awarded the championship. In 1963, when NWA Chicago withdrew from the NWA and became the International Wrestling Alliance, the championship was renamed the IWA United States Heavyweight Championship. The championship was abandoned in 1964 when the IWA ceased trading.[25][26] |
| NWA World Tag Team Championship(Chicago version) | 1953 | 1960 | The Chicago version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was created in 1953 whenLord Athol Layton andLord James Blears were awarded the championship. The championship was abandoned in 1960.[27] |
| World Heavyweight Championship(Illinois version) | 1944 | 1949 | This championship was created in 1944 when Walter Palmer was credited as having won a tournament. The championship stemmed from theNational Wrestling Association'sWorld Heavyweight Championship. It was also known as the Midwest Championship or Illinois Championship. The championship was abandoned in 1949 when Fred Kohler joined theNational Wrestling Alliance and began recognizing theNWA World Heavyweight Championship.[5] |
We will on Tuesday, August 22nd at 11:00 AM...sell at public auction the following estates...Fred Kohler Enterprises, Inc.
