Ohio Wrestling Greats – Media Gallery (1900-1975)

A collection of images memorializing Ohio’s best wresters in history

back to Ohio Wrestling Greats Homepage

WrestlerHigh SchoolYear
Harry SteelCanton McKinley1918
Perry MartterGrandview Heights1918
Kermit BlosserLogan1928
Henry MatthesUniversity School1935
George DownesMagnolia1936
George BollasWarren G. Harding1939
Joe NasoCleveland West Tech1944
Gene GibbonsCleveland West1946
Bill KerslakeEuclid Central1947
John MatteucciCleveland West1948
Bob MarichEuclid Shore1949
Richard BonacciCleveland West1951
James DregallaCleveland John Marshall1954
Harry HouskaParma1960
Robert DouglasBridgeport1961
Carl HoppelLisbon Beaver1962
Dave ReinboltToledo Central Catholic1963
Joseph PeritoreMaple Heights1963
Dale BrumitStow1966
Wayne HolmesColumbus Central1967
Greg WojciechowskiToledo Whitmer1968
Tom MilkovichMaple Heights1969
Pat MilkovichMaple Heights1971
Shawn GarelEast Cleveland Shaw1973
Andy DanielsAkron Buchtel1974
Leroy KempChardon1974
Jim HansonRichmond Heights1975
Please contact [email protected] if you have pictures or information that could be included in the wrestler’s profiles.

Harry Steel

Full Profile

Ohio State Wrestling
Olympian Harry Steel
Olympian Harry Steel 1924
Harry Steel Ohio State Wrestling
Ohio State Heavyweight – 1924 Big Ten Champion
Harry Steel Perry Martter Paris Olympics
Steel (left) and Martter (right) at the ship dock during the 1924 Paris Olympics

back to top

Perry Martter

Full Profile

Perry Martter Ohio State wrestling
Captain of the 1923 Wrestling Team
1921 Ohio State Wrestling Martter
1921 – First Ohio State University Wrestling Team – Captain Martter (center left)
Perry Martter demonstrates power-half on Ohio state teammate
Martter demonstrated a power-half on Ohio State teammate
Perry Martter Ohio State Wrestling
Perry Martter – Ohio State

back to top

Kermit Blosser

Full Profile

Kermit Blosser NCAA wrestling Champion
1932 NCAA Champion
Kermit Blosser Ohio
Captain of Ohio Bobcats wrestling team
Coach Kermit Blosser
Coach Blosser

back to top

Henry Matthes

Full Profile

Henry Matthes University School
Henry Matthes – University School 1935
Henry Matthes University School wrestling
1935 Team Captain, City League Champ, and NAAU Champ
Henry Matthes wrestling
1939 NCAA Champion
Henry Matthes Lehigh
Lehigh – 165 lbs

back to top

George Downes

Full Profile

George Downes NCAA wrestling Champ
1940 NCAA Heavyweight Champ

back to top

George Bollas

Full Profile

George Bollas 1946 wrestling champ
1946 NCAA Heavyweight Champ
George Bollas the Zebra Kid
The Zebra Kid

back to top

Joe Naso

Full Profile

West Tech High School 1944
2x State Champion

back to top

Gene Gibbons

Full Profile

Gene Gibbons Michigan State
1951 NCAA Champion
Gene Gibbons John Marshall wrestling
John Marshall Wrestling Coach
John Marshall Gene Gibbons
John Marshall – 1961 State Champions

back to top

Bill Kerslake

Full Profile

Bill Kerslake Euclid Central
Kerslake – Euclid Central 1947
Bill Kerslake wrestling
US Champion
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Kerslake finishing a takedown
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Champion – International Tournament
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Olympian
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Olympian
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Kerslake looking for an exposure
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Olympian
Bill Kerslake wrestling
International Competition
Bill Kerslake wrestling
Kerslake works hard to turn his opponent

back to top

John Matteucci

Full Profile

Cleveland West 1948
Coach – Eastlake North High School

Bob Marich

Full Profile

Bob Marich Euclid Shore wrestling
Euclid Shore 1949
3x State Champion
Bob Marich Cincinnati football
University of Cincinnati Football

back to top

Dick Bonacci

Full Profile

Dick Bonacci Ohio Wrestling Greats
University of Toledo
3x MAC Champion
1951 Cleveland West High School Wrestling Team National Champions
1951 Cleveland West High
State Champions
National Champions
Dick Bonacci Cleveland State Coach
Cleveland State Head Coach

back to top

Jim Dregalla

Full Profile

Jim Dregalla John Marshall
John Marshall High 1951
Jim Dregalla three-time heavyweight state champion
3x Heavyweight State Champion
Jim Dregalla Cleveland John Marhsall wrestling
1950 State Champion

back to top

Harry Houska

Full Profile

Harry Houska Parma High School
Harry Houska – Parma High School
Harry Houska Ohio state champion
1960 OHSAA State Champion
Harry Houska NCAA Champion
1964 NCAA Champion

back to top

Bobby Douglas

Full Profile

bobby Douglas Bridgeport wrestling champions 1959
Douglas (left) with his teammates after winning the 1959 state championship
Bobby Douglas Bridgeport
Bridgeport High School Football 1961
Bobby Douglas Oklahoma State Wrestling
Oklahoma State
Bobby Douglas Ohio Wrestling Greats
1964 and 1968 Olympian

back to top

Carl Hoppel

Full Profile

Carl Hoppel freshman state champion
Freshman State Champion 1959
Carl Hoppel three-time state champion
3x State Champion 1962

back to top

Dave Reinbolt

Full Profile

Central Catholic 1963
2x State Placer
Dave Reinbolt NCAA Champion Ohio State
1966 NCAA Champion

back to top

Joseph Peritore

Full Profile

Joe Peritore Lehigh
3x NCAA All-American – Lehigh 1966
Joe Peritore Maple Heights
2x State Champion

back to top

Dale Brumit

Full Profile

Dale Brumit Stow High School Wrestling
State Runner-up 1966
Dale Brumit University of Arizona
3x NCAA All-American – University of Arizona

back to top

Wayne Holmes

Full Profile

Wayne Holmes Greco Roman wrestling
1972 Olympian

back to top

Greg Wojciechowski

Full Profile

Greg Wojciechowski Toledo Whitmer wrestling
Toledo Whitmer 1968
2x State Champion
Greg Wojciechowski "Wojo" wrestling
NCAA Champion
Olympian

back to top

Tom Milkovich

Full Profile

Tom Milkovich Maple Heights
3x State Champion Maple Heights
Tom Milkovich three-time state champion
Milkovich responds to a standing ovation in St. John’s arena after winning his third state championship
Tom Milkovich Michigan State
Michigan State
NCAA Champion

back to top

Pat Milkovich

Full Profile

Pat Milkovich Maple Heights wrestling
Maple Heights
1971 State Champion
Pat Milkovich State Champion
Milkovich holds his 126-pound state championship bracket. Team scores in the background show Maple Heights leading the team race.
Pat Milkovich Michigan State
Michigan State
2x NCAA Champion

back to top

Shawn Garel

Full Profile

Shawn Garel East Cleveland Shaw 1973
East Cleveland Shaw 1973
Shawn Garel Oklahoma wrestling
University of Oklahoma
NCAA Champion
University of Oklahoma 1974 – Freshman Year
Shawn Garel Oklahoma wrestling
Garel attempts to turn his opponent – 1976

back to top

Andy Daniels

Full Profile

Andy Daniels Ohio Wrestling Greats
Ohio University 1978
Andy Daniels Ohio wrestling
1978 NCAA Champion

back to top

Leroy Kemp

Full Profile

Leroy Kemp Chardon wrestling
Chardon High School 1974
Lee Kemp high school wrestling
Kemp poses with his awards won throughout high school
Lee Kemp world champion wrestling
3x World Champion

back to top

Jim Hanson

Full Profile

Jim Hanson richmond heights wrestling
Richmond Heights 1975
3x State Champion
Jim Hanson Richmond Heights wrestling
Hanson applies a “guillotine” on his opponent 1974
University of Wisconsin
NCAA All-American

back to top