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 of Wrestling from Marigold, a program airing on the DuMont national television network.
A slump in business in the late-1950s was reversed by a partnership with the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, and in 1961 Fred Kohler Enterprises drew the then-largest crowd in professional wrestling history to watch a World Heavyweight Championship bout between Buddy Rogers and Pat O'Connor at Chicago's Comiskey Park.
Kohler's often-fractious relationship with the NWA came to an end in 1963 when he withdrew to form the International Wrestling Association, a would-be competitor.
[1][8] The World Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) was abandoned, with Chief Don Eagle as the final champion[5] In 1950, Kohler was involved in a notorious "double-cross" when he instructed Gorgeous George to shoot on Chief Don Eagle and legitimately pin him to win the American Wrestling Association World 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, and Paul Bowser began competing with him in Chicago.
[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.
Potentially due to the dispute, a highly anticipated NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Gagne and Thesz never took place.
[17][self-published source][18] In 1955, Kohler began attempting to expand his territory, promoting shows in locations including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Los Angeles, California.
[19] DuMont abruptly cancelled Wrestling from Marigold in March 1955, a move that saw Fred Kohler Enterprises' annual revenue drop by $50,000 (equivalent to $569,000 in 2023).
The partnership gave Kohler access to new wrestlers including Bearcat Wright, Buddy Rogers, and Johnny Valentine.
[19][20] In June 1961, Fred Kohler Enterprises and the Capital Wrestling Corporation jointly promoted a show at Comiskey Park headlined by a bout that saw Buddy Rogers defeat Pat O'Connor for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
[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.