Some of the teams Reggie and Stan faced during this time period included Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff, Guy and Joe Brunetti, Angelo Poffo and Bronko Lubich, Edouard Carpentier and Verne Gagne, Dick the Bruiser and Hans Schmidt, Bill Melby and Pedro Godoy, Pedro Godoy and Luis Martinez, Wilbur Snyder and Bill Melby, Verne Gagne and Wilbur Snyder and Whipper Billy Watson and Pat O'Connor. In late November of 1957, the Lisowskis ventured to Atlanta, Georgia for a month long stay in that territory. Reggie and Stan had a very successful run in Atlanta defeating Gorgeous George and Wild Red Berry on November 22nd, 1957 and Billy "Red" Lyons and Ray Gunkel on November 29th, 1957. The Lisowskis wrestled the team of Ray Gunkel and Don McIntyre twice in Atlanta battling them to a no contest on December 6th and December 13th of 1957.

Reggie and Stan returned to the midwest after their stay in Atlanta and began facing challengers for their NWA tag team titles. Among the teams to face the Lisowski brothers in late 1957 and early 1958 were Edouard Carpentier and Antonino Rocca, Alberto Godoy and Carl Engstrom, Bobby Managoff and Pat O'Connor, Roy McClarity and Joe Blanchard, Verne Gagne and Bronko Nagurski and Ronnie Etchison and Bobby Bruns. Finally on February 22nd, 1958 at the Marigold Arena in Chicago, Illinois, Nicoli and Boris Volkoff once again defeated Reggie and Stan Lisowski to win the NWA tag team titles.

After one rematch with The Volkoffs at the Milwaukee Auditorium on February 28th, 1958, Reggie and Stan left the midwestern territory to compete in upstate New York and Eastern Canada. The Lisowski Brothers were given a huge push upon their arrival defeating Whipper Billy Watson and Yukon Eric on March 18th, 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to win the Canadian Open Tag Team Titles. Many outstanding tag teams unsuccessfully challenged the Lisowskis for their newly won tag straps including Bobo Brazil and Wilbur Snyder, Adrian and Tony Baillargeon, The Fabulous Kangaroos Al Costello and Roy Heffernan, Whipper Billy Watson and Yukon Eric, Bobo Brazil and Lord Athol Layton, Dan and Bill Miller and Bill and Ed Miller. Whipper Billy Watson upended Reggie and Stan Lisowski on May 22nd, 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to capture the Canadian Open Tag Team Titles. The Lisowski brothers had one more brief reign as Canadian Open Tag Team Champions beating Yukon Eric and Dara Singh for the belts on August 7th, 1958 only to lose the belts to Whipper Billy Watson and Bernard Vignal three weeks later in Toronto. 

After completing their stint in upstate New York and Canada, Reggie and Stan Lisowski headed back to the midwest in September of 1958. According to Wrestling Title Histories published by Royal Duncan and Gary Will, the Lisowski brothers won a tournament to become the NWA World Tag Team Champions in November of 1958. During late 1958, the Lisowskis wrestled a number of tremendous tag teams like Bearcat Wright and Tex McKenzie, Bronko Nagurski and Butch Levy, Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff, Mitsu Arakawa and Kenji Shibuya and Bearcat Wright and Butch Levy. Some historical reports have Reggie and Stan losing the NWA tag straps to Herb and Seymour Freeman on January 15th, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota only to regain the NWA tag belts from the Freemans one week later in Minneapolis.The Lisowski brothers continued to feud with the Freemans and the Kalmikoffs during the early months of 1959. Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff defeated Reggie and Stan Lisowski to win the NWA tag team titles in a match with no disqualifications, two referees and all four men in the ring at the same time held at the Minneapolis Armory on March 5th, 1959. Two days later on March 7th, 1959 at the Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Reggie and Stan made a very dramatic exit from the midwestern territory. The Lisowski brothers were set to battle Don and Jackie Fargo but refused to do so. Reportedly the Lisowskis took one look at the sparse crowd and promptly left the Milwaukee Arena.

The next stop for Reggie and Stan Lisowski was the east coast of the United States. For the next three months, the Lisowski brothers worked throughout New York and Ohio. Reggie and Stan faced such tough opposition as Roy and Ray Shires, Antonino Rocca and Miguel Perez, Guy and Joe Brunetti and Mike and Doc Gallagher. It was during the summer of 1959 that Reggie Lisowski and Stan Holek parted ways. Reggie and Stan had an incredible run as tag team partners and it was time for each man to move on to the next stage of their respective careers. Stan would soon adopt the monicker Stan Neilsen team up with Reggie's old pal Art Neilsen as the Neilsen brothers. Reggie returned to the Midwest losing to Verne Gagne on August 18th, 1959 in Minneapolis, defeating Kenny Jay on August 19th, 1959 in Chicago and downing Joe Blanchard on September 11th, 1959 in Indianapolis. Reggie's next match in Indianapolis would prove to be historically significant as he teamed with Dick the Bruiser for the very first time battling Ray (Stevens) and Roy Shire to a no contest on September 25th, 1959. 

Special thanks again goes out to George Lentz, the publisher of the Crusher Lisowski record book. Wrestling Title Histories published by Royal Duncan and Gary Will always is a helpful research tool as are the many ring record books compiled by wrestling historian James Melby. 

Without the tireless efforts of the aforementioned men, columns like this one would not be possible. 

NEXT MONTH: