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Portrait of Doc Sarpolis

Doc Sarpolis

1897 – 1967

American professional wrestler

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About Doc Sarpolis

Lived 1897 – 1967 (aged 69). Doc Sarpolis was an American amateur wrestler and professional wrestler.

Karl Sarpolis (August 31, 1897 – May 28, 1967) was a professional wrestler and wrestling promoter in Texas. He was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.

Early life Sarpolis was born in Newport, Pennsylvania, to Lithuanian immigrants. He had a love for music and could play several instruments. During his enrollment at the University of Chicago, he made money performing in a band. He also played football for coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Sarpolis continued to pay membership dues and In August 1962 was elected president of the NWA.

Throughout the 1960s, Sarpolis and Funk, Sr. had working agreements with Sam Muchnick, Verne Gagne, Bob Geigel and Jim Barnett. The Amarillo production had Stanley Blackburn as its kayfabe commissioner, Shelton Key as the ring announcer, and the weekly TV shows were taped on Saturday afternoons from the studio of KVII-TV (Channel 7 in Amarillo).

Sarpolis died of a heart attack on May 28, 1967, after a boating accident. The Sarpolis family would sell his shares in the Amarillo promotion to Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk.

Personal Sarpolis married his first wife, Josephine (née Dzugas) on August 13, 1920. They had two sons: Karl Jr. died as an infant less than a year old. A second son also named Karl was born on November 20, 1924, lived in Chicago until his death on June 19, 1996. He was married on February 3, 1936, to Vivian Proctor with wrestler Ellis Bashara as his best man. He would marry a second time and had a daughter named Betty Jane on July 23, 1944.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Chicago
Also known as
Karl Sarpolis

People in Doc Sarpolis's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Doc Sarpolis's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Doc Sarpolis?

American professional wrestler (1897–1967)

When was Doc Sarpolis born?

Doc Sarpolis was born on 31 August 1897 in Newport.

When did Doc Sarpolis die?

Doc Sarpolis died on 28 May 1967.

What was Doc Sarpolis's occupation?

Doc Sarpolis was an amateur wrestler and professional wrestler.

What nationality was Doc Sarpolis?

Doc Sarpolis was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Doc Sarpolis

· Wikidata: Q5287114

· DBpedia: Doc Sarpolis

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Doc Sarpolis. https://biography.guide/doc-sarpolis/

MLA: "Doc Sarpolis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/doc-sarpolis/.

Chicago: "Doc Sarpolis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/doc-sarpolis/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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