Also known as Olga Pederson, Olga Rosen, Olga, The Topless Second, Leyla Atesh

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Olga, The Topless Second

Never let it be said that Wrestling Heritage doesn’t reach the parts that other websites fail to reach. When it comes to diving to the depths of wrestling nonsense no one dives deeper than Heritage. Okay, we admit that in a serious chronology of wrestling history Olga wouldn’t even merit a footnote. But we’ve always said that everyone played their part and for a few weeks in early 1971 Olga created more newspaper columns than most of the famous names you’ve read about on Wrestling Heritage.

The cause of her short lived fame was that in February 1971 Olga received press attention when advertised to appear on wrestling programmes as a topless second for the Wildman of Borneo.

Who was Olga? Well, there’s a question. We know of only one man better placed to find out all there is to know about Olga.

Heritage super sleuth Ron Historyo was on the case. Ron does warn that as is often the case with wrestling these findings should be treated with some caution, though confirmation from various sauces ensure more than reasonable accuracy.

It transpired that the lady known as Olga, of topless second fame, was known by a variety of names and occupied various roles.

Dale Storm worked with her in Scotland. He told Ron that she was a lovely girl with long black hair who had met promoter Orig Williams in Turkey. But it wasn’t the name Olga on the posters in those days, and she kept more of her clothes on. Dale knew her as Leyla Atesh, though doubted that this was her actual name. She was Leyla the belly dancer, who performed her act as an interlude to the wrestling.

Another name, another role, another nationality. Olga, or Leyla, was found performing as a wrestler by Ron. This time she was Olga Petersen, the Swedish sex symbol Ron found her wrestling three times in Scotland and with the top ladies who no doubt would be able to carry her along. These were in the early 1973 following on from her earlier incarnations.

Two years earlier, another name and another role. This was the role in which she gained her greatest attention and notoriety. Ron told us of the appearance of Olga Rosen, in January 1971 adorning the front page of the Shropshire Star, Wolverhampton Express and Star, Birmingham Daily Post and Staffordshire Sentinel as Councillor Stella Kidman led the campaign against Olga appearing topless at the second of the Wildman of Borneo in a Eurosport Promotions match at Stafford.

Two days later the headlines were back as the papers reported that Staffordshire council had voted to prevent Olga appearing topless by cancelling the hall’s booking unless they received written confirmation from the promoters that Olga would be suitably clothed.

It was a story to be repeated around the midlands, north west and Scotland working for promoters Brian Dixon, Orig Williams, Klondyke Jake and Eurosport. Announcements that Olga would appear topless with either the Wildman of Borneo or Klondyke Jake only to be announced that she would be forbidden by the council.

Some have suggested that this was all a publicity stunt by promoters, who knew all too well she would most likely be prevented from appearing but by then have done the intended job of free publicity for the wrestling. If that was the case it certainly worked and Olga, or Leyla, found her small but unique place in British wrestling.

Page revised 08/03/2026

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