Killer Kowalski

Infobox Wrestler
name=Killer Kowalski
names=Tarzan Kowalski
Hercules Kowalski The Masked Executioner
The Masked Destroyer
Killer Kowalski


img_capt=
height= convert|6|ft|7|in|cm|0
weight= convert|275|lb|kg|0
real_height=
real_weight=
birth_date= Birth date|1926|10|13
birth_place=Windsor, Ontario, Canadacite book | title = If They Only Knew | first = Joanie | last = Laurer | authorlink = Joanie Laurer | isbn = 0-0610-9895-7 | publisher = ReaganBooks | origmonth = October | origyear = 2001 | pages = p. 144–145]
death_date= Death date and age|2008|08|30|1926|10|13
death_place=Malden, Massachusetts, USA
billed=
trainer=Lou Thesz
debut=1947
retired=1977
website=http://www.killerkowalskis.com

Wladek (Walter) "Killer" Kowalski (October 13, 1926–August 30, 2008)cite web | first = Greg | last = Oliver | title = Killer Kowalski dies | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2008/08/30/6617311.html | publisher = Canadian Online Explorer | work = Slam! Sports | date = 2008-08-30 | accessdate = 2008-08-31] was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWWF, and was a known heel wrestler. He held numerous championships including the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with Big John Studd. After retiring in 1977, Kowalski started a professional wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts and trained many professional wrestlers, including Triple H.

Early life

The man later known as "Killer Kowalski" (he legally changed his name in 1963) was born Edward Walter Spulnik on October 13, 1926. The son of Polish immigrants, he and his brother Stanley were raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Years later, he would tell interviewers that he never expected to be a wrestler. By the age of fourteen, he was already convert|6|ft|4|in|cm|0, and because he was skinny for his height, he began working out at the local YMCA, but he had no plan to go into athletics at that time. When he entered college, his major was electrical engineering. He worked part-time at the Ford plant in Detroit to help pay his way.

Professional wrestling career

There are several stories of how he became a wrestler. The most common one is that while attending the University of Detroit (some sources say Assumption College in nearby Windsor, Ontario), he heard that there was an opportunity to make good pay by wrestling. He was only being paid $50 a week at the plant and was told he could make more as a wrestler.cite journal | first = Kevin Paul | last = Dupont | title = A Lifetime of Learning | publisher = The Boston Globe | date = 1990-10-08 | pages = p. 47] Since he already had an athletic build, he decided to give wrestling a try and began attending a wrestling school.cite journal | first = Nancy | last = Marrapese | title = A Quiet Life, Wild Memories for Killer | publisher = The Boston Globe | date = 1991-09-29 | pages = p. NW13] When he first wrestled professionally, he was known as Tarzan Kowalski,cite journal | first = Thane | last = Burnett | title = Confessions of a Killer | publisher = Toronto Sun | date = 2005-01-24 | pages = p. 34] but was also called Hercules Kowalski, Killer Kowalski (this nickname is used as early as 1950) and even The Polish Apollo, according to newspaper reports from 1950–51. During the Cold War, his name was changed to Wladek Kowalski, which was supposed to sound more menacing.cite journal | first = Milan | last = Simonich | title = Being a wrestling villain was a rewarding career | publisher = The Globe and Mail | date = 1998-11-13 | pages = p. S7] Kowalski wrestled from 1947 to 1977 in a number of organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a heel.

Kowalski's rise in the business came quickly. His first recorded match occurred on May 6, 1948, and by November 29 of the same year, Kowalski was facing NWA champion Orville Brown in a heavyweight championship match. Kowalski stood out in his era for his larger-than-normal size, and for a faster-paced style in the ring. He wrestled as a demonstrative "heel," or villain, except when facing the even-more-hated Buddy Rogers. In his matches with Rogers, Kowalski would adopt a more serious "babyface" approach. Out of the ring, however, Kowalski was considered so friendly and polite that some wrestling promoters complained about the way he would "drop character" in public.

Incidents

In a 1952 match in Montreal versus Yukon Eric, Kowalski ripped off a part of Yukon Eric's ear while performing a knee drop. In reality, Eric's ears were already badly cauliflowered due to years of abuse and the injury was an accident, but it fortified Kowalski as being a ruthless villain who ripped his opponent's ear off. Kowalski attempted to visit his opponent in the hospital and began laughing along with Eric at how silly the bandages looked, with Kowalski recalling years later, "I swear, the first thing I thought of was Humpty Dumpty on the wall. Yukon Eric looked at me, shook his head, and smiled. I started laughing and he laughed, too.". When the incident was reported in the paper the next day, it stated that Kowalski showed up at the hospital and laughed "at" his victim rather than "with" him, furthering Kowalski's image as a heel. [cite news | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/19981112killer1.asp | title = Ring of legends: Killer Kowalski and other big names come to town to wrestle up support for charity | date = 1998-11-12 | accessdate = 2008-08-31 | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | publisher = Block Communications | first = Milan | last = Simonich] The incident sparked a long-running series of grudge matches between the two wrestlers which took place throughout North America. By the time the feud had run out of steam several years later, Yukon Eric joked to Kowalski about the small size of an audience, "Shit, that's a lousy house. I might have to sacrifice another ear."

Kowalski also gained some notoriety in Boston for an incident in late June 1958 when he was wrestling Pat O'Connor. The guest referee was former boxing great Jack Dempsey, who suffered a kick to the diaphragm and had to be hospitalized. Dempsey did not blame Kowalski, and both said it was an accident, but this further cemented the Killer's reputation as a villain.cite journal | title = Mauler Mauled | publisher = Los Angeles Times | date = 1958-08-03 | pages = p. C6] In 1967, the top-rated Australian television talk show host Don Lane irritated Kowalski during an apparently friendly interview and was attacked with the Kowalski claw hold. [cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/05/1073151243650.html | title = Scream test | last = Molitorisz | first = Sacha | date = 2004-01-05 | work = The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate = 2008-08-10 | publisher = Fairfax Media]

In December 1972, Kowalski became the first wrestler to pin André the Giant in North America, in what was billed as a "Battle of the Giants." Photographs from the Quebec City match helped to establish André's reputation in American wrestling magazines, since they showed him towering over the better-known Kowalski. Kowalski had done much the same to boost Giant Baba's fame in Japan, with a televised 1963 match.

World Wide Wrestling Federation

Kowalski became the main antagonist of Bruno Sammartino in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1960s and 1970s. On May 11, 1976, Kowalski won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with Big John Studd. Both men wore black masks and tights and called themselves "The Executioners". They lost the title in December of that year to Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/worldtagteam/|title=Title History: World Tag Team Championship|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-09-07]

Retirement and training

After his WWWF retirement in 1977, Kowalski started a professional wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts. Due to his health, he ceased to be involved with it in 2003, and the school subsequently moved to North Andover, Massachusetts. [http://www.chaotictc.com] Among the alumni of this school are Triple H, Chyna, Perry Saturn, John Kronus, and Brittany Brown. Kowalski also trained Big John Studd, Damien Kane, Chris Nowinski, A-Train, April Hunter, Frankie Kazarian, Nikki Roxx and Kenny Dykstra. Kowalski continued to wrestle on independent shows into the early 1980s, and worked only sparingly after that. His last match took place in 1993, when Kowalski was 66 years old.

He also made numerous post-retirement television appearances, including "Late Night with David Letterman" in 1982, and was featured in a comic role in Michael Burlingame's surrealist film "To a Random" in 1986. "Lost in the B-Zone," a music video for Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, which was derived from this film, also prominently featured Kowalski.

On June 14, 2007, Kowalski was inducted into The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/UPDATE/704110454]

Personal life

Kowalski married for the first time to Theresa Ferrioli on June 19, 2006. [cite news | url = http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/kowalski0807 | title = What I've Learned: Killer Kowalski | work = Esquire | publisher = Hearst Corporation | first = Cal | last = Fussman | date = 2007-08-03 | accessdate = 2008-08-31] He had known her since 1998, and she was surprised when he proposed, since he was known as a life-long bachelor.cite journal | first = Joe | last = Fitzgerald | title = Grappling With Mortality | publisher = Boston Herald | date = 2008-07-28 | pages = p. 2]

He became a vegetarian in the late 1960s and claimed to be the only one in professional wrestling. [cite web | url = http://www.vegetarianusa.com/feature_articles/sports/Kowalski.html | title = A Vegetarian Travel Guide exclusive interview with the world-famous wrestler...Walter "Killer" Kowalski | last = Harris | first = Barry | work = vegetarianusa.com | accessdate = 2008-08-15] He would not drink milk or alcohol, and did not smoke. He would not even drive with wrestlers who smoked, which limited his travelling options.

Kowalski began to suffer escalating health problems in the time leading up to his death. "The Sun" received the report on Kowalski from his friend, another wrestling legend, Bruno Sammartino, that Kowalski had to go to a rehabilitation center in Everett, Massachusetts, where he was recovering from a knee injury. [cite web | url = http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/wrestling/blog/2008/04/killer_kowalski_in_hospital.html | title = Killer Kowalski in hospital | last = Eck | first = Kevin | date = 2008-04-17 | work = The Baltimore Sun | publisher = Tribune Company | accessdate = 2008-08-15] It seemed he was getting better, until he suffered a heart attack on August 8, 2008. According to Slam! Sports, the "Quincy Patriot Ledger", and other sources, Kowalski's family was apprised that he would not recover. When Kowalski was taken off life support on August 18, subsequent news reports erroneously stated that he had died. Kowalski died on August 30, 2008.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**"Kowalski Claw" (Vice grip applied to the opponent's stomach or the opponent's head)
**Diving knee drop
**Dropkick
**Piledriver

Championships and accomplishments

*Atlantic Athletic Commission
**AAC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/newengland/bigtime/bigtime-h.html ACC/Big Time Wrestling World Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Central States Wrestling
**NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-h.html NWA Central States Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bulldog Austin [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-t.html NWA Central States Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA Iowa Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ripper Daniels [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ia/ia-t.html Iowa Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com] (First and Only)

*Championship Wrestling from Florida
**NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/nwa/fl-south-h.html NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*International Wrestling Alliance
**IWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-h.html IWA World Heavyweight Title (Australia) history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**IWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Skull Murphy (2), Bill Miller (1), and Mark Lewin (1) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-t.html IWA World Tag Team Title (Australia) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Montreal Athletic Commission
**MAC World/International Heavyweight Championship (12 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/qc/qc-world-h.html World/International Heavyweight Title (Montreal) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*National Wrestling Alliance:Regional
*NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship "(Hawaii version)" (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/hi/nwa/hi-us-h.html NWA United States Heavyweight Title (Hawaii version) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*NWA All-Star Wrestling
**NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship "(Vancouver version)" (2 times) - with Ox Anderson (1) and Gene Kiniski (1) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-pc-t.html NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Title (Vancouver version) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*NWA Hollywood Wrestling
**NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-h.html NWA Americas Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kinji Shibuya [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-t.html NWA Americas Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*NWA San Francisco
**NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship "(San Francisco version)" (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/nwa/sf-pc-h.html NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title (San Francisco) history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship "(San Francisco version)" (1 time) - with Hans Herman [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/nwa/sf-pc-t.html NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Title (San Francisco) history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Southwest Sports, Inc. | Big Time Wrestling
**NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/texas-bk.html Texas Brass Knuckles Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time)¹ [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/tx-t.html Texas Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]
*Stampede Wrestling
**NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship "(Calgary version)" (2 times) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/ab-can-h.html NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title (Calgary) history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**NWA International Tag Team Championship "(Calgary version)" (2 times) - with Jim Wright² [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/calg-t.html Stampede International Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com]

*World Wide Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Federation
**WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/hof.html WWF/WWE Hall of Fame Inductees] At wrestling-titles.com]
**WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Gorilla Monsoon [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-us-t.html United States Tag Team Title (Capitol/WWWF) history] At wrestling-titles.com]
**WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Big John Studd

*Cauliflower Alley Club
**Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2002) [cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingCAC/02_kow-can.html | title=Kowalski gets top CAC award| accessdate=2008-09-12|publisher=slam.canoe.ca]

*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
**(Class of 2003) [ [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/hof/pwhf.html Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Inductees] At wrestling-titles.com]

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
**Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/observer/observer_hof/1996/index.htm | title=Wrestling Observer Hall Of Fame 1996 Inductees| accessdate=2008-09-12|publisher=wwe-zone.com]

*"'Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1976 - with Big John Studd [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/tag_of_year/index.htm | title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated Tag-Team of the Year| accessdate=2008-09-12|publisher=wwe-zone.com]

*"'United States Wrestling Federation
**USWF Tag Team Championship - with Ox Baker

¹Defeated Duke Keomuka and Danny Hodge in a handicap match to win the title.
²Wrestled under the name of the Masked Destroyer when winning this title.

References

External links

*imdb|nm0468650
* [http://www.killerkowalskis.com Killer Kowalski's website]
* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/killerkowalski WWE Hall of Fame profile]
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/kowalski.html SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Killer Kowalski]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/19981112killer1.asp Interview with Killer Kowalski]
* [http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/killerkowalskipassesaway WWE reports death of Killer Kowalski]
* [http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/kowalski/2893672 Killer Kowalski passes away]
* [http://www.wwepreview.com/2008/08/wrestling-legend-kowalski-passes-away-aged-81/ Killer Kowalski dead]
* [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/other/sns-ap-obit-kowalski,0,3893393.story The passing of Killer Kowalski]
* [http://www.white-boucke.com/kp.html Killer Kowalski's photography book]