Wladek Kowalski

Wladek (Walter) "Killer" Kowalski (born October 13, 1926) is a retired Polish-Canadian professional wrestler who was the centerpiece of the revival of his sport in the 1950s. He is also a devout vegetarian.

Career
The legendary Wladek "Killer" Kowalski wrestled over 6,000 bouts from 1947 to 1977 in a number of organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and American Wrestling Association (AWA). Always a fearsome heel, the genuinely intimidating Kowalski stood a good deal taller than most of his opponents and was known for a mean, unrelenting attack on any and all comers. He was on the first ever televised wrestling program in Canada, and with his easy-to-remember moniker he benefited from the first wave of televised wrestling popularity in the 1950s. After being arguably the most well-known fighter of that era, Kowalski's fame continued as he became the main antagonist of Bruno Sammartino in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1960s & 1970s.

Most famously, in a 1954 match in Montreal versus Yukon Eric, Kowalski kicked his opponent in the side of the head, causing Yukon Eric's ear to fall off and roll around the ring. In reality, Eric's ears were already badly caulifloured due to years of abuse and the injury was an accident, but it fortified Kowalski as being a ruthless villain who ripped his opponents' ear off. Further, 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.". But the incident was reported in the paper the next day that Kowalski showed up at the hospital and laughed at his victim, furthering Kowalski's image as a heel.

Killer Kowalski was a huge star in Australia. There, wrestling reached a wider mainstream audience during the famed Barnett "Golden Years" than in any other country. The Killer was imitated by kids in school playgrounds across Australia, was a household name ("Who does that bloke think he is - Killer Kowalski?"), and won national headlines in 1967 when the top-rated talk show host Don Lane irritated the Killer during an apparently friendly interview and was attacked with the Kowalski claw hold - Lane needed medical assistance and was off the show for a week).

In a profession noted for its eccentrics and self-destructive elements, Kowalski was notable as a thoughtful and intellectual figure outside the ring, well-read, well-informed, a keen photographer and devotee of music.

After his retirement Kowalski started the very successful Killer Kowalski's Professional Wrestling School. Among the alumni of this school are Perry Saturn, John Kronus, Paul Levesque (better known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley or Triple H), Joanie Laurer (better known as Chyna) and Big John Studd. Kowalski has also trained Damien Kane, Chris Nowinski, Matthew Bloom (aka A-Train.), April Hunter, Frankie Kazarian, Nikki Roxx, and Ken Doane (aka Kenny Dykstra, formerly of the Spirit Squad).

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.

Today, Walter Kowalski is seen as an elder statesman in his profession, a central figure in the history of television wrestling and its popularization in the twentieth century. The esteem with which he is held has been reflected in numerous honours and his installation in the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

On June 14, 2007 Kowalski will be inducted into The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. 

Finishing/Signature Move(s)

 * Kowalski Claw(The Claw)
 * Flying knee drop
 * Dropkick

Championships and accomplishments
American Wrestling Association
 * Montreal International Heavyweight Championship (11 times)

Atlantic Athletic Commission
 * AAC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Grand Prix Wrestling
 * Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship (9 times)

International Wrestling Alliance
 * IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * IWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
 * IWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Skull Murphy (2), Bill Miller (1), and Mark Lewin (1)

Montreal Athletic Commission
 * Montreal World/International Heavyweight Championship (12 times)

National Wrestling Alliance
 * National
 * NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kinji Shibuya
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (2 times)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time)


 * Regional
 * NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * NWA Iowa Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ripper Daniels
 * NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
 * NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) - with Hans Herman
 * NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Ox Anderson (1) and Gene Kiniski (1)
 * NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with himself (Defeats Duke Keomuka and Danny Hodge in a handicap match)

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
 * (Class of 2003)

Stampede Wrestling
 * Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Jim Wright

World Class Championship Wrestling
 * WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)

World Wrestling Federation | World Wide Wrestling Federation
 * WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
 * WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Gorilla Monsoon
 * WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Big John Studd

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
 * Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)