|
Interview:
Walter Killer Kowalski, Wrestling Legend & Trainer
-
25th March
2004
Greg
Tingle interviews one of the greatest wrestlers, promoters
and trainers of all time.
This
is Media Man Australia's 2nd interview with "The
Killer", and one of many in a series of interviews,
as we get closer to producing a documentary on the
glorious history of professional wrestling in Australia.
Kowalksi
discuses his fond memories "down under",
his dealings with promoter, Jim Barnett, and the real
dangerous situations that arose in the glory days
of the professional wrestling business.
Listen
to the interview
Links:
Killer
Kowalski official website
Killer
Kowalski interview - 13th November 2003
Legends
of Pro Wrestling
Killer
Pics: Walter Kowalski - White Boucke Publishing
IWA
Title History
Profile
Walter
Killer Kowalski
Articles
Wrestling
Promoters Down Under
The
Great Yankee Promoters
The
Great Aussie Promoters
Profiles
Bruno
Sammartino
Mario
Milano
Big
Cheif Little Wolf
Jim
Barnett
Vince
McMahon
Profile
(credit:
Canadian Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame)
Killer
Kowalski
Real name: Wladek Kowalski
From Windsor. One of the all-time great heels. Big
and strong -- somewhere around 6'6". Master of
the knee drop and claw hold. Probably best known for
accidentally ripping off part of Yukon Eric's ear
with a kneedrop in a 1952 match in Montreal (Kowalski
was already known as "Killer" before this
match). Very successful in Montreal, and a headliner
everywhere he went.
Often
wrestled under a mask in the 70s, even under his own
name. Retired from full-time wrestling in 1977. Has
run a small promotion and wrestling school in Massachusetts
since then. Appeared in the WWF all-star old-timer's
battle royal in November 1987 (won by Lou Thesz).
A
6-time world champion in Australia and 7-time International
champ in Montreal. Never held the NWA title, but did
wrestle as champion on some shows in Texas for promoter
Morris Sigel in 1962. Kowalski had defeated the champ,
Buddy Rogers, in Montreal when Rogers suffered a broken
ankle and couldn't continue after the first fall.
Sigel used this match to promote Kowalski as the NWA
champion.
Press
"Leading
contenders for the box office leadership in 1950 were
Verne Gagne and Wladek Kowalski, the Michigan killer.
Kowalski, 24, has hung up an amazing string of victories
during the year and the 275 pounder is drawing enormous
crowds, recently smashing all attendance records in
Texas. He claims to have that temper of his under
control and he is on good behavior, seeking another
shot at Lou Thesz's title. But Lou, ten years older
than the killer, doesn't seem anxious for the bout."
(From WRESTLING, July 1951)
"He
is a devout Catholic, attends mass regularly, is as
gentle as a lamb outside the ring and a holy terror
inside it. Definitely the roughest hombre in the game."
(From WRESTLING, September 1951)
"Kowalski
has been coming along like a house afire in the past
two years. He is now 26 years old and just coming
into his prime. Two years ago he was a strong aggressive
boy, but today he is the number one challenger for
Thesz' crown. He has earned his way up the ladder
by defeating the top men in the wrestling game. He
holds wins over Yukon Eric in one of the roughest
matches ever witnessed. The mighty Atlas found his
super human strength of no avail when he ran into
the knee drop and body smash combination the way Kowalski
administers it." (From Seattle program, July
29, 1954)
Titles
NWA
Texas champion, 1950
NWA Texas tag champion (by himself), 1950
NWA Pacific Coast tag champion, 1951
NWA Central States champion, 1951
7-time Montreal International champion, 1952-62
NWA Pacific Coast champion (San Francisco), 1958
Pacific Coast tag champion (Vancouver), 1961, 62
WWWF U.S. tag champion, with Gorilla Monsoon, 1963
6-time IWA World champion (Australia), 1964-67
U.S. champion (Hawaii), 1965
4-time IWA World tag champion (Australia), 1967-71
NWA Americas champion (Los Angeles), 1972
Grand Prix champion (Montreal), 1972
NWA Southern champion (Florida), 1975
WWWF World tag champion, as the Executioners, with
John Studd, 1976
Profile
Walter
Killer Kowalski
|
