Sunday, August 31, 2008

Wrestling icon Killer Kowalski, 81, passes

portrait of Killer Kowalski by Brian Howell, http://www.brianhowellphotography.com/

The Polish giant lost his last match Saturday morning but his name will live on in the annals of wrestling history and pop culture. Walter (born Edward Walter Spulnik on October 13, 1928) was born in Windsor, Ontario but lived out his years in Massachusetts.

When I was a child, the wrestlers names most often mentioned by my older relatives were Whipper Billy Watson, Gorgeous George, and always together, Yukon Eric and Killer Kowalski.
It was only when I got into the wrestling game in my 20's that I learned that Kowalski had not bitten Eric's ear off, but rather had accidentally sheared the cauliflowered appendage off with a kneedrop in a bout in Montreal. The notoriety made his career, and he held recognition as World Champion in the hot Montreal market 12 times and headlined there into the mid-70's with and against legends like Mad Dog Vachon, Eduardo Carpentier, Don Leo Jonathon, Johnny Rougeau, Yvon Robert, Hans Schmidt, Gene Kiniski and Jean "Andre the Giant" Ferre.

Kowalski also held titles in the heyday of the Hollywood/Los Angeles promotion, in Texas, Calgary Stampede, Hawaii, and was tag team titlist in the WWWF with Gorilla Monsoon (1963) and Big John Studd as the Masked Executioners (1976).
The Winnipeg connection:
Kowalski made a number of appearances in the first half of the 1950's, debuting in a main event against the legendary former NWA heavyweight champion and NFL Hall of Famer Bronko Nagurski in 1950 and culminating as a surprise partner after a two year absence in a special heel vs heel tag bout against the hated Russians in 1957:
Oct 27, 1950 - Alex Turk; Civic Auditorium;
Bronko Nagurski b. Wladek Kowalski ... Hans Schnabel b. Stu Hart ... Matt Murphy b. Tom Bruno ... Roy McClarty d.w. Tommy O=Toole

June 7, 1957 - Turk; Civic Auditorium; Att: 3,834
Ivan & Karol Kalmikoff d.w. Mr. Hito & Killer Kowalski ... Roy McClarty b. Karl Steiff by DQ ... Carl Engstrom b. Billy Wicks ... Lord Littlebrook & Brown Panther d.w. Fuzzy Cupid & Ivan the Terrible -- midgets
In the last half of the 1960's, the American Wrestling Alliance won a turf war against the Vancouver-based All Star Wrestling promotion for control of the Winnipeg market.
When it came time for AWA champion Verne Gagne to establish himself as top man in the eyes of the fans, a 3 match feud with Kowalski turned the trick.
By coincidence, his last appearance here marked the first of the now senior member of the local promoter fraternity, Tony Condello.
Oct 31, 1966 - AWA; Civic Auditorium; Local promoter: Al Tomko
Killer Kowalski b. John Tolos ... Larry Hennig & Harley Race b. Doug Gilbert & Reg Parks ... Stan Mykietowich (aka Morowski) d.w. Jack Pesek ... Jack Lanza b. The Alaskan

Nov 21, 1966 - AWA; Civic Auditorium;
Reg Parks & Doug Gilbert b. Harley Race & Larry Hennig ... Killer Kowalski beat. Jack Lanza ... Billy Red Cloud b. Big K (Stan Kowalski) ... Stan Mykietowich b. George Gadaski (Kosti)

Jan 13, 1967 - AWA; Civic Auditorium;
Verne Gagne vs. Killer Kowalski ... Larry Hennig & Harley Race (AWA tag) vs. Reg Parks & Doug Gilbert ... Eddie Sharkey vs. The Alaskan ... Kurt Von Steiger (Al Torres) vs. Bob Boyer

Feb 24, 1967 - AWA; Civic Auditorium;
Killer Kowalski beat Verne Gagne ... Larry Hennig & Harley Race (AWA tag) b. Reg Parks & Doug Gilbert ... The Alaskan b. Billy Red Cloud ... Kurt Von Steiger d.w. Bob Boyer

Mar 8, 1967 - AWA; Civic Auditorium;
Verne Gagne (AWA World) b. Killer Kowalski Texas Death match ... Larry Hennig & Harley Race (AWA tag) b. The Alaskan & Tiny Mills ... Doug Gilbert b. Stan Mykietowich ... Bob Boyer b. Tony Condello
In the 1980's he became well known for TV appearances in connection with a wrestling board game ("It's FUN!!") and his wrestling school. Among his more famous students are perennial WWE champion Triple H, women wrestler Chyna, Perry Saturn and his Eliminators tag team partner the late John Kronus, and most recently Frankie Kazarian who moved from California to learn from the old master of the Claw.

Kowalski, an avowed vegetarian, was a former Seminary student and discusses it in this rare TV story:


Kowalski was a regular at the Cauliflower Alley Club annual gatherings and courtesy of the reknowned photographer Brian Howell, above we present a never-before-seen Black and White portrait from 2006.
Rest in peace Walter.
Services for Walter will be held Wednesday, September 3rd at the Weir Funeral Home, 144 Salem St., Malden, MA. Afternoon Services will be 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and Evening Services will be 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
More information is available at this Link...http://www.weirfuneralhome.com/Kowalski_Walter%20E.htm
The Funeral will be on Thursday morning at 9:00 AM at St. Joseph Church, 790 Salem Street, Malden, MA.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that wrestling fans send Donations to...
Walter "Killer" Kowalski Memorial Fund,
c/o CitizensBank,
876 Main St.,
Malden, MA 02148.
Online donations can be made at this Link...http://chaoticwrestling.stores.yahoo.net/donations.html
There will be a Killer Kowalski Fundraiser at the Malden Irish American Club in Malden, MA on Sunday, October 26th at 2:00 PM. All money raised will go to Kowalski's Wife Theresa to help with medical expenses. For more information on the Kowalski Wrestling Fundraisercall 781-324-9568.
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