Killer Kowalski
Wladek Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), known by the ring name as Killer Kowalski, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler.
| Killer Kowalski | |
|---|---|
Killer Kowalski in 1973 | |
| Birth name | Edward Władysław Spulnik |
| Born | October 13, 1926 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 30, 2008 (aged 81) Everett, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Theresa Ferrioli (m. 2006) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Hercules Kowalski Killer Kowalski The Masked Destroyer The Masked Executioner Tarzan Kowalski |
| Billed height | 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Trained by | Lou Thesz |
| Debut | 1947 |
| Retired | March 14, 2008 |
Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE), and was a known heel. He held numerous championships including the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with Big John Studd billed as the Executioners and managed by Lou Albano.
After retiring in 1977, Kowalski started a professional wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts and trained many professional wrestlers, including Studd, Triple H, Chyna, Eddie Edwards, Frankie Kazarian, Kofi Kingston, Damien Sandow, Fandango, Brittany Brown, April Hunter, John Kronus, Perry Saturn, and Tommaso Ciampa.
In the 1960s, Kowalski claimed to be the only vegetarian professional wrestler.