It's belatedly reached my attention that one of the greatest wrestlers and colorful characters left us on April 14. Gene Kiniski was a major drawing card from the 60s to the mid 70s and held the NWA World's Title from 1966 to 1969.
Kiniski played football for the Edmonton Eskimos for a year, then won a football scholarship to the U of Arizona. There he met a promotor who introduced the idea of pro wrestling as an alternative career. He returned to play for the Eskimos. He shattered his knee while in his second season, and turned to pro wrestling. He was trained by Dory Funk Jr's father. By the mid 50s he was a major star in Canada, wrestling mainly out of Toronto an famously feuding with fellow Canadian, Whipper Billy Watson. He also won regional titles throughout the United States and, by the 60s, was recognized as one of the top stars in any promotion.
Kiniski briefly held the AWA title, defeating Verne Gagne in 1960, and challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title. In 1962 his career took when he joined the NWA's Vancouver All Star Wrestling. He became a frequent title challenger, and in 1966 in St Louis defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship. He held the title till 1969, submitting to Funk Jr's spinning toe hold. He continued as a top contender and held regional titles during the rest of his career, which lasted till he was 64.
I live in Vancouver and was lucky as with Kiniski affiliated with the NWA's Vancouver office, I had the treat of seeing him against the greats of his era, both live and on TV. I saw him defend the NWA title against the likes of Don Leo Jonathan, John Tolos, Mark Lewin and Harley Race. As a challenger, he fought Jack Brisco and Dory Funk Jr, near 60 minute, 2 of 3 fall matches routinely.
Although he was big and strong, he did not have an athletic physique. What he did have was inexhaustible stamina, unrivaled cardiovascular conditioning. I met him a couple of and came away informed, amused and inspired. Gene Kiniski was skeptical about today's wrestling, with it's magic and fantasy themes.
But no one had such an acute grasp of the sport as spectacle, the rhythms of the match as story line, with heroes and villains, and setbacks and triumphs.
Kiniski played football for the Edmonton Eskimos for a year, then won a football scholarship to the U of Arizona. There he met a promotor who introduced the idea of pro wrestling as an alternative career. He returned to play for the Eskimos. He shattered his knee while in his second season, and turned to pro wrestling. He was trained by Dory Funk Jr's father. By the mid 50s he was a major star in Canada, wrestling mainly out of Toronto an famously feuding with fellow Canadian, Whipper Billy Watson. He also won regional titles throughout the United States and, by the 60s, was recognized as one of the top stars in any promotion.
Kiniski briefly held the AWA title, defeating Verne Gagne in 1960, and challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title. In 1962 his career took when he joined the NWA's Vancouver All Star Wrestling. He became a frequent title challenger, and in 1966 in St Louis defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship. He held the title till 1969, submitting to Funk Jr's spinning toe hold. He continued as a top contender and held regional titles during the rest of his career, which lasted till he was 64.
I live in Vancouver and was lucky as with Kiniski affiliated with the NWA's Vancouver office, I had the treat of seeing him against the greats of his era, both live and on TV. I saw him defend the NWA title against the likes of Don Leo Jonathan, John Tolos, Mark Lewin and Harley Race. As a challenger, he fought Jack Brisco and Dory Funk Jr, near 60 minute, 2 of 3 fall matches routinely.
Although he was big and strong, he did not have an athletic physique. What he did have was inexhaustible stamina, unrivaled cardiovascular conditioning. I met him a couple of and came away informed, amused and inspired. Gene Kiniski was skeptical about today's wrestling, with it's magic and fantasy themes.
But no one had such an acute grasp of the sport as spectacle, the rhythms of the match as story line, with heroes and villains, and setbacks and triumphs.
