Ivan Putski Józef Bednarski ( January 21 , 1941 ) , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder . He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nickname " The Polish Hammer " . Putski is a former WWF World Tag Team Champion with Tito Santana . Ivan was known to have an ongoing feud with another professional at the time , " Superstar " Billy Graham over the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship , who also had an incredible physique and strength , which led to many pose - downs , arm wrestling bouts , and long , physical matches between the two . Other rivals included Iron Sheik , Ivan Koloff , and Jesse " The Body " Ventura . Early life . Putski was born in Kraków and migrated to the United States at a young age . He and his family arrived in Texas , where Putski began his professional wrestling career . He stood 5 ft 6 in and weighed around 225 lbs . In his earlier days , he was weighed in at the 250 lb mark . Professional wrestling . Early career ( 1968 – 1974 ) . Putski won the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship with Jose Lothario twice in 1973 . Putski was a fixture on the Dallas - Ft . Worth wrestling scene and was one of its most popular personalities . He was routinely the feature act at The Sportatorium , a wrestling - only arena in an industrial section near Downtown Dallas . Putski ' s act consisted of being a happy - go - lucky , often aloof buffoon , who would " miraculously " pin his opponent . Putski was often introduced as a former concentration camp survivor , only adding to his sympathetic appeal to audiences of all ages . In mid - 1974 , Putski worked with the American Wrestling Association . Prior to leaving the AWA , Ivan dropped most of his weight by getting into bodybuilding . Ivan kept himself fairly trim at the 215 - 220 pound mark . World ( Wide ) Wrestling Federation ( 1974 – 1987 ) . Putski debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) in 1974 . While in the WWWF , Putski feuded with many wrestlers , including Bruiser Brody , Stan Hansen and Ivan Koloff . On June 25 , 1976 at Showdown at Shea , Putski defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna . Four years later on August 9 , Putski was again victorious at the event ' s sequel , defeating Johnny Rodz . On October 22 , 1979 , Putski teamed with Tito Santana to defeat Johnny and Jerry Valiant to win the WWF World Tag Team Championship . They held the title for six months before losing it to The Wild Samoans . Putski worked in the renamed World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) in the 1980s , primarily feuding with Roddy Piper and Sgt . Slaughter . He took a hiatus from wrestling in 1986 . He soon returned to the independent circuit , also making occasional appearances in the WWF as a jobber to the stars . His last high - profile feud was in 1984 with Jesse Ventura . His final appearance was in 1987 teaming on television with Junkyard Dog and Superstar Billy Graham in tag team matches . Other promotions ( 1981 – 1987 ) . He began to slow down his career in the 1980s . He won his last tag team championship in May 1981 , teaming with Wahoo McDaniel to defeat Dory Funk , Jr . and Larry Lane for the SWCW World Tag Team Championship . In November 1985 , Randy Savage defeated Ivan Putski in the opening round of the Wrestling Classic . Return to WWF ( 1995 ) . In 1995 , Putski was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame by his son , Scott . The father - and - son team returned in July 1997 to defeat Jerry Lawler and Brian Christopher on " Raw is War " , in what would be Putski ' s final match . International Championship Wrestling ( 1996 ) . After his run in the WWF , several promotions , and his semi - retirement , Putski returned to the ring in the 1990s . In 1996 , he joined International Championship Wrestling , as a face . He won several matches in the company , and he was billed as a tough guy . Although he never won a championship of ICW . Retirement . After work for several wrestling promotions , mostly , from the independent circuit , Putski retired from full active competition in the decade of the 1990s . After his retirement from wrestling , he had a strongman career . Putski occasionally made appearances in the ring during the years . In 2010 , Putski appeared in a reunion event called " LegendsMania " and he was interviewed . Strongman career . Aside from wrestling , Ivan Putski also competed as a strongman . He participated in the 1978 World ' s Strongest Man competition , finishing eighth in a field of ten competitors . He gained his remarkable leg strength by running up and down the stands at a football stadium near his home in Austin , Texas . Personal life . Putski ' s son , Scott Putski , is also a professional wrestler , having previously worked at World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling . However , Scott did not share the same success that Ivan once had . From 2000 to 2007 , Putski worked as head security guard at Jack C . Hays High School in Buda , Texas . On January 8 , 2012 , Ivan Putski was inducted into the Cloverleaf Radio Hall of Fame , Class of 2012 .