Wladek Kowalski

Władek (later Walter) "Killer" Kowalski (August 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), born Edward Władysław Spulnik, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). 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 Triple H, Chyna, Eddie Edwards, Kofi Kingston and Damien Sandow.
==Early life==
The man later known as "Killer Kowalski" (he legally changed his name in 1963) was the son of Polish immigrants Antoni Spulnik and Maria Borowska; he, his older sister Wanda and his younger brother Stanley were raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Years later he told interviewers that he never expected to be a wrestler – by the age of fourteen he was already 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm), and because he was thin for his height, he began working out at the local YMCA, but he had no plan to go into athletics at that time. When he entered college, his major was electrical engineering. He worked part-time at the Ford plant in Detroit to help pay his way.
==In wrestling==
*Finishing Moves
**Diving knee drop
**Kowalski Claw (Vice grip applied to either the opponent's stomach or head)
*Signature Moves
**Dropkick
**Piledriver
*Teams and stables
**The Executioners
*Wrestlers trained
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Cauliflower Alley Club
**Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2002)
*Grand Prix Wrestling
**Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**Grand Prix Tag Team Championship (3 times) with Gilles Poisson (2), Mad Dog Vachon (1)
*National Wrestling Alliance
**Central States Wrestling
***NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
***NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Bulldog Austin
**Championship Wrestling from Florida
***NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**Ed Quinn Promotions
***Montreal World Heavyweight Championship (13 times)
**Mid-Pacific Promotions
***NWA Hawaii United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**NWA Big Time Wrestling
***NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (2 times)
**NWA Hollywood Wrestling
***NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
***NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Kinji Shibuya
**NWA San Francisco
***NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) with Hans Hermann
**NWA Vancouver
***NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver) (1 time) with Gene Kiniski
**Southwest Sports
***NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) by himself 
**Stampede Wrestling
***NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (3 times)
*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
**Class of 2003 (TV Era)
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI Stanley Weston Award (2010)
*World Championship Wrestling
**IWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
**IWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) with Skull Murphy (2), Bill Miller (1), Mark Lewin (1)
*World Wide Wrestling Federation
**WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
**WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Gorilla Monsoon
**WWWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Executioner #2
==External links==
* WWE.com Profile
* Wladek Kowalski profile at CAGEMATCH.net
* Profile
Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Category:American wrestlers
Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:Alex Turk Promotions alumni
Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Big Bear Promotions alumni
Category:Central States Wrestling alumni
Category:Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni
Category:Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling alumni
Category:Japan Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni
Category:NWA All-Star Wrestling alumni
Category:NWA Detroit alumni
Category:NWA Hollywood Wrestling alumni
Category:NWA San Francisco alumni
Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni
Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni
Category:Studio Wrestling alumni
Category:Top Rope Promotions alumni
Category:World Wrestling Association alumni
Category:World Class Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:1926 births
Category:1947 debuts
Category:1977 retirements
Category:2008 deaths
Category:Masked Wrestlers
Category:WWE World Tag Team Champions
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:Professional wrestling trainers