Gene Kiniski

Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski (November 23, 1928 - April 14, 2010) was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He became one of the first World Champions in professional wrestling to have a former background in football, after Bronko Nagurski. Kiniski is best known for his time in many different NWA-owned territories where he won multiple championships.
Before starting his wrestling career, Kiniski played football with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). On his team, Kiniski was joined by future professional wrestlers Wilbur Snyder and Joe Blanchard. Al Oeming and Stu Hart were at the Eskimos training camp when Kiniski was trying out for the team. Kiniski had a lengthy stint in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1964. During his time in the WWWF, Kiniski had matches against Bruno Sammartino and they had a match at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 1964. After he Kiniski thought he had pinned Sammartino on the second fall, he took the championship and left. He was counted out be kept the championship until they had a rematch on December 14.
On April 4, 2010, Jim Ross announced on his blog that Kiniski had "taken a turn for the worse and is battling to stay alive. 'Big Thunder's' cancer has spread to his brain and some speculate that is just a matter of time (before he dies)" Kiniski died on April 14, 2010 in Blaine, Washington.
Championships
American Wrestling Association
AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (two times)
AWA World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
AWA World Tag Team Championship (two times) (with Hard Boiled Haggerty)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Other honoree (1992)
Japan Wrestling Association
JWA All Asia Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Caripus Hurricane)
NWA International Heavyweight Championship (one time)
Maple Leaf Wrestling
NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (two times)
NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (two times) (with Fritz Von Erich (one) and Don Leo Jonathan (one))
Montreal Athletic Commission
MAC International Heavyweight Championship (one time)
NWA: All-Star Wrestling
NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (two times)
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (ten times) (with Mr. X (two), Don Leo Jonathan (one), Bob Brown (two), The Brute (one), Dutch Savage (one), Mr. Saito (one), Dale Lewis (one), and Siegfried Steinke (one))
NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver Version) (seven times)
NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver Version) (three times) (with Killer Kowalski (one) and Hard Boiled Haggerty (two))
NWA Chicago
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago Version) (one time) (with Dick Afflis)
NWA Los Angeles
NWA Los Angeles International Television Tag Team Championship (one time) (with John Tolos)
NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions
NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (two times)
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii Version) (three times)
NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Lord James Blears)
NWA San Francisco
NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (three times) (with Lord James Blears)
NWA Western States Sports
NWA International Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (one time)
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Class of 2008
Southwest Sports, Inc.
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (one time)
NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Len Crosby)
St. Louis Wrestling Club
NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (one time)
NWA World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
World Wrestling Association
WWA World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
World Wide Wrestling Federation
WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Waldo Von Erich)
St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
(Class of 2007)
National Wrestling Alliance
NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
References
1928 births
2010 deaths
Canadian movie actors
Canadian professional wrestlers
Cancer deaths in Washington (state)
Deaths from brain cancer
Edmonton Elks players
Former WWE wrestlers
Sportspeople from Edmonton