SYDNEYSIDERS who spent any time in Kings Cross in the late 1960s will remember the terrifying sight of Walter Kowalski ambling along the streets. Better known as Killer Kowalski, Walt was a 2m-tall, 125kg professional wrestler from North America who made his home here during the first television boom of the biff and nonsense entertainment. He was one of the biggest stars of the sport, the man fans loved to hate. Kowalski, who got his nickname after accidentally tearing off Yukon Eric's ear during a bout in Montreal in the early '50s, was famed for his dreaded claw hold, a thumb squeeze to his opponent's solar plexus that immediately ended matches. Despite his appearance, Kowalski was a gentle soul whose great love was photography. He died in Everett, Massachusetts, during the weekend, aged 81.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Walter "Killer" Kowalski