Lord of the Ring

NORTH ANDOVER -- To New England fans he is on par with legends like Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Bill Russell and John Hannah.

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Walter "Killer" Kowalski is the ultimate legend of professional wrestling. For 26 years, he competed in more than 6,000 matches all over the world. It's only natural that Kowalski, 77, is still in the wrestling ring as a teacher. In 1977, Kowalski officially retired from wrestling and opened up his own wrestling school.

”I have met so many wonderful kids,” said Kowalski. “Some of the guys I have trained have traveled the world. They have gone to Japan and done wrestling shows there. I tell them wherever you go mention my name.”

Notable alumni of his wrestling school include past and current professional wrestling stars: Big John Studd, Chris "Harvard" Nowinski, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna and Perry Saturn.

”I’m very proud of all my alumni,” said Kowalski. “They tell everyone Killer Kowalski trained them and I am very happy about that. I am very proud of their success.”

Kowalski is considered one of the most respected trainers in the world of wrestling.

“When I was wrestling the dressing room emptied out to watch me in the ring and they would see me do things they never saw before in their lives,” said Kowalski. “A few days later we would be in another arena and I would be out there three hours earlier practicing what they saw me do.”

In 2003, Kowalski's school relocated to the Chaotic Training Center located in North Andover. The location is convenient for Kowalski, who resides in Malden.

"We were thrilled at the opportunity of housing Killer Kowalski's Pro Wrestling School at the CTC," said Jamie Jamitkowski, CEO of Chaotic Entertainment Group. "He is among the elite and most respected trainers of this profession in the world today -- to have him choose the CTC as his new location was exciting for all of us."

Kowalski is a native of Windsor, Ontario, and the son of Polish immigrants. He began wrestling in 1947 and became one of the most newsworthy wrestlers of all-time, famous for his claw hold.

“I traveled alone and always had a tennis ball in my lap,” said Kowalski. “I would squeeze and squeeze and squeeze that tennis ball. It got to a point where after two hours of squeezing a tennis ball with both hands I had a wonderful grip. That’s how I got my claw hold. In the stomach there are two pressure points and with my claw I would have guys passing out on me.”

Kowalski’s resume is loaded with notable achievements. In 1953, Kowalski was involved in the first wrestling match ever televised in Canada. The match, against Yukon Eric, was held at the Montreal Forum.

Kowalski held a number championship belts, most notably the WWF tag team title with Big John Studd during the 1970s. The duo was known as "The Executioners."

”I first trained him (Big John Studd) in California,” said Kowalski. “I was wrestling in Florida and Vince McMahon Sr. called me up and said 'I want you here. I need your talent here and want to make you a tag team champion. Can you get me somebody?' I said how about John Studd. He said 'get in touch with him.'"

“I got in touch with him and told him we were going to be tag team champions for a whole year and that was it. I really enjoyed it.”

Throughout his wrestling career, Kowalski made headlines with his brutality in the ring. His brutality included breaking the leg of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and powerslamming Dr. Bill Miller from the ring to the arena floor.

He was one of the most hated men of his wrestling era.

“I parked my car far, far away,” said Kowalski. “I sat in the dressing room after I showered and I waited and I waited and I waited. I waited a long time to make sure the people were gone.”

Although Kowalski dominated most wrestlers, there was one opponent for whom he had the utmost: Bruno Sammartino.

“He could bench press 565 pounds,” said Kowalski of Sammartino. “I slammed him and went on him and he threw me off like I was a basketball. I only weighed 225 pounds. We wrestled at Madison Square Garden one time and we kept going and going. Finally, the referee tried to stop us but he couldn’t. They had to send in all the other wrestlers to stop the match.”

Many years later, Kowalski remains in the wrestling ring. The students that enter his wrestling school learn from the best -- a true legend.