Great *MUST READ* memories from M G in Boston, Massachusetts My first memories of “Killer” Kowalski was seeing him at the later stages of his career, still as menacing as ever with his purple tights emblazoned with a yellow lightning bolt. The dastardly Kowalski was making life miserable for goodie-two-shoes opponents of the day like Pedro Morales. I was only a boy then (this was around 1982 or so), but even at such a young age, I knew that I was seeing someone who was among the best in their field. As I reached my twenties (late-1990s), I enrolled in Kowalski’s professional wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts. That’s where I was lucky enough to get to know Walter, the man behind the “Killer” persona. It was then that I realized how great a worker Walter really was. The real Walter Kowalski was nothing like the cruel, crazed “Killer” he portrayed so well for all those years in the ring. Walter was as kind a human being as you could be lucky enough to have met. On countless occasions, young would-be wrestlers were unable to make payment for classes, or had other crisis-situations that young people with dreams and little else find themselves in all too often. Walter was always patient, understanding, and willing to work with his young students. Walter was larger than life, yet had a genuine humbleness and treated everyone – from the top wrestlers on his cards to his brand-new guys – with respect and dignity. In a business run amok with conmen and hucksters, Walter Kowalski was a true class act and a stand-up guy. In the two years that I attended Kowalski’s school from 1998-2000, I never heard ONE bad thing said about him. His students loved him, respected him, and were honored to have a man of such vast wrestling knowledge as their instructor. As I grew older, and I realized that a career in professional wrestling wasn’t in the cards for me, I fell out of touch with Walter and his school. I often thought about him though, and was delighted every time I saw his name in print or mentioned on television. Like all of us, I was heartbroken when I heard of his failing health. That said, the true legacy of Walter Kowalski – at least for me – is this: I couldn’t fathom ANYTHING keeping him down for long. I honestly believed, as I’m sure many others believed, that Walter would eventually make a full recovery. In this – what would ultimately become his final battle – I assumed the ailment would suffer the same fate as Bruno Sammartino, Ed Carpentier, Yukon Eric, and the countless other wrestlers that felt the wrath of the mighty “Killer” Kowalski. In my mind, nothing – not old-age, not sickness, not ANYTHING – was stronger than The Killer. Alas, Walter is gone, just as we all will be gone someday. But his legacy will live on forever in my heart, and in the hearts of the so many whose lives he touched. Thank you, Walter, for everything you’ve done in your career and – more importantly – in your life. There are hundreds of former students of yours who owe you far more than they could ever repay. You will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace, Walter. You’ve certainly earned it. legacy/guestbooks/walter-kowalski-killer-condolences/116667998?#sthash.brrlZqOk.dpbs
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 18:18:17 +0000
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