Kelly Kiniski

Last updated

Kelly Kiniski
Born (1960-05-27) May 27, 1960 (age 64)
Calgary, Alberta
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Kelly Kiniski
Ben Sharpe (II)
Billed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [1]
Billed weight260 lb (120 kg) [1]
Trained by Gene Kiniski
Debut1980
Retired1987

Kelly Kiniski (born May 27, 1960) is a Canadian-born American retired professional wrestler. He is the elder son of the legendary wrestler Gene Kiniski and is best known for his work with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and WCCW. [1]

Contents

Career

Early career

Kelly Kiniski was trained by his father, former world champion Gene Kiniski. He made his professional debut with Stampede Wrestling on August 1, 1980, in Calgary, defeating Texas Red Miller. [2] On December 26, 1980, he teamed with his father to defeat Moose Morowski and The Destroyer in an NWA All-Star Wrestling tag team match in Vancouver, British Columbia. He spent his first year in the sport competing primarily in Canada, splitting his time between Stampede and NWA All-Star.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Mid South (1982-1984)

In 1982, Kelly debuted in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. but had a short set of matches later that year in Mid South Wrestling before returning to MACW In 1983, he formed a tag team with One Man Gang. They defeated Mike Rotunda and Rufus R. Jones in a tournament final on May 23, 1983, to win the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship. On July 20, 1983, they lost the titles to Rufus R. Jones and Bugsy McGraw. Kelly and OMG challenged Jones and McGraw in several rematches but were unsuccessful in regaining the belts.

World Class Championship Wrestling (1984-1987)

In early 1984, Kelly Kiniski signed for Dallas, Texas based World Class Championship Wrestling which was owned by Fritz Von Erich, who was one of Gene Kiniski's best friends. When Fritz's son Jackie died of electrocution and drowned in a puddle of melted snow, it was Gene Kiniski who broke the news to Fritz, thus prompting Fritz to break a car window with his fist. He defeated Iceman King Parsons on February 20, 1984, to win the WCCW Television Championship. On May 7, 1984, Kiniski, who had previously been injured, gave the title to Killer Khan to defend in a match against Johnny Mantell. At WCCW's Christmas Star Wars event on December 25, 1984, he defeated Rock "N" Roll Buck Zumhofe. He wrestled for WCCW, as well as later competing in the American Wrestling Association, until 1987 and then retired from pro wrestling.

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

Paul Frederick was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager, better known by his ring name, Paul Jones. He is best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions in the Southeastern United States, in particular with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – where he had 23 championship reigns and led the stable Paul Jones' Army – and Championship Wrestling from Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry Von Erich</span> American professional wrestler (1960–1993)

Kerry Gene Adkisson, better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with his father's promotion World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where he spent the first 11 years of his career, and his time in World Wrestling Federation (WWF), under the ring name Texas Tornado. Adkisson held forty championships in various promotions during his career. Among other accolades, he was a one-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, four-time WCWA World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fritz Von Erich</span> American professional wrestler (1929–1997)

Jack Barton Adkisson Sr., better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time world champion and a 6-time NWA United States Champion. He was the owner of World Class Championship Wrestling.

Dale Hey was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buddy "Jack" Roberts. Primarily a tag team wrestler, Roberts is known for his appearances as one of The Hollywood Blonds in the 1970s and as one of The Fabulous Freebirds in the 1980s. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 as part of The Fabulous Freebirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Valentine</span> American professional wrestler (1928–2001)

John Theodore Wisniski, better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling. Wisniski is the father of professional wrestler Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldo Von Erich</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Walter Paul Sieber was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for performing under the ring name Waldo Von Erich, playing the character of a villainous Prussian Nazi. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, making him a kayfabe member of the Von Erich family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Kiniski</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Eugene Nicholas Kiniski was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and then became a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he billed himself for promotional purposes, was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Like Bronko Nagurski before him, Kiniski was one of the first world champions in professional wrestling to have a previous background in football. He is the father of professional wrestler Kelly Kiniski and international amateur and professional wrestler Nick Kiniski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Irwin</span> American professional wrestler (1952–1987)

Scott Keegan Irwin was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tag team with his brother Barney "Bill" Irwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Missing Link (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a Canadian professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spoiler (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1940–2006)

Donald Delbert Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as The Spoiler. Jardine was a major star in various wrestling promotions. He worked in the World Wrestling Federation, first in 1974 and again from 1984 to 1986. However Jardine had his greatest successes in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated territories of Florida, Georgia and Texas, from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Leo Jonathan</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler (1931–2018)

Don Heaton, also known as Don Leo Jonathan, was an American-Canadian professional wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugsy McGraw</span> American professional wrestler (born 1945)

Michael Davis, best known by the ring names Bugsy McGraw and The Skull, is an American retired professional wrestler. McGraw is known for his long beard and for his philosophical, crazed rants during wrestling interviews. He was a major star in significant territories during the 1970s and 1980s, including major runs in Vancouver, Australia, Florida, Dallas and Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Brown (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1938 – 1997)

Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.

Carey L. Lloyd, also known by his ring name Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler. He competed in the Central States, St. Louis and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions of the National Wrestling Alliance as well as the American Wrestling Association and All Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s.

Nicholas Kiniski is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with WCCW, PNW and AWA and for being one half of the tag team American Force with Paul Diamond in Texas All-Star Wrestling. He and his brother, wrestler Kelly Kiniski, are the sons of former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Wells (wrestler)</span> American retired wrestler and Canadian Football League player

George Wells is a retired American professional wrestler and Canadian Football League player who competed in North American regional promotions during the early 1970s and 1980s including the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW), Stampede Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation, most notably as the opponent of Jake "The Snake" Roberts at WrestleMania 2. It was during this live PPV match that Roberts, after having defeated Wells, had placed his pet snake "Damien" on Wells causing him to foam at the mouth.

George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic territories, as well as successful stints in the American Wrestling Association, Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Red Lyons</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Willem Snip was a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestled under the ring name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1985, and won numerous championships throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California, Minneapolis, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

Ken Lusk, better known by his ring name Ken Mantell, is an American retired professional wrestler, promoter and booker who competed throughout the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1970s and 80s. He is a former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Danny Hodge, and won the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Ron Bass in November 1975. He worked as the booker of World Class Championship Wrestling during its peak years and, as a promoter, formed the Wild West Wrestling promotion, which merged with World Class when he became part-owner in early 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butcher Brannigan</span> American professional wrestler

Joseph Novo was an American professional wrestler. He is known for his appearances with promotions such as Championship Wrestling from Florida, IWA Australia, World Wide Wrestling Federation and Stampede Wrestling in the 1970s and early 1980s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kelly Kiniski profile". OWOW. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  2. Vance Nevada's Canadian Wrestling Results Archive - Western Canada 1980-1984 (August 1, 1980)
  3. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Texas: WCWA Television Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  4. "World Class Television Title". Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.