Verne Gagne vs Killer Kowalski

[alansnedeker]

This demonstrates Verne's famous "sleeper hold"....a headlock with Verne's hand on a special part of the head that put a man to sleep. At least that was we all thought at the time. This video has commentary after the fact. The live announcer would have said " And Gange has applied the sleeper hold. The Killer is fading fast, Gange continues to press that secret spot. Kliller is down...and now he's out..Gange wins again!"

[alansnedeker]

This demonstrates Verne's famous "sleeper hold"

[KayWal1981]

Killer Kowalski is my Grandpas Uncle Sad there both gone now ... Thanks for posting this God Bless ...

[DojoEDM]

Wow! You'll never see a backdrop as an offensive maneuver in the modern era.

[KonChul]

1953?... My old man was 11 years old. Thnx for posting this. Very fun to watch.

[whoo689]

..wow

This stuff is BORING

In the slow pace, low standards world of pro wrestling back then, how could ANYONE be regarded as much of a legend, except for winning titles and shit? In pure wrestling ability, doesn't seem like any of them are much different. Or am I missing something?

[JonathanVonErich]

@whoo689 I think you have a great point my friend. Well I think back then Wrestlers were judged on how many titles they have won and in how many territories they have wrestled. Yes, back then almost every wrestlers had the same "Movelist", Wrestling was more about grounding the opponent and put submission holds. Back then even the sleeper was not common. So it was different; some will say boring, me i just think it was different.

[eslubin]

@whoo689 check out verne gagne vs billy goelz on youtube. this is after punching started being accepted which to me was the beginning of the end. sneaking a punch is one thing but punching the whole match makes no sense

[EnforcerX71]

@whoo689

You're missing the fact that this is when wrestling psychology was the absolute king, a guy, if he knew what he was doing, could make a crowd go insane with a single clothesline, make them love him or (literally in some cases, want to kill him), especially top heels like Kowalski was back then.

And regardless of the style, these guys could still sell out the 20,000, 30,000 seat arenas, especially the likes of Bruno Sammartino 10 years after this, who sold out MSG month after month.

[blimpthepimp]

@whoo689 BOTH OF THESE GUYS TRAINED SOMEBODY THAT YOU PROBABLY DO LIKE.

[RangerRob2009]

I guess when you own the wrestling aliance you wrestle for, you get to pick the winners and in this case, yourself.

[FerretJohn]

@RangerRob2009 Except you forgot to look at the date. This was in 1953, six years before the AWA was founded, and about 7 or 8 before Verne took over management. And Verne Gagne was as legitimate a hooker as anyone, or do I really have to go through his collegiate record.

[cuceij]

wrestling is sports entertaiment, so don't ask stupid questions like "is this real"

[sayanroy36]

dude kowalski was a legit hooker. the great lou thesz and stanilus zybysko, the lasyt of the hooking gods acknowledged him as one of the best

this was the time, when NWA had to have a submission specialist as champion so that other fighters from other territories dont shoot on the planned champ.

Kowalski could kill (literally) in the ring if he wanted

[nhl09gosensgo]

was this real?

[MrDeray5]

Rough and tumble competition, the way it should be, even if it is scripted.

[erwintommy]

Classic wrestling-not McMahon Jr. shit ball "wrestling"...

[superparka85]

this is what pro wrestling should be all about

[BGGUSMC]

omg 1953!!!

[CombatSportFan]

Great match, but that is some of the most backhanded and insulting commentary I have ever heard. "Gagne just loves to play footsie."

[THARSHTILDEATH]

R.I.P. Killer Kowalski

[thebeastlacey]

the "Gagne Sleeper" hold.........works everytime

[robspago]

especially when you own the AWA.

[OneCrayGuy89]

Wow!! That was a really good match for something so old.

[TonySpargo]

Kowalski was around 275 pounds and Verne weighed 210 soaking wet.

[TheArkhaios]

Holy Crap @ 1:40

[ChecXYkitout]

who is who in the clip?????

[DaMounty]

Verne Gagne, 82 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, body-slammed a 97

year-old fellow patient at a nursing home where they both lived, causing the man's death. This happened in late January 2009.

[OneCrayGuy89]

It was in February, dude

[rayrayALA]

both were legends

[InterRMWWE811]

Killer Kowalski Is Dead The 30 August 2008 R.I.P.

[28904loveshotchicks]

RIP Killer Kowalski. He was a vet to all wrestling back in the 70's. He also trained some of wrestlings top stars today, including A Train, Chyna, Kenny Dykstra, Perry Saturn, and the current WWE Champion, Triple H. You will be missed.