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| Wilf Long cartoon Toronto 1957 |
Publicity man Frank Ayerst remarked that Kiniski was 'sometimes referred to as Genial Gene, because he smiled once when an opponent was being carried out of the ring.' Adding that he 'is such a rugged ring operator that getting a match with him is gaily alluded to as The Point of No Return.'
He rampaged over a few of the smaller types early in the cards before suffering his first loss against Shaq Thomas. He actually beat Thomas in a mere 54 seconds but was disqualified when he wouldn't stop assaulting his opponent. He finished out the year beating another newcomer Billy Red Lyons in December and returned in January 1957.
This time Kiniski trounced local favorite Pat Flanagan with his Prairie Paralyzer and returned to the ring for the main event between Whipper and Buddy Rogers. Kiniski, already not known for his quiet demeanor, stepped into the ring before the introductions and challenged Whipper. Rogers backed him up declaring 'Kiniski will pick up the pieces after I've finished with you.'
Kiniski left but returned to the ring when Whipper captured Rogers in his Canuck Commando and the future looked bleak for the Nature Boy. Kiniski attacked Watson and special ref Jersey Joe Walcott took at swing at big Gene. Pat O'Connor, who had wrestled earlier in the card came to Whipper's rescue but Walcott wasn't sure and took a couple of swings at Pat before going at Kiniski again and then disqualifying Rogers for outside interference.
That set up a tag bout for the next card with Whipper and O'Connor to face Kiniski and Rogers with Walcott and Bunny Dunlop as referees. The heroes won by dq in front of 14,000 fans when Kiniski took off under the ring a'la Wild Bill Longson and Nanjo Singh before him.
Joe Perlove in his recap the next day opined that 'he (Kiniski) had heard that Nanjo Singh had those nether regions fitted up with a bar and chintzy furniture.'
Perlove went on to describe that 'several hundred customers wanted to make his (Kiniski) crew cut a little shorter. By maybe a foot.' When Kiniski failed to return, Walcott gave the win to Watson and O'Connor. Kiniski still had to make his way to the safety of the dressing room having earned the fans full hatred previously shown to Nanjo and other enemies of the state - State Whipper.
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| Wire Fence Jan 1957 with Jersey Joe, and Hutton on the floor |
That set the feud in motion with the two going to battle on the next card at MLG and later a wire fence bout (early type cage match). Dick Hutton would side with Kiniski and draw himself into the bouts and team with Kiniski against Whipper and Yukon Eric on a subsequent card as well as interfere in each others bouts.
The fence match on Jan 24 ended in a wild finish with Kiniski and Hutton going after Whip and ref Jersey Joe who was again part of the action.
A bout at East York Arena between Watson and Hutton the following week led to another incident involving Kiniski. Watson beat Hutton to win the $1000 check that Hutton had been offering to anyone who could beat him within 20 minutes. Whipper was the first in Toronto to beat Hutton, but after the bout Kiniski jumped in and tore up the check while he and Hutton attacked ref Bunny Dunlop.
This led to Kiniski being given a $500 fine, said to be the steepest penalty handed down at the time. He was additionally given a 4 week suspension from OAC Commissioner Merv McKenzie, who also curtailed the license of Tunney to promote at the Arena for 6 months. MLG was not included!
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| Kiniski orating after his suspension 1957 |
Genial Gene meanwhile offered this to the fans in response to the outrage over how he treated our fan-favorites. 'Tell them from me to go to hell too ! I'll fight in Maple Leaf Gardens whenever I like. Let those chicken bums stay home if they don't like me.'
This was around the same time that Ontario MPP Arthur Child had leveled criticism at the antics of Wrestlers pushing the referee's around and called it a farce. It started a heated battle with debates over the OAC being associated with pro rasslin and involved Whipper and others around the scene. Ref Joe Gollob, no stranger to the rough stuff replied back that 'we don't need a Commission.' Whipper used his diplomacy to smooth things over in the end.
Kiniski meanwhile showed up at MLG in March and takes to the ring before the main of The Miller Brothers vs Hard Boiled Haggerty and Hutton. In his usual quiet way Gene announced his suspension was now over and he would be back to destroy the Whipper.
They continued through the year both in singles and tag bouts, Whipper with various partners and Kiniski with Hutton. Kiniski went on to beat O'Connor for our British Empire Title and he earned a bout against NWA champ Lou Thesz at the Gardens.
Kiniski & Watson did big business here with averages of 10,000 a card. With them on top for most of the year, Tunney drew over 320,000 over 48 cards at MLG in 1957.
The feud travelled around the circuit here with some big bouts from Hamilton to London to Buffalo. They then moved across the country with stops in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver with the fans following the feud on the CBC TV show.
Gene soon teamed with Fritz Von Erich to form a formidable tag and continued to battle Whipper and his partners through 1958 while the two battled in singles bouts and traded the B-E Title. The feud periodically started up again and continued into the mid 60's.
"Their matches will forever be a bench mark for both the length of time and many dozens of encounters that took place between these two great Canadian wrestlers.
The only other feud that Watson had that could compare in number of years and brutality, would have been The Whipper's many grudge encounters with Nanjo Singh.
Kiniski was a very brash, in your face competitor, and he kept himself in excellent physical condition at all times. He belonged to be the headliner that he was, only the top wrestlers of his era could stay with him long enough to make for a good match, and at the same time walk out on their own two feet.
Whipper always gave Kiniski a battle whenever they met. Watson probably body slammed Kiniski at least eight to ten times in every encounter. To see Watson apply this slam was a thing of beauty. He would crotch Kiniski and lift him with his right arm and actually be able to raise him up to where Kiniski was a good foot above the Whipper's head, then Kiniski was slammed to the mat, or the wooden ramp with all of Watson's strength. This move always got the crowd excited, and had Kiniski crawling on his knees in a lot of pain.'
Kiniski employed many wrestling holds to his opponents that were at times crippling. An example was his knee drop to his opponents upper chest, and sometimes to the exposed throat as well. He often delivered his big boots to their rib cage, this could result in a wrestler having many a recovery for bruised ribs."
Kiniski had his run with the NWA Title and defended here a total of 17 times including a 1966 bout against Whipper (17 in Toronto only, Gene very busy on the circuit too). Their last bout at MLG came in June 1967 with Kiniski taking on both Whipper and Bulldog Brower in a handicap bout. The NWA title was not at stake as Whipper and Brower, working in tag rules, beat Kiniski in front of 6,200.
Still not a quiet guy by any means, Kiniski started an argument with Whipper and the fans booed him mercilessly as he lost to the new champ Bravo. At that point Whipper and Kiniski were at the 22 year mark of the feud.
Kiniski, in later years talked very highly of Watson and all of the money they made with each other, and was present at Whipper's funeral in 1990. The feud was finally over.
-AC
Photos from .com collection and original clips and memories thanks to Roger Baker
Photos from .com collection and original clips and memories thanks to Roger Baker
For more on the MP's vs Wrestling incident see 1957: The year the Ontario government questioned pro wrestling's validity
External Link on Slam Wrestling- opens in new window.
