| Gene Kiniski | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kiniski in 1966 | |
| Birth name | Eugene Nicholas Kiniski |
| Born | November 23, 1928 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada[1] |
| Died | April 14, 2010 (aged 81) Blaine, Washington, U.S.[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Marion Kiniski |
| Children | Kelly Kiniski Nick Kiniski |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Gene Kiniski[1] Gene Kelly[1] Mighty Canadian[1] Big Thunder[2] |
| Billed height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 122 kg (270 lb) |
| Trained by | Dory Funk[1] Tony Morelli[1] |
| Debut | February 13, 1952 |
| Retired | February 25, 1992 |
Eugene Nicholas Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) 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.[1][3] 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.