Kenny Benkowski
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kenny Benkowski | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Kenny "Sodbuster" Jay |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Billed weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Born | March 27, 1937 Holdingford, Minnesota |
| Resides | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Billed from | Minnesota Cleveland, Ohio |
| Trained by | Verne Gagne Bob Hawkins |
| Debut | February 1958 |
"Sodbuster" Kenny Jay was a professional wrestler who competed primarily in the AWA. Jay primarily performed as a jobber.
When he wasn't performing in the wrestling ring, Kenny ran a landscaping business in the Twin Cities (which is how he got the name "Sodbuster").
Before retiring, he trained his nephew JB Trask into the sport.
Kenny was often paired with fellow AWA jobber Jake "The Milkman" Milliman in tag team matches.
Even into his later years, Kenny Jay was known to work stiff rather than show light in a match.
[edit] Early life
Kenny Jay was born on March 27, 1937 in Holdingford, Minnesota. Kenny was a natural athlete in high school, lettering in both football and shotput. When he graduated from high school in 1955, he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he found employment as a factory worker.
His first match was at the Southside Armory for John Hinds. Before long he was working larger venues at the Marigold Arena in Chicago. His wrestling career took a hiatus when he joined the U.S. Army for a two year stint.
[edit] AWA years
After his military tour, he found employment with the AWA, wrestling every Saturday's TV taping and then house shows during the week for promoter Wally Karbo.
Whenever a new name would come in they would give them to Kenny to make them look good. He used his mat-based scientific wrestling style with the likes of Mad Dog Vachon, The Crusher, Verne Gagne, and Bruiser.
To help pay the bills, Kenny started his own landscape business, which is where he got the "Sodbuster" nickname. He never left the midwest area, as he was rooted in the area with his landscape business , wife, and three children. He continued working for the AWA nearly thirty years until they went out of business.
