Killer Karl Kox was one of the sport’s toughest wrestlers.  He was well known in the United
States, Japan and Australia.  Kox served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War
before turning pro-wrestler in 1956.  He held championships in many major territories during
his run as a professional wrestler between the 1960s and 1980s.

  Kox was one of the best heels of his generation, earning the hatred of a great number of
fans.  During one tour of Australia, he was shot.  It was the ultimate compliment.  Kox was
doing the job well.  He was originally from Omaha, and being from such a famous wrestling
city allowed one large attribute.  Kox had the ability to put himself in the position to be trained
by a family of legendary wrestlers, the Dusek Clan.  When Kox was released on the world of
wrestling, he turned to a brutal style only he could perfect.  He traveled to Leo Garibaldi’s
ring in Austin and intensified his tactics, both on opponents and verbally against the fans.  
Kox went to the other areas of Texas and continued to battle off his opponents.

  He won the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title on many occasions, feuding with the likes of
Bull Curry and Bob Ellis.  Kox toured Australia in 1969.  He was involved in a bloody feud with
Ellis during that time.  During his time “Down Under,” Kox won the International Wrestling
Alliance World Heavyweight Title on three occassions.  Kox also brutally feuded with Dick
Murdoch.

  Kox appeared in Miami for the Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling on Wednesday,
January 25, 1978.  12,000 fans packed the Orange Bowl to see the event headlined by a
WWWF vs. NWA Title Match.  The Miami Herald ran an article about the event on Thursday
and a story about an incident surrounding Kox dominated the contents.  Kox lost his match
against Rocky Johnson by disqualification, but it was the fight that ensued that caught the
attention of the audience and reporters.  A fan using an umbrella handle stabbed Kox.  Not
suffering a huge wound, Kox returned with a swift punch to the fan’s face.  No charges
stemmed from the incident, but again exemplified Kox’s attitude in and around the squared
circle.

  Killer Karl Kox retired to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the early 1980s.

Title History:

  -A multiple-time NWA Texas State Brass Knuckles Champion
  -A three-time IWA World Heavyweight Champion
          -Defeated Mario Milano (1968)
          -Defeated Bob Ellis (1969)
          -Defeated Mario Milano (1969)
  -Co-holder of the IWA World Tag Team Title (1968) w/ Skull Murphy









Research by Tim Hornbaker
Killer Karl Kox Wrestling History
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