Scott Putski
Encyclopedia
James Scott Bednarski is an American
former professional wrestler
, best known under the ring name
Scott Putski. Putski is a second generation wrestler, being the son of Ivan Putski
, with whom he has wrestled alongside on several occasions.
, where he played football as a running back
, Bednarski trained under his father Ivan to become a professional wrestler and eventually debuted in 1986 in Texas All Star Wrestling where he teamed up with his dad Ivan. In late 1991, he debuted for the Dallas-based Global Wrestling Federation
.
On March 20, Putski and Terry Simms captured the Tag Team Championship
from the Coast to Coast Connection ("Hollywood" John Tatum
and "California Studd" Rod Price). Less than a month later, on April 17, the belts were held up following a match between Putski and Simms and the Goodfellows (Gary Young and Steven Dane). Young and Dane would go on to win the rematch on May 1 and become the undisputed champions.
Putski would be without a championship for less than a month. On May 29, he defeated Johnny Mantell in a tournament final to capture the North American Heavyweight Championship
, the federation's top singles title, which had been declared vacant after "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert left the GWF for the Memphis
-based United States Wrestling Association
. Putski would hold the title until being fired in August. On August 21, Rod Price was awarded the title.
and Mexico
, the latter of which included the loss of his mask
as Konnan 2000 to Rubén Púas Olivares on May 8, 1993, Putski debuted in the World Wrestling Federation
in 1997 on the May 12 episode of their show Monday Night Raw
, where he defeated Leif Cassidy
. He was soon placed in the company's Light Heavyweight division
, which was the WWF's attempt to compete with rival World Championship Wrestling
's more established Cruiserweight division
. Soon after debuting, he began a short feud
with fellow light heavyweight Brian Christopher
and even teamed up with his father Ivan to defeat Christopher and his father, Jerry Lawler
, on the July 14 episode of Raw. After the feud, Putski began to appear sporadically, usually defeating enhancement talents
, before he lost to Christopher via injury, making the referee call for the bell at the pay-per-view
Ground Zero: In Your House
on September 7. Putski left the company shortly afterwards.
and debuted for the company on the May 4 episode of Monday Nitro
, where he wrestled to a no contest against Kidman. Over the next few weeks, Putski was relegated to that of an enhancement talent, losing to the likes of Eddie Guerrero
, Konnan
and Scott Norton
. On the August 7 episode of Nitro, he defeated Scotty Riggs to claim his first victory. On August 7, Putski wrestled and lost to Goldberg
in under a minute for the World Heavyweight Championship
. Later that week on Saturday Night
, Putski wrestled against World Television Champion
Chris Jericho
, but was unable to win the title. After this, Putski was again used as an enhancement talent before gaining one final opportunity at the TV Title against then-champion Rick Steiner
on the May 6, 1999 episode of Thunder
, which he lost. He then left the company in late 1999.
-based Professional Championship Wrestling on May 31, 2003. While in PCW, he and Cedric Crain formed a tag team
called the "Cowboys From Hell". Soon after their formation, the Cowboys won the Tag Team Championship. On July 26, Putski wrestled his final match as he and Crain lost to Apocalypse and Tim Storm.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, best known under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Scott Putski. Putski is a second generation wrestler, being the son of Ivan Putski
Ivan Putski
Józef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....
, with whom he has wrestled alongside on several occasions.
Global Wrestling Federation (1991–1992)
After attending college at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
, where he played football as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, Bednarski trained under his father Ivan to become a professional wrestler and eventually debuted in 1986 in Texas All Star Wrestling where he teamed up with his dad Ivan. In late 1991, he debuted for the Dallas-based Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
.
On March 20, Putski and Terry Simms captured the Tag Team Championship
GWF Tag Team Championship
The GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN...
from the Coast to Coast Connection ("Hollywood" John Tatum
John Tatum (wrestler)
John Frankel III , known by his ringname "Hollywood" John Tatum, is a retired American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions including World Class Championship Wrestling, Universal Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance as well as independent...
and "California Studd" Rod Price). Less than a month later, on April 17, the belts were held up following a match between Putski and Simms and the Goodfellows (Gary Young and Steven Dane). Young and Dane would go on to win the rematch on May 1 and become the undisputed champions.
Putski would be without a championship for less than a month. On May 29, he defeated Johnny Mantell in a tournament final to capture the North American Heavyweight Championship
GWF North American Heavyweight Championship
The GWF North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN....
, the federation's top singles title, which had been declared vacant after "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert left the GWF for the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
-based United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
. Putski would hold the title until being fired in August. On August 21, Rod Price was awarded the title.
World Wrestling Federation (1997)
After several tours in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the latter of which included the loss of his mask
Wrestling mask
A Wrestling mask is a fabric based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha Libre in Mexico.-History:In 1915 a North American...
as Konnan 2000 to Rubén Púas Olivares on May 8, 1993, Putski debuted in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
in 1997 on the May 12 episode of their show Monday Night Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, where he defeated Leif Cassidy
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
. He was soon placed in the company's Light Heavyweight division
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
The World Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 220 lbs.- History :...
, which was the WWF's attempt to compete with rival World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
's more established Cruiserweight division
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
. Soon after debuting, he began a short feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with fellow light heavyweight Brian Christopher
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
and even teamed up with his father Ivan to defeat Christopher and his father, Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
, on the July 14 episode of Raw. After the feud, Putski began to appear sporadically, usually defeating enhancement talents
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
, before he lost to Christopher via injury, making the referee call for the bell at the pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
Ground Zero: In Your House
Ground Zero: In Your House
Ground Zero: In Your House was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on September 7, 1997 at Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky...
on September 7. Putski left the company shortly afterwards.
World Championship Wrestling (1998–1999)
After a brief hiatus, Putski joined World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and debuted for the company on the May 4 episode of Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
, where he wrestled to a no contest against Kidman. Over the next few weeks, Putski was relegated to that of an enhancement talent, losing to the likes of Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
, Konnan
Konnan
Carlos Santiago Espada Moises , also known as Charles Ashenoff and better known by his ring name, Konnan, is a Cuban professional wrestler and rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
and Scott Norton
Scott Norton
Scott Michael Norton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Before wrestling:...
. On the August 7 episode of Nitro, he defeated Scotty Riggs to claim his first victory. On August 7, Putski wrestled and lost to Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
in under a minute for the World Heavyweight Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
. Later that week on Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
, Putski wrestled against World Television Champion
WCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, but was unable to win the title. After this, Putski was again used as an enhancement talent before gaining one final opportunity at the TV Title against then-champion Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
on the May 6, 1999 episode of Thunder
WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
, which he lost. He then left the company in late 1999.
Retirement (2003)
After a four year long hiatus, Putski debuted for the ArlingtonArlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
-based Professional Championship Wrestling on May 31, 2003. While in PCW, he and Cedric Crain formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
called the "Cowboys From Hell". Soon after their formation, the Cowboys won the Tag Team Championship. On July 26, Putski wrestled his final match as he and Crain lost to Apocalypse and Tim Storm.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Polish Driver / Putski Bomb (Lifting sitout spinebuster)
- Signature moves
- Arm drag
- Backbreaker
- Hip toss
- Inverted atomic drop
- Lariat, sometimes from the top rope
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations- Belly to back
- Inverted slam
- Overhead belly to belly
- Snap
- Polish Hammer (Double axe handle to the opponent's chest) – adopted from his fatherIvan PutskiJózef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....
- Powerslam
- Tilt-a-whirl slam
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Polish Prince"
Championships and accomplishments
- Continental Wrestling Alliance
- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Global Wrestling FederationGlobal Wrestling FederationGlobal Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
- GWF North American Heavyweight ChampionshipGWF North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe GWF North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN....
(1 time) - GWF Tag Team ChampionshipGWF Tag Team ChampionshipThe GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN...
(1 time) – with Terry Sims - NWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(1 time)
- GWF North American Heavyweight Championship
- Professional Championship Wrestling
- PCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Cedric Crain
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #67 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1995
- United States Wrestling Federation (Texas)
- USWF Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- USWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Wrestle Association "R"WAR (wrestling promotion)Wrestle and Romance, and later Wrestle Association R, was a professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000. The promotion had very few regular contracted workers, instead most of the workers were...
- WAR World Six-Man Tag Team ChampionshipWAR World Six-Man Tag Team ChampionshipThe WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship is a tag team title previously contested for in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Wrestle Association R ....
(1 time) – with Bob BacklundBob BacklundRobert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...
and The WarlordTerry SzopinskiTerry Scott Szopinski is an American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name The Warlord and for his tenures in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of the Powers of Pain alongside The Barbarian.-National Wrestling Alliance / Jim Crockett...
- WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship