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The world of professional wrestling has lost one of its most beloved old school stars, and I have lost a cherished friend. The man known as the "Sodbuster," Kenny Jay, has passed away after a long illness.
Born Kenny Benkowski, he was almost exclusively known for his decades with the American Wrestling Association (AWA.) Though he was given a main event or two along the way (including scoring the winning pinfall in a 6-man tag) over Harley Race, Kenny was one of wrestling's greatest 'enhancement talents,' getting in the ring with the absolute best that wrestling had to offer. It is notable that he was honored by Cauliflower Alley Club some years ago for his wrestling career.
He earned a familiar nickname from the late announcer Marty O'Neill, who would introduce him as "The very capable Kenny Jay." Though he was a lifelong Minnesota resident, he was billed from Cleveland, Ohio and once joked "I don't know where they came up with that. I mean, I might have flown over Cleveland a few times, but that's about it.
As part of the hype for the infamous Muhammad Ali-Antonio Inoki match back in 1976, Kenny was brought in as a sparring opponent for Ali. The 'fight' aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Needless to say, Kenny provided miniscule offense and basically was a punching bag for the duration of the short encounter. He once told me, "They told me to go real easy on him. He was a great athlete but I'm sure I could have stretched him. I probably would never have worked again."
During his career, he wrestled them all, from Verne Gagne and The Crusher to Nick Bockwinkel, Ray Stevens, Mad Dog Vachon, Larry Hennig, Harley Race, etc., etc. There wasn't anybody of main event stature that came through the AWA that he didn't get in the ring with. The late Dick (Dr. X/The Destroyer) Beyer, said it best when he acknowledged without the Kenny Jays of the world, there would be no stars. He referred to Kenny and his fellow enhancement talent as the true 'carpenters' of the business. Perhaps it was the late, legendary Harley Race who said it best:
'Kenny Jay is the best overall talent in wrestling. He was what we called a 'job guy' or 'jobber' but he could work with any human being and get a good match out of them. He would go in the ring with a big name who really couldn't do much and make him look good, and he could get in there with a Danny Hodge or Verne Gagne and make them look even better than they were. He was just an incredibly talented guy.'
With his patented 'thumbs up' gesture to his obvious zest for life, Kenny was in a league of his own. He had as much of a following (and then some) as any of the elite stars that he 'put over' all those years.
Outside of the ring, there are not enough superlatives to describe Kenny Jay. A devoted family man, he was adored by his wife, children and extended family. For many years, he put on a benefit for Histiocytosis research (a rare and deliberating disease his grandchild contracted). Many of the AWA alumni attended (on their own dime) to support and cause and out of their pure love for Kenny. Dick Beyer, Verne Gagne, Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell, Nick Bockwinkel, Mad Dog Vachon, Eddie Sharkey Rick Renslow, Red Bastien, Baron Von Raschke, Steve Olsonoski, Larry Hennig, Paul Ellering, and countless others were mainstays at the event.
There are no words to describe the loss I feel at this moment. Losing a friend of 50+ years is brutal. It is multiplied tenfold when it is someone the caliber of human being that Kenny was. His legacy goes way beyond his body of work in the ring as a wrestler and referee. His kindness and compassion were extraordinary.
May he rest in the peace that he so richly deserved.
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