Kenny Benkowski

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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 join 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.

	Kenny Jay is the best overall talent in wrestling. He was what we called a 'job guy' 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.
	— Harley Race

In 1972 Kenny made his one overseas trip to Japan, where he worked 18 matches, including 5 cage matches, and won most of them.

In 1976 he took on Muhammad Ali in a boxer vs wrestler match which he considers one of the high points of his career.

In 2005 the Cauliflower Alley Club board of directors unanimously chose Kenny Jay to be honored.

	Being the first jabroni to be honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club is real exciting. It’s nice to be recognized by the boys.
	— Kenny Jay