Curly Howard
02-10-2004, 09:44 AM
Life has meaning once again for Frank Bialowas -- he's got a reason to beat someone up.
Winnipeg promoter Darryl Wolski says the former Toronto Maple Leafs farm hand has signed on to be one of 32 contestants in the Hockey Gladiators Pay Per View fighting tournament, which now has an increased grand prize of $100,000 US.
"It's almost like a gift sent from God," said Bialowas, 33, from his home in New Jersey. "I think that was the hardest part about leaving hockey, you just can't go out and beat someone up for no reason. I've got three years of frustration built up in me."
Bialowas, a well-known minor-league hockey enforcer best recognized by his nickname of 'The Animal', grew up in Winnipeg and started his pro career in 1991 with the Roanoke-Valley Rebels in the East Coast Hockey League.
He was promoted to the NHL for the 1993-94 season and played three games earning 12 penalty minutes with the Leafs. He fought Tie Domi, then with the Winnipeg Jets, in one outing. In total, Bialowas racked up an incredible 1,960 penalty minutes in 501 American Hockey League games.
"I've been bad all my life," Bialowas said with a laugh.
He said he believes he has a great shot at taking home top prize since he's already spent so much of his life doing exactly what's required to win -- whaling on other hockey players.
"If I get my ass kicked I'll shake their hand," he said. "But you got to kill me to beat me."
Meanwhile, another Gladiator entry, ex-NHLer Sasha Lakovic is already enjoying celebrity status. The Coquitlam native plays the role of Russian centre Boris Mikhailov in the movie Miracle, starring Kurt Russell.
http://www.hockeygladiators.com/
Winnipeg promoter Darryl Wolski says the former Toronto Maple Leafs farm hand has signed on to be one of 32 contestants in the Hockey Gladiators Pay Per View fighting tournament, which now has an increased grand prize of $100,000 US.
"It's almost like a gift sent from God," said Bialowas, 33, from his home in New Jersey. "I think that was the hardest part about leaving hockey, you just can't go out and beat someone up for no reason. I've got three years of frustration built up in me."
Bialowas, a well-known minor-league hockey enforcer best recognized by his nickname of 'The Animal', grew up in Winnipeg and started his pro career in 1991 with the Roanoke-Valley Rebels in the East Coast Hockey League.
He was promoted to the NHL for the 1993-94 season and played three games earning 12 penalty minutes with the Leafs. He fought Tie Domi, then with the Winnipeg Jets, in one outing. In total, Bialowas racked up an incredible 1,960 penalty minutes in 501 American Hockey League games.
"I've been bad all my life," Bialowas said with a laugh.
He said he believes he has a great shot at taking home top prize since he's already spent so much of his life doing exactly what's required to win -- whaling on other hockey players.
"If I get my ass kicked I'll shake their hand," he said. "But you got to kill me to beat me."
Meanwhile, another Gladiator entry, ex-NHLer Sasha Lakovic is already enjoying celebrity status. The Coquitlam native plays the role of Russian centre Boris Mikhailov in the movie Miracle, starring Kurt Russell.
http://www.hockeygladiators.com/