Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and later was a successful professional wrestler recognized as a multiple-time World Heavyweight Champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he billed himself for promotional purposes, was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Like Bronko Nagurski before him, Kiniski was one of the first World Champions in professional wrestling to have a previous background in football.