{{Short description|Canadian professional wrestler (1933–2015)}} {{Infobox professional wrestler |name=Stan Holek |image=Stan Holek.jpeg |names=Stan Holek<br />Stan Lisowski<br />Stan Neilson<br />Cowboy Elliott Hardy <br />Stan Lutze |height={{height|ft=6|in=3}}<ref name=slam/> |weight={{convert|240|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on}}<ref name=slam/> |birth_date ={{birth date|1933|4|4|mf=y}}<ref name=slam>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2004/09/22/639396.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309215610/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2004/09/22/639396.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 9, 2016|title=How Holek became Lisowski then Neilson|author=Oliver, Greg|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=2009-12-10|date=October 6, 2004}}</ref> |birth_place =Chatham, Ontario, Canada<ref name=slam/> |billed=Milwaukee, Wisconsin |trainer=Bert Ruby<ref name=slam/><br />Ed Farhat<ref name=slam/><br />Larry Shane<ref name=slam/> |debut=1951<ref name=slam/> |death_date =November 28, 2015 (aged 82) |retired= |}} '''Stan Holek''' (April 4, 1933 – November 28, 2015) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, '''Stan Lisowski''' and '''Stan Neilson'''. He became known for being part of two famous "brother" tag teams, the Lisowskis (with Reggie Lisowski) and the Neilsons (with Art Neilson).
==Professional wrestling career== Holek originally got into wrestling after his older brother began wrestling in Detroit.<ref name=slam/> At age 18 in 1951, he debuted after training with Bert Rubi, The Sheik and Larry Shane in Detroit.<ref name=slam/> He then began teaming with Reggie Lisowski as the Lisowski Brothers.<ref name=slam/>
After the team split up, Holek began teaming with Lisowski's old partner Art Neilson.<ref name=slam/> Neilson and Holek became known as the Neilsons.<ref name=slam/> The Neilsons would become AWA World Tag Team Champions in 1962 defeating the team of Bob Geigel and Stan Kowalski. They lost the title later that year to Mr. High (Doug "Gilbert" Lindzy, no relation to the latter Doug Gilbert) and Mr. Low (Dick Steinborn).
In addition, Holek wrestled as Stan Lutze in New England in the 1950s.<ref name=slam/> He also toured Japan in the 1960s.<ref name=slam/>
==Personal life== Holek grew up on a farm in Chatham, Ontario, and has an older brother named Laddie.<ref name=slam/> He moved to California in 1960 and later became an American citizen.<ref name=slam/> He then worked in the rodeo for 13 years and he worked in gold mines in Nevada.<ref name=slam/>
He was married twice.<ref name=slam/> He was married to his second wife for over 30 years, and they have two daughters.<ref name=slam/> He died on November 28, 2015, after a two year battle with colon cancer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oliver |first1=Greg |title=Stan Holek was as tough as they come |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2015/12/01/22578699.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205155827/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2015/12/01/22578699.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2015 |website=Slam! Sports |access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref>
==Championships and accomplishments== *'''American Wrestling Alliance''' :*AWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Indiana version)'' (4 times) - with Art Neilson
*'''Maple Leaf Wrestling''' :*NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Reggie Lisowski
*'''NWA Chicago''' :*NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Chicago version)'' (3 times) - with Reggie Lisowski
*'''NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club / American Wrestling Association''' :*AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Art Neilson :*NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Minneapolis version)'' (2 times) - with Reggie Lisowski
*'''Stampede Wrestling''' :*NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)'' (2 times) - with Art Neilson
*'''Worldwide Wrestling Associates''' :*WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with The Preacher (3) and Art Neilson (1)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/s/stan-neilson.php Stan Neilson at Online World of Wrestling]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holek, Stan}} Category:1933 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Canadian male professional wrestlers Category:Professional wrestlers from Ontario Category:Sportspeople from Chatham-Kent Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni Category:AWA World Tag Team Champions Category:Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions (Georgia version) Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions (Indianapolis version) Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions (Minneapolis version) Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions (San Francisco version)