Curly Moe

Professional wrestling career Zalesky trained under Johnny Rodz at "The World's Famous" Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. Initially wrestling under the name Diesel, Zalesky's trainer changed his ring name several times, including Curly Man Don, before settling on Diesel Don in late 1989. An agile "big man", Zalesky could perform dropkicks and a double leg enzuigiri despite weighing over 500 lbs. He trained with fellow students such as Big Sweet William, Kid Krush, and Mondo Kleen while at the facility. He was also the first-ever opponent of Tommy Dreamer, a future Extreme Championship Wrestling star, who debuted on October 28, 1989.

quote=The derby-wearing behemoth would "Hulk Up" in much the same way Curly did in several of the short films and then unleash his power onto his victim. The Southern oddity didn't have an extended career but he was fun to watch while he Nyuk Nyuk'd his way around the ring. — —Jay Shannon, 1Wrestling.com (April 1, 2010) His finisher was called the Soitenly Splash

The promotion went so far as to claim he was the real-life nephew of Curly and Moe Howard attracting some attention from the media. Zalesky was largely used as a comedy act, who antagonized "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble and other IWCCW "heels" with his zany antics, rather than as a serious competitor. In 1991, Zalesky was ranked #445 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the country by Pro Wrestling Illustrated; he was also interviewed by PWI senior editor Bill Apter on PWI Conference.

Post-retirement Weighing in at around 600 lbs. during his career, Zalesky retired due to health problems shortly after IWCCW folded. Following his retirement, Zalesky began teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to adults in Newark, New Jersey; however, his weight continued to increase over the years. In 2005, his weight reached around 730 lbs. and Zalesky underwent a gastric bypass surgery, resulting in a significant weight loss of 340 lbs. In December 2006, after false reports of his death had circulated the internet, Zalesky issued a public statement to editor Bill Apter regarding his life following his retirement and appeared on 1Wrestling.com. The previous month, he had apparently left a message on the online forums of KayfabeMemories.com to dispel the internet rumors. 1Wrestling.com later included Zalesky's "Curly Moe" gimmick as one of the "silliest characters in wrestling" for a special April Fools' Day column in 2010.

Zalesky died to liver cancer on July 1, 2015.

Championships and accomplishments Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked Curly Moe # 445 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1991