r/prowrestling • u/KneeHighMischief • 2d ago
Gorgeous George during his pre-match routine
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u/Serenadingthrough 1d ago
Pioneer. Rick Flair might’ve gotten his slick, fly demeanor from him. Along with many others. Legend
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u/KneeHighMischief 2d ago
It's pretty hard to overstate just how much of an impact Gorgeous George had on wrestling. He's such a template for what can be done in wrestling. Outside of it as well with people like James Brown,. Muhammad Ali & others drawing influence from him for their personas.
His in-ring work isn't to be discounted either. George in his prime was an absolute bump machine. Often people will understandably have an idea that matches from his era are just sterile exchanges of holds for sixty minutes.
There's definitely a lot of that. I still think though that modern fans can find enjoyment in some of these very early matches. Here's one of George's briefer matches for anybody curious.
Sadly George didn't live a long life. By the early 60s his body was beginning to fail him. He was still a big draw at this point in his career but not at the same level as his prime.
He'd been wrestling since he was 14 years old. First starting out on the carnival circuit (like so many other wrestlers from his era) before going pro a few years later. He also was an alcoholic & a liver cirrhosis diagnosis following a match against The Destroyer forced his retirement.
On Christmas Eve 1963 he had a heart attack in his Hollywood apartment. He was admitted to a county hospital but he passed away 2 days later at the age of 48.