WRESTLER PROFILES

[Gorgeous George Gallery] Article: The Forgotten Minority	Wrestler: Gorgeous George Real Name: George Wagner Birthday: March 24, 1915 Hometown: Seward, Nebraska Marital Status: Married Betty Hanson ~~Adopted 2 Children ~~Children: Carol & Don Divorced Betty (1952) Married to Cherie Divorced Cherie (1962) Height & Weight: 5'9" - 215 lbs Trained by: Debut: Previous Names: Almer the Great "The Human Orchid" Finishing Move: Favorite Moves: Pulling trunks & hair The hidden chokehold Knee to the throat Punches Hip toss Backflip Notable Feuds: The Zaharias Brothers Manuel Garza Dutch Hefner Sandor Szabo War Cloud Ali Baba George Temple Sam Menacker Larry Moquin Reggie Siki Dutch Hefner Tito Montez Notable Feuds: George Temple Emile Dusek Ernie Dusek Hans Scnabel Tony Martinez Enrique Torres Bruno Sammartino Dick the Bruiser Frankie Tabaler James Brothers The Destroyer Ed Carpentier
Pacific Coast Middleweight title defeating Buck Lipscomb (????, 1938); Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title defeating Pat O` Dowdy (May 19, 1939); Pacific Cost Junior Heavyweight title defeating Billy McEuin (September ??, 1941); Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title defeating Jack Kiser (September 4, 1941); California State Light Heavyweight title defeating Wild Red Berry (May 8, 1942); Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title defeating Jack Lipscomb (May 10, 1943); Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title defeating Tony Ross (November 1, 1943); (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Enrique Torres (March 26, 1947); (Illinois) World Heavyweight title defeating Walter Palmer (March 4, 1949); AWA (Boston) World Heavyweight title defeating Don Eagle (May 26, 1950); NWA (Georgia) Southern Heavyweight title defeating Don McIntyre (March 7, 1953); NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight title defeating Billy Wicks (November 12, 1958);
George Wagner was born in Seward, Nebraska .. George Wagner began his Professional Wrestling career when he was around the age of 14.. George Wagner competed for over a decade under his real name "George Wagner", with very little success.. ~~~Ten years after debuting, George Wagner created the "Gorgeous George" persona.. ~~~He grew his hair out so it was long, could be curled and pinned back with gold-plated bobby pins.. ~~~He dyed his hair platinum blond and wore elegant robes, dubbing himself "The Human Orchid".. Gorgeous George would enter the Ring escorted by one of his Ring butlers, Thomas Ross or Geoffrey.. ~~~The butler would spray the ring and/or opponents with disinfectant or perfume.. Gorgeous George's entrance music was "Pomp & Circumstance", years before Randy Savage would use the theme.. Gorgeous George appeared in a movie called "Alias the Champ".. May 26, 1950: Gorgeous George defeated Don Eagle for the American Wrestling Association World title.. ~~~Gorgeous George later lost the World Title to another wrestling legend, Lou Thesz.. Gorgeous George made regular stopovers in Phoenix when travelling from Los Angeles to Texas by car.. ~~~Gorgeous George appeared several times at the old Phoenix Madison Square Garden.. ~~~There is a story on how he stopped to buy beer at a bar outside Phoenix and was taunted for his hair by a group of cowboys.. ~~~They did not know who he was. George beat the hell out of the lot of them, took his six pack and left.. Gorgeous George wrestled for another ten years before being defeated in one of his last matches by a young Bruno Sammartino.. December 26, 1963: Gorgeous George Wagner passed away.. ~~~Gorgeous George was truly the original showman of professional wrestling.. ~~~Many credit George Wagner with revolutionizing wrestling by helping bring the action into homes all over the country.. ~~~George Wagner's character qualities and showmanship were years ahead of their time.. ~~~The Gorgeous One's influences have been felt by atheletes from Buddy Rogers to Adrian Street.. ~~~~~"Superstar" Billy Graham to Ric Flair, "Adorable" Adrian Adonis to Goldust...even Mohammed Ali, Little Richard, Liberace.. 1971: Playboy Magazine did a big satire article on the life of Gorgeous George Wagner.. George Wagner's wife is prominently featured in the tell-all book, Whatever Happened To Gorgeous George, by Joseph Jares.. George Wagner's widow sued Gorgeous George Jr. to keep him from using that name in the Los Angeles area..