The Most Influential Pro Wrestler You've Never Heard Of 

Even the great Muhammad Ali cites George as the primary influence on his first rate trash talking game. Legendary

When I was 11 I found a book called "Whatever Happened to Gorgeous George? The Blood and Ballyhoo of Professional Wrestling". I have been following wrestling ever since.

So good to see this video. I always say if Georgous George isn't on your Mount Rushmore of wrestling then you know nothing. He is literally the blueprint heel that is still going today and forever will as long as wrestling exists.

My dad is an old classical Blues, NFL, and Wrestling historian. He knows all the old of the old. Sadly, dad isn’t doing too well right now. I never ever picked his brain and learned a fraction of what he has. It will be my life’s greatest regret.

Many people know who Gorgeous George is. Many probably haven't seen his matches, but they know of him. Not just some wrestling fans, but many TV enthusiasts will credit Gorgeous George as one of the main individuals who helped popularize the television during the 1950's. Gorgeous George is in the same category as Lucy from I Love Lucy and others. I've seen a FEW Gorgeous George matches. The best was Gorgeous George versus Masked Marvel. It's a gimmick match, I think from as early as 1952, the ring is in the middle of a large pool, an "Aqua Theater", and the wrestlers in the ring are surrounded by water.... and there is a freaking LIFE GUARD in a boat, rowing his boat... row, row, row... row his boat.... gently around the ring.... merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.... George gets angry because his hair got wet for real and it's not a dream....

im 51 years old , i first heard of George from my parents. AT the time , not much info was available until PWI ( pro wrestling illustrated ) did its almanac books. It wasn’t until documentaries by A&E channel . Thank you , Thank you for making this. The newer and younger real wrestling fans I hope will digest this

Ali said he asked George how to fill arenas like him because wrestling was more popular than boxing back then and George told him to brag, brag, brag as much as you can because then not only will your fans come to see you win, but your haters will also come to see the other guy beat you and wipe that smug look off your face. Then the most famous sportsman ever was born.

I think I can get behind this. Bringing light to wrestlers of the past who help shaped professional wrestling to what it is now.

The history goes even deeper, I'd love to chat sometime. Your video's are very well done by the way. Very entertaining & good editing. Thanks for the entertaining content.

George was 1 of if not thee first tv star.

"George understood television and in-ring psychology better than anyone else." -Lou Thesz, The GOAT. Without Gorgeous George, television is cheap gimmick and a dead fad.

I've heard of Gorgeous George. After learning more about him and his impact and influence on the presentation of wrestling, I was fascinated. By looking at today's presentation of wrestling or "sPoRtS eNtErTaInMeNt" and character work, I can see why the DNA of it all traces back to George

Gorgeous George is very well known.

So glad I guessed Gorgeous George when I saw the thumbnail. Briefly read about him and heard his name over the years, but never knew just how innovative he was.

Gorgeous George definitely was a huge influence in wrestling. But I would say the #1 spot truly belongs to Farmer Burns. If you don't know who he is, look into it as he trained the first American wrestling champion, Frank Gotch as well as many, many others. His rivalry with Evan Lewis (the original "Strangler" before Ed Lewis) earned him a major reputation at a time when wrestling was still in carnivals and a legitimate prize fight. He had a mail order course on training that was followed by many that probably, in one form or another, was passed down to many wrestlers. Look up the Farmer Burns Workout. He also trained Toots Mondt. Why is this important? Toots Mondt joined Ed Lewis on Farmer Burns recommendation. Wrestling was beginning to go downhill a little as people found it boring. In that era matches regularly lasted over two hours and was based on positioning, grappling, leverage and stamina. It was still largely legitimate. Toots Mondt, Ed Lewis and Ed Lewis' manager (known as the Gold Dust Trio) started their own wrestling promotion and began the first truly "worked" matches in America, designing finishes, working out routines and utilizing a time limit to up the excitement. They effectively controlled the entire north east area. Though the group dissolved Toots moved on to another partnership with Dick Shikat as their champion and then eventually Jim Londos. They couldn't get into New York because of Jack Curley, a rival promoter. Curley died which created an opening that Toots and his partner took with the help of Jess McMahon and Jack Pfeffer. Jess McMahon (Vince McMahons grandfather) was a boxing promoter that worked for the founder of the New York Rangers hockey team, who hated wrestling and kept Toots from originally getting into Madison Square Garden. Toots found a millionaire backer with some influence and got his foot in the door in the Garden and in the 40s, the first wrestling card in the Garden for Toots Mondt featured Gorgeous George. In that same year Toots finds Antonino Rocca. And later him and Vincent J McMahon break away from the NWA. And the rest is history.

A) i knew it was GG frkm the silhouette And B) i been watching wrestling for 43 years. I obv never saw him, but u KNOW how innovative and influential and damn important he was after being a big fan for even half that time

Someone need to shared this video to TK and AEW itself in order to teach them about this type of thing and I know about Gorgeous George a little bit since I read about him before

George was the wrestler that popularized ENTRANCE MUSIC. He used Pomp And Circumstance - a song suggested to him by Helen Hart. She actually went to the library in Calgary and signed out the record for George and they played the song at all the shows George worked for Stu.

Gorgeous George is an Important Historic Figure in Television History in General. Almost any Wrestling Documentary or TV Documentary will talk about how important Gorgeous George was.

It’s Gorgeous George.

Great video.

George I think was also an inspiration to Adrian Adonis

“The Ultimate Worrier” 😂

My first guess was Gorgeous George and I was so happy it was the right one, love the video, very informative to the new fans of pro wrestling

The first recorded wrestler to use theme music: Pomp & Circumstance, later used by Randy Savage.

Lots of people have heard of Gorgeous George the title claimed it would be someone we've never heard of.

This was very informative. Thank you. SIDE NOTE: To this day nobody cuts a promo in or out of wrestling like Muhammad Ali

I waited almost 18 mins for the wrestler I never heard of

A great video. My first guess upon seeing the title was Superstar Billy Graham, but this was a great watch nonetheless.

I figured it was Gorgeous George. The outline on the thumbnail gave it away.

Teach AEW about this. They need to watch this. Lol

You should videos on C.B. Cochran, George Hakenschmidt, Bronko Nagurski, and Orville Brown. I don't want to give away who they are, but They are all very influential, and you might want to look them up for future videos.

I am guessing this vid hits close to home for the narrator. (Kevin Kellum) From George Wagner, through to Robert Kellum... when Stro sold the moniker to "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who used it to name his girlfriend. (Stephanie Bellars) the lineage of the name, through to where it sits today, would be interesting to see laid out in a video.

Never heard of? If you're wrestling fan, you definitely heard about him...and most of us saw the Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling

Secrets are for keeping.... but Gorgeous George is not a secret most Wrestling fans know the name.

Imagine what those gold bobby pins he threw to the crowd before matches would sell for on Ebay, especially if graded GEM Mint 10. Mo mom actually went to school with Gorgeous George Jr.

Hogan sees this and says: See, I was back there. You just haven't heard of me. I did wrestle Gorgeous George..

Knew it sad George just by the title

Gorgeous George reminds me of the Adorable Adrain Adonis. The similarities are striking.

Ed Lewis and Toots Mondt may have invented professional wrestling as we know it today, but Gorgeous George invented sports entertainment.

Called it!

Gorgeous George

I've heard of him... He's very, very famous.

Andy Kaufman

Sheesh there's no way Ali was told that pro wrestling was fake and winners preset back then because they protected that like crazy until the 90's

One man sticks out when it comes to unsung heroes of the squared circle and that man is Dirty Dutch Mantel

I've been watching pro wrestling my entire life I grew up in Japan watching sumo that was a fantastic story always loved Gorgeous George he was the predecessor to everybody that would be anybody

Gorgeous Goerge

Do one of these on Abdullah The Butcher

Damn...how can you not include the hardcore legend, the King Of Hardcore himself, Mick Foley, in with those first names mentioned??? 🤷🏻‍♂️..

I just got on here GG,the human orchid , Mr. Wagner

Of course people have heard of Gorgeous George. He's in the hall of fame so even younger fans who give half a shit about the business will know his name.

So WHAT if he gambled and lived the life!? We Americans LOVE someone that lives life to the hilt! We need to see it cause deep down we want to as well, but never will. IT'S CALLED "LIVING VICARIOUSLY! "

Facts more should know him I know who he is legend icon

My great aunt dated George way back in the day

Stone Cold E.T.

Wow this was important i will definitely honor his name, you could literally see rick rude from him

My great grandma worked for Gorgeous George when he owned his turkey farm

And note he was a heel. A program and match is only as good as the heel involved.

Awesome video. Young folks, educate yourself.

I've never heard of? Excuse me?!

Whats next? That little known baseball pioneer Babe Ruth ?

BABE RUTH: The Most Influential Baseball Player You've Never Heard Of

Quit insulting the past guys that worked off & on for the wwwf, by saying they were wwe wrestlers. Yes, wwwf became wwf which became wwe, but wwe is nothing like the wwwf. wwe might be ungodly bigger, but the product is crap. Past wrestlers do not deserve to be put into the same trashy catagory as wwe.

Ali was a talker thanks to Blassie not Wagner. BTW anyone tha knows more than Raw knows Wagner. He is FAR from unknown. Try Bronko as an influence and way more under rated. Even Lou. "George" was a national sensation when wrestling and boxing were all over late night tv until baseball and football stadiums had lights for night games. Do your history work. Hell, I'm 41 and knew who George was because of this thing called reading books.

Sputnik Monroe

Imagine if Liberace gave up tinkling the ivories and decided to kick serious arse

Wow, only 5'9..

The reason why wrestling became predetermined is because it would take 2 hours from one wrestling match and if you had six people on a card that's 12 hours okay that's like WrestleMania used to start off can't do that s*** people will leave you'll lose money that's why they made it the way it was

Jack had hobo brazil bummy rogers bruno nassartino big time crew

Roman reigns can't talk. So what character does he have? He is athletic, puts me to shame, but mic skills for ("wrestling") sports entertainment, na.

Los Forajidos?

Bob the brain henin😂😂😂

Bray Wyatt 🙏🏼 changed the way you think in wrestling and gimmicks

A great story can get a lame character over.. Virgil vs Ted DiBiase Any successful angle Edge ever had.

Roman Reigns ❤️

You said never heard of not need to know more about

Gobbledy Gooker

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

BRET HART the GOAT

Like this if you’ve known about George since you were a kid

He died broke and his wife spent years paying for his funeral

Not true, don't have to be great in the ring, John Cena and many more not great workers.

My most influential wrestlers of all time for me it's John Cena and Roman Reigns

Brock lesnar

First here❤

Gorgeous George was certainly the prototype heel that influenced buddy rogers, ric flair, adrian adonis, and golddust.

I will agree hes definitely a majoe key figure. He blossomed what is now essentially token booking 101 for heels lol. Wish there was more footage out there, ill never get into "should he be in your mt rushmore" for any wrestler tho since not just as singular as fav wrestler ppl like diff types of wrestling too. Like my top 5 screams technical/story tellers (bret, hbk, raven, mick Foley, bryan danielson) A difinitive is hard cus hell even most wrestlers when asked have like "the last 50 or so years" mindset too. But we know most say "Hogan, Rock/HBK, Austin, Flair"

If Gorgeous George made it sports entertainment, then Adrian Street glammed up the gimmick. If you haven’t done him already, do Street next. His influence is far and wide.

I had heard the big decline in popularity in the fifties was precipitated by a major newspaper accidentally printing the results on their sports page a day too soon.

This video is click bait,we know who gorgeous is

pretentious of you to think I've never heard of him.

I love those. More wrestling history please