Nickname(s): The Human Orchid
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 215 lbs.
From: Butte, NE
Birthday: Mar 24
Pro Debut: 1932
Aliases: George Wagner
Feds worked for: TSW
Career Highlights: -AWA (Boston) World Champion
-California Light Heavyweight Champion
-Los Angeles Champion
-Northwest Middleweight Champion
-NWA (Illinois) World Champion
-NWA (Georgia) Southern Champion
-NWA Gulf Coast Champion
-Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Champion (4x)
Affiliates: Cherie Dupree, Jeffries, Thomas Ross
Notable Feuds: Billy Watson
Other Facts: -Husband of pro wrestling valet Cherie Dupree
-Began competing at carnivals at age 14. He was being booked by top promoters by age 17.
-First wrestler to use entrance music. He came to the ring to "Pomp and Circumstance"
-Instisted the ring be sprayed with Chanel #5, which he called "Chanel #10" because he didn't want to be "half-safe".
-Died his hair blonde and used gold-plated bobby-pins, which he referred to as "Georgie pins". He would throw these to the members of the audience.
-Became the world's first major television wrestling star.
-Lucille Ball & Bob Hope both personally donated hundreds of chic robes for George's collection.
-By the 1950s, he was paid over $100 000 a year, making him the highest paid athlete in the world.
-Lost a match to Billy Watson in 1959, which resulted in him having his head shaved. 20 000 people watched this llive and millions more saw it on national TV. He again lost his hair to the Destroyer in a Mask-vs-Hair match in 1962. This was his last match.
-Owned a cocktail lounge called "
Gorgeous George's Ringside Restaurant"
-Influenced many performers both in and out of the ring, including Muhammed Ali (who saw George when he was 19), James Brown & Bob Dylan.
-Appeared in the movie "Alias the Champ" in 1949.
-Passed away Decenber 26, 1963 at the age of 48
