1. Gorgeous George was a major national celebrity at his peak, and was a pioneer of early entertainment television.
18 Facts About Gorgeous George
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Gorgeous George was posthumously inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002 and the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010.
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Gorgeous George quickly antagonized the fans with his exaggerated effeminate behavior when the ring announcer introduced him as "Gorgeous George".
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Gorgeous George was recruited to Los Angeles by promoter Johnny Doyle.
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Gorgeous George transformed his ring entrance into a bonafide spectacle that would often take up more time than his actual matches.
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Gorgeous George strolled nobly to the ring to the sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance", followed by his valet and a purple spotlight.
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Gorgeous George was the industry's first true cowardly villain, and he would cheat at every opportunity, which infuriated the crowd.
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Consequently, it was Gorgeous George who brought the sport into the nation's living rooms, as his histrionics and melodramatic behavior made him a larger-than-life figure in American pop culture.
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Gorgeous George immediately became a national celebrity at the same level of Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, who personally donated hundreds of chic robes for George's collection, while changing the course of the industry.
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On May 26,1950, Gorgeous George defeated Don Eagle to claim the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, which he held for several months.
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In one of his final matches, Gorgeous George later faced off against, and lost to, an up-and-coming Bruno Sammartino.
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Gorgeous George lost his precious hair again, when he was defeated by the Destroyer in a hair vs mask match at the Olympic Auditorium on November 7,1962.
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Gorgeous George appeared in one motion picture, Alias the Champ, made in 1949, which featured wrestler Tor Johnson.
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Gorgeous George used his showman skills to promote his prized poultry at his wrestling matches and sport shows.
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Gorgeous George raised turkeys and owned a cocktail lounge in Van Nuys, California, which he named "Gorgeous George's Ringside Restaurant".
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Gorgeous George suffered a heart attack on December 24,1963, and died two days later, at age 48.
17.
In September 2008, the first full-length biography of Gorgeous George was published by HarperEntertainment Press.
18.
The film Queen of the Ring depicts Gorgeous George played by Adam Demos.