Gorgeous George: Wrestling's First Superstar
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- A short documentary film on Gorgeous George by William Adams for Professor Steve Middleton's, Instructor of Mass Communication at Morehead State University, Feature in Documentary class.
This man had a crazy, versatile influence on history/pop culture. Consider that Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan both met him around 1960-61, when both were around 20 years old. And both considered their meeting with him, one of the key influences on their life and career.
Ali plagiarized George's rhetoric.
George had a girl in every port (place where he wrestled) His girl in Oakland was my Mom's best friend, so she got us ring side seats and I got a personalized autograph that said 'Best wishes Bobby', your pal Gorgeous George. I hated being called Bobby at the age of 10, but this was 1950 and no one else had his autograph. I wish I still had it.
He's probably your daddy
@@jacktravers5049 ouch!
ur 82
@@jacktravers5049 good one! Haha!!!
Some years ago I was in Buffalo NY and together with my grandfather went to a yard sale. For 25 cents I bought a scrap album full of autographed pictures of professional wrestlers from the 50s and 60s. One was of gorgeous George and it even included one of his bobby-pins.
It’s been said that Gorgeous George caused more Americans to go out and buy Television Sets in the early 50’s than any other person.
Except maybe Liberace who was a huge TV star.
@@syourke3 wasn't he inspired by George?
@@mikesanders2500he was, as well as Muhammed Ali
@@RAB6969 so was Bob Dylan
@@BillyBob-ec5oxAnd James Brown
'A couple of days before I fought Sabedong, I did a radio programme with Gorgeous George. First, they asked me about my fight. And I can't say I was humble, but I wasn't too loud. Then they asked Gorgeous George about a wrestling match he was having in the same arena, and he started shouting, 'I'll kill him; I'll tear his arm off. If this bum beats me, I'll crawl across the ring and cut my hair, but it's not gonna happen because I'm the best wrestler in the world.' And all the time, I'm saying to myself, 'Man, I want to see this fight. It don't matter if he wins or loses; I want to be there to see what happens.' And the whole place was sold out when George wrestled. There was thousands of people, including me. And that's when I decided I'd never been shy about talking, but if I talked even more, there was no telling how much money people would pay to see me.' Muhamad Ali
Dang how old are you?
@@JihadBunnydick 137 years old
Ron Ross.This who Muhammad Ali patterned his style after.
@@missayawk yes i remember ali saying that's where he got the idea for all the brashness and self promotion and we all went for it and loved it.
Georgeous George is the name of Macho Mans former valet
This man has inspired people for years.
The main one being Muhammad Ali
@@missayawk Or guys like Buddy Rodgers, Billy Graham, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, etc, etc
@@missayawk don’t forget Bob Dylan
Never let it be overlooked that under all the schtick, the showmanship, George was a solid wrestler who knew and performed the hard basics of Greco-Roman wrestling.
you had to be able to shoot back then or someone would just steal your title
@@alanmacdonald1457well back then it came from actual wrestling until everyone knew them ninjas were just fixing matches and trying to make them as entertaining as possible lol
wrestling became fixed before the 1900s so it was already pretty far from its original wrestling roots in the 50s @@Maynard-il1yj
Everything I ever heard about him claimed he was never anything but cordial and kind outside the ring.
if i could go back in time i would love to see Gorgeous george in person .
He was before my time but my dad met him and spoke highly of him. Apparently he was a really nice guy out of the ring.
Angelo Poffo, who you mentioned as paying for George's grave, is the father of Randy Poffo, aka Randy "Macho Man" Savage, who also used "Pomp and Circumstance" as his ring entrance music.
Muhammad Ali said that Gorgeous George was his inspiration. Superstar Billy Graham said that he was influenced by Muhammad Ali. Hulk Hogan said that he was inspired by Superstar Billy Graham. Hulk Hogan influenced a lot of future wrestlers. Not to mention GG influenced Legends like Buddy Rogers, Freddie Blassie, Adrian Street, Ric Flair, etc. What a Legacy.
Yup. Old Georgie sits so far back on the evolutionary line of pro-wrestling you'd have easier time listing off the wrestlers who DIDN'T crib a page or two from his book. He was, to put it simply, a showman. Not necessarily innovating, but crystalizing many tropes and conventions we know today and bringing them to a wider audience. And that influence would spread out other fields of sports and entertainment.
But he wasn't the first like that...
he seemed like a perfect hell and got everyone to hate and despise him. I'm sure it sold a lot of people on wrestling.
There should be a film of him
you're right
Not only a showman, George was also a well regarded amateur wrestler. He could take care of himself.
Crazy he influenced Muhammad Ali and Ric flair and laid the blueprint for Floyd’s career and McGregors
My grandparents lived next door to him long ago.
Great video, folks! 🍻🍻
Great job with the video. Really enjoyed it. 👍🏼😂
I read that Gorgeous George and Liberace helped sell the new invention called the tv set.
I wish I had it.....My Aunt Betty had an original gold Georgie pin, he threw to the ringside fans....I saw it when I was little and didnt know who Georgie was
★ Gorgeous George ★
He was mentioned on TV show I Love Lucy
I often wondered if they tried to use adrian adonis as a spin off of gorgeous george
I think Vince had Adrian Street in mind. But George was his own phenom.
The first wrestler with personality
My favorite wrestler! He was the original Slick Ric Flair!
wooo
He was world champion for over a year he qas the b ❤
I'm a non bianary person and tend to dress very androgynous. I used to get teased a lot before male looking people wearing skirts was cool. Even my family had issues with me. Then I saw an old video of Gorgeous George dressed like I did and kicking ass. He made me feel cool. I was born almost 30 years after he left us in body, but HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US IN SPIRIT! RIP George, you made me and wrestling what it is today!
So pretty much this guy started the trend of Bleach Blond Hair, Flashy Robe and Flamboyant attitude that inspired the likes of Buddy Rodgers, Billy Graham, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, etc, etc
yep he was the man who made wraslin the way it is today.
He was the first wrestler to have entrance music as far as I know of. It was Pomp and Circumstance which macho man used 20 years later.
And he was the ultimate heel in the ring, too.
He wasn't.
Look up Lord Lansdowne and Dizzy Davis.
As obnoxious & bellicose as George was in the ring, everything I heard about him claimed he was very nice & friendly outside the ring. There was a Harvey cartoon with Beautiful Bob.
Random thought, but he looks like HHH's long lost father 😅
Gorgeous Feorge was in his " Soft guy era "
Just saw a clip of Ali and here i am.
He was the first TELEVISION superstar, but definitely not the first overall.
❤ 0:09
Hey how you doing can you do me a favor and let me know what Gorgeous George moveset is I created him in WWE 2K 22 but I do not know none of your move and I cannot find no information nowhere
Stinkface, the worm, cobra, and 450 splash.
So, about Velveteen Dream…
They should put these wrestlers in the 2k games. Never happened yet...
What about Muldoon, Strangler Lewis, Gotch, Hackenschmidt
Mostly well before TV, and not as charismatic to draw the heat
@@tomconstance2391 totally different era
You knew them?
Adrian Adonis, rick rude ..
Adrian Adonis was a poor man Adrian street
@@nineteeneightynine432 well said!
Back when wrestling was real, honest, and BRUTLE!
Not the first wrestling superstar. Look up Frank Gotch. He was the first tv super star
Lol...Gotch was definitely not on TV. 😂
Interesting. This was Goldust before ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..GOLDUST!
Yes Ali plagurized GG but GG could wrestle whereas a lot of his boxing matches were fixed lot
ok loseing a job is not fun....but promoter Jack Pfefer who got fired and told the truth about Wrestling was just a sorehead.. I imagine the wrestlers of the day wanted to Lynch him for what he did.
I think you forgot who else was influenced by him - Donald Trump… Who has turned playing the heel into the political discourse of our country.
He’s only a heel of you’re a Biden, Pedo Pete loving Leftist POS. We look at you guys and your sick leaders as the Heels. So touche on that front pal
@@BillyBob-ec5ox I’m none of those things - neither marble mouth Biden or disgruntled democrat Trump are my pick.
As for “Playing the Heel” I meant in the professional wrestling sense of the term. Of which he is a hall of fame member. Well versed in Kayfabe
If you don’t know what that is - enjoy this explanation.
ua-cam.com/play/PLuQ8TRX9RdRCP0jcjvR-gWC3x5eU608_F.html
Trump isn't anywhere remotely close to being influenced by Gorgeous George. 😂😂😂
L
Randy Savage used George's music as a tribute and Randy's daddy paid for his graveside
Nah, that's not true. Poffo was just one of several that chipped in. He would have been buried in a pauper's grave otherwise.