Another WWE Hall Of Fame Name Revealed

[John]

WWE sent out the following press release today:

Gorgeous George Enters Hall of Fame

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--World Wrestling Entertainment® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Gorgeous George, the man often credited with creating American pop culture and who set the standard for future WWE Superstars and influenced such greats as Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Bob Dylan, will be inducted into the WWE® Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010. His 96 year-old former wife, Betty Wagner will accept the honor on his behalf. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be broadcast that night on USA Network at 11 PM ET from the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Gorgeous George's was a pop-culture innovator who took risks pushing the social envelope and did things that no other performer had ever dared to do," said CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon. "He was a cultural tour-de-force who set the standard that many in the world of sports and entertainment still emulate today."

The significance of Gorgeous George's legacy led WWE Studios to option the rights to his story for a major motion picture slated to begin production in 1Q 2011.

Muhammad Ali, whose notorious boastful and arrogant style derived from George, stated, "I made up my mind after meeting Gorgeous George to make people angry at me...I saw 15,000 people comin' to see this man get beat. And his talking did it. I said this is a good idea."

Bob Dylan, the music poet, said, "A mighty spirit. Crossing paths with Gorgeous George, was all the recognition and encouragement I would need for years to come."

Gorgeous George, born George Wagner, single-handedly changed the dynamics of not only wrestling, but entertainment and sports in the 1940s-1950s. His character was an arrogant aristocrat dressed in silk, lace and chiffon robes who spoke in a braggadocio style, often referring to himself as "The Toast of the Coast" and "The Sensation of the Nation." Audiences around the country came to see Gorgeous George perform live, and tuned their TV sets in to see what he would say or do next, making Gorgeous George one of the biggest celebrities of his day, and an influence on pop culture for generations to come. As popular as Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, media observers believe more Americans purchased televisions to watch Gorgeous George perform than to see Milton Berle.

Others to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame on March 27 include Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase Sr., former Women's Champion Wendi Richter, Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon and Japanese legend Antonio Inoki.

I'd expect an announcement tonight on RAW.

 

[str8edgepunk]

I think they might hold this off until next week and have Austin announce that Stu Hart will be inducted after all. Unless they announce both tonight.

 

[THE Renegade Diesel]

Excuse the lack of really old school wrestling knowledge,

but is he just a filler or something? I've never heard of this "Legend".

 

[He who knows more than Nation]

^^^Let's put it this way, without Gorgeous George, wrestling would probably still be sold as a legit sport and wrestlers would still be wearing wool tights.
When people ask who the most influential wrestler ever is, this is really the only answer, but since no one on the net is that old, he is often over looked.But he really is the most influential worker ever and it's not much of a debate, he was the first showman in the biz and ever since him, that's the direction wrestling has taken. Gorgeous George's legend really is the only legend that transcends wrestling.

 

[MizMasta3000]

OMFG About fucking time tbh. I love Gorgeous George. He really defined sports ENTERTAINMENT and is finally getting inducted. :clap:

 

[NinoBrown]

Only Gorgeous George I know of is the valet/female wrestler from WCW.

 

[Kizza]

I'm surprised it took this long.

 

[straight_edge76]

I've read up on Gorgeous George being that other than a chapter about him in a book I read called Wrestling Renegades I had absolutely no clue who he was. His induction is far pasr due. From what I have read is basically without him guys like Hogan, Austin, The Rock would not exist. He was (from what I have read) the original character in professional wrestling. Without him realistically the WWE would be filled with guys like Charlie Haas. Which from a in-ring standpoint would not be 100% bad but I doubt the wrestling buisness would be what it is today without him.

 

[missmondaynight]

wow he should had been a charter member of the HOF

 

[MizMasta3000]

Dude Josh I have that book lol

 

[LadyHotrod]

Excuse the lack of really old school wrestling knowledge,

but is he just a filler or something? I've never heard of this "Legend".

Holy fuck, you have made me cry.

He was the first wrestler to use entrance music (ironically, his was Pomp and Circumstance, which Macho Man would later steal, and then he would later date the whore, Gorgeous George, who should have never stolen such a great legend's name).

A bunch of wrestlers steal shit from him. Undertaker has a long ass entrance that is usually longer than his actual matches, just like George. Ric Flair has robes like George. Macho Man stole his song. Gorgeous Whore stole his name. Rick Martel came to the ring with perfume, as did George.

He was one of the best heels ever. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DRINK AND DIE, GEORGE.

[yt]2mPNEH2HSqc[/yt]
[yt]Zz6DgE176UI[/yt]
[yt]o85kkpCelZU[/yt]

Gorgeous George is the fucking bomb, pimpin' his ass off in the afterlife.

 

[MizMasta3000]

He would be dead anyway more than likely, his former wife is 96.

 

[LadyHotrod]

I know.

I was more referring to him drinking too much and dying before his time. If he didn't get fucked up from drinking, he wouldn't have retired when he did.