George Raymond Wagner (March 24, 1915 â€" December 26, 1963) was an
American professional wrestler known by his ring name Gorgeous George.
In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional
Wrestling in the 1940sâ€"1950s, Gorgeous George was one of the biggest
stars of the sport, gaining media attention for his outrageous
character, which was described as flamboyant and charismatic. He 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.Wagner, of
German heritage, was born March 24, 1915 in Butte, Nebraska. For a
time, his family lived on a farm near the village of Phoenix in Holt
County and probably in Seward County before they moved to Waterloo,
Iowa and later Sioux City. When he was 7 years old, Wagner's family
moved to Houston, Texas, where he associated with kids from a tough
neighborhood. As a child, he trained at the local YMCA and often
staged matches against his friends.In 1929, he dropped out of Milby
High School at 14, and worked odd jobs to help support his family. At
this time, he competed at carnivals, where he could earn 35 cents for
a win. By age 17, he was getting booked by the region's top promoter,
Morris Siegel, and in 1938, he won his first title by defeating Buck
Lipscomb for Northwest Middleweight crown. Moreover, on May 19, 1939,
he captured the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship.At 5 ft 9
in and 215 pounds (1.75 m and 98 kg), Wagner was not especially
physically imposing by professional wrestling standards, nor was he an
exceptional athlete, although he was a gifted amateur wrestler.
Nevertheless, he soon developed a reputation as a solid in-ring
wrestler. In the late 1930s, he met Elizabeth "Betty" Hanson, whom he
would later marry in an in-ring ceremony. When the wedding proved a
good drawing card, the couple re-enacted it in arenas across the
country enlightening Wagner to the potential entertainment value that
was left untapped within the industry. Around this same time, Vanity
Fair magazine published a feature article about a professional
wrestler named 'Lord' Patrick Lansdowne, who entered the ring
accompanied by two valets while wearing a velvet robe and doublet.
Wagner was impressed with the bravado of such a character, but he
believed that he could take it to a much greater extreme. What he
needed was a new professional persona.
American professional wrestler known by his ring name Gorgeous George.
In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional
Wrestling in the 1940sâ€"1950s, Gorgeous George was one of the biggest
stars of the sport, gaining media attention for his outrageous
character, which was described as flamboyant and charismatic. He 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.Wagner, of
German heritage, was born March 24, 1915 in Butte, Nebraska. For a
time, his family lived on a farm near the village of Phoenix in Holt
County and probably in Seward County before they moved to Waterloo,
Iowa and later Sioux City. When he was 7 years old, Wagner's family
moved to Houston, Texas, where he associated with kids from a tough
neighborhood. As a child, he trained at the local YMCA and often
staged matches against his friends.In 1929, he dropped out of Milby
High School at 14, and worked odd jobs to help support his family. At
this time, he competed at carnivals, where he could earn 35 cents for
a win. By age 17, he was getting booked by the region's top promoter,
Morris Siegel, and in 1938, he won his first title by defeating Buck
Lipscomb for Northwest Middleweight crown. Moreover, on May 19, 1939,
he captured the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship.At 5 ft 9
in and 215 pounds (1.75 m and 98 kg), Wagner was not especially
physically imposing by professional wrestling standards, nor was he an
exceptional athlete, although he was a gifted amateur wrestler.
Nevertheless, he soon developed a reputation as a solid in-ring
wrestler. In the late 1930s, he met Elizabeth "Betty" Hanson, whom he
would later marry in an in-ring ceremony. When the wedding proved a
good drawing card, the couple re-enacted it in arenas across the
country enlightening Wagner to the potential entertainment value that
was left untapped within the industry. Around this same time, Vanity
Fair magazine published a feature article about a professional
wrestler named 'Lord' Patrick Lansdowne, who entered the ring
accompanied by two valets while wearing a velvet robe and doublet.
Wagner was impressed with the bravado of such a character, but he
believed that he could take it to a much greater extreme. What he
needed was a new professional persona.
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