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The book is broken into three acts, which in turn, highlight his early life during the depression era, his rise to fame in professional wrestling and his untimely passing respectively. The book also features three separate chapters based on the influence Gorgeous George had on Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali and James Brown.
The first act of the book goes into great detail about Gorgeous George (real name is George Wagner) growing up in the depression era south. The first few chapters discuss how much the Wagner Family moved around during George’s early childhood and the eventual failing health of his mother, which took a great toll on George’s life after she passed away.
The book also looks at the friends George had during his childhood, as they were known as the Harrisburg Rats. The Harrisburg Rats would perform pro wrestling moves in front of passer bys for whatever change was thrown their way. Interestingly enough, various members of the Harrisburg Rats would go onto become professional wrestlers, one of which, would become Gorgeous George’s valet, known as “Jeffries.â€
The first act would conclude with Gorgeous George telling his father of his dream to become a pro wrestler and how his father told him that he would never make it in the business, but Gorgeous George would go onto prove him wrong.
The second act begins with Gorgeous George’s start in the pro wrestling industry under his real name, George Wagner. The book goes into detail about how George Wagner found it rough making it in the early part of his career as a baby face, barely moving outside of the opening match on most cards. This would all change after George Wagner would meet his first wife, a pistol of a woman he knew as Betty. Along with Betty, George Wagner would slowly transform into Gorgeous George, a wrestler who was way ahead of his time, in terms of skill and characterization.
Gorgeous George would become popular in the perfect time because he star began to rise along with the rise of a new invention, known as television. In the early days of television, professional wrestling was shown more than any other programming and Gorgeous George became the biggest star of his era as he capitalized on the exposure of television. The popularity and fame would eventually go to the head of Gorgeous George and it would eventually lead to a divorce from Betty and a long estrangement from his children.
The final act of this book starts off with the initial decline of both Gorgeous George the wrestler and Gorgeous George the man. After a falling out with former wife Betty, Gorgeous George would go onto marry another woman known as Cherie. Cherie would go onto become a valet for Gorgeous George and even get physically involved in some of those matches. Unfortunately, Gorgeous George and Cherie would eventually divorce and Cherie would be the last woman Gorgeous George would ever marry.
Gorgeous George would eventually retire from the ring after failing health caused him to be hospitalized, although he would make several comebacks to do hair vs. hair matches. Gorgeous George would sadly pass away in late 1963, and the war between his ex-wives over his funeral is covered in great detail. Also sad, is that when Gorgeous George passed away, he was a shell of his former self and living in near poverty like conditions.
This book on the life of Gorgeous George is a must read for any wrestling fan out there, as Gorgeous George’s life is something that she be looked at by all readers out there.
You can contact David Tees at bigtees360@yahoo.com
