Photo: CurtTeich / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gorgeous George is one of those figures I find genuinely pivotal, even if his name has faded. Watching how the histories describe him, I see a wrestler who understood that the show mattered as much as the contest. The flamboyant, theatrical heel he built in the 1940s and 1950s basically invented the template later stars would ride to fame. What strikes me is how a kid out of Butte, Nebraska turned outrage into box office, earning a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. He died young, in 1963, but his influence on entertainment far outlasted him, and that staying power is what I respect most.
Overview
George Raymond Wagner (March 24, 1915 – December 26, 1963), known by his ring name Gorgeous George, was an American professional wrestler. In the United States, during the "First Golden Age" of professional wrestling (1940s–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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gorgeous George
- Name (Japanese)
- ゴージャス・ジョージ
- Reading
- ごーじゃす・じょーじ
- Born
- March 24, 1915 – December 26, 1963
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rabbit
- Origin
- Butte, Nebraska, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 175 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- professional wrestler / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Milby High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- WWE Hall of Fame
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Professional wrestler — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.