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GORGEOUS GEORGE
– Dick Steinborn
February 1, 2003
Let me tell you an interesting story about ‘Gorgeous’ George Wagner.
He was on his way to Australia and had his last bookings in Georgia. The boys always had Thursday nights off. Ray Gunkel, after
guaranteeing George $1,500.00 that week, decided to book a show in Chatsworth, Georgia.
This town had never been run before, and the bingo parlor owner, who had repeatedly requested wrestling in his hall, got the phone call
from Ray without much notice for enough time for advance publicity.
I worked on the card that night. Once the ring was put up, you could not slam somebody for scraping his heels against the drop ceiling
that was ever so close. There were no chairs, but weather-warped benches pulled in from the softball field behind the building. The only
traffic light in the village was a caution light. It was a nowhere town.
When George arrived, he came in the dressing room. After witnessing only 37 people in the building, he said, “Is this a joke or what?
Does this town run every week?�
After explaining to G.G. that we are usually off on Thursdays, George then made the statement, “That S.O.B. Gunkel did this because I
am on a week guarantee.�
Over the years in my many meetings with G.G., I always considered him to be a first class #1 trooper. He, like my Dad, was from the old
school, and protected the business as much as possible.
George went into his routine, now with an attitude. He requested the promoter come into the dressing room. George asked him if he
had a P.A. system. “No, I’ve got a bull horn�, said the promoter.
Now George got serious. He explained to the dumbfounded promoter that he had to play his 45 rpm record of “Pomp and
Circumstance�. The promoter had to run home and get his child's Barbie 45 rpm player, and return to the arena, where he was told
by George to put the bull horn at the sound to at least let the 37 fans witness the “Great One’s� entrance.
He then told the promoter that he was going to make two appearances in the ring. The first was to make a speech to the fans, return to
the dressing room, and then reenter with his music.
George got in the ring, and without a bull horn, started his speech that lasted about two minutes. He informed them of his
accomplishments, how he held the record in Chicago, drawing 20,000 in most of the cards, mentioning some of the big names in the
game that he had defeated.
It was really inspiring to hear him tell it all, and then (and I’ll never forget this) he blurted out, as loud as he could, these last words...â
€�But I want you people to know that after my match tonight, this crowd will go down in my history book as the smallest crowd that I have
ever performed in front of!�
Some of the fans applauded as George returned to the dressing room and came out as if there were 20,000 people there. He stopped
and snarled at the fans, had his female valet spray the ring, threw his Georgie pins to the fans, even sticking his nose up at some elderly
lady who begged for one of the souvenirs.
I watched this veteran perform as if he was in Madison Square Garden. 37 people witnessed a rarity portrayed by a celebrity. He was a
real trooper.
– Dick Steinborn
February 1, 2003
Let me tell you an interesting story about ‘Gorgeous’ George Wagner.
He was on his way to Australia and had his last bookings in Georgia. The boys always had Thursday nights off. Ray Gunkel, after
guaranteeing George $1,500.00 that week, decided to book a show in Chatsworth, Georgia.
This town had never been run before, and the bingo parlor owner, who had repeatedly requested wrestling in his hall, got the phone call
from Ray without much notice for enough time for advance publicity.
I worked on the card that night. Once the ring was put up, you could not slam somebody for scraping his heels against the drop ceiling
that was ever so close. There were no chairs, but weather-warped benches pulled in from the softball field behind the building. The only
traffic light in the village was a caution light. It was a nowhere town.
When George arrived, he came in the dressing room. After witnessing only 37 people in the building, he said, “Is this a joke or what?
Does this town run every week?�
After explaining to G.G. that we are usually off on Thursdays, George then made the statement, “That S.O.B. Gunkel did this because I
am on a week guarantee.�
Over the years in my many meetings with G.G., I always considered him to be a first class #1 trooper. He, like my Dad, was from the old
school, and protected the business as much as possible.
George went into his routine, now with an attitude. He requested the promoter come into the dressing room. George asked him if he
had a P.A. system. “No, I’ve got a bull horn�, said the promoter.
Now George got serious. He explained to the dumbfounded promoter that he had to play his 45 rpm record of “Pomp and
Circumstance�. The promoter had to run home and get his child's Barbie 45 rpm player, and return to the arena, where he was told
by George to put the bull horn at the sound to at least let the 37 fans witness the “Great One’s� entrance.
He then told the promoter that he was going to make two appearances in the ring. The first was to make a speech to the fans, return to
the dressing room, and then reenter with his music.
George got in the ring, and without a bull horn, started his speech that lasted about two minutes. He informed them of his
accomplishments, how he held the record in Chicago, drawing 20,000 in most of the cards, mentioning some of the big names in the
game that he had defeated.
It was really inspiring to hear him tell it all, and then (and I’ll never forget this) he blurted out, as loud as he could, these last words...â
€�But I want you people to know that after my match tonight, this crowd will go down in my history book as the smallest crowd that I have
ever performed in front of!�
Some of the fans applauded as George returned to the dressing room and came out as if there were 20,000 people there. He stopped
and snarled at the fans, had his female valet spray the ring, threw his Georgie pins to the fans, even sticking his nose up at some elderly
lady who begged for one of the souvenirs.
I watched this veteran perform as if he was in Madison Square Garden. 37 people witnessed a rarity portrayed by a celebrity. He was a
real trooper.
