Mr. Bob Backlund
Ring name(s)	Bob Backlund Mr. Backlund
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight	113 kg (250 lb)[1]
Born	(1949-08-14) August 14, 1949 (age 62) Princeton, Minnesota
Resides	Glastonbury, Connecticut
Billed from	Princeton, Minnesota[1]
Trained by	Eddie Sharkey
Debut	1973

Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund (born August 14, 1949)^[2][3] is an American professional wrestler with an in-ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he was a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion. Backlund holds the records for the second longest reign as WWE Champion in history, behind Bruno Sammartino.

Backlund was also an accomplished amateur wrestler wrestling for the North Dakota State University Bison in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Backlund continues to work in the pro wrestling business in various capacities. In 2000, Backlund unsuccessfully ran for a Connecticut seat in Congress on a Republican ticket.

Career[link]

In 1969 during his freshman year, Backlund was an All American in both football and wrestling (191 lbs finishing 3rd) while at Waldorf Junior College in Forest City, IA. During his sophomore campaign, Backlund focused on wrestling and once again earned All American Honors (190 lbs and National Runner Up). Backlund was an amateur wrestler at North Dakota State University, winning the Division II NCAA Championship at 190 pounds in 1971. In 1972 Backlund moved up to the Heavyweight class and finished 5th at the NCAA DII Nationals.^[1] Graduate of Princeton, MN High School where he was a state finalist in wrestling. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in physical education.

Turning pro[link]

Backlund was trained for professional wrestling by renowned trainer Eddie Sharkey and made his debut for the American Wrestling Association in 1973. Backlund's clean cut look and technical approach made him a natural face, and he quickly got over with the fans.^[1] After leaving the AWA, Backlund traveled the United States, working for the National Wrestling Alliance in its various territories. In 1974, Backlund wrestled in Texas, for Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk's Amarillo promotion. In March, he defeated Terry Funk for the NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (the promotion's top title). Backlund held it for two months, before losing it to Karl Von Steiger in May.^[4]

In mid-1975, Backlund started working for Georgia Championship Wrestling. He teamed with Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship from Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji in October 1975. They held the belts for two months before losing to Les Thornton and Tony Charles. In 1976, Backlund left Georgia for Championship Wrestling from Florida (NWA Florida). Here he teamed with Steve Keirn to defeat Bob Orton, Jr. and Bob Roop for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship. Backlund and Keirn lost the title to The Hollywood Blonds (Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown) in October 1976.^[4] While working for NWA Florida, Backlund also wrestled in St. Louis, Missouri, for Sam Muchnick’s St. Louis Wrestling Club. Here he defeated Harley Race to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship on April 23, 1976. He lost the title to Jack Brisco on November 26.^[4]

World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation (1977–1984)[link]

In early 1977, Backlund joined Vincent J. McMahon’s World Wide Wrestling Federation.^[5] He was managed by “The Golden Boy” Arnold Skaaland. Less than 4 months into his WWWF run, Backlund received his first shot at the WWWF Championship, against "Superstar" Billy Graham. He lost by countout. Through 1977, Backlund received additional shots at the champion, and his fortunes started to change; the two went to a double countout in one match,^[6] then Backlund defeated Graham, but by countout (the title can only change hands via pinfall or submission). ^[7] On February 20, 1978, at Madison Square Garden, Backlund finally scored a pinfall victory over Graham and won the title,^[4] despite Graham’s leg being on the rope during the pinfall.^[8]

He also challenged for the WWF World Tag Team Championship with Peter Maivia, but Maivia turned on and attacked him and Skaaland. This led the usually even-tempered Backlund to go berserk in the post-match interview, screaming to interviewer Vince McMahon that he was going to "kill that son of a bitch!".

Three days after winning the WWWF Title, Backlund clashed with the NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race in a rare “WWWF vs. NWA” title match. Both titles were on the line, but neither changed hands as the two fought to a 60-minute time limit draw.^[9] Defending against other champions became a recurring theme in Backlund’s run with the title. He faced the AWA World Heavyweight Champion (Nick Bockwinkel)^[10] and two NWA World Heavyweight Champions (Harley Race four times and Ric Flair once)^[11] in highly publicized matches. He engaged in a series of scientific matches against NWF World Champion Antonio Inoki. He defeated the Florida Champion Don Muraco.^[12] In 1982, he battled "International Champion" Billy Robinson to a 63-minute curfew draw in Montreal.^[13]

Backlund defended his WWF Title against many professional wrestling stars, including Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, Greg Valentine, Don Muraco, Billy Graham, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Adrian Adonis, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, The Iron Shiek, Nikolai Volkoff, Victor Rivera, Spiros Arion, Larry Zbyszko, Jimmy Snuka, Mr. Fuji, Mr. Saito, Professor Toru Tanaka, The Masked Superstar, Swede Hanson, Ivan Koloff, Stan Stasiak, Ken Patera, Antonio Inoki, Bobby Duncam, John Studd, Johnny Rodz, Blackjack Mulligan, Charlie Fulton, Iron Mike Sharpe, Killer Khan, Afa, Sika, Johnny Valiant, Jimmy Valiant, Jerry Valiant, The Moondogs, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Stan Hansen, Rick Martel, Rene Goulet, Crusher Blackwell, Gorilla Monsoon, Lou Albano, Lord Alfred Hayes, Bob Orton Jr., Buddy Rose, Baron Mikel Scicluna, Baron Von Raschke, Jimmy Garvin, Ron Bass, Tony Atlas, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, Peter Maivia, Ernie Ladd, Bulldog Bob Brower, Raymond Rougeau, King Curtis, Killer Kowalski, George Steele, and The Shiek.^{[citation needed]}

On August 9, 1980, Backlund teamed with Pedro Morales to capture the WWF World Tag Team Championship from The Wild Samoans at Showdown at Shea. Backlund and Morales were forced to vacate the title due to a then-extant WWF rule stating that no one can hold two championships at the same time.^[14] Backlund had more tag team success when he (along with Antonio Inoki) won the "1980 MSG Tag Team League Tournament", last defeating Hulk Hogan and Stan Hansen on December 10 in Osaka, Japan. Backlund and Inoki finished the tournament with seven wins and two double-countout decisions.

Title controversy[link]

It is claimed by some^[who?] that when Backlund’s WWF Title was held up after a match in New York City against Greg Valentine on October 19, 1981, after a dazed referee "accidentally" gave the title belt to Valentine (storyline),^[15] it constituted an interruption of Backlund’s title reign. However, Backlund was billed as the WWF Champion in other cities in the days following the controversy.^[16] In the early part of the 1980s, when no promotion held nationally televised events, it was not uncommon practice to “hold up” the title in one area (to build interest in a rematch the "former" champion would win) while ignoring the situation in other parts of the territory. On November 23, Backlund pinned Valentine for the "Vacant in New York Only" WWF title.^[17]

End of an era[link]

After having been popular with the fans from early on, in the final months of his title reign fans had seemingly grown weary of "Howdy Doody" (as The Grand Wizard had dubbed Backlund). In 1983, he was voted The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Most Overrated Wrestler. Vincent K. McMahon (who had bought the WWF from his father), wanted to put the title on the more charismatic and muscular Hulk Hogan. McMahon initially suggested Backlund turn heel and lose to Hogan but, when Backlund refused, a transitional champion became necessary between Backlund and Hogan. On December 26, 1983, Backlund (recently "injured" in a TV angle in which The Iron Sheik assaulted him with his Persian clubs) lost the title to The Iron Sheik. Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel while Backlund was locked in the Camel Clutch.^[4] Because Backlund was declared "injured", he was denied an automatic rematch. Instead, Hulk Hogan was given a title shot, and became the new WWF Champion.^[18] Backlund continued to work for the WWF for a while after the title change, but did not receive another shot at the belt. On August 4, 1984, Backlund defeated Salvatore Bellomo in his last WWF match for 8 years.^[19]

After the WWF and semi-retirement (1984-1992)[link]

After leaving the WWF, Backlund had a run in the short-lived Pro Wrestling USA, a joint promotion of the NWA and the American Wrestling Association (AWA), meant to combat the national expansion of the WWF. In Pro Wrestling USA, Backlund unsuccessfully challenged AWA Champion Rick Martel. He soon dropped out of the pro wrestling scene. He made a surprise return in 1991 for Herb Abrams' short-lived UWF. At "Beach Brawl" (the UWF’s only pay-per-view event), he defeated Ivan Koloff.^[20] Backlund also wrestled for Newborn UWF and UWF International in Japan, in a series of matches with Nobuhiko Takada.

Return to the WWF (1992–1997)[link]

In 1992, Backlund returned to the WWF.^[21] During his absence, the WWF had expanded into an international wrestling promotion, due in part to the colorful characters of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection Era", which Hulk Hogan helped to kickstart eight years prior. Backlund, whose persona remained the same as it was in his heyday, seemed to be out of step with the evolution of the WWF. Many fans did not remember him, as he had left just prior to Vince McMahon's national expansion. His initial period in the WWF was largely uneventful and he mainly wrestled mid-card matches. However, at the 1993 Royal Rumble, he lasted sixty-one minutes and ten seconds,^[22] a duration record that would not be broken until 2004 (by Chris Benoit). Backlund's first appearance at a WrestleMania event (WrestleMania IX) was a losing effort in a match with Razor Ramon.^[23]

On the July 28, 1994 episode of Superstars, Backlund wrestled what was billed as an "Old Generation vs. New Generation" match with Bret Hart, with Hart's WWF Championship on the line. Over the preceding weeks, the WWF aired vignettes of Backlund training for this match. Hart won the match, capitalizing after Backlund mistakenly believed he had won and helped Hart to his feet. Backlund "snapped" after Hart repeatedly tried to offer a sportsmanlike handshake following the match. He slapped Hart in the face and locked him in the crossface chickenwing submission hold, while screaming hysterically. After finally releasing the hold, Backlund stared at his hands in apparent shock. Backlund then started to regularly "snap" in similar fashion during his matches, viciously attacking his opponent with the crossface chickenwing and refusing to release it after the opponent submitted. He would then seemingly snap back to normal and appear horrified by what he had done.^[1]

On an episode of Monday Night Raw shortly after his match with Hart, Backlund claimed that he should still be considered the legitimate WWF Champion, as he had not been pinned by The Iron Sheik, nor submitted to the camel clutch. Backlund continued wrestling under the new gimmick of an out of touch and highly volatile eccentric, out to teach "The New Generation" a lesson.^[1] He dressed in business suits, had a hyperactive personality and used (and often misused) large words to try to sound superiorly intelligent. He demanded that he be addressed as Mr. Backlund. He would only sign autographs for wrestling fans if they could recite the names of all of the U.S. Presidents in chronological order. On several instances, he assaulted wrestlers and other WWF employees and placed them in the crossface chickenwing. These victims include Jim Ross, Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, WWF Magazine writer Lou Gianfriddo, and his former manager Arnold Skaaland, who he blamed for costing him the WWF Title in 1983.

On November 23, 1994, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in San Antonio, Texas, Backlund faced Bret Hart in a "Throw in the Towel" submission match for the WWF Championship. Bret's brother Owen Hart in Backlund's corner (carrying what Backlund claimed to be the same towel Skaaland threw into the ring in 1983) and Davey Boy Smith in Hart's. The object of the match was to place the opponent in a submission hold and make his cornerman throw in the towel. Late in the match, Smith chased Owen (who had interfered behind the referee's back to break a submission), but missed him and hit the ringside stairs head first. When Bret turned around to argue with his brother, Backlund took advantage and locked the crossface chickenwing on the champion. Hart fought the hold for an unprecedented eight-and-a-half minutes, but refused to give up. With Bulldog incapacitated, Owen, feigning concern for his brother, walked over to his parents (Stu and Helen) seated at ringside and pleaded with them to throw the towel in to save Bret from injury. He handed the towel to his mother. After several minutes (during which Stu Hart argued with Helen against Owen's plea, and ripped the towel from her hands), Helen Hart threw in the towel, giving the 35-minute match and the WWF Championship to Backlund.^[1][4]

Backlund's second reign as WWF Champion was a short one. He lost the title three days later to Diesel at an untelevised show in Madison Square Garden,^[4] the site of many of Backlund's victories in the 1970s and 1980s. This match is the shortest WWF Title match ever. Diesel kicked Backlund in the stomach, hit him with a Jackknife Powerbomb and pinned him in eight seconds.^[1] For weeks afterwards, fans jeered Backlund with chants of "Eight seconds! Eight seconds!" In a 2005 interview for the Pro Wrestling Torch, Kevin Nash (AKA Diesel) recalled how Backlund sold his Jackknife Powerbomb by crawling up the aisleway, back to the dressing room area of the Garden. Nash said, "He couldn't have put me over any stronger." This match was the last time the WWF Championship changed hands at a non-televised event.

After the title loss, Backlund wrestled progressively less often, never again reaching main event status. One of his final WWF matches was an "I Quit" match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XI on April 2, 1995. He lost, though he never actually said "I quit", instead screaming unintelligibly into the microphone, which special guest referee Roddy Piper seemed to interpret as "I quit."^[24]

Following WrestleMania, the WWF ran an angle in which Backlund declared his candidacy for President of the United States. Several vignettes aired, featuring Backlund preaching socially conservative values. One showed him campaigning at a beach. This angle was quietly dropped before it reached a conclusion.

From late 1996 to early 1997, Backlund joined forces with his old nemesis, The Iron Sheik, to manage The Sultan in the WWF.^[1]

Return to the WWF (2000)[link]

He returned to the WWF in the 2000 Royal Rumble. After that, he briefly managed Intercontinental and European Champion Kurt Angle. He taught his crossface chickenwing submission hold to Angle. Later on, Angle fired Backlund and locked him in that move, after discovering Backlund had booked him in a two-fall Triple Threat match against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho (with both of his titles on the line) at WrestleMania 2000.^[1]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007)[link]

After many references to Bob Backlund were made by Kevin Nash, he officially debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in January 2007, at the Final Resolution pay-per-view, judging the finals of the Paparazzi Championship Series (PCS) between Alex Shelley and Austin Starr. Given the tie breaking vote, Backlund launched a long explanation before declaring his decision a draw, and the match was restarted by PCS director Kevin Nash. After Shelley won the match, Starr pie-faced Backlund because he believed Backlund had cost him the match. Backlund responded by putting Starr in the crossface chickenwing.^[25]

Backlund then began to make regular appearances on TNA Impact! During this time, he was described as crazy and weird by announcers Don West and Mike Tenay, somewhat similar to the "Mr. Backlund" gimmick of his second WWF tenure.

Backlund made his in-ring return at Slammiversary, defeating Alex Shelley. He then teamed with Jerry Lynn to lose to Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin (managed by Kevin Nash) at Victory Road. When TNA redesigned their website, Backlund's profile was removed, signaling the end of his run with the company.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2007)[link]

On the 15th Anniversary episode of Raw on December 10, 2007, Backlund participated in the "15th Anniversary battle royal", along with 14 other wrestlers from Raw's 15 year history. Backlund was eliminated from the match by Skinner.^{[citation needed]}

Acting career[link]

Backlund was a guest on MTV's Singled Out, where he acted in sketches with hosts Jenny McCarthy and Chris Hardwick. The work caught the eye^{[citation needed]} of director Keven Undergaro and producer Maria Menounos. He was subsequently cast to play the role of "Friar Chuck", alongside Menounos and John Waters, in the feature film comedy In the Land of Merry Misfits. The film played at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, where Backlund appeared and signed autographs.

Personal life[link]

Backlund and his wife, Corki (a high school physical education teacher) have a daughter named Carrie. They live in Glastonbury, Connecticut.^[26]

Backlund unsuccessfully ran (as a Republican) for a Connecticut seat in Congress in 2000. He later operated a bail bond company in Connecticut.^[1]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Atomic Knee Drop (Diving knee drop) – 1973–1978
  • Atomic Spinecrusher (Running atomic drop) – 1970s–1980s; used rarely thereafter
  • Crossface chickenwing
  • Half nelson bridging cradle

• Signature moves
  • Multiple suplex variations
    • Belly to back
    • Double underhook
    • Vertical

• Managers
  • Arnold Skaaland

• Wrestlers managed
  • The Sultan
  • Kurt Angle

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Keirn^[27]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Brisco^[28]

• NWA Western States Sports
  • NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[29]

• Northeast Wrestling Federation
  • NEWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time, first)^[4]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Match of the Year (1978) vs. Billy Graham on February 20^[30]
  • PWI Match of the Year (1982) vs. Jimmy Snuka in a cage match on June 28^[31]
  • PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1994)^[32]
  • PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1977)^[33]
  • PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1981)^[34]
  • PWI Rookie of the Year (1976)^[35]
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year (1980)^[36]
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year (1982)^[37]
  • PWI ranked him # 7 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Modern Era (Class of 2008)^[38]

• St. Louis Wrestling Club
  • NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[39]

• World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pedro Morales^[40]
  • WWWF/WWF Championship (2 time)^1[41]

• Wrestle Association R
  • WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Putski and The Warlord^[42]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Best Technical Wrestler (1980)
  • Match of the Year (1980) vs. Ken Patera in a Texas Death match on May 19 in New York City, New York
  • Most Overrated Wrestler (1983)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)

1 ^ WWE only recognizes two of Backlund's reigns.

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Professional Wrestling Online Museum: Spotlight on Bob Backlund
• Bob Backlund at the Internet Movie Database

George "The Animal" Steele
George Steele in 2009
Ring name(s)	George "The Animal" Steele[1][2] The Student[1][2] The Animal Machine[2]
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1][2]
Billed weight	288 lb (131 kg)[1]
Born	(1937-04-16) April 16, 1937 (age 75)[1][2] Detroit, Michigan
Resides	Cocoa Beach, Florida
Billed from	Detroit, Michigan
Trained by	Bert Rubi[3]
Debut	1962
Retired	1989

William James Myers (born April 16, 1937), better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele^[1][2] is a former American professional wrestler and actor. Steele's career lasted from 1967 until 1989, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s.

He also portrayed Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson in Ed Wood, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.^[4]

Early life[link]

Myers was raised in Madison Heights, Michigan.^[5] During high school, he found success in track running, baseball, basketball and football.^[5] In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University as a football player for the Michigan State Spartans,^[5] but his career as a football player was immediately cut short as a result of knee problems.^[5]

After gaining a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University and a master's degree from Central Michigan University,^[6] Myers became a teacher, amateur wrestling coach, and football coach at Madison High School in Madison Heights, Michigan. There he would eventually become a member of the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.^[1][7]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Looking to supplement his income, he got into the world of Detroit-area professional wrestling, but in order to protect his privacy, he wrestled using a mask and the name The Student.^[3] Scouted by World Wide Wrestling Federation champion Bruno Sammartino, he began working in Pittsburgh in 1967 on the popular Studio Wrestling TV show broadcast on WIIC-TV (later WPXI-TV) Channel 11. There he dropped the mask, but still looking to hide his real name, adopted the name "George Steele". The name was taken from Michigan High School Hall of Fame Coach George Steele of Warren, whom Myers coached against.

Working well with Sammartino, he was invited for a full run in the WWF. He told WWF TV commentator Ray Morgan that he was the nephew of Ray Steele (kayfabe) and had an extensive amateur background. He sold the story by using an array of armlocks on opponents, weakening them for his finisher, the Flying Hammerlock (Steele would lift his opponents off the mat by a hammerlocked arm). He also revealed his teaching background to interviewers that made his in-ring Neanderthal image all the more incongruous. He wrestled Sammartino to an hour-long draw at Madison Square Garden but lost the rematch. He was then relegated to a feud with Chief Jay Strongbow, and lost to Edouard Carpentier at the Garden before taking a brief hiatus to reinvent his wildman character.

Now his gimmick was fully established. A true crazy heel, he acted like a wild man in the ring, tearing up the turnbuckle with his teeth and using the stuffing as a weapon as well as sticking out his green tongue (an effect accomplished by eating green Clorets breath mints).^[7] The Animal had a stooped posture and a hairless head, but a thick mat of fur on his back; wrestling broadcasters often speculated that The Animal was indeed "the missing link." At best The Animal could occasionally manage to utter a word or two during interviews with one them usually being "Duh-da-dahh" or "YOU! YOU go!".

George Steele in 2009.

As Steele recalled in a later shoot interview, his infamous "Duh-dahh" interview style happened by accident. Throughout his career, Steele prided himself on being able to cut eloquent and effective promos, and ranked his mic skills with the best in the business. At a WWF TV taping in the early 1980s, he was cutting one of these promos when Vince McMahon cut him off, and reminded Steele that his gimmick was the "Animal", and for an animal he was "making too much sense". Incensed, Steele did a second take of nothing but garbled and incoherent syllables ("Duhh-dahh"). Steele did this deliberately, and out of pure frustration, thinking that McMahon would acquiesce and allow Steele to cut his normal, eloquent promos. Much to Steele's shock, McMahon replied, "That's exactly what I want!", and this would remain Steele's interview style for the rest of his WWF run. Steele started to fully cultivate his gimmick of a menacing imbecile.

Steele eventually became one of the more beloved wrestlers of the early "WrestleMania" era of the mid-1980s. He turned face during Saturday Night's Main Event when his partners in a six-man match, Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik, abandoned him to their opponents, Ricky Steamboat and the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda), leading to Steele being taken under the wing of the Express' manager, Capt. Lou Albano. His most famous feud was in 1986 against "Macho Man" Randy Savage, after Steele developed a crush on Savage's valet, Miss Elizabeth. The feud was meant to last only a couple of months (and end with Steele being disappointed), but it proved so popular with fans that it continued well into 1987. In 1988, Steele began carrying a stuffed animal named "Mine" to the ring, He participated in the Wrestlemania IV Battle Royal, but was outside the ring the whole time. Late in 1989 Steele retired due to Crohn's disease. Though he left the WWF without any WWF championships behind him, he left a fan favorite. A decade later, Steele came out of his retirement briefly.

In 1999, during the WWF's "Attitude Era", George Steele returned as part of The Oddities.^[1] Then on January 10, 2000, George Steele appeared on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro as one of three legends Jeff Jarrett had to face that night.^[3] Eight years later, Steele made an appearance at TNA Slammiversary as a groomsman in the wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and So Cal Val, along with Koko B. Ware, Kamala, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

Steele has made several appearances for Tony Vellano's Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, NY. At its first event in 2003, Steele was interviewed by journalist "Handsome" Randall Burton for the Rochester, NY television show "Wrestlevision." Steele became frustrated while a nervous Burton stammered through several odd questions during this controversial interview. Rather than answering questions, Steele became agitated and abruptly walked away from the interviewers. The clip circulated on YouTube, as many have questioned whether Steele's frustration was legit or if he was in kayfabe mode. Opponents have cited that it would make little sense for Steele to kayfabe the interview as a heel, as he had been a fan favorite throughout the majority of his career.

George Steele appeared on Monday Night Raw on November 15, 2010. He made a guest appearance during the Kofi Kingston/David Otunga match.

Personal life[link]

Myers has dyslexia and was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 1988,^[8][9][10] an inflammatory bowel disease which currently has no cure but can be brought into remission.^[11] In 1998, doctors told Myers that his Crohn's Disease had gone into remission and that he no longer suffered from any of the disease's symptoms.^[10] In 2002, to prevent the symptoms from returning, Myers had his colon removed.^[10]

Myers is a religious man. He attends the First Baptist Church Merritt Island, and currently lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida with his wife Pat,^[12] whom he married before he entered Michigan State in 1956.^[5] Together, Pat and Jim have two sons, Dennis and Randy, and a daughter, Felicia. It was announced that Steele would make an appearance at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers^[5]

Acting career[link]

In 1994, Steele made his professional acting debut as Swedish wrestler-turned-actor Tor Johnson in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.^[1] The casting was particularly appropriate because for many years Steele was often mistaken for Johnson. He tells a story about a New York novelty store, which once sold the popular Tor Johnson mask as a George Steele mask to increase sales due to his popular run in wrestling at the time.

Steele also did a Minolta Office Products commercial with actor Tony Randall.

Other media[link]

Steele appeared in the videogame, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain as a legend character.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Flying Hammerlock (Lifting opponents off the mat by a hammerlocked arm)
  • Big Splash

• Signature moves
  • Biting the opponents out-stretched arm
  • Crossface Chickenwing
  • Full nelson
  • Powerslam
  • Shoulderbreaker
  • Suplex slam

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Cauliflower Alley Club

• Other honoree (2004)

• Grande Wrestling Alliance

• GWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[13]

• National Wrestling Alliance

Regional

• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) - with Frankie Laine

• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

• Class of 2005

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 267 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)
• Slammy Award for Best Performance by an Animal (1987)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1987, 1988)
• Worst Feud of the Year (1987) vs. Danny Davis
• Worst Tag Team (1986) with the Junkyard Dog

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: George Steele

• Official website
• George Steele at the Internet Movie Database
• WWE Hall of Fame profile
• Interview with Steele about his career (from Legends of Wrestling 2)
• May 19, 2011 Interview with George "The Animal" Steele (on Roundtable Wrestling Radio)

Ernest "Ernie" Ladd (November 28, 1938 – March 10, 2007), nicknamed "The Big Cat" was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler.