Gorgeous George (born George Wagner) was an unlikely member of the professional wrestling circuit beginning in the 1940's in two ways. First, at 5'9" he was dwarfed by many of the bulky figures of the sport. Second, and more importantly, he brought unconventional showmanship to the sport in the form of a cross-dressing character named Gorgeous George. In this persona, Wagner brought a new level of spectacle to the world of professional wrestling, dyeing his hair platinum blond, wearing women's clothes and pretending to be effeminate in the ring. He was among the first professional wrestlers to appear on network television and even married his first wife in the ring.
Gorgeous George
