8 Wrestling Gimmicks That Totally Ripped-Off Musicians
3. George Ringo (The Beatles)
As if the portmanteau wasn't obvious enough, just take a look at that ridiculous picture. George Ringo, the name clearly composited from the Traveling Wilburys' frontman George Harrison and voice of Thomas the Tank Engine Ringo Starr, was billed as 'The Wrestling Beatle' at the peak of the Fab Four's 1960's popularity. It was as blatant and lazy a cash-in as you're likely to see this side of a Royal Wedding.
There's not much information about the character, played by perennial jobber Bob Sabre, but pretty much all you need to know can be gleaned from this picture. Ringo's top-half isn't so bad, but the bottom half makes him look like a modish dad perilously close to the sock gap.
Bob Luce, the man who discovered Sabre's, erm, talents, noted that he was not a good wrestler, but was a bit of a trailblazer in the 'smashing a guitar over someone's head' department. Somewhere out there, someone knows about George Ringo's long-forgotten and much better tag partner, Paul Lennon.