Green tongued. Eater of turnbuckle pads. Lover of stuffed animals and pretty ladies named Elizabeth. Those three descriptions paint an accurate picture of the George "The Animal" Steele that fans of 1980s World Wrestling Entertainment came to love. Toned down to better fit the family-friendly, cartoon nature of WWE programming during the Rock and Wrestling Era, Steele somehow became even more bizarre than he had been when he was terrorizing fans as a hated villain a decade or so earlier. Repeatedly uttering the word "mine" and palling around with Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, Steele remained a relevant part of stories well into the late '80s, most of which he spent feuding with "Macho Man" Randy Savage. His program with the then-Intercontinental champion led to several high-profile contests with the iconic star, including a WrestleMania 2 showdown for the prestigious midcard title. They would meet on a few occasions on Saturday Night's Main Event, including one match in which Miss Elizabeth was up for grabs. Like the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, Steele was in love with the gorgeous Kentuckian and wanted nothing more than to rescue her from the controlling rule of Savage. He never quite accomplished that feat but did help Steamboat capture the Intercontinental title at WrestleMania III in one of the greatest matches ever wrestled. Steele's bizarre nature helped set him apart of from the other Superstars of the time. An aging veteran who could no longer keep up with the stars of the time, he needed to undergo a character change in order to remain a valuable and relevant part of the WWE product. By becoming goofier and more dumbfounding than he had previously been, he accomplished that and went on to enjoy several more years with Vince McMahon's company.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
