10 Things You Didn't Know About George "The Animal" Steele
5. He Came To The Ring With A Stuffed Animal Called "Mine"
George Steele's feud with Randy Savage may have made him a beloved star, but physically, he was hardly the George Steele of old. By 1987, he was 50 years old, and had to rely more on gimmicks and antics than actual athleticism in the ring.
One such gimmick came in the form of "Mine," a blue stuffed animal that Steele started bringing with him to the ring the following year. By then, Steele was portraying something of a lovable teddy bear himself, so carrying around a little friend on which he could dote only heightened the cuteness factor. Plus, it was a pretty simple doll, so WWE was able to mass produce and sell "Mine" to any fan who wanted one.
It's kind of a strange influence to have, but think of "Mine" as a G-rated precursor to Al Snow's "Head," which came to WWE TV just a short decade later.